Is Myrtle Beach’s Most Expensive Restaurant Worth the Cost?

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by Chris King

There are more than 1,000 Myrtle Beach area restaurants, and the vast majority of them are good. A smaller number fall into the category of outstanding, the kind of places worthy of building an evening around.

Then there is the once a year let’s throw the budget to the wind and enjoy a dining experience. If you are on a Myrtle Beach golf trip, that means an evening at New York Prime, the area’s premier steakhouse.

Travelin’ Joe Passov, the former Golf Magazine travel editor, once called NYP the best steakhouse in the Southeast, but is it the place for your group? Here is what you need to know:

Ambiance: New York Prime is an old school steakhouse. The restaurant is fairly small and the layout is open. If it’s intimacy you are looking for, it may not be the place for you. But that’s also part of what makes it great.

A group of 12 can sit together and enjoy a couple cold drinks and a lot of laughter without having to worry about being out of place.

Whether you are at the bar or in the dining room, there is energy at New York Prime.

The Menu: NYP has a one-page menu, and you won’t need a translator to explain it to your group.

Prices range from $42 for an 8-ounce ribeye to $99 for the porterhouse for two and all the beef is USDA Prime. Here is a vote for the $54, 8-ounce petite filet as it is without peer (unless you count the 12-ounce filet).

I’m not a fish guy, but the sea bass (market price) is the best thing I’ve eaten that’s been pulled from the ocean without shell. If you prefer seafood with a shell, the U10 shrimp, lobster or Florida stone crabs will hit the spot.

The family style sides are highlighted by the cheesed mashed potatoes (consider yourself warned: you can feel your arteries clogging with each bite, but it’s a more than fair trade!), sautéed mushrooms, Brussel sprouts and creamed spinach.

Appetizers (thick cut sizzling bacon … mmm), salads and desserts are all of the quality you would expect from a restaurant with New York Prime’s pedigree, as is the extensive wine list.

Bottom Line: Dinner at New York Prime isn’t cheap, but if you and the boys can splurge for $100 per man (price could rise or fall based on drinks), it’s worth every penny. There isn’t a restaurant in Myrtle Beach I’d rather take a golf group too.