Tucked on Restaurant Row in Murrells Inlet, this hotspot is marked by a little sign—and some big sandwiches. Turn quickly off 17 Business or you’ll miss it entirely. The Big Ass Sandwich Company and Saloon isn’t there for show, and, true to name, it has, ahem, “big-ass” sandwiches and big personality. The stone floors and high tables speak to the fisherman-village history of Murrells Inlet, but the evocative spray-painted mobster mural on surrounding walls hints at the urban—and hardy—sensibility of its owner, Mike Casale.

This spot isn’t for the delicate eater. The extensive menu reads “Big Ass Salads” to the signature “Big Ass Sandwiches.” And the sandwich? It’s comparable to an entire flatbread pizza folded lengthwise and stuffed with top-round steak, pulled pork, ham, or turkey, fried or roasted—all cooked onsite. But these aren’t your average lettuce and sandwich toppings. Fresh, hand-cut fries and homemade “super-secret-recipe beer slaw” come standard inside the sandwich, making the signature turkey a hearty combination of carved, juicy meat (not that cold deli stuff), dripping slaw, and your favorite warm cheese, tomato, lettuce, and onion, all sopped up by the fresh fries and hearty bread. As if that’s not enough, Casale features a two-foot-high chocolate cake or fresh fruit trifle to cap it all off.
Bet your bottom dollar, it’s a meal (and deal) that’s definitely worth the weight.