Restaurants & Dining
Food Dude’s Top Five Seafood Buffets in Myrtle Beach
What better place to begin our international food cruise around the Grand Strand than the Atlantic Ocean, which, if you think about it, is really just one big all-you-can-eat seafood buffet.
Of course, the Myrtle Beach area has plenty of seafood buffets without actually getting in the water. Here's a list of the top five seafood buffets on the Strand before we say “bon voyage”:
Captain George's Seafood Restaurant
This Broadway at the Beach regional chain serves over 250,000 pounds of fish, shrimp, and scallops and 1 million pounds of crab legs annually – or as I call it – an appetizer.
The best thing about Captain George's, beyond the enormous dining room that eliminates the need for a wait, is it offers unique items not normally found on a buffet, like Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa and Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms, as well as the all the more traditional seafood dishes.
Crabby Mike's
9597 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
This Surfside Beach favorite offers one of the biggest spreads this side of Atlantic, adding such landlubber favorites as prime rib, lasagna, chicken wings and ribs to the buffet.
But seafood is what Crabby Mike's does best, offering a wide variety of fish, crab and shrimp. In fact, the lineup sounds like a line from Bubba Blue in the hit movie “Forrest Gump” – “broiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp creole, shrimp scampi, shrimp fried rice. … that's about it.”
Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood
This is “the original” seafood buffet in Myrtle Beach, and it's still in business for a reason. For more than 30 years visitors have been returning to feast at this buffet.
A 170-item buffet is the main draw, but the way the seafood is prepared plays a big role in its popularity. Calabash-style is a lightly-breaded and deep-fried manner of cooking that makes fresh seafood and fish melt in your mouth.
Original Benjamin's is also famous for its nautical decor, including model ships and an 800-gallon saltwater fish tank with sharks and eels. And you can't get seafood any fresher without dipping them out of the tank.
Preston's Seafood and Country Buffet
If your party is split between seafood lovers and landlubbers with simpler tastes, Preston's is the place to keep both sides happy.
In addition to some of the best seafood on the Strand, including crab legs, oysters, salmon, Mahi Mahi and more, Preston's also puts out a spread of Southern cooking, like T-Bone steaks, prime rib and barbecue chicken.
This Barefoot Landing location also doesn't skimp when it comes to Southern-style vegetables or on a delicious looking dessert bar featuring cakes, pies and cookies. No one leaves Preston's hungry.
Giant Crab
9597 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
Giant Crab is located in the famous Restaurant Row section of Myrtle Beach. The mega-buffet is easily recognized by the actual giant crab atop the restaurant.
Fill your tummy with steamed and raw seafood, a deluxe salad bar, hot food bar with crab legs, carving station, pasta station, hibachi, soups, breads and tons of desserts. The little ones have their very own spot at the Kids' Corner with pizza, chicken tenders, hot dogs, meatballs and more.
With over 170 items on the buffet on any given day, you're sure to leave stuffed when you visit Giant Crab.
