Georgetown, SC - 24 hours.

[MelMM]

I'll be in Georgetown for one night, either this weekend or next. I'll be eating 1 lunch, 1 dinner, and 1 breakfast. Possibly a second lunch. I'd love some recommendations from any hounds who know the area. I've never been there. Any price range, any type of food, but fresh, local seafood is obviously a big plus. I'd like for there to be beer and (more importantly) decent wine, at the dinner place.

[MelMM]

Thought I'd post back to thank both of you for your recommendations and let you know how it worked out. I made the trip last weekend (Easter weekend). I drove to Georgetown on Saturday, and because we were running late and very hungry, we stopped in McClellanville for lunch at TW Grahams. Between a long wait for a table and slow service, that was about a 2 1/2 hour lunch, and not worth the investment in time.

Saturday night for dinner, we decided to stick to recommendations and went to Limpin' Jane's in Georgetown. That was a pleasant experience - we enjoyed the meal, the atmosphere, and the service. For Sunday breakfast, Thomas Cafe was closed (as it is every Sunday), and the other breakfast place nearby, Coffee Break Cafe, was closed for Easter. So we headed out to Pawley's Island. Most places there were also closed, but we did find The Barefoot Barista, whose proprietor is aptly described by the name of the establishment. An interesting thing about this place is that they can and will make just about anything on the menu gluten-free. We had a leisurely breakfast of crepes and coffee.

For lunch, we drove on to Murrell's Inlet, where Russell's was closed, and Salt Water Creek had a huge line to get in. So we ended up at Capt. Dave's Dockside, which is not a place I'd go back to - very slow service, server unable to answer questions about the food, etc. I could live with the slow service if at least our wine had come in a reasonable amount of time, but to leave a table waiting drinkless for 30 minutes after they have ordered their wine is inexcusable. In hindsight, I think we would have been better off staying in Pawley's Island for lunch, or going back to Georgetown.

[LaLa]

I am shocked by the service complaint at Dockside...I have been going for years and always had top notch service....in fact 3/4 of their servers have been with them for at least 5 years....most 10 or more....of course dining out on a holiday is always a crap shoot. There are other breakfast places in Gtown but you would have probably been out of luck since it was Easter.

[MelMM]

I should clarify that we were in the outdoor section at Dockside, which fall's under Bubba's Love Shack. Supposedly the same kitchen, just more casual, or so I was told. Our waitress couldn't have been there for 5 years, because she looked to be about 16 (she was too young to serve our drinks). Hostess sat us and gave us menus. Took about 20 minutes for the waitress to even come over to ask about drinks. The menu we were given listed only house wines - Woodbridge, which I have no desire to drink. When I asked if they had wines besides the house wine, she at first said no, then when I pressed the issue she brought the wine list (we were told when seated that anything available inside was also available where we were, so I wasn't buying that they only had Woodbridge). It took another 20 minutes for her to show up with the bottle of wine, which she then plunked down in front of the bartender and walked off without telling him which table it was for. When he finally got a chance to serve it, he wandered around not knowing where to go until he finally got close enough to our table that we could call him over. We didn't eat indoors at Dockside because it was full of dressed up after church types, and we were pretty scruffy in shorts, right off the beach.

[LaLa]

Oh no....they do share a kitchen but it is NOT the same thing or the same level of service. Bubbas is just a beach shack with that lazy beach atomsphere....Capt Daves is nothing like that....it is fine dining with the service to match...but here people go to eat dressed in anything...lol
But I am glad you liked Limpin Janes!

[MelMM]

Yeah, I had never been there but went off of what I was told, by the host at Capt Dave's and the hostess at the Shack. Should have been pretty clear what we expected, given that we came in through Capt Dave's and after discussing a table inside, opted for outside with an understanding that anything served inside would be available outstide.

I'm cool with the laid back atmosphere, and even prefer it, but waiting 40 minutes from being seated to having a drink in hand is not acceptable anywhere, at any level, imho. For what it's worth, the host at Capt Jack's was perfectly willing to seat us, as is, at a nice table, but there was absolutely no one in that restaurant, on Easter Sunday, in shorts, so we really felt like we belonged outside. On another occasion, we probably would have stayed inside. But besides all of that, the Murrell's Inlet vibe was getting a little too touristy, a little to close to Myrtle Beach for our taste. We are scruffy kayakers, who like good food and wine without having to clean up too much. I have never even seen Myrtle Beach, and I don't want to... this is as close as I ever intend to get. Georgetown and Pawley's Island left a good impression, but Murrell's Inlet was not really for us.

[LaLa]

Interesting take...as I live in Murrells Inlet(but the husband works in gtown) I dont see it that way at all...we are very far from the touristy type which is why we love it here. We consider Murrrells Inlet and down to Gtown as our type of area..Very laid back and about community...I am not sure what left you with that impression...maybe the holiday? If you had been in daves parking lot two weeks ago there was an awesome surfrider foundation block party.As for being "scruffy" I would go into MI places way before I would go in Pawleys Island places like that...it is acceptable in MI not as much so in Pawleys. We very rarely go toward Myrtle Beach. ...thank goodness!

[MelMM]

Well, it was my first time in the area and I was just passing through Murrell's Inlet (did nothing there but find a place to eat and have that one lunch), so what do I know? Certainly the holiday could affect the vibe. I know it wasn't that touristy compared to some places, but when you start seeing tour boats, and people being towed around on those banana-shaped things, that qualifies as touristy to me. I'm sure it is not when compared to Myrtle Beach, but then Myrtle Beach is a place I have no desire whatsoever to go. I felt as we drove from Georgetown, to Pawleys Island, then to Murrells Inlet, it was getting progressively more touristy, and more developed, and Murrells Inlet was about my limit.

[LaLa]

In the city? Or Georgetown County?
City
Best Breakfast: Thomas Cafe
http://visitsouth.com/articles/articl...

Limpin Janes for lunch or dinner...or both...it is that good!

In the county (pawleys island
)Chive Blossom
bistro 217
Franks outback

[MelMM]

In the city, although I could go farther afield.

Your suggestions look great!

[carolinadawg]

You might want to consider driving up to Murrell's Inlet. There are several good restaurants there; if you do search you will find several posts about them.