Mornings At Benjamin’s: How I Found The Ultimate Mommy Morning Out Experience

I’m tempted not to tell you about the best bakery in the Myrtle Beach area because I really want to keep this place to myself.  I don’t want to share my special corner with any of the other tourists and honestly, for several days, this fantastic bakery was my haven.   I was in the process of relocating from the area and found myself with time to kill during the mornings of my kids’ last week of school there.  I had been inside Benjamin’s the year prior and but hadn’t returned because I didn’t understand their ability to provide a peaceful and friendly experience that has more and more to offer every time you visit.

My first time in there, I just picked up a coffee and didn’t even bother to look at the food menu.  I was in and out in five minutes but the eclectic look and feel of the place stood out to me and therefore stuck in my memory.   Just a few weeks ago we had moved into our new place and I was at the mercy of the cable company for internet access because they had scheduled my connection service date for fornever and a day away.  I was desperate for internet access because I had work to do.  McDonald’s was out of the question and at 8 a.m. in Surfside Beach, S.C. there is nothing else open with Wi-Fi.  Except Benjamin’s.  My saving grace for nearly a week.  In addition to Wi-Fi, great food, and fabulous coffee; I found they also had cozy couches and a coffee table to boot, giving the place a real homey feel.

Did I mention that these guys know their coffee?  They have several different beans and blends to choose from and like the best coffee houses in the world, not many coffee drink forms challenge them.  It wasn’t until my third visit that I discovered the food menu.  Of course, it’s a bakery but sweets aren’t their only winning secret.  They bake their bagels fresh every morning and offer them in fantastic recipe styles like their heavenly Lotsa Lox.  It’s a bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato, red onion, and capers.

Dude, you had me at Capers.   Seriously, I would have taken a photo of this when they first served it, but I was hungry, and it was dynamite.  It straight jumped up into my mouth and exploded.  This was all the photo of the masterpiece I could manage that day… 

I know we all have our favorite drive-through coffee places, but what I discovered with Benjamin’s is that we drive through these places because having children often keep us too busy to stop and explore what our neighbors are bringing us in the terms of small business.  Overlooking these gems are causing us to miss out on some very special moments that define who we are without our children when we get that much-needed break from them while they’re in school. I remembered that week that I loved coffee houses and once discovered my love for acoustic music in one.  My experience at Benjamin’s was refreshing and much more enjoyable and memorable than a drive-thru and an hour parked in my driveway scrolling through my phone.  It’s these experiences that remind me that there are still things out here in this world that I like to do and enjoy.  That I’m still alive.  That I’m still me.  And that I can still make decisions without having to consult people under five feet tall.

Moms, if you’re here on vacation and want you to let the kids sleep in with Dad while you find an early morning experience on your own, Benjamin’s is the place.  (Plus you can bring home a delicious breakfast that your kids won’t complain about).  If you’re anything like me, you like to see a menu and I’ve noticed around here not a lot of places include their menus on trip advisor or their websites.  Benjamin’s has a great website that includes a ton of local information as well as their detailed menu so that you can call ahead to order if you wish.  Oh, and one last thing.  If you’re as into iced coffee as I am, order the Billie Jean.  You can email me and thank me later. 🙂