Beach Blog Restaurant Spotlight: Ocean Fish Market Part of Culinary Heritage
By Becky Billingsley
Often Grand Strand residents will be asked by visitors where they can go eat and have a "real Southern experience." Ocean Fish Market fulfills that request beyond anything these people could expect.
Ocean Fish Market has been located at its little corner of Conway, right beside the Waccamaw River, for about 60 years. The main part of the building houses a fresh seafood market, and at one end of the little shop is an ordering counter where food orders are placed.
But you don't even have to go inside to place an order, because there is also an outdoor walk-up ordering window. After telling the clerk what you'd like to eat, you can go find a spot at one of the several picnic tables out front. You can't be shy about sharing a table if they're all occupied. If there is a spot left to share, the other diners will be happy to slide over a little to make room for you.
These picnic tables are their own treats, because they sit under an enormous live oak tree draped in bushels of Spanish moss. The branches form an umbrella-like canopy over the dining area, providing shade, protection from the elements and a beautiful place to enjoy your lunch.
Ocean Fish Market is next to the Kingston Presbyterian Church Cemetery. That cemetery contains exquisite examples of Victorian gravestone art, and a high brick wall separates the fish market's picnic tables from the cemetery. Embedded in the wall is a row of iron rings, each about the height of a horse's nose. They were once used to tether the horses of hungry folks arriving on horseback, cart or buggy to get fresh seafood.
Proprietor Ray Hardee says Ocean Fish Market has been in his wife's family for about the past 60 years, and the menu has not changed much during that time.
Sandwiches include fillets of whiting, croaker, spot and catfish, and barbecue, soft shell crab and crab cake. My fried flounder sandwich came on white bread, and I had a choice of tartar sauce or hot sauce. Spot sandwiches are what this place is most famous for, and the small fishes are fried with their heads on and also served on white bread.
You can also get seafood dinners, including a flounder-shrimp combo, plus hot dogs, corn dogs, onion petals, sweet potato fries, cole slaw and hush puppies.
This is a fish market, so of course you can also get a wide variety of fresh seafood to take home and cook.
Another specialty of the house is their local McClellanville cluster oysters. Many local residents will vouch for the sweet, salty goodness of these plump morsels encased in clusters of oblong-shaped shells. Ray figures he sells around 7,000 bushels between September and April, and the oysters are washed before you take them home.
But change is coming to Ocean Fish Market. This fall Hardee hopes to start construction on a double-tier deck behind the oyster-washing shed beside the river. It will be a combination dining area and bar.
"I got the idea out of West Palm Beach, Florida," he says. "Down there the decks are hanging over the water. Ours will have great scenery, and shade, and docks for water access."
The way his plans are now, the deck will have 2,200 square feet on two levels. The top A-frame level will be open-air, have 1,200 square feet, and a bar serving beer and wine in the center. All Ray Hardee needs is final approval from his landlords.
Ocean Fish Market is at 302 Kingston St. in Conway, and the number is (843) 248-4334.
Ate there for years while living in Conway area ... If you have not been there, do so - great food and great prices ... Food is always hot and always fresh ... down home good ... go get some ... love it ...