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| Valhalla |
"High-class nachos" seems like a phrase one might come up with lying in a stupor on the floor of a dirty dorm room floor as they steel themselves to "enjoy" the results of throwing a bunch of stale corn chips on a plate and microwaving it with a few slices of american cheese on top.
Speaking of inscrutable phrases associated with the word "nacho", I haven't yet taken the time to find an explicit explanation of where, why, and how Nacho Hippo, a wonder of an establishment nestled within the Market Common "upscale urban center", got its name. After sampling the fruits within, I came to the almost too obvious conclusion that it has to do with serving sizes. We'll get to that.
My girlfriend and I arrived at The Hippo around dinner time Saturday night. Place was pretty jumpin' - the modestly sized patio along the sidewalk was full on a decadently pleasant evening weather-wise and what seemed to be the main dining area was full as well. A good sign! Thankfully, the interior is bigger on the inside than it looks from without and there was sort of another half-full dining room away from the bar.
As far as beverages go, my girlfriend opted for a margarita of gigantic proportions and I decided on a much tamer Diet Coke. Fun Fact: Sodas come in souvenir cups. FREE CUPS. As we got our drinks we ordered the Grilled Corn on the Cob for an appetizer, more out of curiosity than anything else. Outside of corn as a side dish or worked into a salsa or the baby stuff you'll find in Chinese dishes, neither of us have had much experience with Corn on the Cob as a centerpiece of any one particular dish at a sit-down, dine-in establishment.
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| Some corn. A knife. A margarita bigger than a purse. |
The husk was left on the ear of corn and served nicely as an organic handle for the proceedings that followed. There was a knife. Our first thought was, of course, "Well, yeah, we'll share. We'll use the knife to cut this thing in half." I think it was actually just a joke being played on us and the Hippo staff and patrons were all pointing and laughing as we fruitlessly attempted to cut through this thing. Finally, we just took it and broke it in half with our hands.
After that minor embarrassment, we got to eating. An awesome blend of spices and queso fresco covered this thing and helped make this some next-level corn. I can honestly say this was the best corn on the cob I've ever had and at $3.95, it was more than worth the price point. This is a theme that will recur throughout anyone's visit to Nacho Hippo.
For entrees, my girlfriend decided on getting three tacos - the Bangin' Shrimp which I can confirm comes with shrimp one could describe as "bangin'", the Tijuana featuring chorizo and crema, and the Carolina Kid festooned with pulled pork, slaw, and sweet and sour sauce.
Being that the word "nacho" is part of the name of the establishment, I zeroed in on Nachos as a main course. I like spicy stuff so the enticingly named Fire in the Hole! nachos sounded like the way I wanted to go. Dressed with lettuce, pico, pepperjack, chili, jalapenos, and mango habanero sauce, I was hopeful the name of the dish wasn't just bravado.
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| I already used "Valhalla" for a caption and this fact saddens me. |
It wasn't. A little context here because it might be hard to tell just from glancing at the image - those tacos you see up top are the real deal and generously sized. There is no trick of perspective. When you get nachos here, know that you're getting nachos in a quantity that would satisfy at least 4 people. So now we've got THAT out of the way. As for the taste, it was all I could hope for and more. A lot of places that are capable of wowing a diner with food are able to do it one of two ways - either from the sheer quantity of food, or the artistry and flavor present within the meal itself.
Nacho Hippo does both of these things and they do it really well. Someone behind the curtain not only knows what they're doing but really LOVES to do it. There was passion in every bite. It makes me excited and inspired just to write about it and we're only talking about nachos here.
Ultimately, I think that's Nacho Hippo's crowning achievement. They take a dish as simple and relatively mundane as nachos and they make it a life affirming experience. When I walked out of Nacho Hippo it was with a feeling of euphoria and satisfaction that I haven't experienced dining out in too long a time.
Is that overly dramatic? Probably. At any rate, let me get back to the task at hand. My girlfriend's three tacos ranged in price from $2.95 for the Tijuana to $3.95 for the Bangin' Shrimp. My two-syllable blessed nachos - the nachos that could feed an army - came to a less-than whopping $8.95. I over-achieved in making it halfway through the plate, leaving plenty to take home.
I've probably missed a lot of description here. The experience was so disproportionately GOOD relative to the low cost incurred that thinking about the whole affair is dizzying. Go to Nacho Hippo. If you're not in Myrtle Beach, get in a plane or a car or ride a horse or whatever and do this important service for yourself. You're worth it, I promise you.
Nacho Hippo Cantina Maximo
The Market Common
1160 Farrow Parkway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843)839-9770
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