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Ocean Grill and Tiki Bar Named One of USA TODAY’s Best Bars of 2024

VaselineJuly 30, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Ocean Grill and Tiki Bar Named One of USA TODAY’s Best Bars of 2024

One of the best local spots for drinks and salt air, Ocean Grill and Tiki Bar, has made national news. The Carolina Beach bar is one of 27 named to the 2024 USA TODAY Bars of the Year list. The list is compiled by USA TODAY Network food journalists across the country and includes everything from modest dives to fancy cocktail bars.

“We wanted a place that was fun,” said Abbie Sinclair, who owns Ocean Grill with her husband Dave Sinclair. “We wanted it to be about surfing, and the beach, and good music, and something that people of all ages could enjoy.”

What makes it special?

There aren’t many bars with a setting like this. The restaurant shares space on the Atlantic Ocean with the Golden Sands Oceanfront Hotel. And the tiki bar, perched on the remains of the hurricane-ravaged Center Pier, stretches out onto the sand.

When it’s tiki time, the plywood flaps go up and drinks are made in the weathered shelter where fishermen used to buy bait. Unlike the restaurant, your drinks won’t be served in glassware. (Glass is not allowed on the beach.) But they will be made with the same fresh juices and agave nectar.

The tiki bar offers easy access to the sand and waves, and many of their employees bring their surfboards to work. Drinks are a mix of classics like margaritas and Mai Tais, as well as a selection of signature drinks that have been developed over the years. The Coconut Monk and the Noserider are especially popular.

“It’s not 100 percent tropical,” Abbie Sinclair said. “It’s part tiki and part coastal Carolina.”

Dave Sinclair brings his culinary experience to the menu. He even worked as a chef at Steamers before the couple had the chance to take over the business, which they renamed in 2003. His focus is on fresh and local with a Baja twist. The tomatillo-based Baha Shrimp Cocktail is popular, as is the Crab & Shrimp BLT.

“But the fish tacos are the biggest seller,” she said. “We sell thousands of them.”

The restaurant and bar are open year-round for mini getaways, but summers are special because they host a concert series where bands rock out at the end of the pier. It’s a destination for music lovers, who insist that the magical vibes create unforgettable performances from both local artists and touring acts like Benji Hughes and Shannon & The Clams.

Details: 1211 Lake Park Blvd. S., Carolina Beach, NC, 910-707-0049, oceangrilltiki.com.

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at StarNews. You can reach her at [email protected]. Reporter John Staton also contributed to this article.

VaselineJuly 30, 2024

0 2 minutes read

What makes it special?

Vaseline

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