Mister Crabs is a food truck, of sorts. Maybe more like a vendor, because there was no truck per se. And, I say Bridgeport, but these folks get around. I was able to check them out when they were in Huntington. Either way, these folks are dishing out fresh seafood boils like nowhere else locally. Crabs, shrimp, mussels and, of course, all the accoutrements.



I ordered a jumbo crab cluster - which was so big, it barely fit in the box. Another box was full of potatoes, corn, shrimp, sausage and both cocktail sauce and melted butter. I could eat this meal every day. Taking simple, fresh ingredients, prepared well, and only adding seasoning makes for such a safisfying meal. It was delicious, abundant and perfect for a summer afternoon.



Grade:

Elkins is a treasure of a town. There's art and culture and good food, too.



WVa Seafood & Produce Co. is a wild-caught seafood purveyor that offers Mahi Mahi, Cod, Mussels, Chincoteague Oysters, Gulf Shrimp, Sea Scallops and more.



The small trailer has some cute nautical decor and not a ton in the way of prepared foods, but I was set on some dinner. So, I went with some peel & eat shrimp that had some powerful cocktail sauce -- that I was a huge fan of! Like, heat all through the back of your sinuses - delicious. The shrimp had some good flavor, too, despite them suckers being a lot of work. I just want to try more! 



Grade: A

A new seafood restaurant in South Charleston is bringing some bright lights and funky dishes to the area. 



It's So So Good Seafood Restaurant and Lounge is just a few doors down from a lovely soul food restaurant and is capitalized on the bright facade by bringing that indoors with pink booths and multicolored lights.



The menu features a lot of fried seafood, as well as steamers, and some unique items like conch balls and conch salad. I couldn't decide on what to try, so I went with the sample: 1 crispy fried fish, 4 jumbo shrimp and 4 wings. They have a naughty pleasure (mild & sweet), naughty pleasure garlic, honey garlic, honey garlic lemon pepper and lemon pepper sauce. I went with the naughty pleasure garlic. 



The wings ended up being my favorite part, surprisingly. I loved the sauce, and the wings were cooked well with a nice texture. The fish and shrimp both could've benefitted from a lot more seasoning. Or, a sauce could've helped out, too. But otherwise, a little bland. 

Grade: B

Sea Captain's House is one of the last restaurants I was able to hit up before leaving Myrtle Beach.



It's a beautiful, white house sitting right on the beach with a floral entryway that just felt light and airy and beachy.

 
"A Myrtle Beach restaurant was built in 1930 by Henry Taylor of High Point, NC. For 10 plus years the Taylor family vacationed at their oceanfront beach cottage. During the 1940s, Charles W. Angle purchased the cottage, enjoying the sound of the ocean’s tide until 1954, when Mrs. Nellie G. Howard purchased the cottage and began operating Howard’s Manor. With nine guestrooms and three home-cooked meals daily, the guesthouse was a forerunner in providing the warm southern hospitality Myrtle Beach is known for today. Howard’s Manor was advertised as a place where friends meet each year with the beach at their front door."



The decor inside has a nautical theme, though I was only in there for a few moments to pick up my order. First up was their award-winning she-crab soup: "Rich and creamy soup with blue crab and a touch of sherry." I am a fan. It was even better when I dunked the hush puppies in the soup. It's like a beach version of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Comforting and a beautiful blend of flavors and textures.



I also ordered shrimp tacos, which used their bang-bang shrimp topped with jicama slaw, pickled onions and homemade sweet and spicy sauce on flour tortillas. These are simple in concept - crunchy and creamy and sweet and sour - and so tasty. It was a really perfect beach lunch, which was reflected in the flavors.

Grade: A

If there's a time to indulge in seafood, it's at the beach. In this case, Myrtle Beach.



While walking along the beach, I stopped at Wicked Tuna, a sushi grille and bar. I sat at the bar, which has a great view of the ocean. It was light and breezy. The menu has salads, sandwiches and sushi - all looked tasty, really. 



As per usual when I go on vacation, I had been eating my way through the city the whole day, so I really wasn't looking for anything heavy. But there were a ton of things I wanted to try between the lobster roll, maki rolls and even the beet salad. 



Instead, I opted for a simple shrimp cocktail. A few jumbo shrimp were laid atop ice and served with a cocktail sauce. I really enjoy shrimp. Sometimes, though, it can be not the freshest at the grocery store, and a weird texture can totally ruin it. But these? They were perfect. They are fresh, the texture is firm, there's no sliminess or rubberiness or fishiness. They are slightly sweet, have a nice little snap when you bite in, and the cocktail - I love horseradish. It's my favorite spicy flavor, and there was plenty here. 



Grade: A

One of the benefits of eating at the beach is the bountiful seafood available. In Myrtle Beach, there are quite a few places, but one specific style kept coming up: Calabash.



"Calabash-style seafood is lightly breaded and fried and typically served buffet style. The seafood is always accompanied with the ever popular side dish-hushpuppies. Corn meal is used instead of flour to give the seafood a light coating. The seafood is then fried in hot oil until it becomes golden brown."



There were two that kept coming up in my search: 
The Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood: Myrtle Beach Buffet and Captain Benjamin's Calabash Seafood Buffet. I went with the former just because I saw they were takeout friendly. And during the midst of COVID, I was not trying to sit in a buffet with a ton of folks.



When I arrived, I told them I wanted to do takeout, and they handed me a bunch of boxes to head to the buffet and gather whatever I wanted. The buffet was huge, with multiple islands, stations and options. The buffet has nearly 200 items, like: 



Crab Legs
Blackened Salmon
Crab Cakes
Oyster Rockefeller
Steamed Oysters*
Scallop Cakes
Stuffed Flounder
Stuffed Shrimp
Seafood Special
Parmesan Tilapia
Shrimp Fried Rice
Steamed Clams
Cajun Crab Legs
Shrimp Scampi
Craw Daddy’s
Clam Strips
Seafood Wontons
Jumbo Shrimp
Fried Flounder
Fried Scallops
Blue Crabs*



Peel & Eat Shrimp
Clam Bake
Coconut Shrimp
Fried Oysters
Fried Calamari
Carved Ham
Ribeye Steak
Baked Chicken
Ribs
Barbeque
Fried Chicken
Chicken Tenders
Pepper Steak
Macaroni & Cheese
Mashed Potatoes
Yeast Rolls
Hushpuppies
Zucchini & Squash
Green Beans
Asparagus
Corn on the Cob
Shrimp & Grits
Fresh Salad Bar
Kickin’ Crab Bisque



Clam Chowder
Vegetable Soup
Potatoes Au gratin
Steamed Rice
Tomato Pie
Red Potatoes
Deviled Eggs
Cole Slaw
Sweet Potatoes
Soft Serve Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ranger Cookies
Brownies
Banana Pudding
Cheesecake
Key Lime Shots
Red Velvet Cake
Carrot Cake
Oreo Delight
Chocolate Pudding
Lemon Pound Cake
Strawberry Cake
Fresh Fruit
Cupcakes
Chocolate Truffles
Peach Cobbler
Coconut Cake



Everything is blurry because I was juggling all these boxes and the lighting is pretty low, so apologies. But, once I took all my goodies back to the hotel, I was able to see what all I scavenged.



First of all, they do supply a whole order of hushpuppies, which could be a meal in and of themselves. I like mine to have a hint of sweetness, but these were not bad.



Look at that spread. It's just literally a little bit of everything. The appeal of this place is the sheer amount of food. It's insane. I took a bite or two of each thing before retiring. It was all decent. Nothing was mind-blowingly delicious, but nothing was bad. Lots of fried seafood, which was all fine. Plus, perks for such a good variety. 



Grade: B

Hook & Barrel is a noted seafood restaurant in Myrtle Beach that focuses on local food and  sustainability.



Chef Heidi Vukov started this restaurant and has won many awards, including the 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassador. 



Hook & Barrel was one of the first places I knew I wanted to dine at when I decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach because it had been recommended to me a few times. Vukov's other location, Croissants Bistro & Bakery, is also one we'll come back to later. 



The restaurant itself is beachy. Open, airy, light, a large wraparound porch - which is where I chose to have my meal. 



I started with the crackers and pimento cheese, which, wow, is quite the way to start a meal. Super crisp chips with a heavy scoop of cheese and mayo and pimento that is was just hitting all the right notes.



I ordered a crab cake before I knew of the delightful complimentary pimento cheese appetizer, but I always love a crab cake. These three mini ones were plump with a flavorful remoulade. The cakes had hunks of crab, perfect seasoning and just a delicious pairing with the creamy sauce. 



The menu spans from fresh oysters and she crab soup to smoked shrimp & grits and pan-seared scallops. The latter is the one I landed on, which came with celery root puree, sauteed kale and roasted mushrooms. A beautiful scallop is special thing. That nice sear gives way to a meaty scallop that is slightly sweet. Paired with the puree, kale and mushrooms - it really was a perfect dish.

Grade: A

The University Ave/Stewart Street/Campus Drive corner in Morgantown has seen more businesses come and go than any other in recent memory.



Benji's Sunnyside Seafood Bar & Grill is different, though, I hope. The eatery has some unique menu options that you can't find just anywhere in town. 



For example, they are offering seafood boils, where you can pick the seasoning - cajun, old bay, lemon pepper, garlic butter, etc., that come with shrimp (and crawfish if you prefer), butter corn on the cob, red potatoes and sausage.



They also are offering "wagyu" burgers that can come topped with lump crab or pulled pork or bacon. Then there are quesadillas, sandwiches, fry baskets, mac & cheese bowls, street tacos, and more. It's a little all over the place, but one thing is for certain: They've infused Old Bay and Cajun flavoring all throughout the menu. 



The interior is basic. The table I sat at was kinda sticky. They have cheap seating, no real decor, but it's all about the location here. It's as close as campus as you can get, and tons of students walk directly in front of the spot daily on their way to and from their class and housing. 



I ordered a shrimp seafood boil, because I can really only think of one other place you can get one in town. After a bit of a wait, I received my treasure and dug in. I think there was maybe an inch of standing butter and garlic that enveloped all the goodies inside. This is a v messy meal, getting in there with your hands to peel the shrimp and soak in all the butter. This meal was pretty delish. A little refinement will go a long way.

Grade: B

During these crazy times, I'm trying to stay as safe as possible while also supporting local businesses. So, there has been a lot of takeout. A LOT of takeout. Even at places like Dockside Grille, which considers one of its biggest selling points being right on the river.



Nonetheless, I got a nice view of the space when I went to pick up. The island vibe is spread throughout the space, while still having a touch of refinement.



To start off, I ordered the coconut shrimp. Breaded, deep-fried shrimp with the sweet coconut outer layer. Plus a side of a creamy sweet chili sauce brought it all together. Yum.



Then, it's lobster ravioli time. Plump ravioli, stuffed with lobster meat and cheese, and topped with a creamy tomato sauce. This is not a new flavor to me, but it is one of my favorites. Creamy, cheesy, indulgent - in all the best ways.



Grade: A