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

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.

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. After dinner, stop next door in Myrtle Beach to Bumsteads Pub.

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.

Part barbecue joint, part seafood shack (after 5), Hog Heaven has a wonderful smoky aroma that perfumes U.S. Route 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. In the evening try the seafood sampler, an assortment of shellfish steamed to order and served piping hot.

Owner Laura Smith is legendary in Myrtle Beach for her sushi artistry. In addition to sushi 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. A sister location is located in Pawleys Island.

When local mainstay Prosser's BBQ closed down, new owners jumped in with a rebrand, but they were wise to keep the menu and vibe the same—this 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 collard greens, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding, and peach cobbler. Most times, the line for Prosser's lunch buffet will weave outside the clapboard house after church on Sunday.

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 you're a hungry hippo, then slide a stool over to a maximo 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.

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 dark 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.

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.