Original Waterfront Crab Shack: Seafood the Old Fashioned Way
104 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW, Fort Walton Beach, 664-0345
By Bruce Collier August 25, 2005 Issue
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The Original Waterfront Crab Shack in Fort Walton Beach is a good example of the kind of restaurant that used to be commonplace in this area. The cheerfully ramshackle building looks like it was put together in spurts. The newest area seems to be the outdoor patio, covered with benches and deck chairs. I’m sure that Ivan or Dennis had a hand in that renovation.

The crowd looks equally composed of regulars, old regulars, and the occasional group of tourists that have read a guidebook or two in search of an old-fashioned on-the-water bar and seafood joint. The Original Waterfront Crab Shack (hereinafter the “Crab Shack,” for short) is the genuine article.

Which is good, although occasionally problematic. There’s nothing phony about the assorted photos, fishing gear, beer signs and snapshots that decorate the place. There’s a service bar, and another bar, located in the back adjoining the deck. The latter was dotted with ladies and gentlemen of leisure, kicking off an evening of cocktails and conversation.

The service, or at least our server, could have been a little more focused. He was prompt, to the point where we began to feel a little rushed, but he forgot to bring our salads. Neither of us remembered until hours later, so I guess we’re partly to blame. If you go to the Crab Shack anytime soon and see a couple of tossed salads sitting around, eat ‘em, they’re paid for.

On the plus side, my friend said her margarita was excellent. With a little coaxing, our server held off bringing our desserts until we had had a chance to take a seventh-inning smoke break on the deck.

The menu, as one might expect, leans heavily toward seafood. Fried, grilled, and steamed are the favored methods of cooking. There are also soups, salads, sandwiches, and steam buckets in various combinations.

We started with fried grouper fingers and shrimp quesadillas. The grouper was fresh, fried crisp and greaseless, and everything you’d want. The shrimp quesadillas, while a little light on the shrimp, made up for it in size and cheesiness, and came with both pico de gallo and a tangy salsa. Other appetizer choices include seafood gumbo, clam chowder, house-made smoked tuna dip, fried crab claws, steamed shrimp, oysters raw or steamed, wings, cheese sticks, fried mushrooms, and chicken tenders. Sound like good food for beer and cocktails? You may well think so.

My friend chose grilled shrimp for her main course, and I picked the fried seafood platter. Other choices included crab legs, scallop, shrimp, or oyster dinners and combinations of same, two steak choices, shrimp kebabs, crab cakes, soft shell crabs, and scampi pasta with Alfredo sauce. You can also get burgers and po’ boys featuring almost any kind of fish and seafood.

The grilled shrimp were medium to large, and 12 in number, which delighted my shrimp-loving friend. Rubbed with a slightly spicy grill seasoning, they were, alas, slightly overcooked. This delighted my friend less. Judging from the high quality of other items, I’ve a feeling this was not typical.

My platter came with shrimp, oysters, scallops, a huge side of grouper, and a crab cake. I chose roasted garlic new potatoes. The spuds were good, and plentiful, but had less garlic than I was expecting. But there’s no law mandating excess garlic. Too much would have interfered with the taste of the fish, so I was happy. As with the grouper fingers, the fried fish was very crisp, hot, and oil-free. That and a cold beer, and you’ve got Ye Olde Gulfe Coaste on a plate.

I wasn’t expecting all that much in the way of desserts. After all, one goes to places like the Crab Shack to have a few drinks, talk to friends, and eat honking big plates of uncomplicated seafood. I was pleasantly surprised. The chocolate cake and key lime pie were very good examples of these standards. Even the fake whipped cream was closer than most. There’s also a cheesecake, available sauced with caramel or chocolate.

We ate at the Original Waterfront Crab Shack on a Monday evening. We ate early, and by the time we left most of the tables were occupied, along with the back bar and much of the deck. The staff members smile a lot, and enjoy joking with regulars. Most important, the food is well worth making your server slow down so you can enjoy it.

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