5 Places to Eat in Myrtle Beach

Five Places to eat in Myrtle Beach 

It’s been a little over a month since we’ve been to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and I’m STILL dreaming about all of the great food that we enjoyed. The all you can eat FRESH seafood buffets, the great spots to duck into on the Boardwalk, and all of the chains and family style restaurants on Broadway at the Beach. It was difficult to narrow it down to just five spots, but if I were to go back again, these are the five places to eat in Myrtle Beach. 

1. The Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood 
$$$ 9593 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC

Original Benjamin’s is a 1,000-seat restaurant with an open-air deck overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. With 11 dining rooms for your dining pleasure, each room has its own theme and unique atmosphere. Walking into the restaurant, you are given a tour as if you are going on a cruise. With a buffet of over 170 food items, there is definitely more than enough to choose from for even the pickiest eaters. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen so much food available in one space, ever. The amount of seating that was available also made it feel as if the restaurant wasn’t as crowded as I’m sure it was. We were seated in the room with the school bus, which was a convenient place for waitstaff to discard of all of the plates of empty crab legs, in order to keep an eye on their tables. 

2. ART Sushi and Burger Bar 
$$ 706 N Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC

I’m not sure what I can really say about this place. It’s a great little space on the end of the Boardwalk in Myrtle Beach proper.

We started with the Art House Fries, and almost chewed our fingertips off, because they were so good. Avocado ranch, cheddar cheese sauce, roasted garlic salsa, then topped with bacon and scallions. Delicious. 

Mr Houseful had the Munch Burger, and he loved it. All buns are branded with the ART logo, and served open faced. 

 Nathaniel and I both had two sushi rolls, because we’re serious about our food, and they were FILLING. I highly suggest the Omakase, because you’re at the delight of the chef. Depending on the day, and what’s available, you may just find your new favorite roll! Here’s mine, and I even ate a little bit of jalapeno pepper! 

The littles had standard California rolls, because they weren’t feeling very adventurous that day, and Lil Miss had her fail safe, macaroni and cheese. Everyone left full and content, and asking to go back for more. I’m sure that we’ll visit here again when we return to Myrtle Beach. 

3. Big Mike’s Soul Food 
$ 504 16th Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC

Listen, I am always going to love soul food. From my Granny Blackburn simmering neckbones on the stove for her famous neckbone stew, to my mother’s famous fried chicken wings and pot of greens, I’m a fan. When I asked friends on Facebook for food suggestions, Big Mike’s came up several times, so we decided to try it out on our last day in Myrtle Beach and we weren’t disappointed. LORD! Food for days, and SO GOOD! While the restaurant may be lacking in pomp and circumstance, one can’t deny that it makes up for it three times over in flavor and portion size. And the sweet tea! Everything was enough to put me in a food coma. 

I had fried chicken, cabbage, collards and mac & cheese. I ate everything. ‘Nuff said. Mr. Houseful had salisbury steak, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and cabbage. He ate everything too. The three musketeers ate the same thing as each other, and Nathaniel had the same thing I did. Everyone finished their food, and there was silence in the car on the way back to the expressway. In a car of six people ending vacation, you may know that’s unheard of. 

 

4. Johnny D’s Waffle House & Bakery 
$ 3301 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC

What a great spot this is when you’re looking for a great breakfast! This restaurant is a little over two years old, and is led by Chef Jamie Saunders, who is a Culinary Institute of America graduate, and a fantastic chef! I settled down with the Pork Belly Benedict and was so thoroughly impressed that I wanted to order another serving. She also serves a pretty mean omelette, and lots of kid specials for the picky eaters in your life. The kids all had short stacks, and Mr. Houseful and Nathaniel fended for themselves with breakfasts that had us ALL walking a little bit slower than when we came into the establishment. This is a COKE establishment (I’m a Pepsi drinker) so I opted for Mello Yello and stayed at attention for the first half of the day. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGZXWM5DNRd/?taken-by=natashanicholes

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGZasS_jNZy/?taken-by=natashanicholes

Chef Jamie came out to chat for a bit, which she AND her father are known to do throughout the day, and the first thing I asked is if she was as obsessed with pork belly as I was. The answer was music to my ears, of course she was! She has a pork belly burger, a pork belly sandwich, and the extremely satisfying pork belly benedict that’s pictured above. Don’t let the amount fool you either. It was filling, and I was set for the morning. 

5. Captain Jack’s Seafood Buffet 
$$$  1400 Highway 17, North Myrtle Beach, SC 

Yes, another seafood buffet. Stay with me here. What this one lacks as far as size and draw ( no museum, or dry aquarium inside like Original Benjamins) it more than makes up for in personality. Our server was so very attentive, and with a party of six at a seafood buffet, that’s impressive. We never had to ask for refills, as he brought them before we needed, and he always made sure that we had enough wet wipes to clean up. 

I really enjoyed my time in this restaurant. It was laid back, and unassuming, but popular enough that there were several groups of people who made it their annual gathering spot. It felt more like a casual family spot, or like gathering for a family clam bake. 

Helpful hint: Print coupons before going, and feel free to say no to the photographers that walk around for souvenir photos. Just make sure to be nice about it.