While this Murrells Inlet eatery’s name is not the most appetizing, the Best of the Beach awards that Dead Dog continues to rack up tell a different story. After all, it’s unlikely that diners would continue to pack the place year after year if the kitchen wasn’t serving up some seriously delicious dishes. Throw in nightly live entertainment, a large patio on the marsh, and a great happy hour, and it’s easy to see why this is one of the area’s most popular spots.

Adhering to the motto “Seafood, Steaks, and Sassy Stuff,” Dead Dog opens up at 7 in the morning and serves Breakfast, Lunch, Happy Hour, and Dinner.

The morning menu includes everything from Country Fried Steak and Bagels & Lox to Lobster Home Fries and Biscuits & Gravy. Also on offer are several types of pancakes (blueberry, chocolate chip, strawberry, banana) and Benedicts (traditional, country, crab cake, smoked salmon).

The list of Sandwiches for lunch includes oddly-named items like The Cluckin’ Chuck, The Smokey Pig, The Green Monster, and Ye Old Po’ Boy, in addition to self-explanatory ones like Nathan’s Footlong Dog, Fido’s Fish Sandwich, Crabby Cake Sandwich, and an Inlet Cheese Steak, each served with your choice of fries or cole slaw.

For Appetizers, guests can choose from a huge selection that includes Oysters on the Half Shell, Woof Woof Wings, Crab & Shrimp Dip, Cajun Fish Bites, Irish Nachos, Fried Green Tomatoes, and more. They also offer several soups such as New England Clam Chowder, She Crab, French Onion, and Charlie’s Chili.

Tacos are another good option here, and they’re available with Seared Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Pulled Pork, Grouper, Chipotle Shrimp, or Surf & Turf, and each is served with a side of cilantro lime rice.

The Entrée section is where the menu fully lives up to the Seafood, Steaks, and Sassy Stuff claim. Here you’ll find things like a Grouper Stack, Shrimp and Grits, Seafood Pot Pie, Thai Curry Vegetables with Scallops, Baby Back Ribs, Smoked Sausage, Filet Mignon, Rex’s Ribeye Steak, and several Steam Pots with Alaskan Snow Crab Legs, Shrimp, and Clams.

As the day progresses, Dead Dog becomes more and more of party, with locals and tourists filling the dining room and outdoor deck to do some important relaxing.

Back in 2012, the place actually burned down during the annual Murrells Inlet Marshi-Gras, but it was built back and reopened three months later with new dog-themed paintings, sculptures, and cheeky wall art with sayings like “All you need is love…and a dog.”   

Indoor seating options include booths, tables, and bar stools, while the outdoor patio is decked out with solid wooden tables among a group of Palmetto trees.