|
Restaurant Review
| News
| Sports | Business
| Opinions | Columns
| Entertainment |
| Science/Technology| Weather
| Archives | E-mail
Us |
Friday, February 11, 2000
Tortugas is back, shelling out smoked ribs
Reopened in Port A, Tortugas features tasty, falling-off-the-bone chicken, barbecue
After nearly a two-year absence from Port A, Tortugas - or at least the shell of it - is back.
The building that was once the home of one of Port Aransas' most popular establishments has been picked up, trucked off and re-established by Jon and Joyce Christensen away from its prime waterfront location.
What once was Tortuga Flats is now a parking lot. What now is Tortugas Ribs and Seafood is across from an RV lot.
Tortugas doesn't boast fantastic sunsets over the water, but it does have some tasty, falling-off-the-bone smoked ribs and chicken, something the original never had.
But Tortugas may be the only barbecue restaurant I've ever entered that didn't immediately impress me with the savory smell of smoked meats. Instead, it smells like freshly cut lumber, evidence of the Christensens' two years worth of work to renovate the joint.
The walls are now a rough plywood paneling, and plaid pile carpeting has replaced the weathered wooden floor. The interior is lit by cost-efficient florescent bulbs, and the booths and tables seem cleaner than they ever were under the previous ownership.
Along the walls are hung rusted old pans, washboards and other memorabilia. Of note, a shrine to the great American movie hero, John Wayne. Two six-shooters, a couple of spurs, and two bull whips surround a poster print of the Duke, a fitting tribute.
Another big change, Tortugas is now a serve-yourself establishment. Home-style dining, so to speak. As in, if you're thirsty, get up and get yourself a drink, or if you'd like some pie, get up and get it yourself, just like you'd have to at home.
Slow-smoked barbecue
We bellied up to the counter recently to sample the ribs and seafood. The food was worth coming back for, but a bit pricey and served on plastic foam plates with plastic forks, knives and spoons.
For $13.95, we tried the ribs, brisket, sausage and chicken plate, just to make sure we had a good sampling of what they offered from their grill.
The food, piled up on plate, came with cole slaw and corn on the cob (the frozen coblet kind) and our choice of two side orders that included french fries, potato salad and pinto beans.
We also ordered a half-pound of boiled shrimp for $11.95, which came with new potatoes, corn on the cob and cole slaw. For a child with us, we ordered a grilled cheese sandwich ($2.95).
The barbecue was excellent, slow-smoked over an oak fire. The ribs came clean off the bone to the touch, as did the chicken, which was deliciously smoky, pink and moist. I was able to cut the thin sliced brisket with the plastic fork I grabbed from the bin. And the sausage was spicy and greasy, just like it should be.
The boiled shrimp was typical, heads off and still intact with a gritty vein. Tossed on the plate were two new potatoes, and, on the side, the kind of cole slaw you might find at a grocery store deli.
All together, the food was good, though it was the most expensive meal I've ever eaten off of disposable plates ($35.56 total for the three meals).
After dinner, we opted for desert. Back at the counter, I again handed over the credit card and ordered a piece of pecan pie and bread pudding with a whiskey sauce. The pie was good, homemade, in fact, with a nice flaky crust and all. The bread pudding, served in a small foam cup, was also good, sticky sweet and with just the right touch of whiskey to add an edge.
But served in a foam cup? Come on.
Tortugas Ribs & Seafood
5000 Cutoff Road, Port Aransas
(361) 749-7427
Hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week
Entrees: $3.95-$13.95
Checks: yes
Credit cards: all major
Wheelchair accessible
Alcohol: Beer/wine
Food: **
Service: 1/2
Atmosphere: * 1/2
| Talk
about this story | Next Story
| Home |
© 2000,
a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.
|
 |
 |
|
