SEBASTIAN — Restaurants aren’t always about food. Sure, food is the big part of the experience, but a restaurant visit is enhanced by a lot of things – the view, the people-watching possibilities, attentive staff and sometimes the entertainment. We hit the bull’s eye at Squid Lips on a recent Sunday night as the weekend slowly ticked down to the start of another work week.
We arrived about 6 p.m. with two friends who were visiting us from up north. We felt Squid Lips’ Indian River Lagoon view, casual atmosphere and entertainment would be a great way to cap off their visit.
Although the hostess said we could expect a 35- to 45-minute wait, it was just minutes before we ended up at a waterfront table near Billy Mure and the Top Hats, the evening’s band.
While waiting for our drinks to arrive, we watched two dolphins break the water’s surface near the end of the dock and the sun glimmer on the water.
That type of scene is always pleasing and a treat for visitors. The fact it was a perfect Florida spring evening didn’t hurt either.
Right behind us, the Top Hats, featuring Mure and Debbie Murphy, were pounding out classics from the 40s, 50s and 60s.
From a food point of view, Squid Lips definitely looks to satisfy everyone and with its expansive menu it should have no trouble doing that.
The menu offers raw shellfish, a good mix of appetizers (15 of them), pastas, seafood, sandwiches and choices of chicken, pork and steak.
To start off, we ordered the coconut shrimp ($8.99) and the coconut onion chips ($7.99) appetizers.
One thing you can always count on is prompt service and pleasant service at Squid Lips. Our appetizers arrived in no time and we dug in.
The coconut shrimp were large, nicely fried and came with an orange marmalade/coconut dipping sauce which provided a nice accompaniment to the dish.
Coconut was again the featured ingredient in the onion chips which arrived with an orange marmalade/horseradish dipping sauce. They were a treat – crispy, thick slices of onion, battered and rolled in grated coconut.
They were the surprise of the night and went great with the dipping sauce that offered up a sharp bite thanks to the tangy horseradish. I’ll take them over onion rings any day.
For dinner, I ordered the flounder stuffed with crab and lobster ($18.99), my wife opted for the shrimp and jalapeno jack cheese grits ($17.99.) She also got a house salad with orange balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
One of our companions selected the grilled chicken with honey-lime sauce ($11.99) while her husband went with a sandwich, the oak grilled chicken on a wheat roll ($8.99).
As we waited for our meals, we enjoyed the Top Hats and watching the many couples dancing.
Occasionally, Mure, who turned 97 last November, called a friend or two up and to sing a song or two with a heavy New Orleans bent. A songwriter and guitarist on more than a dozen number one hit records, Mure just can’t stop performing.
His enthusiasm is contagious with the Sunday night crowd and if diners aren’t up dancing you still will notice a lot of foot tapping.
Our dinners arrived just as the band took a break.
My flounder was wrapped around the lobster/crab, covered with citrus butter and a seafood sauce and baked in a small casserole dish. The flounder was flaky and hot.
The kitchen didn’t skimp on the lobster and crab. The meal came with a crisply steamed vegetable blend of orange carrots, snap peas, yellow carrots and broccoli sprinkled with onion flakes. My au gratin potatoes were very good and not overwhelmed by too much cheese.
My wife’s shrimp and jalapeno cheese grits were the entree hit of the night. The dish consisted of three large scoops of grits with tomatoes, caramelized onions and two dozen nicely sautéed shrimp.
One companion said she enjoyed her grilled chicken and thought the lime sauce that came with the dish was terrific. She also gave an enthusiastic nod to the steamed mixed vegetables.
Her husband – not the most adventurous diner – also had no complaints with his selection of the oak-grilled chicken sandwich and the mountain of French fries that came with it.
Dinner for two with an appetizer and drinks at Squid Lips will run $50 to $60 with tip.
That’s not unreasonable when you factor in the restaurant’s waterfront setting, the friendly staff and the big selection of menu items.
The antics of the dockside pelicans and dolphins are free as is the sunlight reflecting off of the lagoon’s water.
Hitting Squid Lips on a Sunday evening is a great way to say goodbye to the weekend. It also provides diners with a chance to see Mure, Debbie Murphy and the Top Hats performance, an indication that life doesn’t grind to a halt 60, 70 or 80.
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Sebastian River News.
