Hooks Calabash Seafood Buffet — Restaurant in Myrtle Beach

I can honestly say I've never been sad while eating crab legs before now. I rarely leave such negative reviews, and I hate to do so, but it can't be helped here. I absolutely wish I had read TripAdvisor reviews, too, as the 3.7 over there is a lot closer to what Hook's actual rating should be. Tourist trap is right!

Hostesses were very friendly, our server was nice but so quiet you could barely hear her. No menus given. She did tell us the buffet prices but did not let us know that fountain drinks were $6 a piece! We could have saved $30 as we would have all gotten waters had we known that ahead of time. At least our server was attentive with refills.

The crab legs were cold and the butter had some weird seasonings that made it mildly spicy and just did not taste good. No normal drawn butter here, despite being told twice that the butter closest to the crab was plain butter, then server went and confirmed it in fact was not. It was gross. No normal shrimp to be seen at this seafood buffet, most everything was bland or not good. Tartar sauce was gross. The calamari was decent and the cocktail sauce was fine. One of the fried fish varieties was good but half of the items weren't labelled so I'm not even sure what it was. Something labelled Mac and cheese that was brown and scary looking and clearly had chunks of some kind of imitation crab maybe? Who knows. It was clear it had been sitting out a long time and only had a small scoop missing.

No carving station while we were there. No lobster.

Maybe the time of day was our general issue? 1:30pm and only 6 total cars in the lot (ours included) probably should have been a good warning.

Soft serve only came in chocolate despite the three nozzles and was icy, tasted almost like a Wendy's frosty. Good, but clearly not normal soft serve. Mini chocolate brownie cupcake was soggy and had a terrible flavor. Couldn't eat it. The fresh made cotton candy was fun and the kids all enjoyed it.

Surcharge for credit cards that we didn't expect. All in all, paid way too much for us and our four kids to eat here. I'm pretty brave when it comes to trying new foods, but after my first plate of disappointment, I didn't want to eat anything else here and just felt sick to my stomach at wasting so much money on such mediocre food.

My older son also slipped and fell at the buffet, and my younger son slipped and fell in the bathroom, because the floors were all slippery as heck, maybe the cleaner they use?

I guess one positive is that they didn't force gratuity onto a party of six like most places, but I was shocked it wasn't added when I saw the total price!

Just go to Nine Spices Hot Pot for a fun experience and great buffet that also includes crab legs, and will cost you a bit less with all drinks included, and stay the heck...

DO NOT EAT HERE!!! They SCAM YOU OUT OF MONEY!!! We just paid for a $200 buffet for 4 ppl that was absolutely disgusting food. Seafood was cold, hard, no taste. As if I was angry enough during the entire time we was sitting there. All of Myrtle Beach is a “pay with cash” & you don’t have to of course pay a credit card processing fee. I’ve used cash the entire time we have been down here, but this restaurant still charged us the fee & when it was brought to attention to the waitress & even management I the customer was the problem. Even tho their own door says “for a discount pay with cash”. When they brought our receipts the credit card fee was on the ticket already so we of course LAID DOWN CASH!!! They automatically place that fee on there AND want you the customer to SAY REMOVE THAT FEE PLEASE or else they don’t remove it even tho you’re PAYING WITH CASH. The door does not say “you must tell your waitress (even tho I did tell her) in order to receive a discount” the door says “pay with cash to get discount” which is what we did. This business scams customers because they’re hoping you don’t read the fine print that says “you must tell your waitress to remove the fee”. WHY???? WHYYY MUST A CUSTOMER FORCE YOU TO REMOVE THE FEE BEFORE YOU REMOVE IT??? If someone pays with cash you AUTOMATICALLY remove it. Since that is what you advertise is “paying with cash gives you a discount”. This is a way for this business to scam just a little extra money from their customers. Even if you pay with cash they’re hoping you don’t force your waitress to remove it so they can keep a few more dollars form you. I’m curious just how much this business makes off of CASH PAYING CUSTOMERS just because they didn’t “ask” for the CREDIT CARD FEE to be removed!!! This needs to be investigated IMMEDIATELY and I will be contacting the BBB & the attorney general & anyone else that can look into just how much money has been taken from cash paying customers. They advertise a discount will be given if paying with cash, but do not advertise that you must STILL ask your waitress even if you lay down cash. The waitress even stated she can’t bring it up to the customers or else management gets upset with them!!! THAT IS SCAM BEHAVIOR!!!!!!!!!! BE VERY AWARE!!! If you advertise a discount for paying with cash, and someone lays down cash, they then should not have to go another step further & MAKE you remove that credit card fee. PLAIN & SIMPLE!! This place is a JOKE and poorly ran.

Google isn’t giving me the option to post photos or...

8/15/25 update

I just made the trip from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach, and wow — Hooks Calabash Seafood is absolutely worth the journey! This place is a seafood lover’s dream with an all-you-can-eat buffet that never disappoints. The crab legs are endless, the oysters are fresh, and there’s a huge variety of fried favorites, Southern sides, fresh fruit, and decadent desserts.

We also ordered off the menu — the Seafood Boil and Surf & Turf Platter were served piping hot and packed with flavor. The drinks here are a whole experience on their own — tropical cocktails served in pineapples and even one lit on fire at the table!

The service is fast, friendly, and welcoming, making it perfect for families, couples, or anyone road-tripping for an epic foodie experience. And the location is perfect — just a short walk from the beach so you can refuel after a day in the sun.

Open daily and loved by locals and visitors alike, Hooks Calabash Seafood is a must-visit for anyone in Myrtle Beach craving fresh, flavorful seafood. I’m already planning my next visit!

— Super amazing tasty seafood experience. I will definitely be back literally Taste so fresh and worth it. #bestfood

If you’re in Myrtle Beach and looking for that one seafood spot that actually lives up to the hype, let me save you the search—Hooks Calabash Seafood is it.

I didn’t know what to expect walking in, but I left seriously impressed. This place has so much more than just your typical beach-town buffet. Yes, it’s all-you-can-eat (with over 120 items!), but the real surprise? They also offer fresh, made-to-order seafood platters and entrées that feel upscale but still approachable.

The service was quick and friendly even though the restaurant was buzzing with families and vacationers. It’s a great spot whether you’re with kids, on a date, or just in town craving seafood done right.

What stood out most? Honestly, it was the mix of options. You could pile your plate with everything from crab legs to shrimp scampi to Southern-style sides—and still turn around and order a surf and turf platter or a seafood boil straight from the kitchen. Everything was fresh, well-seasoned, and delicious. I also tried one of their cocktails served inside a real pineapple (so fun!) and another one that was lit on fire at the table. It’s those little touches that made the meal feel more like an experience.

It’s super close to the ocean, easy to find, and perfect if you want that “vacation meal” that delivers on both quality...