Southern Food in Myrtle Beach: What I Found After Actually Looking Into It


I want to be upfront about how this started. I was not on a mission to find the best Southern restaurant in Myrtle Beach. I was in the area on a weekday, I had time between things, and someone who lives nearby told me about a place on 44th Avenue North that they had been going to regularly since it opened. Not in a promotional way. Just the way people mention somewhere when they actually like it and it comes up naturally in conversation.That place was 44 & King.I ended up spending time there, going through the menu more carefully than I expected to, and then doing some broader research on what else was operating in the same Southern and Lowcountry dining space around Myrtle Beach. What I found was worth writing down, because if you are searching for a Southern restaurant in Myrtle Beach that goes beyond the tourist corridor, the answer is less obvious than it should be. This is what the research turned up.


The Southern Dining Scene in Myrtle Beach Is Better Than It Gets Credit For

Most of the food conversation around Myrtle Beach starts and ends with seafood. That makes sense geographically. The Grand Strand has access to fresh coastal catch, the oceanfront real estate rewards restaurants with views and volume, and visitors tend to default to what fits the beach setting.But Myrtle Beach sits squarely within the South Carolina Lowcountry dining tradition, and that tradition is its own thing. Lowcountry cuisine developed along the coastal plain of South Carolina and Georgia, shaped by African, European, and coastal Indigenous culinary knowledge going back centuries. It is defined by rice-based dishes, fresh coastal seafood, slow-cooked meats, and specific seasoning approaches that trace back to the Gullah-Geechee communities who built the foundation of this regional food culture. This is not the same as generic Southern comfort food. It is a specific culinary language with real historical roots.A handful of restaurants in and around Myrtle Beach are cooking within that tradition genuinely. I went looking for them.


Five Southern Restaurants in Myrtle Beach Worth Knowing About

44 & King:

515 44th Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 | (843) 626-5464 | Monday Thursday only I am going to spend the most time here because this is the one I looked into most carefully and the one I would send someone to first.44 & King opened in 2019. It sits near the intersection of 44th Avenue North and Kings Highway, which puts it in the residential neighborhood north of the main tourist strip rather than on it. The framing is Southern pub with elevated Lowcountry cuisine. I have seen that kind of language used loosely enough that it does not mean much on its own, so I paid more attention to the menu than to the description.The menu is the evidence.The King's Shrimp and Grits uses large east coast shrimp sauteed in heirloom tomato and sausage in a creamy bechamel, served over sweet potato grits. The sweet potato grits are not a substitute. They are a deliberate choice that changes the flavor profile of the dish in a way that plain stone-ground grits would not. Someone in that kitchen is thinking about ingredients, not just executing a format.The King's Burger is an 8-ounce blend of brisket, chuck, and short rib, which already signals care in the protein sourcing, topped with pimento cheese, fresh jalapeños, crispy rustic bacon, and sweet tea collards on a sesame brioche bun. That combination works because each element is doing a specific job in the flavor balance. Pimento cheese adds richness and a specifically Southern sharpness. Sweet tea collards add a slight bittersweet counterpoint. The jalapeños cut through both. It is a burger written by someone who understands how Lowcountry flavor layers.The Baby Back Ribs run a twelve-hour smoke before they reach the table. The Pit BBQ Sampler covers smoked sausage, chopped pulled pork, BBQ chicken, and ribs with pickles, coleslaw, and sourdough, the kind of spread that only makes sense if the smoking program is taken seriously. The Beller's Bone In Pork Chop is thick-cut and brined, finished with a sweet tea glaze. The Country Fried Chicken comes smothered in white pepper gravy alongside sweet tea collards. The Calabash Style Ocean Platter with flounder, shrimp, and scallops in light breading is a direct reference to a coastal Carolina frying tradition specific to this region.The South Carolina Encyclopedia documents how the Lowcountry rice kitchen produced dishes that spread across the South. Standing in front of a menu that uses sweet tea as a cooking ingredient, that builds collards into a burger, and that puts sweet potato grits under the signature seafood dish, you can feel that lineage operating in real time.Beyond the food, the bar runs original house cocktails called King's Cocktails, built on premium spirits, fresh juices, and house-made syrups. There is a curated craft beer list, wines, and a dedicated happy hour structure. This is not a bar that exists to move volume while people wait for a table. It functions as a deliberate part of the experience.The outdoor courtyard under live oaks and magnolias is the other thing people keep mentioning. Lawn games, coastal air, a pace that encourages staying longer than planned. In a city full of loud beach bars and constructed tourist patios, this space feels genuinely unhurried. Multiple people I spoke to said it is the reason they bring guests from out of town here specifically.The Monday through Thursday schedule, with specific hour windows rather than long daily service, is the kind of operational structure that comes from prioritizing quality over covers. It is worth planning around. More local dining context is available at Near You Now, which covers community spots across the area.


Simply Southern Smokehouse

1913 Mr. Joe White Ave, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 | (843) 839-1913, Simply Southern runs a buffet format and has built one of the strongest review ratings among Southern restaurants in the Myrtle Beach area. The people I spoke to who had been there described it as the closest thing to genuine home cooking they had found on the Grand Strand. Hot food, generous portions, fair pricing. The smoked fish draws specific mention consistently. The fried chicken and the rotating Southern sides are what keep people coming back. If the goal is maximum Southern comfort food in a straightforward setting without spending a lot, this is the right call.


Noizy Oysters Bar and Grill

101 S Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 | (843) 808-9000, Noizy Oysters has built a substantial review volume and holds a high rating for good reason. The Low Country Boil for two is the centerpiece dish and it delivers on both quality and quantity, most parties are taking leftovers home. The fish and chips, clam chowder, and oyster preparations get consistent positive mentions. Staff quality is referenced enough times to suggest genuine service culture rather than occasional good nights. This is the right spot if a seafood boil experience is what you are primarily after.


Boardwalk Billy's

1407 13th Ave N, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 | (843) 249-0900, Technically in North Myrtle Beach but close enough that it belongs in any area dining conversation. Boardwalk Billy's leads with waterfront atmosphere, pavilion outdoor seating, live music, and a walk-up bar that makes even a long wait feel intentional. The lemon pepper wings have their own consistent following and the frozen drinks are well-regarded. Food quality sits at solid rather than exceptional across the broader menu, but no one is going to Boardwalk Billy's primarily for the food. They are going for the full outdoor coastal experience, and on that measure it delivers.


Local on the Water

1525 13th Ave N, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 | (843) 281-0643, Another North Myrtle Beach waterfront option with live music on weekends. The setting is genuinely good and the views from outdoor seating get strong marks. The blackened Mahi Mahi and fish and chips are the most consistently praised food items. Other menu items show more variability in community feedback. Best approached as a destination for atmosphere and a reliable drink alongside a decent meal rather than for kitchen-forward dining.

 

Why I Would Send Someone to 44 & King Specifically

The other four restaurants on this list all do something genuinely well. Simply Southern does honest home cooking at a real scale. Noizy Oysters runs a strong seafood boil. Boardwalk Billy's and Local on the Water both deliver an outdoor waterfront atmosphere.What 44 & King does that the others do not is hold everything together at the same level across multiple dimensions simultaneously. The food is specific and technically considered. The bar program is built with intention. The courtyard changes the pace of a meal in a way that indoor dining cannot replicate. The whole thing feels like it came from the same set of values rather than from a mix of good decisions and inherited compromises.The menu specificity is the clearest indicator. Sweet potato grits. Sweet tea glazes. Pimento  cheese used as a burger topping rather than a dip. Twelve-hour smoked ribs. Braveheart 100% US grain-fed Black Angus beef used across the burger and steak program. House-made comeback sauce. These are not decorative Southern references. Each one adds cost or time or sourcing effort to a kitchen that could have taken easier paths.The locals I spoke to who go regularly do not describe it as a discovery. They describe it as their place. That distinction is the clearest quality signal a restaurant can earn in a city where most of the dining traffic comes from people who will never return.


FAQ: What Visitors and Locals Ask About Southern Dining in Myrtle Beach

How is Lowcountry food different from regular Southern cooking?

Lowcountry cooking developed specifically along the coastal plain of South Carolina and Georgia and draws heavily on African culinary traditions brought by the Gullah-Geechee communities who shaped the regional food culture. It centers on rice-based dishes, fresh coastal seafood, specific one-pot preparations like shrimp and grits and Frogmore stew, and flavor profiles that use ingredients like okra, heirloom tomatoes, and coastal shellfish in ways distinct from inland Southern cooking. It is a regional culinary tradition with specific historical roots, not just a geographic label.


What are the best things to order at 44 & King in Myrtle Beach?

The King's Shrimp and Grits over sweet potato grits is the dish that best represents what the kitchen is doing. The King's Burger is strong if you want to understand how the restaurant uses Southern ingredients within a familiar format. For the full Southern smoking program, the Pit BBQ Sampler or the twelve-hour Baby Back Ribs are the right orders. The SBP Southern Boy's Poutine is a worthwhile starter before a larger meal.


Is 44 & King open on weekends?

No. 44 & King is open Monday through Thursday only. Hours are Monday 10 AM to 5:30 PM, Tuesday 10:30 AM to 6 PM, Wednesday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and Thursday 9 AM to 5 PM. Reservations are available through the restaurant website at 44andking.com.


Does 44 & King have a full bar?

Yes. The bar at 44 & King runs an original craft cocktail program called King's Cocktails, built on premium spirits, fresh juices, and house-made syrups. There is a curated craft beer selection, wines, and a dedicated happy hour menu with its own pricing structure.


Is the outdoor courtyard at 44 & King open year-round?

The courtyard is listed as a primary feature of the restaurant experience and is situated beneath live oaks and magnolias. It includes lawn games including cornhole and bocce ball. Availability by season is best confirmed directly with the restaurant at (843) 626-5464.


Final Thoughts

Finding a genuinely good Southern restaurant in Myrtle Beach takes a little more effort than it should, mostly because the tourist-facing dining scene is loud enough to drown out the neighborhood spots. 44 & King is the kind of place that does not compete on visibility. It competes on the food, the bar, the courtyard, and the loyalty of the people who come back every week.If you are in the area on a weekday and you have not been, it is worth the stop.

Found a gem near you? Share this with someone who needs to know.


Business Name: 44 & King

Address: 515 44th Ave N, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, United States

Phone Number: +18436265464

Business Hours:

Friday Closed

Saturday Closed

Sunday Closed

Monday 10 AM–5:30 PM

Tuesday 10:30 AM–6 PM

Wednesday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM

Thursday 9 AM–5 PM

Website: https://44andking.com/ 

Map: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=13386848171183934171

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