A Visit to the Trout Street Bar & Grill, Port Aransas, Texas

Visiting the Texas coast makes for an enjoyable time. On a recent trip, we had the pleasure of visiting The Trout Street Bar & Grill in Port Aransas, Texas. While there were different views of the food from different members of our party, we had a very enjoyable time.

We visited in early November, which is unquestionably off season for this coastal town. The restaurant was not crowded. We were immediately taken to a seat on the patio. Though it was nice out, I was glad for the sweater I had brought from the car. We enjoyed the view of all the fishing boats and the nice breeze off the gulf.

The service was excellent. There was a waiter there who immediately took our drink orders and promptly brought them to us. He was able to help us make decisions as to what to order. He seemed very comfortable and had obviously worked there for awhile.

The girls ordered Shrimp Fettuccine. The waiter had it divided in the kitchen for them. This was excellent initiative on his part. Having thirteen and fourteen year old girls, they often want to eat off the adult menu, but the portions are large for them. They often split meals on the adult menu. Having to divide a plate of pasta at the table can be messy. When he brought out two plates, the girls were very pleased.

There was a great deal of shrimp included, certainly a dozen. They enjoyed the pasta. The only complaint was the shrimp came with the tail on it. It was a bit untidy to eat this and take the tails off.

My husband had the seafood platter. It included fried shrimp, oysters, fish and a stuffed crab. He likes his food a bit spicy, so was a bit disappointed the stuffed crab was a bit bland. While it had a good flavor, it didn't have much seasoning.

I ordered from the appetizer menu for my meal. I had the crab cakes and a bowl of New England clam chowder. The crab cakes, unlike the stuffed crab, had excellent seasoning. We really enjoyed them. There were two large crab cakes, plenty to share. The remoulade sauce was wonderful. My husband ate this with his stuffed crab and fish. He said it helped zip his up a great deal.

The clam chowder was not as good as I hoped. It was thick, almost as gravy. While they served it with crackers, they weren't needed. There were plenty of potatoes in it, but not a whole lot of clams. It did have a good flavor, but definitely not one of my favorites.

Overall, it was a very nice meal. We had a very enjoyable time. It did make me wonder what it was like during the season. We may have to try it again. We would definitely go back.