Photo courtesy of Shell Shack
If you are forced to leave the house this summer, do what you can to find a body of water and soak in it for as long as possible. If it is food you seek, avoid the pastas and red meat and look for seafood to satisfy your carnivorous desires.
East Dallas has its fair share of new and classic seafood spots to keep you fed and not overheated. Enjoy five of our neighborhood’s delights.
- Shell Shack on Henderson Avenue is bringing bold flavor and style to East Dallas seafood. Taking over the space where Mellow Mushroom briefly resided, Shell Shack moved in from uptown and brought its infused seafood with it. They have fried catfish and shrimp baskets along with tasty crab tater tots, but they are known for their boils, where flavor is infused with massive crab legs, shrimp or crawfish. The crustacean will come in a bag of flavored goodness, and you will need a decent understanding of crab tools to get to the good stuff. You can order it “Uptown Style” if you want them to do the shucking for you, but getting there is half the fun. Shell Shack, 2326 N. Henderson Ave.
- Calle Doce is a more understated seafood destination, but the Mexican restaurant can hang with the best of them. Don’t get this restaurant confused with queso-laden Tex-Mex. Calle Doce emphasizes Mexican seafood. The Calamari Mexicano is a unique take on calamari. There are a number of different ceviches to choose from. Grilled whole catfish or fillet is a fan favorite. The chile relleno de mariscos will be somewhat familiar but with a shrimp twist. Don’t forget: Paella with clams, mussels, shrimp and cod. La Calle Doce,1925 Skillman St.
- Las Palapas used to be a gas station, but the food is adventurous and delicious. Try the Mariscoco, a shrimp cocktail in a cocount shell. Sinaloan-style octopus, oysters, jumbo scallops, mahi mahi and several shrimp dishes can be ordered right from the bar. A red snapper dish can take you right out of East Dallas. If you prefer Mexican seafood style, select fish tacos and a ceviche for starters. Las Palapas, 1418 Greenville Ave.
- Aw Shucks is shelling out all the crawfish you can eat all summer long. The water misters help keep you cool. Featured: fried baskets, grilled salmon and raw oysters served cold. The restaurant’s specialty is the crawfish boil. If you prefer clams, shrimp or snow crab legs in your boil, the restaurant can make that too. If the wait is too long on Greenville, head around the corner to Aw Shucks’ cousin Big Shucks on Mockingbird. Aw Shucks, 3601 Greenville Ave., or Big Shucks, 6232 E. Mockingbird Lane.
- 20 Feet features mussels, pineapple Ponzu oyster shooters or whole belly clams, but save room for the rolls and po-boys. Try the lobster roll or cod and shrimp po-boys as well as a clam roll. Try for a table inside. 20 Feet, 1160 Peavy Road
