Top Seafood Restaurants in Pawleys Island

Executive Chef Pierce Culliton does some pretty extraordinary things with fresh fish, and has been for decades. A peek at Frank’s menu reveals inventive dishes like Tequila-steamed Shrimp with sriracha-spiced cocktail sauce and guacamole, Pan-fried Cornmeal-encrusted Grouper over stone-ground grits with shrimp in a Dijon cream sauce, and the Pan-seared Jumbo Sea Scallops over mushroom and asparagus risotto with a lemon caper butter sauce. Also, the digs are as fancy as the plates, so wear something nice.

Whether you choose a spot in the cozy dining room or outside on the patio, one thing’s for sure – you’re going to leave Bistro 217 completely satisfied! The Oyster Tasting is a great way to start any meal and comes with a cucumber-wasabi mignonette, cocktail sauce and horseradish. Entree selections include Sesame-Seared Salmon, local flounder, seared George’s Bank Scallops and so much more. Reservations are definitely recommended.

Chive Blossom Cafe serves their fair share of locals and visitors in a quaint, beach cottage atmosphere. Eclectic seafood dishes are highlighted throughout the menu. Dishes include pan sauteed conch, charred octopus and cornmeal fried oysters – and that’s just the starters! The Southern Bouillabaisse is a must-try for your main course. It’s made with shrimp, scallops, little neck clams, flounder, tomato, okra, silverqueen corn and local butter beans in a white saffron broth.

This family-owned North Litchfield restaurant excels at several things, the first being their house made secret-recipe soups. Guests can start with a cup or bowl of Pawleys Island Red Clam Chowder, Hanser Family She Crab Soup, or Murrells Inlet Stew with oysters and spices in a cream base. From there, consider the Seafood Platter of lightly-battered and fried flounder, shrimp, oysters, scallops, and a crab cake, or the Stuffed Flounder with crab meat and a side of seafood cream sauce.

The menu at Austin’s Ocean One changes seasonally to offer the best local products and seafood. They offer a variety of small plates including a jumbo lump blue crab cake with smokey bacon and a corn and Lima bean succotash as well as pan seared New England scallops. According to a review the “pistachio crusted grouper is a must have at Austin’s Ocean One.” That’s one recommendation we’ll definitely take as the dish is served with Parmesan risotto, baby beans and a blue crab basil sauce!

The name of the game here is fresh shellfish, but it isn’t the only one they’re playing well. Guests can start with a selection or two from the raw bar menu – Apalachicola Oysters, Blue Point Oysters, Little Neck Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, or Crab Legs – before moving on to a Low Country Boiler Pot, grilled, fried, or blackened Catch of the Day, Blackened Fish Tacos, or Fried Seafood Platter.

The name gives this place away as a good place to go seafood, and the menu definitely delivers the goods. In addition to a daily fresh catch, the numerous Po’ Boy options include grouper, flounder, shrimp, scallops, crab cakes, oysters, and soft-shell crab. And for entrees, highlights include Sesame Scallops, Stuffed Local Shrimp, and a good ol’ Fried Seafood Platter.

This pet-friendly locale features a great happy hour menu with appetizers for just $5 and prides itself on being open 365 days a year. The menu at Island Bar and Grill in Pawleys Island has a variety of sandwiches, hot wraps, entrees, quesadillas, burgers, jumbo wings and appetizers. We think everyone needs some of the Ahi Tuna Nachos to start followed by an order of the grouper tacos served fried, blackened or grilled. Looking for something more traditional? Fill up on a crab cake sandwich or the shrimp or oyster po-boys.

Okay so this one technically isn’t in Pawleys but you can’t have a list of top seafood restaurants without including one form the seafood capital of South Carolina, can you? Wicked Tuna is located along the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk and serves fresh seafood literally right off the boat. We recommend the Ocean Prime Grouper topped with lobster and jumbo lump crab meat over cauliflower puree and sauteed vegetables in a balsamic cream topped with microgreens. You can also opt for sushi creations and raw bar selections at this waterfront dining spot.