We arrived 15 minutes early and were asked to have a seat or sit in the bar. We chose to got to the bar since it was happy hour. We ordered drinks and after a few minutes ordered some happy hour fried pickles. These were ordered before 6:00pm, which was the end of happy hour. The young lady tending bar was all over the place and evidently did not get our fried pickle order in time so it was refused. At 6:20pm I received a text stating that our table was ready. I went to the front while my wife settled the bar tab. When I arrived no one was present and I was there for a few minutes when a gentleman, who I presume was the manager came by twice. He was quick to address people behind me, but never addressed me. Finally the hostess showed up and asked if I had received a text. I told her my name and she grabbed a pair of menus and silverware. As we were starting to go another couple came in and she said she was going to help them first. What?! They stated they were early for their appointment, but she chose to seat them and leave me standing at the hostess stand. I am really agitated at this time, but also knew the manager was not going to be any help. She finally came back and took me to the table, but never slowed down or stopped for me to get my wife...Now for the reason this review is a 4 and not a 1. Our server, Zach showed up very quickly and took our drink orders and discussed the menu. He was very knowledgeable and helped us make our decisions. We chose the fried green tomatoes for our appetizer and they were very good. I got the clam chowder, fried flounder, fried shrimp, and mashed potatoes. My wife got the filet tips, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese. The food was outstanding. Zach and the food saved our experience, but will probably not go back. read more

Blue Drum - Our dinners - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

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Visited on 3/20/26. Had the best time! Great food! GREAT service from Laura H. Our group had the hanging bacon, salmon, lobster bites, fish, fried green tomatoes, she crab soup!! Everything was good. And we had a table with a view of the waterway! What a way to start the day! read more

We love the Blue Drum in Little River. Very consistent and the freshest seafood. But i particularly love the Lobster Bites! read more

We went for lunch and decided to try their special drinks. I had raspberry lemon drop martini and my husband had the love old fashioned with raspberry. We each ordered a sandwich and it was buy one get one 1/2 off. Drinks were amazing, scenery was beautiful, food was good and service was efficient. Try it and sit outside if it's a warm sunny day! read more

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Brianna, it was Sunday 7/6/25 @ about 1:30. We were asking the hostess about a seat when another employee interrupted us regarding some t-shirts or other company appeal, just like we weren't standing there. Neither one appeared to give a damn where we were served or not. We left, went to Local at hadva great lunch. read more

Ordered the She Crab soup as an appetizer, the crab cake sandwich and a side of pineapple coleslaw. The She Crab soup had a texture like jello. It was thick but really more like jello. Was not good. The Crab cake sandwich I thought woukd be good as we were at a seafood restaurant but it had way too much filler and the crabmeat flavor did not come through. The coleslaw was actually good. Chairs were so so for comfort snd the music, while a good guitarist, was loud. We coukd not carry on a conversation. Way over priced for the quality served. read more

Missing half of my dinner! On Tuesday evenings they have a crab leg special. I asked our server what the meal consisted of. I was told: Crab Legs Red potatoes Corn on the cob Hushpuppies. My meal arrives via the food runner. There was no corn on the cob or hush puppies. And no explanation. When the server came back, I asked about the missing items and was told they had run out of corn on the cob. He wasn't sure why I didn't have my hush puppies. OK, so if you run out of something, why don't you communicate that or why don't you offer a substitute? He did tell me he would go get me some hush puppies and wasn't sure why I didn't have them. When he brought the hush puppies, I asked if I could have another vegetable since the corn was not available and he offered me some green beans. Of course this was only after I asked. Regarding the corn on the cob that I was told they were out of, apparently some must have mysteriously appeared because the table next to us had corn on the cob when their plates came out about 30 minutes later. I guess they thought I wouldn't notice that things are missing from my plate. Probably 95% of the people in the restaurant that night we're getting the crab leg special so the runner definitely knew that I was missing the corn and the hush puppies. She didn't say anything or offer me anything different. And then, when I mentioned it to our actual server, he was also well aware that the corn was an issue. It's all about communication and apparently the staff is not trained in that area as well as they should be. Won't be back anytime soon! read more

Kaitlyn was awesome. Love this spot! Great vibes, good food. Calamari was perfect with some live music too. Fast service as well read more

Blue Drum - Kaitlyn was awesome! Love this spot. - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

Looking for a waterfront restaurant with great food, service and beautiful view this is a great spot!!

So delicious! Sat outside on a perfect night and it was amazing! Got the surf & turf and a garden salad (no croutons or cheese) with Mahi. Service was amazing! read more

Blue Drum - Surf & turf and a garden salad (no croutons or cheese) with Mahi - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

Restaurant was fully booked for the 13th of February. We sat at the bar and had Simone as our sever and the ONLY bartender working despite them knowing they were fully booked for the night. She was outstanding. Kept up and was so pleasant ! Thank you , SIMONE ! read more

I have dined at Blue Drum three times now. Each time seated within the sight and sound of this: The slop bucket. Totally disgusting. Find a different place for this! read more

Blue Drum - Slop bucket and dirty dishes! - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

This place is terrible! The she crab soup is so thick you can barely swallow. We both left 2 plates of food. We took a couple of bites. Fish and shrimp were overcooked and dry. And so much sodium! Tried to eat a shrimp and spit it in the napkin. And the server comes by and asks if we want boxes. We say no. So here we are leaving full plates of food and she doesn't even ask if some was wrong. read more

I think that the food was nothing special, and the service was below expectations. The ambiance of the place was cool but overall there are some better options close by, and I would not return to the blue drum. read more

Great experience every time! Huge portions, good food and drinks, and amazing water view from every table view. Best view is lower deck or stage deck on the railing. Also really great Happy Hour specials and in off season happy hour runs until 7:00. One of the only restaurants that offers reservations. Food can sometimes take a while, but the view makes up for it. This ranks as one of tops beach restaurants every trip now! read more

Blue Drum - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

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We went to this restaurant on June 20th, 2026. Our order was placed and my wife's Chicken Caesar salad and my grilled Chicken sandwich came out within five minutes of our order. Fast right! It appears the chicken was already precooked and when we started to eat it was very tough. The waitress was nice and asked if we wanted to get something else which was rejected. They should have been able to tell the chicken was tough before they served. The crabcake sandwich that was ordered by another member was small maybe 2 to 3 ounces. ($25) The Kingsport Taco and sweet potato fries was nearly $30 before taxes. The only positive was the view, music and the three beer we had. I took the balance of the sandwich home and fed it to our pets. Upon looking at the container that the food was brought home in, it was not even recyclable. My $140 experience which included tip was a very wasteful and bad dining experience. read more

Amazing views, service and food! We had the fried green tomatoes, she crab soup, crab legs and tuna poke bowl! All wonderful!

In response to Breanne's response to my review. My friends may have been sitting in the outdoor dining area, but when they made the reservation , they were not told they had would have a limited time to be at the table. And my husband was not compensated for anything because he didn't get to eat that night, thanks to your waitress who refused to serve him with his friends. In fact, he was the injured party and you did not compensate him for anything. That's why we will never come back to the blue drum. read more

Crab legs and crab bites were good. She crab and clam chowder soup were terrible. Shrimp was good. Flounder was almost mushy. Not going back. Very disappointing. read more

Terrible experience. The management was rude and unprofessional. I had to send back a completely raw steak twice, and instead of fixing the issue, the chef came out, put her hands on my mother, and told her to "slow down." Absolutely unacceptable. The only redeeming part of our visit was our server -- she was kind, attentive, and did everything she could to salvage a miserable evening. She more than earned her 100% tip. Between the arrogant, unprofessional management, the chef's completely inappropriate behavior, and a hefty bill for food that was raw, burnt, or missing altogether, this place was a complete letdown. Advertised as a high-end restaurant with fancy décor, but don't be fooled -- it's a disaster in disguise. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Very good Little River Dining experience. I started with the signature appetizer shrimp boat which comes in romaine lettuce and has a great habanero sauce. I followed this with a grouper sandwich, which was also very good. The server was very polite and the service was fast. I would recommend this place. read more

Blue Drum - Grouper Sandwich w/side of house chips and ranch - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

Server: Cameron 5/5 Could have laughed at us for struggling to eat crab for the first time, really sweet and helpful. Great music and the prices were not bad. read more

Salmon avocado toast with an added egg was amazing today! We sampled a pineapple and a strawberry mimosa. Excellent service as usual read more

Blue Drum - Salmon toast with an egg and mimosas - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

Made a 630pm reservation for Father's Day. Really looking forward to some fresh seafood. Instead...... the service was terrible. We waited way too long to order an appetizer, got a plate that had a few pieces of calamari that were burnt and the rest of it was banana peppers. Then after another long lengthy wait (as our waitress was just talking to other tablets - not taking orders or running food) we found out you were out of most things on the menu. Would have been nice to have been told that when we sat down and started looking at the menu. Paid $40 bucks for a burnt appetizer and a few sodas and left. Super disappointed. read more

This was our 3rd time here since August 2024. March and June 2025. Not sure what happened since August. August food was amazing, presentation was over the top. We dreamt of coming back. March we noticed the changes. The Salmon BLT went from gourmet to something I could make at home. Oyster PoBoy went from wow to where's the oyster? Is that a hot dog bun ? The tuna tower went from an appetizer to share , to about 4 tablespoons of tuna hidden by a ton of fried wontons. Our appetizers came out after our entrees. The kitchen staff clearly can't keep up with the few orders. Disappointed is an understatement. We could tell something had changed when we easily find a parking spot. The changes are noticeable to others but I guess not the owners. Sadly we won't go be going back. read more

Second time in and a much better experience than first time! We went for a late lunch at 230 in afternoon during the week. Latisha was our server and she was super attentive, friendly, kept our glasses full and an absolute delight! Between us we are the gumbo (delicious), crab salad (light and refreshing), steamed shrimp (overcooked but actually deveined unlike many places that say deveined and the shrimp is obviously NOT), and French fries which my husband said were good. Our only complaints on food were the shrimp being over cooked and the crab salad would have gone nicely with club crackers rather than saltines. Overall we were pleased with our meal and Latisha's service. The only real negative experience was the hostess left us standing at the door for a few minutes to go talk to another server it appeared. Again, we there during a not-so-busy afternoon and it was weird that she told us to wait and she'd be right back....5 minutes later she was back and sat us 2 paces behind her station - why couldn't she seat us and then go chat with another server? We do plan to go back for happy hour one day soon and hope Latisha will be our server again. The ambience and location make this a nice casual hangout on a hot afternoon. read more

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Best place we've been in a long while. Incredible service, atmosphere, food, drinks (with cold glasses), and music! Thank you for an amazing anniversary dinner, Blue Drum! read more

Blue Drum - Mahi tacos are fire!!! - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

The food was all delicious and perfectly prepared. The service was great and the live music was wonderful!! Great place!! read more

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This is one of our favorite places to go as locals. It's nice to finally have another place on the waterway in Little River, where it's clean and the service is great. Everything we have always tried here has been awesome. We're not a big fan of their nightly entertainment though. It's usually way too loud and you cannot have a decent conversation. If we get there and we see that they have live entertainment, we asked us to sit down by the water where it's not so loud. Whoever they have playing seems to play to a bar crowd, and this doesn't really have the bar vibe. read more

OMG!! Please go!! Te food was phenomenal and service was excellent. Now I know I give it a 4 star rating but it's against my nature to give it a 5. I would rather give it a 4.5. We arrived at happy hour and ordered drinks. We started with she-crab soup. Which was excellent. The soup was rich and tasty. We split tuna nachos and crab balls to split. The nachos had plentiful tuna with avocados, cucumbers and sauce. This tasty dish was well worth it. The crab balls were tasty and stuffed full of crab. read more

I enjoyed the grilled chicken sandwich. Family with me didn't love their stuff. But the server was great and personable and there's a good view. It's a little confusing where it's located and not near any other restaurants. Ample seating out back on the water. read more

Blue Drum - Out back - Seafood Near Me - Little River, South Carolina

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Third time is not a charm. Went a few weeks or so after they first opened. Cool place - came by boat. The service was awful, drinks were ok. It's hard to mess up a cold beer. Thought we'd give the new local restaurant a second chance after they got the kinks out. Went with a group again in May 2025 for drinks and appetizers. Our food was just OK. Beer was cold, but the mixed drinks left a little to be desired. 3 out of 10 rating. Went by boat again, Labor Day 2025 - 3 PM. The bar service was awful. After waiting a while to even be acknowledged at the outside bar we ordered happy hour food from the menu. Approximately 15 minutes later, we were told we could not order anything for happy hour; our order was canceled. No options, no "I will bring you a menu.". After asking for a menu and ordering the second time we waited and waited. Our food ifinally arrived. The order was wrong. It takes a lot to F up one of the few waterside locations in this area, but they are managing to do just that. If you want a place for drinks on the water maybe go here and see if they allow DoorDash. I understand the lack of staffing in the area but we did not even get an apology from a manager. They don't take pride in their work and the "I just don't care attitude" is inherent in this establishment's culture. This could be such a cool place to go to. read more

New restaurant on the water in Little River, SC. We visited on the first night of their soft opening. In fairness, they have a few service kinks to work out but really nothing major. The purpose of a soft opening is to work out the challenges. There was absolutely no challenges with the quality of the food or the depth of the menu. The food was super good and the bartenders / servers were great. I predict this place will enjoy quick success. It has a great look inside, a great water view and the prices were extremely fair. read more

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Service was wonderful. However, signed up to receive text messages from Blue Drum on previous visit. Received a text message for $1 wings on Thursday, 10/9 for happy hour. No other stipulations. However when we got there at 4:15 there we were advised that you could only get the $1 wings "at the bar". Nowhere in the restaurant did it state this special was only available at the bar and the bar was full. I believe that's called BAIT & SWITCH/False Advertising. The text doesnt even say anything about restrictions apply....You need to do better, Blue Drum. Cindy H read more

Food, views and service were top tier. Our server, Cella, anticipated our every need and made us feel welcomed. We will request her from now on. read more

AMAZING! Food, atmosphere and especially service. Our first time visiting but will definitely become a part of our yearly trip! Cannot recommend enough! Ryder, our server was top notch and made the entire visit really enjoyable for our family! read more

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Food was acceptable, not extraordinary. Service was worst I have experienced (40 years). Arrived for 7 p.m. reservation, seated at 7:25, ordered appetizer at 7:30, arrived at 8:14; ordered entree at 7:30, arrived at 8:40. To top it off, the metal chairs were not exactly "comforting". One the positive side, we were able to watch several boat loads of inebriated people floating by! Did I mention awful service..... read more

We ate there last year and enjoyed the gluten free crab soup. This visit we were told it is no longer gluten free (Husband has allergy). I wanted the grouper sandwich grilled. Told it only comes fried. Server said most everything had gluten. Try a salad she said. We paid for our tea and left. Very disappointed. (Went to coopers and the server was knowledgeable and provided a gluten free menu. Coopers was great.) read more

The food here is amazing! Great prices, great service and amazing views. We have eaten here every year on vacation multiple times in a week-long visit. read more

Best brunch!!! A few notes: Vibe Dog Friendly Full Bar Patio Beachfront Free Parking Family Friendly Beer Wine Cocktails read more