the surf diner

location, location, location.

we came for dinner, and were lucky because it was just after 7pm so parking in the beach lot was free. the setting for this restaurant is, of course, very nice, giving a view of the strand in both directions and out to sea. there was also, somewhat surprisingly, no wait for a table on the deck. service was quick, and the food came in a reasonable amount of time. i opted for a traditional southern dish, shrimp and grits, but made the mistake of choosing a roll over hushpuppies. the shrimp and grits was pretty good: thick, nicely seasoned and filled with shrimp and just enough cheese. the roll, though, would have gone through a police car's windshield without being damaged, had a riot started. get the hushpuppies.

the curmudgeon’s ratings (explained, sort of, on the curmudgeon-about-town blog):

food: 3 chili peppers (out of 5)
service: 3 chili peppers
ambience: 4 chili peppers
value: 3 chili peppers

i was there over the summer for a family vacation. food took longer than usual for a breakfast diner. food was good but not memorable. waitress was not very friendly and considerate when food was taking a long time. i will probably try again though because of the great views.

first time here since it became surf diner. (came here for many years as it was nibbles.) the remodeled inside looked nice and it was nice to have restrooms inside the restaurant now. the food was fairly good. pretty typical breakfast. the staff seemed nice although our waitress was a bit snippy at times. but the view is always nice.

great casual dining. the food was fantastic. large portions made with care and attention to detail. the staff was friendly. we sat at the bar and ate dinner. no crowd and no wait. i would highly recommend!

terrific! very good fried shrimp. great prices.

best kept secret in surfside beachsc. we receive a highly recommended review from my parents and have been eating there ever since. great food, huge portions, great service , ocean front view with beach music not played loudly, but just the right volume to enjoy. nice little shop and pier to enjoy as well. do yourself a favor ignore bad reviews and try it for yourself. not sure about breakfast. lunch & dinner fantastic

not worth the time. lousy service. incomplete orders. inattentive staff. i could go on and on. people in after us received their special order after we ordered simple breakfasts. our server could have cared less. expensive for what it is. our waitress complained about where we were seated and how hot it was. and also complained that she had 5 other tables. this is a tourist trap. i will never go back.

we were originally going to bubba's but a 45 min wait with kids was out of the question. so we crossed the street and so glad we did. sat right away, staff was friendly an accommodating. every fried platter can be requested grilled. kids food was good-my kids ate every bite of mac and cheese, burger and corn dog. or fried shrimp was great! grilled too! and a generous portion of flounder. good food, good service and then after dinner the ice cream parlor and pier were right there! a perfect evening!

i don't understand the rave reviews. we decided to give a chance just from the reviews given here. really wish we had gone somewhere else. the facts about our visit are the scrambled eggs were not done....not even scrambled enough to mix the whites and yolks. the hash browns were just nasty. everything seems to be frozen or instant food. been here five days. so far, this was the worst breakfast of the week. the thing that saddens me is we had always visited nibils, the restaurant that was in the building before. it was always great. the new owners have done a great job with the remodel, it really looks great. but sadly enough, we won't return due to the food quality. so long nibils/surf diner. it was a good run.

beautiful view: clean and friendly breakfast place right on the beach. the food is better than standard diner fare. family friendly!

everything was great!! amazing pancakes, french toast and eggs! delicious!!! highly recommend!

very good food, quality and value. ate there three time on our vacation. excellent every time. good service.

we had breakfast there this morning and even though they were extremely busy, service was very fast and the staff very friendly. we loved the atmosphere and the view of the beach is unforgettable!