A secret no more: Coastal Dish serving up Lowcountry meals at Litchfield Beach & Golf resort

A secret no more: Coastal Dish serving up Lowcountry meals at Litchfield Beach & Golf resort

What’s in a name? Everything, it seems, when it comes to the revamped restaurant at the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort.

Once known as Webster’s, the resort’s signature restaurant is now known as Coastal Dish. With a dinner menu that includes Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Shrimp and Grits and fresh flounder, Coastal Dish’s promise of “Lowcountry Dining” seems set to fulfill its namesake. Located between Murrells Inlet to the north and historic Pawleys Island to the south, the Litchfield community is a major hub on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast.

Todd Goins, who oversees the food and beverage for the resort, located at 14276 Ocean Highway, was effusive about the dining operations.

“The shrimp-and-grits here are incredible,” Goins said. “We have a half-chicken that is so tender and juicy. We actually bake it and then fry it. It’s a total half chicken that’s really so good.

“I want our menu to have a good variety. I don’t want anyone coming here and not finding anything they like. We have steak. We have chicken. We have fresh mahi. We have fresh flounder. Something for everyone.”

And as it has for years, the restaurant has served up an expansive buffet breakfast. Many resort guests upgrade their reservation to include a daily breakfast at Coastal Dish that includes eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, gravy and biscuits, pastry and more.

“Our breakfast is an amazing buffet, and everything is fresh,” Goins said. “It’s only $12.50 per person that is all-you-can-eat and it includes your drink. We have anything you could want. Our guests love it, and we have locals who come over, too. I mean, it’s only $12.50 — and you can eat all you want! There’s no better deal around.”

But it’s dinner — and two full-service bars, one inside and one outside on “The Deck” — that’s has Goins’ attention lately.

“The biggest thing is that we want the local community to be a big part of our restaurant,” he said. “We can’t just operate a restaurant for our guests and for the tourists and leave the community out there in the cold.

“We’ve been a hidden gem, but I want to be something more.”

To that end, Goins has hired Doug Long, a New Jersey chef, to oversee the menu.

“The first and foremost thing we told Doug was to have a menu that would appeal to everyone,” Goins said. “I didn’t want to be pegged as a seafood restaurant or an Italian restaurant or a steakhouse. I wanted something where a whole family can go and every member can find something they love.

“We want to give you a great quality meal, but we don’t want to break anyone’s bank either so nothing on our menu is extremely expensive.”

Diners can choose from burgers and sandwiches that top out at $12 or entrees such as Atlantic Salmon for $25, Filet Mignon for $24 or that aforementioned Crispy Half Chicken, described on the menu as sweet and spicy, for $22. Salads and appetizers range in price from $10-$14. To view the full menu, click here.

Desserts include a New York Cheesecake specialty by Chef Long, as well as a chocolate volcano cake and a homemade lemon cake that Goins described as “unbelievably delicious.”

“We have a full premium bar, and we have live music every night we are open,” Goins said. “Our menu is fully served inside and outside. There are a lot of cool people who live here, and they take advantage of what we have here at Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort.

“This is a great place to have a quiet meal, listen to some live music and have a drink.”

Still, Goins admits, that the restaurant — hidden away in the courtyard of the resort’s main complex near the Starbucks and check-in area — is out of sight of the cars speeding by just a few yards away on Ocean Highway.

“We are sort of a secret,” he said with a shrug. “I guess that’s a blessing and a curse. We are happy to be a special place for people, but we also want people to know that we are here.

“But I’m always delighted when someone says, ‘The music and the meal were great. We didn’t even know you were here.’ You know, there are probably about 5,000 people that live close enough that they can even walk here for dinner.”

Sometimes, he said, telling others about such a secret is worth it in the end.

“I really do think this is a hidden gem,” Goins repeated, “but I also want people — tourists and locals — to enjoy the food. We are excited about serving everyone.”

Coastal Dish is open for breakfast every day from 6:30-10:30 a.m. and for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. For more information, call 843-235-5516. A farmers market with local vendors is held just outside the courtyard each Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Georgetown County’s casual charm and Southern hospitality earned it the nickname of the Hammock Coast. Adventure and relaxation blend together in perfect harmony, like the flowing and ebbing of waves on the county’s famed beaches. With six communities – southern Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island, Georgetown and Andrews – comprising the pristine coastal area between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, visitors can experience South Carolina’s Hammock Coast like never before.

— By Mark A. Stevens, director of tourism development, Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast