Wicked Tuna has seafood caught and prepped only a few hours before it is served to you. (Larry Vaught Photo)
For anyone living in Kentucky the seafood anywhere in the Myrtle Beach area is fantastic. But Wicked Tuna in Murrells Inlet is a step above anyone else. Friends have bragged to me about the shrimp & grits. Others had told me about the grilled seafood combo with the fresh catch, crab cake, shrimp, and scallops. However, I could not say no to the daily special at this unique waterfront dining experience.
The special was pan-seared grouper topped with crab and lobster. It came with vegetables over a cauliflower puree — a lighter option to potatoes that Christa Ward, director of special events, said many people really liked and I am now one of those.
What makes this restaurant so special is that the fish are cleaned on-site after the fleet of five boats serving the restaurant come in each day. The prepped fish are then brought to the kitchen for the chef to prepare. There’s no place else in Murrells Inlet or Myrtle Beach that can make the same claim.
The “hook to plate” concept that our waitress, Emily, explained so well means you always have fresh seafood. I asked Ward if there is ever a day when they might not have a particular fish and she said other than when they reopened after being shut down for COVID that has not happened — and even then it was just for a few days.
As good as my food was, the menu is full of so many great looking dishes and I saw some of them being served to others in the restaurant. Shrimp, crab, lobster, salmon, and more caught my eye and there is also prime filet and ribeye. If you don’t want a meal quite that big, the sandwich menu has a lobster roll along with a basil chicken panini that looked great.
I didn’t try the Dragon’s Egg (halved avocado stuffed with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and crab) or tuna pizza (fried tortilla topped with ahi tuna and more and then layered with Japanese mayo, spicy mayo, avocado mousse, and cilantro) but hope I get to go back and do so.
The decor at the Murrells Island location — Wicked Tuna has another location in downtown Myrtle Teach — has unique decor with old shutters and doors on the walls along with a variety of artwork. Of course, you can just gaze at the ocean and be happy.
Wicked Tuna is located on the MarshWalk, a half-mile wooden boardwalk along the saltwater estuary, along with seven other restaurants. The businesses all combine in non-pandemic times to celebrate several special events at all times of the year. We were here in late January of 2020 for the Taste of the MarshWalk where you could sample favorite dishes from all the restaurants.
Wicked Tuna was also hosting a local high school fundraiser a few hours after our lunch. Ward says that is something the restaurant does every year because it wants to be involved locally. Knowing how important business support is to small school systems, that made me like this restaurant even more.
If that wasn’t enough, the measures Wicked Tuna takes to be environmentally friendly impressed me.
Finally, do not let the dessert tray be brought to your table unless you want a dessert because when you see the choices it is impossible to say no.
So if you want some of the freshest seafood you will ever find, friendly service, and a unique waterfront setting, Wicked Tuna is for you.
