Step Inside This South Carolina Italian Market For Homemade Sausage, Warm Bread And A Taste Of Old-School Italy
A farm stand on a busy South Carolina highway now stocks about 150 cheeses and sells sandwiches built with deli meats shipped from New York City. That’s quite a glow-up for a place that started out selling produce.
The two owners come from the Northeast, and they missed the flavors of home. So they started adding Italian imports and specialty cheeses because shoppers kept asking for them.
Now the shelves hold imported pastas, olive oils, homemade sausage, and fresh bread, including loaves sourced from a New Jersey bakery. I like how a simple fruit stand grew into something that feels like an old neighborhood Italian grocery.
I can’t imagine leaving with just a bag of tomatoes, even though the tomatoes are part of the fun. Honestly, who could walk past fresh sfogliatelle and ready-to-fill cannoli shells without stopping?
A Humble Produce Stand Grew Up And Learned To Speak Italian
Back in 1999, Lee’s Farmers Market started out as a produce stand in Murrells Inlet. Nobody back then could have guessed it would someday carry guanciale and imported Italian pastas.
The change came from two co-owners, Scott Lee and Ed ‘Skeeter’ Dombrowski. Both hail from the Northeast, where Italian delis sit on practically every other corner.
Shoppers kept asking for specialty cheeses and Italian imports, so the owners listened. One request led to another, and the shelves slowly filled with flavors from the old country.
I believe that’s the best kind of growth, the kind shaped by real people asking for what they missed. It explains why the place feels personal instead of corporate.
The building itself adds to the charm. It’s been described as a rambling structure with worn wood floors, the sort of place where every aisle seems to lead somewhere new.
Today the market still honors its farm stand roots with seasonal produce. Yet it also delivers a strong Italian market experience, which is a rare combo along the South Carolina coast.
Good luck deciding which side of the store to explore first. My advice is to give yourself extra time to wander both.
The Homemade Sausage Deserves Top Billing On Your Grocery List
Homemade sausage is one of the big reasons to make the trip. Co-owner Ed Dombrowski is tied to its preparation, so this isn’t something pulled from a random warehouse.
That personal connection matters. When an owner puts his name behind the sausage, you know it’s a point of pride.
The meat counter goes well beyond sausage, too. Lee’s Farmers Market offers fine cuts of specialty meats, including European-style options that can be tough to track down.
Guanciale is a great example. This cured pork cheek is the classic choice for a true carbonara or amatriciana, and most regular supermarkets simply don’t stock it.
Home cooks who love Italian recipes will appreciate having it close by. No more swapping in bacon and hoping nobody at the dinner table notices.
A simple game plan works well here. Grab some sausage for the grill or a pot of Sunday gravy, then pick up a box of imported pasta nearby.
You could also pair the sausage with peppers from the produce section. Long hots, when available, would give the whole dish a nice little kick.
Fresh Loaves And Bagels Make Early Mornings Worth It
Fresh bread has a magnetic pull, and Lee’s Farmers Market gives bread lovers plenty to explore. Some of its loaves come from a New Jersey bakery, including par-baked bread that can be finished before serving.
That connection to the Northeast brings a little old-school bakery character to this South Carolina market. It’s especially appealing to shoppers who miss the breads they grew up eating.
Bagels, muffins, and croissants add more choices for anyone looking for something to enjoy with breakfast or take home for later.
Some of the bread on the shelves takes a longer road. Lee’s Farmers Market brings in certain fresh baked loaves from New Jersey, which adds to that New York style flavor.
Folks who grew up near the Hudson River know how serious that is. Bread from that part of the country has a reputation, and plenty of transplants miss it.
For a quick breakfast, a fresh bagel or croissant makes an easy grab before a beach morning. The market opens at 7 AM, so early birds get first pick.
For dinner, a crusty loaf pairs nicely with olive oil from the pantry aisles. Add some hand-cut cheese, and you’ve built an appetizer without turning on the oven.
My tip is simple. Buy one loaf for the table and one for the car ride home, because that first one probably won’t last.
Tomato Pie Is The House Specialty For Good Reason
Tomato pie is the house specialty, and that title carries some weight around here. It’s homemade, and it’s one of the first things worth hunting down.
The prepared foods case doesn’t stop there. Eggplant Parmesan and meatballs are also on the homemade lineup, ready to take home and warm up.
That’s a lifesaver on a busy vacation week. After a long day at the beach, nobody wants to stand over a hot stove for hours.
I like how these dishes feel like the kind of thing a grandmother would make on a Sunday. They carry that slow-cooked, family-table spirit, even though your only job is reheating.
For a full meal, pair the meatballs with imported pasta and a jar of sauce from the shelves. Toss in warm bread from the bakery, and dinner is handled.
Tomato pie also works well for gatherings. Slice it up for a family cookout, a porch lunch, or a beachside picnic.
Planners can make things even easier. Shop early in the day, then keep everything cool for the drive back to your rental.
About 150 Cheeses Are Waiting For Your Charcuterie Board
About 150 varieties of cheese fill the counter at Lee’s Farmers Market. That’s enough to try a new one every day for five months straight.
Pecorino Romano is among the stars. This sharp, salty sheep’s milk cheese is a must for grating over pasta, and serious Italian cooks keep a wedge handy.
The cheeses here are hand-cut, which is a nice old-school touch. You can pick up just the amount you need instead of a giant prepackaged block.
That makes the counter perfect for building a charcuterie board. Grab a few cheeses, add specialty meats, and toss in some fresh fruit from the produce section.
Feeling stuck with so many choices? Ask the folks behind the counter for help narrowing things down.
A good strategy is to mix textures and strengths. Choose something mild, something sharp, and one wildcard you’ve never heard of before.
Cheese lovers in South Carolina don’t always have easy access to a selection this wide. Having one this close to the beach feels like a small win for anyone with a cooler.
Just remember to bring that cooler. Your back seat in July is no place for a wedge of Pecorino.
New York Deli Sandwiches Made It All The Way South
Genuine Carnegie Deli sandwiches in a South Carolina coastal town sounds almost too good to be true. Yet that’s exactly what the deli and sandwich shop here proudly serves.
The deli meats are shipped from New York City. That’s a long trip for pastrami, and it shows how serious the owners are about getting it right.
New York delis are famous for stacking sandwiches tall. Bringing that tradition south gives transplants from the Northeast a real taste of home.
Lunch here makes an easy stop between beach time and an afternoon of errands. You can also grab a sandwich to go for a picnic down the road.
Planning your timing? The market keeps the same 7 AM to 5 PM schedule, so lunch is easy to figure out.
My advice is to order something you can’t easily get closer to home. A classic New York style deli sandwich is the obvious move.
While you wait, take a peek at the cheese counter. Adding a hand-cut wedge turns lunch into a snack plan for later too.
Hungry friends back at the rental will thank you. Maybe bring an extra sandwich as a peace offering.
Long Hots And Broccoli Rabe Keep The Farm Stand Spirit Alive
Long hots, broccoli rabe, and fava beans aren’t standard grocery store fare in the South. At Lee’s Farmers Market, they’re part of the fresh produce lineup.
Those three items say a lot. They’re staples in Italian American kitchens, and finding them can feel like spotting an old friend in a crowd.
Long hots are skinny, mildly spicy peppers that shine when fried in olive oil. Broccoli rabe brings a pleasant bitterness that pairs perfectly with garlic and sausage.
Fava beans take a bit of work, since you have to shell them. Still, they’re a springtime treat many cooks look forward to all year.
The market keeps its roots alive with fresh, local, and seasonal produce year-round. Inventory changes with the seasons, which keeps every visit a little different.
That’s part of the fun. One trip might bring peppers for the grill, and the next could offer greens for a cozy pasta night.
I like that the produce side still honors where this place began. Without that first stand back in 1999, none of the Italian treasures would be here.
A smart shopper checks what’s in season first. Then you can build your menu around it.
Live Lobsters Are Swimming Right Next To The Pasta Aisle
Live lobsters at a farmers market? It’s true, and they’re just one part of the seafood section here.
Jumbo shrimp, crabs, clams, oysters, and mussels also appear when they’re in season. That lineup turns a grocery run into a seafood feast in the making.
Murrells Inlet already carries a reputation as a seafood lover’s town. Having live lobsters alongside Italian pantry goods opens up some fun dinner ideas.
Linguine with clams is an easy win, using imported pasta and olive oil from the same store. Mussels in tomato sauce work too, with fresh bread for soaking up every drop.
Shrimp scampi is another simple option for vacation cooks. Grab the shrimp, some fresh produce, and a loaf from the bakery.
Seasonal availability matters here. Ask what’s in stock before you set your heart on a specific shellfish.
Lobster lovers might want to plan ahead. A cooler with ice packs makes the trip home much less stressful for everyone involved, including the lobster.
I believe a seafood night feels better when everything comes from one stop. Fewer errands means more time on the porch with your feet up.
Save Room For Sfogliatelle And A Cannoli Kit On The Way Out
Sfogliatelle are tricky pastries to find outside of big Northeast cities. Lee’s Farmers Market stocks these shell-shaped, layered treats along with ready-to-fill cannoli.
Ready-to-fill cannoli are a clever idea. Filling them yourself at home means the shells stay crisp until the moment you dig in.
The pantry aisles deserve a slow stroll, too. Imported pastas, canned goods, and olive oils line the shelves, giving home cooks plenty to stock up on.
Gourmet groceries round out the mix. Everyday basics sit near specialty finds, so a quick stop can handle the whole shopping list.
Finding the market is simple. It sits at 4883 Highway 17 Bypass North, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, an easy drive from the beaches of the Grand Strand.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 5 PM, and the market stays closed on Sunday. It’s open all year, so winter visitors get the fun too.
For anyone visiting South Carolina’s coast, this stop is well worth adding to the plan. It packs farm stand freshness and old-school Italian flavor under one roof.
Save room for dessert, though. A sfogliatella in one hand and a cannoli kit in the other is a sweet way to wrap up a visit to this South Carolina Italian market.