SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Fine Dining Standard on the Grand Strand

SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar has built a quiet but firm reputation as one of the most serious dining destinations on South Carolina's Grand Strand. The kitchen works in Contemporary American cuisine rooted in classic French cooking technique — a combination that sets it apart from the casual beach-town fare that surrounds it on Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach.

The Story Behind the Table

Chef Kenneth Norcutt and Tracy Smith took ownership of SeaBlue in September 2008 with a clear intention: give both locals and visitors a dining experience genuinely unlike anything else in the area. Norcutt traces his passion for food and wine back to his upbringing in Philadelphia, where an uncle's extensive wine collection introduced him early to the discipline of balance and the breadth of flavor that a well-chosen bottle can bring to a meal. That sensibility has shaped everything SeaBlue has become.

The commitment shows in the sourcing. SeaBlue works as close to farm-to-table as possible, drawing from carefully selected purveyors and local day-boat fishermen — a detail that matters when French technique meets fresh Atlantic seafood.

Recognition That Speaks for Itself

Wine Spectator has recognized SeaBlue with its Best of Award of Excellence continuously since 2012, a distinction that reflects both the depth of the wine list and the kitchen's ability to pair food and wine with intention. OpenTable named SeaBlue the number-one restaurant in the United States in 2014, and the DiRoNA Award of Excellence rounds out a set of honors that few restaurants of any size can claim, let alone one on the South Carolina coast.

Wine as a Pillar, Not an Afterthought

The wine program is central to SeaBlue's identity. The restaurant runs its own Wine Club — launched in 2014 — offering monthly Saturday afternoon tastings led by Norcutt himself, who also serves as the house sommelier. Members taste through at least four wines per session, paired with food from the chef's own hand, and can purchase bottles at below-retail prices. It is a genuinely educational program, not a loyalty card dressed up in different clothes.

What to Expect at the Table

The menu spans a Sample Dinner Menu, Chef's Tasting Menus, a Chophouse Menu, and an Early Diner three-course prix fixe — formats that suit different occasions and appetites. A reserve wine list and curated cocktails complete the picture. Private dining and catering are also available for events, and outdoor seating offers another dimension to the experience.

SeaBlue is a place run by people who care about what ends up in the glass and on the plate — a small, family-driven operation that happens to meet a very high standard.