Painter's Homemade Ice Cream

Painters Homemade Ice Cream
2107 So. Hwy. 17 (Business)
Garden City, SC




I'm one of those people who stays away from all of the typical tourist-y attractions, restaurants, etc.   I love finding the off-the-beaten track and side-street experiences.  I've always been that way.
I was born and raised in New Jersey.  I worked in Manhattan in my early 20s and yet I've never been to the Statue of Liberty.   When I brought my daughters to see it a year after 9/11; it was still closed to the public.   Go figure.

I do not in any sense consider the Statue of Liberty a tourist trap and actually, when I was younger, I didn't want to get any closer to her than necessary.   Whenever our family would drive into "the city", I would see her standing there in the Harbor and it seemed sort of creepy to me.  Now that I'm older and no longer creeped; I rarely head up that way.  Oh, the ironies of life.

There are several attractions and experiences here at "the beach" which I've not indulged in.   I've not stepped foot in a Calabash Buffet restaurant, never been to The Palace, The Dixie Stampede, Barefoot Landing,  Legends in Concert, the House of Blues, etc and so on.

Does that make me a bad person?  I don't think so, but I have been to The Basement @ Crazy J's Bar to see a locally written & produced sort of Sci-Fi meets Burlesque production called Gratisphere.  I've hung out with friends on the patio of the Dead Dog Saloon on a hot Summer night sippin' a Corona while taking in the great vibe of a live, local band.  And I, as recently as last night, took a chance on a restaurant called Little Brazil on Broadway in Myrtle Beach.

I spent a total of $24 for all three events, including a tip at The Dead Dog and had totally memorable experiences.

I'm a big time believer in supporting the local economy.  When I see the line of cars and RV's backed up on 544; I rejoice.  These are people coming into town to spend money and I'm sure they're like me in that they want the most bang for their buck (hackneyed expression anyone?).

Exhale.  Wow, I bet you forgot that I am here today to tell you about my excursion to Painters Ice Cream.    I said all of the above to say that Painters is one of those places that most locals and many tourists have told me that I simply MUST try.   So, last night was the night  that I forked over $3.19 (incl. tax) for a small cup of Coffee-flavored ice cream.

I usually judge an ice cream joint by its Vanilla...nothing else added.  Just pure Vanilla.   Last night I decided to go with my all-time favorite flavor...Coffee!
Let me start by saying that I might have stood in line to await my turn with too high an expectation.  I was quite a bit disappointed.  The texture and creaminess of my concoction were there, but the coffee flavor was nothing more than a "hint" and that "homemade" taste just wasn't evident.   I found it to be about the same as some great ice creams which I can get at the grocery store.   It just didn't deliver on what I'd hoped would be a great cold mouthful of creamy Coffee delight.


I will say this though; the young girl who took my order was phenomenal.  She has had her "customer service" on and she was workin' it!


In summation, my verdict is that this ice cream wasn't worth the price or the long wait in line.   There are plenty of other ice cream joints along the Strand and I'm willing to put my taste buds on the line in search of the ultimate.   It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!