Best Restaurants in North Myrtle Beach: A Local Dining Guide

The North Myrtle Beach Dining Scene

There is a particular kind of evening that happens in North Myrtle Beach — the kind where the sun is still warm on your face, the salt air is doing whatever it does to your appetite, and you realize you are not heading to a chain restaurant off the highway. You are here. You are on the Grand Strand. And dinner should mean something. It does, if you know where to go.

North Myrtle Beach is often overshadowed by its noisier neighbor to the south, but anyone who has spent a week here knows the truth: the food scene is quietly excellent. You have upscale restaurants that would hold their own in Charleston or Charlotte. You have seafood shacks with more character than most places three times their size. You have waterfront tables on the Intracoastal Waterway, tucked-away marsh-view bars, and breakfast spots so good people are lining up before the doors open. The dining here ranges from barefoot-and-sunburned casual to white-linen special occasion, and nearly all of it leans hard into the fresh, coastal, Southern identity that makes eating on the Grand Strand feel like something more than just refueling.

This guide covers the restaurants worth knowing — the ones locals return to year after year, the ones that earn awards and actually deserve them, and a few hidden gems that do not show up in every generic listicle. We have organized them by category so you can find the right place for the right meal, whether that is a romantic dinner on night one or a pile of crab legs with the family on the back half of the trip.

If you are still planning your trip and wondering where to stay alongside all this great food, make sure you also check out our guide to things to do in Myrtle Beach to round out your itinerary.

Fine Dining & Special Occasion Restaurants

People sometimes raise an eyebrow when they hear the words “fine dining” and “beach town” in the same sentence. North Myrtle Beach tends to change their minds.

SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar

On a Tuesday night in early June, the parking lot at SeaBlue fills up quietly. No neon signs, no outdoor speaker noise. Just a converted building on Highway 17 N that has made itself into something remarkable. Inside, the lighting is muted, the tables are close enough for conversation but not crowded, and the wine list could easily pass for one at a serious urban restaurant. SeaBlue earned the OpenTable #1 Restaurant in the Country in 2014 and has held the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for over a decade. That is not beach-town boasting — that is a legitimate culinary credential.

Owners Kenneth Norcutt and Tracy Smith run the kind of restaurant where they are genuinely present in the dining room — not a corporate concept, but a personal one. The menu is contemporary American with a French backbone: prime steaks, locally sourced fresh seafood, small plates, and several chef’s tasting menus with wine pairings for those who want the full experience. The seasonal menu rotates to keep ingredients at their peak. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially in summer and on weekends. SeaBlue is open Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m., at 501 Hwy 17 N, North Myrtle Beach.

21 Main at North Beach Resort & Villas

Elegance at the beach usually comes with a catch — it is either overpriced, trying too hard, or so stuffy it forgets it is surrounded by vacation. 21 Main manages to be upscale without being stiff. Housed in the Plantation House at North Beach Resort & Villas, the steakhouse carries an award-winning kitchen, an in-house sommelier, and a menu that combines dry-aged prime beef with serious fresh seafood. The 16-ounce Prime New York Strip, the bone-in Ribeye, and the sushi menu are all mentioned in the same breath by regulars. During Myrtle Beach Restaurant Week 2026, they offered a three-course dinner for $69 — an exceptional value for the quality. Complimentary valet parking is available. 21 Main opens Tuesday through Sunday at 5 p.m., with the lounge opening at 4 p.m.

The Parson’s Table

A few miles north of the main North Myrtle Beach strip, in Little River, sits a restaurant that lives inside a restored 1885 church. The Parson’s Table has been drawing diners who want something quietly extraordinary for decades. The setting — original stained glass, warm wood, Southern grace — matches the food, which leans into fresh regional ingredients done with care. Fried green tomatoes, maple bourbon pork chop, and fresh catch dishes rotate with the seasons. Locals who know their way around the Grand Strand consistently name it among the best dinners to be had in the area. It is worth the short drive north from wherever you are staying.

Fresh Seafood: Where the Locals Eat

The Grand Strand has been catching and cooking seafood since before tourism was an industry here. The places that survive the decades are the ones that do not cut corners on freshness or flavor.

Joe’s Bar & Grill

If you ask a North Myrtle Beach local — not a tourist, a local — where they take out-of-town family for dinner, there is a good chance Joe’s Bar & Grill comes up. Tucked behind the Olive Garden, across from the Alabama Theatre in the Windy Hill section of North Myrtle Beach, Joe’s does not look like a destination from the road. Inside, it feels like a hunting and fishing lodge that someone’s uncle inherited and turned into a restaurant — rough-hewn walls, trophy fish, a tidal salt marsh visible through every window, and two bars with wood-burning fireplaces. The dining is what Grand Strand Magazine has called “casual fine dining,” and the description fits.

The menu covers beef, veal, fresh seafood, and poultry with a daily specials board that reflects what came in fresh. Regulars swear by the Prince Edward Island blue mussels sautéed in spicy marinara, the bacon-wrapped scallops on rice, the shrimp and scallop fettuccini, and the steak au Poivre — a filet mignon in a brandy and Dijon cream sauce that more than one reviewer has called the best steak they have eaten on a vacation. Joe’s opens daily at 4:30 p.m. at 810 Conway St., North Myrtle Beach, and reservations are strongly recommended. Happy hour runs daily until 7 p.m. at both bars.

The Shack — Cherry Grove Seafood

Since 2010, The Shack has been the kind of place that families in Cherry Grove walk to barefoot and leave happy. Southern-style cooking and Calabash-style seafood are not trends here — they are the whole point. The Cherry Grove platter is the thing to order: lightly battered fried shrimp, oysters, flounder, scallops, and deviled crab, served with hush puppies and coleslaw. The Shack also does shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, steak and shrimp, and daily specials that rotate through classics like chicken bog and hand-chopped Carolina BBQ. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served, and the portions are the kind that make you question your plans for the rest of the afternoon. It is a family-owned operation, and that shows in the service and the consistency.

Cape Fear Seafood Company

Cape Fear Seafood Company brought its award-winning menu to North Myrtle Beach at 1386 Hwy 17 N, and the reception has been strong from the start. The kitchen focuses on locally sourced shrimp, fish, scallops, crab, mussels, and clams in expertly crafted Southern coastal dishes. The shrimp and grits have won admirers across the Grand Strand, and the patio with fire pits makes it a particularly inviting lunch spot for visitors staying in the area.

Best Waterfront & Barefoot Landing Restaurants

Barefoot Landing, the waterfront shopping and entertainment complex on the Intracoastal Waterway, is home to some of the best dining in North Myrtle Beach. The setting does a lot of work — boats moving on the water, warm lights at dusk, the sounds of the marina mixing with music — but the restaurants here earn their reputation beyond the view.

Greg Norman’s Australian Grille

Since 1999, Greg Norman’s has been doing waterfront dining at Barefoot Landing with the kind of sustained quality that makes it easy to understand why it is still the first restaurant many visitors mention. The view of the Intracoastal Waterway is spectacular, particularly at sunset. The menu draws on Australian-inspired cuisine with serious prime steaks, fresh fish, and a wine list that has held the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for over fifteen consecutive years. It earned a 2024 OpenTable Diners’ Choice and was named Best Dinner with a View by Grand Strand Magazine in 2024. Brunch, lunch, and dinner are all served. For a waterfront meal in North Myrtle Beach that feels like an event, this is the benchmark.

Flying Fish Public Market & Grill

Flying Fish sits at Barefoot Landing with water views and a menu built around the freshest catch the region offers. It is the kind of place where the daily specials board reflects what actually came in that morning, not just what sounds seasonal. The steamed buckets and raw bar selections are consistently praised, and the Buffalo Shrimp Tacos and Mahi Melt have developed loyal followings. Prices are reasonable for a waterfront restaurant, and the atmosphere is casual enough for families without feeling like a theme park. If you only have time for one lunch on the Intracoastal, Flying Fish is the right choice.

Boardwalk Billy’s

Boardwalk Billy’s is where you go when you want the Intracoastal Waterway, cold drinks, a plate of crab legs, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and the feeling that dinner is not a formal event but an experience. The open-air deck is the main attraction, and the raw bar oysters are a fixture on most tables. What surprises people is the menu’s range — alongside the seafood and BBQ ribs, there is unexpectedly solid sushi, which has become a regular order for those who know. The atmosphere is casual and loud in the best way: families, groups, and couples all find a version of Boardwalk Billy’s that works for them.

Tidewater Grill

Also inside Barefoot Landing, Tidewater Grill has positioned itself as a local favorite with rooftop crab cakes, waterfront views, and a menu that spans Calabash-style seafood to hand-cut steaks. The daily specials bring variety beyond the regular menu, and the staff’s attentiveness is consistently mentioned in reviews. Tidewater is a good choice for groups who want waterfront dining at a slightly lower price point than Greg Norman’s while still getting quality food and great views.

BBQ, Southern, & Casual Favorites

Not every great meal at the beach needs a sunset view. Some of the most satisfying eating in North Myrtle Beach happens in simple rooms that smell like smoke and wood and something slow-cooked since early morning.

Brisket — Texas BBQ

You smell Brisket before you see it. The hickory smoke from their Texas-built smoker carries for a good distance, and by the time you walk in the door, you have already decided what you want. Brisket earned the 2024 Best Specialty Cuisine Restaurant award from Grand Strand Magazine, and the accolade is earned through consistency: real slow-smoked Texas barbecue done without shortcuts. Brisket, pulled pork, chicken, ribs, and sausage are all smoked over hickory wood and served with Southern sides that take the meal seriously — fried green tomatoes, collard greens, hush puppies, and a Frito pie that has no business being as good as it is. A well-stocked top-shelf bourbon menu and craft beer selection round out the experience. This is a good stop for anyone who believes that great BBQ is its own category of dining, not a consolation prize for nights you skip the seafood.

Nacho Hippo

Nacho Hippo at Barefoot Landing occupies a specific and important niche in the North Myrtle Beach dining landscape: it is fun, genuinely good, and suitable for everyone from small children to adults who need an extensive happy hour. The concept centers on creative Mexican-inspired food — loaded nachos, tacos, quesabirria, salsa varieties — served alongside craft cocktails, a full bar, and live music on the outdoor deck that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway. The energy is festive, the atmosphere is colorful, and the food punches above the price point. It is a natural stop during a day at Barefoot Landing, and the happy hour specials make it a worthy evening destination too.

Hamburger Joe’s

Since 1989, Hamburger Joe’s has served the best and most affordable burgers and wings on the Grand Strand, and the regulars here will hold that opinion against any challenger. It is cash only, it is casual, it is everything you want when you want a really good burger after a long beach day and you do not want to think too hard about the decision. The buffalo wings and hickory smoked pork BBQ sandwich are both worth mentioning. Prices run from $5 to $10. This is not a destination for special occasions — it is a destination for the particular kind of hungry that only happens on vacation.

Breakfast & Brunch Spots

The morning meal on a beach vacation deserves better than a drive-through. North Myrtle Beach has at least one breakfast institution and a few excellent alternatives.

Blueberry’s Grill

Blueberry’s Grill at Barefoot Landing is the most decorated breakfast and brunch spot in the area, and it has been for years. The 2025 Best Breakfast and Brunch award from The Sun News is the most recent recognition, but the lines forming outside before 7 a.m. tell the same story without the trophy. The menu is Southern-inspired with a creative edge: the signature blueberry hush puppies are the dish people come back for, the lemon-ricotta pancakes are legitimately excellent, and the shrimp and grits compete with anywhere on the Grand Strand. The smoked brisket hash is a newer menu addition that has quickly become a regular order. Blueberry’s is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., directly off Highway 17 S near Barefoot Landing.

Johnny D’s Waffles and Benedicts

Johnny D’s is the breakfast choice that comes up repeatedly when locals and frequent visitors compare notes on morning spots. The menu name says it all — waffles and Benedicts are the specialties, and both are done with care and variety. Blueberry pancakes, chicken and waffles, and twisted Benedict variations keep the menu interesting for repeat visits. The portions are generous, the prices are reasonable, and the service is the kind of friendly, unhurried pace that belongs on a beach vacation morning.

Casual Bites & Family-Friendly Picks

Not every meal needs to be a sit-down event. North Myrtle Beach has a solid lineup of casual spots that serve excellent food in environments where kids are welcome and the pace is relaxed.

King’s Famous Pizza

Over three decades in the North Myrtle Beach dining scene is a credential few restaurants achieve. King’s Famous Pizza has earned that longevity by doing pizza well and consistently. The menu is focused rather than sprawling — Meat Lovers, House Special, Zorba’s Greek Pizza, Alfredo, and Buffalo Chicken are the standouts — alongside subs, gyros, and pasta. It is a reliable family dinner that satisfies the kind of group where no two people want the same thing. The quality of toppings and crust is what separates it from the standard tourist-area pizza spot.

Benny Rappa’s Trattoria

For Italian food done right — real portions, house-made pasta, the kind of trattoria that smells like garlic and olive oil the moment you walk through the door — Benny Rappa’s is the answer in North Myrtle Beach. It is BYO wine, which changes the math of a dinner out considerably, and the portions are the generous kind that make the value obvious. Groups and families both do well here. It does not pretend to be anything other than a good Italian restaurant, and that is exactly why it has built the loyal following it has.

Tips for Dining in North Myrtle Beach

A few practical notes that will make the difference between a smooth dinner and a 45-minute wait outside a restaurant while everyone in your group gets increasingly irritable:

Reservations are not optional in season. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the best restaurants in North Myrtle Beach — especially SeaBlue, Joe’s Bar & Grill, 21 Main, and Greg Norman’s — fill up fast. Make reservations before you leave home, not when you arrive. Mid-week dining is easier to get into than weekends, and early-bird windows (typically 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.) are available at several restaurants at a reduced price.

Barefoot Landing is walkable and worth a full evening. The complex at Barefoot Landing clusters several restaurants — Greg Norman’s, Flying Fish, Boardwalk Billy’s, Nacho Hippo, Blueberry’s Grill, and Tidewater Grill — within easy walking distance of each other along the Intracoastal Waterway. It is a natural place to make dinner and a stroll part of the same evening.

Shoulder season is a different experience. Spring and fall dining in North Myrtle Beach is genuinely pleasant — shorter waits, the same quality, and often the same great weather. If you have flexibility in your travel dates, an October or April trip changes the dining experience considerably for the better.

The local guides and award lists matter here. Grand Strand Magazine, The Sun News, and OpenTable are the most reliable indicators of sustained quality on the Grand Strand. If a restaurant has been on those lists for multiple consecutive years, it is earning that recognition through consistency rather than novelty. Seek out things to do in North Myrtle Beach for a fuller picture of the area as you plan your meals around your activities.

Frequently Asked Questions