13 South Carolina All-You-Can-Eat Buffets Where Lowcountry Cooking Takes Center Stage
South Carolina has a gift for buffet tables that feel like home kitchens stretched to their happiest limits. I’ve stepped into spots where the first thing you hear is a friendly “Hey there,” and the next thing you smell is fried chicken warming under soft lights.
Hash and rice, collards cooked low and tender, mac and cheese that barely holds its shape, hushpuppies still crackling from the fryer, shrimp and grits that taste like the coast, these dishes show up again and again for a reason.
And while Myrtle Beach draws the crowds, the real everyday comfort lives in quieter places like West Columbia, Orangeburg, and Dillon. These thirteen buffets are welcoming, unhurried, and absolutely worth a drive when you need a plate full of South Carolina comfort.
1. Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant, Myrtle Beach
The dining room feels like a polished ship’s hold, all gleaming wood and soft light, with families navigating the buffet like a well-practiced tide. Servers move quickly with fresh plates, and the room hums at dinner, especially when the crab-leg bells ring.
The spread leans coastal, with snow crab clusters, peel-and-eat shrimp, she-crab style soups, fried oysters, and hushpuppies. There are Lowcountry sides like red rice, collards, and buttered corn. Dessert stations run long, but many circle back for more seafood.
Plates stay warm, crab crackers are plentiful, and the staff keeps tables tidy, which makes repeat trips easy. It is a true all-you-can-eat setup, and the seafood turnover is fast on weekends. Come hungry, then pace yourself.
2. Crab Daddy’s Calabash Seafood Buffet, Murrells Inlet
Steam fogs the sneeze guards and the line chatters with beach-day stories, the kind you collect between tides and sunscreen. The dining room is relaxed and bright, and families settle into the rhythm of “one more plate” without debate.
Calabash-style fried shrimp, flounder, and oysters anchor the buffet. You also see Lowcountry boil with sausage, corn, and potatoes, plus shrimp and grits and buttery hushpuppies. The kitchen traces its roots to coastal fish camps, keeping batters light and the fry oil fresh.
Hit the buffet right after opening for the quickest turnover and the crispest fry. Prices feel fair for the variety, especially if crab legs are on your plan. Expect lines on summer evenings.
3. Crabby George’s Seafood Buffet, Myrtle Beach
You hear nutcrackers tapping crab shells like a metronome, and the sweet brine drifts over the room. I watched kids compare plate heights while grandparents coached on where to find the reddest red rice.
Crab legs headline, but the draw is broader: she-crab style soup, fried whiting, peel-and-eat shrimp, and hushpuppies that arrive warm. Trays cycle quickly, and the collards carry a gentle vinegar twang. Red rice and mac and cheese keep the seafood grounded in Lowcountry comfort.
Weekends mean a wait, though service moves fast once you are seated. All-you-can-eat is the model, and staff replaces crackers and butter without asking. Go early for easier parking.
4. Hook’s Calabash Seafood Buffet, Myrtle Beach
The owner’s team runs the floor with practiced calm, greeting returning guests by sight. Regulars tend to settle near the middle aisles, where servers slip fresh plates onto tables without breaking stride.
The buffet favors Calabash fry on shrimp and flounder, plus baked fish, steamed mussels, and shrimp and grits. Sides include rice, collards, and hushpuppies with a faint onion sweetness. Desserts lean classic, with banana pudding drawing steady traffic.
Arrive before prime time and it feels unrushed, with short lines and hot, freshly swapped pans. Pricing matches other big Myrtle Beach buffets, and the value shows if you circle back for seafood. Parking fills by sunset.
5. The Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood, Myrtle Beach
A model-ship collection lines the rafters, part museum, part beach attraction, and the place buzzes like a pier at dusk. Lines move in arcs around the central islands and the dining rooms branch like ship decks.
The buffet is sprawling, with crab legs, fried shrimp, clam strips, baked salmon, she-crab style soup, and a tight hushpuppy game. Red rice and collards keep a Lowcountry thread throughout. Calabash technique leans light on breading and high on crunch.
Tourist season brings peak crowds. It is all-you-can-eat, so plan for patience and multiple trips. The flow improves after 7:30 p.m., when families with small kids head out.
6. Captain Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood, Myrtle Beach
There is a seasonal quirk here: the energy shifts when beach traffic thins, and locals reclaim weeknights. The dining room gets quieter, and the buffet pace smooths out just enough to notice.
History ties the spot to the Grand Strand’s long Calabash tradition, with crisp-fried seafood and steady trays of crab legs. Sides include red rice, collards, and cornbread, plus a creamy shrimp and grits pan that empties fast.
I left happy after a final plate of crab legs and rice. When it is busy, follow the line closest to the crab station for quicker turnover. Expect market-driven pricing on crab-heavy nights.
7. Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant, Myrtle Beach
The giant crab outside sets a playful tone, and inside the vibe is beach-town carnival mixed with family reunion. Tables turn briskly, and kids light up at the dessert station like it is a prize counter.
Food covers classic Calabash fry and steam pans of snow crab. Lowcountry boil runs with sausage, corn, and potatoes, plus red rice and collards. She-crab style flavors appear in creamy soups, and hushpuppies arrive with a crisp edge.
All-you-can-eat rules apply and the staff keeps crackers, drawn butter, and lemon stocked. Go at early dinner to beat the tour-bus rush. Prices feel aligned with the Grand Strand’s seafood circuit.
8. Crabby Mike’s Calabash Seafood Company, Surfside Beach
The sensory oddity is the happy rattle of plates and crab crackers under beach-pop music, a soundtrack that somehow works. The room is cheerful without shouting, helped by fast-moving staff and well-lit stations.
Expect Calabash shrimp, oysters, flounder, and a robust steam selection with crab legs. Shrimp and grits and red rice nod to Lowcountry roots. Hushpuppies lean savory and stay hot, and dessert is comfort-first.
Food stays fresh because turnover is constant at prime time. All-you-can-eat is straightforward, and the team keeps it tidy. Parking gets tight by 6 p.m., so earlier is easier.
9. Carolina Buffet, West Columbia
The lunch crowd wears work boots and church clothes in equal measure, and the room sounds like neighbors trading weather reports. It is bright, simple, and welcoming.
Food leans country: fried chicken with crackly skin, hash and rice, collards, lima beans, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. A carving pan often holds roast beef or pork, and banana pudding anchors dessert. The history is local, feeding West Columbia for years with dependable Southern staples.
Arrive early for the hottest trays and calm lines. Prices feel gentle for an all-you-can-eat plate in the Midlands. Sundays can be busy after services.
10. Shealy’s Bar-B-Que, Batesburg-Leesville
An ingredient spotlight starts with the mustard-based sauce, bright and tangy, clinging to pulled pork and chopped shoulder. The hash simmers into a silky, savory gravy that begs for rice.
Technique here is steady and old-school. Pork gets low-and-slow treatment, fried chicken keeps its craggy crust, and vegetables taste seasoned, not shy. Hushpuppies come hot with soft centers.
Visitors load a first plate heavy with pork, then swing back for hash and chicken. The buffet is all-you-can-eat and well stocked, especially at lunch and on weekends. Expect a line that moves fast.
11. Rizer’s Pork & Produce, Lodge
The family behind Rizer’s is often present, checking trays and saying hello by name. You can feel the farm-and-table connection in the way produce and sides rotate with what is good.
The buffet focuses on country cooking, not seafood. Fried chicken, pork chops, hash and rice, collards, green beans, field peas, and cornbread carry the day. Desserts are simple and satisfying.
Lunch is the sweet spot, and the all-you-can-eat price feels kind. Weekends bring a bigger crowd from neighboring towns. Arrive early if you want the first pass at the crispest chicken.
12. Pauline’s Dining Room, Orangeburg
A seasonal quirk shapes the vegetables, which change with what’s available from nearby growers. Summer plates lean toward tomatoes and butter beans, while cooler months bring denser sides.
Pauline’s has served Orangeburg for decades, feeding weekday lunch crowds and Sunday families. The buffet lays out fried chicken, hash and rice, turkey and dressing, collards, and rice and gravy. It is a portrait of Midlands comfort cooking.
I went back for more hash, then surrendered to banana pudding. The all-you-can-eat line moves quickly, and the dining room stays friendly even when full. Aim for early lunch to avoid a wait.
13. Dukes Barbecue, Charleston
The coleslaw’s peppery snap hits first, then the warm tang of mustard sauce in the air. The vibe is relaxed and unfussy, the kind of place where you seat yourself and decide the order of operations later.
Food centers on pulled pork with that signature golden sauce, barbecue hash over rice, fried chicken, collards, and classic sides. Nothing feels overdone, just kept fresh and circulating.
Locals stop in for quick weeknight suppers, while travelers linger and compare plates. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet on select days, so check hours and go when the pans are busiest. Prices are friendly for Charleston.