When we travel to the coast of the Carolinas, at least one seafood meal seems necessary.

Thanks to a recommendation on one of our Facebook posts seeking suggestions for great places to eat in Myrtle Beach, we discovered this gem, Chesapeake House, in the northern stretches of the strand.

Chesapeake House looks like a basic no-frills restaurant out front. Inside, it has a more cozy, fine-dining feel, and many seats in the dining area overlook a beautiful pond on the grounds.

Like many seafood spots, this is a great place for various selections from the sea, as well as a number of great steaks, chicken and other dishes. We chose a little “surf and turf” combination, with me getting a seafood platter and my wife getting a steak. That way, we collectively were able to sample beef, fish, shrimp and deviled crab.

Everything on our plates was fresh and delicious. The beef was very tender and quite juicy. The fried seafood items were crispy, each in their own unique breading taste and not at all greasy. The baked potato and fries were hot and excellent. And it was a good amount of food, especially since we opted for the slightly-less-expensive early-bird menu, another suggestion by the kind folks who recommended Chesapeake House to us.

In addition to the great main courses, a few extra things set Chesapeake House apart before the entrees arrived. First, the restaurant serves a basket of hushpuppies and cinnamon rolls while you’re surveying the menu. I love a good homemade cinnamon roll, so that intrigued me in scoping out the place before our visit. The rolls and hushpuppies were excellent, fresh and hot, and on the light side, which was great because that meant we weren’t filled up prior to getting the rest of our food. (We even watched the baker making cinnamon rolls in the kitchen as we left the restaurant after eating, which gave the experience even more an authentic feel.)

Chesapeake House also serves a great fish stew that I found to be almost like a Brunswick stew. My wife Molly could taste a slight amount of fishiness, but I couldn’t tell it was fishy at all. I would venture that indicates that the stew is a good mid-flavor choice for many diners to try.

From beginning to end, this was a winning choice for a place to eat, and it was the meal we enjoyed on our last night of a trip to the Myrtle Beach area. We saw families of all sizes eating here, but we also believe the feel of the place is perfect for couples seeking a good date night that’s on the nicer side without a large price.

Great food is all about sharing for us, and we wouldn’t have known to check out Chesapeake House without the kind direction of the Bishops, who live in the same county as us. And on the topic of sharing, we encourage you to check out their blog and honeybee farm. If you live near us, you also live near them, and they offer delicious honey and related products we’ve sampled, love and gifted to others.

Next time you’re in Myrtle Beach, we pass on the Bishop family’s recommendation of the Chesapeake House as a place to get your seafood fix on the Carolina coast.

Chesapeake House, 9918 Highway 17 North, Myrtle Beach, S.C.