The Original Crab Shanty

[rating:1.5]

My wife and I decided to go to the zoo last week. We figured since we were in the Bronx, that after the zoo, we’d swing by and pick up my mom for dinner in City Island. One of my wife’s friends recommended this place, so we decided to give it a try.

From the outside, the place looks small and intimate. However, once you enter, it is huge and feels like a typical chain style restaurant. That was the first red flag! Uh oh, it doesn’t look intimate! Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.

I really hate speaking ill of any establishments, but this is a review site, and I have always claimed that I am totally honest on here. So, I’ll say this, let’s start with the positive!

The garlic bread. The garlic bread was delicious.

The rest of the food had the potential to be good, but it just didn’t make it. When my wife told me that we were going to eat seafood, I think we were both under the impression that we’d be eating fresh, clean and healthy seafood. I was looking forward to it. Instead, we were met with heavily breaded, buttered, greasy, and not very fresh food. It was utterly disappointing for both of us.

I went with the “surf and turf,” but that could have been named the “grease and grease” for all I care. The lobster was covered in breading and butter, and the steak was also greasy. The rice was acceptable at best, but everything else simply didn’t cut it. I felt like crap after eating here, and my head hurt a lot too! Never again is an understatement.

The staff was cordial, not great, not bad. Just doing their job is the best way to describe it.

We were not feeling this place at all. Well, at least my mom liked it. It wasn’t a total loss!

Just note, this friend of my wife, and her recommendation score is now 0 for 2! She has recommended 2 restaurants, and both have been a bust! I think it is safe to say that we will no longer take any advice from her.