Piers were made for walking, fishing and, if you’re lucky, dining.

As luck has it, the Surfside Beach Pier is anchored by Surf Diner, a family-friendly spot that’s perched above Surfside’s beachfront, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

Choose to dine alfresco with the sea breeze or at a table inside the dining room that’s washed in sea blue walls. Either way, the ocean view is the showpiece.

With surf in its name, Surf Diner has a menu laden with seafood options. Start with a First Bites app of seafood nachos, smothered in cheese, popcorn shrimp, crab meat, jalapeños, tomatoes and sour cream.

Ordering fried oysters at a restaurant is a risk, as they can tend to be chewy. But not here. The breading was crisp and fresh and the oyster meat was juicy and plump. For less than $20, the oyster platter is also loaded with hushpuppies and paired with two sides—from sweet potato fries to homemade slaw to corn on the cob to mac ’n’ cheese.

The flounder sandwich is hard to pass up. Choose to have the filet blackened to spice things up. Or, if you prefer land proteins, try the Carolina BBQ tacos, one of Surf’s half-pound burgers or the ribeye steak, which is hand-cut, seasoned and grilled.

Hit the Surf early to catch happy hour Monday through Friday from 4–6 p.m., when 10 items are on special for $5.

When you have a backdrop like Surfside Beach, a place like Surf Diner has it made. Besides the ocean air, it’s also refreshing to know that an oceanfront restaurant doesn’t make its patrons pay the price for the view.

Surf Diner
11 S. Ocean Blvd.
Surfside Beach, SC 29575
(843) 712-1850, www.surfdiner.com
Open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.