As the story goes, Blackbeard and his crew of pirates landed in Murrells Inlet back in the 1600’s with tons of rum. They buried most of it, but kept enough on-hand to get trashed and eat oysters and shrimp all night. Well, the next day they set sail with massive hangovers and at some point realized that they had left behind a fellow named Jack. Soon they were engaged in battle and ended up in the Caribbean, but two years later they managed to get back to the Lowcountry only to find 32 empty barrels of rum and the bones of their pal, Drunken Jack.

In his honor, Blackbeard and the other guys named the island after their deceased buddy, and a few decades ago a restaurant overlooking the land was opened in the spirit of old Drunken Jack, and named after him.

The seafood-centric list of starters here includes items like New England Clam Chowder, She Crab Soup, Shrimp and Crab Fondue with toasted ciabatta, Oysters on the Half Shell, and Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna.

For main courses, Drunken Jack’s offers a short and sweet variety of dishes that includes Grouper Royale with crabmeat, mushrooms, béarnaise, and asparagus; Chef Casey’s Risotto with lobster and crab and topped with blackened mahi and sea scallops and a lobster cream sauce; and Drunken Jack’s Shore Dinner which features your choice of she crab, clam chowder, or shrimp cocktail to start, then a huge plate of flounder, shrimp, oysters, crab cake, and a 5oz lobster tail.

They also have a Char-Grill menu with offerings like Prime Rib, Sirloin, Ribeye, Chicken Breast, and Surf and Turf, and each entrée comes with Salad Bar and your choice of French fries, baked potato, rice pilaf, or steamed vegetables.

And just like any Lowcountry restaurant worth their salt water, Drunken Jack’s also has a nice variety of Fried Seafood Platters, Cold Water Lobster Tails, Alaskan King Crab Legs, and a daily Fresh Catch.

This place is a casual affair, keeping with the spirit of the pirates and their feasts, and the restaurant offers sweeping views of the surrounding inlet, marsh, and, of course, Drunken Jack Island. And while there are no open barrels of rum, you should feel free to enjoy a cold drink or two with your meal, if only to honor the eateries namesake.