Around 11:30 on a weekday, the parking lot at Perrone’s fills up fast. That’s your first sign something is working here. The regulars — contractors on lunch break, retirees grabbing cold cuts, a few families who drove up from Murrells Inlet — know to arrive before noon or risk waiting in line at the counter. I’ve done both. The wait is worth it, but arriving early is smarter.
Perrone’s sits on a stretch of Highway 17 Business in Pawleys Island that isn’t scenic by any measure — strip-mall adjacent, easy to drive past if you’re not looking. Inside, it’s a proper deli in the northeastern tradition: a long glass case packed with sliced meats and prepared salads, shelves of imported pastas, olive oils, and jarred sauces, and a chalkboard menu that changes by the season without being precious about it. The place smells like provolone and bread.
The sandwiches are the reason to come. I’ve worked through most of the menu over the years, and the Italian sub is the benchmark — Genoa salami, capicola, ham, provolone, shredded lettuce, tomato, pepperoncini, oil and red wine vinegar on a roll that holds together without being bready and thick. It’s not a novelty sandwich; it’s just a correct one. The Reuben, made with house-sliced corned beef, runs close behind. Portions are genuinely generous. One sandwich is lunch; two would be lunch and dinner.
Beyond the deli counter, the prepared foods section deserves attention. The pasta salads — especially the tortellini with sun-dried tomatoes — are the kind of thing you grab a quart of and serve at home like you made it yourself. The chicken salad is not sweet, which is rarer than it should be in this part of South Carolina. If you’re staying at a beach house nearby, Perrone’s is the answer to that second-day question of what to eat when you don’t want to cook and don’t want to go out.
Pricing is reasonable. A full sub runs in the $10–$13 range depending on what’s on it; the prepared salads are priced by the pound and hover around $7–$9. Nothing here is going to shock you, and the quality justifies every dollar. This is not a budget-focused deli cutting corners on meat quality — the sourcing is noticeably better than what you’d find at a grocery store counter.
The staff knows the regulars by name, which tells you something about the repeat business. Service is brisk and efficient without being cold. During peak hours they move fast, and the system works: order at the counter, take a number, pick it up when they call you.
Hours run roughly Monday through Saturday, opening around 10 a.m. and closing mid-afternoon, though I’d confirm on their Facebook page before making a special trip, since they occasionally adjust around holidays. If you’re heading to Pawleys Island for a weekend and want a good lunch that doesn’t involve waiting forty minutes at a waterfront restaurant, Perrone’s is the practical, satisfying answer. Go around 11, get the Italian sub, pick up a container of the tortellini salad, and head to the beach.
