Grand Strand Restaurants Review
Creek Ratz keeps the seafood tradition
alive in Murrells Inlet
The origin of the Creek Ratz name is fascinating. It stands for young kids who love to play around in the marshes of Murrells Inlet, the ones who come home dropping wet and covered with sand and mud at the end of the day. That homey illustration describes what the Creek Ratz restaurant is all about. It has a Murrells Inlet aura, very much like one of the older beach houses but with high ceilings, a great bar and numerous big screen TV’s on which patrons can watch their favorite sports events.
Mack Parker is the general manager of Creek Ratz. He comes from the Dockside restaurant located only a few yards from Creek Ratz. Both restaurants are owned by David Owens although he also has some partners in Dockside.
It’s never a problem to find something to eat or drink at Creek Ratz. It’s open seven days a week from 11 in the morning until 11 at night and in the peak of the season has almost 100 people employed in the kitchen, the dining area and the bar.
Parker says there’s one item on the menu that has become popular, but a lot of people have never heard of it…namely, fried pickles. Indeed they are slices of pickle, deep fried like a piece of fish, but when you bite into one, there’s no mistaking that it’s a pickle.
One of the top sellers is the Creek Ratz Pizza and it’s probably because it’s made fresh every day…that is all the ingredients, including the yeast and such, are mixed, allowed to set and rolled into pies just before they are baked with whatever ingredients the customer desires. Some of the more unusual combinations are the Spinach and Feta Cheese pizza, the Philly Cheese Steak Pizza and the Buffalo Chicken pizza.
There are more than a dozen items on the Appetizer list ranging from Calamari to wings, to crab cakes, quesadillas, nachos and even fried okra.
Salad lovers will find a loaded house salad, a Greeksalad, a Caesar Salad as well as a grilled pizza salad. There’ Manhattan clam chowder which is crammed with veggies and clams and approaches being a casserole as well as a soup.
Po Boy sandwiches of all kinds will satisfy anyone looking for good old home cooking. They include Flounder, Shrimp, Oyster and Clam Po Boys. Tacos come stuffed with fish and while there is a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, there’s also a Chicken Cheese sandwich. If you are a Reuben fan, there is a “Creek Rat Reuben” made with shrimp, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing on Rye Bread. Also on the menu is the traditional Reuben made with corned beef.
One of the best buys is the Creek Ratz Appetizer Combo that for many customers might actually be enough for a whole meal. It contains stuffed mushrooms, fried pickle chips, fish nuggets and cheese sticks. An order of homemade hush puppies along with that will satisfy a lot of hunger.
Creek Ratz is located in the heart of the Murrells Inlet “Restaurant Row” district on Business 17 overlooking the Inlet and the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk.
CREEK RATZ
4065 Highway 17 Business
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
(843) 357-2891 | Menu
Restaurant Type: Bar/Pub, Casual, Delicatessen, Family, Seafood
Meals Served: Lunch, Dinner
Food Type: Italian, Southern
Features: Alcohol Served, Child Friendly, Handicap Accessible, Outdoor Dining, Take Out, Vegetarian Options
