Family of 3, at 6pm for dinner on a Friday night…read more
The exterior of the building is very unassuming. There is a sign on the outside of the building and a marquis by the street, but both seem to blend into the surrounding retail area of their location so it's kind of a hidden gem.
Inside is open, well lit, and plenty of seating for small, and large parties. We arrived to a half-full restaurant as the Friday night dinner rush began. We were seated immediately. Our server came right over, introduced herself, and took drink orders and went over the menu with us, since it was out first time there. A appetizer order of Calamari also went in, with the drinks.
Drinks: Pepsi products, and one iced tea. The tea was returned for a soft drink. (The missus is a bit of a tea snob, and she said it tasted like it was fountain, rather than fresh brewed)
The Calamari came out within 10 minutes, with two servings of cocktail sauce for dipping. The breading was light, and crispy, and was a nice crunch on the Calamari.
We ordered: Two "Cincy Combo's" of 1/2 lb crab legs & 1 lb peel & eat shrimp (head off & deveined) in garlic butter with mild spice. with an order of 5 fried oysters in addition, and a fried shrimp basket with fries & coleslaw. There were plenty of other kinds of seafood to choose from, for the combos if crab legs & shrimp aren't your thing.
About 5 minutes later, our server returned with a shell bucket, nut crackers, tool hooks for splitting the legs open, forks, bibs, and two 14" empty pie tins. About 3 minutes after that, the food arrived.....
OH MUH GAWD!!
The combos come in plastic bags, which allow them to be boiled together in the same large pot, but keeps the sauces and spices separate to tailor the food to your preferences. In addition to the two types of seafood, you also get an ear of corn, and a couple of red potatoes with the combo.
Fair Warning: You are cracking crab legs, and peeling shrimp over a pie tin full of melted butter. It's unavoidable, but you're going to get messy. They do provide bibs, but if you're planning on going here as a "first date", then I'd skip the jacket & tie to make a good first impression, because you're going to be taking it to the cleaners the next day, trust me.....
The food was fantastic! Hot, fresh, and drowning in butter and spices. The fried basket had large butterfly shrimp, in crisp batter, over a bed of seasoned fries, and a small cup of coleslaw. Our only complaint, was that the slaw was *very* heavy with mayo, and seemed to overpower any other flavors that were in it. It was a small cup, but that was the only thing our table didn't finish. In record time, shells flying, juices & butter everywhere we finished our meals and left nothing behind. Our hands were literally covered butter, up to and beyond our wrists. Portion sizes were perfect, as although we could have eaten more, we left the table thoroughly satisfied. The carnage was so physical, that napkins & wet wipes only took the first layer of butter off our hands. As I was walking to the rest room to take a bath in the sink, I mentioned to the manager at the front that optical wet wipes for those guests with glasses would be a neat thing to have. He held up an index finger as if to say "hold on a sec", walked to the cabinet under the front desk, and grabbed a couple individual tear open packets of alcohol cleaning swabs, to clean the specks of drawn butter from my glasses. AWESOME service and quick thinking on his part.
When I returned to the table, our server had delivered our check, and secured another round of beverages in to-go cups for the trip home. By the time we left, the entryway was filled with folks waiting for the next available table, and after eating there I can certainly understand why.
All in all, with amazingly attentive staff, quick service, and delicious food; it was a wonderful dining experience. We will definitely be back!!
