Lombardo’s in Myrtle Serves Up Old-School Italian

By Tammie Hughes

I’ve visited most of the Italian venues along the Grand Strand and there’s no shortage of authentic places to grab a plate of pasta, but if you’re looking for old-school vibes and great food—then Lombardo’s should be on your list. Ariana Belegu and her sons have kept all the good things that John Lombardo established in his namesake venue and added their own tweaks over the years. They purchased the location about eight years ago and never skipped a beat.

Hostess Molly was busy manning the phone and seating guests when we arrived early, just after they opened the doors. The long-tenured bartender, Dennis, greeted us with a smile. The Montreal, Canada transplant has been at the location for eleven years and loves his regular customers. We overheard the back and forth banter between our barstool fellows and like any local following they know each other through frequent visits. I’ve always liked to be amongst the locals—wherever we are, tourist or not. It’s nice to see camaraderie and genuine interaction between (otherwise) strangers and there’s no better place to witness this than atop a barstool in a local restaurant. We all live in a digital world and even though our linear path towards a transformative future is vastly accelerated beyond what anyone could have imagined—it is nice to sit and visit with people you’ve never met, as odd and nostalgic as that may sound.

It felt good, this place, it reminded me of a neighborhood haunt we visited in Florence, Italy, with it’s by- gone era decor and furnishings, the low-level lighting, Tuscan-inspired window treatments, and wall murals. They serve from proper trays and the dining room is a white-tablecloth experience. Everyone loves Dennis. He reached behind to bar and retrieved his gold “Oscar” given to him by a loyal patron. It was inscribed “Best Bartender Award—Dennis ‘The Menace’—Lombardo’s.” Cute. Deserving. Sweet.

Lombardo’s does not have a happy hour, but I think they used to—there is an “old” website online from Chef John Lombardo that has not been taken down and there are some old social media posts pinned that are outdated. BUT—they have an amazing menu with unbelievably affordable prices, making the lack of happy hour a moot point.

Chef Artenio and his back-of-house team were whipping up dish after dish out of the busy kitchen and I was sure to keep a keen eye on each plate as they passed by my vantage point, trying to determine what I would order…

I decided to start with Oysters Rockefeller. Yum. Then off to the special soup, today’s version is Cream of Zucchini. I can’t say that I’ve ever had the pleasure, but what a pleasure it was! I will most assuredly make some version of this in the near future. Next up was the Grouper Florentine. I am a huge fan of spinach and lean into anything Florentine. The grouper was delicate and seasoned lightly, and the parmesan risotto was delivered at the perfect consistency of al dente to creaminess. My husband had the Veal Marsala—it was a classic rendition and had a nice marsala aroma. He said it was amazing. I have a mushroom allergy, so I’ll have to divulge that he cleaned the plate, so it must have been pretty awesome!

We chatted it up with a few locals, a couple of visiting golfers, and a mother-son duo that spends half the year in Myrtle. I enjoyed a glass of Rocca Delle Macie Rubizzo Toscana after dinner. It was bright and aromatic, with black cherry notes and a nice touch of lemon acidity. It is also quite affordable, retailing for around twelve bucks—that’s one thing I’ve always loved about Italian wines, a LOT of decent vintages are reasonably priced.

“Oscar” winning bartender, Dennis, twisted our arm to try the Italian Lemon Cake with Raspberry Sauce. It was a nice finish to a fantastic evening of great food and conversation with strangers. Lombardo’s Italian is a popular place for many reasons—food, prices, people, service… I’d highly recommend a reservation; even barstools are reserved.

Lombardo’s Italian Restaurant
https://www.lombardosmyrtlebeach.com/
Open Daily 4-10 PM
7604 N Kings Hwy Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
(843) 497-6699