Salt Water Creek offers variety of delicious food in Murrells Inlet | Gut Reaction

Setting the Table

Under an awning of oak with dangling Spanish moss, enjoy some time with friends at Salt Water Creek Café in Murrells Inlet. Although it is located quite near the highway, this restaurant is in a charming old building maintained carefully and given style without losing its rustic impression.

Being so close to the highway, Salt Water Creek doesn’t really have a view as it were. However, there is an aquarium that acts as part of the wall between the bar and the main room which is jokingly referred to as their ocean view, and is indeed lovely.

Because the bar room is separate from the rest of the dining area without being isolated, guests can enjoy a drink while watching one of the screens without disturbing anyone in the main room. With summer approaching, the fire place that makes for a centerpiece will remain off, but it still adds to the bucolic feel.

Down the Hatch

Don’t be fooled by the restaurant’s unassuming appearance, as the menu has an impressive array of dishes meant to provide something for anyone. Seafood of course is present, and there is a strong representation of land animals, from lamb to calves. However, these ritzier options are only on the dinner menu.

The lunch menu looks very much like the dinner menu, just trimmed down to include only sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, tacos, and salads. Although the entrees are removed, there is still a plethora to choose from. Even with so many different types of meals, it’s obvious in the quality of their food that the Salt Water Creek team does their best to use fresh ingredients.

Their broccoli salad, for instance, is crisp the way fresh broccoli should be, along with sunflower seeds for crunch, two types of raisins for sweetness, and little bits of bacon. Burgers to salads are also prepared upon order and allow for some leeway should a customer want theirs a specific way.

The Heathcliff burger, topped with pimento cheese and bacon, was wonderfully tender and juicy, and the toasted ciabatta bun added an occasional pleasant crunch. The sweet potato fries also came out piping hot and simply prepared.

Check, Please

Salt Water Creek can’t quite be considered an expensive place to dine, though of course this can depend on what your order. Not even the priciest dish breaks $30, with the entrees remaining between $16 and $24 on average.

Every day the restaurant offers specials too, which means guests have the option to save money. For example, if you want to try one of their pizzas, going on a Wednesday would mean paying only $7 for each pie. Thursdays take $3 off their burgers, bringing each one of those meals below $10 except for The Double Glamburger.

Salt Water Creek opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m., with Early Bird specials from 4-6p.m. daily which offers some appetizers and entrees at discounted prices. This popular restaurant is also known for their weekend brunches, so without a doubt the team up this impressive creek is working hard.

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 10:33 AM.