Bennett's Calabash Seafood Buffet No. 1 — Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach

What was supposed to be an enjoyable evening of good food, quality service, and family time turned into an absolute nightmare that even ended with police involvement. At first everything seemed fine. We were greeted politely and seated right away. My family went to the buffet, plated our meals, and began eating. That is when the disaster began. Several of us quickly discovered spoiled crab legs that were soft and foul, fried foods that were limp and greasy, and side dishes that were clearly undercooked. We brought this to our waitress’s attention, who promptly informed the on-site manager (Mary). Unfortunately, the manager’s (Mary) response was far worse than the food. Instead of professionalism, we were met with visible irritation, dismissiveness, and shockingly poor customer service. The manager (Mary) refused to provide basic information such as written restaurant policies or establishment contact details. When asked about compensation for the inedible food, the manager (Mary) actually told us, “I should charge you full price anyway,” even though much of the meal was untouched. This experience was appalling from start to finish. The lack of food safety, combined with a manager who showed no accountability or respect for customers, escalated the situation to the point that law enforcement had to be called. I strongly advise avoiding this location at all costs. Between unsafe food, hostile management, and the complete absence of customer care, this is not a restaurant fit for families or for...

We wanted to give this place a try. So we read the reviews and figured how bad can it be. We arrived and were seated close to the buffet and ordered our beverages which were good. It was time to see what was at the buffet,. My date likes prime rib and what was on the buffet was dried out looking and placed under heat lamps. After several minutes a employee cut me a fresh slice that looked good, only to be disapointed as it was only slightly warm. Crab legs were good and plentiful. There was fried flounder that was soggy and unable to be eaten. They had kielbsa that also was left under heat lamps and was tough and dried out. There were other selections that were offered and to be honest they were either slightly warm or over cooked. The ice cream was soft serve and deserts were good. We spoke to the "manager" and told her that we did not enjoy this buffet. She stated that is the way their food is normally cooked. They offered a sub par expensive dining experience . We have tried the other seafood buffets/ restaurants on restaurant row. The Original Benjamin's two restaurants to the left has a better selection of fresh seafood and other items cooked to perfection. ( Much Better choice) We were not pleased with this dining experience and will not return. This is my opinion and my money, your opinion may be different then mine, that would be your money and opinion. We should of read the negative reviews and moved on two restaurants down to the left. Basically the same cost and much...

So many seafood buffets at North Myrtle Beach, how to decide? And they all have almost the same offerings. So we made the selection based on reviews and comments. I prefer to support places that support the military. I called several places but just about impossible to get to a human. We decided on Bennett’s. I was a little disappointed they offer no military discount but no idea what their competitors do.

We were there for early dinner, just after the opening time, so we’re seated right away. I tasted a few items, steamed oysters and mussels, but we were there for the Snow Crab and waiting for them to restock. Our (great) server Felisha saw the stocked and retrieved our first crab leg plates for us.

The crab legs were very good but not seasoned very much, so we asked for, and received Old Bay Seasoning to add. Yummm! Very often Felisha stopped by to check on us and empty the discard pile. I switched and tried Fried items: Bang Bang Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Clam Strips, Squash and Oysters. Shrimp was good but no heat(?). Clam strips were just crunchy breading. Oysters were small so I picked through to get only the soft ones with some body.

Surprisingly my favorite, other than crab legs, were the Fried Squash. Crispy outside, soft inside and light breading - they were great! And of course we had to sample desserts. I had a bit of pecan pie and strawberry shortcake, which were...