Pier 14 Myrtle Beach Restaurant Review

When our friends visited us in Tennessee earlier this year, we spent a few days exploring Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge together. So when it came time for us to visit them, we made the trip to South Carolina to see Myrtle Beach and some of the surrounding areas.

Before our trip, I did a little research on restaurants in the area and found one that immediately caught my attention: Pier 14. The restaurant sits right on the pier, overlooking the ocean, and it had great reviews online. I even mapped out where it was in relation to our condo before we left and saw that it was only a short walk away. Both Pier 14 and our condo were conveniently located right by the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, which made it even more appealing.

The idea of dining over the water while being steps away from the boardwalk sounded perfect. But as it turned out, before we ever made it to Pier 14, we had already visited Wicked Tuna in Murrells Inlet, and that experience set the bar high.

Wicked Tuna had been a completely impromptu visit. I did zero research before we went there and didn’t even know what their rating was until after the fact. I formed my opinion entirely on our own experience and would have given it five stars without hesitation. Later, when I looked it up, I was surprised to see it only had a 4.3 rating on Google. Pier 14, on the other hand, had a 4.6 at the time I first checked (and currently sits at 4.5). Naturally, my expectations were high, but as I’d soon find out, ratings can be deceiving.

A Cozy Night with Ocean Views

When we arrived at Pier 14, the weather wasn’t great. It was raining, dark, and windy, but it was still nice to be there. One benefit of visiting in the off-season was that we didn’t have to wait to be seated, which was a nice bonus.

At the entrance, we were greeted by Halloween decorations, including a talking animatronic pirate that instantly caught our attention and set a fun tone. The hostess welcomed us warmly and seated us quickly.

Just to make it clear, the weather had zero effect on our opinion of this restaurant. Obviously, they have no control over that. Everything in this review is based solely on our dining experience.

Once seated, we were given menus, and I have to say that our server was wonderful. He was attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and quick to answer any questions we had about the dishes.

While we were waiting on our food, we decided to step out into the outdoor seating area since it had a covered roof. Even though we couldn’t walk the pier itself because of the rain, we could still enjoy the view of the boardwalk, which was all lit up. The Ferris wheel glowed in the distance, the lights from nearby buildings reflected beautifully on the water, and we could hear the sound of the waves below. It was a really pretty sight and made for some great photo opportunities.

The boys wanted pictures of themselves facing the ocean, so I asked them to turn around so I could get a front-facing shot. Naturally, they gave me the classic teenage sigh and attitude. When I asked what was wrong, my son said I was “draining his aura.” All of us adults burst out laughing, teasing them about their teen lingo. Later that evening, when we went to a local mall so he could pick out a new cologne, I asked him if he was “refilling his aura,” and he laughed and said yes.

Appetizers

We didn’t go overboard ordering appetizers the way we did at Wicked Tuna. The only one we tried was the hushpuppies, and I have to say they were delicious. They almost looked burnt in appearance but weren’t at all. The flavor was really nice, and the texture was perfect — crispy on the outside and soft in the center. The sauce that came with them was a great touch and complemented them well.

Entrées: A Mixed Experience

Our son’s friend ordered the salmon, and so did I. On the menu, it’s listed as Fire-Grilled Salmon, with the option of having it grilled or blackened. I chose blackened, but since both were supposed to be grilled, I thought ours might have been mixed up when they arrived. His salmon had that darker outer crust I typically expect when something is blackened, while mine didn’t. I understand that “blackened” refers to the seasoning, but it’s been my experience that the seasoning usually forms that flavorful dark crust from the searing process, so I was a little surprised that mine didn’t have that appearance.

When I asked about it, our server assured me that the plates hadn’t been mixed up. I think he felt a little bad that I wasn’t thrilled with it, so he brought me some of the garlic butter they normally add to the regular grilled version to see if that might help. The butter didn’t really make it any better, but I genuinely appreciated that he tried.

My husband ordered the cheeseburger, and as I mentioned earlier, the one at Wicked Tuna blew this one out of the water, every pun intended. The Pier 14 cheeseburger wasn’t bad by any means, but it was just your basic cheeseburger.

Our friend ordered the dish called Fish Crustacean, which included shrimp, scallops, and fish topped with a creamy sauce. I tried one of her scallops, and it was good, one of the better dishes we sampled that evening.

Her husband ordered the massive fish sandwich, which was one of the better things on the menu that we tried. The fish was cooked nicely, the portion was generous, and it had great flavor overall.

Our son ordered the fish and chips, and in my opinion, it was the best-tasting thing on the menu. The batter was crispy, the fish was tender, and it was perfectly seasoned.

Sweet Treats and a Fun Night

The only person at our table who ordered dessert was my friend, who chose the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, which happened to be the dessert of the day. It’s not something you’ll find listed on the regular menu, but it was a nice surprise and really good. I took a bite, and it had great flavor and the perfect texture.

When we finished dinner, we decided to have a little fun with the Halloween skeletons they had set up at one of the tables. My friend wanted a picture with them first, then the boys joined in and each took turns sitting with the skeletons. We even created a video of them pretending to be on “dates” with the skeletons using their teen slang, which turned out hilarious.

Click here to watch the video of their skeleton “dates” and see the fun for yourself!

Final Thoughts

Pier 14 wasn’t a bad experience at all. It just didn’t live up to my expectations after dining at Wicked Tuna. Had we eaten here first, I might have had a completely different perspective. The food overall was decent, and some dishes were quite good, but it didn’t wow me the way Wicked Tuna did.

That said, there are definite reasons to visit Pier 14. The service was great, the location is unbeatable, and the atmosphere is lovely, especially with its position directly over the ocean and next to the boardwalk. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate for us this time, but I’d love to go back during the warmer season to enjoy the pier, the views, and maybe give the menu another try.

Overall, I’d rate Pier 14 a 4 out of 5.

If you’d like to compare this experience to our visit at Wicked Tuna, you can read that full review here: Wicked Tuna in Murrells Inlet: A Myrtle Beach Area Favorite for Fresh Seafood & Views

Watch the Full Experience

Click the button below to watch my full video review of Pier 14 in Myrtle Beach, where I share our honest experience, what we ordered, and how it compared to Wicked Tuna.

Pier 14 Video Review

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