Local seafood?? Reccomendations? (Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, Murrells Inlet: sale, house, buying)

[Bentley77]

Hello- We are new to Myrtle Beach and living near the coast in general. Does anyone have a recommendation when it comes to local places for seafood? (not restaurants) We've been buying seafood at Sam's (seems to be the best deal) but would love to buy local. We tried Mr Fish - while the menu is very good (fish tacos = YUM) their fish-by-the-pound deals don't seem to be all that much better than the supermarkets. There's got to be a way to find fresh-off-the-boat quality and deals around here. Any recommendations?

[PawleysDude]

If you're buying seafood at Sam's, particularly shrimp, you're buying imported seafood, most of it from Asia. We buy almost all of ours from Independent Seafood, just off Front Street in Georgetown. Harrelson's and Murrells Inlet Seafood, both on Business 17 in Murrells Inlet, also have good fresh local seafood. Their prices are generally not competitive with Sam's. Your choice - quality or price.

[Tinabean]

Yeah, PD is right. We buy our fresh fish and shrimp at eith MIS or Harrelson's and they are expensive. I'm going to watch this thread to see if there is some little hole-in-the wall place that maybe we haven't heard about yet..... Rep to you Bentley for starting this helpful thread.

[pburgess68]

Independant Seafood is my choice. The quality is excellent, and I find the price to be right in line. Anything cheaper than what I'm used to paying up north is a plus for me. I like that I'm supporting the locals as well, compared to a large store.

[Bentley77]

Thanks all! We moved here from up north too. All of the info above has been really helpful.

We'll try Harrelson's, Murrells Inlet Seafood and Independent.

Curious that no one mentioned the roadside stands (they mostly have shrimp I guess). Is it safe to buy from them? Is it legal? We went to one the other day for shrimp and I was told they had been caught that morning. We bought a pound and they were good, but not huge. Later that day I went to Bi-Lo and saw them on sale for the same exact price ($9.99/lb). I hope I was at least supporting a local fisherman!

[PawleysDude]

It's tragic how fast the SC shrimping fleet is disappearing, driven out of business by a combination of high fuel prices and competition with inferior pond-raised foreign imports. Not too many years ago, shrimp boats were a common sight in almost every SC port. Today, you have to know where to go just to find a few. Everyone needs to take their kids and grandkids to see what one looks like before they're gone forever. And shrimping just happens to be the most visible example of what's happening to almost all of our wild-caught seafood resources.

It's not the easiest website to navigate, but Wild American Shrimp is worth a few minutes time of everyone who enjoys good seafood.

[vrexy]

I love this thread and wish I had something more to offer, but since I am also very new to the area, I don't know very many places. I live in Surfside Beach and the place I go most often is MIS. I have tried one roadside (back of a truck) place and the shrimp was really good and fresh tasting. I welcome any suggestions and agree about reps to Bentley for starting this thread. Refreshing to see something other than the usual "I'm moving to the area and where should I live" threads. And I can say that because I started one when I was looking to move here, and am really grateful for the advice I got, so no offense intended to anyone!

(P-D - you have been very helpful in many ways with your comments on various threads and it won't let me rep you until I spread it around, which I'm not doing until it's warranted, so here's a rep to you!)

[PawleysDude]

you have been very helpful in many ways...

Aw shucks! Seriously, thanks for the kind words.

I also buy occasionally from roadside trucks. There's a guy who hauls up here fresh from McClellanville, and they're good shrimp. These guys with fresh shrimp are usually selling head-on, and right now, the price should be in the $5-6/lb range, depending on size. I usually try to peek and make sure they haven't skrimped on ice, since the shrimp can go bad pretty quick. Considering the waste involved with head-on shrimp, I just haven't found their price to be any better than Independent Seafood, and I know what to expect when I buy there.

[Tinabean]

Hey PD...where is Independent Seafood located? Is it in Murrell's Inlet too?

[PawleysDude]

It's in Georgetown, just off Front Street and right on the water. There's usually a shrimp boat or two tied up at their dock. Look for the Harbor House B&B a few blocks east of the Clock Tower. Independent is right behind the B&B. Same folks own both.