No one goes to New York City to eat at the Times Square Olive Garden, or to Charlotte to eat at Denny’s, so why would you go to Myrtle Beach to eat at Chili’s?
Nothing against Never-Ending Breadsticks, Moons over my Hammy or Baby Back Ribs, but when we are vacationing, we want to eat like the locals — or at least, we want to eat at the restaurants where the locals would take their own out-of-town guests.
But how do we find those restaurants?
Luckily, we have a direct line to our colleagues who live and work at South Carolina’s beach town newspapers. We reached out to colleagues at Myrtle Beach Sun News, Hilton Head’s The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette, who live in and cover the state’s beach towns.
Below, our South Carolina friends tell which one restaurant they take out-of-town guests to visit and why.
Grand Strand
These are our colleagues’ favorite restaurants for entertaining out-of town guests in Conway, Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach:
CONWAY
Restaurant: The Pickled Cucumber (but also: The Trestle Bakery)
Location: 1127 3rd Ave, Conway, SC 29526
Writer: J. Dale Shoemaker, reporter for the Myrtle Beach Sun News
Restaurants near the coast, quite frankly, can be hit or miss. The region’s true gems lie in Conway, the river town a dozen miles from the beach. The Pickled Cucumber and The Trestle Bakery are standouts. The Pickled Cucumber is your genuine, affordable Southern lunch spot. Order the fried chicken sandwich, better than every fast-food chicken sandwich I’ve had (yes, even Popeyes). Or, make a plate from their menu board. The greens, potatoes and mac-n-cheese are all well done.
MURRELLS INLET
Restaurant: Murrells Inlet Marshwalk
Location: 4025 Hwy 17 Business, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
Writer: David Weissman, reporter for the Myrtle Beach Sun News
Not a specific restaurant, but I usually take friends and family visiting to the Marshwalk in Murrells Inlet. It’s several different restaurants, lots of good seafood, right on the water with great views. You can walk around with your drink, and there’s often live music and pop-up shops with local artists. Plus, there’s an island full of goats, so yeah.
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Restaurant: Wicked Tuna Waterfront Dining @ Murrells Inlet
Location: 4123 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
Writer: Maya Brown, reporter for Myrtle Beach Sun News
I like taking my guests to Wicked Tuna. There are two locations in the Myrtle Beach area, but I prefer the restaurant in Murrells Inlet. It’s overlooking the water and has outdoor seating. The service is always phenomenal, and the menu offers many seafood options, including sushi, which is my favorite food on the menu.
MYRTLE BEACH/NORTH MYRTLE BEACH
Restaurant: Atlas Tap House
Location: 1004 Chester St, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Writer: Adam Benson, reporter for the Myrtle Beach Sun News
For me, Myrtle Beach is synonymous with Atlas Tap House. It’s within walking distance of the beach, boardwalk and all the quintessential tourist attractions the city is known for, but is low key enough that it’s a spot more frequented by locals. It has a giant beer and wine list, a small but reasonable food menu and an ambiance that feels like a pocket bar you’d find in New York (e.g. modified dentist chairs in the back room and a wall full of stickers with niche references to the Grand Strand and South Carolina). Perfect mix of hometown and downtown vibes.
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Restaurant: Filet’s Waterway
Location: 2120 Sea Mountain Hwy #1100, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Writer: Jason Lee, photojournalist for the Myrtle Beach Sun News
My wife and I gravitate to waterfront dining in the North Myrtle Beach area for our date nights. One of our favorite spots is the deck seating at Filet’s Waterway at the Harbourgate Marina. There’s plenty of open air and covered porch seating overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway where we can watch the boats pass under the swing bridge. The food is excellent, too. My wife always enjoys a beef filet, while I opt for the Tuna Oscar or the Shrimp and Grits. There’s often a good local musician playing near the deck bar, so it’s a good place to wind down and enjoy a cocktail or two before dinner.
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Restaurant: Tidal Creek Brewhouse
Location: 3421 Knoles St., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Writer: Chase Karacostas, reporter for the Myrtle Beach Sun News
I always take people to Tidal Creek Brewhouse. Everyone makes fun of me because I rarely go anywhere else, but the place literally has everything. It brews its own beer, roasts its own coffee, makes cocktails, has wine (some of it on tap!) and has delicious snacks. My favorite is the fish and chips, which feature the largest pieces of fish I’ve ever seen. Oh! And don’t forget to check out the beer garden. You can sit by the fire, listen to live music and, of course, bring your dog.
Lowcountry
These are our colleagues’ favorite restaurants for entertaining out-of town guests in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head and Port Royal:
BEAUFORT
Restaurant: Plums Restaurant
Location: 904 Bay St., Beaufort, SC 29902
Writer: Karl Puckett, reporter for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
The riverfront kitchen and oyster bar in downtown Beaufort combines coastal cuisine with classic fare in a casual atmosphere. In February, CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert — who grew up in Charleston — was spotted at the waterfront bistro. When I was there, I wanted to sit outside on the patio to watch the boats on the Beaufort River and the people walking past on the waterfront. It was 92 degrees. A nice day to sit in the shade. But this place was busy and the patio was full. A good sign. I was seated inside and got a view of the river anyway. A cup of Lowcountry Gumbo, a house specialty with chicken, Andouille sausage, Tasso, peppers, okra and tomatoes started off lunch. Should have ordered a bowl. It was creamy with big chunks of meat. The main dish: Flounder po’boy. A large slab of fish arrived on a French baguette with lettuce, tomatoes and remoulade sauce. It was lightly breaded and crispy on the outside. Inside, it was white and flaky. The tomatoes added a sweetness. Great food and atmosphere. Got the food quicker than I would have expected considering how busy it was. Friendly waitress. Affordable: The flounder, $12.95, and gumbo, $6.95.
BLUFFTON
Restaurant: Amigo’s Cafe Y Cantina
Location: 133 Belfair Towne Vlg, Bluffton, SC 29910
Writer: Drew Martin, senior videographer for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
My first visit to Amigo’s Cafe Y Cantina was with work colleagues 14 years ago. The menu is expansive, so friends talked me into a flour-wrapped carnita burrito. It was the size of a tanker truck filled with pinto beans (you can get black beans if you prefer), rice, cheese, guacamole and cilantro and the most tender and mouth-watering pork I’ve ever had. What flies out of the kitchen — and what my boyfriend always orders — is another behemoth of a meal, the BBQ chicken salad that arrives inside an edible, crispy flour tortilla shell. I’ve switched now to something I can finish, carnita tacos. Two soft tortillas layered with the same delicious shredded pork, cilantro, pinto beans and onions. My favorite side is chips and salsa. If you like heat, opt for the homemade ‘Experimental’ salsa. It’s an experience all in itself.
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Restaurant: The Pearl Kitchen and Bar
Location: 55 Calhoun St., Bluffton, SC 29910
Writer: Sofia Sanchez, reporter for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
Those who are like me and take the “fish are friends, not food” advice from Disney’s “Finding Nemo” seriously will no longer have to order a boring burger at a nice seafood restaurant. At The Pearl, located in Old Town Bluffton, your dining companions can order seafood dishes to their heart’s content. The best part? There doesn’t have to be a burger in sight! The menu has changed since I first conned my older sister and her boyfriend to bring me there to celebrate my move to South Carolina last April, but the quality has remained the same. I would highly recommend the kimchi lettuce wraps or fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. Most recently, I went there with my mother. I ordered the Cornish game hen dish, and she got the shrimp and grits.
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Restaurant: River Road Cafe
Location: 70 Pennington Dr. Ste. 20, Bluffton, SC 29910
Writer: Lisa Wilson, senior reporter for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
I grew up in South Louisiana, and my husband grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The po’boys at River Road Cafe definitely make us feel like we are back at home. River Road gets its French bread directly from a New Orleans bakery, so it doesn’t get more authentic than that. And, if you enjoy po’boys, you know the bread is key: It isn’t squishy like a sub roll, but isn’t hard to eat either. It’s a combination of a crisp exterior and a tender inside that is just right to support the sandwich’s fillings. We usually opt for the hot ham and cheese po’boy for me and the cheeseburger po’boy for my husband. I wouldn’t hesitate if someone offered me a fried shrimp po’boy, either. (The sandwiches are big enough to share, but then we’d have to agree on which one to order.) If you manage to save room for dessert, the homemade pecan pie served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is 10/10. Po’boys are on the weekday lunch menu only, but I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding a wonderful alternative if you stop by on the weekend for brunch.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND
Restaurant: Harbourside
Location: 147 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Writer: Sarah Claire McDonald, reporter for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
Located within the Sea Pines community, Harbourside provides a combination of American cuisine and “steamer” favorites wrapped up in a Lowcountry marina atmosphere. The restaurant is on the water in Harbour Town, with an extensive menu for a little “joint.” It offers a variety of local seafood as well as a number of other delicious “turf” options, and the staff is always quick to help, even if you have to wait for a table. The outdoor atmosphere under cover of a live oak is inviting. Every time I go, I get the turkey burger with a Caesar salad side. The burger is filling — in addition to being delicious and a healthy beef-burger alternative — and the salad is always crisp and fresh. Local wildlife and beautiful yachts can be seen from every dining location. It is my go-to when taking friends out to lunch. Even on a hot day, the shaded areas, the breeze coming off the marina and fun, frozen drink options offer a nice cool-down. Live music is also played throughout the day and night, which adds to the aesthetic as you dine watching the yachts pass by with a view of the Harbour Town Lighthouse overhead.
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Restaurant: Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks
Location: 1 Hudson Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Writer: Lana Ferguson, reporter for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
It’s no secret Hudson’s is a gem both tourists and locals love. The restaurant offers fresh seafood from the water you’re sitting next to, beautiful sunset views and ice-cold drinks. As a regular with a “frequent fryer” rewards card, I change up my order sometimes but typically get the crispy calamari appetizer (with the spicy marinara *chef’s kiss*), an array of fresh-shucked oysters and the Neptune’s Seafood Platter. The platter is described in the menu as “a veritable feast consisting of oysters, scallops, shrimp, deviled crab and seasonal fish.” It also comes with a side and a vegetable, meaning you’ll be sure to have leftovers for the next day. Pro tip: You’ll likely be too full to order dessert at the end but do it anyway. The mud pie is so yummy you’ll get a brain freeze from eating it too fast. Or, even better, grab a slice of Miss Bessie’s peanut butter pie to go.
PORT ROYAL
Restaurant: The Olde Schoolhouse Restaurant
Location: 1638 Paris Ave., Port Royal, SC 29935
Writer: Sarah Haselhorst, reporter for the Hilton Head Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette
Set in a historic one-room schoolhouse in the heart of downtown Port Royal, the Olde Schoolhouse Restaurant offers hearty Southern meals from French toast biscuits to shrimp and grits. The inside is often packed at breakfast time and on the weekends, but outdoor seating is spacious and, if you’re lucky, live music rings out and into the main drag of the quiet town. French toast fritters are a good starter; warm, pillowy and bite-sized versions of the beloved sugary cinnamon meal. There’s biscuits and gravy. Burgers and sandwiches. Vegetarian options. Salads. A kids’ menu. And breakfast samplers. But you can’t go wrong with a Southern (sort of) classic: Chicken and pancakes. It’s a good bridge between breakfast and lunch and is enough food for both. Two plate-sized pancakes are served alongside three crispy chicken tenders. Get some breakfast, a cup of coffee and settle into the calm and quaint town of Port Royal while you enjoy fast, friendly service and great Southern cooking.
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