In another universe, Pizza Hyena wouldn’t exist.
The building wouldn’t be where it is, the first sun of the day hitting hit only after passing the Surfside Pier. The parking lot for the pier off Ocean Boulevard would include a few more spaces.
Thankfully, we live in this universe.
Where pizza can look and taste like this.
Make no mistake, we absolutely were in a pie frame of mind before we even rolled up to Pizza Hyena. We were so ready for it that we missed some of the motif in front and inside the small building in the heart of Surfside Beach. (The piles of wood built into the entryway is a nice touch.).
We asked for a table out back to take advantage of some excellent early February weather. All four of us flipped immediately to the Wild Fire Pizza portion of the menu.
Kids went with Option No. 1. Ms. Cheezious included fresh mozzarella, Monterey Jack, cheddar and red sauce.
Adults went with the Margherita Hyena: mozzarella, grape tomatoes and basil atop the red sauce.
Neither pizza took long to prepare, and neither stayed on the table very long, either. They were that strong. Even for this pizza-loving family.
Admittedly, we went relatively tame for our first trip. You don’t jump headfirst off the pier, right? Next time, though, we already have plans to experiment a bit more.
Tops on my list will be the “Pinch My Greek”, which is essentially a greek salad substituting pizza dough for the lettuce.
Others that caught my eye: “Goudawill Hunting” – wild game sausage, mushrooms, and onion with smoked gouda; “Ricotta Be Kidding Me” – garlic sauce, ricotta, spinach, portobello mushrooms and cracked black pepper; “LMAO” – gyro lamb, mushrooms, arugula, onion and tzatziki.
There were plenty of others that got at least a head title out of me, maybe none more than the “S’nailed It”. Probably the first time I’ve ever seen escargot on a pizza.
Pizza Hyena’s namesake is the go-to here. But we’d be remiss not to mention the rest of the menu.
The “Firred Up!” pretzels are served with hot beer cheese and mustard. The roasted red pepper hummus is good with the veggies, but better with the house made pizza dough chips. Hyena’s take on the meat balls is actually a combination of Kobe beer, lamb and veal.
Still not hungry? How about Hiney’s pimento cheese, complete with smoked bacon and jalapeño. And while we didn’t try it this trip, the Redneck Caviar piqued our interest. It’s a dip combining black bean, green pepper, silver queen corn, fresh tomatoes, green onion and cilantro – all pair up with tortilla chips.
Back to the traditional, Hyena’s garlic cheesy bread is a standard fare for pizza joints. They knocked theirs out of the park.
If pizzas and apps aren’t your thing, you’re anything but pigeon-holed here. The wood-fired wings are a social media boon that come in seven flavors: “Nekkid”, Buffalo medium, Buffalo hot, African Berbere rub, Swahili Hot Piri Piri, Hot Hyena Honey and Sneaky Reaper BBQ.
Those aiming for a little healthier option have four entree salads to choose from, each with their own bases and/or toppings.
Six sandwiches are on the menu, too. There’s the souped up Ham & Cheezy, the Bada Bing (Hyena’s version of the Italian) and even the Big Shroom (a veggie sub). Each comes with potato salad, the aforementioned Redneck Caviar or a bag of Funyuns. Because why not.
They can do that in this universe.
Pizza Hyena, On The Quick
Location: 13 South Ocean Blvd., Surfside Beach
Phone: 843.945.9025
On the web: pizzahyena.com
Photos for this feature from Pizza Hyena’s Instagram Account
