12 South Carolina Seafood Markets Where The Best Lunch Comes In A Paper Tray
I didn’t set out to find the best lunches in South Carolina. I just kept following the smell of hot oil, salt air, and something very good happening behind a counter.
Somewhere between back roads, dockside shacks, and markets that looked more functional than fashionable, I learned an important truth.
The best seafood lunches here don’t come with reservations. They come in paper trays!
I was a few bites into fried shrimp, standing in the shade and wondering why I ever bothered with linen napkins, when it clicked. South Carolina knows seafood the way it should be known.
Casual, unfussy, and eaten with your hands while the tide does its thing nearby. These were the kinds of places where lunch happened quickly, deliciously, and often left a grease spot you wore like a badge of honor.
Twelve markets later, I was fully convinced. If your seafood lunch doesn’t come in a paper tray, you’re doing it wrong.
1. Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp Co.
I rolled into Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp Co. ready for lunch that tasted like the tide.
And the paper tray did not disappoint with shrimp curled like commas of sweetness and coleslaw bright enough to cut through it all. The market sits along 2223 Folly Rd, Charleston, SC 29412.
I ordered the shrimp basket with extra hushpuppies, and the batter crackled like radio static while lemon mist flashed across the surface and made everything wake up.
The tartar sauce felt house-made, tangy and dill-forward, so each dip became a tiny ocean detour that had me nodding like I knew a secret. Between bites, I watched a captain unload the day’s catch and felt the line blur between lunch and live documentary footage, except my film came with crispy edges.
Locals chatted about tides and traffic, and I felt welcomed without effort. The way a good market opens like a favorite book at the right chapter.
The fries rode shotgun, salty and potato proud, while the hushpuppies were sweet and faintly onion-kissed with a tender center that never overstayed its welcome.
When I left, the tray held only lemon seeds and a memory that tasted like Charleston grit meeting sunshine, which is exactly the flavor I came for.
2. Fish Net Seafood
Fish Net Seafood greeted me with the smell of hot oil and fresh salt, the kind of perfume that says lunch will be uncomplicated and completely right. The shop anchors 3832 Savannah Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455.
I went straight for a whiting sandwich stacked inside a soft roll, edges peeking out like golden fringes, plus a tray of shrimp for good measure. The breading felt whisper thin yet sturdy, so the fish steam stayed trapped while the exterior kept its crisp drumbeat from the first bite to the last.
The team at the window moved with muscle memory, calling names and sliding trays, and I loved how the pace never shoved away the warmth.
Hushpuppies landed sweet and cornbread shy, and I broke them open to let the heat breathe before dunking into creamy sauce with focused joy.
Lunch ended with greasy fingers and a satisfied shrug. The kind you wear when a roadside classic shows up and proves its reputation in one perfect sandwich.
3. Abundant Seafood
Abundant Seafood felt like a working classroom where the chalk was ice and the lesson plan was written in scales, and I happily enrolled for lunch. The market lives at 102 Haddrell St, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, tucked by the docks where the water carries gossip about the morning haul and wise old shrimpers.
I ordered a simple tray of peel-and-eat shrimp with a squeeze of lemon and a side of warm bread, and the clarity of flavor stunned me.
The shrimp snapped clean and sweet. So every dip into cocktail sauce became optional, like adding a chorus to a song that already nailed the melody.
I lingered by the railings while a breeze stitched salt across my shirt, and the tray turned into proof that restraint can taste thrilling. They packed the tray with focus, no frills beyond freshness, and I respected the confidence it takes to let the product do the talking without shouting.
Watching families share baskets felt like passing notes in a happy secret club, and the crunch of ice echoed gently beneath all that chatter.
When I finished, my fingertips smelled like sea air. A souvenir better than any T-shirt, and my appetite learned the difference between simple and plain.
4. Geechie Seafood
Geechie Seafood tucked me under its wing with a wink, promising a lunch that would stick to memory like a good refrain.
You will find it at 248 Magwood Ln, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, where the road bends just enough to feel like you discovered something locals hoped you would not.
I went for fried oysters because restraint never won any awards. The paper tray caught every crumb while the hushpuppies tasted faintly of onion and summer fairs, and my grin grew shamelessly wide.
Coleslaw supplied crunch and a gentle sweet note, steadying the salt like a friend who knows when to step in and when to stay quiet.
Staff handed over trays with the kind of rhythm that says this dance has been practiced, but it still feels spontaneous when the music hits. I perched on a curb and watched cars drift by, a makeshift table that turned the whole street into a dining room with better lighting.
By the last bite, I felt stitched to the neighborhood fabric. A proof that good oysters can gather strangers and turn them into quick friends.
5. Tarvin Seafood, Wando Dock
Tarvin Seafood on the Wando Dock played like a postcard come to life, except you can eat the postcard and it tastes better than it looks. The dock ties into 102 Haddrell St, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464, with ropes coil like sleeping snakes and the breeze drifts through stacks of traps and stories.
I chose a tray of hot boiled shrimp dusted with seasoning that warmed the edges without drowning the sweetness. Plus corn that soaked up spice like a sponge.
Cracking shells felt meditative, and the lemon popped bright over each bite, so the rhythm went peel, dip, sigh, repeat with joyful discipline.
Watching boats bob reminded me that lunch here has a lineage. Each bite a small handshake with the people who woke up hours earlier to earn it.
The staff moved with quiet confidence, pointing out what looked best and handing over trays that smelled like tide pools and victory. Families gathered at picnic tables and every laugh sounded wind polished, while my tray thinned at the exact speed of my patience for sharing.
Salt clung to my sleeves and the dock creaked a friendly goodbye, a quiet reminder that simple could feel utterly complete.
6. Mr. Fish Seafood Market & Grill
Mr. Fish Seafood Market & Grill felt like a greatest hits album, where every track was edible and the chorus arrived in a tidy paper tray. The address sits at 6307 N Kings Hwy, Suite B, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572, and the energy feels like a beach town in peak chorus.
I tried blackened mahi tacos and a side of crispy shrimp, so lunch turned into a duet between spice and sweetness that never stepped on each other.
The tortillas were warm and workable, loaded yet neat, with cabbage crunch and a citrusy drizzle that lifted everything like a bright key change. The shrimp basket had sturdy crunch and damp heat inside.
And I found myself pacing the bites to make room for both threads of the story.
Folks at nearby tables compared notes on sauces, and the staff grinned as if they already knew the ending would be happy. Fries leaned salty and earnest while the hushpuppies whispered honeyed cornbread vibes, and I kept alternating just to test my own willpower.
I left with a pleasant swagger. The kind earned when you navigate a menu minefield and somehow step on only the best possible explosions.
7. Seven Seas Seafood Market
Seven Seas Seafood Market gave me the grin of a traveler who finds exactly what they pictured and then a little extra tucked in the corner.
It anchors 3476 Business Highway 17, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, on a stretch where coolers, families, and hungry wanderers braid together around the promise of hot seafood.
I ordered fried flounder that draped the tray like a buttery flag, plus shrimp that snapped with clean sweetness and a slaw that spoke calmly. The breading felt whisper light and clung with friendly loyalty.
Never soggy, never aloof, just protective enough to keep the fish tender and triumphant.
Tartar sauce tasted herb bright and a little tangy, and a squeeze of lemon sent sparks running through every crispy edge. The line moved quick thanks to a team that knows the cadence of a lunch rush, and nobody lost patience because the aroma wrote apologies in the air.
Hushpuppies leaned toward cornbread cake with gentle onion, easy to share until you actually try sharing, which I failed gloriously at.
By the time I finished, the tray looked like a victory lap of lemon seeds and crumbs, and the day felt lighter because great fish does that.
8. Harrelson’s Seafood Market, Murrells Inlet
Harrelson’s Seafood Market in Murrells Inlet played like a neighborhood hug disguised as lunch, and I did not mind the disguise one bit. The shop stands at 4368 Highway 17 Business, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, where the constant sound of coolers and chatter softens into the soundtrack of a tidy feast.
I chose a mixed tray with shrimp and oysters because picking favorites felt unfair. And each bite drove home a different melody of brine and crunch.
The oysters were custardy inside and crisp outside, while the shrimp carried that signature snap that says the sea did its job and so did the fryer.
Coleslaw leaned creamy without heaviness, and the lemon wedge behaved like a conductor, keeping every flavor in tempo without stealing the spotlight. Fries stayed golden all the way, the kind that make you forget any plan to save room, though I still found space for hushpuppies just in case.
Exiting the market, it felt like I’d borrowed a local afternoon and somehow left it richer than I found it. The kind of trade every traveler secretly hopes for.
9. Harrelson’s Seafood Market, Pawleys Island
The Pawleys Island Harrelson’s welcomed me with a smile that suggested they already knew I would not leave without something fried and memorable.
Find it at 9752 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, on a roadway that slips between beach calm and hungry errands like a surfer catching the right line.
I went for grouper bites, a trayful of golden pillows that broke clean and flaky, with a citrus zip that made each piece feel newly minted. The seasoning kept things lively without overshadowing the fish, and the hushpuppies echoed that gentle sweetness that belongs to Carolina cornmeal.
Slaw rested cool and crisp, steadying the fry magic so I could keep going without tipping into overboard territory. The crew boxed everything efficiently.
I loved the way they answered questions about freshness like proud storytellers who happen to wield tongs.
A few bites in, I realized the fries were too good to neglect, so I set a pace and stuck to it with comical seriousness. Leaving felt like stepping out of a beach house kitchen with grease-scented pockets and a satisfied grin.
10. Hutto Seafood Market And Kitchen
Hutto Seafood Market and Kitchen surprised me with a paper tray that tasted like home cooking wearing its Sunday best, and I leaned in immediately. It sits at 1175 Hutto St, Orangeburg, SC 29115, where the neighborhood pace feels like an exhale and lunch breaks last exactly as long as they should.
I ordered fried catfish with shrimp on the side, and the cornmeal crust sang that soft crunching song I wish I could bottle for rainy days.
The catfish stayed tender and clean tasting, helped by lemon brightness and a peppery bite that kept the edges lively. Hushpuppies were little honeyed lanterns, and the slaw added a cool snap so the tray never lost its balance.
The kitchen team knew names and stories, and I watched regulars pick up meals like clockwork before sliding into their afternoon routines. Every bite reminded me that excellence does not need a coastline if the care is present and the oil runs fresh and respectful.
A happy daze settled over me as I made my way out, with a quiet promise to come back. The places that cook like family and serve like pros don’t show up often, and they’re worth remembering.
11. Saltwater Markets, Clover
Saltwater Markets in Clover brought coastal energy inland, and I appreciated the confidence of a market that knows freshness does not rely on zip codes.
The shop is at 713 Bethel St, Clover, SC 29710, a bright corner where neighbors pop in for dinner plans and wander out with lunch solved too. I grabbed a shrimp sandwich piled high and tucked into a paper tray with fries, the bread soft enough to hug and the shrimp crisp with lively seasoning.
A slather of tangy sauce nudged the sweetness forward, while lettuce and tomato kept the whole operation tidy and uplifting.
The fries were textbook golden with proud salt, and I alternated crunch and chew until the pace felt like a little drum solo. Even a quick lunch turned quietly celebratory, which might be the nicest surprise a weekday can hold when errands are calling.
I walked out buoyant, convinced that good seafood is a mindset and Clover in South Carolina clearly refuses to miss out on the fun.
12. Saltwater Markets, Fort Mill
Fort Mill’s Saltwater Markets handed me a tray that solved every midday problem, including the one where fries disappear too fast for polite company.
You will find it at 887 Gold Hill Rd, Fort Mill, SC 29708, a busy strip where families juggle errands and still make time for something hot and worthy.
I went classic with fish and chips, and the fillets landed flaky inside, crisp outside, the batter thin enough to respect the fish and thick enough to hold crunch. Malt style tang without the malt kept things bright, and lemon did its lightning trick while a creamy sauce cooled the sparks.
The fries leaned sturdy and stayed present all the way to the end, a small miracle I did not take lightly.
Staff kept the line moving with calm focus, answering pointed questions about preparation and suggesting sides like hushpuppies that rival dessert without sugar. Walking away, I felt strangely reset, like lunch had already claimed the day’s biggest victory before anything else even started.
Isn’t that exactly what a perfect meal should do ?
Hit pause, recharge you, and make the world feel a little lighter?
Some lunches don’t just fill you up. They stick with you.
And this one definitely did!