Tuesday Taste of the "Town"

CLUBHOUSE FOOD & SPIRITS
“OFFICAL (sic) WEST VIRGINIA REST STOP”
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC

Their menu here.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
It’s a bar, plain and simple. “Cheers” style bar area and booths around the walls. It was kind of dark at 2PM, and filled with a crowd that deserves (and really requires) low lighting. Smoking is encouraged.

SERVICE:
Very attentive. We sat at the bar, served by a very nice bartender. Like I said, it’s a bar, so it’s cluttered with bar equipment and Mega-Touch machines. If you want something, speak up or stand up.

FOOD:
I had a reuben and chips, EK had “the” Par Four – a cheeseburger and fries. My reuben was close to being one of the best I’ve had in the South, but for one fatal flaw. The sandwich maker did not drain the sauerkraut – so the whole sammy was a big juicy mess. Excellent bread, great corned beef, and the right amount of 1000 island dressing – It could’ve been a contender.

CHEESEBURGER & FRIES:
Decent sized burger with a good portion of fries. EK called it a winner, and he wiped out the plate. Less application of condiments – maybe I’m getting to him. Again, it looked overcooked to me, but I’m a medium rare meat guy. B.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:
Overall, I’m going with “OK”. But you absolutely cannot be a tobacco-phobe. Everybody smokes, and just as we were finishing (mercifully), some jackass lights up a HUGE cigar three seats down. The ambiance is all WV Mountaineers and most of the clientele is either from WV or admires them. I’d recommend getting the food to go, if you like breathing.

WTF? EVENT:
Parking is at a bit of a premium, but when somebody walks in and starts bitching about where “you’re parked” and “you need to move right now”, maybe you’re not a regular. Especially since EK's car was in another business’ parking lot next door.

Well, that’s it for the first round of the Cheeseburger Quest, now we’ll shake it up and try some pizza for a few weeks. The standings so far:

Andy’s: First Place (by a large margin)
Clubhouse: Second Place (with some issues)
Sharkey’s: Third Place (but only because there are only three)