Southport Magazine

After Hurricane Florence devastated the Boiling Spring Lakes area, Wanda and Anthony Bridgeman made the decision to move their business from there to Oak Island, opening Sundogz Sports Bar and Tavern in June 2019.

It apparently was the right decision; they resoundingly agree that business has been excellent!  Prior to opening, they completely renovated the building from what had been a construction business before, to be a large and inviting space complete with mahogany bar and trim and newly laid wood flooring. With seating inside for 98 and outside for 90, the bar is often full of new and regular patrons. Weekends are especially busy, with a DJ on Friday nights and live music often on Saturday nights.

Winter hours are 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. And since they don’t serve food, they act as a late-night destination for many. “We’re open later than any other spot on the island,” says Anthony. “Everyone else sells food, ours is more of a nightclub type scene. They come here after they eat – our crowd is here from 10 p.m. on.” The Bridgemans are happy for their customers to bring in food if they want. The nearby Domino’s Pizza delivered 75 pizzas to the bar’s patrons one weekend recently.

The bar offers every kind of drink you could want. Brittany Brown is the bartender, and she will make you anything you would like. “We have a fully stocked bar, a big variety of drinks,” she says. We can make anything anyone wants – we can do it all.” She goes on to say how they work as a team. The owners are very involved; they’re great people to work for. They’re like my adopted parents.”

The bar has a high-tech digital jukebox – TouchTunes – that can play your list directly from an app on your phone. They also have multiple TVs as well as pool tables and darts. There’s a pool league on Thursday nights with other bars, with two teams out of each bar competing for bragging rights. Wednesday nights are for trivia. In the summer the bikers come for a Wednesday night gathering.  Plans for the summer include a cornhole league and perhaps a mechanical bull event – now that’s going to be worth a FaceTime Live!

The in-season hours will start after Valentine’s Day, when the bar will be open seven days a week, starting at 11 a.m. It will be a busy time for Wanda, Anthony and Brittany. Anthony works during the day building houses, then comes in at 5 p.m. and stays until closing. The three are committed to providing a fun but safe experience for their patrons. “It’s a great atmosphere, a very clean bar,” Anthony says. “We just want people to come in, abide by the laws, and have a great time. If you need to get a ride home, we have uber drivers you can use. We also let people leave their cars or bikes here overnight. We want everyone to be safe – that’s the kind of place we are.”

For residents and tourists alike, Sundogz will put a smile on your face and new moves in your dancing shoes. So go for it – hang out with friends there or make new ones; visit Sundogz for a good time.

Sundogz Sports Bar 

and Tavern

8620 E Oak Island Dr

910.477.7320

Winter hours

Tuesday – Thursday 

5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 

5 p.m. – 2 a.m.