Dancing and Drinks in North Myrtle Beach

First thing’s first: there’s Myrtle Beach, and then there’s North Myrtle Beach. What’s the difference, you may be wondering? I’m glad you asked.

Photos Courtesy of Destination North Myrtle Beach

While Myrtle Beach proper with its boardwalk, plentiful bars, gift shops and party atmosphere has been a vacation destination for generations, think of North Myrtle Beach as its cool sibling with quality bars, quiet beaches, airy hotel rooms and a smattering of refined restaurants. That’s where my adventures bring me for a drinking diary that will take me from sipping bourbon and munching on steak, to tropical drinks by the pool and light beers at a dive. Want to come along? Lucky you, I saved you a spot next to me at the bar.

I arrive at Myrtle Beach International Airport one early morning and hop in an Uber for the 23 mile, approximately half-an-hour ride to North Myrtle Beach which, as you may have guessed, is north of where I landed. I’m staying on the cusp of Barefoot Landing, which is an oasis of cool shops (local candles and ice cream) as well as quality restaurants. Since it’s before noon and I want to get some local flavor, my first stop is the Cracker Barrel here.

I’ve never been, and as they say: when in Rome! (I mean, South Carolina.) While I recently read they started selling alcohol (including Mimosas and wine), I stick with the breakfast essentials and then make my way to my hotel at North Beach Resort and Villas. It’s a gargantuan complex on the beach that towers over the sand; my spacious room has a couch-clad balcony that overlooks the blue water and a handful of pools. I immediately head down to and order up a luscious Pina Colada at the pool bar. It’s a weekend, but the vibes are like a day party: music blasting and a cascade of revelers who stream down to the lounge chairs or hop over to the beach a short walk down the dune.

As the sun goes down, it’s time to head to Fat Harold’s, known as the Home of the Shag. Is the shag a cocktail, you may ask? Well, not exactly. It’s a locally famous dance that originated here in the 40s (and had a resurgence in the 80s) and has been a proud staple of South Carolina life since. It’s even considered the State Dance, in case that comes up on a future episode of Jeopardy. It’s for partners, where the dancers step back and forth to their heart’s content.

And while I wasn’t brave enough to join in, I did wind up freestyle dancing across the street at Duck’s, a classic dive where I drank down an ice cold Vodka Tonic with lime and busted loose a move or two on a vibrant dance floor. It’s the kind of place where older couples and young partiers boogie together; each partaking in the bar’s signature blue jello shots.

The next day, I headed to Tin Roof, a rooftop restaurant and bar on the beach that boasts live music over in Myrtle Beach proper. In fact, most bars and restaurants around these parts have live music on a nightly basis: from country to doo-wop (Forever Doo-Wop). Because I’m visiting in the middle of a weekday, the Tin Roof is a quiet affair on this sunny afternoon with a few stragglers drinking local favorites like Grand Street Brewing Company’s Sandy Cheeks West Coast IPA.

After taking a walk around the boardwalk and gazing at the ferris wheel (a community icon), I eventually find myself at Spyglass Adventure Golf. In case you weren’t aware, in addition to dancing and live music, another signature of the area is that it’s full of golf fanatics: professional courses, along with an incredible array of the most intricate mini golf spots you’ll ever see, many built around a singular theme.

At Spyglass, it’s pirate ship vibes as I put my ball into actual-size ships, explore massive caves, and traverse around an intricate array of ponds and waterways. It’s like you’re on a movie set, right down to the massive splashes of water that pop out of the ponds as a sound system blares the effects of launching and exploding cannonballs. I told you they get into it over here.

For my final day, it’s time to explore Barefoot Landing, the sprawling, open-air complex which sits waterside here in North Myrtle Beach. My first stop is a guided tasting at Duplin Winery, which specializes in sweet Muscadine wine. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the family-run operation this year released a 1976 Reserve blend in honor of its origin using a 400 year-old mother vine. They weren’t kidding about focusing on sweet: many of the wines were reminiscent of juice, including their Goin’ Coastal Vintage (citrus), Black River Red (grape), and Founder’s Noble (cherry).

The next day, I head for dinner and drinks at Gregg Norman’s Australian Grille. Owned by the eponymous golfer (are you sensing a theme?) the massive restaurant is known for bourbon and a seemingly endless list of brown liquors from sea to shining sea, and beyond, too. I’m referring to national staples to local favorites starting off with 1233 Bix Six Bourbon from nearby Little River. There’s also beloved classics, like Green River, the Kentucky-based favorite. And where there’s brown liquor, you can bet there’s a whole menu of meat, too, from Prime Rib to Filet Mignon and everything juicy in between, all served alongside the tranquil Intracoastal Waterway that snakes through this part of the coast.

As my North Myrtle Beach sojourn comes to a close, it’s time to say goodbye with a drink at Bully’s Pub and Grill, also in the Barefoot Landing complex. It’s a neighborhoody type place where everybody knows your name, complete with a pair of pool tables to show for it. I order up a cold local beer, and slowly sip down the final night of my visit.

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