The Restaurants Tourists Drive Right Past (But Locals Won't Stop Talking About)

A few weeks back, somebody asked a simple question in a local Facebook group: what's one restaurant tourists usually miss but locals know is really good?

We read through all 193 comments. A few names came up over and over — and a whole bunch of folks refused to answer at all, on account of they didn't want their favorite spot getting ruined. Can't say I blame them.

Here's what the talkative ones kept naming. No rankings, no scores — just the places locals couldn't help but mention.

The name that kept coming up: Socastee Station

If there was a consensus pick, this was it. Socastee Station came up more than any other spot in the whole thread — it was simply the default answer, the place that came to mind first. Nobody named a specific dish; they didn't have to. When that many different people land on the same place unprompted, that's the headline. If you only try one place off this list, make it this one.

Local favorites

These are the names that kept surfacing again and again:

Victoria's Country Kitchen — Down on 3rd Ave S in Myrtle Beach, serving country cooking that one commenter called "the absolute best." This is meat-and-three territory, done right.

Judy Boone's — Over in Murrells Inlet. "Excellent — we are there often," said one local, which is about as strong an endorsement as it gets. Regulars don't lie.

Big Mike's Soul Food — The enthusiasm here was on another level. "Lord have mercy" was the actual reaction. One commenter was even giving away a $25 gift card to the place, which tells you everything about how locals feel about it.

Greg's Cabana Bar & Grill — A tiki-bar kind of spot that keeps showing up in these conversations. Laid-back, good food, the kind of place you stumble into once and then keep going back to.

Hot Fish Club — "My favorite place to eat for 20 years. The consistency and the service will never disappoint." That's the single strongest testimonial in the entire thread. Twenty years of not disappointing somebody is a track record.

Bistro 90 — An upscale pick that locals clearly don't think of as a tourist spot, which is exactly why it belongs here.

Bimini's Oyster Bar & Seafood Market — Oysters and seafood with a market attached. When locals want seafood without the strip-mall markup, this is where they go.

Zeytin — Called out specifically for breakfast, which caught our eye.

On the Half Shell — Murrells Inlet. Another oyster-and-seafood pick from the folks who live down that way.

Drifters Saloon — Myrtle Beach. Saloon food, local crowd.

Sun City Cafe — Myrtle Beach. Kept coming up without much elaboration, which usually means it's just quietly good.

Luna — Same story. Multiple people, no notes. Sometimes that's the whole review.

More worth knowing

Plenty more places earned multiple mentions. Short version:

• The Bowery — "fantastic burgers and fried pickles" with an ocean view right on the boardwalk. Yes, that Bowery. Tourists walk past it; locals eat there.
• Joe's Diner — by the airport, and the Saturday breakfast buffet got a specific callout.
• Simply Southern Smokehouse — Joe White Ave. Barbecue that locals vouch for.
• Casa Mia's Surfside — Surfside Beach Italian.
• Mama Jean's — Little River. Already one of our breakfast directory picks, so the locals are backing us up on this one.
• Flamingo Grill, 1229 Shine, O.A.K. Prime Kitchen and Bar, Rockefeller's Oyster Bar — the nicer-night-out tier that tourists somehow miss.
• Tavern in the Forest, Dagwood's Deli, Bummz Beach Cafe, Aromas (on 707 — pizza, pasta & subs), Quagliata Brothers Italian Deli, Benito's Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta, Margaritas (Mexican), Ramani's Cafe (pizza, burgers, lasagna — "all sorts of excellent food").

Worth a look

These got fewer mentions, but they earned their spots with specifics:

• Maggi D's — "found them by accident on one of my trips and love the veal"
• Bruiser's Burgers — "best burgers in Myrtle Beach," full stop
• Chile Frito — try the cantaloupe margarita
• New York Prime — steak
• Casa Calamari — "delicious Italian food," Surfside Beach on Hwy 17 Business
• Stella Blue — "tried it today, WOW was it good" (fresh recommendation, days old)
• Blue Drum Waterfront — another Little River pick

The "ain't tellin'" club

And then there were the folks who showed up just to say they weren't saying. "Best ones are a secret for a reason." Dozens of them. We see you, and honestly? Respect.

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This list was built from 193 comments in the Myrtle Beach Events Facebook group (September 2026). Kitchens change, hours change — call ahead if you're making a special trip.

Updated October 2, 2026.

Alright, your turn — what's the spot you almost didn't name? Drop it in the comments... or keep it secret. We understand.