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

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.

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.

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.

It's all about family at Villa Romana, where owners Rinaldo and Franca come in early to make the gnocchi and stick around to greet customers. It's hard to resist filling up on the stracciatella (Italian egg-drop) soup, bruschetta, salad, and rolls (perhaps the best on the Strand) that accompany every meal, but try.