This past summer, we took a trip to Myrtle Beach.  My husband vacationed, yearly, in Myrtle Beach as a child, but the last time we were there as a family was 11 years ago!  COVID ruined our planned 2020 vacation, but we still wanted to take the kids somewhere and Myrtle Beach is not a terrible drive from Ohio and offers a ton of family activities.  We had a blast and Myrtle Beach ended up being one of our youngest kiddo’s favorite vacations!

Family Dining on a Budget

One of the things I look forward to on any vacation is food!  I love finding restaurants with great food and a fun atmosphere.  We travel on a budget so we try to limit the amount of meals we eat at restaurants when we can. 

Since we rented a condo, we were able to eat breakfast and lunch in our room.  Our family of five typically spends about $55 on dinner at a restaurant when we don’t get drinks, appetizers or desserts.  Our youngest kids usually share a meal too, which saves us money too.  We know that on vacations—and especially in a place where there is fresh seafood—we’re going to spend more than that.  We usually budget around $100 for dinner. 

Sometimes restaurants offer lunch pricing until 3pm or 4pm allowing us to save even more.  We tend to eat a late lunch or early dinner—even if we don’t save money, we know that those times are not as crowded so we can get in quick without having a long wait.  We try to avoid the hangry kid stage!

Here were some of our Myrtle Beach favorites:

Drunken Jack’s (Murrell’s Inlet)

We visited this restaurant when we were in Myrtle Beach 11 years ago when our son was just a year old. The restaurant gives the kids pirate hats so we have a picture of Michael when he was one and made him re-take the photo when we were there this time!  The other two also loved the hats. 

Their hush puppies are top notch and they are known for their seafood, which is why they are at the top of my husband’s list.  I am not a fan of seafood so I had a chicken salad.  I know…pretty boring when you’re in a coastal town, but if you love ranch dressing, their version is AMAZING!  I also had a rum punch that was pretty fantastic! Check out Drunken Jack’s menu.

Umberto’s (Barefoot Landing)

We live in Youngstown, Ohio, which has strong Italian roots.  Umbertos is a taste of home.  The owners are from Pittsburgh, PA and offer some great Italian options.  And the portion sizes—OMG—they are huge!  Our meal, which included drinks and dessert was around $100, but we were stuffed the night of dinner and had enough food left over to feed us all lunch the next day! 

Umbertos serves the first few courses family style so you get bread, greens and beans, cucumber and tomato salad and pasta—and that all comes before your individual meal!  My husband got pork chops, which included two HUGE chops!  The portions are incredibly generous. 

I had the Chicken Francaise, which was fantastic too.  And whatever you do, be sure to dip your bread in the salad dressing!  You will thank me or hate me because you just can’t stop! 

When I was a kid, my uncle used to make a fresh tomato salad in the summer and serve it with some fresh, crusty Italian Bread.  It was one of my absolute, favorite things to eat.  When he passed, I found a similar recipe that I now make, but eating that Umberto’s salad just brought back some really great memories! Check out Umberto’s menu.

Simply Southern Smokehouse

We found this place and loved it!  Sometimes our kids waste food, but their plates were clean at this restaurant! It’s a buffet and pretty inexpensive—and even when we were there in July 2020, they were taking all of the precautions with COVID.  In no way did we feel unsafe.  Plus, the employees are wonderful.  One of their employees has an amazing voice and sings for patrons.

The food is southern—so fried chicken, greens, mac and cheese, okra, bbq ribs, peach cobbler, etc.  Not to mention, really good southern sweet tea!  We went during lunch hours and spent under $50 with our family of 5. Check out Simply Southern Smokehouse’s menu.

Nacho Hippo (Market Common)

This restaurant has good food and a cool atmosphere.  The kids love the quesadillas and nachos and the margaritas are good too!  And we can’t forget the churros!  These cinnamon-sugar fried dough delights are drizzled in chocolate and favorite of our kiddos. 

There are a few different locations—one is right on the beach, which would be an even better atmosphere.  However, the day we went, it was raining so we chose the location in The Market Common, which was nice.  Savannah’s Playground is a short walk away and is a perfect spot for the kids to burn off some steam!  Thankfully there was a break in the rain so they could enjoy it! Check out Nacho Hippo’s menu.

Lee’s Inlet Kitchen (Murrell’s Inlet)

We ate here our first night and ended up with pretty good food.  I just had a salad and baked potato so I can’t give the best recommendation on food, but my husband and kids all ordered and shared a variety of seafood and loved it.  So if you’re looking for good seafood, this is a place to try! 

They are known for their she crab soup and according to my husband, it was phenomenal.  He had it at some other restaurants (not mentioned here) and didn’t find a better version than this! Check out Lee’s Inlet Kitchen menu.

Need Help Budgeting for Vacation?

Check out this post for our list of what to consider when planning your next vacation + our free worksheet to help you plan! And learn how to save money on vacation here!

Have other suggestions?

Myrtle Beach is filled with so many good food options!  What have you tried?  Any favorites that should be added to our list?