Looking for a new date night experience for your Myrtle Beach spring break? Try these

As spring break season continues across the Grand Strand, many visitors will spend a relaxing week at the beach or perusing many tourist-friendly amenities.

Often, couples with kids or empty nesters want to set aside one evening for date night, enjoying a meal or glass of wine at a high-end establishment of their choosing.

Many couples have favorite locations along the Grand Strand they’ve gone to for years, but there are new restaurants where new memories and experiences can be made.

Whether it’s a new pizzeria in the heart of Market Common, enjoying a bite to eat at one of Broadway at the Beach’s newest attractions or a seafood medley at Georgetown’s new waterfront hotel, these are some new restaurants worth checking out.

Dinner and a movie at this new Market Common, SC pizzeria

You’ll notice a few things once you walk into one of Market Common’s newest pizza restaurants. One is a view of the kitchen, where chefs are hard at work making your pizza. Another is murals of Rome or Naples, Italy, which greet you once you walk in. Whether you sit at the marble bar or at a table with your special someone, you’ll be able to take in the relaxed ambiance.

Gios Pizzeria Napoletana opened in 2024 and offers customers a casual yet high-end eating experience. If you want to enjoy a glass of wine, you can choose from one of Gio’s French or Italian choices and complement it with a charcuterie board. If you’re feeling an evening need for caffeine, you can get an espresso, but the main event at Gios is its different pizza options.

Gios’s specialty is Neopolitan-style pies cooked in a gas oven that takes less than five minutes to complete. The classic Margherita version— tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella with extra cheese, basil and olive oil sprinkled on top— is sweet upon tasting it for the first time. However, those looking for a savory offering can try Gios barbecue and buffalo chicken pizzas or the restaurant’s specialty French Connection — an olive oil-based pie accented with shaved ham, fig, dijon jam, brie and mozzarella.

“We tried to do a blend of the Connecticut style and not too thin, not too thick,” Gios co-owner Vesel Emini said in a Feb. 22, 2024 interview. “We like it a little bit more on the crispier side, so we just want it cooked perfectly.”

Gios, open seven days a week at 4003 Deville St., is a short walk from Market Common’s Grand 14 movie theater. After their meal, couples can stroll from the restaurant to see a movie on their spring break.

However, suppose your perfect date night involves walking along the waterfront after your meal, holding hands with your significant other, and enjoying the sights and sounds of South Carolina’s nature. In that case, there’s a restaurant south of Myrtle Beach you might want to try out.

Georgetown’s new waterfront hotel also provides a steak and seafood lover’s restaurant

Tucked within the lobby of The George, Georgetown’s newest hotel, The Independent, features the flavors of the South Carolina Lowcountry.

At 615 Front Street, the lobby greets you with an eclectic combination of interior decorations and paintings inspired by the local nature.

The restaurant’s polite decor and maroon theme give couples a classy, welcoming dining experience. Patrons walk to their tables and see chefs at work in the kitchen; a bar with ample spirits also has a view of Front Street.

The Independent is named after a former Georgetown seafood market, and the eatery specializing in seafood dishes like its namesake. Executive Chef Thomas Vance says the restaurant’s signature dishes are the Blackened Flounder and Scallops. Particularly the Flounder, with its blackened seasoning and lemon butter accented with an Andouille Sausage Pileau, seafood lovers will taste a creamy, spice-filled dish.

Vance added that his dishes are straightforward, avoiding saturating diners with too many incongruent flavors.

“I try to keep it simple but also elevated,” he added in a March 2024 interview.

The Independent’s location also affords date night couples a relaxing, after-dinner opportunity, too. The restaurant and hotel are a short walk from the Georgetown Harborwalk, with views out toward the Sampit River. You can look out at the wildlife refuge at Goat Island or the boats in the marina while enjoying your partner’s company.

The Independent is open Sunday through Thursday from 5-9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5-10 p.m. Couples interested can book a reservation on the restaurant’s website.

Broadway at the Beach’s new Tigerwoods-partnered putting course provides fun and food at the same time

If your typical spring break date night involves more activity than just sitting down for dinner, there’s a new miniature golf course that offers both.

PopStroke opened its Myrtle Beach location in March 2024. A golf-themed attraction with two courses to choose from and jumbotron televisions to distract you from your game, the putting course provides a whole amenity experience.

PopStroke provides TaylorMade putters to play with, and lose to your partner with if you keep score. There are four bars and 10 local draft beers to choose from.

PopStroke offers 24 ice cream flavors and a menu with burgers, ahi tuna, and other options. It’s great for your spring break date night because you don’t have to leave the course to enjoy your dinner or beverage.

Couples can use PopStroke’s app to order what they want, and an employee will bring it to them as they play. Indeed, an evening at PopStroke is supposed to be a lively occasion, Founder/CEO Greg Bartoli said in a February 2024 interview.

“For people to be out there having a few cocktails, and maybe they’re waiting in line, and when you wait in line with a beer, it’s a little better,” Bartoli added. “You got the energy in the music, the TV, the jumbotrons, (the) mobile app delivery and the drinks. It creates a really fun, lively atmosphere at night especially.”

Located at 1187 Celebrity Circle, PopStroke is open seven days a week. Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to midnight.