This South Carolina Seafood Buffet Serves Crab Just The Way Lowcountry Families Have For Generations

South Carolina’s Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood has been carrying on Lowcountry traditions since the mid-1980s. This long-running buffet is all about heaping plates of crab, shrimp, and golden fried fish, served up in a lively, family-friendly setting.

Recipes are rooted in Southern coastal cooking, and the atmosphere reflects a deep love for the region’s seafood culture.

With rows of fresh dishes and a sense of place that’s hard to miss, it’s a dining experience built on history, flavor, and a strong connection to the Carolina coast.

Over 170 Buffet Items To Choose From

Walking into Benjamin’s feels like entering seafood paradise. The buffet stretches out with station after station of ocean treasures and Southern comfort foods.

Crab legs glisten under warm lights while oysters sit on ice beds waiting to be devoured. Fried shrimp and fish fill platters alongside mac and cheese, hushpuppies, and collard greens.

With so many choices, you’ll want to pace yourself. Grab a plate and start exploring because there’s something delicious around every corner of this massive spread.

A Myrtle Beach Landmark Since 1986

Benjamin’s opened its doors back in 1986 when big hair and neon were all the rage. Nearly four decades later, it’s still packing in crowds hungry for quality seafood.

The restaurant has weathered storms, changing tastes, and countless competitors. Yet families keep coming back generation after generation.

What started as one family’s dream became a Myrtle Beach institution. Longevity like this doesn’t happen by accident but through consistent quality and genuine hospitality that keeps people returning year after year.

Calabash-Style Seafood Done Right

Calabash-style cooking means one thing: lightly battered seafood fried to golden perfection. Benjamin’s helped bring this coastal North Carolina tradition to the Grand Strand area.

The technique keeps the breading delicate so you taste the seafood, not just fried dough. Each piece comes out crispy on the outside and tender inside.

This isn’t heavy, greasy fried food that weighs you down. The light coating lets the natural sweetness of shrimp and fish shine through while adding that satisfying crunch everyone craves.

Nautical Museum Décor By Local Craftsman

Forget boring restaurant walls. Benjamin’s interior looks like a maritime museum curated by someone who truly loves the sea.

Local craftsman Jimmy Frost created dozens of intricate ship and boat models that hang throughout the dining rooms. Each piece tells a story of coastal life and seafaring history.

My cousin once spent twenty minutes just staring at a detailed schooner model while waiting for our table. The craftsmanship adds character and charm you won’t find at chain restaurants with cookie-cutter décor.

Perfect For Families And Tour Groups

Benjamin’s knows how to handle a crowd. The dining rooms stretch out with plenty of space for birthday parties, reunions, and bus tours.

Tables accommodate small couples and massive family gatherings alike. Nobody feels cramped or rushed through their meal.

Tour buses regularly stop here because the staff can handle fifty hungry tourists without breaking a sweat. The spacious layout means even on busy nights, you’re not bumping elbows with strangers while cracking crab legs.

More Than Just Seafood On The Menu

Not everyone in your group might be a seafood fanatic, and Benjamin’s gets that. Carved meats sit ready for those who prefer turf over surf.

Hushpuppies arrive hot and slightly sweet, perfect for soaking up flavor. Mac and cheese comes creamy and comforting, just like grandma used to make.

The dessert bar deserves its own visit with cakes, pies, and puddings calling your name. Even picky eaters and landlubbers find something to love at this buffet wonderland.

Signature Snow Crab Legs All Day Long

Snow crab legs reign supreme at Benjamin’s. These aren’t the sad, dried-out legs you find at some buffets.

Fresh batches come out continuously throughout service hours. The meat pulls out clean and sweet, begging to be dipped in warm butter.

People build entire meals around these beauties, and honestly, who can blame them? Staff keeps the supply flowing so you never face an empty crab leg tray during your visit.

Instagram-Worthy From Sign To Plate

Benjamin’s glowing sign has appeared in thousands of vacation photos over the years. The bright lights practically beg you to snap a picture.

Inside, those ship models and heaping seafood plates make for serious social media content. Food bloggers and casual diners alike can’t resist sharing their Benjamin’s experience online.

A quick search reveals countless images of happy diners surrounded by crab legs and shrimp mountains. This place photographs as good as it tastes, which is saying something special.