FLYING FISH - N. Myrtle Beach, SC

I hate when I'm really looking forward to a meal and it turns out to be a major disappointment. Our last day at the beach I really wanted seafood and I was looking forward to really good seafood. Our hosts selected Flying Fish Public Market & Grill. I was happy to learn that this was not one of their favorite go-to seafood spots.

We will probably never eat here again. Although their claim to fame is that the seafood goes from the boat to the kitchen within two hours of being caught, the fish being fresh is all they can claim. Once it was cooked it was all downhill.

Let me start with the staff and service. We asked for a particular table. There's no point in dining on the water if you can't have a window with a view. We were there shortly before noon and there was no crowd so being seated at the table we wanted should not have been a problem. The hostess was visibly annoyed when she had to actually wipe off that table to accommodate us and she didn't bother to hide her irritation. It set the mood for the entire meal. The server was much more pleasant and I actually give her props for her efforts. Without her pleasant personality the entire meal would have been a total bust.

We started with a round of appetizers for the table to share.  The men selected the coconut shrimp with spicy orange marmalade and crispy calamari with sweet and spicy chili sauce. Eating the calamari felt like chewing on rubber bands and the sauce was horrific. The orange marmalade was the best thing on the table at that point. That is until you dipped a shrimp into it.

Big Daddy ordered Fish and Chips and I ordered the Southern Fried Platter with Oysters and Flounder. The oysters were probably the best things on both of our plates. They were lightly breaded, nicely seasoned and very tasty. The fish was over fried and tasted like the oil had not been changed in ages. The slaw was just okay and the fries were oddly seasoned. Two of us thought they'd been dusted with parmesan cheese and the others weren't sure. Either way they were not good and it's not often I can't at least eat the fries.

I wish there was something about this place that I can say I liked but there really isn't. With all the great seafood restaurants in Myrtle Beach I can't say that I would recommend them to anyone if asked. It was truly a disappointment.