From Sea to Land: A Tour of the Best Murrells Inlet Restaurants

When the average person pictures their ideal beach vacation, they might envision sunbathing on white sands, shredding the ocean waves with watersports, or sipping on a fruity rum cocktail decorated with a tiny umbrella. You, however, with your extraordinary love of food, are not the average person. Your perfect beachside getaway looks like a gloriously long line of waiters coming to serve you an endless supply of crab legs, raw oysters, fresh fish, hot pizzas oozing cheese, and steaks so juicy and tender that they put your French aunt’s culinary skills to shame.

Maybe the ceaseless line of waiters bringing dishes of your heart’s (stomach’s) every decadent desire is just a bit far-fetched. However, the most popular Murrells Inlet restaurants prove that your flavor fantasies at least aren’t so far from reality. Just a half-hour drive down the coastline from Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet is a historic fishing village known as the “seafood capital of South Carolina.” Whether you’re a lover of the vast fruits of the sea or you’re just a humble foodie on the hunt for the most immaculate slice of pizza, a tour of the best restaurants near the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk is a must.

A Seadog’s Favorite Seafood Restaurants in Murrells Inlet

When you’re not belting your heartiest sea shanties, slogging grog, or commandeering your local dolphin tour vessel, you’re the kind of person who can always be found at the local tavern slurping down oysters and expertly cracking crab legs. Aye, get your land legs ready – but unleash your inner seadog! It’ll be worth making harbor for an evening of feasting at the seafood restaurants in Murrells Inlet.

Drunken Jack’s

The Murrells Inlet Marshwalk is a half-mile boardwalk with exquisite views of the salt marshes, live music every night, shopping, watersports, and, of course, some fantastic waterfront dining. Located just adjacent to the Marshwalk, you will find a dining experience fit for a pirate lord at Drunken Jack’s, complete with specialty cocktails, live music from local musicians, pirate-themed décor, and beautiful views of the water and Goat Island.

Award-winning chef Casey Blake presents a diverse seafood menu perfected after 28 years of experience. Treat yourself to filet mignon topped with grilled shrimp and sea scallops, Chef Casey’s original risotto with lobster and crab, or a tray of oysters as a starter. Not in the mood for seafood today? Indulge in a gigantic 14 oz ribeye steak, a pulled pork BBQ sandwich, or Jack’s famous slow-roasted prime rib. Drunken Jack’s is an equally excellent choice for casual family dining or an extravagant date night with your sweetheart.

Wahoo’s Fish House

Sit back with a glass of wine in hand as the live music starts, and watch the boats come and go from the marina. Wahoo’s Fish House pairs a comfortable atmosphere with the most artistic cuisine you’ll find at any of the seafood restaurants in Murrells Inlet. You’ll get a proper sampling of seafood delicacies like bacon-wrapped sea scallops, mussels in white wine sauce, fried shrimp and oyster platters, and a whole pound of snow crab legs. Make sure to leave room for your bourbon BBQ mahi, pan-seared crab cakes with remoulade, or Angus beef filet mignon. Taste what was on the boat this morning with fresh catch of the day like grouper, mahi and salmon. Wahoo’s Fish House is also one of the few places in the Grand Strand where you’ll find sushi, including a variety of artistic specialty rolls.

Seven Seas Seafood Market

If you call yourself a foodie, a passionate amateur of eating, it’s very likely you also have a penchant for cooking. Expand your culinary horizons with a venture into Lowcountry seafood recipes, courtesy of Seven Seas Seafood Market. Not only can their favorite recipes and prepping tips (posted on their website) get your gears of flavor turning, but their locally-sourced seafood products will equip you with the requisite raw materials for your cooking adventure, too. Pick up a pound of extra-large 21-25 count shrimp, grouper bites, or Carolina flounder filets. Splurge on some mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, or jumbo lump crab meat. Seven Seas Seafood Market is beloved by visitors and locals alike for its fresh-off-the-boat variety of Atlantic catch.

Murrells Inlet Restaurants for Landlubbers

Just as the seadog finishes off the last shrimp with a healthy burp and asks why the rum is always gone, the landlubber knows there is still so much to look forward to among the other non-seafood-specific restaurants. As a matter of course, most Murrells Inlet restaurants will always have seafood options available for your sea-faring friends and family. However, these specialty pizzerias and carnivorous grills make an equally strong case for the deliciousness of beef, chicken, cheese, beer, and the other irresistible fruits of the land.

Bovine’s

After a scenic stroll along the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, you can keep those gorgeous views of the water at the center of your dining experience at Bovine’s. Casual enough for dinner with friends or family and atmospheric enough for a romantic date night, their waterfront patio dining area pairs well with artfully plated seafood and steak entrées. Carnivorous landlubbers won’t be able to resist their wood-fired grilled steaks, pork chops, pork BBQ sandwiches, Angus Beef burgers, and BBQ baby back ribs. Plus, their wood-fired oven-baked pizzas are nothing short of cheesy heaven. Pair your steak with a California cabernet sauvignon or your grilled salmon with an Italian pinot grigio. Bovine’s diverse menu achieves a nice balance between easy-going Southern fare and more sophisticated culinary creations.

Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom

Only ten minutes up the road from Murrells Inlet, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom brings original pizza creations to Garden City. You know you’re in for the real deal when you can personalize your pizza with either a tavern thin crust or thick crust and pair it with regional and international craft beers. Get a taste of unconventional pizza recipes like Tuscan Chicken with Spinach, Thai Pie made with a sweet chili paste base, or the Chicago 7 with a classic Italian combo of pepperoni and sausage. On the other hand, you could mix it up with a piping hot calzone made with your choice of ingredients, or go with a tried-and-true BBQ bacon cheddar burger, Chicago cheesesteak sandwich, or chicken pesto alfredo. If your foodie love language is Italian, make sure to bring a buon appetito (good appetite) to Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom!

Marco’s Pizza

Don’t just order from any old pizza delivery service. Instead, take a quick detour to Garden City, where Marco’s Pizza fires up six types of pizzas plus build-your-own pies made with original sauce and your choice of crust. Are you going low-carb, or just aren’t a fan of crust? Unique to Marco’s are pizza bowls, a crustless “pizza” with your choice of ingredients baked in a bowl. Even if pizza doesn’t tempt you right now, you can’t go wrong with a chicken club, Italiano, steak and cheese sub, or a garden-fresh salad.

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While there’s plenty of deliciousness scattered across Myrtle Beach, don’t forget that there’s much more where that came from in Murrells Inlet. In fact, the seafood restaurants in Murrells Inlet are some of the top-rated in the entire Grand Strand (especially by all manner of pirates and sea dogs). On the other hand, if you’re not too crazy about seafood, you won’t have far to go to find a landlubber’s flavor paradise of steak, chicken, pork, and pizza. From the high seas to the scenic landscapes, this world is full of culinary delights – and the Murrells Inlet restaurants are fully prepared to show them off to your taste buds!

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