Gulf-Coast dining in Selma, TX

North Atlantic Salmon Steak dinner

          The Forum shopping center in Selma, TX lends itself to hungry local shoppers with traditional American eateries. Many of these are chain restaurants and business competitors, vying for a chance to satisfy hungry local shoppers. As often as I’ve shopped there, they’ve succeeded in doing so. And while tonight was not a shopping night it was a special occasion: my boyfriend’s mother was celebrating her birthday. She has a very simple palate: nothing too salty or crazy sauces, just Plain Jane, with a healthy appetite for seafood cooked or fried correctly. Naturally, the younger money-conscious couple that we are, Red Lobster was not on the top of the list budget-wise, but Sea Island, we had heard was a cheaper alternative. Serving “great seafood since 1965,” Sea Island has been a long-time local favorite. Driving up, I could see why. A nice landscaped area with a coastal palm tree and two large patios sandwich the entryway paying homage to the gulf-coast style of the restaurant. On the far left side was a slide, indicating that this was a family-friendly place to wine and dine, and let loose a bit, as the children were allowed to play while the adults finished their meals. Upon entering, a family of 5 or 6 sat trying to figure out how the restaurant worked. A buffet-like walk in allows for guests to review the menu and order upfront, and self-serve drinks and condiments, before receiving a buzzer to pick up the food. Away from the pick-up window, the place seemed inviting and very much like a sit-down restaurant, but with no designated waiter for each table. My inner cheap-scape was excited about the dollars I’d save in tips, but given the service for a self-serve place, I would have tipped generously. The aroma of the place was fresh and fishy, with charred and smoky notes, like a backyard barbeque on the coast, which was enough to salivate, as we examined the menu for our orders.

Lemon Peppered Cod, spinach, and rice pilaf

The menus were double sided and easy to read. Less pictures, more text allowed for one to understand the size and components of each plate. Atlantic salmon steak and a house dill sauce, was the featured item—my boyfriend ordered this, and the birthday girl opted for the Shrimp Fest Platter that owned up to the name “Sea Island Shrimp House.” There were several combinations of traditional American seafood dishes, from sandwiches to combinations of traditional American meals with fried or broiled seafood in them (like shrimp pasta, or Steak with shrimp). Shrimp skewers and two homemade sides came with just about each order. I opted for one of the signature dishes, the Lemon Pepper fish and shrimp platter, with an order of scallops a la carte. Oysters, onion rings, shrimp cocktail and ceviche make up their appetizer menu; we ordered two servings of ceviche to both prep and refresh our palates throughout the meal. We didn’t wait but 5-7 minutes for the ceviche: a cold mix with steamed fish, avocado chunks, diced onions and tomatoes, drenched in lemon juice. The cold dip was very light, clean and refreshing. Chips are given with the order, to eat the ceviche like a salsa, or heterogeneous guacamole mixture. The chips, I regret were thick and a little heavy on the oils, but that’s just a personal preference—overall it was well received. We added a drop or two of Tabasco hot sauce and extra lemons to intensify the flavors to perfection and one bowl disappeared quickly, before the food was ready some 10-15 minutes later.

Broiled Scallop Skewer

      There were two-three friendly waiters/hosts on staff for convenient refills and bussing in case tables got too crowded. Our orders were missing a couple items: my shrimp skewers and my boyfriend’s scallops, so there was an added wait, but once our meal was complete, we indulged. The shrimp fest platter was loaded with shrimp leaving very little white space on the oblong platter, my lemon pepper cod fish was moist, flakey and light and well-seasoned, to my liking. Not too much lemon, or pepper, but just right. My spinach was buttery, which paired nicely with the fresh squeezed lemon, and my rice pilaf was on the colder side. I didn’t bother to return the rice as I was too busy so delicately enjoying my scallops. They are the treasure of the sea, if you ask me, and here they were broiled with Cajun seasoning—hints of cayenne and spicy pepper, with a creamy, chewy center that made my taste buds dance, as I rarely get these succulent seafood treats. A different skewer of scallops came out slightly better broiled with a melt-in-your-mouth gooiness and tasted juicy and subtly seasoned.  I tried the salmon next, which was a perfect single serving topped beautifully with green herbs and a little white on the side. The steak was very tender and subtle in fishy taste. The homemade dill sauce is what truly brought the dish together, and brightened the flavors in the fish, enhancing the herbs on top.  It was very pleasing, and I dipped my fish and remaining scallops occasionally in dill sauce to spike the flavors of the lemon pepper in my dish. It was the perfect tangy alternative to the almost store-bought flavor of the tartar sauce provided with the meals.

We laughed and talked over the meal with little-to-no interruptions of wait staff, or loud groups. The booths were comfortable and well-spaced enough to where we didn’t interfere with other parties. The décor could use an update, as walls were dressed with mostly two dimensional artwork and photos of large fish caught during fishing trips and a visually flat mural to complete the gulf-coast theme, with several but slightly dimmed lights. We enjoyed it though, and sang along to an eclectic mix of easy-listening tunes, '70’s favorites, and familiar '90's soft rock.

Overall, Sea Island was inviting, affordable, and satisfied our craving for gulf-coast casual dining. I’d rate it a 3/5 and will definitely visit again soon.

Visit their website here: www.shrimphouse.com