MYRTLE BEACH FEATURES

Blarney Stones Pub and Cigar Bar: Rustic Irish meets Swank Americana

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Grand Strand needed an upscale Irish Pub, cigar smoking room, and Martini bar, and it needed it quick.

That was the conclusion arrived at by the owners of Blarney Stones Pub and Cigar Bar at Broadway at the Beach after touring some of the countries' most vibrant downtowns.

Never mind that Broadway at the Beach is not in downtown Myrtle Beach, or that Myrtle Beach really has no downtown. As anyone in the restaurant and entertainment business will tell you, the Grand Strand defies more rules of "business" gravity than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

"There was a lot of guessing that this was going to work," says Blarney Stones manager Glenn West. "But to give credit to the owners, they did a lot of research. They contacted me over six months before they opened and talked to me about it, and they traveled from place to place to see if it was going to work."

And its not like Blarney Stones' owners were throwing blades of grass into a 30 mile per hour cross wind on a 215-yard par 3 trying to decide which golf club to use. The savvy (and often rowdy) bunch had already experienced plenty-o-success with their Crocodile Rocks piano bar and Revolutions nightclub. Until recently they had also owned Shucker's Raw Bar before unloading it to make room for new ventures.

"The guys had been offered the property and they were interested in putting something there," West says. "There had been a few different things tried here. They had run across a few Irish pubs that they liked and a Martini bar that they loved, so they thought the two would work together."

Since opening back in June, Blarney Stones marriage of rustic Irish and swank Americana has been on of the Strand's most successful nuptials. The "Stone" as some locals have taken to calling it, has given tourists and locals a dining and entertainment option previously missing from Broadway at the Beach.

"There is nothing out here even close," West says. "We have enough dance clubs and piano bars. People needed a place were they could go and drink and hear each other talk. You don't bang into each other here. You can bring clients here and entertain them or work on deals."

West says that the Stone has "hit" all its revenue numbers so far, and that the establishment has built a solid local patron base to help the place survive through the lean winter months.

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And there is nary a better place to be.

The Stone exudes comfort and quality. When visitors peer into the restaurant's warm confines for the first time, it is evident that no expenses were spared to create an enjoyable dinning and drinking experience.

According to West, the owners spent upwards of half a million dollars to upfit the building with handmade furniture, real hard wood floors, wooden statues, murals, and even a handmade bar that was assembled on site.

However, it's the Stone's unique food offerings that are cementing its reputation as one of Myrtle Beach's best eateries.

"We have a different type of food and a lot of the employees from around here (Broadway at the Beach) like to come here and eat," West says.

Blarney Stones offers traditional Irish fare like Shepard's Pie, Corn Beef and Cabbage, and Bangers and Mash, and it even gives a little nod to England with a hearty offering of fish and chips. If you are looking for some straight-up red meat, Meatloaf, Filet Mignon, and Prime Rib all make appearances on the menu as well.

Entrees run between $9.95 and $16.95, and a variety of sandwiches are available for just over six dollars. Appetizers include cheese fries with mixed cheeses and bacon, Irish Sausage Rolls, Tavern Chips and Chicken Rolls, all for under seven bucks.

Oh, and let's not forget the brew.

The owners set a couple of 84 and 168-ounce "beer bongs" out as decorative fodder, and it took all of a week for patrons to request their own. The bongs can be filled with any of your favorite ales, with the exception of Guinness (too much foam), and will be wheeled right over to your table complete with cooling tubes.

"The first month we said we'd put them out and see what happens," West says. "By the end of July we had sold over 350 of them, ten or twenty times more than we ever thought we'd sell. There is a waiting line for them every night."

West and friends currently have eight bongs in stock, seven small ones and one large one. But more are on order to meet the overwhelming demand. The bongs have wooden bases, acrylic walls, and yes, their own taps.

"The big one is six-feet tall," West says. "It is something to see, but even something more to drink!"

Blarney Stones has also had considerable success with its Martini bar, and West says expansion plans are in the works.

"That is one thing we did not foresee, how successful the Martini bar was going to be," West says. "But business men and women like to bring their clients up there because it is quiet and classy. So we are going to expand into one of our storage areas and add some more couches."

Blarney Stones
1318 Celebrity Circle
Broadway At The Beach