Corpus Christi Caller Times Restaurant Review 'Sea Island Shrimp House'

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Friday, September 10, 1999

'Sea Island Shrimp House'
'Fantastic' broiled redfish caps visit to new restaurant

A relative newcomer to Corpus Christi's restaurant row, Sea Island Shrimp House has drawn quite a crowd with its self-service seafood selections.
   Fried shrimp and low-priced lunch specials seem to be the draw. Diners here don't seem to the table service.
   On a recent visit to Sea Island, we arrived at 11:30 a.m., just minutes ahead of a crushing lunch rush that queued-up to the registers, studying the menus handed to them by a smiling restaurant floor manager and waiting to place their orders. Not wanting to hold things up, we decided quickly. After a cursory, glance at a lighted, fast-food style menu board behind the counter, we ordered.
   The menu is large, offering a little bit of surf-n-turf, such as a $8.95 stuffed shrimp and beef kabob platter, and lots of fried selections. Shrimp, scallops, fish, crab, oysters, chicken - all served in tempura-style batter and deep-fried. They also have some interesting salads, such as a avocado with Shrimp Louis salad, and plenty of combination plates. Think of it as a Long John Silver's with carpeting.
   The register girl took our lunch order, handed us a black plastic paperback-sized lighted vibrating pager-type device and pointed us to the girl who handed us our drinks. With the lighted pager and our drinks, we found a table and settled in to the super-chilled dining room under the serenade of Lionel Ritchie Muzak.
   The newly built restaurant is spotless, and a staff of bus boys circulates through the room, keeping it that way, sweeping food off the pile carpeted floor and wiping tables with real gusto.
   With the buzz and an alarming flashing, the pager went off to notify us that our appetizer - a dozen peel-your own boiled shrimp - was ready. Unfortunately, so was my dining companions lunch order, the stuffed shrimp platter. My meal, a broiled filet of Gulf redfish, would be another 5 minutes or so, I was told.
   Leaving the stuffed shrimp under the warming lights, I took the boiled shrimp appetizer back to our table to explain the situation to my lunch companion.
   The shrimp, still wearing their feet and not-veined, were excellent - served over ice with lemons and red sauce. By the time we devoured them, a voice yelling from the counter informed us the rest of our order was ready.
   Back at the counter I grabbed the stuffed shrimp plate and my redfish and presented them with a flourish at the table.
   The stuffed shrimp platter ($5.95) was ample, and plenty fried - five medium shrimp, split and stuffed with fish and breadcrumbs, served over a heap of french fries and hush puppies. The only thing that wasn't deep fried was the cole slaw.
   The redfish ($11.45) - served hot in the foil it was broiled in and peppered with seasoning - was fantastic. The huge, juicy slab of fish was more than enough. And while the fries were of the slightly soggy frozen variety, the hush puppies - hot fried cornmeal - were great.
   By the look of the crowd, Corpus Christi likes the casual, self-service atmosphere of Sea Island. The best part, we heard one patron say: "No tipping!"
   Sea Island Shrimp House
   5425 S. Padre Island Drive, 994-4800
   Entrees: $2.90 to $11.50
   Checks: No
   Credit cards: All major.
   Beer/wine
   Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:45 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
   Food: 1 1/2 stars
   Service: 1 stars
   Atmosphere: 1 1/2 stars

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