New Englanders need Myrtle Beach help

B and I are taking my parents to Myrtle Beach for 5 days, starting on 29 Dec. When my parents were younger and more robust, they and 2 or 3 other Korean couples would drive down to Myrtle Beach from RI to escape the cold and do some golfing. We decided to take them down there now while they are still mobile as a xmas gift to them. It is an easy 2-hour nonstop flight from Providence. Aside from a brief visit to NC to visit a SIL and a visit to FLA to visit another SIL, this is my first time spending an extended period in the South and B’s and my first time in SC. Myrtle Beach is not a typical vacation destination for us (which our 10-year-old Spring Onion will love [eg, this]) but there are a bunch of xmas-y stuff still going on through the new year, which my parents will enjoy. I’m at a loss for restaurants. Where can a multigenerational family of 5 have comfortable meals (ie, not too loud/raucous but we don’t mind lively)? We all enjoy seafood. Price is not an issue. We are staying in a big house in North Myrtle Beach, which seemed more sedate but we are willing to drive anywhere for a good meal. Thanks in advance!

7 Likes

May I say that I love that you are doing this for your parents? Sadly I am no help in terms of suggestions, though.

Happy holidays to you and the fam!

5 Likes

I’ll check in with a report, of course. It’ll either be fun or I’ll need some stiff drinks. Maybe both.

7 Likes

We’ve been to Myrtle Beach once many years back. We enjoyed our time there in spite of being unwell for the first two day - caught a bug, had to see a doctor for antibiotics and spent two days in bed. There are some great crazy golf set-ups there - Spring Onion will, indeed, love it. After a couple of places, I had to ban us from future ones - due entirely to Mrs H’s foul mouth when she missed a shot which may have been heard by passing youngsters. Too long ago for any specific food reccs but I do remember that “Calabash seafood” was a Thing. Calabash is a town just north of Myrtle Beach and gives its name to a style of lightly battered and deep fried seafood. Worth Googling to see where may be good. In similar vein, we also enjoyed a “low country boil”.

5 Likes

Calabash seafood is new-to-me and how did I not think of a boil? :woman_facepalming:t4: Those would both be in my family’s wheelhouse. Brilliant! TY!

2 Likes

I haven’t been to Myrtle Beach in decades and I have heard it has changed a lot since my North Carolina family traveled there often in the 1960s and 1970s. One place you might want to check out that I remember fondly is Brookgreen Gardens, a large botanical garden and sculpture park in nearby Murrell’s Inlet. Very different from the rest of the area’s attractions and perhaps too tame.

I hope all 5 of your enjoy it…what a lovely thing you are doing for your parents.

2 Likes

We’re definitely going there. They have a neat-sounding real candle holiday display.

3 Likes

I haven’t been in a while, but the best seafood was down in Murrell’s Inlet. I recall Bimini. The Marshwalk has a lot of places with local seafood – and some sunset views. The oysters would be great.
I had a good dinner at Hook and Barrel in the Grand Dunes area, and a good breakfast at Blueberry’s Grill. At Hook and Barrell I saw my first enomatic wine dispenser, and I was surprised to see Camus “on tap”

Rockefeller’s Raw Bar in North MB is the home of Chumbo and good local oysters, etc. For Chumbo see https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/rockefellers-raw-bar-north-myrtle-beach-south-carolina/

3 Likes

I live in Murrells Inlet. I definitely agree that Brookgreen is a must. My favorites in the inlet are Lees Inlet Kitchen, Neal’s Creekhouse and Drunken Jacks.
Brown FoxCoffee Box for coffee.

Breakfast spot we love is Johnny Ds.

Sea Captains is a local favorite

2 Likes

Thanks for your input. I had Sea Captain on my list thanks to @johntannerbbq. I’ll check out your other recommendations.

A few days ago, I went to purchase tickets for the Xmas candle display at Brookgreen—it’s sold out for the remainder of the event. I think we’ll skip a visit on this trip because it’s an hour drive from where we’re staying and methinks Spring Onion doth protest. Oh well.

ETA: Brookgreen is also closed on the dates when the candle display is on, so we’d be shut out anyway.

Sadly, good eats were not encountered on our trip. We chose poorly and often times out of desperation, which almost always guarantees poor outcomes. We always had breakfasts and dinners at home. The house had an all-season outdoor pool with a hot tub area and a giant outdoor TV occupied much of our time.

Our first meal out, we wanted something beachy-cheesy…where do you go but RipTydz which was unabashedly cheesy and fun. Spring Onion said “looks like all the fun places use z’s instead of s’s.” :smile: And it was warm enough even for my 80+ parents to sit on the open-air unheated rooftop deck. Fish tacos and shrimp wrap for the girls, burgers and chicken tenders for the guys. The house made thick-cut potato chips were excellent. Very friendly service.

Poor mom and dad were starving and couldn’t wait for me to take photos of their food. B and Spring Onion know better. :smile:

IMG_8293

IMG_8294

IMG_8295

IMG_8296

IMG_8297

IMG_8298

I was going to hit the IGA near us for dinner supplies but B re-directed me to a Publix, which I had no experience with (he was familiar with it) and he was spot-on; much better than the IGA. Dinner our first night was a rotisserie chicken from Publix, along with sauteed broccoli rabe/garlic/lemon and roasted baby potatoes. My mom, who is quite particular, said that the chicken looked excellent while she carved it up. And the meat-eaters loved it.

IMG_8290

Another dinner at home of the very non-local choice of Scottish salmon, fettuccine with really nice canned cannellini beans, leftover rabe and sautéed mushrooms. The fish was purchased at Platt’s, which was a $#!t$#ow. Other patrons were behaving badly. I felt bad for the guys working the counter, who not only sling the uncooked seafood but also steam/prep to order. I left a hearty tip even though I was only getting uncooked salmon.

IMG_8312

An adequate NYE lunch at Flying Fish at Barefoot Landing after a crazy and fun kids’ noon year’s eve event at Lulu’s. Mom and dad started with the Charleston she crab soup (said it was like NE-style clam chowder) and split the lackluster-looking low country boil with mussels but they said it was good and took home leftovers. I had an ok tuna poke bowl, B went with a fish sandwich which was enormous and he took home half (I forget what type of fish), and SO had a kids salmon (which was too small, even for him).

IMG_8316

IMG_8317

IMG_8318

IMG_8319

We ate a quick dinner of leftovers at home because we headed back to Barefoot Landing for their 7 pm fireworks, which was fine for all 5 of us.

Got mediocre takeout pizza from MOD Pizza on New Year’s Day for the big college bowl games. Everyone else seemed to like it, except for me. The pizzas are small, only 11" and really thin. We ordered 3 (pepperoni, one with pesto, and a grilled chicken situation that B customized) but could’ve easily had more. Eating pizza, drinking beer, and watching football from the hot tub made for some very happy people. More leftovers for dinner, I think.

IMG_8321

IMG_8322

A forgettable lunch at Voodoo Brewing Co. that was made out of desperation after a lengthy aquarium visit. Our first choice, The Grumpy Monk, was closed for renovations. Tuna poke quinoa bowls for the girls (so-so), burgers for my dad and SO, and pulled pork nachos for B (also reported to be so-so). Nice people and there was a beer in B’s flight that he liked.

IMG_8354

IMG_8355

IMG_8357

IMG_8352

One last ho-hum lunch at Grand Strand Brewing Co.. Fish and chips, mom and dad split a cheesesteak, hot dog for SO, can’t remember what B had. No photos.

So overall, not the most memorable trip; we didn’t get down to Murrells Inlet as I had hoped. But everyone enjoyed being out of the cold for a few days and just having a change of scenery. If there is a repeat visit, we’ll try to actually visit one of the HO-recommended places.

8 Likes

Now that you mention them, I do remember eating at both Barefoot Landing and Murrell’s Inlet but, with the passage of time, no recollection of where. It is a nice chilled out part of the world, IMO.

1 Like

Ah, well. Travel with others really limits dining choices.

1 Like

Sorry that the dining was so disappointing. I am glad that you got a change of scenery and time with your family though.

2 Likes

Sitting outside must have been nice…

2 Likes

@Harters, I must say, your changing “name” cracks me up. I see you’ve changed your “rama lama ding dong” or whatever it was to something new. Fun!

3 Likes