The More Things Stay the Same...

Back in December (when life was “normal-er”), this transplanted Tarheel went “Across the Line” and visited a great place to dine and quaff in the Palmetto State. It was called Local on the Water, and everything about it appealed to me.

A spacious, airy, comfortable place right on the Intracoastal in North Myrtle Beach with indoor and outdoor dining—it even had a sandy “beach” complete with a firepit around which to socialize, if you so chose.

It had a menu with some outstanding offerings, among which were delectable Coconut Shrimp, succulent and tasty Wagyu Beef Sliders and an outstanding Shrimp Scampi Flatbread , all of which would knock your socks off.

It offered a wide variety of entertainment, both indoor and out, to satisfy those who enjoyed such entertainment, though I usually find my tablemates to be sufficient in that regard.

It also had a most impressive beer list, even though I still had to limit my intake of Dirty Myrtle to just 10 oz. at a time. That's a pet peeve of mine that is based upon the “high” ABV (8.9%) of the beer. Yet, beers with an 8.2% ABV were served in 16-oz. pours, which made little logical sense to me, especially when 8.0-9.0% ABV beers are practically sessionable to many mavens of malt.

Considering there are some pubs and bars in SC in Myrtle Beach (see above)--that will serve you 16-oz. pours of those higher ABV beers, the inconsistency is bothersome. Local on the Water was—is— such a neat place to enjoy food and grog, however, the restriction was not a deal-breaker. But I digress.

LOTW also had friendly, efficient waitstaff who would deliver the goods to your table.

Recently, however, LOTW underwent a management change, and that means other changes are inevitable. Oh, it’s still a wonderful, relaxing venue with a great beer list, entertainment and friendly, efficient waitstaff (like assistant manager Jennifer and barman Nick), and the food we ordered was certainly satisfactory. But our socks remained on.

The menu was lacking some great dishes from the pre-Covid days, like those Wagyu Beef Sliders above or the Shrimp Scampi Flatbread below, and the Coconut Shrimp below that. That’s to be expected, I suppose, when virtually every face—including those in the kitchen—is a new one.

It may take some time for the new chefs and management to assess how their offerings are received, which may or may not result in a tweaking of said menu to satisfy the dining populace.

Some I spoke with, including loyal patrons like Jersey transplant Ty (above), who drives up regularly from his new home in Myrtle Beach, had wondered where those great dishes mentioned above had gone, and they hoped to see them return.

Whether they will or not is to be determined by demand, I suppose. But in this writer’s opinion, they were certainly another good reason, among many, to travel extra miles to Local on the Water to spend one’s discretionary income.

I can still recommend LOTW. And while I’m doing recommendations, how about revisiting the 10 oz. restriction on Dirty Myrtle, like they do elsewhere in SC?

I’d drink to that.

Regularly.

Cheers!

The Original PubScout--immersed in the craft beer scene since 1996

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