The Bowery is undoubtedly one of the most iconic establishments in Myrtle Beach. Not only has it served as a favorite dining spot and honky-tonk bar since it opened in 1944, but it also changed the country music landscape by helping to form the legendary country music supergroup, Alabama. For seven years during the 1970s Alabama served as the house band at The Bowery before making it big and going on to be the best selling country band of all time. Alabama has frequently credited The Bowery for helping turn them into what they became and even mentioned them (along with the next restaurant on our list) in their song, “Shaggin’ on the Boulevard”.

This Ocean Boulevard institution truly is the granddaddy of all local restaurants. Opened in 1937, this oceanfront grill is celebrating over 85 years of serving hungry beachgoers and Boulevard-cruising tourists. With the closing of the Pavilion, it wasn’t certain how Peaches Corner would fare, but with the building of the Boardwalk it has continued to thrive and will hopefully continue to do so for another 85 years. Over the decades, Peaches Corner has continued to provide the same great burgers, hot dogs and fried everythings that keep people back for seconds, thirds and 100ths. It seems root beer floats and chili dogs never go out of style.

Founded by the Lee family in 1948, this classic restaurant started the seafood boom in Murrells Inlet and continues to be a favorite among the Lowcountry favorites today. This converted country store has been expanded six times throughout its history, a testament to the popular demand for its Southern seafood cooking. The same family still owns and operates this historic cafe today and many of the employees are lifers. From the famous starters like the She Crab Soup to the main entrees such as the seafood platters and to a dessert of homemade peach cobbler topped with ice cream, Lee’s is still serving up delicious meals today just as it did over 75 years ago.

This country cooking institution has operated at the same location in downtown Myrtle Beach’s Five Points district since it opened more than 70 years ago. It’s still true that all roads lead to Mammy’s. Locals and visitors have been flocking to Mammy’s for decades, with kids who came with their parents in the 1950s now coming with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the 2000s. It’s the same great breakfast, lunch and dinner that brings them back every summer. The breakfast buffet is famous for its fresh fruit and Southern-style pancakes and sausage and the dinner seafood and country cooking buffet packs them in every night for the shrimp and crab legs, but the menu still features some of the same classics from 1953.

One of the Grand Strand’s best-kept dining secrets is tucked away in Little River in a former church built in 1885. The restaurant didn’t open until nearly a century later but the old cypress logs and stained-glass windows still remain. Opened in 1978, Parson’s Table serves as a museum of local history as much as an award-winning restaurant. Take a stroll through the establishment and marvel at the antiques that reflect the area’s unique past. But it’s the food that makes this place a mainstay among locals and repeat visitors. The restaurant boasts a menu rich with local seafood dishes, prime cuts of meat and Southern classics like Shrimp and Grits and Cornbread Encrusted Grouper.