Hoskins is the type of family diner — in business since 1948 — that could have been franchised to ubiquity. But, thankfully, there is only one Hoskins, with its iconic sign circled by a ring of incandescent stars. The menu has evolved, expanded, and embellished to meet modern expectations of culinary creativity (they season grits with pimento cheese, for example). All the while, the down-home family atmosphere and satisfied customers hold steady. Local favorites range from some of the city’s best fried seafood platters to lunch specials like country fried steak (Saturday) and chicken bog (Friday). Don’t sleep on the peanut butter pie.

Flanked by a high-rise condo complex, Sea Captain’s House feels like a throwback by its sheer survival. The welcoming white-shingled, blue-shuttered house was once a beachfront inn before becoming a restaurant in 1962. Lunch on the Sea Captain’s lawn overlooking the sea may be Myrtle Beach’s most relaxed dining experience, and it easily accommodates families. The recently renovated dining room, with windows overlooking the waves, is also lovely. Menu staples like she-crab soup and sesame tuna are among the Grand Strand’s best dishes, alongside creative offerings like a hearty jambalaya with scallops and grilled salmon with a bourbon barbecue glaze.

The fire show at Polynesian Fire will be the most impressive thing you see all day. Founded by three Samoan brothers (champions of the World Fireknife Championships), this dinner theater takes you to Polynesia through a fire-dancing spectacle that begins indoors before moving outside for the grand finale. A generous buffet of kalua pork, huli huli chicken, and other Hawaiian and South Pacific specialties completes the immersive experience.

This culinary behemoth directly on the Intracoastal Waterway would be worth visiting even if it didn’t include the beach’s best seafood buffet. Sharks and deep-sea fish hang from the ceiling, alongside replica schooners and sailboats meticulously crafted by the in-house model shipbuilder. But the museum-level decor isn’t even the main show — it’s the massive pots of crab legs, heaps of fried shrimp, and platters of tomato pie that fill the parking lot with hungry patrons. When there’s a wait, grab a tallboy cocktail in a lighthouse-shaped glass and enjoy the view of the Waterway while the kids explore the indoor playground and arcade.

Choosing your angle of attack at this biscuit breakfast superstar may be the most difficult thing you do all day. Here, biscuits are divinely embellished with anything from fried chicken to shrimp and grits. Do you go with the Peppered Pig, with a scrambled egg, two sausage patties, and a generous dolloping of red pepper jelly? Or the Roadhouse, featuring a mound of brisket, pickled onions, and coffee barbecue sauce? There’s ample indoor seating, but the tables on the patio are the most inviting.

Family-owned since it first opened on the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk over two decades ago, the cones, splits, sundaes, and shakes from this celebrated ice cream parlor are a hit with locals and visitors alike. It has a ‘50s aesthetic, with plenty of vintage advertising on the walls, and string lights that create pleasant lighting — although most patrons get their scoop to go for a walk on the strip. If you’re hungry for more than ice cream, there are nachos and pizza pretzels — or just order your hearty scoops of butter pecan or strawberry cheesecake served over a funnel cake.

Chef Jamie Daskalis’s Johnny D’s empire includes three locations, all of which open early to get your egg on. The magic begins at 7 a.m. when the kitchen starts churning out Belgian waffles like the Cinnaroll and the Red Velvet, each schmeared with cream cheese icing. But it’s not all cake for breakfast — the benedict, jambalaya omelet, and brisket skillet keep Johnny D’s in high culinary regard. And if it’s already time for lunch, the menu shifts to equally tempting tacos, sandwiches, and burgers, with a full bar menu of craft cocktails.

This popular local brewery covers all the bases. There are all of the brats and burgers you’d expect at an elevated brewpub, plus Reubens, crab cakes, and pierogis (each with a pairing suggestion from the in-house beer list). But they also roast their own coffee and open early with a full breakfast menu, from omelets to burritos. Kids and dogs abound on the vast lawn and outdoor seating area, making Tidal Creek the spot to catch your breath after a full day of go-karts and putt-putt, or a comfortable place to park it and never leave.