When it comes to quality restaurants in general and Italian restaurants in particular, I will stack Bridgeport, Clarksburg, and the entire North Central region of West Virginia against any similarly sized and even larger demographic in the country.

 

It is a hill I will die on, and one I am certain that would feature company.

 

If you have ever left the area for a trip and are looking for quality food, particularly quality Italian food, few areas stack up to what we have right here in our own back yard – and they’re almost all exclusively locally owned small restaurants. What I have also found is that the best places to eat when away are almost always that “local joint” someone fills you in on.

 

For my wife and I, and occasionally friends who may be with us, we have found that local joint in North Myrtle Beach. Not only have we found the place to go to, but we found quality Italian food that has one more interesting tidbit.

 

It has Harrison County roots. Actually, it has roots from Clarksburg and Bridgeport and trust my gut, both figuratively and literally, if you are making the drive or flight to Myrtle you need to stop into Eddie’s or as the outside sign says, Eddie’s Italian Café.

 

Yes, it is that simple. Look it up on Facebook under Eddie’s and do yourself a favor and look it up on your trip to South Carolina for Harrison County Italian food hours from home.

 

Before I go much further, I should probably give a little background. Eddie’s is named after Eddie Sprouse, the owner and operator, who is a 1987 graduate of Washington Irving High School.

 

His better half? That would be Renee Williams Sprouse, a 1988 graduate of Bridgeport High School who is doing well in the real estate business in Myrtle. The couple have been married since 1994 and had a son and daughter.

 

Here is the real catch, though, when it comes to Eddie’s food that differentiates it from many here locally. He has no formal food training. There is no real family food industry background. He is from food school of hard knocks and, let me assure you, he has a master’s degree.

 

The journey to Myrtle started in 1991 for a summer of work. He ended up heading home and spent some time at Fairmont State before coming down permanently in 1992.

 

“That’s when I decided to stay,” said Sprouse.

 

Those early years were spent working at a job that deal with driving ranges and batting cages. Eventually, he would work bussing tables and bartending at local establishments before eventually getting settled in at his own place – Eddie’s Café – which was more bar-based and bar food than what you will get now at a new location that is far from a bar.

 

Ironically, he was a co-owner with another man named Eddie before buying out his same-named partner in 1996. From there, he ran the business to 2006 when he dropped out of the business while have a couple of back surgeries.

 

“In 2010, I opened back up where we are now and I knew I couldn’t open with liquor so decided to get open with Italian food and other specialties beyond that,” said Sprouse. “I knew I wasn’t going to get that bar crowd anymore, so I banked on the food.”

 

There was a reason for the change in strategy. While working at his previous “Eddie’s,” he got advice he took to heart.

 

“Everyone told me my food sucked,” said Sprouse. “I decided to do something to change it.”

 

The recipe for food success was recipes from home. Most notable, getting pepper recipes from relatives and the late Roma Carder, who is Bridgeport businessman’s Mark Carder’s mother.

 

“That allowed me to bring the sandwiches, the hoagies, down here,” said Sprouse. “Honestly, I needed that because I never cooked a thing in my life, no formal training at all, but the food really began to improve with those peppers used in a lot of things.”

 

The menu expanded. Homemade dishes, including vats of meatballs he and his wife would make, pasta and more. Suddenly, the word “sucked” was no longer applicable.

 

“The menu became popular, and this place eventually became popular because when I opened in 2010, there were people disappointed because they thought it was a bar,” he said. “It took a while to catch on, but it did.”

 

Catch on it did. Sprouse, though, remembers early on it was him in the kitchen and one other employee.

 

“I was the cook, the dishwasher, and whatever I had to be,” said Sprouse. “It paid off, and certainly having Renee’s support was big.”

 

Not bad for a couple with no experience in the food industry. And even better for a couple that met right here at a local bar back in the early 1990s before getting married.

 

“The funny thing is that a lot of people say they came up and created their own thing, but I don’t feel like anyone here has what we have. Most places that have a hoagie type of sandwich call it a cheesesteak. We call it a hoagie and I’ll put it up against any sandwich of its nature,” said Sprouse, who uses the Myrtle Beach version of D’Annunzio’s bread and rolls, which is the same family from right here in Harrison County.

 

Yours truly got the steak hoagie despite the guests sitting next to us imploring us to go with what they called “the best and most loaded lobster roll” at Myrtle. And with a quick glance, I can assure you it was overflowing with some of my favorite type of seafood, which you can also get at Eddie’s.

 

“We’ve seen the demand for seafood, which is natural,” said Sprouse. “We really took off with the lobster rolls and we’re the only ones doing it within several miles of here.”

 

The reason for going for the lobster rolls was after Sprouse saw a food truck with people lined up. From there, it has taken off.

 

“I got it, started advertising on Facebook and got something like 21,000 views on that first post and it took off and hasn’t slowed down,” said Sprouse. “That’s been the most popular addition away from the Italian food, along with crabcakes.”

 

I also had the crabcakes to go. His promise of no fillers and massive amounts of crab meat was fulfilled and my stomach was filled late night.

 

“We do different things, but we always see what our regular customers like,” said Sprouse. “You have to have a local base because the summer crowd is just that, a summer crowd. We love seeing visitors, but to make it work you have to have locals and we do.”

 

As for the visitors, there are plenty. Some involves word of mouth, some may see the Flying WV on the door, or others may just happen to stop in.

 

“We see a lot of West Virginians come down here and a ton from Clarksburg, Bridgeport and all the surrounding areas,” said Sprouse. “It makes me happy when you see them come in with their West Virginia hat and shirt on.”

 

Even if you do not have the West Virginia gear, make a stop. For the immediate future, things should stay the same on the dining and location front.

 

“Every day we have some customers tell us we need a bigger spot, but we don’t need that. I like to keep it small because everything is working out well that way,” said Sprouse. “I have six people working for me, good workers, and right now I probably couldn’t get a seventh so a bigger place with more space may be a problem. I’ve seen a number of places close because they couldn’t staff their businesses.”

 

That does not mean Eddie and Renee Sprouse will be in the restaurant and real estate business, respectively, forever. Eddie Sprouse said he would like to do something in the future, even if he does not see it happening anytime soon.

 

“I often think about getting a good truck and going on the road with Renee and hitting some festivals and having fun,” said Sprouse. “Maybe even come back north for a few festivals. If it’s going to end, that’s how I would like it to end.”

 

Before it ends, give Eddie’s a visit. Key in 82 Cloverleaf Dr Unit 101, Longs, SC, United States, South Carolina on your GPS, and head there.

 

You can thank me later … (and on a side note, there is another Harrison Countian running a pretty successful restaurant that Hurricane Ian stopped us from going to that may be the subject of a future blog).

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Eddie Sprouse in the kitchen near closing time, while the second photo is a steak hoagie that yours truly had the pleasuring of destroying. The third photo is of his popular lasagne dish, while the fourth photo is his crab cake and the fifth photo shows his lobster roll. Both are overflowing with ocean goodness. Bottom photo shows Eddie Sprouse with his wife Renee, second from left, and daughter Tori and son Cash.