SEBASTIAN — For the past six months, there’s been a new restaurant on the Indian River waterfront serving good fresh seafood, well prepared, on an attractive deck overlooking the water.
It was just this winter that Capt’n Butcher’s finally decided to add a restaurant to its fishing charter and lodging business, and on several recent visits, we have come away impressed with how well you now can dine there, whether you are simply craving a lobster roll or are ready to dig into a meal like the Capt’n’s grilled platter.
On a Wednesday night a couple of weeks ago, I started with the house salad (included with entrées, $2.99 otherwise) and my husband and our companion both opted for a cup of the New England clam chowder ($3.59). The salad was your basic mix of greens, topped with tomato and pine nuts, with a tasty house dressing. But the clam chowder here is excellent.
My husband – a New Englander who considers himself an aficionado – said it may rate only behind the offering of Fort Pierce’s 12a Buoy in this area For entrées, I chose the linguine in clam sauce ($16.99), my husband opted for one of the evening’s specials, the savory encrusted swordfish topped with lump crab ($22.99), and our companion ordered a lobster roll ($14.99).
The linguine was perfectly prepared al dente, with fresh clams swimming in the white garlic sauce. The swordfish, only occasionally offered as a special, was a beautiful piece of juicy, tender fish, encrusted in Japanese bread crumbs, and topped with gorgeous lump crab. Absolutely wonderful.
Our companion enjoyed one of the better lobster rolls I have seen recently, featuring chunks of lobster in a toasted bun.
On previous visits, we sampled the Capt’n’s grilled platter ($23.99), the fried gulf oysters ($16.99), and the fried gulf shrimp ($15.99). The grilled platter – from the fish (dolphin), to the extra large shrimp, to the succulent sea scallops – was perfectly prepared in a house grilling sauce, and the night I had it, could not have been fresher or tastier.
The hand breaded oysters, flash fried, were plump and juicy. The gulf shrimp also were fried light and crispy. We also have enjoyed the seafood marinara ($19.99) – fresh shrimp, mussels, clams and fish served in a homemade marinara sauce over penne pasta – and the Indian River crab cakes ($14.99). The crab cakes were nicely sautéed, and an excellent value for the price.
For dessert, we tend to order the Key Lime pie ($5.99) topped with fresh whipped cream. An excellent rendition of this dish.
Service by a very young staff that brings more enthusiasm than experience to the task has gotten better with each visit.
Dinner for two, with a decent bottle of wine, should run $60 to $70 before tax and tip. While there is a fairly plain room available for indoor dining, if the weather is at all cooperative, you want to sit outside overlooking the lagoon.
The combination of food and view here is extremely tough to beat. I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@sebastianrivernews.com.
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of the Sebastian River News.