During our recent trip to Richmond, Virginia a friend recommended we visit the Croaker's Spot Restaurant. What we heard as they described how wonderful this restaurant was "soul" food. What we found was the "soul of seafood".
We were told to go early and we did. Best advice ever! Croaker's lines were out the door and wrapped around the building and it wasn't one 'clock in the afternoon! Once again, the building was small. Too small for the clientele they serve. It was crazy at best! We waited some forty minutes before we were finally taken to a table. And then the wait times got down right ridiculous!
The atmosphere was extremely pleasant and the service was good. The staff was personable and friendly and everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves. Our server introduced herself fairly quickly and took our
drink orders. Twelve minutes later we were still waiting for those two sweet teas to come to the table. But we didn't fret. It gave us time to study the menu.
drink orders. Twelve minutes later we were still waiting for those two sweet teas to come to the table. But we didn't fret. It gave us time to study the menu.
Clearly, there was some misunderstanding in the translation that we were looking for "soul" food. This is not your fried chicken and collard greens kind of establishment. It's heavy seafood with a soulful spin.
When the waitress finally returned after that twelve minutes I ordered the Shrimp and Grits. It was shrimp sautéed western style with peppers, onions, and mushrooms served with cheddar ranch grits and a block of cornbread. Big Daddy ordered the Eggleston's Fried Fish Boat. It was two fillets of fried fish adorned with a "secret" sauce of bell peppers and onions with house potatoes and cornbread. Big Daddy requested that sauce be put on the side since he wasn't feeling secret sauce with his fried fish.
And this is where the experience nose dived for me. We sat for exactly 48 minutes to get our meal. 48 MINUTES! It was fish and seafood! They cook faster than anything else and it took 48 minutes to get ours to the table. Big Daddy joked that the cook drove to the coast, pulled the shrimp traps, dropped his fishing line, caught our dinner, drove back and then cooked the meal! He joked but I was hungry and it wasn't funny.
To say that we were disappointed is putting it mildly. My shrimp were tough and I am not a fan of their cheese grits. I didn't like them and I love cheese grits. The cornbread looked good. It was oversized and heavy. But it tasted of too much backing soda/powder and not cornmeal. I also like a sweet cornbread and this was neither sweet nor cornbreadish. It was not good to me.
He was okay with his fried whiting. It wasn't bad but it wasn't spectacular. The potatoes were okay as well. I did like the "secret" sauce. It reminded me of chow chow or mango chutney. It had a very nice flavor and I would eat it again.
I won't count out this place. I wish I'd ordered the crab stuffed salmon. The man at the table beside us did and it looked spectacular. He seemd to be enjoying it as well. We both agree that our expectations were too high. As well, the lengthy wait time made us, or me, testy. Then when the meal was just mediocre it was a formula for disaster. But I would definitely give them another try and I would do it within minutes of them opening the front door!
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