Little River...A Hidden Gem

Every summer we visit Calabash in North Caroline. It is just 10 miles north of Myrtle Beach and a few miles away from Little River in South Carolina. Besides enjoying the beautiful beaches, we enjoy trying new places to eat in the Seafood Capital of the World.

Here are some new culinary experiences we enjoyed this trip”

Hurricane Juel’s

Located in Little River, South Carolina, Hurricane Juel’s offers a spectacular view and many choices in the fresh catch of the day. We enjoyed chicken wings and conch fritters to start. Then I ordered the blackened grouper (catch of the day) which came with Jamaican greens and rice pilaf. My husband enjoyed his favorite indulgence here – soft shell crabs.

The food was superb, the views were spectacular and the staff could not be any nicer. Check this place out next time you are in Little River.

Makos Bar & Grill

This restaurant was also on the water in Little River. The views were spectacular as always. The ambiance was more like a bar than a sit-down restaurant but it still gets at 10 rating from us. While there we enjoyed chicken wings (of course) and I had a huge appetizer for dinner: muscles with corn and sausage in a red sauce with Italian bread. It was a delicious stew with muscles and I was more than satisfied. My husband enjoyed a succulent burger with curly fries (which I sampled and they were delicious).

They usually don’t accept reservations but were very eager to do so as I panicked about the Fourth of July week of heavy tourism. This place was a few doors down from Hurricane Juel’s and we enjoyed the spectacular view and even saw a few dolphins in the water.

Blue Drum

Blue Drum is also located in Little River. This was my 3rd and 4th visit to this wonderful eatery. We sat outside and listened to a wonderful guitarist and enjoyed their amazing cuisine.

Of course, we started with chicken wings. Since it was brunch, I ordered a Pineapple Mimosa which was outrageous.

For brunch, I ordered the Tuna Poke bowl which is so delicious, it is the main reason I went back with the kids a few days later. The Tuna Poke Bowl has the largest pieces of fresh tuna I have seen, along with mango, avocado and red onions. I would drive the 12 hours to have it again. I had it twice on my visit to Calabash and I cannot stop talking about it. The first time we went my husband enjoyed the grouper sandwich which he raved about. The second time he enjoyed their special burger. Just unbelievable!

When we went with the kids, we also enjoyed crab dip and lobster bites and the kids tried my Tuna Poke recommendation as well. We sat outside with my grandson in the son and the wait staff could not have been more accommodating. We had the same waiter – Matt – both times we went and we couldn’t have asked for a better waiter who made our visits there the best meals we enjoyed this trip down.

Cooper’s Tavern

When you are in the mood for a low-key meal, you have to visit Cooper’s Tavern in Little River, especially during Happy Hour. I enjoy Dog Water (pineapple rum and curacao) every time I go. Our favorite there is the pretzel. This visit I enjoyed shrimp tacos which is a treat on their happy hour menu. We took our puppy there after our visit to the Dog Park in Little River. They have an outside area to sit with your dogs that they call Dog House. We enjoyed a quick and delicious bite and did not have to leave the pup home alone.

Angus Steakhouse in Calabash

This was a new restaurant since our last visit. We went to try it out and we enjoyed some hearty prime rib and filet mignon and we were not disappointed. The restaurant sits on the Calabash Intercoastal and is a refreshing, calming view while enjoying a delicious steak dinner. You can also eat outside and enjoy the view. (We did not since it was almost 100 degrees out but maybe next time).

Barefoot Landing

A trip is not complete without a visit and stroll through Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. This is a place to go from 2 years old up. There are activities and shopping for all. We stopped at Crooked Hammock Brewery for some wings (of course) crab dip, pretzels, street corn salad and a flite of beer. Great wait staff, eclectically decorated and a fun place to go with family, including young children. We got in without a problem so I recommend going in the middle of the day instead of night time.

Clark’s

Clark’s is one of the most popular restaurants and so difficult to get a reservation. I made our reservation two weeks before our trip and was still only able to get the last night we were there. We went with our family and as always, we were not disappointed. We sat outside and looked at the beautiful view of boats and water. The wait staff and food were delicious. We enjoyed Grouper Bites, filet mignon and their specialty, honey drizzled croissants. Food was scrumptious and we will always make this one of our stops when we visit.

Other Suggestions

When you visit you have to go to the creameries and enjoy the best ice cream. Our two favorites are Calabash Creamery and Molly’s Creamery (Barefoot Landing).

As always, there are places we didn’t try or get a reservation for, but we plan to visit again soon and revisit some places and try some new ones. We are never disappointed when we visit Calabash……