Best Seafood Restaurants in Murrells Inlet, SC

Murrells Inlet Guide

The best seafood restaurants in Murrells Inlet are family places that have been frying, broiling, and steaming the local catch for decades: Lee’s Inlet Kitchen since 1948, Nance’s Creekfront since 1967, plus the Hot Fish Club and Russell’s on the creek. Most of them sit along Business 17, a few minutes’ drive from the MarshWalk.

Murrells Inlet calls itself the Seafood Capital of South Carolina, and the tradition goes back to the 1800s, when cooks from the river steamboats settled here. Here’s where to eat.

Lee’s Inlet Kitchen

The oldest family-owned restaurant in Georgetown County, opened in 1948 by Eford and Pearl Lee in a former gas station. The family still runs it, four generations in, and many recipes haven’t changed. Southern Living named it the best seafood restaurant in South Carolina in 2023.

  • Order: local fish and shrimp, broiled or fried, and the hushpuppies
  • Save room for: the coconut cream pie or peach cobbler, both on the menu since day one
  • Good to know: dinner only; check the hours before you go, since the restaurant has closed for part of the winter in past years
  • Address: 4460 Highway 17 Business

Nance’s Creekfront Restaurant

A no-frills Murrells Inlet institution serving “inlet style” seafood since 1967, right on the water at the south end of the village. Nance’s is known for its oysters, many harvested from the waters behind the restaurant.

  • Order: the steam pot, for a little of everything
  • Address: 4883 Highway 17 Business

Hot Fish Club

The name comes from a social club that rice planters founded in the late 1700s, dedicated to good food and good times. Today’s Hot Fish Club sits on one of the Inlet’s most scenic properties, with a marsh-front gazebo and live music.

  • Order: the Hot Fish Platter, with local flounder, shrimp, fried oysters, and a crab cake
  • Good for: a nicer dinner out, then drinks by the water
  • Address: 4911 Highway 17 Business

Russell’s Seafood Grill and Raw Bar

A second-story “fish shack slash tree house” on the creek, open since 1993. Every table has a view of the salt marsh, and the nightly specials are whatever local fish came in that day, from black grouper to creek shrimp.

  • Order: the fresh catch special
  • Good for: a laid-back local dinner at fair prices

On the MarshWalk

The MarshWalk’s eight restaurants each have their own feel: Bovine’s, The Claw House, Creek Ratz, Dead Dog Saloon, Drunken Jack’s, Inlet Shipwreck Bar & Grill, Wahoo’s, and The Wicked Tuna, which runs its own fishing fleet. Go for the views and live music.

Read more: The Murrells Inlet MarshWalk: A Local’s Guide

Worth the short drive

  • Austin’s Harvest Restaurant at Brookgreen Gardens: chef-driven, farm-to-table dining with local seafood and specials from Brookgreen’s own garden. Reservations recommended.
  • Outriggers Bar & Grill: fried platters and grilled fish on the decks at Wacca Wache Marina, overlooking the Waccamaw River. A good sunset spot.

Cooking at home

Living here means you can buy seafood the same day it comes off the boat. Local seafood markets along Business 17 sell fresh shrimp, fish, and crab, plus ready-to-heat crab cakes and seafood casseroles. Ask what’s local and in season.

Eating like a local

  • Ask for it “inlet style.” That’s the traditional Murrells Inlet way: lightly breaded and fried, or simply broiled.
  • Go early in summer. Most of these restaurants don’t take reservations for small parties, and waits run long in peak season.
  • Try the off-season. Fall and early spring mean shorter waits and some of the best fishing of the year.

At Sunnyside Village, every restaurant on this list is within a few minutes, and the MarshWalk is a short walk.

FAQ

What is the oldest restaurant in Murrells Inlet? Lee’s Inlet Kitchen, opened in 1948, is the oldest family-owned restaurant in Georgetown County.

What is Murrells Inlet known for? Fresh local seafood. It’s often called the Seafood Capital of South Carolina.

What does “inlet style” mean? The traditional local way of preparing seafood: lightly breaded and fried, or broiled.

Which Murrells Inlet seafood restaurant has won awards? Southern Living named Lee’s Inlet Kitchen the best seafood restaurant in South Carolina in 2023.

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