‘Watts for Dinner’: Goodland’s Lady serves up savory seafood
There was a traffic jam on Goodland on this Sunday afternoon, bumper to bumper from about a quarter-mile before Stand’s Idle Hour to just past Little Bar. And patrons were also walking the streets, in a constant state of celebration.
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As we pulled into the Crabby Lady, we took the only available spot in their parking lot; and perhaps the only open spot left in Goodland. Our take away: Goodland is a very popular place on a Sunday afternoon. And with the water view, the live music and celebration, why not.
The kind folks at the Lady were not crabby at all, and instantly found a spot for us; and no, we didn’t tell them who we were or what we were there for. No special treatment here. We assume the staff treats everybody this way.
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Thinks got off to an appetizing start with the blue crab dip ($12.99); homemade crab dip served with pita points and tortilla chips. Very delicious. Unfortunately, the crab is not necessary, as cheesy is the overwhelming taste. And that’s ok. The tortilla chips were incredible, and I was tempted to take some home for nachos later. Still, the pita bread was just as good, if not better.
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We also enjoyed a cup of Crabby Lady’s “Famous” (their words not ours) seafood bisque. It comes to the table looking like a serving of Southern grits. But the taste was undeniably good.
For my entrée, I picked the shrimp basket ($16.99). You can pick grilled, blackened or fried. I picked blackened, and while they were good, blackened they were not. Just heavily seasoned.
My partner in dine picked the mahi, mahi special with French fries. He also picked blackened. And while tasty, it was also not blackened.
I’m not sure if this resulted from a busy Sunday afternoon or a miscommunication between two of the three: the menu, the wait staff and/or the cook. But mistakes can be forgiven when the result remains tasty.
I first visited the Crabby Lady on July 20, 2018. During that visit we sampled Joe’s crab balls. One was quite a bit larger than the other, but I hear that’s perfectly normal. Even though the look was not so appealing, the taste was another story. The mix of spices with the lump crab meat make for a very delightful foray into this crabby world we entered.
For his main course, my friend in food got the fresh soft shell crab caught in local waters. How do I know this, you ask? Because the guy that caught them came by our table for a chat. Nice touch Crabby Lady.
With the proper tools in hand, he worked on this dish long after I was finished; and a bit past closing time. But people were still pouring in, asking for food. And I'm a patient guy.
I ordered the crab wrap – I mean, when in Rome – which was accompanied with cole slaw. It was a bit juicy, but nothing this taco-lover couldn’t handle by looping one end of the wrap closed with my thumb.
The crab was fresh and tasty in all its forms. The atmosphere was pure Goodland; and that’s a good thing. During both visits, the Crabby Lady proves it belongs in the drinking village with a fishing problem. And on occasion, so do I.
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If you go
The Crabby Lady
- 123 Bayshore Way, Goodland
- 239-500-2722
- crabbylady.com