Columbia Closings   What’s not in Columbia anymore

Well, this is no surprise I'm afraid.

I've told how the original Rosa Linda's was the first Mexican (ish) restaurant where I was a regular, and an important part of my beach trips from the 80s into the oughties, so I was quite excited when the original Rosa Linda's family started to re-establish the restaurant in the former Hoof 'n' Finz in Murrells Inlet where US-17 business and US-17 bypass reconverge around Inlet Square Mall.

When they finally re-opened, everything tasted exactly as I had remembered it, from the yellow rice to the pinto beans flavored with crisp bits of lightly cooked onion. My only disappointment was that the new floor plan (and possibly elevation..) did not make a pizza oven possible as I had really loved the pizzas in the old locations. (And after all it was "The Mexican / Italian Connection").

My only concern was that attendance seemed very light the times I was there, and sure enough I found it closed on one of my 2011 trips.

Later, I heard it was open again, but the story seemed a bit confusing. Basically piecing things together from the Rosa Linda's Facebook page, and some things that local restaurant writer Becky Billingsley (who often seems to know more than she puts down) had written (here, here, here, and here)., I think the story was this: The original owners had a silent partner in the re-establishment of Rosa Linda's and when the initial financial goals weren't met, the silent partner took over the operation with some grandiose plans for making it a chain.

I was a bit reluctant to go back, as the original manager knew me by sight if not by name, and I didn't want to undercut her, but after I saw that they had moved to Texas, I figured it would be OK to check it out. My thought was that the new management would have tinkered with the menu, possibly adding some standard Mexican fare such as chile rellenos etc while keeping the signature items in place. In fact that was not the case, and the menu was completely new without any of the historical Rosa Linda's items. I thought it was acceptable, but gave me no reason to come to Rosa Linda's in preference to the many other Mexican restaurants on the strand. I mean, no Mexicana Mud? Come on!

After that, the place showed the dreaded Rule #1 from signs your favorite restaurant will soon be closing: The hours changed. More to the point, though the place was not supposed to be seasonal, it closed for the winter with a note on the roadside marquee that it would be open again in March. When I went down in March, the sign said it would be open again in April. I think we all know how that story ends! When I went down in early May, the branding signs (except for the parking lot marker) had all been taken down, there were Home Depot boxes and packing tape inside, and the new phonebooks sat in lonliness outside the front doors.

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For some reason I've never really warmed up to McAlister's. I think that is probably due to the negative synergy of three factors: 1) They don't have booths, and the chairs are not comfortable, and 2) they don't have table service, but 3) you still can't refill your own drink.

Be that as it may, nobody is sitting at this one for a while, as it caught fire early on the 25th.

When I went by, I could definitely smell smoke as I stepped into the patio area. In contrast to a number of other places that have caught fire though, work started on recovery almost immediately, and equipment is already in place to rehabilitate the building. The "closed for renovation" sign suggests that there might be an upfit involved as well, but I tend to think that's just boiler-plate phrasing.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

This little stripmall storefront on Platt Springs Road has apparently been a number of restaurants over the years.

I'm guessing Jilanos was the last as I can't find TK's Pizza in the phonebook, and when I enhance that blank sign and turn it around, I get the Jilanos marquee:

I've noticed this little Korean place, on Percival not too far from Forest Drive, over a fairly long period of years, though I never knew the name.

Interestingly, while the sign says Cho Won, google doesn't find that incarnation at all. Apparently it is now a bar C & J Lounge.

This almost vacant site on Airport Boulevard at the south-west corner of the Airport Boulevard/I-26 interchange was definitely a restaurant, and not that long ago -- certainly into the late 1990s. As I recall it was bought up and razed for some sort of road construction.

I remember eating there a few times for late night fare, and was 100% positive that it was a Denny's. However, I can't verify that in either the 1997 phonebook, or the 2005 one, and I'm not getting any definite google hits for a Denny's on Airport Boulevard (except in other cities).

I'm not a big fan of Denny's -- somewhere there must be one with exceptional service and food that looks like the pictures, but I haven't found it yet. They have their uses though -- I'm reminded of this web comic (though it is for another late night institution). I remember working a project on Fort Benning and the only good part of my day being when we hung it up at midnight and being able to have a grilled cheese sandwich on the way back to the hotel..

Anyway, whatever they plan to do on this lot, it seems to be taking them a long time to do it.

UPDATE 24 April 2013: Added a street address, took the question mark off of Denny's? and added the Kettle Restaurant based on the comments.