Restaurant Review: Shuckers Grill & Oyster Bar

We had not seen my in laws in quite a while due to schedules and other circumstances, so my husband and I were excited to catch dinner with them. The four of us have always had a good time, enjoy talking to each other and catching up. His dad suggested we go to Shuckers and it was a place that I was excited/terrified to try.

When my husband and I were in high school, it was located right down the road, and you could not have paid me to go there. I searched google to try and find an image, but picture a motorcycle bar mixed with a seafood restaurant, in the middle of a cow pasture. Not some place that a half Floridian would step foot into. Typically, I do not like to eat seafood further than two hours away from a coast (unless it is freshwater seafood). It's just not right...

When I heard that the location had been leveled, I honestly thought The Health Department had shut it down. Instead, it moved to a newly developed area of Wake Forest that aims more towards the upper class family. I have to admit, if I were to own a seafood restaurant I would decorate it just like Shuckers. Stainless steel, greys, and blacks pop off of the off white walls lined with simple seafood focused artwork. Screams clean. I mulled over the menu for several minutes as I munched on a couple of complementary hushpuppies. The hushpuppies were pretty basic, a little dense, but I'll give it to them for being hot and fresh. I cringed that they are served with whipped butter (let's see some imagination people!) My husband and I shared a crab leg appetizer and enjoyed them very much. Juicy, salted with Old Bay Seasoning, and served with lemon wedges...I think we would have been happy eating those the rest of the night.

Service was very slow. My husband sometimes thinks that I am too critical of service, and maybe I am, but coming from the restaurant industry--I can tell what is going on. The waitress that brought us our drinks, admitted that she was not our waitress and did not know who was assigned to us. Oh boy. Luckily she stuck with us, but we could definitely tell it was some what of an inconvenience.

I ordered the grouper and it was served with pineapple salsa, coleslaw, and red skinned potatoes (?!?!) I took the first bite of the grouper and in my head said "oh great". It was bland. I had my palate reset when I was in culinary school and hardly ever find myself saying "this needs salt", but it did. I asked the waitress for some lemon wedges and sprinkled a little salt on it and topped with the pineapple salsa and it helped greatly. The first bite was also overcooked. I cut a piece in the middle to try and it was better, otherwise I would have sent it back. I found the sides to be odd when paired with the grouper, but it was also nice to keep the focus on the fish and not topple with heavy sides. My husband ordered the prime rib and lobster tail. He was having a mouth orgasm the entire time....and I don't blame him, his grilled lobster tail was insanely good. They forgot to bring him his side salad, but he didn't miss it, he was in protein paradise. My father in law passed a piece of his salmon over and it was also killer. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing?

My Grouper dinner

The restaurant. Can't really see the decor too well. I was stealth blogging.

Needless to say, I'd go back. I would sit at the oyster bar and get all kinds of messy with crab legs, mussels, and oysters--paired with an ice cold beer. My husband said the same. Not worth the cross town drive, but if we were over that way, we'd definitely go in. Prices are reasonable and indicative to their products.The place was packed by the time we left with people lined outside with pagers. They are doing something right.