Creek Ratz — Restaurant in South Carolina

A review with tips on ordering and some pros and cons from a frequent diner.

This is the restaurant on the marshwalk that my mother-in-law always took us to when she couldn’t afford some of the more expensive places but still wanted great quality seafood. Also, lots of extra points for not cutting down some of the trees, including the one that is right next to the bathroom. I know we really value our trees here, especially along the marsh, and many of the restaurants have trees growing in the middle of the patio, but the one that’s growing right next to your bathroom is spectacular. Well done for not chopping it down!

Such a solid and inexpensive choice along the marshwalk. Inexpensive is somewhat relative, but any of the other restaurants flanking it are at least 20 to 30% higher in price. This is also so casual. Of course, several of these are “beach casual“ but something about Creek Ratz feels super casual. Super beachy vibe. There is an indoor seating area and an outdoor seating area and then another outdoor seating area and then another space closer to the marsh. They really take advantage of the outdoor seating.

You can count on quality baskets here and fried shrimp and my husband just recently had a spicy shrimp Reuben that was really on point. I think my only complaint, and this is a really small one, is that they don’t make their own dressings. So when you order a salad they give you a packet of Ken’s dressing. Another small negative is that the hush puppies are smaller than some of the other places. That’s not enough to take off a star, because the atmosphere and the quality for the price is so good.

They will often have live music, but it’s not so intrusive that it is blocking out dinner conversation. Overall, laid-back, great value and quality and a perennial favorite for us. Plus… They do have a fireplace inside for the colder months. PS. Some of the best sweet potato fries on the beach, because they have that added...

We just spent the most delightful time. We already LOVE Creek Ratz. But my girlfriend just moved & this was her 1st time. It was a perfect day to sit outside & food was WONDERFUL! But the real star & highlight of our day (well over an hour maybe 2) was our waitress TAYLOR!!!! My girlfriend & I were talking so much so we needed time & TAYLOR was the sweetest & kindest waitress I’ve seen in a while anywhere!!!!! I worked in hospitality & you would honestly believe she graduated with a hospitality degree from a college like Cornell University in NY who has a dinning room named after my former boss, benefactor& Alumni, I’m retired.

Taylor is Creek Ratzs SUPERSTAR EMPLOYEE OF YEAR!

From the time she introduced herself til almost 2 hrs (when we stopped talking) she checked on us, food ok, need more drinks, anything ….she is better than any waitress I’ve had in a longtime!!!

TAYLOR is professional, we never had to ask for anything because Taylor beat us to the punch! If I owned a restaurant I would steal her away because TAYLOR IS that amazing. We loved the great food as always but Taylor’s sweetness, professionalism is THE SHINNING STAR!!!! I could go on forever singing Taylor’s praises but between TAYLOR & your great food, makes Creek Ratz one of the top 3 restaurants on the Marsh Walk!!! HONEST!

TAYLOR DESERVES A REWARD RECOGNITION SOMETHING. Every server there is good but TAYLOR is the star so ask for Taylor she’s sweet hard working courteous makes sure you have what you want before you need to get her attention. Plus we did sit there for almost 2 hours (which coming from hospitality try not to take up a table that long) & TAYLOR, our angel just kept checking on us, getting more drinks etc, despite being busy. I pray TAYLOR is recognized & rewarded for her amazing service. Creek Ratz is the place to go to relax, eat great food & if you’re lucky you get TAYLOR TOO! Thank you TAYLOR & Creek Ratz for another amazing...

We were looking for a place with a view of the water that wasn't too expensive to feed four kids and a gaggle of adults. Mission accomplished - the kids and adults ate for a reasonable price and had a great view.

Our server tried hard, but was obviously inexperienced. The restaurant was not that crowded, yet we waited exceedingly long for everything. Our drink order was taken and we waited for it to arrive for over 30 minutes while our server took the food order from the neighboring table with nearly the same amount of people who already had drinks and appetizers.

The appetizers - all both of them - were delivered about an hour after we sat down. They were hot and delicious - fried pickles and fried calamari. Our kids ordered cheese burgers and fries. I get it, kid's menus aren't exciting, but it looked like store-bought food from the freezer section reheated in a microwave and tasted the same.

The unadventurous non-pescatarians among us had the Philly cheesesteaks and were happy with them. There were a couple of fried seafood orders that seemed to be ok.

I ordered the fish tacos which I was craving after sitting there for two hours and immediately knew that I had made a serious mistake when our food finally came. They didn't even bother to heat or toast the flour shells and something with the taste and texture of a melted American cheese single was the only other accompaniment to a tasteless grilled fish filet. It was the blandest, weirdest fish taco I've ever seen or ordered anywhere.

This restaurant has three things to make it a success - location, location and location. They really don't need to try that hard at anything else. If you like regular bottled beer or kitschy koktailz and deep-fried seafood with a great view and cool atmosphere - this place rocks. If you're looking for a restaurant where someone is putting in some effort - there are plenty of other places...