Myrtle Beach – Fire & Smoke

Per a special request, here is my review of a recent visit to Fire & Smoke in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I have heard from several sources that Fire & Smoke is the best restaurant in Myrtle Beach. I haven’t eaten at enough restaurants in the area to make that call, but I fervently hope that is not the case.

I want to give every restaurant a fair review, and while there were some elements to our meal that I appreciated, Fire & Smoke’s current menu prices could be cut in half and it would still be too much for what they are offering.

If my critique seems harsh, it is given in the context that Fire & Smoke proudly presents itself as fine dining (a self-described “upscale prime American-fusion steakhouse” per their website) yet fails to live up to that definition in any way. Without even mentioning the haphazard decor and layout of the restaurant, the best way I can describe the overall experience is lacking in both direction and vision.

We shared a few appetizers with our friends, the first of which was this pile of mushrooms. Underneath nearly an inch of wet mushrooms was a thin layer of phyllo that meagerly eked out a notion of its existence in the final few bites at the bottom of the casserole.

Foie gras entier is perhaps the least appealing way to serve such a respected ingredient as an appetizer–let alone in served as a massive chunk on top of fried French toast. A torchon or terrine would have been much more suitable as a small plate meant for sharing, with several slices of brioche on the side.

I’m all for inventing new ways of using classic ingredients, but this dish shows a remarkable lack of understanding of foie gras and how to pair it with appetizing accompaniments. The cornflake pain perdu was overly sweet and greasy–a terrible combination for the already infamously rich and decadent foie. The presentation suggests the chef threw the ingredients on the plate from across the kitchen while accidentally spilling a sauce meant for another dish entirely.

The most successful dish of the evening. The pork belly was wonderfully tender, with the outside nicely crisp from the wood-fired grill. The sweet soy glaze paired well with the savory pork. Again, the presentation fell flat as I was unsure whether the nonsensical splatters of sauce along the outer edge of the plate were for decoration or consumption.

I had (relatively) high hopes for my entree when it was brought to our table. The presentation was acceptable, and the elk chops looked to be nicely grilled. While elk should be cooked to a doneness slightly less than an equivalent cut of beef, the medium-rare I request was nearly blue. All of the flavor was on the exterior crust, while the inside was tough and tasteless. The bone marrow bread pudding was interesting, but it felt as though it was included on the plate to literally lift chops out of the soupy sauce below.

Conclusion

While Fire & Smoke certainly wasn’t awful (everything was edible, the pork belly was even enjoyable) it leaves much to be desired. The service was on par with any other casual restaurant along the Grand Strand, albeit swapping the plastic water pitchers for metal. With entrees coming in at almost $50 at the time of writing, that money is better spent at almost anywhere else. The overall experience would be massively improved with a pared-down menu, and a few tweaks to the presentation of each dish. “Less is more” goes a long way when highlighting ingredients.

Fire & Smoke shows some understanding of what should go into a great dish, but fails to execute at the level they are advertising. In it’s current state it would be hard to recommend it to anyone visiting the area.