15 Best Restaurants & Places to Eat in Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach is known by many as "The Family Beach" and the nation's first Autism-certified beach destination.
But what folks may not know is that the area is home to a bevy of great restaurants and eateries, with everything from fresh seafood to Italian delicacies and something for every appetite.
Whether you’re planning a date night, a birthday celebration or just a fun family dinner, there are plenty of great spots to choose from. Here’s a list of favorites to check out on your next vacation.
The Quick Answer
What are the best restaurants in Surfside Beach, SC?
Surfside Beach’s “Family Beach” dining scene runs from fresh seafood to scratch-made Italian, wood-fired pizza, barbecue, burgers and breakfast. Favorites include Benjamin’s Bakery, California Dreaming, Chimichanga Llama, Crabby Mike’s, Dagwood’s, Johnny D’s Waffles & Benedicts, River City Café, Surf Dawgs Grill, Valentino’s and The Whistling Duck — brand-new at the Surfside Beach Pier.
Jump to a Restaurant
- Bar-B-Q House
- Benjamin’s Bakery & Café
- California Dreaming
- Chimichanga Llama
- Crabby Mike’s
- Dagwood’s Deli & Sports Bar
- Fat Jack's Wings
- Johnny D’s Waffles & Benedicts
- Malibu’s of Surfside Italian Restaurant
- Pizza Hyena
- River City Café
- Surf Dawgs Grill
- The Surf Diner
- “The Original” Valentino Restaurant
- The Whistling Duck
1
The hickory-smoked barbecue from Bar-B-Q House in Surfside Beach is best described as “lip-smackin’ and mouth-waterin’,” and can be served with your choice of Eastern NC vinegar sauce, Lexington-style red sauce, SC mustard sauce or their super-secret homemade sauce, served original or spicy. Bar-B-Q House offers chopped BBQ pork, brisket, smoked chicken, fried chicken and smoked BBQ ribs served with your choice of two sides and Hush Puppies.
2
A Surfside Beach institution for roughly 30 years, Benjamin’s Bakery & Café roasts its own coffee and turns out fresh-baked breads, pastries and cakes daily. It’s equal parts bakery, coffee shop and breakfast-and-lunch grill, so you can grab a pastry and a house-roasted cup or settle in for a full meal. A perfect low-key morning stop before the beach.
3
California Dreaming has been open since 1984 and is a great option for date nights, family dinners, lunch with friends and basically any other occasion where food is necessary. The menu has plenty of great options for even the pickiest of eaters and those with a more sophisticated palate. Try the steaks, ribs, chops or even the New Orleans Po’ Boy with your choice of flounder, fried shrimp or oysters. It sounds simple, but they make some of the best salads, topped with broiled chicken, salmon, fried shrimp or fried oysters and served with your choice of homemade dressings.
4
Just steps from the Surfside Beach Pier, Chimichanga Llama offers a vibrant twist on traditional Mexican cuisine. This eclectic cantina blends flavors from across Central and South America, serving up colorful plates like birria beef tacos, shrimp & hominy bowls, and their signature chimichangas. With open-air garage doors, a wraparound deck offering ocean views, and live entertainment, it’s more than just a meal—it’s a beachside experience.
5
Crabby Mike’s Calabash Seafood Buffet is one of the top-rated buffets not just in Surfside but all over the Grand Strand as well. They’ve been serving hungry folks for more than 30 years with Alaskan Snow Crab legs, roasted Prime Rib, grilled steaks, steamed crawfish, fried okra, shrimp pasta salad and so much more. There’s a hot and cold food bar, soup station, salad bar and a fruit and dessert bar with homemade cakes and pies.
6
Dagwood’s Deli and Sports Bar has some seriously good grub and a long list of craft brews. The sports bar offers more than your average appetizers, like the Blackened Shrimp or Mahi, Chicken Fritters, Lexi’s Favorite Soft Pretzels and their famous “Smokin Joe” Frazier Fries topped with ranch, BBQ and a mixture of cheeses. They serve a ton of amazing Phillies, hot and cold sandwiches and specialty subs. I love the Southwestern Chicken Sub with grilled chicken, red and green peppers, onions, melted provolone and a special ranch sauce.
You can’t do a Surfside food crawl without stopping at Fat Jack’s for wings. The Original Fat Jack’s Wings & Things has racked up Readers’ Choice awards up and down the Grand Strand, and one look at the color-coded sauce chart (the redder it gets, the more it bites) tells you why. Wings are bought fresh daily and fried right in the sauce of your choice. My picks are the sweet-and-savory House sauce, or the Ragin’ Cajun if you want some heat, and don’t sleep on the rotating sauce of the month. They also do burgers, a mean Philly Patty Melt on Texas toast and a beer-battered fried mushroom basket.
8
A chef-driven, family-run breakfast and brunch favorite, Johnny D’s Waffles & Benedicts is worth getting up for. The award-winning Red Velvet waffle—topped with cream cheese icing and cinnamon sugar—was voted the best in South Carolina by Food Network, and the creative eggs benedicts like the Pork Belly and Brisket are just as craveable. Round it out with skillets, chicken & waffles or French toast. Open daily for breakfast and lunch.
9
This family-run restaurant is a great spot to treat your loved one to a special date night or just a fun night out. Serving up traditional Italian cuisine, it’s definitely a top choice in Surfside to check out. You can expect amazing dishes like eggplant rollatini, fried calamari, Penne Puttanesca, Shrimp Risotto and Chicken Parmigiana. Weekly specials include Surf and Turf; Sunday Sauce with Short Ribs; Pork Chop Parmesan; and Butternut Squash Manicotti. Reservations are suggested.
10
Voted “Best on the Grand Strand,” this wacky pizza shop is like no other in the area. All of their pizzas are 10 inches and “WILD” fired Neapolitan style in a 700-degree oven. A local favorite is the Sour Puss pie topped with garlic sauce, dill pickles, fresh mozzarella cheese and dill weed. Other pies include toppings like pork belly, gyro meat, smoked gouda, kale pesto and even carnitas pork. The restaurant also has sammies, salads and a great list of apps.
11
River City Café is arguably one of the most popular burger restaurants around, with several locations throughout the Grand Strand. This Surfside Beach location is one of our favorites because of the amazing ocean views. With more than two dozen burgers to choose from, you’re going to need advice from a local on which one to pick. My go-to is the Nacho Crunch Burger topped with Doritos, jalapeños, Pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, guacamole and a spicy chipotle mayo. They also have salads, sandwiches, chicken burgers and a long list of appetizers.
12
Surf Dawgs Grill is a great casual pick when the family can’t agree on where to eat. Their motto is “Smashed, Stacked & Sauced,” and they deliver with legendary smash burgers, loaded ribeye Philly cheesesteaks and gourmet Sabrett hot dogs like the Snoop Dawg Carolina Dawg. Don’t skip the specialty fries—everything is made fresh with locally sourced ingredients and never frozen. Try the Original Surfside burger or the Nashville Hot Honey Chicken.
13
New on the Surfside Beach Fishing Pier, The Surf Diner is where I’d send you for breakfast with a view. It leans into classic diner comfort with fluffy omelets, tall stacks of pancakes and diner-style sandwiches, but the dish everyone raves about is the smoked salmon and avocado toast, especially alongside one of their house mimosas. It’s casual, family-friendly and perched right over the sand, so grab a stool and settle in before your beach day.
14
Valentino Original Italian Restaurant in Surfside Beach is celebrated by both locals and tourists and stays busy year-round. The cozy, casual atmosphere is the perfect hangout for friends and family and offers tasty, scratch-made entrees, appetizers, desserts, pizzas and more. I recommend the Grouper Pescatore simmered with clams in marinara sauce over pasta, or the Lobster Ravioli. They have some seriously good pizza too.
15
The Whistling Duck
11 S. Ocean Blvd. (Surfside Beach Fishing Pier), Surfside Beach, SC 29575
Right out on the Surfside Beach Fishing Pier, The Whistling Duck is my favorite new spot to slow down with a glass of wine and an ocean breeze. Owners Mike and Rebecca Wallace built a genuinely lovely little wine bar, with a sommelier-curated wine list, plus local craft beers, cocktails and espresso. The real star is the charcuterie: five named boards like the Italian Stallion, Sir Eiffel and Southern Hospitality, each piled with crackers, fruit, local honey and nuts. Grab one as a beach basket to go, or settle in on the pier and watch the waves roll in.
