When we plan a trip to Myrtle Beach, we always eat at Flamingo Grill and I always order Lobster Bites.
My family has been vacationing in North Myrtle Beach for years. Every summer, my husband and I get together with all the kids and grandkids for a week of fun in the sun. It’s only a couple of hours away from our home, so it’s an easy trip.
Annual Family Vacation
Since our family is so large, each married couple picks a night to cook dinner and to be in charge of cleanup. On my night, I always cook Mexican food, complete with fresh guacamole, salsa, chicken enchiladas, and nachos.
We all go out to dinner together one night and then we all have a date night with our spouses on another night. Daughter #1 and her hubby and daughter #3 and her boyfriend take all the grandkids out to dinner and arcade. They don’t have kids yet, so it’s their night to spoil the grandkids and vie for the aunt of the year award.
Flamingo Grill
On date night, the hubs and I always go to Flamingo Grill. It has been around since 1986.
The restaurant was started by two friends, both named Dino, who grew up in restaurants back in the day when Myrtle Beach was “a two-lane, three-month resort, dotted by mom and pop guest houses and a couple of beach ball shops.”
Flamingo Grill, with its eclectic art deco decor, has received rave reviews from Southern Living, Adventure Magazine, NY Post, and on and on. It’s truly a local gem and is known for its steaks, seafood, and pasta, but my favorite and the main reason we eat there is the lobster bites.
It’s really hard to put down in words how wonderful life is . . . wait, that’s a song. The lobster bites are dusted with flour infused seasonings and lightly fried, but they’re not heavy or greasy like a lot of fried food.
The lobster is tender, rich and almost melts in your mouth. And to top it all off, it’s served with a bearnaise sauce that is out of this world!
Did I mention that their wait staff is some of the best I’ve encountered anywhere?
On our last visit, I asked our waiter what the lobster bites were coated with before they were fried. I innocently asked if it was panko, knowing good and well that is wasn’t, and he said, “Oh no, it’s just flour.” Score!
Flamingo Grill Copycat Lobster Bites
So I set out to make Flamingo Grill Copycat Lobster Bites. It may not be the real deal, but it’s mighty close! And if you’re ever in Myrtle Beach, stop by Flamingo Grill. You’ll be glad you did!
Flamingo Grill Copycat Lobster Bites
Flamingo Grill serves lobster bites and I always order them when I eat there. I made a copycat version that is almost as good as the real thing.
Ingredients
- 4 Lobster Tails
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix flour with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cut through the soft side of the lobster tail and dig out the meat.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat until hot (350 degrees)
- Place lobster bites into flour mixture and coat.
- Fry bites until golden brown on both sides. It only takes a couple of minutes. Serve with Bearnaise sauce.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 270Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 77mgSodium 775mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 26g
You May Also Like
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Fajitas
House of Blues Gospel Brunch Review
Grilled Ribs with Tropical Basting Sauce
26 comments
What a fun way for the family to spend time together. I wish that I lived closer to family to be able to do more things like this. The lobster bites look delicious too.
They are so good, Erlene! And we always enjoy our time together every summer. My sister lives in Colorado and I don’t get to see her as often as I’d like.
Sounds like an awesome tradition of spending time as a family. I do not tend to make seafood at home, since my husband won’t eat it, but I would love to make these and they sound so easy.
I don’t normally fry foods at all, but these lobster bites are an exception to my rule. We have been eating them at Flamingo Grill for years and I finally decided to see if I could make them and they turned out great.
Wow, these look SO good! And Flamingo Grill looks like a fantastic place to eat!
It’s our fave place for date night!
These look delicious. It’s such a popular vacation spot, but I’ve never been to Myrtle Beach!
Those Lobster Bites look delicious!! I want to try them ASAP!!
They are so good, Ricci!
Although I don’t eat fried foods, I would make a exception to eat these lobster bites, yum! You are always cooking up something good to eat Alli, I’m coming over for dinner so save me a seat! 🙂
I don’t eat fried foods or meat, but I make an exception for lobster bites! 🙂
Love those vacation family traditions! Myrtle Beach is one of our favorite vacation spots as well but is about an 8 hour drive for us. All of my family in the Carolina’s call it, “going to the coast” 🙂
I’m simply must make this Lobster Bites, they sound scrumptious!!
They are so good, Shirley, and unlike any other seafood. We always look forward to our family time at the beach each year. We normally go earlier in the year, but this past summer we went the week of Labor Day. The crowds were gone and it was so quiet and peaceful – just the way we like it.
I love lobster – in fact I could just think of the taste right now. But they are so expensive to purchase! Guess I have to make a trip to SC!!!
Lobster is definitely a splurge. We only eat it a couple of times a year – when we visit North Myrtle Beach and on very special occasions. 🙂
Oh my… I’m a HUGE fan of lobster, but I don’t eat it often… and these lobster bites look delectable! I haven’t been to Myrtle Beach since I was a kid, but reading about the Flamingo Grill makes me want to go check it out. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
I don’t eat lobster very often, either – maybe once or twice a year, but it’s so good!
I really really love your tradition! I would love to do that with family and close friends when I am older! Also lobster anything=yum! I love fried shrimp so I have a feeling fried lobster will be heaven!
It is heaven, Melanie! I don’t eat fried foods often, but I always make an exception for lobster bites!
These look soo yummy and they sound easy to make, too!
They are so easy and so, so good!
So glad you shared these with us at the Home Matters Linky party! I am going to make these! Pinned it!
Do you use raw lobster or cook it first? I thought lobster had to be cooked alive.
I use lobster claws and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. The cooking process takes place when you fry the lobster bites.
We have been going to the Flamingo Griil for almost as long as it has been open, at least once every time we vacationed in MB.
In fact the only time we didn’t t get to go was when a hurricane chased us away in the nineties.
And lobster bites always were part of our dining experience.
And we have always wanted to try recreating them at home.
Thank you so much for posting this.
We also go at least once every time we vacation in MB. We happen to be here now and they’ve been closed all summer due to COVID. They reopen this week and we plan on going. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.