Joe's Crab Shack's Wacky Act
Our reviewer chews on the staff antics at this new Mission Valley restaurant
We had spent the entire day at Sea World. Seven hours and $93 later we were tired, wet and hungry. Starved, in fact. After all, we'd only had a few bites of our lunch when it was stolen away. We were sharing the delicious cheeseburger and fries basket. I had cut the burger in half, mayonnaised it up and squirted catsup along the edge of the waxed paper; we both had our napkins on our laps. Torrey had a bite or two of the sandwich and was picking at the fries (7 year olds don’t really eat, they pick). I then began to do the tacky-unspeakable — use my cell phone in public. I was trying to make arrangements to meet her father, Steve, and brother, Camden, for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack (you know I have been talking about eating there for months now). Just as I finished hitting SEND, from out of nowhere, a great, big, freakish sea gull swooped down and flew off with our cheeseburger, basket and all! Torrey thought it was the funniest damn thing and said she wasn’t hungry anymore anyway. She wanted to go to the 2:15 Shamu show.
|
"Joe's Crab Shack in Mission Valley's Hazard Center is part of the Landry's Seafood Restaurants family out of Houston. It is just one of the company’s seafood-themed concepts...and oh boy, do I mean themed. When you walk in the front door it’s like "Gilligan's Island" meets TGI Friday's meets Dick's Last Resort. The place looks like a nautical junkyard; sea stuff is everywhere.
The mostly seafood menu offers a fried section, a broiled section and a crab section. All the fried fish combos are served with french fries and the gratuitous coleslaw. The broiled or "healthier" section is served with rice and slaw. We ordered all over the board and ordered plenty, especially after the no-lunch thing. We tried the crabcakes to start ($6.99). The two cakes were served on a bed of french fries with tartar sauce riding shotgun. The flavor was nice enough, but they were way too moist. They weren’t nice, crisp-on-the-outside, light-on-the-inside cakes. They were more like two blobs of warm crab dip — I actually asked for some bread and smeared a bit on a piece. It was really quite a nice snack.
|
Dodie Bacon, Amber Kimball and Danielle Byers serve seafood specialties with a smile at Joe's Crab Shack.
|
Torrey ordered the "Kiddie Pizza" for $3.99; she got off lucky, it was pretty OK. Steve ordered the "Garlic Shrimp" ($9.99) which was served on a bed of pasta. I had a couple bites of this dish, but can’t remember anything about it except that it tasted very white and creamy. Joe's offers six types of crab legs; all sold by the pound at market prices. Camden had the "King Crab Legs" ($23.99). They were served on a big, round beer tray with a scattering of french fries, a quarter of an ear of boiled corn and a dollop of slaw. This presentation was very disappointing for a place that features crabs as its specialty. Besides that, I had just finished reading Landry's 1996 annual report which repeatedly talked about the "generous portions" and "value-based entrées." I ordered the "Seafood Salad" ($9.99), which was a combination of herb-smoked salmon and chilled shrimp on top of a bed of greens consisting mostly of iceberg lettuce.
So there I was, having a very mediocre meal at a place that I had built up to myself and others for months. What was I going to write about? Just then the lights dimmed, the music went up and all the employees went into a line dance of something from "Saturday Night Fever."
The staff danced in and out of the dining room and bar. It reminded me of something that used to happen at cheerleading camp; everyone was instantly whipped into a phony sense of spirit and excitement. Then the song ended and all employees went back to whatever they were doing before the whistle blew. This happened every 28 minutes. In between which, at any given time, a blowhorn-toting server/comedian I’ll call "Dave" would yell phrases like "Tell everybody at the office that you got crabs last night," or "Hey, you with the bib. What’s your name?" into the dining room. I spent the rest of the evening avoiding eye contact with Dave for fear he would heckle me.
We quickly shared our desserts, the key lime pie and the chocolate cake ($4.25 each), and left. I remembered the annual report stated that Landry's sales were $236 million. Go figure. So on our way home I asked Torrey what she liked the best, thinking the dancing, the pizza or the yelling would win. She thought a while and said, "when the bird took our hamburger."
— Terryl Gavre
|
Where The Techies Lunch
The Sorrento Towers Food Court is mecca for the five-dollar meal
All those folks making all those high-tech gizmos in San Diego’s booming Sorrento area, Telecom Valley, or whatever it’s called, have something in common: They all need to eat.
And while the guys with the stock options and exit plans may haul over to Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens to cook up the next deal, most of the region's work force is seeking a quicker and less pricey alternative.
That's where the Sorrento Towers food Court comes in. Located on Scranton Road within a digital phone heave of Interstate 805, the collection of eateries offers foods from around the world — falafel, sushi, tacos, pizza, etc. — for an average of $5 and prepared in just minutes.
Rocky Perez of Scudder Kemper Mutual Funds picks up a quick lunch from KC's Tandoor.
|
No, not a lot of heavy deals go down at this food court — the restaurants aren’t meant for serious business lunches or impressing that someone special — but the eateries do have their perks. There's no need to leave a tip, which saves a few bucks, the menu selections are numerous, and some will even deliver to your office. Also, those who don’t share the same food cravings with lunch partners can do what my dining companion and I did: split up and meet at a table to compare fare.
Here's a rundown on the Sorrento Towers Food Court's offerings:
Chicks Natural: Known for its original fire roasted chicken, Chicks is a self-proclaimed healthy fast food restaurant. I tried the "Boneless Breast Combination Dinner," which comes with a choice of two side orders (corn, rice, beans, veggies, etc.) and bread. The chicken was tasty, with hints of citrus and cinnamon, but slightly dry. The "Jalapeño Corn Bread" was outstanding. Customers around me ordered "Chicken Burritos" and "Chicken Caesar Salads," which looked good.
Sunny's Pizza: Sunny's offers tremendous slices of pizza, warm and satisfying with a zesty sauce. Single slices are so large, they're cut in half to make them easier to eat. Also available are whole pizzas and pastas. The best deal is the "Daily Pizza Combo" — a slice of pizza, tossed salad and a medium drink for $3.95.
The Greek Café: Offering traditional favorites for under $6, this restaurant is worth a visit. When I saw the tray of golden triangles fresh from the oven, I couldn’t resist a piece of "Spanakopita." Made of filo dough and filled with spinach and cheeses, they were delicious. I also enjoyed the "Falafel Hummus Plate," which was prepared fresh as I waited. The hummus and falafel were both excellent, and I bet that the "Moussaka," "Gyros" and "Shish Kebabs" are just as good.
KC's Tandoor: The Indian food at KC's was almost gourmet. The restaurant offers a long list of vegetarian, chicken, lamb and seafood dishes. For bread lovers, there is a selection of Naan (baked leavened bread). Naan is good alone or with toppings, and great for dipping into the Indian sauces. The "Navrattan Korma," a mixed vegetable curry with Indian cheese was a hit with its robust flavors. Although a bit spicy, it also had a wonderful hint of sweetness. (Depending on your tolerance, ask for more or less spice.)
|
Tokyo Express: For Japanese delicacies on the spot, "Tokyo Express" is the answer. We tried the vegetable teriyaki plate, which comes with rice and salad. The teriyaki sauce was good, but the dish was a bit dominated by celery. Also available is a variety of sushi, tempura and soups.
Other restaurants include Bar-B-Q Delights, which has sandwiches, salads and bowls featuring barbecue chicken, beef and pork, and Zeppelin's Deli, where you can pop in for a turkey, club, tuna, hot pastrami or steak sandwich. Also available is Chinese from Mandarin Express, Mexican from Tacos Etc., yogurt and smoothies from Yogurt Affair and coffee from Starbucks.
Some of the restaurants at the Sorrento Towers Food Court can be described as "upscale fast food." Of those we tried, KC's Tandoor and The Greek House stood out, offering sit-down restaurant-quality food.
Wherever you go, you will be served quickly, even when there's a line, leaving more time to eat, relax and enjoy your lunch hour.
— Melissa Jacobs
|
