Shuckers Oyster Bar and Grill, Wake Forest April 23, 2010

Last night, I got to have my second date night in less than a week with my husband.  I’m getting spoiled!  We went to dinner at Shuckers in Wake Forest.

I’d been meaning to go to Shuckers since they moved, but hadn’t made it.  In case you don’t know, Shuckers used to be this little, gritty shack of a place on a service road off of Capital Boulevard in Wake Forest.  Don’t get me wrong:  the food was always good, but it was more of an oyster bar than a restaurant.  So, when they built this new, swanky-looking place over by Heritage I was confused.  And intrigued!

Turns out, Kevin and Amy Marksberry, the new owners, know a thing or two about what they’re doing!  The “new” Shuckers is quite a bit more upscale than the previous version, but just as comfortable.  The food is just as fresh, but a little more cosmopolitan.  All of this adds up nicely (and I know a thing or two about adding )!

Here are the details of our visit:

Date Night Atmosphere:  This isn’t a very quiet restaurant, but it wasn’t loud.  Just the right about of background noise so you don’t feel like you have to whisper or shout.  It is pretty dark inside (hence, no pictures – sorry!), and the tables are a good distance apart.  There is paper on the tables in case you want to color (you never know!), and there were a fair amount of kids around.  It’s a little pricier than your average family meal, but definitely family-friendly.  If running into rugrats on Date Night bugs you, keep that in mind.

What to Wear:  Seriously, I don’t think it matters.  I saw dresses, jeans, pantsuits, shorts, tee shirts, heels, and flip flops.  It all worked.  If pinned down, I’d lean more towards casual than dresssy.  I wore dressy jeans, a non-tee shirt (I really hate the word blouse, but that’s kindof what it was!), and ballet flats.  My husband wore jeans, a golf shirt, and boat shoes.  We fit right in the middle.

Reservations and Parking:  Shuckers doesn’t take reservations, but they do call-ahead seating.  This may come in handy, especially on the weekends.  We were there on a Thursday night around 6:30, and it was about 3/4 full.  There is a parking lot right out front, so no worries with parking (Is that just a pet peeve of my husband, or is it everyone?).

Service:  Get ready, this is going to be a very important paragraph!  This was some of the best service I’ve EVER had in a restaurant.  Seriously.  The hostess held the door for us as we walked in, and we were seated promptly.  Our waitress, Amanda, was as cute as a button and so sweet.  She helped me decide between a couple of entrees and was dead-on with her recommendations (even if she did try to talk me into getting the fried okra!).  We had fun chatting with her!  Then, the owner, Amy, came over to check on us.  Apparently, we had ordered the two most popular things on the menu (Which, in an odd sort of way, disappointed me.  I like to be different!  Anyway, more on the food below…).  We told her we’d never been there before, and that we were there on a Date.  She congratulated us on getting out and welcomed us.  Later, Amy returned with a complimentary piece of key lime pie because she “loves first timers and Date Night.”  How cool is that?  She had no idea that I was going to blog about her great restaurant, her gracious staff, or her generosity.  She’s just nice!  Now, I can’t say that you will get a free piece of pie if you go to Shuckers; but even if you didn’t, isn’t it cool to know that the owner is involved and cares about her customers?  These people know service.

The Food:  Yum!  That’s all.  No?  You want to know more?  Well, twist my arm and make me talk about food… I had the Shucker Martini:  Absolut Citron, Chambord, champagne, and fresh citrus juices.  It was very sweet (the sugared rim helped), and tasty!  My Date had a Big Boss Bad Penny that they had on draft.  For an appetizer, we had the Crab Dip.  It was creamy and had CHUNKS of crab meat in it.  Yay!  (I hate a crab dip with minced up God-knows-what in it…)  It came with toasted pita bread for dipping.  It didn’t last long!  Then, the entrees:  We had the Shrimp and Grits and the Stuffed Mahi.  The Shrimp and Grits was good, but definitely not traditional.  The grits were cooked in a dense cake, and they add Andouille sausage and mushrooms to the mix.  My husband liked it a lot.  I, after deliberation and discussion with Amanda, settled on the Stuffed Mahi.  It’s a mahi mahi steak stuffed with a crab cake.  It was just right!  The mahi was not overcooked, and the crab cake was so flavorful, with a great red pepper zest to it.  I was very happy with my decision!  Then, Amy came over with the Key Lime Pie.  Shuckers makes all of their desserts in-house.  She admitted that she’s never loved the pucker of key lime pie, but this was a tamer version she’d grown to love.  I agree (although the pucker never bothered me!).  This version is smooth, and real.  No neon green anything.  No meringue.  Just a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top, and one of the best graham cracker crusts I’ve ever had.  Just right!

Further Research Opportunities:  There are things at Shuckers I didn’t get to try, but I’m gonna:  The oyster bar itself is pretty big and was calling me.  I’d love to shuck a dozen or so with a Blue Moon and get messy!  Also, they have some GREAT Happy Hour specials daily from 2-6 p.m. that I’d like to check out.  They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.  That could be fun.  Oh, the opportunities abound…

The Verdict:  I hated it.  Can’t you tell?!  For real, this place rocks!  Trust me, it would be worth the drive if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Wake Forest.  We will be back, and soon!

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