From pier-side wine to chocolate-loaded brunch, the Grand Strand’s dining scene is heating up fast.
There’s something about a new restaurant opening that immediately gives you an excuse to make plans. The latest crop of new Grand Strand restaurants covers a lot of ground, from Yemeni coffee and English pub fare to over-the-top brunch, pier-side wine, craft beer and waterfront seafood. Nine spots are already open, with five more on the way. So if your usual “where should we eat?” conversation has been feeling a little stale, consider this your updated list.
NOW OPEN
The Cellar
Pawleys Island
The Cellar is tucked inside the historic former Pawleys Island schoolhouse at Hammock Shops Village, giving this wine spot plenty of character before you even order a glass. Part wine shop, part tasting room and part gathering place, it offers bottles from family-owned, small-estate producers alongside more familiar labels. Guests can pair wine with charcuterie at the bar, head upstairs to the cozy loft or grab a bottle to take home. Scheduled tastings and special events add another reason to stop by.
Hakaya Café
Surfside Beach
Hakaya Café brought a traditional Yemeni coffeehouse experience to Surfside Beach when it opened in May 2026. The menu includes Yemeni coffee and tea, espresso drinks, smoothies, refreshers, pastries, crepes, waffles and sweets. Yemeni coffee is often prepared with fragrant spices like cardamom, ginger and cinnamon, offering something a little different from the usual coffee-shop order. The warm, lounge-like setting is designed for lingering, making it an easy choice for coffee, dessert or a long-overdue catch-up with friends.
Location: 2696 Beaver Run Boulevard Unit A1, Surfside Beach, SC
The Whistling Duck
Surfside Beach Pier
The Whistling Duck pairs ocean views with a story that feels right at home on the Surfside Beach Pier. Owners Mike and Rebecca Wallace have a personal connection to the location: Mike proposed to Rebecca on the former pier beneath the Fourth of July fireworks. Their oceanfront restaurant and wine bar serves charcuterie, creative bruschetta, salads and shareables like whipped feta, crispy artichokes and stuffed dates. Advanced sommelier Jodi Bronchtein oversees the wine selections, with cocktails and craft beer also available. It’s an easy spot for drinks, a lighter dinner or date night by the water.
Surf Diner
Surfside Beach Pier
Surf Diner is now open on the rebuilt Surfside Beach Fishing Pier, serving breakfast and lunch just steps from the ocean. Mornings bring familiar diner favorites like omelets and pancake stacks, while lunch adds sandwiches, po’boys, tacos and fried baskets with shrimp, clams, chicken tenders and flounder. Indoor and outdoor seating make it a convenient stop before or after the beach, and the broad menu works especially well for families or groups with very different ideas about what lunch should look like.
Chocolate Bar & Grill
Myrtle Beach
Chocolate Bar & Grill opened this year with a brunch menu that clearly has no interest in being subtle. The lineup includes gourmet pancakes, specialty French toast, waffles, Benedicts, omelets, sandwiches, specialty coffee, milkshakes and cocktails. Sweeter dishes like triple-dipped chocolate pancakes, pistachio creations and elaborate waffles lean heavily into colorful presentation, while kids can take part in a pancake-painting experience. It’s the kind of breakfast spot made for anyone who likes their brunch a little extra.
The Grove House
Cherry Grove
The Grove House brings a little bit of everything to Cherry Grove, starting with hand-tossed pizzas and stretching into wings, tacos, fried seafood baskets, po’boys, crab cakes, burgers, wraps, sandwiches and salads. Guests can dine inside or settle in on the covered porch. With a wide-ranging menu and casual setup near the beach, it works well for easy dinners, family meals and those groups where one person wants pizza, another wants seafood and nobody is interested in compromising.
The Crooked Cork
Pawleys Island
The Crooked Cork opened in late 2025 as an English-inspired pub from owners George Eddis and Erin Carachilo. The menu features classics like fish and chips, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and a Guinness beef hand pie, along with burgers, salads and shareables. Dark wood, sports memorabilia, TVs and a dedicated metal-tip dart room add to the traditional pub feel. It’s a casual place to grab a meal, catch a soccer or rugby match or settle in for a round of darts with friends.
Stella Blue
SayeBrook
Stella Blue opened Sept. 5, 2026, bringing a colorful, music-inspired café to the SayeBrook area. Owners Robert and Ann Koopman first created the concept in Huntington, New York, before bringing it to Myrtle Beach. The café serves all-day breakfast, lunch, baked goods, organic coffee, smoothies and cocktails, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices available. Grateful Dead influences show up in the music, vintage-record décor and menu names, while the Pay It Forward program allows guests to help provide food for someone experiencing hardship.
Location: 170 Sayebrook Parkway, Myrtle Beach, SC
Big Fish
Broadway at the Beach
Big Fish began welcoming guests at Broadway at the Beach in September 2026, bringing fresh seafood, an oyster bar and Southern favorites like buttermilk fried chicken to Lake Broadway. Outside, a large waterfront deck adds plenty of seating, a stage for live music and TVs for catching the game. The setup works just as well for a family dinner as it does for oysters and drinks with friends, especially when the weather calls for spending a little more time by the water.
Location: 1325 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, SC
COMING SOON
357 Brewers
Grande Dunes
357 Brewers is taking shape at Grande Dunes Marina, where construction is underway on a new waterfront brewery and gathering spot. Plans include a 10,000-square-foot brewing facility with beer produced on-site, indoor and outdoor bars, a kitchen and outdoor gathering areas overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. A waterfront stage is also planned for live music and events, along with family-friendly touches including a kids’ play area. It’s shaping up to be more than a place to grab a beer, with food, music and plenty of room to settle in by the water.
Location: 8201 Marina Parkway, Myrtle Beach, SC
Ocean Blue Prime Steak House
The Market Common
Ocean Blue Prime Steak House is aiming for a mid-fall 2026 opening at The Market Common. The local French-inspired concept will sit across from sister restaurant Travinia Italian Kitchen and is expected to pair prime steaks with seafood, elevated appetizers, handcrafted cocktails and desserts. Announced dishes include New York strip, mustard-crusted lamb chops, pan-seared scallops, tare-glazed pork belly and dark-chocolate soufflé. Despite the similar name, Ocean Blue Prime is not affiliated with the national Ocean Prime chain. An exact opening date has not been announced.
Location: 4012 Deville Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Blueberrys Autograph
North Myrtle Beach
Blueberrys Autograph is under construction near the Little River and Cherry Grove area, with a fall 2026 opening planned. The team behind Blueberry’s Grill describes it as a standalone concept with its own identity, architecture and atmosphere rather than simply another location. Design plans call for natural light, water and textured materials, while the food will build from the scratch-made breakfast, brunch and lunch foundation Blueberry’s Grill is known for. A complete menu has not yet been released, but the concept is expected to offer a more modern take on the group’s Southern brunch style.
White Heron
North Myrtle Beach
White Heron remains in the works in North Myrtle Beach, with its official website now pointing to an opening later in 2026. The team behind Drift and Cantina Imperfecto is developing the seafood-focused restaurant around what it calls “comfortable elegance,” with a warm, polished atmosphere intended to feel refined without becoming overly formal. Details are still limited for now, with both a firm opening date and complete menu yet to be announced.
Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q
Carolina Forest
Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q is preparing to open in Carolina Forest, though an official opening date has not been announced. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the brand is known for Southern barbecue cooked slowly over hickory, including pulled pork, brisket, chicken and ribs. Scratch-made Southern sides and signature cheese biscuits round out its established menu. The Carolina Forest restaurant is expected to follow the same casual, family-friendly approach, with exact local menu details still to be confirmed.
Location: 79 Rodeo Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC
Still Hungry? Good.
The Grand Strand is clearly not running out of places to eat anytime soon. Between wine bars, Yemeni coffee, pier-side meals, brunch spots, a waterfront brewery and several restaurants still on the way, there is plenty worth keeping on your radar. Menus and opening dates can always shift, but one thing is certain: deciding where to eat around here is not getting any easier.
