For thirty years, the story about Little River's waterfront has been the same story: someday. Someday there will be a boardwalk. Someday the county will fund the streetscape. Someday it will feel like Murrells Inlet's MarshWalk, only quieter and further north.
This summer, "someday" quietly turned into "already started." If you live in Little River and haven't walked down Water Front Avenue in a few months, the place looks different.
What Actually Changed At Mako's
On May 14, 2026, Shark Bar at Makos opened as a waterfront bar built right out over the Intracoastal Waterway. It is the first phase of a bigger plan by owner Steve Martin, and the reason it exists at all is a small change in state law. The expansion was made possible by a recent change in South Carolina law allowing food and drink service over water. Without that, the pilings and the tiki roof and the sunset seating over the water would still be a rendering hanging inside the restaurant.
The restaurant itself is now branded as Mako's On The Water, with a menu that leans on shrimp and grits, local flounder, and steaks, still served with what the ownership calls "flip-flops welcome" service. What matters for residents is that there is now a place where you can sit over the water at Little River without booking a boat or driving to Murrells Inlet.
"Our goal is to create the Little River waterfront, basically marshwalk. We're trying to create the same type of vibe that they have down there in Murrells Inlet here in Little River." — Steve Martin, owner of Mako's, quoted in MyHorryNews, June 2026
The $7 Million Question
The bigger news for anyone who cares about this stretch of the Intracoastal is what happened at the county level a few weeks after Shark Bar opened. In its upcoming Fiscal 2027 budget, the Horry County Council approved moving $3.5 million back to Little River for waterfront improvements, bringing the amount of restored funding to $7 million.
That money had been reallocated years ago. Getting it back was not automatic. The money came back in two phases because it is hospitality money, not tax dollars, and it had to be worked back into the budget with the hospitality funds rather than pulled from the Equestrian Center. Councilwoman Jenna Dukes, who represents the North Strand, spent more than three years moving it.
What the $7 million pays for is still being scoped. The Chamber is working to hire a master planner for the project, and Chamber president Jennifer Walters has said it will be a while before real progress news is available because they want to do it right. The most ambitious version is a boardwalk running from the Big M Casino property past Mako's to Little River Landing, connecting the waterfront restaurants the way the MarshWalk connects Murrells Inlet's. The most realistic near-term version is a streetscape plan for Water Front Avenue itself.
Either way, the difference between this summer and last summer is real. Last summer there was a lawsuit-tangled promise. This summer there is a funded plan and a planner being hired.
Where To Go On The Waterfront Right Now
For anyone who has not made the rounds recently, here is what is open on the historic waterfront and what has changed:
| Place | What's There Now |
|---|---|
| Mako's On The Water (4492 Water Front Ave) | Rebranded from Mako's Marina Bar & Grill; menu of fresh local seafood and steaks |
| Shark Bar at Mako's | New tiki bar built out over the Intracoastal, live music, tropical cocktails, pizza and flatbreads |
| Seabrisa's Waterfront Seafood Restaurant | Fresh seafood with California-flair American cooking, originally from Hollister, CA |
| The Pilot House | Purchased and repainted by Martin; one of the oldest buildings on the water |
| Crab Catchers | On the water since the 1990s; the Kettner family took it over in 1996 |
| Patio's Tiki Bar & Grill | Live music mid-week; Nor'Eastah played a Wednesday set here in late June |
| Captain Archie's | Live music Friday nights; Chasing Phoenix and JET 22 Refueled on the July schedule |
Parking used to be the honest answer to "why don't we go more often." Martin purchased two lots to provide 118 additional parking spaces, and while the lots will be paid parking, a voucher will be provided that can be redeemed for food at one of the nearby restaurants. That is a small change with an outsized effect on whether a Saturday dinner on the water feels worth the trouble.
The Saturday That Isn't On The Water
Not every worthwhile Little River afternoon happens at the marina. Twenty minutes inland at 1120 Saint Joseph Road, La Belle Amie Vineyard runs a Saturday Festival Concert series under the oaks from spring through fall. On Saturday, July 18, 2026, the vineyard opened at 10 a.m. for its Summer Breezes concert featuring two bands, outdoor cooking, and the gift shop, all under the shaded canopy of the trees.
A few practical notes worth knowing before the next one. Saturday admission online runs $12 plus a booking fee, walk-ins are $15 to $25, and children under 13 are free. Bring your own wine glass, bring a lawn chair, and buy tickets in advance because online sold out for July 18 and only walk-ins were left at the gate. Outside food and drink are not allowed on the property.
The Fall Calendar Worth Blocking
Blue Crab is over, but the two biggest waterfront weekends of the second half of the year are ahead, and one of them is brand new:
- Little River Patriot's Day Festival, Saturday, September 12, 2026, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Little River Landing. Now in its second year, it honors military, first responders, and veterans with live entertainment, food vendors, and local artisans.
- Little River ShrimpFest, October 10 and 11, 2026, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Historic Little River Waterfront, 4468 Mineola Avenue. Advance and day-of admission is $10, VIP is $100, and children 12 and under are free.
- La Belle Amie Saturday concerts continue on a rolling schedule; check the vineyard's site before driving out.
- Captain Archie's Friday nights through the summer, including Chasing Phoenix on July 10 and JET 22 Refueled on July 24.
For anyone who has lived here long enough to remember when ShrimpFest was smaller and the Blue Crab Festival was the whole calendar, the fact that there are now three anchor festivals on the historic waterfront and a growing schedule of restaurant live music in between is the change. Little River used to be a spring festival town. It is turning into a nine-month one.
Why This Summer Is The One To Pay Attention To
There is a version of this post that treats the waterfront changes as a lifestyle upgrade and stops there. The more honest read is that there has been hope for redevelopment of Little River's waterfront for more than 30 years, and previous county funding got held up or lost in lawsuits and political fighting. What is different in 2026 is that the funding is back, the master planner is being hired, and one private owner has already built the first over-water structure the new state law allows.
That does not mean the boardwalk is coming next month. Indications are that a boardwalk won't happen right away due to logistical considerations, including the way the casino boat runs its business. It might have to go inland along the roadway rather than continuous along the water. Master planning is going to be slow and public and full of tradeoffs.
But if you already live in Little River, this is the summer to actually go down to Water Front Avenue and see the "before" version with your own eyes. Sit at Shark Bar at sunset while the casino boat pulls out. Have a plate of crab at Crab Catchers on a Sunday afternoon. Walk the short stretch between Mako's and Seabrisa's and picture the boardwalk. The character of the place isn't going away, but the density of what's happening on it is changing, and the change is visible now in a way it wasn't a year ago.
For residents thinking about what all this activity means for property values, neighborhood identity, or the pace of change on the north end of the Grand Strand, Robin Shomaker is happy to talk through what she is seeing on the ground in Little River. Let's Connect.
