Came here late in the day low on fuel & hoping someone was still at the marina as most fuel docks close at 5:00 pm. To my delight these guys are open till 7:00! After fueling the dock master hinted that if I hadn’t had a good meal in a while to try the Italian restaurant on site. Their dockage rates are extremely fair at only $1.20 a foot & gave me a BoatUS discount on fuel & dockage. The restaurant was definitely what it was cracked up to be. Being solo I sat at the bar & enjoyed the banter from the locals that came through waiting for their tables. Ben the bartender made sure my glass was always full. I had the duck. Excellent! The Marina showers are hot & clean & I cant say enough about this place. 5 stars! CJ Drake
I gunk hole as much as I can to keep costs down. With a big cold front, I pulled in for a couple nights at South Harbor. It was a record low and despite the challenges the cold weather brought they take care of business no matter the conditions. This is a good stop for 3 things- waiting on the weather window coming in, or heading out, from Cape Fear, and catching a football game at the Dead End bar & grill which is right at the dock and open 7 days/nights even off-season. The other advantage is they are directly on the AICW and not one meter off the route. A welcome oasis after all the inevitable current and traffic on the Cape Fear River. When you get off the river, try to stay on the outer transient dock – get your fuel right there and enjoy the best, sunny views. SecondBase
As the Marina Manager at South Harbour Marina in Southport I also heartily endorse Hank @ Carolina Yacht Care. Our laundry is right at the end of the dock but we have also used Hank for his shuttle and other services. He is dependable, professional, and his extra customer service efforts certainly makes my marina look good too! He can be trusted to give my customers good value. Bill Gregory
Spent several nights there last fall. Joseph’s Bistro is excellent. Great food and service. Marina staff are friendly and attentive. Werner & Kathie Steuernagel
Joseph’s Italian Bistro has a VERY loyal following with transient boaters and is open 7 days/week between Memorial Day and Labor Day (otherwise only closed on Sundays). Many return year after year to eat there. Dead End Saloon/Fish Factory Grill just completed a major outdoor deck re-modeling to make the dining more comfortable and very often features live music. The owner has operated waterfront restaurants in both Baltimore and Southport so she knows how to do it right! Bill Gregory
Have always loved this marina. It’s great if you have dogs it want a good walk as it’s near a terrific park – Dutchman Creek Park. The deli/market is all deli only selling gift items & luncheon meats & cheeses. Not really a market. The “new” restaurant “deadend saloon” was terrible. Just bar food mostly & not very good. My $10 salad (without meat) had a good amount of rotted lettuce. I told the waitress & she said, “oh.” No offer for a substitute or price reduction. My rail Margarita was $8.50 & hubby’s rail martini was warm & $7! Pricey drinks, mediocre food & fair service make this place a “do not return.”
Due to the limited number of anchorages, we have spent the last few nights in marinas, at Oriental Marina (recommend) and last night in South Harbour Village Marina (recommend). Today, we decided to take a down day and do a bit of maintenance, laundry, grocery, etc. The only thing that keeps South HVM from rating five stars is the lack of a courtesy car. It cost me $28 in taxi fare to get to Wally World for groceries and to a replacement for the coffee pot that went bellyup this morning. More to come as we continue South. Captain Donnie Young aboard Cloud IX
South Harbour Village Marina has one of the best Italian bistro’s [in town] I have ever visited. But it is not walking distance to town which is really no big loss. Southport Marina is closer to town within walking distance and is also a great place. There are a few good eateries in town. If you like golf and total protection from the busy ICW try St. James Plantation Marina just south of Southport proper. All are really nice, you can’t really go wrong. We are at Lightkeepers Marina, slip T26, at mm 346 in Little River (N Myrtle Beach). Safe travels, John M. Beaver aboard Forget About It 3
We came down topless in good weather from Morehead. The canvas shop doing our repairs is near South Harbour Village Marina so here we are. It is only 1.5 nm west of Southport by water but seven miles on unbikeable roads by land, with no courtesy car available. Another boat condo. A golf course and an airport are nearby, but there’s not much here for transients other than fuel, an Italian restaurant, and a bar/grill. The Italian was OK last night, we’ll try the pub tonight. Southport would have been more fun. Regards, Nita and Rick George aboard MV Hale Kai
We did . . . eat out the next evening further north at Joseph’s Italian Bistro. It is at South Harbor Village Marina and has not failed to serve up excellent, real Italian food since the day we ate there shortly after Hurricane Isabel when it first opened. This is no chain; it’s a “real” restaurant owned by a guy who truly knows how to cook. I love their linguini with white wine and garlic sauce with clams or frutti di mare. For meatball lovers, Joseph’s mom makes a mean meatball. It’s not only just like mama used to make– it’s a real Italian mama making it right now. Their desserts look great but the dinner portions are so generous, I don’t think we’ve ever partaken. Jane S/V Lady Jane
Reviews from Cruisers (11)
Inexpensive Marina with decent facilities. Stay away from the outer dock as many boats passing by ignore the “no wake” sign.
Manfred Richter
Came here late in the day low on fuel & hoping someone was still at the marina as most fuel docks close at 5:00 pm. To my delight these guys are open till 7:00! After fueling the dock master hinted that if I hadn’t had a good meal in a while to try the Italian restaurant on site. Their dockage rates are extremely fair at only $1.20 a foot & gave me a BoatUS discount on fuel & dockage. The restaurant was definitely what it was cracked up to be. Being solo I sat at the bar & enjoyed the banter from the locals that came through waiting for their tables. Ben the bartender made sure my glass was always full. I had the duck. Excellent! The Marina showers are hot & clean & I cant say enough about this place. 5 stars!
CJ Drake
I gunk hole as much as I can to keep costs down. With a big cold front, I pulled in for a couple nights at South Harbor. It was a record low and despite the challenges the cold weather brought they take care of business no matter the conditions. This is a good stop for 3 things- waiting on the weather window coming in, or heading out, from Cape Fear, and catching a football game at the Dead End bar & grill which is right at the dock and open 7 days/nights even off-season. The other advantage is they are directly on the AICW and not one meter off the route. A welcome oasis after all the inevitable current and traffic on the Cape Fear River.
When you get off the river, try to stay on the outer transient dock – get your fuel right there and enjoy the best, sunny views.
SecondBase
As the Marina Manager at South Harbour Marina in Southport I also heartily endorse Hank @ Carolina Yacht Care. Our laundry is right at the end of the dock but we have also used Hank for his shuttle and other services. He is dependable, professional, and his extra customer service efforts certainly makes my marina look good too! He can be trusted to give my customers good value.
Bill Gregory
Spent several nights there last fall. Joseph’s Bistro is excellent. Great food and service. Marina staff are friendly and attentive.
Werner & Kathie Steuernagel
Joseph’s Italian Bistro has a VERY loyal following with transient boaters and is open 7 days/week between Memorial Day and Labor Day (otherwise only closed on Sundays). Many return year after year to eat there.
Dead End Saloon/Fish Factory Grill just completed a major outdoor deck re-modeling to make the dining more comfortable and very often features live music. The owner has operated waterfront restaurants in both Baltimore and Southport so she knows how to do it right!
Bill Gregory
Have always loved this marina. It’s great if you have dogs it want a good walk as it’s near a terrific park – Dutchman Creek Park. The deli/market is all deli only selling gift items & luncheon meats & cheeses. Not really a market. The “new” restaurant “deadend saloon” was terrible. Just bar food mostly & not very good. My $10 salad (without meat) had a good amount of rotted lettuce. I told the waitress & she said, “oh.” No offer for a substitute or price reduction. My rail Margarita was $8.50 & hubby’s rail martini was warm & $7! Pricey drinks, mediocre food & fair service make this place a “do not return.”
Due to the limited number of anchorages, we have spent the last few nights in marinas, at Oriental Marina (recommend) and last night in South Harbour Village Marina (recommend). Today, we decided to take a down day and do a bit of maintenance, laundry, grocery, etc. The only thing that keeps South HVM from rating five stars is the lack of a courtesy car. It cost me $28 in taxi fare to get to Wally World for groceries and to a replacement for the coffee pot that went bellyup this morning. More to come as we continue South.
Captain Donnie Young aboard Cloud IX
South Harbour Village Marina has one of the best Italian bistro’s [in town] I have ever visited. But it is not walking distance to town which is really no big loss. Southport Marina is closer to town within walking distance and is also a great place. There are a few good eateries in town. If you like golf and total protection from the busy ICW try St. James Plantation Marina just south of Southport proper. All are really nice, you can’t really go wrong.
We are at Lightkeepers Marina, slip T26, at mm 346 in Little River (N Myrtle Beach).
Safe travels, John M. Beaver aboard Forget About It 3
We came down topless in good weather from Morehead. The canvas shop doing our repairs is near South Harbour Village Marina so here we are. It is only 1.5 nm west of Southport by water but seven miles on unbikeable roads by land, with no courtesy car available. Another boat condo. A golf course and an airport are nearby, but there’s not much here for transients other than fuel, an Italian restaurant, and a bar/grill. The Italian was OK last night, we’ll try the pub tonight. Southport would have been more fun.
Regards, Nita and Rick George aboard MV Hale Kai
We did . . . eat out the next evening further north at Joseph’s Italian Bistro. It is at South Harbor Village Marina and has not failed to serve up excellent, real Italian food since the day we ate there shortly after Hurricane Isabel when it first opened. This is no chain; it’s a “real” restaurant owned by a guy who truly knows how to cook.
I love their linguini with white wine and garlic sauce with clams or frutti di mare. For meatball lovers, Joseph’s mom makes a mean meatball. It’s not only just like mama used to make– it’s a real Italian mama making it right now.
Their desserts look great but the dinner portions are so generous, I don’t think we’ve ever partaken.
Jane
S/V Lady Jane