5 New Restaurants in Myrtle Beach That Everyone Is Talking About

Myrtle Beach has never had a shortage of places to eat, but summer 2026 has delivered a genuinely exceptional wave of new openings. Whether you’re a local looking for your next regular spot or a visitor trying to eat your way through the Grand Strand, these five newcomers deserve a spot on your list. Fair warning: they’re generating serious buzz, so expect a wait.

Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown — Myrtle Beach Mall

Opened: June 10, 2026

When Guy Fieri decides to open a 50,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment complex inside a former JCPenney, you don’t question it — you just show up hungry. Downtown Flavortown at Myrtle Beach Mall is exactly as loud and glorious as the name suggests: 400 seats, duckpin bowling, over 100 arcade games, virtual reality, a Freaky Tiki bar, and a menu stacked with the kind of food that demands you undo your top button.

The dishes doing the most talking right now? The World Famous Trash Can Nachos — a mountain of chips and toppings dramatically upended onto your table — and the Bacon Mac-N-Cheeseburger, which is exactly what it sounds like and better than it should be. Philly cheesesteak egg rolls and Hot Chicken & Waffle Sliders are also in heavy rotation. The crowd skews everyone from families to groups of adults who wanted bowling with their beer, and based on the early foot traffic, Flavortown is already delivering on the hype.

📍 10177 N Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach Mall

Ole Smoky Distillery & Yee-Haw Brewing Co. — Broadway at the Beach

Opened: May 20, 2026

Broadway at the Beach has hosted plenty of big concepts over the years, but Ole Smoky Distillery & Yee-Haw Brewing Co. might be the most ambitious yet. The Tennessee-based moonshine brand and its craft brewery sibling took over a 40,000-square-foot lakefront space and turned it into part restaurant, part distillery experience, part live music venue — and whole lot of fun.

Moonshine flights, whiskey tastings, craft beer on tap, cocktails, distillery tours, and lakeside patio seating make this a place that’s easy to walk into for “one drink” and walk out of two hours later. The vibe is Southern-casual, the portions are hearty, and the live entertainment is a nightly draw. If you’re looking for something that’s genuinely more than just dinner, this is it. Local reaction has been enthusiastic, with visitors calling it the kind of spot that “accidentally turns into your whole evening.” That tracks.

📍 1216 Celebrity Circle, Broadway at the Beach

South Coast Beer Project — Carolina Forest

Opened: Late May 2026

Carolina Forest finally has its brewery, and residents are not playing it cool about it. South Coast Beer Project, from the Coastal Concepts Hospitality team behind The Grumpy Monk and The Sneaky Beagle, opened at 5020 Carolina Forest Blvd. with a 9,000-square-foot restaurant, a 20,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden, house-crafted beer, and a family-friendly vibe that the neighborhood has been asking for.

House brews include *Queen Anne’s Revenge* (a mocha white stout named after Blackbeard’s ship), *Blondes Do It Better* (a blonde ale), and *Board Meeting* (an American brown ale). The food centers on wings and pizza, all made in-house. The outdoor space — turf, pond views, bounce houses for kids, an 18-foot movie screen — seals the deal. A lit 1,000-foot path connects the brewery to The Sneaky Beagle next door, so you can roam between restaurants with a drink in hand. Locals are already calling it their new living room.

📍 5020 Carolina Forest Blvd., Myrtle Beach

Inlet Shipwreck Bar & Grill — Murrells Inlet MarshWalk

Opened: February 25, 2026

The Murrells Inlet MarshWalk needed a pirate bar, and now it has one. Inlet Shipwreck Bar & Grill opened earlier this year on the waterfront with a playful maritime theme, inlet views, a playground for kids, and a menu of casual seafood and Southern comfort food that’s earning rave reviews.

The Hogwreck sandwich has been called “better than expected, highly recommended.” The Blackened Seafood Platter is drawing repeat visitors (“cooked to perfection, great portion size”). The Bacon Pimento Cheeseburger is collecting fans. And the Pirate Punch — a multi-rum tropical cocktail — is the happy-hour hero reviewers keep mentioning. One visitor summed it up well: *”It reminds me of the old local’s spot. Will return for the food, price, and view.”* That’s about as good an endorsement as a new waterfront restaurant can get.

📍 4139 US-17 Business, Murrells Inlet (MarshWalk)

SeaBasil Thai & Seafood — Carolina Forest

Opened: February / Grand Opening March 27, 2026

If you haven’t made it to SeaBasil yet, that changes now. This Carolina Forest newcomer is quietly building one of the strongest early reputations of any 2026 opening on the Grand Strand. Reviewers on Yelp and TripAdvisor are using words like “exceptional” and “absolutely fantastic,” with consistent praise for bold, vibrant flavors and high-quality ingredients.

The menu blends Thai staples with fresh coastal seafood — Pad See-Ew, red curry shrimp, hibachi platters, seafood combos — in a sleek black-interior dining room that feels more elevated than the strip-mall address might suggest. SeaBasil earned a perfect 100 health score from Yelp, and one reviewer raved about the server “Tommy Terrific” by name, which tells you something about the service culture here. For a Myrtle Beach Thai restaurant, this is the real deal.

📍 4036 River Oaks Drive #9, Myrtle Beach (Carolina Forest)

The Myrtle Beach dining scene in 2026 is firing on all cylinders. Whether you’re chasing craft beer, moonshine flights, waterfront views, or the best Pad See-Ew on the Grand Strand, you’ve got options — and many of them just opened.