Beachie

Have a 3-day to Myrtle Beach (first time there) coming up and would like answers to 2 unrelated questions. 1. What would you consider the best 2-3 restaurants, as in upscale and/or good cuisine, seafood included? I've seen T-Bonz and the Seafood Shack mentioned on this forum-- how casual are they and are there better places?

2. -- don't laugh: I've been told there is some garden, zoo, aquarium in the area where you can watch otters playing. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Thanks

Berry

Beachie:

Question #1 Rossis, Divine Fish House, Collectors Cafe, New York Prime, Chesnut Hill.

Question #2 The otters are in the zoo at Brookgreen Gardens in the Pawleys Island/Litchfield area.

xxx

I also was in MB this past summer. I ate at T-Bonz twice. It is a southern chain. I am a beef eater so I enjoyed it. You will have no problem in finding Seafood restaurants for they are everywhere. Many buffets. There was an upscale Italian place. Very good. Rosotti's or something like that. It was in a shopping center by a grocery store. Sorry, that is all I remember. Maybe someone will be able to help in that area.

There is a aquarium and also some alligator farm which was pretty interesting. Alligators everywhere.

Beachie

Thanks so very much, friends.

Gretchen

For poor food be sure to go to a seafood buffet. For good seafood go south of MB to Murrell's Inlet. That is also near Brookgreen Gardens if you make that a destination.

chuck

Beachie,

Berry has given you a great list of nicer, more formal, more complex- cuisine restaurants. Can't go wrong with any of them based on my experience and what I've heard. (I've tried all but NY Prime.)

Also on par with those mentioned is Martini's in North Myrtle Beach. A solid, but less formal choice in North Myrtle Beach is Sea Merchant's House.

To answer your specific question about T-Bonz and Duffy Street Seafood Shack, T-Bonz is a casual place (but with solid food, better for lunch than dinner). Duffy Street is very casual and fun; great basic seafood--but served in baskets. Also Duffy has a horrible wine selection (served in plastic cups), so it's liquor or beer if you go.

The restaurants mentioned by Berry (and Martini's) are all very nice places, at least one notch up on the restaurant food chain.

Finally, Gretchen's comment about the buffets is right on the money.

Have a great time!

Mike Honeycutt

I just returned from Myrtle Beach and my new favorite place for seafood is Captain George's near Broadway at the Beach. The place is huge, has a nice atmosphere, and can seat 800 people. It is about $25 a person but has one large buffet, two smaller buffets, and a large dessert buffet.

I ate there twice during the visit.

There are far too many "family seafood" restaurants to mention.

Mike Honeycutt

shiloh

We just came back from Myrtle Beach and had a fantastic lunch on the patio of Damon's. Enjoyed watching the surfers and the jumping fish as we ate. Enjoy.

lori_hopkins_7549

There most certainly are otters there. They are North American River Otters. In fact they have recently introduced two more, a male and female who are brother and sister. I know because my sister and I raised them and gave them to Brook Green when they were about four months old. We named them Wesley and Buttercup. We were politely asked to stay away for awhile because they cried upon seeing and hearing us. Yes, they remember. They are natural followers. I found that out quickly when I took them into the woods. We bottle fed them then they moved onto Carnivore diet and fish at about two months old. They learned to swim in the bath tub then a kiddie pool and ponds in the woods where Buttercup hunted frogs :0. We had them from about two weeks old (eyes still closed) to about 4 1/2 months old. We were so happy when we found out Brook Green could make room for them. It's a natural environment and they are very well taken care of.

Gretchen

How cool!! You are the best!! Brookgreen is an absolute treasure that is often overlooked in this stretch of beach below MB and its gridlock.

As far as good food in Pawley's, add Chive Blossom to the really really good list.

It is a little jewel for lunch. The portions are HUGE, and the menu deliciously varied--not your father's beach restaurant!!

vjpblovesitaly

This thread was started 11 years ago

Gretchen

Yes, I even commented on it 11 years ago--and THAT post is still true--the buffets are awful and expensive.
However, people still look for info on where to eat.

Gretchen

And the otter story is great--and the zoo there is very nice, compact and interesting. It's still cogent to travel.

stumpworks73

Two more restaurants to consider are Umberto's Italian and Greg Normans Australian Grill, both in NMB at Barefoot Landing. I challenge MB having better upscale Italian than Umberto's.

If you are a raw bar person, Rockefeller's just north of Barefoot has great local color and really good shell fish.

DebitNM

We went to BrookGreen Gardens in September. Didn't see any otters which is too bad cause I love watching them play. Great place to spend a few hours.

BlackandGold

The Sea Captain's House is one of the few restaurants in Myrtle that are ocean front. I haven't been to Myrtle in years but can still taste the she crab soup. Traditional seafood (broiled, sautéed, fried) but very good and fresh.

The Sea Captains house has been in existence since the 1930s or 40s I believe. I don't think it would be considered upscale, but it is good.

Dukey1

"The buffets are awful and expensive"...I am amazed at how long they remain in existence, how many people actually meat at them and without dying, etc.

Frankly, I think those restaurants that provide microscopes so you can see that tiny piece if food amongst those swirls of "mystery liquid" on the oversized plate are awful and expensive but we all seem to manage.

Gretchen

The seafood buffets serve a purpose to those who want a lot and don't really mind it isn't local, or maybe even particularly well prepared. Nothing was said about it being "dangerous"--dying. You pays your money and takes your choice, like anywhere else where you get the tower of food on a huge plate--or the microscopic amount. I don't do that either.

I just HAVE to say, however, that a buffet in SC that offers "unlimited king crab claws" is not what I want in a southeast coastal restaurant for quality or experience. Others can certainly have what they want.
I guess Durham tainted your taste buds!! LOL