Story and photos by Stacy Kleber

Monday June 14, 2010, Murrells Inlet - The Marshwalk in Murrells Inlet offers a relaxing atmosphere and breathtaking inlet views. Beside the walk are a variety of restaurants, and among them, Dead Dog Saloon has secured itself a happy reputation with its amazing view, outdoor deck, and penchant for live music in the evenings.

The atmosphere in Dead Dog Saloon is laid-back and eclectic, which Dead Dog was before a winter 2010 remodeling. Now the eclecticness has been spruced up with tables painted with cartoons of dogs, and multicolored chairs that lend a quirky feel. The walls are littered with pictures of dogs playing pool, golf, and anything else you can imagine.

Outside, Dead Dog Saloon boasts both a covered patio with a bar, and an exposed deck for patrons looking to soak up the sun. The decor on the patio includes wicker chairs and rope lights to create a festive mood, but of course the main attraction out there is the incredibly gorgeous inlet view.

Every meal starts off with a basket of house-made hushpuppies. They are one of my favorite southern indulgences, and Dead Dog Saloon did not disappoint.

The hush puppies were cooked perfectly crisp on the outside, without being overly greasy. The honey butter for dipping is amazing as well, sweet with a hint of cinnamon.

For the main meal, we decided to try the Spinach Salad, and the Turkey Wrap.

The Spinach Salad consists of herb marinated chicken, baby spinach, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette. We ordered ours without the onion.

The portion on the salad was large, and the flavor was excellent. All ingredients were fresh, and the balsamic vinaigrette was refreshing on a hot day. They are light on the dressing, so you get to enjoy all the flavors of the salad.

The Turkey Wrap consists of turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and avocado mayoniasse on a chipotle tortilla wrap. It also comes with a choice of French fries, onion rings, or coleslaw and a pickle.

Overall the Turkey Wrap was good, but not as impressive as the salad. The ingredients were all very fresh, and the bacon was crispy. The avocado mayo was okay, but did not stand out to me among the other flavors in the wrap.

I ordered the wrap with fries, which I felt were tasty. They were crispy without being greasy.

The menu has a variety of options for just about any taste. Appetizers include Oysters on the Half Shell (freshly shucked oysters) and Woof Woof Wings (chicken wings tossed in hot, mild, teriyaki, chipotle, barbecue, or garlic Parmesan sauce).

They also serve house-made She-Crab Soup, Build-A-Burger, Crabbier Cakes (pan-seared crab cakes), and a variety of fish and steak entrees.

The prices are about average. Appetizers range from $8.95 - $11.95, with a few exceptions. Sandwiches and Salads range from $7.95 for a Caesar Salad to $11.95 for a Crabby Cake Sandwich. Dinners run from $15.95 - $22.95 depending on what sort of steak or fish you choose.

The service was helpful and friendly. The waitress made sure to check on us sporadically and was gracious with any additional request we had.

We were there early in the evening, and so missed out on the live band experience, but there is entertainment almost every night in the summer, from The Mullets to The Paul Grimshaw Band. The deck and outdoor bar are ideal for summer entertainment.

Overall, Dead Dog Saloon seems to be a great place to sit back and enjoy a summer day without breaking your budget. They are open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with the bar open late until 1 a.m.

There is something for just about everyone at Dead Dog Saloon.

Dead Dog Saloon

4079 Highway 17 Business

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

651-0664

www.deaddogsaloon.com (menu available online)

Hours:

11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Mondays through Fridays

Bar open until 1 a.m.