- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
South of the Border
Rating Details »
21 reviews for South of the Border
Porn and fireworks...perhaps the greatest combination outside of the culinary realm. While there are many attractions here, those are the two that most men gravitate to.
There are so many stories about this place, it's almost a necessity to go. Shop for the infamous "scorpion skeleton" which is an oxymoron of sorts since scorpions have exoskeletons. Have you ever heard of duck pin bowling? They have that here too. I always play mini-golf with my sisters and parents here. It's pretty much a family tradition. You know what's also a family tradition? Me winning at miniature golf.
Chili today, hot tamale...
A great place to abandon children.
Conveniently located off of I-95.
Warning: May be offensive to Mexicans and people with self-respect.
A true wonderland.
Saw a monkey masturbate.
Purchased without pause.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
As you approach the South Carolina, North Carolina border on I-95, you'll no doubt notice signs for South of the Border. There isn't any lack of creative inspiration for these 100s of billboards either; one has an entire derby car stuck to it. South of the Border, in all its faux-Mexican glory, is I-95's most official landmark. It's the White House of the Interstate.
The attractions are as diverse as the crowd. They have miniature golf, gigantic structures of rabbits and sombrero topped men, carnival rides, 2 gas stations, a convenience store, a leather shop, a beach store, and of course, the obligatory XXX shop.
You'll meet a toothless trucker with a raspy, horror movie laugh while you're pumping gas next to the oblivious Volvo family with a crying baby in the backseat. Meanwhile, the summer breakers on a road trip will be posing for a picture in pyramid formation and the look-a-likes from the show American Chopper will be pulling off their helmets and shaking out their Americana mullets.
It's a true melting pot and I recommend observing from the safety of your car.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Funny (11)
- Cool (7)
I stopped at this politically correct, culturally sensitive, American landmark as a child. The billboards taunted me on this completely dull strip of highway as we traveled north. As many children probably still do to this day, I persistently badgered the adults in the car to stop. I was too young to see the racism of Pedro, the South of the Border spokesman, at that age, but growing old, jaded and bitter certainly changes one's point of view.
I'm not actually as upset at South of the Border as I sound. Ambivalence is what I truly feel. I find the place fascinating, but a part of me is genuinely repulsed by the establishment. On the other hand, how often does one get to see a physical manifestation of how stereotypes are bred on such a gargantuan scale? Go up to the caricature statues of Pedro and stare the cultural misinformation right in the face--it's eerie . . . at least through my eyes.
The billboards hype the place up well, but fail to mention how shoddy the facilities are at South of the Border. The bathrooms are what roadside nightmares are made of; they are what a dysentary clinic would smell like times ten. My need was great, however, so I held my breath, said a prayer and ran into a stall. The graffiti in the stalls is fascinating. Here is a synopsis of the brief dialogue I was able to read before, washing my hands and getting the hell out of there:
So there's this long outpouring of semi-sensical words about Jesus. At the end of the manifesto--there is a number where you can call Jesus directly. I would have written it down, but I couldn't stop crying at the smell of the stall. Clustered above this piece of Messiah reference is a response: "You are so empty that you need Jesus to fill up your life." Above that: "Nietzsche is dead," signed God.
Such an exchange is a lot to process while trying not to vomit at the horrific smell of the bathroom, but it certainly has added an extra layer of comprehension for me of South of the Border. I'll have to ponder it more. Revisit, reinterpret. Enjoy. Hate. Love. South of the Border is a complicated place.
My advice to you? Stay away from the bathrooms, look around, take in the derelict landscape of this decaying landmark, get back on your burro and then ride as far away from the border as you can.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (3)
I was a Navy Brat. We moved a lot. I remember sitting in the back of the family Cutlass Supreme with my 2 little brothers and little sister, mid cross country move, BEGGING my dad to stop at South of the Border when we started seeing the first billboards nearly 150 miles before getting to the SC/NC border. Sadly, he always drove right by.
This year, John and I decided it was time to fulfill our childhood dreams (his parents denied him the Border as well) and stopped one sweltering August morning. (See profile pic.) At 10am, all that was open was the flea market-esque souvenir shop that sold every cheap Mexican cliche in existence. Regrettably, my grandmother owns and proudly displays many of the the items sold there. (only she actually got her stuff in Mexico.)
You'd think, being Mexican, I would be offended by SOB. But I'm not. It's all in good fun. Breaks the monotony of Rt. 95. There are lots of brightly colored statues to have your picture taken with. There's also a creepy looking amusement park that wasn't running, a seedy motel, a closed down car dealership, firework mega marts and lots of little taco stands that I wouldn't have trusted to eat at even if they were open. Was it everything I hoped it would be? I actually don't know what I was hoping for. But I'll probably stop once I have kids shouting from the back seat and buy them a mini sombrero.
I was driving back to Raleigh from Charleston, and wanted to get off the road for a moment. No better choice the South of the Border!
A couple of years ago I went there for ther first time and was very disappointed, especially with the presence of an adult novelties shop and quite risque items in several of the stores and in clear view of anyone, including children.
This time I had a quick bite at Pedro's Diner. I had the bacon/egg/cheese sandwich and an iced tea. Quickly served and fairly priced.
I was pleased that the array of cheesy stuff has gone more family friendly than in my previous stop. The adult store is now closed, and there was a notice on the door of one store advising shoppers of some risque items for sale, and also mentioning many other shops were there without those items.
It's a colorful, tacky, and different place to pull off I-95 for a few moments before continuing your travels.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
When I was a little kid, trapped in a station wagon with my parents driving between New York and Florida, the endless South of the Border road signs on I-95 provided constant entertainment. My sister and I convinced my parents to stay there and I think we stayed a few times. Then when I was in college, my girlfriend and I made the trip to South of the Border just because there was no one to stop us and we couldn't afford to do anything more ridiculous.
I haven't been back to South of the Border since college and I can't imagine going back, but here's the deal. If you're looking for an intensely tacky hotel stop with cheap food and a huge fireworks store, this place is for you. You can view the surrounding countryside from the top of what looks like a sombrero on top of a half-size replica of Seattle's Space Needle.
Do it. Go and pretend that you live in a simpler time. Enjoy a level of tackiness that you won't find at Graceland, or Atlantic City, or the Poconos. Go because you can. A smart person will discover that once is enough, but you don't want to miss this trip to another world.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
i've been struggling for a week to write my review of south of the border, and i just am not quite sure that words can describe the cheestasticness of this place.
for years, my parents and i would drive by here on our way to FL, and I'd beg to stop, but my dad would never let us. so, 15+ years after the first time i drove by there, i told the bf that we were stopping at south of the border come hell or high water. i was in tacky americana heaven.
highlights include:
- pedro's african store (because having an african store at a mexican piece of americana in south carolina makes perfect sense)
-pedro's "antiques"
- tee shirts for under $5 that will give urban outfitter hipsters a run for their money
- fireworks that i forbade the bf from buying
- placemats from the 80s
- jesus figurines
- XXX rated dishclothes
- the chance to dress up like speedy gonzales
- terrible food
- even more terrible bathrooms
- and a giant sombrero
just do it
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (3)
Roadside attraction fanatics should clamor to visit SOB. Large concrete statues, buildings in the shape of sombrero's and enough garish paint to satisfy any person with an interest in the long gone unique and quirky roadside. The shopping is fun (don't expect anything of high quality) and the employees are just doing their time (not the most cheerful group....Disney trained sales personnel this is not.) Unfortunately I was here early in the morning and nothing in the amusement park was running. It still was fun to traipse through the large location, shop in the stores and marvel at all the statues.
This is, by far, one of the weirdest places in America. I have had the good fortune to stop here twice while on the road and both times it blew me away just how friggin weird it was. Tijuana theme park? I think if I were Mexican, I would be offended by this place. The signage for miles around is less than PC. I think thats why we went. Good for fireworks. Bad for food. Worth stopping just because its the kind of Americana that shouldn't be missed.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I stopped here on my first and only drive from Florida to North Carolina. We considered taking the 74 to Greensboro so I stopped for directions, gas and to visit the restrooms. It was early evening and the place was virtually empty. When I went to look for my W and find the restroom, I felt like I was in a Horror movie from the '80s. There was an old radio plugged into the wall in the middle of the restroom and an empty office chair. My first thought was there was an attendant in the chair who going to ask for a tip for handing me a paper towel but luckily I left took care of my business and left quickly. We filled up our gas tank and after asking the women inside for directions, decided to stay on the 95.
I imagine the place is much different during the day when the amusements are running.
How can I review this place with a straight face, knowing my current circle of friends and acquaintances here in Californ-eye-a may see me review a tourist trap off of I-95 where you see billboards up and down the Eastern seaboard with a sleeping Mexican complete with massive sombrero and poncho spouting such phrases as "Chili Today, Hot Tamale"?
From what I understand, they've cleaned up a lot of the ads that I remember from my childhood. Back then they were waaayyyy less PC. Where quick was spelled "queek". Forget sitting in trees, Berkeleyans would've been perched on top of the Sombrero Tower protesting the whole damn thing.
But hey, I'm reviewing this place because it was basically my childhood :) Made many many trips to South of the Border. Played in the arcade. Went to the ice cream shop where my brother would always order the bubble gum ice cream with bits of bubble gum but was the color of a Smurf. Hell, we even stayed in the motel once. You have to understand, there was NOTHING ELSE in that part of the state. This roadside attraction was a welcomed respite from the mosquitos and fire ants and oppressive heat. The A/C blasting in every store was so nice.
And I remember going to the top of the Sombrero Tower and looking over...the gloriousness that was I-95 :/ Like I said, NOTHING WAS THERE.
But South of the Border had rides for kids, gas and supplies for your car, food for everyone, and just a campy roadside attraction which, if you were lucky, provided a break from driving or dealing with the relatives, even for a little bit.
So thank you Al Schafer (the cat who started this whole thing, RIP). Thanks for making the trips to see family a lot more bearable. Thanks for giving the poor travelers up and down I-95 some entertainment with your (not so) offensive (anymore) billboards. Thanks, actually, for reviving Blenheim Ginger Ale, while I'm at it (bottled in nearby Hamer, SC). Your penchant for marketing and encouraging stereotypes saved a lot of childhoods.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Since my expectations for the food were so low, i was not let down.
Buy a mug, sticker and try on a crazy racist Chinese hat and then go get a hepatitis booster shot.
There are signs for South of the Border a few hundred miles in either direction along I-95. With that kind of dramatic build-up, you really can't go wrong. But keep your expectations low [or tuned in for kitsch], because while SOTB definitely delivers, that delivery is of cheap foreign made junk. It's highly entertaning, but can fast turn depressing if you spend more than 30 minutes or so perusing.
And if you DO decide to drop in, tell Pedro I said hello.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (1)
Oh my god- this place is so un-PC. With statues of "Pedro" slumped by a cactus with his sombrero shading his face, and tons of billboards heralding its approach, S.O.T.B is one-of-a-kind for sure. How could you NOT stop here on your way to Myrtle Beach, even if you don't need the "only legal in SC" fireworks it offers?
*Ben Bernanke used to work here*
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
There are signs, in both directions along I-95 for South of the Border! The rides are cheap. The food is terrible. The souvenirs are the tackiest things you've ever seen in your life. Think, redneck heaven and you'll have an idea of what they sell here.
The only good thing about this place is that they offer restrooms and gas.
The signs advertising the place is better than the actual place itself!
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
lol lol, there is beautiful really big sombrero, its a semi funked up huge rest area, that's all.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Anyone who has driven the I-95 corridor within three hundred miles - in either direction - of Dillon is aware of South of the Border, so named due to its location just below the line that divides the Carolinas. Long before you reach it, dozens of colorful billboards laden with puns herald its existence, to the extent only a long-distance trucker with a deadline to meet or a curmudgeon with no curiosity whatsoever would consider speeding past it with nary a glance. For everyone else, this is a must-stop, if only to satisfy your belief that nothing could live up to the relentless hype. What opened as a single roadside stand in 1950 has evolved into a sprawling, 135-acre, Mexico-themed complex - including gift shops, restaurants, restrooms, an amusement park, game arcades, an indoor miniature golf course, and a motel and RV campgrounds for overnighters - that straddles both sides of the highway. There's even a wedding chapel for local elopers who can't afford the airfare to Vegas. Hovering above it all is Sombrero Tower, which would closely resemble Seattle's Space Needle were it not for the huge hat on top. Reached by a glass-enclosed elevator, the walkway that surrounds it offers a panoramic view of absolutely nothing. Souvenirs range from kitschy backscratchers to tacky snow globes to hundreds of varieties of fireworks, cherry bombs, and Roman candles, and there's an adults-only shop that caters primarily to funny uncles from the neighborhood and the personnel assigned to the military bases in the area. Dining options include passable tacos and burritos, burgers and hot dogs, decent steaks with all the fixings, and surprisingly good Southern fried chicken. Many of the older structures - and most of the staff - are worn around the edges, and a lot of the clientele looks like trailer trash, gleefully enamored with this pauper's version of Disneyland. Still, for having the audacity to thumb its nose at good taste for the past fifty-six years - and becoming what is probably the biggest tourist trap to be found anywhere in the world in the process - it's worthy of five stars.
People thought this was:
- Useful (7)
- Funny (7)
- Cool (9)
I have been here about 3 times and the only thing I like about the place is the signs on the way. They are the most amusing signs since the Burma-Shave signs. The smell is what really gets me.. hold your breathe while you are there. The amusement rides are cheap..
A friend of mine was driving us to his home in Georgia when I was stationed in New Jersey while in the Navy. He kept saying we had to stop at South of the Border on the way down. I fell asleep in the car. He woke me up when we arrived. I thought that either he had spike my Mountain Dew with acid or I was having a flashback. Words can not describe the sensory overload of neon lights and cheap Mexican crap made in China in a 20 acre firmly in the middle of nowhere or namely the North Carolina/South Carolina border. I ate there. I do not remember what as it all looked the same. I am still alive. I am forever grateful I did not get food poisoning there but perhaps the sheer amount of alcohol in my system killed anything harmful. You might not be so lucky. If you get the chance it is a fun place to visit once in much the same sadistic way that being unable to take one's eyes away from a tragic car accident brings excitement.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)