Thursday, Sep. 02, 2010

Hal Drakes Bar and Grill

North Myrtle Beach

Mandy Kinseth -

The local joke is that Hal Drakes Bar and Grill doesn't have a sign, yet people seem to find it anyway. And, after one trip to this laid back, neighborhood bar - they're sure to come back. It doesn't matter what time they come back - happy hour is all day everyday.

The establishment is family-owned and run, and the name Hal Drakes comes from the co-owners' father, who they say was a "good man who liked to drink." Patrons who like to drink can do so on a low budget. When the owners opened the bar at the end of March, they decided to keep drink prices to a minimum, taking into account the poor economy and high rate of job loss. They take care of their locals year round with $2.50 domestic beer bottles, $3.50 import bottles and $2.50 well drinks. Hal Drakes happy hour is coined "Happy Day," since specials are all day, everyday.

Entertainment is also free. You can expect live music at least three times a week - Sundays and Wednesdays are usually acoustic music, and Fridays typically have a full band starting at 10 p.m. If you're up to the task of entertaining, give it a whirl every other Thursday during Karaoke night.

Mostly locals frequent this casual bar by the beach. Golfers, snowbirds, weekenders and tourists also make their way to the bar and grill. The building has been there for a couple of decades, and you may remember the locale as Category 5, Spanky's or Planks Bar & Grill. The interior has been completely renovated. A thatched roof hovers over an L-shaped tile bar. A light sky blue divider separates the bar area from the game area. Yes, games - lots of them... and not just your typical bar games such as darts, Golden Tee and Silver Strike - but also arcade favorites including racing games, shooting games, Pac Man and Galaga - and Hal Drakes has five pool tables. (Expect a pool league to start mid-September.)

The owners pride themselves in the food they serve at Hal Drakes, including half-pound burgers and jumbo wings by the dozen. Nothing is frozen; everything is handmade (even the French fries) and the owner makes his own wing sauces from fresh peppers he grows. Can you handle the heat? If so, look for a new spicy sauce soon made out of ghost peppers, with a heat factor of more than one million Scoville units. (To give you a comparison, Tabasco Sauce has less than 5,000 Scoville units.) Wash it all down with Red Stag whiskey by Jim Beam, the number one selling liquor at this local bar and grill.

TIPS | Since Hal Drakes doesn't have a sign, find the bar on the corner of 37th Ave. South and Ocean Blvd. in North Myrtle Beach. You can park beside the building or in the public parking lot across the street.

FIND IT | 3612 South Ocean Blvd., North Myrtle Beach. Call 427-7113 or find Hal Drakes on Facebook.