Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Review of Saltwater Grill, Swansboro



            After spending the morning in the historic area of Swansboro, Megan and I were rather hungry.  We took notice of the Saltwater Grill from about a block away.  The large building is right on the dock.  In fact, they have some table out over the water if you prefer.  Since we it was well over 90 degrees outside, we preferred the indoor dining room.  The restaurant is located on the second floor, but once you enter, you can see an expansive view of the water.  It is a breathtaking view and it doesn’t hurt that every table has a waterfront view.  When we arrived at 11:30, there was no one else in the restaurant, but it was a Tuesday. 
            Both Megan and I ordered the She-Crab soup.  Lump and claw meat were gently folded into cream, crab roe, and sherry.  They claim that there is a dash of hot sauce, but on our visit, the chef must have been a little heavy handed.  The soup was great, but when both of us came up coughing and in need of water after one spoonful, then that is too much heat.  Aside from the spice, which I assume was a one-time mistake, I highly recommend ordering the She Crab Soup.  It is fresh, creamy and delicious.    Just be prepared in case it normally is that spicy. 
            For Megan’s entrĂ©e, she ordered the Crab Cake Slider.  I don’t know why it is called a slider and not sliders, since there are three of them, but that doesn’t affect their quality.  They were fabulous.  We could easily tell that the crab was literally, just out of the water, and made into three good-sized crab cakes, with very little filler.  There was just the perfect touch of slaw on the sliders as well, slightly creamy to accentuate the crab.  The sliders were served on Hawaiian sweet rolls, which made the combination of each bite great.  The creaminess and crunch of the slaw, the sweetness of the bun, and the delicate sweet and savoriness of the crab made this an amazing lunch.  For the side, Megan had the pasta salad.  Honestly, I didn’t try it for some reason, but she said that is was very good and flavorful. 
            For my lunch, I ordered the Saltwater Taco (again, it should be plural since there were three of them).  When prompted, the waiter suggested that I get them grilled instead of fried.  I’m glad I took his advice.  The shrimp were probably swimming that morning it was so fresh.  It was grilled just enough to cook it through and not scorch the shrimp.  It was served with lime-steamed soft tacos, shredded lettuce, house-made salsa, shredded mild cheddar, and chipotle ranch, which I am sure, was just regular ranch.  I did like that I could put together my own tacos, so I could decide how much lettuce, etc to put in each taco.  Now with only 9 shrimp on the plate, you could only put three per taco, though they could have held five.  At ten dollars, and since they come right out of the water that is mere feet from the restaurant, shrimp should not have been so scarce.  However, they were cooked well and combined for a refreshing and filling lunch. 
            All in all, our experience at The Saltwater Grill was well above average.  The waiter was helpful, even if he did get lost for about 20 minutes after giving us our check.  Our drinks were consistently refilled and the food was exceptional.  I’d love to come back for dinner some time and try that out.  But I can definitely tell you, that when I am in Swansboro again, this is the place I’ll be visiting for lunch.  
Category
Scale 1-5 stars
Food Quality
\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar
Food Creativity
\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar
Service
\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar
Atmosphere
\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar
Value for the Price
\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar\bigstar



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