Critic's Review
I went to G&B when they first opened, mainly because Steve Shockey was the chef. He's since moved on to man The Red Cow, and I haven't been back here since. I'm not crazy about the beach crowd at dinner time, or lunch for that matter, but I was curious to try it again. They open at 4pm, so I figured I could go for a late lunch. I was down here on Saturday, but there was no public parking, and the valet was a mess. Although it's complimentary, it's just a disaster. It used to be so nice; you could just drive in and park for lunch; now if there are 3 people in front of you it can take 10-15 minutes to park and/or get your car.
So I came down on a Monday and parked across from Treasure Trove. Figure you have to give the valet $2 to move your car 20 feet; you might as well put the $2 in a meter for 75 minutes of parking.
I'm glad that I was running later than expected as I found out that while they open at 4pm, they don't open the G&B kitchen until 5. So if you get there at 4 you can get food from Coconuts but just get drinks from G&B, which wasn't what I wanted. There's no hostess (or sign), so I just sat down and hoped someone noticed. I clocked in at 4:52, so I'd have to wait a bit for some food.
I don't like the bar here; not sure why but it's just not comfortable. I also had the big camera, so it would have been awkward.
They also have a raw bar in the back. I wasn't doing raw today.
As with Coconuts, they have a laundry list of specials, all rattled off without prices. Dear Mr Restaurant owner, what product do you buy without knowing the price in advance? I don't even listen. They also have a list of "special" drinks with no prices on the table.
I'm detoxing so no iced tea this week (tea is a DAO inhibitor); they only have the big bottles of Pelligrino and they probably charge $8 for it, so I went with seltzer. I ordered the Whole Portuguese Sardines, and waited for the kitchen to open.
Music here is good here: Dead or Alive, Varios Interpetes, The Eurythmics, "Sunglasses at Night". Good stuff. I noticed some food coming out, and I was reminded of the minuscule portions here; they gave me a half bowl of Conch Chowder and a couple of shrimp. I was further reminded when the sardines came out; I expected at least 3 for $11. Sardines are like $1 per pound.
Nothing like a nice, grilled whole fish. I was hoping for a nice oil/garlicky sauce; this orange stuff didn't seem to fit. Not sure what it was and I avoided the comedy of asking my server, as I was sure she'd have no idea. This would have been better with 3 sardines, no bread and a lighter sauce.
When I got the bill, I checked to see if they added gratuity and they don't. I'm not sure if they still do at Coconuts with the new laws.
Conclusion
As with all of Wolf's restaurants, everything here is a couple of dollars more than it should be. 2 sardines is an $8.95 dish. If you can't share an $11 appetizer it's not really a appetizer, at least not by today's standards.
This is a tourist trap; You can spend $40 here on a bunch of nibbles. Wolf should have torn down the inside and made a long waterfront bar/deck and this place would be great (Im thinking Paddy McGee's in Island Park, which was unfortunately destroyed by Hurricane Sandy). As it is, a "waterfront" Oyster bar with no view of the ocean and uncomfortable seating doesn't really appeal to me.
Review 3/26/12
G&B Oyster Bar is an extension of Coconuts. Your CC receipt will say Coconut's on it. There's a small kitchen, an oyster shucking station, and a bar in what used to be a dive shop. That being said, they have their own menu that's pretty unique. Although it was pretty crowded on a Monday evening, I got a seat at the bar.
While I was researching the place, I came across something that made me smile widely. I came across a review on yelp by Felecia; and she really seemed to like the food. The reason it's interesting is that the chef here, Steve Shockey, used to work with Felicia at Big City Tavern, and rumor has it that Felecia lobbied to get him fired. I'm guessing she didn't know he was in the kitchen.
For those new to the area, Shockey was the executive chef at critically acclaimed Christine's over on Oakland Park Blvd (which is now Mugs). He's one of the few real chefs in this town. I had quite a few of his specials when he was at Big City; his Jambalaya was crazy good. I was kind of hoping they'd have it on the G&B menu, but alas, no such luck.
Two things of note about G&B, there are no TVs that show television here, so don't come here to watch the game. And the chairs are crappy and somewhat uncomfortable. The little steel stools at the bar are not meant for adults. It's also another restaurant that has a wireless router, but they won't give you the password. Or they don't know it. It's 2012 people; get with the program. Thank goodness for 3G.
After the junk I had at Legal Seafood, I said that I wasn't ordering conch chowder anymore; but with Shockey in the kitchen I thought I'd give it a shot. I also ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp, which sounded different and interesting. I ordered a light beer while I waited. The soup came out pretty quickly.
For a soup, it was pretty light on liquid. Not loaded with conch, but one of the more skillfully made versions I've had. Not as good as Sindaco's, but pretty good. One minor complaint; the spoon was kind of funny; too big, not a comfortable utensil. Just as I was finishing the soup, the shrimp came out.
The menu says you can expect "finger-licking", and they weren't kidding. These are served shell on and you'll be using your dishrag-style napkin quite often. The shrimp are char grilled and served with a good olive oil / basil dipping sauce. A pretty good dish. Not a lot of food for $12, but good.
To me the best thing about Coconuts is the view of the bay, and you don't have that at G&B. But at the beach, when your other choices are Bubba Gump and the Quarterdeck, G&B seems like the best spot in an area devoid of good spots. Like Coconuts it's not inexpensive; for $28 I wasn't close to having a buzz or being full; but at least they don't add the 18% gratuity to the bill.
