Sea Captain's House

Sea Captain's House is a Myrtle Beach institution that has been serving families in a restored 1930s oceanfront cottage since 1962, and it consistently ranks as the best restaurant in the area for a reason that becomes obvious the moment you are seated at a window table: the Atlantic Ocean is literally right there, waves breaking just yards from your plate. This is not 'ocean view' in the distant, between-buildings sense — this is the kind of proximity where kids watch dolphins surface and pelicans dive during breakfast.

The restaurant occupies a charming beach cottage that has been thoughtfully preserved and expanded over decades. Creaky hardwood floors, antique maritime artifacts, and a wraparound porch facing the ocean create an atmosphere that feels like visiting a well-loved family beach house rather than a commercial restaurant. For kids, eating in this environment feels special — like they are guests in someone's home rather than customers in a restaurant.

Breakfast is the family insider move. The restaurant opens at 6 AM, and the morning meal offers the same stunning ocean views as dinner at roughly half the price. The pancakes are enormous — genuinely plate-spanning — and made from scratch.

The eggs Benedict, omelets, and breakfast platters are prepared with care that distinguishes them from the hotel breakfast buffets and chain pancake houses that dominate the Myrtle Beach dining scene. A family of four can eat a memorable oceanfront breakfast for $35-$50, which feels like a steal given the setting.

Dinner is the more celebrated meal, and the seafood is the star. She Crab Soup — a rich, creamy Lowcountry staple — is the restaurant's signature dish, and ordering at least a cup is practically mandatory. The fresh catch preparations, shrimp and grits, and crab cakes showcase local seafood at its best.

The kids' menu ($6-$10) offers fried shrimp, grilled fish, chicken tenders, and pasta in portions that satisfy without the obscene sizes that some family restaurants use as a selling point.

Reservations are recommended for dinner, particularly if you want an oceanfront table. These premium seats provide the full experience — the sound of waves, the salt air through the porch screens, and the sunset light painting the water. Interior tables are pleasant but lack the magic.

For breakfast, reservations are not typically taken, but arriving before 8 AM on weekdays minimizes the wait. Weekend breakfast waits of 20-40 minutes are common but are spent on the oceanfront porch watching the morning beach scene unfold.