Mellow Mushroom pizza and craft beer restaurants began their occupation of the South in Atlanta in 1974 and visitors and residents of the North Strand have been enjoying the second local Mellow Mushroom location since it opened in October 2014.

The restaurant will be familiar to those who’ve visited the Myrtle Beach location on 21st Avenue North, which opened nearly seven years ago. The layout and ambience are somewhat different, though the menus are the same. The newer North Myrtle Beach location seats around 400 in its large dining room and at its large inside bar/lounge and outdoor deck. It’s significantly larger than its Myrtle Beach cousin.

Fanciful, imaginative statues, pop art and a large cylindrical aquarium set the restaurant apart from the run-of- the-mill pizza chains. The sports bar is stocked with some 100 craft, domestic and imported beers, popular liquors and plenty of large TVs.

Mellow Mushroom is known for its wide variety of specialty pizzas, including the Funky Q. Chicken ($12–$24), which is loaded with barbecue chicken, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, Applewood smoked bacon and barbecue sauce. The Holy Shiitake Pie ($12–$24) is heavy on the olive oil and garlic, along with shiitake, button and Portobello mushrooms, onions and mozzarella and Montamore cheeses.

Traditional pies may be the restaurant’s most popular. Build-your-own creations start at $8 for a small cheese with a long list of add-ons for additional dollars. Tack on a build-your-own salad and a pint or two of craft beer and you’ll be the hippest kid on the block.

Mellow Mushroom
1101 U.S. 17 (at 11th Avenue North)
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
(843) 273-0595, www.mellowmushroom.com
Hours vary, but generally 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (kitchen may close earlier) daily.