One of the most important things for our family on vacation is food. We love trying local restaurants, trying new foods, and eating like locals. One of the highlights of every trip, for us, is finding those hidden gems that are off the tourist path. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate a good tourist restaurant. Sometimes, things are popular for a reason. When we were invited to visit Myrtle Beach, one of the first things I checked out on the itinerary was the restaurants. I was not disappointed! There was something for everyone in our party, from giant waffles to tasty salads to seafood and everything in between. Here are some of the best places to eat in Myrtle Beach.
The Best Places to Eat in Myrtle Beach
When we arrived in Myrtle Beach, we were all starving. We had been up since 4:30 in the morning and airport food is overpriced and underwhelming. The first spot we checked out was River City Cafe, a burger joint that’s repeatedly been voted “best burger on the beach.” When we walked in, the toddler was enthralled by all of the eclectic decorations and was immediately taken in by the fact that the tables are covered in brown paper that you can color on. Our waitress handed her some crayons, and she was all set. Although River City has been featured on multiple food shows for their crazy burger creations like “The Kitchen Sink” burger, which is topped with everything but the kitchen sink. But locals know what really matters: the normal, and totally delicious, burgers like the bacon cheeseburger. Be sure to add a side of fries or onion rings, fresh from the fryer. A note of warning: if you have peanut allergies, you may want to avoid this restaurant, as they have peanuts available at every table and in large bins near the front door.
For dinner the first night, we checked out Lucy Buffett’s Lulu’s. Known for their seafood, burgers, and general allergy-friendliness, Lulu’s is a small chain with restaurants in several major beach locations. The restaurant in Myrtle Beach is new, and is a destination restaurant: there’s a sandpit with sand toys, hula hoops, and volleyball, as well as live music for the adults. If that’s not enough, the restaurant is also mostly open, offering great views of the waterway outside. If you have a food allergy, you’re in good hands: they offer several allergy menus and every allergy order if taken by a manager, then prepared in dedicated kitchen space to prevent cross-contact. Lulu’s was easily one of the least nerve-wracking restaurants I’ve ever been to, as I felt that my celiac and Jenna’s milk allergy were well taken care of. I had a delicious seafood platter, and Jenna had grilled chicken tenders. For people without allergies, there are plenty of tasty options as well. Check out their oyster po’boy, or try a burger!
Our food adventure continues the next day when we had breakfast at Johnny D’s. Johnny D’s has been voted “best waffle in South Carolina,” and is also an autism-friendly restaurant. Diners with autism can use a card to discreetly alert wait staff that they need extra accommodation, like faster wait times. Chef/owner Jamie’s son is on the autism spectrum, so she tries her best to seamlessly accommodate the needs of her autistic clientele. Check out the red velvet waffle, or try other house specialties like a cinnamon roll waffle.
Island Vista, our accommodations, had a restaurant on-site. The Cypress Room is conveniently located right off the lobby and offers a variety of breakfast options, including French toast, pancakes, and grits. Staff at The Cypress Room knew many of the regular visitors by name and were incredibly friendly. We enjoyed our breakfasts, and also enjoyed that we didn’t have to leave the hotel to get food. After a busy day before, it’s great to be able to have a slow-paced morning and not rush around to get breakfast. The Cypress Room has views of the ocean, which adds a nice touch to a relaxing morning.
Rivertown Bistro, in nearby Conway, made an excellent lunch stop. Conway is a small river town that was affected by Hurricane Florence and is currently trying to rebuild. Although the city suffered flooding and damage, most things are still open and continuing to thrive. Rivertown Bistro is a two-story restaurant serving Southern-inspired fare, along with sushi. Although we declined to sample the sushi, we were impressed by the portion sizes for Critter’s chicken tenders, as well as the ambiance. Although it seems very polished and upscale, their kid’s menu is full of childhood favorites and is extremely reasonably priced for the portions. Critter polished off her chicken tenders while I enjoyed one of the best salads I’ve ever had. Their burgers and sandwiches were also given high marks at our table!
River Town Bistro.
For our last night in Myrtle Beach, we visited the Pier House Restaurant at 2nd Avenue Pier. The Pier House Restaurant featured gorgeous views of the ocean from the large windows surrounding the restaurant and offered paper straws instead of the traditional plastic. Gotta save those sea turtles! The adult menu was full of tasty and tempting dishes, like shrimp and grits. We love shrimp and grits, so obviously this made it to our table— and it was great. The kid’s menu was equally impressive, but we settled on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The sandwiches were huge, which was perfect for refueling after a long day of playing. Critter loved the fruit cup that came with the sandwich, especially after indulging in fries at many of the other restaurants. I had mahi-mahi with a mango salsa, and it was good as well, though I wound up stealing parts of my family’s shrimp and grits whenever they weren’t looking. The Pier House serves three meals a day, so you can check it out during any part of the day after exploring the nearby boardwalk or taking a stroll down the 2nd Avenue Pier. We didn’t check out the pier as it was dark by the time we arrived for dinner, but there were plenty of people still exploring it even after we finished eating.
Right before we headed to Myrtle Beach, we discovered that my daughter had mostly outgrown her milk allergy. When she discovered that, she also learned that she really, really likes donuts. Whenever we entered a restaurant— “donuts, mommy?” Unfortunately, as great as all of our dining experiences were, there were no donuts to be found. So on Friday morning, before our flight, we headed out to find that poor kid some donuts. We learned about Peace, Love, and Little Donuts from a promising Yelp review, and decided to check them out for breakfast. The idea at Peace, Love, and Little Donuts is a build-your-own-donut bar. You’re presented with an array of toppings and topping combinations, and you ask your donut artist to make the donut of your choosing. Critter went super simple with her donuts, and my Mom went all out. I’m not always a breakfast person, so I had a very satisfying latte while I watched my family devour their donuts. We really liked that you can order one donut or a dozen, and it was fun to watch them customize the donuts. They’re also the perfect size for tiny hands, and super cute in Instagram photos. I mean, what else would this millennial mom need in a donut?
Near Peace, Love, and Little Donuts, we found Nacho Hippo, where we ate lunch. Both of these restaurants are in a shopping and lifestyle center, which features a huge accessible playground, condos, restaurants, and plenty of stores. We spent quite a bit of time in a Barnes and Noble, where Critter picked out a book for the plane ride home. All that shopping made us hungry, and Nacho Hippo had just what we needed to fill us up before what ended up being a very long flight home. We ordered a salsa sampler, which came with chips and three salsas, as well as two types of nachos. The salsa sampler was fun, and we each liked a different salsa. Critter spent a lot of time trying each salsa, trying to figure out which one to lay her claim to. Nacho Hippo is Tex-Mex, not traditional Mexican food, and it’s Tex-Mex with a twist. Nacho Hippo is part of the restaurant group that owns River City Cafe, so we expected big portions and fun creations. We were not disappointed. With names like “Bleep Hole Nachos” and “Mrs. Daisy Tacos,” you can find creative combinations of flavors from around the globe, all wrapped up in tortillas or tossed on top of corn chips. A word of warning: the personal size nacho is much bigger than you think it will be. Order wisely.
Myrtle Beach has something for everyone, whether it’s attractions, scenery, or food. While we were there, we ate everything from Tex-Mex tacos to giant waffles and all kinds of things in between. Whether you’re looking for a quick, casual meal, or you think your kids have finally got their manners down and are ready for something nicer, you can find whatever you’re looking for in Myrtle Beach. Have you visited Myrtle Beach? Which of these restaurants would you want to check out first? What’s your recommendations for the best places to eat in Myrtle Beach?
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I haven’t been to Myrtle Beach in a long time! Can’t wait to visit some of the places you recommended.
I haven’t been to Myrtle beach yet, but it’s on my list for someday. These places look great and my mouth literally watered over those waffles!
Your post is making me hungry! I haven’t been to Myrtle Beach, but we’ve been talking about going for years. It’s nice that there are so many great places to choose from, especially if you are visiting from out of town.
This post is very dear to my heart as I lived in Myrtle Beach for many years so naturally I am excited to see what your top picks were. You did a great job rounding some of the best restaurants in the area. Nacho Hippo was my husband and I’s (pre-baby) hang out spot located in the beautiful Market Commons. Rivertown Bistro was very tasty and the price was not bad. A great spot for lunch. River City Cafe is all over the Myrtle and they really do have great burgers. The kids will go crazy in there being about to write on the tables and walls and all.
All of our friends have been to Myrtle beach but us, we would love to visit someday when time and budget permits. Thanks for these tips about best places to eat when in SC.
Oh my goodness! All this food is inviting! I hope I will enough days to visit all the places, but if I need to choose one it would be Pier House Restaurant for its view and food!
Johnny D’s sounds amazing especially that they specially put people with autism into consideration. I am smiling at the idea of building my own doughnut at the Peace, Love, and Little Donuts *sigh*
I have never tried Nacho Hippo. It has been ages since I have been to Myrtle Beach. We stopped going because of the crowds.
Myrtle Beach is one of those places we haven’t had the chance to visit yet. Looks like there’s plenty of great places to eat. We’ll have to check it out.
We love visiting Myrtle Beach. Nacho Hippo is our absolute favorite hands down! Will have to check out the others on your list too!
All of this food looks mouth watering. These all look like fantastic places to try down in that area.
Oh yum, all of this food looks amazing! I would be happy to eat at any of these places. Going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do because I hate to cook.
We might be heading down that way soon, so this is perfect. I ‘m always looking for the best places to pig out!
I’ve had that Black n Blue Burger and it is so good! I am a sucker for a good burger. We spent our honeymoon in Myrtle Beach. Fun place to go.
Myrtle Beach is on my bucket list of places to visit. You food looks amazing. I would love to visit these restaurants.
I hear Mirtle beach is really nice. If we ever visit we will know where to go eat
So jealous right now. I need that burger by he way. It looks amazing. I have never been to Myrtle Beach and have wanted to visit for a long time now. One day I will get there to write about it and explore their southern food options too.
Our favorite place to eat in Myrtle Beach is Flamingo Grill. They have the best lobster bites. We visit Myrtle several times a year and we always eat there. River City Cafe is my son’s favorite place. The Myrtle Beach area has so many great restaurants.
This is now bookmarked until the end of time. I love Myrtle Beach. The weather, the beach, the atmosphere – it’s all great. My favorite part, though, is the eats. I have to visit all of these!