Murrells Inlet

by Brian Sherman

Should we call Murrells Inlet the best fishing village along the Atlantic coast, the seafood capital of South Carolina or simply a quaint and welcoming town that has managed to avoid the commercialism of nearby Myrtle Beach?

The truth is, it’s all of the above, according to those who have called Murrells Inlet home for decades. In addition to the nine waterfront restaurants along the picturesque MarshWalk, the town of just over 9,000 people offers an array of eateries popular with locals and visitors alike, with the majority of establishments known for serving a wide variety of fresh seafood specialties.

Murrells Inlet likely got its name from Englishman John Morrall, who apparently settled in the area sometime around 1731. The inlet had served as an excellent hiding place for pirates such as Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. In fact, one of the MarshWalk’s most popular restaurants, Drunken Jack’s, was named for one of those seamen. Accord-ing to legend, Jack was accidently left behind, along with a huge amount of Blackbeard’s rum. When the ship returned a few years later, the crew found his remains, along with 32 empty casks of liquor.

SO MANY CHOICES FOR DINING

Today, the well-loved restaurant Drunken Jack’s is known for its hush puppies — even for dessert, when folks order the iconic hush puppy sundae. Managing Partner David McMillan pointed out that Drunken Jack’s is joined by eight other restaurants on the MarshWalk, which was the vision of local entrepreneurs in 1997, and, not long after, became a reality. The eatery works along-side The Claw House, Wahoos Fish House, Dead Dog Saloon, Bovine’s, Wicked Tuna Grill, Bubba’s Love Shak and Creek Ratz to bring booming business to the half-mile boardwalk. All of the establishments offer some sort of seafood, but diners also have other options, ranging from soup and salad to burgers, sandwiches and pizza.

“Our number-one goal as a group is to get them to the MarshWalk. It’s up to each of us to get them there and keep them,” said McMillan, who has been with Drunken Jack’s since 1983. “We have a good working relationship.”

During non-COVID years, live music is common along the MarshWalk, and celebrations for the Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and Christmas are expected to return in 2021, pandemic permitting, McMillan said.

He also noted that Murrells Inlet’s designation as the seafood capital of South Carolina has a lot to do with the scarcity of commercial refrigeration four or five decades ago. He said when he initially arrived in the area, inland restaurants that served fresh seafood were a rare commodity.

“Even 36 years ago, in a four- or five-mile radius, there were 26 restaurants here, most of them serving seafood. They all had their own little niche. Seafood in those days was something you went to the beach for. You went to where it was caught and processed,” he explained.

Of course, not all of Murrells Inlet’s popular places to en-joy seafood are on the MarshWalk. One example is Lee’s Inlet Kitchen, (pictured right) now in its 73rd year. The restaurant was started by Adrian Dorman’s great-grand-parents, Eford and Isla Pearl Lee, in 1948. Her parents now own Lee’s, and she and her three siblings all help out.

“People ask why we aren’t on the water,” she said. “But when we started, people didn’t want to be on the water. They were afraid of hurricanes. We wanted to be on the road, where the traffic was.”

She credited the restaurant’s success to the fact that the recipes are all the same as they were in 1948. “We have people coming in with their great-grandchildren, and they say the food tastes the same as it did back then,” she commented.

Other highly regarded Murrells Inlet restaurants that aren’t on the MarshWalk include Russell’s Seafood Grill and Raw Bar, The Inlet Crab House, The Hot Fish Club — which is located in the oldest existing restaurant building on the Grand Strand — Graham’s Landing, in a converted tackle shop; Nance’s Creek Front Restau-rant; Costa Coastal Kitchen; and Luna Mexican Bar & Grill. Those who are in the mood for a casual burger and fries should give River City Café a try.

MORE THAN JUST GREAT RESTAURANTS

While finding an excellent place to eat is important for people visiting Murrells Inlet, so is discovering a comfort-able place to stay. According to Mark Stevens, director of tourism development for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the county had one of its best tourism years in 2020.

“Our accommodations are toward vacation rentals, Airbnbs, houses and condos,” he said. “We’re not dependent on hotels; Myrtle Beach and Charleston are. They suffered greatly during the pandemic. Some of our months [in 2020] were better than in 2019 and 2018.”

He went on to say that many visitors to Murrells Inlet were able to pick up takeout at local restaurants and return to where they were staying to eat.

“They could go to the beach, do social distancing and pick up food and feel safe,” he pointed out.

One noteworthy spot to enjoy the sun, sand and surf is the three-mile stretch of Huntington Beach State Park, which also offers campsites, tent sites, picnic shelters and one of the best bird-watching habitats on the East coast. A short drive south, Brookgreen Gardens, another popular attraction, offers botanical gardens, a zoo and the opportunity to learn Lowcountry history. Brookgreen Garden’s signature event, Nights of a Thou-sand Candles, is held during the holiday season and now features 2,700 candles decorating its many gardens.

Dorman has lived in Murrells Inlet most of her life, and McMillan has been a fixture in the town’s restaurant in-dustry for nearly four decades. To both of them, the area is home and probably always will be.

“It’s a step back in time. It’s a laid-back place. The people are the friendliest and most generous you’ll ever run across,” McMillan beamed. “It’s welcoming, warm and a great place to bring your family or your golf buddies. We offer a little bit of everything.”

“Murrells Inlet has a reputation as a fishing village, but it’s much more than that,” Dorman added. “It’s grown up a lot in the past 20 years, but it still has that small-town feel. It still has that fishing village kind of feel to it