A great burger isn’t about the stuff of fuss and fluff, like the white truffle oil that showed up in the Amanda’s Baking Company Kitchen Nightmares episode.

It’s one that’s hand-patted, slapped and flipped over a hot griddle in a no-nonsense kitchen. Kitchens like those are parked in diners in just about every corner of the American Northeast, but aren’t quite as prevalent here in the South.
Hamburger International (HI), in Myrtle Beach on U.S. 17, is an exception. With smells, sounds and tastes like those incomparable diners, it’s hammered with metal siding and sits along the frontage road across from Palmetto Pointe Boulevard at the cusp of the massive construction project at the Back Gate. Inside, doo-wop music plays, staff smile in greeting, and a simple, clean layout trimmed in fire engine red and a checkerboard floor invites you in.

This isn’t the pre-frozen sliver of a patty like the ones under the Golden Arches. It’s hand-formed ground beef. Choose chili, cheese or bacon (or all three) and take it “all the way” with lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickles. Get two stacked burgers for no more than $5.50; one burger for less than $5. Add fries or onion rings for $1.50.

HI serves up baskets of fried flounder, shrimp, oysters and hushpuppies—plus homemade chili, hot dogs, Philly cheese steaks and a fresh helping of salads.

It’s a family-friendly stop with good, affordable food. HI is perfect for the moments when you want to stay away from the fuss of the tourist traps and take a seat closer to nostalgia.

Hamburger International
4765 U.S. 17 Bypass, Myrtle Beach
(843) 293-4994
7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily