# First trip to Myrtle



## mcsteve (May 2, 2022)

So, this June will be my first trip to Myrtle Beach on our way back from HHI. We have made any trips up and down the east coast but for some unknown reason have never stopped there. It will be just my DW with me so we will be looking to take in some of the local food stops and history. 

Does anyone have suggestions of activities for us to try or great foodie stops. We are not into Ferris shells or that kind of stuff but most other activities we are open to.

thanks in advance!


----------



## Bucky (May 3, 2022)

there are many great threads on TUG about Myrtle Beach. Here’s a good one to start with https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/myrtle-beach.306546/#post-2470818

There are a lot of discussions on Myrtle Beach in the “Marriott” sub forum also.


----------



## escanoe (May 3, 2022)

I know you are an HGVC owner as well. If you stay at one of the HGVC properties, there are some good threads in the HGVC section .... including discussions of restaurant discounts, free waterpark admission, etc.


----------



## missyrcrews (May 3, 2022)

Following...we are headed to that area in July.  Can't wait!!!


----------



## bobpark56 (May 3, 2022)

At Myrtle now. Dined at Pho Claire 2 days ago. It's the best pho I have ever had.


----------



## dayooper (May 3, 2022)

I have only been once, but had a great time and will go back someday. I like HHI (and Ocean Oak) much better than MB, but still like the MB area. I have 4 restaurant reco's to give.

1. Hook and Barrel - It's a seafood place a little north of where Ocean 22 and Ocean Enclave are located. We had a great meal with great service. The ambiance is a little more upscale than other places and I think it would fit in with some of the restaurants in HHI. We loved the fresh catch and the pan seared scallops. We also had the Pallia, but that looks like it's no longer on the menu.

2. Little Pigs Bar-B-Q - It's a BBQ place (duh) in a strip mall and it's delicious. They smoke the pork right in front of you, make their own sauces (the Carolina Mustard is fantastic), have great sides and serve on a paper plate (just like a true BBQ place should). Even with very little bark, the pork is smoked to perfection and melts in your mouth. My son and daughter actually considered wanting to go back to MB because of this place!

If you are staying at Ocean 22, these places are just a quick 5 minute walk from the resort.

3. SoHo Steak and Sushi Bar - We had a sushi lunch and it was fantastic. I'm sure the prices have gone up since 2019, but we spent less than $30 for a sushi, tempura and chicken finger  lunch. Some of the best sushi I have had for that price. I love that you get a sampler with 4 different rolls and the tempura was great. We wound up taking back the chicken fingers as the 10 year old decided to partake in the sushi instead.

4. River City Cafe - Nice place for burgers, fries and fried pickles. I like the other 3 places better, but they have some pretty interesting burgers. Right across the road from SoHo.

We also ate at Riptidz, but were underwhelmed. It was decent, but not worth the wait nor the price.

If you are interested, they have some activities that were quite fun. The go kart park is a blast. As an adult, I had so much fun there. You get a free day pass and it's worth a trip.


----------



## mcsteve (May 4, 2022)

escanoe said:


> I know you are an HGVC owner as well. If you stay at one of the HGVC properties, there are some good threads in the HGVC section .... including discussions of restaurant discounts, free waterpark admission, etc.


We are at Anderson Ocean Club while in MB so just started searching the HGVC threads for tips and other suggestions. That forum is so congested with the DRI and MAX discussions that it is hard to filter out these days, but I’m working on it 



dayooper said:


> I have only been once, but had a great time and will go back someday. I like HHI (and Ocean Oak) much better than MB, but still like the MB area. I have 4 restaurant reco's to give.


Yes, we rate HHI in our top 3 preferred places (probably tied for #1) and go multiple times each year. We use to do a lot of car trips when the kids were young and found great new places just by exploring while on the road. We “found” the Outer Banks one year simply because the map showed a ferry and DW wanted to go for the ride. Who would have guessed what a great place was located on the other side. We’ve started to make a list of places that were on our “should see one day” list and are trying to plan those thrips in between or along side HHI trips.

1. Hook and Barrel - The DW found this one on other sites being recommended and with good reviews. With yet another voice recommending it I’ve moved it up the list to “must go”. Seafood is always on my list of preferred menu items and when I am this close to the coast it is a must have.

2. Little Pigs Bar-B-Q - Ok, so after seafood BBQ is my second fav so you are pressing the right buttons here and this definitely sounds like the style of place I’m looking for. Being from Canada it is really hard to find an authentic southern BBQ joint so I try really hard to find good ones when I travel. I’m also a huge fan of Carolina style BBQ and have adopted it as my go to style when running my own smoker back home.

The go kart park is a blast. As an adult, I had so much fun there. You get a free day pass and it's worth a trip. - I said no Ferris wheels but who can resist running around a track in a mini car? I love go carts and the 3 day pass sounds like it’ll do the trick. Now I need to find something for DW for those 3 days


----------



## okw1 (May 4, 2022)

We are here now for the first time.  Yesterday we did a dolphin tour out of Murrels Inlet and saw a lot of dolphins.  We had fantastic crab nachos at the Dead Dog Saloon.  Last night we enjoyed Big Mike’s.  Today for lunch was fabulous at Croissants Breakfast Brunch and Coffee.


----------



## escanoe (May 4, 2022)

mcsteve said:


> We are at Anderson Ocean Club while in MB so just started searching the HGVC threads for tips and other suggestions. That forum is so congested with the DRI and MAX discussions that it is hard to filter out these days, but I’m working on it



The link below is the most relevant thread, I think. Fairly sure the same will apply to AOC. I own at AOC, but have only stayed at Ocean 22 in Myrtle Beach.









						Ocean 22 Rooms
					

We are booked in a standard (ocean view) 2 bedroom at Ocean 22 in the end of June. Looking at the details and pictures, we are unsure of how many standard 2 bedrooms are on each floor. Looking at the Flickr album @Kokolea has in the sticky above, it looks like that the xx05 and the xx06 are 2...




					tugbbs.com


----------



## Patri (May 4, 2022)

Huntington Beach State Park and Myrtle Beach State Park!


----------



## Bucky (May 5, 2022)

Even when we were staying at MOW we rarely ever ate locally except maybe breakfast at Blueberry’s. But a short drive North on 17 and you are at Barefoot Landing. Now this is not fine dining by any means but I’m not a food snob so it’s great for my wife and I. Great Burgers at River City Cafe. Plenty of activities within the complex https://www.bflanding.com/calendar. Many very good food establishments https://www.bflanding.com/directory/eat-drink/restaurants. Landshark and Crooked Hammock being the newest to open. One of our favorites is Taco Mundo because of the outside patio seating on the ICW. There are even a few activities available on site that I wasn’t actually aware of until I started searching for this thread. Think I will take a brewery tour https://www.bflanding.com/directory/attractions. Within a mile of Barefoot are also several excellent restaurants such as 21 Main https://www.21mainatnorthbeach.com/, Joes Bar and Grill https://www.joesbarandgrillonline.com/ and many others. Dagwoods Deli and Sports Bar is newly open and our local dive, Hamburger Joes is always a fun lunch stop, cash only! https://www.hamburgerjoes.com/

Just get out. There are many fun things to do in Myrtle Beach. No, it is not HH, thankfully. People here actually do things other than eat. Being a local here we have actually learned that.


----------



## callwill (May 6, 2022)

Where da craft beer at?


----------



## justnosy (Jun 2, 2022)

Lots of good recommendation in the previous posts.
We (family with 3 kids in their early 20s) came back from our first visit to MB (May 22 - 29)
Here's where we ate and what we did (at least what I remember...tend to forget a lot of things quickly now and it's been hectic at work!):
Breakfast: (picked up a 4 pack of bacon at Costco, eggs and bread so cooked breakfast for 4 days)
Drift - got there early and food is very very good! I had the Quinoa Huevos Rancheros - different and very yummy! Rest of the family enjoyed their food too.
Croissants Bistro and Bakery - made reservation just in case - very very good! I think I had the Southern Benedict - I really liked that the eggs were on top of a croissant! Entire family enjoyed the food.

Lunch:
Dead Dog Saloon - Marsh Walk/Murrell's Inlet - good food but not all that memorable. I had the surf and turf tacos. We all enjoyed our food...and the free hush puppies.
River Oak Cottage (Hopsewee Plantation) - had the sampler; decent meal but nothing wow about it. Convenient and a touristy thing to do.
(snacked or grabbed quick lunch other days - not worth mentioning)

Dinner:
Soho Steak and Sushi Bar - 21st ave location - went close to prime dinner hour and parking was dicey; parked at a lot across the street and got the last spot! This was the family's favorite dinner restaurant (and the most expensive) My son got the ribeye and the rest of us shared a whole lot of sushi. We also ordered their version of jalapeno poppers with salmon and that was really really good! (got another appetizer but forgot what it was ) My daughters picked out the sushi rolls. With the exception of one roll which was kind of weird looking in presentation but still good - the food was excellent!
The Grumpy Monk - Broadway at the Beach location: decent food - very good except for the crab dip which was soup like! Definitely take a pass on that! I had the mahi mahi tacos and really really liked them and got them again the second time we went there for dinner.
Mrs Fish - really good fish dishes! I ordered a fish sandwich and was able to get it w/o the bun! This place was a family favorite too.
Margaritaville - Broadway at the Beach - meh...service was not there, food wasn't as good as the one at Universal Florida.
Bangkok House - very good Thai food! I had the Pineapple fried rice and it was really good.
Costco pizza (no need to expand on this)

Activities we did:
Myrtle Beach Segway Tour at Huntington Beach State Park - since my kids are adults now I decide to splurge and do a segway tour. It was so much fun and this is the family's favorite of all the activities. It's a great way to get a highlight tour of the state park.
Myrtle Beach State Park - spent a couple of hours at this very nice clean beach doing nothing. My husband and older daughter went fishing on the pier (didn't catch anything)
Brookgreen Gardens - tickets are good for 7 consecutive days! Lots to do here although the one thing I wanted to do we didn't get to do - the Creek Excursion Boat ride (extra cost) First day we did the zoo and low country (got rained on a bit). This day also had a couple of school trips and the earlier boat tours were sold out. The second visit we did the indoor gallery because it was pouring rain! Obviously all outdoor tours were cancelled. The third and final visit we did the sculpture gardens (husband was not a fan since it was outdoors and it was sunny and humid) We went later in the day and didn't have time to fit the boat tour in.
Hopsewee Plantation - did the plantation tour and also the Gullah Geechee Presentation; ate lunch in their tea room (River Oak Cottage) 
Escapology Escape Room - got a great deal on Groupon and did the Lost City room. Family really enjoyed this. My son was the only one who had done an escape room before so it was the first time for the rest of us. This Escapology has a Scooby-Doo themed room and my older daughter is still a big Scooby fan so we booked that room too which was discounted 20% (after doing the first room - Groupon not valid for the Scooby room) We were able to "escape" in the allotted hour - barely!
Ripley's Aquarium - had booked a special package (admission, build your own terrarium, glass bottom boat ride, drink and snacks for $50pp) Of course the day of this activity was the day it was pouring rain early in the day so when we arrived late afternoon it was packed with families/kids - by the time we were done making our terrarium, the place cleared out a lot! This place is small. Exhibits are pretty decent.
Grand Prix - near Broadway at the Beach: got a groupon for this but it was only for four so I sat out and the rest of the family went go karting. They liked it and said the indoor one looked dangerous so they skipped that one. They also played the mini golf in this place. Something different to do and it's not cheap.

I forgot that the Marriott timeshares have lots of activities so with our schedule we couldn't fit any in. I wish the activities list (and times) can be sent to us early. My girls like doing the tie-dye shirt activity. Since we couldn't fit that in I went to the activities room and bought the shirts. (my girls like to get the timeshare shirts used in the tie-dye activity)

Hope everyone that's going to MB will have a great time and eat great food!


----------



## silentg (Jun 2, 2022)

If you like Oysters, Rockefeller’s is very good.


----------



## Myrtlewineguy (Jun 2, 2022)

As a local, Many of the suggestions already given are great suggestions. 
Depending on what resort you’re staying at sort of influences what places to go….
One of my absolute favorites as a local is Villa Romana on 8th Ave., South and business 17.
For pizza : little Italy on business 17 and 30th Ave., North as well as Crave near 67th and business 17 ( $10 weekday lunches)


----------



## mcsteve (Jun 3, 2022)

Myrtlewineguy said:


> One of my absolute favorites as a local is Villa Romana on 8th Ave.


A buddy of mine also suggested this one for the lemon chicken pasta.  Gonna make sure it is on the list.


----------



## mcsteve (Jun 13, 2022)

Arrived on Saturday and checkin was busy but very easy. Settled in and did some walking around. AOC is definitely not in the middle of activity with the boardwalk and most other activity areas at least a mile in any direction. No big deal now that we realise we will be doing some walking or driving.

Got our go cart pass when we checked in and will probably be doing that on Wed. Sunday we drove out to Pawley’s Island. Great big stretch of beach with lots of shoreline to pick up some shells. A few rain showers and a storm blew by as we were out there but hey, we were at the beach so we were getting wet anyway. I always found it curious when I see people on the beach running for shelter under metal umbrellas. Probably not the best place for shelter. After getting back we stopped at Bummz for a bite. A nice little place about a 10 minute walk south of AOC. Claims to be locally owned and the Manager/Owner was running around making sure he filled in where the wait staff were falling behind. Even with the very busy seating food was delivered quick and hot. We had the shrimp tacos and the definitely hit the spot. Might get back there before the week is out.

Tonight we are walking the beach again and doing late night tacos in the room so we can “indulge” in some seafood Tues.


----------



## escanoe (Jun 13, 2022)

You and @tschwa2 are both there now, I believe. 



mcsteve said:


> Arrived on Saturday and checkin was busy but very easy. Settled in and did some walking around. AOC is definitely not in the middle of activity with the boardwalk and most other activity areas at least a mile in any direction. No big deal now that we realise we will be doing some walking or driving.
> 
> Got our go cart pass when we checked in and will probably be doing that on Wed. Sunday we drove out to Pawley’s Island. Great big stretch of beach with lots of shoreline to pick up some shells. A few rain showers and a storm blew by as we were out there but hey, we were at the beach so we were getting wet anyway. I always found it curious when I see people on the beach running for shelter under metal umbrellas. Probably not the best place for shelter. After getting back we stopped at Bummz for a bite. A nice little place about a 10 minute walk south of AOC. Claims to be locally owned and the Manager/Owner was running around making sure he filled in where the wait staff were falling behind. Even with the very busy seating food was delivered quick and hot. We had the shrimp tacos and the definitely hit the spot. Might get back there before the week is out.
> 
> Tonight we are walking the beach again and doing late night tacos in the room so we can “indulge” in some seafood Tues.


----------



## pedro47 (Jun 14, 2022)

Suggestion only The Sea Captain's House, Pop Pop's Pit BBQ, and Angelo Steak & Pasta.


----------



## pedro47 (Jun 14, 2022)

mcsteve said:


> So, this June will be my first trip to Myrtle Beach on our way back from HHI. We have made any trips up and down the east coast but for some unknown reason have never stopped there. It will be just my DW with me so we will be looking to take in some of the local food stops and history.
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions of activities for us to try or great foodie stops. We are not into Ferris shells or that kind of stuff but most other activities we are open to.
> 
> thanks in advance!


A day trip to Charleston, SC a two (2) drive one way.
Just obey the speed limit driving thru the small towns & cities.


----------



## mcsteve (Jun 14, 2022)

Charleston is a great stop.  We usually make a day trip from HHI. Love doing the history walks and exploring the downtown.


----------



## pedro47 (Jun 14, 2022)

To the OP, please drive over to Murrell Inlet for some great seafood restaurants(fresh off the fishing boat).


----------



## mcsteve (Jun 14, 2022)

We did our usual walk on the beach this morning. The sand here is quite different than HHI and the DW is unsure if she likes it. Too many shell pieces for her liking. I don’t mind though. In my opinion sand is better that stone any day so I’ll take it any way it comes.

Dinner was at the Hook & Barrel tonight. Great place with a very nice menu. The oysters were very good for starters and DW had the Bourbon glazed bacon (wow!). Followed up with the swordfish on a corn chutney which was also fantastic. Definitely will repeat this one.



pedro47 said:


> To the OP, please drive over to Murrell Inlet for some great seafood restaurants(fresh off the fishing boat).



Gonna try to get back out towards Murrell on Thursday or Friday morning. Tomorrow it’s off to ride some gocarts!


----------



## dayooper (Jun 15, 2022)

mcsteve said:


> We did our usual walk on the beach this morning. The sand here is quite different than HHI and the DW is unsure if she likes it. Too many shell pieces for her liking. I don’t mind though. In my opinion sand is better that stone any day so I’ll take it any way it comes.
> 
> Dinner was at the Hook & Barrel tonight. Great place with a very nice menu. The oysters were very good for starters and DW had the Bourbon glazed bacon (wow!). Followed up with the swordfish on a corn chutney which was also fantastic. Definitely will repeat this one.
> 
> ...



So glad you liked Hook and Barrel! If/when we go back to MB, we will make a return there. I agree with your wife about the beach, it’s kinda sub-par compared to HHI.


----------



## HitchHiker71 (Jun 15, 2022)

Fire and Smoke gastropub - dinner only - usually opens at 5:00 PM - reservations highly recommended - only about 8-10 minutes from AOC area by car.  This place is one of the best kept secrets in MB without a doubt - a hole in the wall strip mall location.  Try the elk ribs if you like meat - they are to die for there.  Everything else is just as good IME - whether the charred steaks or the fresh caught fish.  They usually have specials every night - I often end up getting one of the specials myself.  Not cheap per se - but the food and beverage quality is over the top IMHO.  They are known for their old fashions in particular.









						Fire and Smoke Gastropub
					

Fire and Smoke Gastropub, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 5,292 likes · 9 talking about this · 9,825 were here. Fire & Smoke provides a unique combination of American fusion and southern "comfort food"...




					www.facebook.com
				




We also almost always hit Wicked Tuna in MI - they have a really good sushi bar there - so we order up a couple sushi rolls and some sashimi for appetizers and then get some kind of fresh caught fish on special for dinner - if it's not too hot outside sit out on the back deck that overlooks the marina and inlet.  Most of the restaurants in MI along the marsh walk are pretty good - hard to go wrong in this area for food really.


----------



## HitchHiker71 (Jun 15, 2022)

dayooper said:


> So glad you liked Hook and Barrel! If/when we go back to MB, we will make a return there. I agree with your wife about the beach, it’s kinda sub-par compared to HHI.



The sand in Myrtle is very dark - almost mud-like in content in some areas.  Not everyone's cup of tea so to speak.


----------



## dayooper (Jun 16, 2022)

HitchHiker71 said:


> The sand in Myrtle is very dark - almost mud-like in content in some areas.  Not everyone's cup of tea so to speak.



Yeah, the color isn’t too bad. For me, it’s that 4”-6” drop off right at the water line where the shell pieces collect. Hard to walk across.


----------



## chapjim (Jun 16, 2022)

A feature of Myrtle Beach and N. Myrtle Beach is that it is sixty miles long and 100 yards wide (made up numbers).  The point is that wherever you are staying could be an hour or so drive from where you want to go.

I'll add one low-brow seafood place to the list.  Bimini's Oyster Bar, on Lake Arrowhead Drive, close to Wyndham SeaWatch.


----------



## tschwa2 (Jun 16, 2022)

HitchHiker71 said:


> The sand in Myrtle is very dark - almost mud-like in content in some areas.  Not everyone's cup of tea so to speak.


I am also not a fan of the cigar smokers on the beach and even on the ocean.  There is also quite a bit of cigarettes and cigar butts mixed in with the sand too.


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Jun 16, 2022)

Another trip to Myrtle Beach is in order!


----------



## mcsteve (Jun 16, 2022)

tschwa2 said:


> I am also not a fan of the cigar smokers on the beach and even on the ocean.  There is also quite a bit of cigarettes and cigar butts mixed in with the sand too.


Personally I must say this is one of my biggest pet peeves.  Also the number of people smoking and vaping on their balcony who just don’t care where their “exhaust” goes.


----------



## dayooper (Jun 21, 2022)

mcsteve said:


> Personally I must say this is one of my biggest pet peeves.  Also the number of people smoking and vaping on their balcony who just don’t care where their “exhaust” goes.



We had one instance of that at on our Ocean 22 balcony. Someone below us was smoking marijuana. Per Ocean 22 rules, it’s not supposed to happen, but it does.


----------



## missyrcrews (Jul 18, 2022)

I am here in Surfside Beach...reading back through old threads to find things to do.  We drove up to Myrtle Beach today.  We enjoyed looking at all the high rise hotels...but concluded that we are much happier staying here in the quieter part of town.    Told the kids that I'd take them out to eat one day, and Audrey wants to hit outlets and thrift stores.  I imagine the week will fly!  I see why so many of you like this area, though.  I couldn't believe the temperature of the water....it is like taking a bath!  (Says the person whose reference for the ocean temp is Popham Beach in Maine!)


----------



## needvaca (Jul 18, 2022)

missyrcrews said:


> I am here in Surfside Beach...reading back through old threads to find things to do.  We drove up to Myrtle Beach today.  We enjoyed looking at all the high rise hotels...but concluded that we are much happier staying here in the quieter part of town.    Told the kids that I'd take them out to eat one day, and Audrey wants to hit outlets and thrift stores.  I imagine the week will fly!  I see why so many of you like this area, though.  I couldn't believe the temperature of the water....it is like taking a bath!  (Says the person whose reference for the ocean temp is Popham Beach in Maine!)


You have kids right?  My kids love Johnny Ds Waffles in Surfside Beach, another in Myrtle Beach proper. You gotta try it


----------



## missyrcrews (Jul 19, 2022)

needvaca said:


> You have kids right?  My kids love Johnny Ds Waffles in Surfside Beach, another in Myrtle Beach proper. You gotta try it


Thank you for the recommendation!  That place is right around the corner.  I do have kids, though two of the ones that I have with me technically qualify as adults, I suppose.   Audrey is allergic to gluten, which really complicates restaurants.  (We have been thankful AGAIN for timeshare kitchens during the g/f journey....I can cook things that she can eat so easily!)  I'll research Johnny Ds to see if they have g/f options.


----------



## dayooper (Jul 20, 2022)

Ok, so this place was recommended to me after we went in ‘19. They actually had a Triple D spot on it (TV show on Food Network). It’s on my list the next time we go.


----------

