The 14 Best Places for Soup in Myrtle Beach (+ 3 Local Recipes to Try!)
There’s never a wrong time for a good bowl of soup. A rainy afternoon, a breezy evening by the water, or simply a craving for something warm and comforting — the Grand Strand’s kitchens have you covered, from rich Lowcountry she crab soup to steaming bowls of pho and ramen and made-from-scratch soups du jour. Here are some of the best places to grab a bowl of soup in Myrtle Beach, any time of year.
The Short Answer
Where can you get the best soup in Myrtle Beach?
The Grand Strand serves up soup worth seeking out from Murrells Inlet to Pawleys Island. Local favorites include Drunken Jack’s and Sea Captain’s House for classic Lowcountry she crab soup, Pho Claire for Vietnamese noodle soups, and Burky’s Grill, Croissants, Bay Naturals, Quigley’s and Bistro 217 for rotating homemade soups du jour. Here are twelve of the best places for soup in Myrtle Beach — plus a few local chef recipes to try at home.
Jump to a Spot
- Bay Naturals
- Bistro 217
- Boteco VIP
- Burky’s Grill
- Croissants Bistro & Bakery
- Drunken Jack’s
- Hippie Hen House
- Local on the Water
- Pho Claire
- Quigley’s Pint & Plate
- Sea Captain’s House
- Zardin
1
Part organic grocery, part fresh kitchen, Bay Naturals Healthy Market & Kitchen is the place for something homemade and good for you. The back-of-house Fresh Kitchen is a great lunch spot with a menu full of sandwiches, bowls and healthy smoothies. Check out rotating lineup of soups — Hearty Lentil, New England Clam Chowder, Garlic and more.
2
This chic Pawleys Island bistro serves an eclectic menu of seafood, steaks and pasta, but locals know to save room for the soup. Favorites at Bistro 217 include Chef Adam Kirby's legendary Tomato, Crab & Jalapeño Soup served with toasted white corn sticks and the warm Bistro Potato Soup with applewood smoked bacon and green onion.
Make it at home: See the Recipe
Bistro 217 Tomato, Crab & Jalapeño Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz fresh crabmeat
- 2 (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño (more if you like it hotter)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Cornstarch, for thickening (optional)
Directions
- Remove the seeds and devein the jalapeño (unless you like it really hot), then dice the onion, garlic and jalapeño.
- In a hot stockpot, add the olive oil and diced vegetables and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and heavy cream. Cook 3–5 minutes and bring to a boil.
- Blend with an immersion blender if you’d like it smoother, then stir in the crabmeat and bring back to a boil.
- Thicken as desired with a little cornstarch mixed with water, and serve.
3
A downtown Myrtle Beach boteco bringing the warmth of Brazilian bar culture to the Grand Strand, Boteco VIP is known for its colorful atmosphere and friendly staff. Its feijoada (Brazil’s national dish) is a hearty black-bean stew slow-simmered with pork and served with rice, collard greens and orange slices. When the weather cools, it also hosts Brazilian soup festival nights on Fridays, ladling out rich caldos like a black-bean soup topped with crispy pork skins, a comforting chicken soup and a beef-rib soup with yuca.
4
A locally owned hamburger drive-thru known for its smashburgers and hot dogs, Burky’s Grill is home to some tasty Cincinnati-style chili. Save room for the rotating soups du jour, too: the daily lineup might bring cream of broccoli, chicken noodle, lumberjack vegetable or creamy clam chowder, homestyle bowls that hit the spot any day of the week.
5
Well-known as one of the best places to lunch and brunch on the Grand Strand, Croissants Bistro & Bakery keeps its longtime tradition of homemade soups du jour going strong. Think French onion, tomato basil and butternut squash, each made from scratch and even better with a fresh-baked roll on the side.
6
Perched on the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, Drunken Jack’s has been a Grand Strand institution for decades and its she crab soup is the stuff of legend. Executive chef Casey Blake, named South Carolina’s Chef of the Year in 2015, has been in the kitchen since he was a teenage dishwasher, and his rich, sherry-laced she crab soup keeps locals and visitors coming back bowl after bowl. Want to make it yourself? Expand his recipe below.
Make it at home: See the Recipe
Drunken Jack’s She Crab Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup crab stock
- ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- Pinch of white pepper
- ½ cup cooking sherry
- Paprika (optional, to garnish)
- Parsley (optional, to garnish)
- 6 blue crabs, cooked and picked clean
- Roux: ½ cup butter + 1 cup flour, cooked ~8 min until browned
Directions
- Steam the blue crabs with seasoning for 20–25 minutes, then let cool about 30 minutes. Pull away the shells (save them for stock) and pick the meat clean; set aside. This step can be done well ahead.
- Make the crab stock: put the shells in a medium pot with 4 cups hot water, 1 teaspoon butter, ½ teaspoon seasoning salt and a pinch of white pepper. Boil about 45 minutes, until reduced by half.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the milk, heavy cream and crab stock over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat ½ cup cooking sherry in a skillet and carefully ignite it with a match to burn off the alcohol; let the flame die out.
- Stir the sherry into the milk mixture, blend well and heat through.
- When it comes to a boil, whisk in the roux ¼ cup at a time until the soup thickens to your liking. Reduce heat and simmer 20–25 minutes, then stir in the crab meat. Garnish with paprika and parsley, and serve.
7
This cheerful, casual Murrells Inlet comfort-food spot is a local favorite for hearty homestyle plates and its soup flight is the move for the indecisive. Hippie Hen House serves a trio of its rotating house-made soups side by side, so you never have to pick just one.
8
Right on the Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, Local on the Water is a lively waterfront spot where you can pull up by boat or by car and settle in near the fire pit for fresh seafood, low-country boils and live music. Their house-recipe seafood chowder loads a bowl with shrimp, crab meat, fish and potatoes for a warm taste of the coast.
9
Tucked into the corner of a Food Lion shopping complex, Pho Claire is a Vietnamese noodle house worth seeking out. The Pho Deluxe layers thinly sliced filet mignon, meatballs, beef tripe, tendon and brisket in a deeply flavorful broth, while the Hu Tieu Kho brings rice noodles, pork, shrimp, fried garlic shallots and fresh greens together in a light chicken broth.
10
A great spot to gather over local craft beer and inventive Southern fare, Quigley’s Pint & Plate turns out house-made soups of the day that are a big hit, from Spicy Thai Chicken to Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and Shrimp and Roasted Corn Bisque. Don’t miss the Southern Brewers Chili, made with brown ale, marinated steak and black-eyed peas.
11
For she crab soup with a view, it’s hard to beat oceanfront Sea Captain’s House. Here you can gaze out at the Atlantic, right where the fresh blue crab in your bowl was recently swimming. They’ve been ladling out their rich, creamy she crab soup, finished with a touch of sherry, for more than 60 years, making it one of the most beloved bowls on the beach.
Make it at home: See the Recipe
Sea Captain’s House She Crab Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, diced
- 1 cup clarified butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2⅓ quarts half-and-half
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1½ tsp ground mace
- 1 cup good sherry
- 1 lb fresh white crab meat (good quality)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- In a large stockpot, cook the onions in the clarified butter until soft.
- Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and stir constantly for 15 minutes.
- Add the half-and-half and heavy cream and continue stirring.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
12
At The Market Common, Greek-rooted, health-minded Zardin keeps things fresh with bright bowls, salads and Mediterranean plates. Its light-yet-hearty Lemon Chicken Soup — a Greek avgolemono of egg, lemon and chicken — is a repeat favorite that tastes like it came straight from someone's kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soup in Myrtle Beach, answered
Where can I get she crab soup in Myrtle Beach?
Drunken Jack’s in Murrells Inlet and oceanfront Sea Captain’s House in Myrtle Beach are two local favorites for classic Lowcountry she crab soup, both finished with a signature touch of sherry.
What is she crab soup?
She crab soup is a rich, creamy Lowcountry specialty made with blue crab meat (traditionally including crab roe), cream and a splash of sherry. It’s a South Carolina coastal classic you’ll find on menus all along the Grand Strand.
Where can I get pho in Myrtle Beach?
Pho Claire on 38th Avenue North is the local go-to for Vietnamese pho and noodle soups, from the loaded Pho Deluxe to the Hu Tieu Kho.
Where can I find homemade soups du jour in Myrtle Beach?
Burky’s Grill, Croissants Bistro & Bakery, Bay Naturals, Quigley’s Pint & Plate and Bistro 217 all rotate house-made soups of the day, from French onion and clam chowder to gumbo and creative bisques.
Is soup only good in the winter?
Not at all. While a warm bowl is a cozy cold-weather favorite, the Grand Strand’s restaurants serve soup year-round — perfect for a rainy beach day, a breezy evening or an air-conditioned lunch any season.