The Oyster Bar Too

For most of my life, I have been blessed with access to some of the best seafood available. Being the son of a shrimper, I have had all the shrimp, fish and squid that person could want on a regular basis. However, about 3 years ago, my father retired from shrimping and sold his boat the Valley Cloud. Now, seafood has become a more appreciated event for me. My wife Erica, does not care for seafood, so dining out at a seafood restaurant is not as often as I would prefer. Well as luck would have it, this past Saturday my 7 year old daughter Emma and I, decided that since Erica was busy, we would go out to the Oyster Bar to enjoy some fried fish.
Emma and I arrived at the Oyster Bar (Paredes Line Rd) during lunch time and were quickly seated. The decor at the Oyster Bar has never changed. It dining area is lined with booths and tables, along with stuffed or fake fish and crabs on the walls. My daughter loves the Oyster Bar, she says it is because she loves fish, but I think the fish and oyster themed place mats give her some amusement as well. The menu at the Oyster Bar has seen little change. They feature whole baby Snapper, Orange Roughy, stuffed and fried shrimp, crab, and oysters (of course), along with soup, stuffed jalapenos and other items. The only item that is not seafood is the chicken fried steak.
I ordered a cup of the seafood soup and the variety platter; Emma had the half order of fried fish with French fries. Within minutes my soup and Emma's fish plate had arrived. I quickly prepped Emma's plate for her with a little lemon and some ketchup, she dug right in. Hot and steamy, I quickly added some Tabasco, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and fresh lemon to my soup. It was excellent! The soup was served with a few shrimp, small pieces of white fish, and vegetables (mostly potato). I easily could have devoured another bowl. When my plate arrived it had two fish filets, two shrimp, two scallops and two oysters, all fried. The sides included a green salad (it usually comes with cottage cheese), and a baked potato. Our server provided us with a basket full of warm bread, loads of butter, sour cream and extra lemons. Needless to say, Emma and I were in seafood heaven. Overall, the experience was everything we wanted. My rating for our experience was 4 out of 5 stars. Why?
Number One: Flavor. I have had the soup at Oyster Bar for years and it is always good. The only exception is if you arrive in the afternoon. I have noticed that the shrimp in the soup can become tough and the fish dissolves into the broth. However, the flavor is always there.
Number Two: Consistency. The seafood is usually fresh. I have had a bad piece of shrimp at the Oyster Bar, though rare, it has happened. But I have enjoyed the oysters on the half-shell on many occasions and they have always been fresh.
Number Three: Although, my experience at the Oyster was great; there is plenty of room for improvement. Service can be slow and inconsistent at times. The menu could have more than one item for the non-seafood lovers. The kitchen sometimes run out of some of the popular items on the menu and the business hours are a little different (they close after lunch then re-open for dinner).

Like I mentioned the Oyster Bar is a good restaurant that manages to maintain a regular clientele. However, frying food is like shooting fish in a barrel; quality and consistency though can be much harder to accomplish.