Working-waterfront seafood town
Restaurants in
Murrells Inlet
MarshWalk decks, old-school seafood rooms, oyster roasts, she-crab soup, and fresh catch from a village built around the inlet.
From the inlet to the table
She-crab soup, fried flounder, and a view of the marsh
Commercial fishing, charter docks, and the seafood rooms along Business 17 give Murrells Inlet more than one reason to come for dinner. The MarshWalk brings the meal together with inlet views and live music; the old-school dining rooms make fried seafood and Lowcountry staples the occasion. Start with the food you want to eat, whether that is a bowl of she-crab soup or a flounder platter, then choose how much waterfront bustle belongs beside it.
What to order
Five dishes to look for on a Lowcountry menu
A seafood platter is only one way into the meal. Creamy grits, crab soup, and baked deviled crab offer different ways to explore the inlet's seafood cooking. Let the kitchen's version guide the order rather than expecting every restaurant to serve the same recipe.
- Shrimp & grits
- Shrimp over creamy grits makes a different meal from a fried platter. Ask how the kitchen prepares its sauce and whether bacon or tasso ham is part of the dish.
- She-crab soup
- A rich, cream-based crab soup, associated with blue crab roe. Consider a bowl as the start of a seafood dinner; recipes vary by kitchen.
- Steamed oysters
- Oysters steamed in the shell put the shellfish at the center of the order. Ask where the current oysters come from and how they are served rather than assuming that an inlet address means a local harvest.
- Deviled crab
- Seasoned crab, shaped and baked until the top browns. House recipes are part of the interest: compare the crab flavor and seasoning rather than looking for one standard version.
- Fried flounder
- Breaded and fried flounder belongs to the seafood-room side of an inlet dinner. Check whether the menu offers a whole fish or fillet and which sides accompany the platter.
Where to eat
Five restaurants, from the raw bar to the seafood platter
Two MarshWalk tables can lead to different meals. Wicked Tuna brings sushi and a raw bar to the waterfront choice; Drunken Jack's gives you she-crab soup, hush puppies, and fried seafood platters. Let that difference guide the evening as much as the inlet view.
The comparison extends beyond the boardwalk. Lee's Inlet Kitchen puts fried seafood and Lowcountry staples at the center of an old-school dining room. Consider Russell's Seafood Grill for its catch specials, or Hot Fish Club for she-crab soup and a full sit-down dinner. The restaurant websites below are the next step for current menus and hours; the map links show where each meal would take you.
Lee's Inlet Kitchen
4.5 ★An old-school Murrells Inlet dining room known for fried seafood and Lowcountry staples rather than sunset spectacle. It is a dependable family choice when food tradition matters more than a waterfront deck; confirm seasonal hours before building the evening around it.