The Library Restaurant

I wish I could go 5-​stars but I’m still rather stingy with those. I’ve noticed some negative reviews regarding Bobby (the iconic waiter who I’m fairly certain was part of the original design of the restaurant). Bobby was an excellent waiter however he seemed very impatient with any questions or having to repeat himself, surprisingly so since we were the only party in the restaurant. He was also very stingy with the smiles. In spite of himself, the service was excellent.
I was surprised that the restaurant was not busy but as it turned out, we were there during bike week in Myrtle Beach and apparently the bikers are not big on French cuisine. Thankfully, it did not effect either the service or the food.
Throwback to the 70’s … Absolutely! If you appreciated French food many years ago, you will again. The food was superb with the exception of dessert. I was sad that they didn’t have grand mariner soufflé so we settled on Cherries Jubilee, which turned out to be simply flamebed cherries over vanilla ice cream. Rather disappointing.
However, the escargot, table side Caesar, steak Diane and sweetbreads flamed table side, definitely made up for the lack of smiles from Bobby and the dysfunctional Cherries Jubilee.

Absolutely amazing! The food here was divine and the service was superb. Bobby was our server and he was fantastic! Food was absolutely wonderful and prepared perfectly. The table-​side Caesar salad is absolute must! This place is perfect for a date night or special occasion. Will definitely come here again!

thursday night we had we had dinner here: what a FIND! it was one of the best dinners i have had in a long time and that includes san francisco, washington dc and norfolk va. i started off with the potato/​cucumber soup which was a restaurant speciality. my entrée was roast duck, fixed just right with pink meal and crispy outside. the side veggieble included sugared carrots and made carrots a whole new vegetable for me. the dessert was cherries jubilee prepared slowly at the table and prepared just right. i also had excellent iced coffee. our server (he also had prepared the potato/​cucumber soup) was christopher fry who was gracious, knowledgable and made the dining experience particularly enjoyable. we had a vey leisurely, pleasant evening in a quiet, civilized setting. a must dining experience for anyone who likes a 5 star meal in style.

This was the best French meal I’ve ever had, and I’ve been to some nice French restaurants. Décor was dim and intimate, mostly pairs of people eating. Kind of an odd location near a massage parlour, but I guess this is Myrtle Beach, not NYC! The French onion soup was done perfectly. The seafood cocktail had big chunks of seafood to dip in clarified butter or tomato cocktail dip. The steak with blue cheese was melt in your mouth delicious. Dessert of bananas foster with ice cream and puffed pastry was so divine. The server was very knowledgeable, had great suggestions, and was polite but not hovering. Definitely will come back, worth every penny.

I have been traveling to Myrtle on business since 2003. Yet, I just learned about The Library in 2015. Now, it is part of every Myrtle Beach trip I make. The service is exceptional, the food is far and above what one expects from Myrtle, and the menu is amazing. The last two times I dined there, I wasn’t very hungry, but my leftovers were plenty to last through the rest of my trips. Even stopping by for a drink and an appetizer after work is extremely satisfying.

A pretentious restaurant without a view, good food and Wonderful service by Bobby. we do think he must not have been allowed to smile. The food was good and came from a throw back to the 70’s heavy menu. Everything seemed to have a sauce that was touched with sherry or other alcohol. We liked the library mushrooms. The shrimp cocktail had an unusual presentation with the 4 shrimp tails tucked into the the cocktail sauce. The tails are the handles for the shrimp, right? We liked the blue cheese topped OLE salad, the she crab soup– hold the finishing sherry topper, onion soup, salmon special of the day, and chicken with artichokes and mushrooms.
No points for the austere atmosphere, windowless dining room and shady strip center location next to a massage parlor. The br bill was surprising — 7.50 for a virgin mary, $ 5 for a bottle of perrier. You need to make a special effort to ask for tap water if you don’t want flat or sparkling water added to the bill.
So all in all, the food was good, if heavy. We wouldnt go back due to the stuffy attitude of dining in years gone by. If i am paying top dollar for a dining adventure, I want to be wowed by the dining room and view. The bill was 139. for the 2 of us with no real bar bill.Yikes.

This is a fabulous, upscale restaurant and an unusual find amongst the various tourist spots all over town. The menu, wine, cocktails, food and the overall presentation are all things you would expect in a top quality restaurant in any major metropolitan city. Make sure you start with their unique, awesome Mojito, then the Caesar salad and absolutely any entrée on the menu. The wait staff is knowledgeable and very accommodating. A real special occasion gem located in an unexpected location.

Best restaurant during our week at MB. Soups are awesome — chilled potato w cucumber and the excellent potato-​onion-​Roquefort. Tableside Caesar salad phenomenal. Rack of lamb was huge portion compared to most places. A nice twist on scampi w a tomato-​based pesto over angel hair. Desserts are incredible. Good wine list.

Excellent food and service. The fish that was flown in from Scotland was mouth watering.
Service was excellent. Atmosphere was small
and cozy. This is food worth paying for.

Many locals said that the Library was one of the best restaurants in Myrtle Beach. We came here for Thanksgiving dinner with a 5:00 reservation. The restaurant is very small but cozy. There are various bookcases filled around the room, and a nice fireplace which we were seated next to. Most of the men were wearing sport-​coats and dress slack. I was wearing the same, so didn’t feel out of place. I don’t know if that is the typical dress, or if it was because of the holiday. The wait staff were all dressed in tuxedos, and trained very well. Never did our server reach in front of us, or let the water/​wine levels get low in our glasses. We started with a small appetizer of mushroom caps cooked in a red and white wine sauce. There was also cheese on top. They were to die for. The perfect start to a huge meal. We both had the turkey dinner, which had turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, carrots cooked in a grand Marnier sauce, green beans, and stuffing. The stuffing was the highlight of the dinner. There were huge chunks of andouille sausage mixed in and the texture was so light and creamy. Not dry and crunchy like some I’ve had in the past. The gravy was a little bland, but nothing some salt and pepper couldn’t help. We were too full for dessert, so ordered a slice of pumpkin cheesecake to go. That was excellent as well. Great dinner in an awesome place. We will definitely return for dinner the next time we are in town.

I have been here one time and that was Saturday November 21^st 2015. It was some of the best food I’ve ever had. The service was incredible and the atmosphere also. Everything on the menu was explained in detail before we ordered our meals. I’ve been to some good places here in Myrtle Beach. This is by far the best I have had…

One can’t help but notice the vast majority of these negative reviews appear to have been authored by those who struggle to conjugate a verb. Now, I’m no grammar nazi, but I do appreciate a little punctuation and a paragraph or two to keep my eyes from bleeding.
(See, new paragraph, right here… easy to do.)
That said, I suspect these less than complimentary reviews were written by people who simply wondered in off the street; blissfully unaware of the sort of establishment they were actually visiting. Either that, or they were recently struck by lightning… There’s really no other excuse for failing to appreciate this place.
I mean, what’s the unsuspecting burger & chips guy to do when he stumbles in with his date? One can’t fault the bloke for being out of his element. He sees the prices but doesn’t want to appear cheap. He has no former scale of reference; pearls before swine and all that… he’s stuck, gets a bill he can’t appreciate and well, we know what happens then…
Unfortunately, this is the passive aggressive sort who takes to the internet later in the evening to exact their less than articulate revenge. Fortunately for you, I’ve broken down this unfortunate mishap to right one of life’s wrongs.
Is The Library for everyone? No.
Is it for those who appreciate a great meal and a little table side prep? Of course. It’s lovely and exceeds reasonable expectations. By the way, I’m a big fan of the Chicken Chardonnay.
Their menu is on-​line (with prices) and the off season is a wonderful time to visit. You’ll of course want to call ahead during the summer.
As for those who take issue with my review of their review. Read a book. Don’t drink the bong water, never date anyone closer than a third cousin, etc. Love ya, mean it.
–Neil
Be sure and follow me on Unilocal for other Myrtle Beach reviews. I live here so chances are if I like something, you’ll dig it too. See that little icon under my name to the left that says, «Follow this person on Unilocal?»…click that! We’ll be buds! Seriously, do it. I’m shallow and need that sort of validation in my life.

This restaurant is now and has kept its rating for a good reason. Because they care… our server Bobbie was very well prepared and you could tell

Very dissatisfied and disappointed
We came here based on Unilocal reviews very poor reviews THANKS
We came from up north near Boston MA and we were so disappointed to come to myrtle beach and experience this PLACE cheap atmosphere bad bad help over priced
We should have taken the whole family to Murrell s inlet for dinner versus just the 2 of us versus 5 of us
better places dont waste a great date night on this PLACE

Wanted to wait to do this review until my second visit in a few days but just figured I’d just go ahead and do it!
Service was EXCELLENT (I’m a server and we can be the worst or the best people to wait on)… food was excellent waiter (Bob) and chef/​owner (Shed) were very attentive and knowledgeable about the food and drink menus. They offered great suggestions between the drinks and food as well. Had cocktails (Acai mojito and Blue Martini).Excellent!!Food was great had the duck with the orange sauce and veggies… duck was a little over cooked to my liking but still had good flavor… would get it again for sure. Friend had the special which was I believe grouper blackened and topped with lobster and crabmeat which was absolutely delicious! Totally recommend the She-​crab soup was different with a twist… and the vinaigrette dressing for the salad was great as well… salad was wimpy but the dressing and the fresh lettuces made up for it. Could have eaten a whole thing of the romaine lettuces with that dressing.
Dessert was great as well… it was homemade blueberry ice cream sundae with a champagne poor and slivered almonds and whipped cream… simple…light…and nice to the taste buds.
Looking forward to trying this place again
Will say it is a little pricey but seemed worth it…$$$

Terrible. Caesar was tasteless. It needed more lemon juice or vinegar. My steak looked like it was taken out of the freezer. My husband ordered the grouper and it was so fishy tasting neither one of us wanted it. For $ 200 I could have found someplace much better. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. One star because the bread was good. One roll.

Extremely overpriced, inedible food coupled with nonchalant service. What a poor choice for an anniversary dinner.
The French onion soup and Caesar both lacked flavor, unfortunately the black grouper special didn’t but the only flavor was a strong fishy taste.
That ended up as $ 200 down the drain. Thank goodness McDonalds was still open when we left.

The Library is my favorite restaurant. If you are looking for an excellent, high-​end dining experience in the Myrtle Beach area, The Library is by far the best choice.
I’ve been to The Library several times and tried a lot of dishes off of their menu. Including the rack of lamb, sweetbreads, grouper with crabmeat, and duck l’orange. I’ve also tried their soups and appetizers — all have been delicious. I’m not a wine drinker typically, but their cocktails like the acai mojito or brandy alexander are excellently prepared. I also highly recommend the bananas foster for dessert — it’s prepared table-​side and is ridiculously good.
One tip: the vegetables used to be a la carte, but this is no longer the case. They are included with the entrée and the entrée prices have not been increased. When I first attended The Library they would cook the vegetables and offer them to you — if you wanted them. Now they just give them to you — a much better way of doing things.
The owner Shad has been there every night I’ve attended and will be sure to check in with you several times — or even cook some of your food table-​side. Danny has been my server each time and has been exceptional as well.
Make sure to get a reservation if you want to dine at The Library. I believe they are required. They will give you a table for the night, so there is no pressure to leave and you are encouraged to eat as slowly as you would like and enjoy the experience. It’s very easy to spend several hours there!

The décor is very nice as are the staff. I started with the French onion soup. It was good, but not better than other French onion soups I’ve had.
Next I had the Ceasar salad. AMAZING ! Prepared table side, I’ve never seen Ceasar dressing made fresh, and it was awesome. Don’t shy away from that tiny piece of anchovy. Trust me dressing is awesome and not fishy at all.
Next, I couldn’t decide what I wanted so I ordered 2 entrees. The first was a daily special: Scottish salmon broiled and topped with crab and a creamy sauce. Sides were green beans almondine, and large slices of carrot. The beans were good but carrots were still abut crunchy. They tasted good though– they were flavored with orange and maybe a hint of ginger.
Next entrée was a menu item the steak AU poive (peppercorn steak). The sauce was awesome. I ordered it medium rare, and it came out medium. They took it back and made me a new one and even made me fresh sides.
Last, Bananas Foster served table side. Butter, brown sugar, juice from half a fresh orange and half a lemon sautéed to a bubbly Yum. Then the bananas and flambéd with 99 bananas and 151 rum. Cinnamon, orange and lemon zest (which actually flame pretty cool). Then it’s served over vanilla ice cream served between two pieces of puff pastry. Man… This desert is lick your plate clean good!
They can and will recork your bottle of wine if you don’t finish it, but put it in your TRUNK. You can get an open container charge even if it’s in your back seat.

The Library was one of my top fine dining experiences of all time. I took my girlfriend there for her birthday since we wanted something unique and high-​class. As others have said, be prepared for a ~2 hour meal, but it is definitely worth it. Don’t be deceived by the plain exterior. Inside we were greeted at the door by the owner, Shad, and given a cute little table lit by a small oil lamp. Very cozy and romantic. Our waiter, Chris, was inviting and attentive throughout the night and helped enhance the dining experience.
We started off with the Caesar salad, and it was incredible! Well-​worth the price. Chris prepared it table-​side for us, and it is most definitely the best Caesar we’d ever had (in fact, even the croutons were the best croutons we’ve had). For entrees we ordered the day’s special filet mignon and the veal with shrimp. My veal was good, but the filet stole the show. It was juicy and perfectly-​cooked, with a wonderful port reduction sauce and mushrooms. We couldn’t help but close our eyes and say «Mmmm.» My girlfriend got the side veggies as well. The carrots and green beans were must-​haves, though the potatoes were good but nothing special.
Drink-​wise I was thrilled to see The Library’s beer selection. We had intended to order a bottle of wine (of which they also have a great selection) but, being a craft beer lover, I couldn’t pass-​up on a chance to try a rare Dogfish Head brew. Shad explained to us that he is an official Dogfish Head seller and is able to get cases of some of their rarest beers. They had 750mL bottles of beer that I haven’t seen for sale anywhere else in the Southeast. Speaking with Shad about their beers, about The Library and about the area were definite highlights of the night. He is extremely kind and attentive and wants to ensure that each diner is fully enjoying their experience.
For dessert you must, MUST try the bananas foster. It’s a dessert unlike any I’ve ever had in my life. Shad himself prepared the dessert table-​side in a pan that flashed and sparked with flames as he flambéed the dish. The result (served over vanilla ice cream and a thin pastry) was heavenly. It seriously capped-​off a dinner, and a night, that was one to remember.