Some restaurants earn their reputation over decades and never need updating. Sea Captain’s House has been serving seafood on the beachfront since 1930 — when the building was a private summer cottage — and the setting alone is worth the short drive from Surfside Beach. The dining room looks directly over the Atlantic, and the covered verandas give you the sound of the surf with shade from the midday sun.
The menu stays true to classic Lowcountry seafood. The she-crab soup consistently ranks among the best on the Grand Strand, and the broiled seafood platters let the ingredients speak without complication. It’s not a trendy restaurant and doesn’t try to be. The service is attentive without being hurried, and reservations are strongly recommended for dinner during the summer season.
Lunch is a good time to visit if you want the same quality with a shorter wait. Ask to be seated on the veranda facing the water when you arrive — those tables fill quickly. This is the kind of place guests tend to mention when you ask them what they’ll remember most about the trip.
