Myrtle Seashore, South Carolina, is a type of locations so full of eating places, you simply want a neighborhood would let you know the place to go—the place they go when they need scrumptious seafood, steak, brunch, you title it. Look no additional: Right here’s the place to eat in Myrtle Seashore, aka the Grand Strand, based on an in-the-know native.
Restaurant Row could also be a Myrtle Seashore attraction in and of itself, however right here’s why it is best to ignore the hype and observe the locals to Myrtle Seashore’s finest eating places.
In the event you’ve ever left a Grand Strand eatery questioning why you spent a ton of cash on one thing so much like what you will get at house, it’s merely since you didn’t know the place to go. Naturally, it’s possible you’ll be contemplating one of many space’s iconic eating places like Paula Dean’s Household Kitchen, or maybe one of many metropolis’s in style dinner theaters. However I implore you to additionally attempt institutions related to much less hype and extra homestyle cooking. In spite of everything, the South is legendary for its delicacies, and Myrtle Seashore is not any exception.
In Myrtle Seashore, you may nearly really feel the demand for an awesome meal rising each month. At the same time as a neighborhood, I discover it troublesome to maintain up with each new shingle that pops out on Restaurant Row or Ocean Boulevard. Vacationers love our seashores, our golf programs, and our theaters, however implausible meals is, and ought to be, one factor that’s anticipated by all who go to. In the event you’re in that camp, then understanding the place the locals truly eat is an absolute should. Try these can’t-miss eating places in Myrtle Seashore to make sure an unforgettable meal.
*Whereas reservations are usually not required in any of the next institutions, they’re all the time beneficial through the Grand Strand’s peak seasons: from Memorial Day by Labor Day, and Thanksgiving by New Yr’s.
Photograph courtesy of Chestnut Hill
Chestnut Hill Restaurant: The Most Well-known Restaurant You’ve By no means Heard Of
Chestnut Hill doesn’t all the time come to thoughts first amongst Myrtle Seashore vacationers, and people who reside right here choose it that method. This eatery doesn’t have to do a lot promoting: Locals fill the place each evening and have completed so for many years.
Chestnut Hill doesn’t use phrases like “contemporary” and “home made” indiscriminately—or with out integrity—as sure different locations do on The Strand.
Every dinner on the restaurant’s beneficiant menu is made to order, and the components are certainly contemporary and home made. Chestnut Hill doesn’t specialise in a particular sort of meals, however relatively in serving glorious meals throughout.
Whether or not you need beef suggestions, lobster tail, veal (or eggplant) Parmesan, wild-caught Carolina white shrimp, or herb-roasted rooster, it will likely be ready to your liking from the highest-quality regional components obtainable. Chris Lee, the proprietor and chef since 1987, makes positive of that. The environment manages to be each high-class and homespun, and a friendlier workers you’ll by no means meet. 9922 N Kings Hwy, map
Raccoon Cove Deck Bar at Joe’s Bar and Grill (courtesy of Jesse Broadt)
Joe’s Bar + Grill: Dine With a Bandit
Not many individuals notice you may dine with raccoons in Myrtle Seashore, however that’s not the one cause this stylish restaurant—with a really misleading title—has been a locals’ favourite since 1994. Though its title conjures up photos of a greasy spoon serving fatty burgers and day-old chili, in actuality Joe’s Bar + Grill is a white tablecloth restaurant that treats all prospects like household.
This eatery is each upscale and informal, with an outside bar, a lovely eating space overlooking a fairly marsh, and a good-looking cocktail lounge with leather-based couches and oak espresso tables. However in case you select a window seat within the eating room, you’ll get pleasure from your meal with a few of nature’s furry buddies, because the restaurant is adjoining to its personal Raccoon Cove Deck Bar.
Applicable leftovers are given to those masked marauders, who chow down a number of yards from the restaurant’s patrons—and in full view of diners by a big image window. Maybe on a technicality, we should always add Joe’s Bar and Grill to the “Dinner and a Present” class.
Feast on Lowcountry-style crab muffins, shrimp and grits, or signature dishes just like the prime rib au jus and shrimp and scallops Alfredo, that are in excessive demand all year long. 810 Conway St, North Myrtle Seashore, map
Victoria’s Nation Cookin’ (courtesy of restaurant)
Victoria’s Nation Cookin’: Maintain the Tux
In the event you’re questioning the place the locals go for breakfast and lunch, it’s not IHOP or Jimmy John’s. Regardless of its excellent critiques all over the place, Victoria’s Nation Cookin’ goes fully unnoticed by guests until you’re conscious of its actual location. In any other case, you’ll blink and miss it.
Tucked within the coronary heart of Myrtle Seashore on a non-touristy road, Victoria’s presents real home made breakfast and lunch gadgets, which change every day. Recent catfish, turkey and dressing, and mega-burgers all adorn the whiteboard all through the week. A daily menu, plus tremendous reasonably priced specials, can be found day-after-day. The meals is so good that locals (together with myself) usually beg the institution to open for dinner.
Victoria’s best-loved dishes embrace the fish and chips and the baked spaghetti, however the hibachi rooster with white sauce—a creamy sweet-and-sour concoction—is to not be missed. From country-fried breakfast platters to omelets and egg plates, Victoria’s has morning fare to please everybody too, together with dishes the place conventional breakfast meats could be substituted for liver mush, fried bologna, or fatback.
Even the edges are distinctive—suppose pineapple salad, “corn nuggets,” fried squash—and the unique desserts, like butterscotch cake and banana cut up pie, are scrumptious. A phrase to the smart, although: Don’t costume up. The opposite patrons could marvel what you’re as much as. 1102 third Ave S, Myrtle Seashore, map
Winna’s Kitchen: A Scrumptious Thriller
One other hidden gem you’ll by no means discover with no native’s assistance is Winna’s Kitchen. This family-owned and-operated eatery is exclusive in a number of methods, together with its ever-changing menu. As an illustration, on Saturday nights, for a set worth, the restaurant presents a four- or five-course chef’s tasting menu, often with drink pairings, however it’s not launched prematurely.
Strawberry milk tea, cast-iron omelets (pictured), and Ricardo toast are in style breakfast favorites, however its so-called kitchen’s rooster—a juicy, natural rooster breast over potatoes that’s “the dish everybody within the kitchen loves”—and the tuna croquette are prime picks for dinner.
In the event you’re on the lookout for scrumptious, eclectic consolation meals in an aesthetic setting, don’t miss this one-of-a-kind institution. 819 Essential St, map
*Be aware: On the time of publishing, Winna’s is closed for renovations, however it will likely be again greater and higher within the spring of 2025.
Merely Southern Smokehouse (courtesy of Jesse Broadt)
Merely Southern Smokehouse: It is Your Grandma’s Barbecue
The phrase homestyle within the context of eating places tends to be overused—typically what you’ll uncover on these menus is similar industrial meals everybody else makes. However not so at Merely Southern Smokehouse. Right here you will be reminded of your grandmother’s house cooking (assuming Grandma was an awesome cook dinner!). Tucked one block off busy route 17, it would as effectively be in a distinct county: It appears like an outdated farmhouse surrounded by timber in an space that, in case you didn’t know higher, you’d swear was rural.
The buffet is just not in depth, however the whole lot on it’s a winner. It’s excellent for once you desire a buffet-style meal, however don’t need to really feel such as you want an Uber to get from one finish of it to the opposite. Every merchandise is made to a particular recipe; you’ll discover fried rooster and catfish, smoked pulled pork, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and a broad vary of contemporary greens and facet dishes.
Among the many many sauces at this eatery, I extremely recommend the distinctive golden barbecue sauce, a mix of Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and apple cider vinegar. The meals is all the time sizzling, and drinks and dessert are included within the worth, which is rare for many Myrtle Seashore buffets. Don’t go away with out making an attempt the peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
Tables are spaced effectively, so that you by no means really feel crowded, and Merely Southern Smokehouse has the added distinction of that includes waiters and waitresses who burst into music at sudden occasions–and so they can truly sing! 1913 Mr. Joe White Ave, map
Thoroughbreds Chophouse: 5-Star Steaks
Maybe you’ve visited Broadway on the Seashore, walked the boardwalk, took in a present, splashed within the waves, and are actually on the lookout for a scrumptious meal in quiet, upscale surrounds. If that’s you, head straight for Thoroughbreds Chophouse for steaks that you simply will need to write house about. This fine-dining restaurant focuses on made-to-order butcher block picks of unparalleled high quality, however additionally they supply unforgettable seafood and pasta choices.
The environment is refined but cozy, and also you’ll quickly overlook that the boisterous Grand Strand is actually proper outdoors the door. Specialties embrace prime chophouse ribeye, seared lamb chops, and the chef’s signature lobster tail with grilled asparagus; among the many profitable appetizers are its angels on horseback (big bacon wrapped scallops with bourbon glaze), escargot, and French onion soup; and don’t, repeat don’t, skip the dessert cart! With a repute for excellence for almost 30 years, Thoroughbreds ensures every patron leaves glad. 9706 N Kings Hwy, map
These are solely six of my favourite Myrtle Seashore eating places, and it’s simply the tip of the iceberg. An extended piece may embrace different nice local-approved eateries equivalent to old-school Sea Retailers for seafood and steak, and Sugrue’s Pub + Eatery for very well-executed (and cheap) consolation meals and pub grub, each in North Myrtle Seashore. Hold it native in and round Myrtle Seashore and also you’ll preserve your style buds glad.
In regards to the writer: Jesse Broadt has been knowledgeable net content material author since 2004 and focuses on journey. After ditching the chilly Northeast for factors additional south, she took a brief job writing advertisements for a journey company, which shortly parlayed into the freelance profession she nonetheless enjoys at the moment.
Featured picture courtesy of Dan J/Flickr
