A Foodie’s Guide to Pawleys Island Restaurants

This Pawleys Island eatery serves breakfast and lunch from 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. every day. Of course, you can find traditional breakfast items on their menu, but Applewood House of Pancakes also serves Southern favorites like Shrimp and Grits. This pancake house also serves up unique menu items like a variety of Frittatas, Eggs Florentine, Hash Royale, Salmon Benedict, and more. If you’re not in the mood for breakfast, you can always try a lunch item from a menu of sandwiches, salads, and an array of delicious entrees.

While this restaurant serves food all day, Dead Dog Saloon is an unexpectedly great breakfast stop. Breakfast items include but are not limited to options such as pancakes (banana, blueberry, chocolate chip, strawberry), Biscuits and Gravy, Benedicts (crab cake, country, traditional, smoked salmon), Country Fried Steak, Lobster Home Fries, Bagels and Lox, and more. If you enjoy your breakfast, you can always come back later for lunch and dinner and dine on delicious menu items such as sandwiches, tacos, appetizers, seafood, steak, and much, much more.

The name of this restaurant says it all; eggs! This location of Eggs Up Grill is found in Litchfield Beach, and is known for serving up delectable breakfast and lunch items. Offering traditional items featuring eggs and breakfast meats, Eggs Up Grill also caters to those seeking lighter options by serving things like fruit, oatmeal, salads, and more. If you’re more focused on lunch, Eggs Up Grill has a lunch menu full of sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and salads.

Operating since 1968, this classic Litchfield diner serves breakfast and lunch items daily. Breakfast items include traditional dishes like pancakes, waffles, omelets, french toast, eggs, and pastries, while other breakfast items include chicken fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, egg sandwiches, pork chop biscuits, and more. Lunch begins at 11 a.m. and the lunch menu includes items like burgers, daily specials, plates, sandwiches, and salads.

Caffe Piccolo’s motto is “Simple, Fresh, Italian,” and serves up just that; simple, fresh, Italian food. Open for lunch and dinner, the staff at Caffe Piccolo makes sure your meal is top-notch by selecting only the best cuts of meat, the freshest fish, and creating every ingredient possible in-house. This quaint, friendly restaurant offers traditional Italian dishes featuring chicken, veal, pasta, shrimp, and scallops. Sitinside and dine, or enjoy your meal outside on the patio.

One of the main focuses at Gio’s Italian Kitchen is the Neopolitan-style pizza. The pizzas come in different varities from traditional Margherita and White, as well as a French-influenced pizza and other tasty options. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, you can always try an Antipasti like fried calamari, fried mozzarella, little neck clams, and more. Or, you can also opt for an entree such as eggplant parmesan,veal chop, steak, seared scallops, or something else on the menu.

If you’re searching for traditional Mexican cuisine while you’re in Pawleys Island, look no further than Habanero’s. This restaurant serves lunch and dinner, and features an outdoor patio as well as an indoor seating area and bar. Haberno’s menu includes lunch items, entrees, house specials, ala carte items, and a section for vegetarians.

The name of this restaurant lets customers know beforehand what this place is all about. Serving Thai and Japenese fare, Indo Thai, Sushi, and Hibachi provides delicious food in an upscale atmosphere. The Thai items on the menu include favorites like Tom Yum soup, dumplings, rolls, Thai curry, Thai fried rice, and more. The Japenese menu includes a variety of hibachi options and, of course, sushi.

There could not be a better name for this restaurant. La Playa, meaning “the beach” in Spanish, is home to an array of classic Mexican dishes as well as Caribbean inspired fare. Of course, you can find burritos, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, and toastadas here, but you can also find the Caribbean taste of the Jamaican Jerk Trio, as well as other unique items you won’t find anywhere else in Pawleys Island.

This quaint eatery was originally from New Jersey, but new serves Pawleys Island with specailty Neapolitan pizza, paninis, and sandwiches. Many people also drop by to grab a pastry or cake from the bakery case.

If you’re craving Italian fare, Pastaria 811 is definitely an option to consider. The chefs at this restaurant use recipes that have been handed down from ancestors from Italy, so you can trust that their cuisine is nothing but authentic. The menu at Pastaria 811 is broken down into the following sections: Appetizers, Pesce (seafood), Pasta, Carne (meat), and pizza.

Captain Dave’s Dockside has been family owned and run since 1974. This restaurant is located on the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk and boasts fresh caught seafood items. Though most of the dishes on this menu are seafood-centered (like oysters, crispy calamari, shrimp, Maine lobster, and more) the dinner menu at Captain Dave’s Dockside also offers alternative items for those in your family who aren’t too crazy about seafood.

This restaurant is named after a legendary pirate, and, understandably, serves up dishes that are made with ingredients from the sea. The menu at Drunken Jack’s features appetizers like She Crab Soup, New England Clam Chowder, and oysters, and main dishes include but are not limited to dishes such as fried seafood platters, Grouper Royale, Surf and Turf, lobster tails, and more. For landlubbers, there is also a selection of steaks.

This historic restaurant has stories that date back to the 1700s. However, today, Hot Fish Club serves fresh seafood to patrons, and is home to one of the best views in Murrells Inlet. The seafood-centric menu at Hot Fish Club provides hungry visitors with a wide range of seafood options like the Blue Crab Fondue appetizer, the Lobster Pot Pie, fried seafood platters, the Lowcountry Steampot, and much, much more! If you’re more-so in the mood for land-based meal, Hot Fish Club has got you covered, too.

This family-owned restaurant has been known for serving fresh seafood since 1948; particularly in a Lowcountry-Murrells Inlet style. The menu at Lee’s Inlet Kitch is chock-full of delicious fresh-caught Carolina seafood like clam chowder, oysters, crab cakes, and more. Main entrees include salads as well as fried, broiled, and grilled seafood options. For those in your family who don’t like seafood, there is also a list of seafood-free items as well.

Litchfield Beach Fish House is known for being a family-friendly environment. Here, you will be served the Lowcountry delight of hushpuppies and honeybutter before your delicious meal. The menu at Litchfield Fish House is almost entirely seafood, with a chicken sandwich and a burger option for those who aren’t in the mood for fish. However, seafood lovers will rejoice at the wide array of soups, salads, and entrees like the Daily Fresh Catch.

Located right on the Inlet, Nance’s Creekfront Restaurant has been a favorite for locals and visitors for years. Of course, the menu here is full of fresh-caught seafood, and it is said that Nance’s has some of the best oysters in town. Nance’s menu features several seafood appetizers as well as hot wings, sweet potato fries, and mozzarella sticks. Main dishes include peel and eat shrimp, oysters on a half shell, crab legs, clams, crab cakes, lobster tails, grouper, scallops, and more. Nance’s Creekfront Restaurant also offers a “Land Lubbers” menu which consists of items like steak, chicken, and sandwiches.

As anyone could guess from the name, Pawley’s Raw Bar is home to a menu that focuses mainly on fresh seafood. This casual restaurant offers a variety of seafood items that can be seared, grilled, raw, fried, or boiled, as well as a list of delicious appetizers. Start off your meal with Oysters Rockefeller, Blue Crab Dip, Wings, or Banging Shrimp before indulging in a raw dish like little neck clams, oysters, and more. Entrees include the Catch of the Day, fried seafood platters, fish tacos, shrimp and grits, and plenty of other options. There’s even a burger on the menu for those who have had their fill of seafood.

Many claim that Russell’s Seafood Grill and Raw Bar is home to the best fresh seafood in the area, and with such an extensive menu of seafood options, they may be right. Begin your culinary experience at Russell’s with starters like clams casino, oysters Rockefeller, conch fritters, and more. Main dishes include fried baskets, seafood sandwiches, burgers, chicken sandwiches, catch of the day, seafood platters, steaks, and more.

Wahoo’s is home to a ton of specialty seafood dishes, including a wide variety of sushi. Sushi lovers can choose from a two-piece sushi dish or opt for a sushi roll like the Rainbow Roll, the Blackened Tuna Roll, and more. Other seafood options include She-Crab soup, the daily fresh catch, seafood platters, bourbon BBQ Mahi, and crispy catfish. There are some other menu items like Lowcountry fried green tomatoes, and 5-spice duck breast.

The menu at Wicked Tuna boasts an array of seafood and prime beef options. Begin your meal with fish bites, hummus, a salad, or another item off of the starters menu. Entrees include sandwiches, burgers, stuffed flounder, grouper, crab cake sandwich, the daily fresh catch, sushi, and much more.

The name of this restaurant was inspired by a pirate, and pirates like pubs, so it is no surprise that Buzz’s Roost is known for their pub-style cuisine. Located on Front St. in Georgetown, Buzz’s Roost offers menu items such as wings, crab balls, calamari, peel and eat shrimp, a variety of sandwiches, burgers, ribs, salads, pasta, fish and chips, and more.

Don’t worry — the name of this restaurant is base on an endearing term that people call kids that grow up in Murrells Inlet. With that being said, Creek Ratz’s menu is full of pub-style food such as appetizers, fried seafood baskets, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and a raw bar.

The name of this joint immediately suggests the type of fare that can be found here. Island Bar and grill offers a menu that is full of pub grub items like wings, nachos, burgers, mozarella sticks, sliders, and sandwiches, but also serves items like quesadillas, wraps, salads, and soups.

This chain restaurant is quite popular along the Grand Strand, and is a great place to catch a game on TV. The main fare on the menu at King Street Grill is reminiscent of traditional pub food. Here, you can find items like burgers, nachos, sandwiches, salads,hot wings, quesadillas, Thai lettuce wraps, mac & cheese eggrolls, hummus, and more. Don’t come here expecting to find boring food; King Street Grill puts their own twist on classic favorites.

Though this place doesn’t look like much from the outside (and it is a little hidden), Pawleys Island Tavern is packed with a lot of great energy and awesome food. A cross between a bar, a Lowcountry spot, and a fish house, the menu at the P.I.T. offers items such as burgers, peel and eat shrimp, crab cakes, pizzas, pimento cheese sandwiches, and much more. Stop by here to enjoy some beer and live music, too!

Not only does Quigley’s Pint and Plate make their own beer on-site, but they also provide hungry guests with a Lowcountry twist on typical bar food. Stop by for lunch and you can enjoy a range of salads, sandwiches, soups, and some entress like chicken and waffles and fish and chips. For dinner, have some wings, fried pickles, pub steak, grilled pork chop, and a variety of sandwiches.

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Aunny’s Country Kitchen makes locals and visitors happy with Soul Food and American favorites. Breakfast options are pretty standard here, but lunch includes Southern delights such as fried pickles and peel and eat shrimp. Main Southern dishes include sandwiches like the whiting or shrimp po boy, bacon chicken melt, and bologna sandwich. Perhaps the most popular items, though, are the weekly rotating specials that include items like fried chicken, meatloaf, pork chops, liver and onions, spare ribs, baked chicken, BBQ chicken, shrimp and grits, fried shrimp, and many more delicious dishes.

Originally opened in Georgia, Boll Weevil Cafe & Sweetery boasts a menu that is full of a variety of dishes, some of which are Lowcountry favorites. These Southern dishes include shrimp and grits, jumbalaya, gumbo, pasta creole, and pimento grilled cheese. The menu has other options as well, like steaks, salads, soups, and sandwiches.

While you can find hot wings, bacon-wrapped shrimp, and other non-Southern dishes on the menu at Bubba’s Love Shak, the restaurant boasts plenty of Southern inspired cuisine. The Lowcountry options include Lowcountry mussels, seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits, fried lobster, BBQ rib plate, and the fried catfish platter.​

Chive Blossom Cafe specializes in their own take on Lowcountry food. The awesome Southern dishes that can be found here are: She Crab soup, chicken liver plate, hot crab and artichoke spread, parmesan fried oysters, scallops, Prince Edward Island mussels, fried seafood, crab crepes, seafood pot pie, fried green tomato sandwich, and more.

If you’re craving delicious Southern food but don’t have the time to sit down in a restaurant, Get Carried Away is the perfect choice for you. Get Carried Away offers pies, sandwiches, salads, dips, sides, breads, desserts, casseroles, and more. Some of the favorites from Get Carried Away are seafood pie, chicken pot pie, Palmetto Cheese sandwich, Pawleys Island crab dip, collard greens, shrimp and grits, corn bread salad, okra and tomatoes, crab devine, and much, much more.

This family-owned North Litchfield restaurant prides itself on serving great Lowcountry fare. Some of these home-cooked Southern dishes include oysters on a half shell, crab cakes, steamed shrimp, Pawleys Island red clam chowder, She Crab soup, Murrells Inlet Stew, fried seafood, pork chop, ribs, shrimp and grits, jumbalaya, and shrimp creole.

While Hog Heaven isn’t an upscale restaurant, it serves up amazingly delicious BBQ and seafood options. Many people opt for the all-you-can-eat buffet, which features pork bbq, barbecue chicken, fried chicken, squash, baked beans, slaw, mac and cheese, and banana pudding. Others may order ribs, steamed seafood, and fried seafood as well.

Don’t let the fact that this is a chain restaurant stop you from eating here. Moe’s Original Barbecue offers platters and sandwich options featuring smoked chicken, pulled pork, turkey breast, mahi mahi, fried shrimp, and fried catfish. Sides include baked beans, slaw, mac and cheese, potato salad, chips, and a special of the day that changes daily.

This locally favorite spot is the place to go if you are seeking a buffet full of Southern favorites. Prosser’s Bar-B-Que’s buffet boasts tasty options like pulled pork, fried flounder, fried chicken, mac and cheese, pork chops, collard greens and more. Oh, and the sweet tea here is awesome.

Located in historic Georgetown, the River Room Restaurant is home to delicious Southern cuisine. While you’re here, try dishes like spicy crawfish dip, soft shell crab, black-eyed pea cakes, crab balls, shrimp and grits, fried seafood platter, and much more.

Boasting made-from-scratch Lowcountry dishes, Rustic Table’s menu is full of mouthwatering fare. For starters, try the fried pickles, peel and eat shrimp, popcorn gator, or crispy chicken livers. If you’re hungry, try signature dishes like stuffed fried chicken breast, po’ boy, brisket sandwich, fried porkchops, shrimp and grits, fried seafood, and many other delectable options.

Flo’s Place is home to a menu featuring Lowcountry and New Orleans-style food. The menu here consists of many seafood-centered items like spicy shrimp ball marinara, shrimp creole, crab stuffed baked potato, crab cakes, and oysters diablo. Other items include BBQ gator skewer, alligator stew, fried pickles, red beans and rice, po boys, and ribs.

This fine-dining restaurant can be found at the Oceanfront Litchfield Inn and is known as one of the more upscale restaurants in town. The menu here is cooked up by an award-winninf chef, and he selects only the freshest seafood, locally-sourced produce, and hand-cut steaks. Dishes on this menu range from salads and soups to to small plates and entrees. For those seeking a “fancier” feel than the main dining room, there is also the Fish Bowl and the Spirit Room; both of which offer private seating.

This upscale eatery is home to Lowcountry cuisine that has Asian and European influences. Open for lunch and dinner, each menu offers delectable options for hungry visitors. Some of the upscale dining options include crab nachos, seared scallop salad with roasted goat cheese, pad thai, pecan-encrusted trigger fish salad, tuna Napoleon, paella, veal piccata, the 217 eggplant treasure chest, and more.

With a tagline like “Premium Restaurant, Premium Food,” it’s no wonder that Bliss Restaurant & Lounge serves upscale cuisine. Some of the high-end dishes served here are lobster claw, beef carpaccio, tuna 2 ways, stuffed buffalo meatloaf, smoked duck carpaccio, duo of tartare, pork rolitini, a variety of seafood, surf and turf, and more.

This restaurant, which is two restaurants in one, is known as one of the top restaurants along the Grand Strand. Known for Lowcountry favorites like shrimp and grits, Frank’s & Frank’s Outback is also known for their choice cuts of meat such as pork, beef, local game, and lamb. On top of these items, the menu at Frank’s also features a variety of freshly caught seafood.

This upscale Pawleys Island restaurant features a menu that is full of top-notch dishes. These dishes include but are not limited to: pork and kimchi eggrolls, calamari and shrimp bruschetta, steak tartare, Morrocan Poussin, duck breast, filet mignon, and much more.

Known as an “upscale casual” restaurant, Salt Water Creek Cafe has a lot of seafood options on their menu, but also provides guests with other tasty dishes. The menu is divided up into the categories Land, Sea, and Air. The Land section features steaks, pork chops, and lamb, while the Sea portion contains an array of seafood options. The Air section has duck and chicken options, however, the menu doesn’t end there; Salt Water Creek Cafe also offers sushi, pizza, fish tacos, and sandwiches, too!