32 Best Restaurants in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, South Carolina

Although it's billed as Italian, the focus at this popular bistro is fresh, local seafood, from savory local clams to juicy shrimp and diver scallops, tossed with pastas and worked into creative appetizers. The interior features open ceilings and a classy nautical theme in cool blues. It's off the water, away from the bustle of the creekfront dining scene. 

The focus is on local seafood and produce at this classy but casual spot that brings extra flair to entrées like pan-seared scallops, fried shrimp over grits, or a spiced tuna on Carolina Gold rice. There's plenty for landlubbers, like a pork chop with peach demi-glace (a rich brown sauce), and each dish has a suggested wine pairing. 

It's only open four nights a week, for dinner, and it doesn't take reservations or have a view, but nobody fries up a mess of seafood like Lee's, which is something the restaurant has been doing since 1948. Even the biggest eaters will get their fill when they order the Shore Dinner: fried or broiled flounder, shrimp, oysters, scallops, deviled crab, and lobster, along with a shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, hush puppies, fries, and coleslaw. Sure, you can get your fish broiled or grilled, but why mess with deep-fried perfection?

It's a heavenly experience at this Little River staple housed in an old country church that dates back to 1885. Renowned chef-owner Ed Murray Jr. brings the finest steaks and local seafood and produce to the table. You'll be praying for more after you try Murray's marvel of meats, like prime rib and braised short ribs. Stained-glass windows add to the charm.

The windowed porch overlooking the ocean houses the best seats at this nautical-themed restaurant in a 1930s beach cottage (unless it's a perfect spring or fall day to sit outside in the ocean breeze). Menu highlights include sautéed crab cakes and jambalaya; it's the rare Myrtle Beach seafood restaurant that offers vegetarian and gluten-free menus. The fireplace inside the wood-panel dining room is a warm welcome on cool off-season evenings. Breads and desserts are baked on the premises; save room for a slice of cheesecake du jour.

Dining extends seamlessly from indoors to the game-filled outside at this laid-back pub known for fresh takes on Southern fare, from chicken pie to shrimp with sweet potato grits. The lawn includes a bocce court and cornhole boards.

Cut, trimmed, and seasoned to order, steaks sizzle on their way to the tables and then melt in your mouth at this Italian-style steak house. Pasta is served up on the daily Italian buffet, featuring standard favorites such as spaghetti, meatballs, lasagna, and tortellini Alfredo. A tableside magic show is performed Tuesday through Saturday. If you visit one all-you-can-eat buffet in Myrtle Beach, there's a strong case for Angelo's.

This country buffet ain't your four-star fine-dining eatery, and it's practically a requirement to lick your fingers clean. Lip-smacking pulled pork is served along with Lowcountry goodies like chicken bog (a rustic chicken, rice, and sausage dish), mashed potatoes, chicken and dumplings, macaroni and cheese, and banana pudding. There's also an à la carte menu, plus nightly dinner specials like fajita Mondays and liver and gizzards on Tuesdays. 

Although it's a Pawleys Island stalwart for fine dining, this eclectic spot doesn't forget that it's at the beach, especially around the laid-back courtyard bar. The international menu ranges from Korean chili salmon to horseradish schnitzel to a Hawaiian salad with coconut shrimp.

Comic-strip characters Dagwood and Blondie could split one of the masterful meat-packed sandwiches at Dagwood's Deli, where locals line up on their lunch break. There are the usual suspects—ham, turkey, and homemade chicken salad—but you won't regret trying one of the more distinctive creations like the Hogpound, pork tenderloin doused in melted Swiss and provolone. Salads and burgers round out the menu, and the restaurant delivers to most of Myrtle Beach. Dagwood's also has a sports bar location in Surfside Beach, a deli in North Myrtle Beach, and a bar next to the main location called Bumstead's Pub.

This local favorite serves dishes that give traditional cooking methods and ingredients a new twist. The former 1930s grocery store offers a fine dining experience with wood floors, framed French posters, and cozy fireside seating. Diners indulge in large portions of fish, seafood, beef, and lamb cooked over an oak-burning grill. Behind Frank's is the casual (but still pricey) Outback, a lush candlelit garden with a huge stone fireplace. Enjoy a before- or after-dinner drink at Outback's bar. Heaters will keep you warm in winter.

Overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, this large restaurant in Barefoot Landing has leather booths, Australian Aboriginal art on the walls, an extensive wine list, and an outdoor patio with a firepit. The menu features grilled meats and seafood, and many of the selections have an Asian flair. The Australian rock lobster is a highlight, but the Australian theme comes through more strongly in the decor and the Greg Norman merchandise for sale than in the food.

The fish tacos here are to die for, but the full menu of Mexican favorites at this colorful cantina proves that Pawleys Island is not just about seafood. Take a seat inside or on the festive deck and order a burrito with secret sauce and a margarita. There's a second location in Murrells Inlet. 

If you need a jolt to keep up with the kids while cruising the boardwalk—or want a late-night soft-serve cone—this coffee shop is a rare island of independent creativity along the Strip. There are breakfast sandwiches and smoothies in addition to the regular coffee concoctions and pastries.

Part barbecue joint, part seafood shack, Hog Heaven has a wonderful smoky aroma that perfumes U.S. 17 as you approach. Pulled-pork barbecue has the tang of vinegar and the taste of long hours in the pit. Although sandwiches are available, the buffet, which includes fried chicken, greens, and sweet potato casserole, is the main event. Add on all-you-can-eat shrimp, or, during winter, local oysters, for a true surf-and-turf feast.

Hoskins has kept the lights on—including their iconic star-laden horseshoe over the red roof—since 1948, and locals and visitors alike know it's worth the queue outside for hearty omelets and hotcakes in the morning, daily lunch specials like meatloaf and fried chicken, and satisfying rib eyes and seafood platters in the evening. 

Owner Laura Smith is legendary in Myrtle Beach for her sushi artistry. In addition to her rolled masterpieces, she creates a slew of authentic Thai noodle dishes and signature seafood creations like Coco Shrimp and jumbo soft-shell crabs. Inside, the sleek eatery is more metro than its Myrtle Beach peers. 

Like most spots in Murrells Inlet, this airy waterfront spot focuses on seafood, but its approach adds much-needed flair, from a trio of lobster, crab, and shrimp cakes to peanuts boiled in local beer. Enjoy it all with a horizon view across the salt marsh, washed down with a local pale ale.

Come here for the justifiably famous key lime pie and red velvet cake, both of which are available whole or by the slice. Kudzu is also a great source for ready-to-cook specialties, such as cheese biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and quiche. There are also locations in Mount Pleasant and Columbia. 

This fourth-generation-owned Italian pastry shop, deli, and restaurant has excellent coffee, hearty hoagies, pizzas, homemade sorbet, and delicious and authentic pastries, including cannoli and pasticciotti (rich cookielike pastries filled with jam). Both counter and table service are available.

If the Jimmy Buffett tie-in (Lucy, or "LuLu," is his sister) doesn't get people in the door of this festive landmark at Barefoot Landing, the on-site aerial ropes course and arcade certainly will. The open-air environment and view of the Intracoastal Waterway make this a place where parents can while away the afternoon with a platter of fresh seafood and a margarita while the kids harness up and swing around up in the air.

It's hard to walk past this inviting, family-owned nook on Main Street without ducking in for a cone of one of their homemade ice cream flavors like salted Bananas Foster or Midnight Caramel River.

If you're a hungry hippo, then slide a stool over to a large plate of nachos at this hip corner cantina in three locations: the Market Common, North Myrtle Beach, and inside the airport. It's bold, fresh, and fun—from the funky wall and ceiling decor to the creative Mexican dishes. Wee hungry hippos will be happy with Hungry Hippo games available at the hostess station.

You can smell the brine and Old Bay seasoning the minute you leave your car and head toward the front door of Nance's. Oysters, the small local ones that taste of saltwater, are the specialty, available fried or steamed in an iron pot and served with butter. Atmosphere is somewhat lacking, but that's okay—so is any inkling of pretension. There are other selections on the menu, but it's really all about the oysters.

Enjoy Sampit River views from most tables at this upscale spot that's especially romantic at night, when the oil lamps and brass fixtures cast a warm glow on the whitewashed wood and brick interior of the early-20th-century building. Menu highlights include chargrilled fish (especially the Carolina grouper), Cajun fried oysters, seafood pastas, and steaks. For lunch you can have the chef's specialty of shrimp and grits or your choice of sandwiches and salads.

Yes it's a raw bar—and a good one, with a bounty of fresh seafood—but don't sell the cooked items short at this small, casual locals' joint. The seasoned boiled shrimp are the real deal, and the mussels, clams, scallops, and other goodies steamed with spices in an iron pot is a terrific version of a Lowcountry staple.

The menu at this farm-to-table kitchen along Front Street helps to elevate dining in the whole town, raising consciousness about ingredient sourcing and seasonality. Opt for a steak with sides like wild mushroom risotto or choose the signature Parmesan grouper over cheddar grits.

Don't let the strip-mall location put you off; this restaurant's seafood and locally sourced entrées stand out. Blue mood lighting, a glowing aquarium, and abstract art combine to give this restaurant more of a Miami Beach than Myrtle Beach feel. The VIP vibe begs a martini, and the extensive wine list includes flights and wines by the glass. Dine on dishes like shrimp and grits with crispy prosciutto, organic local chicken breast with whipped potatoes and French beans, or chocolate chili-dusted duck breast with roasted pineapple and habanero glaze. The swanky blue-tiled bar hops on Friday nights, and there's a patio for outdoor seating, albeit facing a parking lot.

Though it might look the part, this isn't a greasy spoon: the luncheonette dishes up great fried chicken, homemade biscuits, and pie, plus grits, eggs, country ham, and other breakfast favorites. Join the regulars at the counter, or sit in one of the booths or café tables in the 1920s storefront building.