After a long week of “roughing it” on my fishing trip to the Outer Banks, I was looking for a great meal. Unfortunately, I was still tired from driving back the night before and did not feel like waiting for a table at a busy restaurant or driving more than about 10-15 minutes. After heading out we finally decided to go to the Six Pence Pub in Baxter. I had eaten here three times before and all of the meals resulted in good service with a smile and an excellent meal.

When I went in, I was surprised that they were not busier than they were as it was around 6:30pm on a Saturday night. We were able to be seated immediately. I later learned that the roof terrace was open and apparantly most people were opting to sit up there due to the beautiful weather.

The Six Pence is a beautiful restaurant on the inside and has an air of an upscale atmosphere to it. The good news is that while it looks extremely nice and upscale, the prices are far from what you would pay at an upscale restaurant. There were numerous sandwiches on the menu for around $8 including side items. Most entrees were typically between $10 and $12 with kids menu items around $5 to $6.

Tonight, I had Beef Guiness. According to their menu, it is “a bread bowl full of tender beef tips marinated in Guiness Stout, simmered in a brown sauce with mushrooms, peas, carrots, and onions and served with a salad of crisp greens, onion, tomato, and cucumbers. The salad was exceptionally fresh with crisp veggies. I was a bit disappointed in the main course though. It was good, but just not what I was expecting. Whenever I see beef tips I think back to the marinated beef tips I used to get at another restaurant long ago that were served over egg noodles and were quite remarkable. The beef tips I got tonight were more of a beef stew. They were also very very heavy on the peas. It was packed tight with peas. I was hoping for it to be packed tight with beef tips with a few peas, carrots, mushrooms and onions mixed around it. Like I said it was good, but knowing some of the other items on the menu, I will not order it again. I suggest the Reuben or the Chicken Salad as I have had them in the past and they are both excellent.

If you are in the area, Six Pence is one of the better places to try. It is clean and the service is great - especially for a restaurant in its price range. It is located at 933 Market St in the Village at Baxter in Fort Mill- just off I-77. There are also locations in Blowing Rock, NC and Savannah, GA, although I have not eaten at either of those in order to compare.

Sonny’s Dutch Mill opened a few months back in the new Lowe’s Grocery Store Plaza in Tega Cay, at the corner of Gold Hill Road and Highway 160. Since they opened, I have become a regular in a sense. I go there about once every two to three weeks.

The last time I went was on Saturday. My sister was in town along with her three children and we took both our families there. Everyone loved the restaurant choice - especially the kids who loved the music on the radio.

The original Sonny’s Dutch Mill opened in Rock Hill more than 50 years ago. The new Sonny’s serves the same classic menu of classic “all-the-way” hot dogs and hamburgers that are done right. Unlike many of the places that call themselve hamburger joints, Sonny’s does not frown or look puzzled when you ask for chilli and slaw on your burger or dog. They know that this is the way they were meant to be eaten!

Sonny’s also has a host of other items on their menu from chicken sandwiches to BLT’s, although I have never tried them. For me, it is hard to resist the 2 hot dog plate with fries. Oh yes, don’t forget the fresh cut french fries - they are great. Just in case you prefer the krinkle cut, they are available too.

As you may have guessed based on the rest of the menu, they are very kid friendly. I would also recommend the fresh made milk shakes - they are excellent.

Overall , the service is good, although a couple of times that I have been it took longer than I felt it should have to get my food or to pay. The staff is always very friendly.

As far as price, it is not as cheap as it was 50 years ago, but is priced appropriately for the market. I think a 2 hot dog plate with fries is around $6.25 (don’t quote me on that) and a big hamburger with fries is about the same. It isn’t as cheap as some places but it is much higher quality than most places. I have been to a lot more expensive places and gotten much less and worse food - for instance, a $9 hot dog at a place in Southpark that didn’t stay open very long.

If you are in the Fort Mill/Tega Cay/Lake Wylie area and need a quick bite - Sonny’s Dutch Mill is an excellent option.