I opt for Seafare Restaurant in Surfside Beach ([843] 232-1366). Inside, a sailing ship used as a serving table strains under an impressive lineup of more than 120 items, including crab cakes, snow crab legs, prime rib, and a myriad of desserts. Servers dressed as pirates entertain children. Mermaids wave a welcome. Now that's a road trip to remember.

left: A feast of seafood tops the massive buffet at Seafare Restaurant in Surfside Beach.