Tourism News
Places To Eat Famous Foods in Myrtle Beach

If you’ve been to any of the places to eat Italian in Myrtle Beach, you’ve likely come across this St. Louis original: toasted ravioli. There are several accounts on how toasted ravioli originated, and it’s unknown whether the ravioli was accidentally or purposefully dropped into hot oil instead of boiling water, but the results were delicious. 

The tasty fried squares caught on and they’re known today in their breaded form, filled with cheese or meat and toasted to perfection. So, what restaurants in Myrtle Beach are frying this pasta dish? Try Maggie D’s, or head out to Aromas Pizza, Pasta & Subs in Murrells Inlet.

For soul food lovers in Myrtle Beach, what started as a ‘poor boy’ sandwich is now known as a rich, delicious meal. The po’ boy is a New Orleans staple that originated nearly 100 years ago after a streetcar strike during the Great Depression resulted in a restaurant feeding the workers sandwiches with potatoes and roast beef gravy between loaves of French bread—for free. They’d announce, Here comes another poor boy,” when serving them up, and lo and behold, the po’ boy was born. 

Today’s sandwich includes a sauce or gravy, fried shrimp, catfish, or oysters, and is often served with pickles, hot sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes. Since Myrtle Beach is a seafood destination, it’s easy to find the po’ boy in the area; try one while you’re here at Mr. Fish, the House of Blues, or Big Mike’s Soul Food.

The seafood boil is another specialty food adopted by Myrtle Beach (and many other southern locales) from New Orleans. This delicious dig-in meal, also called a Lowcountry boil, is often served at social events. A traditional boil may include crawfish, crab legs, shrimp, ears of corn and red potatoes, along with a plethora of Cajun seasonings. It’s all cooked together in a seasoned broth and served with lemon and parsley. 

If you want to taste true southern comfort food in Myrtle Beach, visit the seasonal Noizy Oyster restaurant for a fully loaded boil of crab legs, crawfish, clams, shrimp, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and andouille sausage. Or try Sara J’s, a proclaimed local favorite in nearby Garden City offering a boil of shrimp, sausage, and corn.

The seafood restaurants in Myrtle Beach have Baltimore to thank for their crab cakes. Maryland is rich with blue crab, so it’s only natural for crab to serve as the base of the best-known foods from the city. Though the meal originated in the 19th century as a Native American cuisine, the phrase crab cake” wasn’t used until the 20th century. The delicious concoction has been revamped by many cultures and locales, but what was the Baltimore crab cake” has remained largely unchanged and is made with crab meat, bread crumbs, eggs, and seasonings. 

Thanks to abundant seafood, there are plenty of Myrtle Beach eateries serving this delicious food, including Bimini’s Oyster Bar, Flamingo Grill, and the Sea Captain’s House, and Lee’s Inlet Kitchen in Murrells Inlet.

It’s no surprise the Philly cheesesteak would appear on a list of Myrtle Beach foods that originated in another city. What began as two brothers with a hot dog cart became a new craze once they experimented with a beefsteak and onion sandwich on a sliced Italian roll (provolone was added later, and The Whiz came after that). 

The Philly cheesesteak is one of the best-known sandwiches in the country and the Grand Strand offers plenty of dining options for those looking to get their cheesesteak fix. Popular destinations include Best of Philly in Myrtle Beach, Dagwood’s Deli in Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach, and Peppers Philly Steaks & Pizza in Socastee.

The pork roll sandwich is a Myrtle Beach food borrowed from New Jersey. Garden State native John Taylor is credited for the creation of the pork roll in 1856. This ham hybrid is so famous in Trenton that the city held its inaugural Pork Roll Festival in 2014. It is popularly used in the Jersey Breakfast” sandwich with eggs and cheese between a bagel or roll. 

There are plenty of places to eat these sliceable slabs of pork in Myrtle Beach, too. Bagel Factory has five locations around Myrtle Beach that serve an Egg and Taylor Ham sandwich, plus Jersey Bagels & Subs in Carolina Forest serves up multiple iterations of the famous pork roll sandwich, including breakfast and lunch variations.

The best comfort food to ease the after-effects of a night of partying in Myrtle Beach is the Primanti Brothers sandwich from Pittsburgh. This near-perfect sandwich includes meat, provolone cheese, slaw, tomatoes, and a load of fresh cut fries between two slices of Italian bread. Head to Oscar’s in North Myrtle Beach and ask them to make your sandwich Pittsburgh Style.”

The pierogi is a popular dish in Baltic, Slavic, and other Eastern European countries, and though its origin remains in dispute, the history of the dish dates back to the Great Depression. Pierogi fillings can include savory (fried onions, meat, mashed potatoes), or sweet (strawberries and apples) combinations. The dish is popular in many cities, but Pittsburgh loves the pierogi so much that the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates created a mascot-led tradition that pits contestants in a pierogi race” to commemorate the beloved food. 

You can find many varieties of homemade pierogies around Myrtle Beach. Pulaski’s Deli offers potato and cheese, meat, or kraut-filled ones. Cafe Old Vienna is known for authentic Bavarian cuisine and includes cheese and potato pierogies on their menu, and Angelo’s Steaks & Pasta offers a tomato and romano cheese version.

The only city equally tied to its food’s namesake as the Philly cheesesteak is New York, with its eponymous pizza. Authentic New York pizza is well known for its thin, hand-tossed crusts, light spread of tomato sauce, and grated dried mozzarella cheese. 

There are many places to get pizza in Myrtle Beach, but they don’t all offer authentic NYC-style food. When you’re craving the real thing, head to Gino’s Real New York Pizza for a slice of their Bada Bing or order a whole Sicilian pie.

The pastrami sandwich is another signature food in New York City that reigns supreme as a staple in the Empire State. This traditional sandwich includes a pile of thin-cut pastrami between two slices of marbled rye bread and is often topped with a spicy brown mustard. 

If you’re searching for the best pastrami sandwich along the Grand Strand, there are two NY-style delis to try: Kaminsky’s New York Deli on the north end of Myrtle Beach and Manny’s New York Style Deli & Subs on Kings Hwy. The Bagel Factory in Myrtle Beach also serves their own version on a freshly baked bagel.

Shrimp & Grits is synonymous with South Carolina’s Lowcountry, which starts in Jasper County and reaches as far north as Pawleys Island. Shrimp & Grits has made a significant impact on Southern cuisine, so even though Lowcountry is not a city, this influential dish deserves a place on this list.

For a tasty bowl of the food Myrtle Beach is known for, head to Fire & Smoke to try their version which includes grit cakes with shrimp, bacon, andouille sausage, white cheddar, and smoked tomato in a shellfish broth. The country ham and shrimp grits at Flying Fish Public Market & Grill at Barefoot Landing is another great choice, or go to Tupelo Honey for their grits with gulf shrimp, chorizo sausage, and creole sauce. There are so many interesting twists on this classic dish to try while visiting Myrtle Beach.

Carolina-style barbecue is the food the Carolinas are known for. For the best bites in Myrtle Beach, there are loads of restaurants serving up hot, delicious, genuine Carolina barbecue. This cooking style can be classified in two categories: Lexington- and eastern-style. Lexington-style barbecue uses only the pork shoulder and is known for its rich, sweet sauce, while eastern-style barbecue uses almost every part of the pig and is known for its vinegar-based sauce. 

Both versions can be found at many places near Myrtle Beach. Visit Little Pigs Bar-B-Q in Myrtle Beach or Surfside Beach, Simply Southern Smokehouse in Myrtle Beach, or Hog Heaven BBQ in Pawleys Island to get a real taste of authentic Carolina BBQ.

How the Cuban sandwich began and which Florida shore makes the most authentic one are up for debate, but Tampa made its claim official by naming it the city’s signature sandwich. It’s the layering of ham, pork, cheese, mustard, and pickles between two long slices of Cuban bread that makes this food famous in Key West, Miami, and Tampa, Florida. 

Thankfully you can eat this sandwich at a few places in Myrtle Beach. To try it for yourself, visit Dagwood’s Deli, Bumstead’s Pub, or venture to Graham’s Landing in Murrells Inlet where the Cuban sandwich is a signature item.

Fish tacos are one of the best foods in Myrtle Beach that didn’t actually start here. The crisp, infectiously delicious fare has Mexican roots, borrowed from California, and brought to food trucks, eateries, and fine dining restaurants throughout the nation. The abundance of fresh-caught seafood and laid-back attitude of the Grand Strand make this surfer’s staple a hit. 

When you’re wondering what to eat in Myrtle Beach, fish tacos are always a great choice. Mr. Fish makes an exceptional duplication of the Californian taco. Their Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos have sautéed peppers and onions and a signature sauce that will have you surfing every wave in Myrtle Beach. Or, hit up Sun City Cafe in downtown Myrtle Beach or Bonefish Grill for this fresh, California-inspired fare.

When you want something tasty, addicting, and perfectly seasoned, Buffalo wings are a no-brainer. This tailgate delicacy is served covered in a delicious hot sauce and accompanied by a handful of celery and carrot sticks. An invention of Buffalo, New York, they’re one of the most consumed foods in the United States and they’re probably as popular in their namesake city as they are in many other places, including Myrtle Beach. 

If you’re looking for a basket of the best chicken wings in the Grand Strand, get your napkins ready. Head to The Grumpy Monk to try one of their 20 flavors. King Street Grille at the Market Common offers bone-in and boneless wings, and a shrimp version. Fat Jack’s Wings & Things in Surfside Beach serves huge platters in many fun flavors, or visit Wild Wing Cafe in North Myrtle Beach for a bunch of sweet and classic sauces.