Is Myrtle Beach’s Newest Restaurant, 1229 Shine, Worth a Visit?

Myrtle Beach has more restaurants per capita than New York, Paris and Rome so yes, it’s fair to say you will have an abundance of choices on your next golf trip.

Options are good but they can sometimes be overwhelming, making it difficult to decide where your group wants to eat.

Stick with the old favorites or try something different?

Myrtle Beach’s newest restaurant, 1229 Shine, is hoping golfers feel adventurous and are willing to give the Market Common establishment a chance.

Touting itself as a “coastal inspired eatery,” 1229 Shine leans into its raw bar ethos, with a large bar that is the focal point of the dining room, but the offerings extend far beyond fresh oysters and clams.1229 Shone Lobster Roll

Appetizers
The appetizer menu will force you into a tough choice: do you want the lobster slider ($15) or surimi Cajun crab dip ($9)? How about the coconut shrimp or the New Zealand green mussels ($10)?

We went with the bang, bang grouper bites ($12) and there wasn’t an ounce of regret. Lightly battered, fried and covered in a mild sauce and cilantro, the only problem was the last bite. For hardcore foodies rolling their eyes at such an endorsement of a fried appetizer, get over yourself.

They were really good.

The other options are appealing, but I’ll be hard pressed to return to 1229 Shine and not order the bang, bang grouper bites again.

Entree1229 Shine
While the raw bar is at the heart of 1229’s appeal, the menu offers choices to those who aren’t inclined to eat oysters or even the Viet Cajun boil, which features shrimp, corn, sausage, mussels, clams and more.

My party ordered the tuna poke bowl ($13) and the Smashburger ($14), of all things to eat at a coastal-inspired restaurant.

Let’s start with the poke bowl, which paired ahi tuna with crispy spinach, avocado, cucumber, edamame, cilantro soy sauce. It was excellent. The tuna couldn’t have been better and the cilantro soy sauce was the perfect complement.

The Smashburger was really good as well. I’d absolutely recommend it, but it’s a lot easier to find a good hamburger than it is to replicate the quality of the poke bowl, which left me ruing the decision not to order two items off the rawer side of the menu. The $14 tuna crudo (sliced tuna, red radish, cilantro, truffle oil, crispy capers, lemon + sea salt) looked even better in hindsight.

Bottom Line: Go. Prices are reasonable, doubly so given the quality and portion sizes. The bar is nice. There are televisions but they aren’t a vital part of the experience, so if you are looking for a spot to enjoy dinner and the game, 1229 Shine might not be the place for your group. Otherwise, it comes highly recommended.