Myrtle Beach, Part I: Crooked Hammock Brewery

Last week, a large number of family met in Myrtle Beach to enjoy some R&R. I’d been to Myrtle Beach numerous times, so I didn’t do much new local photography. 

But I did visit a new eatery, and everyone in the family loved their meals there, so this post will be devoted to that visit. In subsequent posts, I’ll present pictures of a couple shops in the commercial development in which the eatery is located and conclude with a post devoted to photos of a wonderful sunrise on our last morning, just a few hours before heading home.

The eatery is in Crooked Hammock Brewery, which has pretty large quarters compared to many other breweries I’ve visited. It is tucked near the back of a huge cluster of shops situated around a large pond in the Barefoot Landing at the Waterfront shopping mall, which actually is in North Myrtle Beach. 

I’d been to this mall once before, in December 2021, and presented photos of my shoot there in a post here at the time. That’s when I first saw and learned about the brewery. I didn't go into the establishment at that time, but I did take some exterior photos of it and included a couple of those shots in the 2021 post, including — in the spirit of full disclosure — the photo you see leading off the post. 

We were there last week to celebrate a family birthday. There were 14 of us in the group, and the brewery staff set up a large table for us in the rear portion of the indoor section. (There is expansive covered and uncovered seating and recreation space outdoors as well).

Lee Ann and I ordered the Sticky Lager Grilled Chicken, which came sprinkled with garlic pretzel crumbs and was accompanied by Yukon potatoes and green beans. (See photo above.) We both found the entree delightful. A few family members tried the smash burger, Backyard burger (first photo below), or Papa Pig burger (second photo below), and they enjoyed it as well. Still another opted for the Street Corn Shrimp (third photo below); I didn’t get a chance to ask her if she liked it. 

The kids opted invariably for the chicken tenders, hamburger, mini-corn dogs (first photo below) and grilled cheese sandwich, and there were kudos across the board. For appetizers we tried the jumbo hot and salty pretzels (not pictured) and the Hammock sliders (second photo below), which are mini-pretzel rolls stuffed with grilled beef and pork blend patties, grilled onions and American cheese that came with a side of kettle sauce.   

For beverages, I had a pint of the Sand in My Schwarz (first photo below), a dark malty larger (known as a Schwarzbier in Germany, and I enjoyed it. I had sampled this and three other brews and thought this one stood out among them. Two other family members had a Myrtle Peach pale wheat beer (not pictured), and they liked it. Still another elected to try a Peach Mango hard seltzer (second photo below) and found it tasty. 

Crooked Hammock Brewery has a fascinating decor that include mural wall art, bicycles hanging from the ceiling and sundry wooden guitars of various sizes also on the walls. I’ll present a few photos of it below, starting out with a shot that includes the long bar. We took a series of family photos together underneath the big BE/BEER HAPPY sign (ninth photo below). 

The brewery’s outside space, illustrated in the photos below, features a decent-sized covered area with tables undercover as well as an open area with a bean-bag toss game and a couple of crooked hammocks on display. The last photo below greets visitors as they enter the main door. 

Lee Ann, probably the most discriminating among us when it comes to dining because of a sensitivity to foods containing MSG, dairy products and chemically processed foods (which disqualifies a large number of foods), said she experienced no after-dining suffering. Her real stamp of approval, however, came when she added, “I’ll go back there to eat again.”

Coming tomorrow, Myrtle Beach, Part II: 3 other shops at Barefoot Landing

Mi Cancun: 1 out of 2 ain't bad ... I guess

We had an itch for Mexican cuisine recently, so we spent considerable time researching what would be a very good place to enjoy that in the Triangle. We hadn't sampled too many such places in the years we've been here, but because Lee Ann is the true fan of that cuisine, I let her settle on a place. 

I don't know how Lee Ann considers Mexican food such a delight, given her disdain for spicy foods, but I've encountered apparent palate contradictions like this in other people (including me) before, so I'm sure it's not uncommon. 

In my case, my stomach and digestive system cannot handle onions unless they are minced (and I'm talking pulverized here) and cooked thoroughly, and my stomach will do cartwheels (not in a good way) with the first whiff of high concentrations of garlic, such as garlic bread. And yet, I otherwise enjoy spicy foods. 

For example, I will sprinkle seasoned pepper on my frozen pizzas, and I like curry and paprika on sundry foods (Lee Ann does not).

But I'm getting off the subject. We landed at a franchise establishment that goes by Mi Cancun and picked the one on High House Road in Cary, a Raleigh suburb, because it had the best reviews. 

I had a luncheon sampler plate -- a burrito, an enchilada and a taco ( feel like I'm telling a joke here ... you know, a burrito, an enchilada and a taco entered a bar ... ). I believe Lee Ann ordered a fajita plate of some kind with rice, bean dip and guacamole on lettuce. She enjoyed her meal, I found mine lacking in imagination and, most importantly, flavor. That's the fajita dish you see in the photo leading off the post. Her side dish and my meal are the first two photos shown below, in that order.

We also had margaritas and elected to get the top-shelf tequila, and despite getting the premium alcohol, which we thought would guarantee satisfaction, we both found the margaritas slightly below average. The beverages looked a lot better than they tasted (see photos below the food).  

The rest of the photos depict the eatery's decor. 

You'll find Southern-inspired fare at Another Broken Egg Cafe

While in the Indianapolis area last month, I spent time in Fishers, a northeast suburban community where some family resides, and one morning we visited a new restaurant (to us), Another Broken Egg Cafe, just north of East 116th Street, approximately in the 8600 block. 

The eatery touts a menu of "southern-inspired culinary," and the fare features mostly breakfast or brunch items. The "Hey Lucy! Omelet" shown in the photo leading off the post, for example, mixes chorizo, onions and green chiles with cheddar jack cheese and avocadeo with salsa and sour cream dip and a side of grits. 

Above and below: Two views of the eatery's exterior. 

The Veggie Delight omelet (above) normally filled with goat cheese, tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms. Lee Ann ordered hers without the tomatoes. The side is fried potatoes. In the first photo below, you see the hash brown Benedict, featuring ham and cheese, hash-brown croquettes topped with poached eggs, mushroom hollandaise and red peppers. I order mine without the mushrooms. I also got a side of Bourbon Street pancakes (second photo below), which are pancakes with bananas, pecans, rum butter sauce drizzle and fresh whipped cream.  

Above and below: A before and after display of an order of biscuit beignets, a Louisiana dessert tasting a bit like doughnuts. 

Above and the two below: Views inside the eatery.