Southern Comforts Restaurant & Bakery’s chef and owner Greg Metcalfe has traveled the world, run restaurants fancy and plain, and clearly knows his trade. Along with his wife, Julie Metcalfe, who is equally experienced in the business, Greg has settled in Pawleys Island and enjoyed serving comfort food to locals and visitors since March 2016. The couple also own Valley Crucis Bakery & Café near Boone, N.C.

In a location known for the past 14 years as The Mayor’s House, the unassuming midsize Pawleys Island eatery has an open-air wraparound porch, plenty of seating inside and eight oversized stools at the bar. Two separated dining rooms keep noise levels manageable when at capacity, though live music every Wednesday adds a lively touch.

The ridiculously large and varied menu for lunch and dinner should satisfy everyone in your crowd. For lunch I had the Blue Plate special, which that day included a healthy portion of fresh mahi-mahi with lemon dill butter sauce, a side of al dente green beans with sautéed red onions and chopped tomatoes, and a side of mac and cheese with visible hunks of aged cheddar. The price for this hearty lunch? $8.

Most everything on the menu is in the $7–$12 range with a few specialties such as Granny’s Pot Roast ($16), Baby Back Ribs ($14–$22), Flat Iron Steak ($17) and fresh seafood offerings going a bit higher. Overstuffed sandwiches (some 17 to choose from), along with a variety of burgers and dogs, are mostly $7–$9.

A newly added Sunday Brunch (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) features sweet and savory offerings from the traditional eggs, French Toast, pancakes, breakfast platter and omelets to burgers, salads and sandwiches. Most are $7–$13.

“Freshness,” says Greg Metcalfe, is the key to the flavor. “We don’t have a freezer in this building. Everything comes in fresh and we sell it right away.” Julie Metcalfe’s specialty is her baked goods, from cookies to cakes and everything in between, all on display to tempt as you walk in the front door.

Already a local’s favorite, Southern Comforts Restaurant & Bakery has been earning a reputation for its comfort food at more than comfortable prices.

Southern Comforts Restaurant & Bakery
13089 Ocean Highway
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
(843) 314-9369
www.southerncomfortsrestaurantandbakery.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 am. to 2 p.m. Sunday