‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Pinchers - Fresh and locally sourced

Our next dining destination is Pinchers at the Marco Walk Plaza. Picking up take out came with a laundry list of challenges, first of which was parking; then avoiding the crowds who were waiting for a table and making your way to the bar for food pickup.

This place was packed. While staff were wearing masks, patrons mostly were not. It was a sight to behold (in total disbelief).

We started by sharing the grouper nuggets ($14) and “Boom Boom” shrimp ($15).

The nuggets are flash fried bites of “local” grouper served with a side of “Boom Boom” sauce. They have a muddy flavor, much like catfish. The batter is light and tasty.

One might think the shrimp are modeled after Bonefish Grill’s “Bang Bang” shrimp. I hoped so. But I did not see any relation. These shrimps were soaked, not seasoned, and the sauce is just not up to par.

You can also select coconut or buffalo to flavor these shrimps.  

We also had a large Caesar ($10), featuring fresh Romaine and greens tossed with croutons, shaved parmesan and Pinchers “soon-to-be-famous” dressing.

The dressing was nice. Very creamy for a Caesar. The greens were fresh and yes, it was a big salad. Plenty to share.   

For my main dish, I had the “Famous” fish and chips ($15). The dish features Alaskan Pollocked served with fries and coleslaw (you can substitute the sides).

This dish is huge! The fish was cooked just right. The fries were delicious. I was surprised that this dish doesn’t come with a couple of hush puppies. Maybe I’m thinking of Long John Silvers or Captain D’s or Red Lobster or every other fish and chips dish served in the world.

My dining companion enjoyed the mahi mahi ($19). You can get it fried, grilled, broiled or blackened. He chose the latter. It comes with two sides. He picked the garlic mashed potatoes and the “locally grown” green beans. This dish was the most visually appealing and earned the highest marks of the night. The entire meal was cooked and packed to perfection.

For our dessert, the crab Rangoon ($13), handmade fried dumplings stuffed with blue crab, cream cheese and green onion and drizzled with “Asian sauce” and side of sweet chili for dipping. Yummy!

It’s good that Pinchers is neighbor to so many hotels. I can see it as a good place for visitors, but I doubt too many locals go there. That’s my way of saying, it’s not bad, but it’s not great either.

More:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Panera Bread – The lighter side of to-go

And:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: The Speakeasy has something for everyone

Also:‘Watts for Dinner’ the Takeout Edition: Familiar face opens new place in Olde Marco

More:Hey Marco Island, looking for a place to eat?

This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food.

If you go

Pinchers

• 591 S. Collier Blvd, Marco Island
• 239-970-5391
• pinchersusa.com