Dining at the beach

While on vacation last week, we visited a few all you can eat seafood buffets.  We knew we had visited some in the past that were delicious and some that were fun and some that were just plain bad.  We have been to Myrtle Beach several times and all the restaurants got mixed up in our memories.  So this year we decided to rate them, put it in writing so we would remember for the next trip.

All family members participated.

Crabby Mike’s

4.5 Crab claws

Variety on the buffet was very nice.  Crab legs cooked wonderfully, the meat came out in one beautiful piece.  Hushpuppies were delicious in the never empty basket.  Service was top notch. The atmosphere was fun.  The decorations made you feel as if you were below the surface of a bustling harbor. 

The only reason Crabby Mike’s lacked that last half star – ice milk.  Instead of ice cream on the dessert bar, they had chocolate and vanilla ice milk with only a small handful of toppings. 

I would go back again. And probably will next year.

Capt. Bennett’s

2.5 Crab claws

Disappointing.  Small buffet, not the expected variety. Service was a little slow. Watery crab legs, not juicey, watery. Delicious hushpuppies were on the bar, so you could refill at will.  Hand-dipped ice cream on the dessert bar, but only four flavors and no toppings.  Four flavors would be good if there were toppings to accompany them. 

Won’t add this one to the “Do-over” List.

Sticky Fingers

4.5 Ribs

After consulting our family restaurant critic, we decided to take a break from seafood and visit a wings and ribs place.  The staff was very friendly and helpful.  The food was good.  The boys had a kids’ meals consisting of huge wings, seasoned fries for one  and mac and cheese for the other, and animal crackers.  They were out of milk that the guys ordered, but replaced it quickly (after a brief consult with Mom) with tasty lemonade.

Mike and I had the sampler platter for two.  We got four half-slabs of four different flavored ribs – dry rub, Tennessee whiskey sauce, jalapeno sauce (not too hot) and their signature sweet sauce; and four sides – green beans, fries, (for me); baked potato and fried corn on the cob (for him).   The food was delicious. 

One of the boys’ favorite parts of the meal – our napkins were actually green terry cloth dish towels!  The reason for the lacking half-star: we needed a container for bones and other scraps.  This restaurant is on the list to visit again.

Capt. Benjamin’s Seafood Calabash

4.0 Crab claws

Huge buffet – As our hostess led us to our table we were given a tour guide- monologue about the location of the restrooms, the placement of the buffet tables, the model ships that decorated the restaurant (made in the lower level of the restaurant by one gentleman with a wonderful eye for detail), and the section our table was in.

Our server, Beth, did an excellent job making sure we had everything we needed and helping us figure out which parts of the whole crab we were supposed to eat and which parts we weren’t.

The food was good but not excitingly delicious.  Most of the food, even the fruits and vegetables, had sauces or spices on it.  I would have liked to have had more plain veggies or meats without the sauces.  Even the imitation crab meat was discolored with spices and the broccoli was over salted.

There was a large variety of foods and even a pasta station where you could mix your own seafood pasta variations which the chefs would heat for you on the spot.  The boys were overjoyed with the large dessert selection and had to be cut off after their third selection.

While Capt. Benjamin’s was good, I would go back to Crabby Mike’s before returning here.

Tomorrow: our ratings of mini-golf courses!