Clary's Seafood Restaurant
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MY REVIEW: I ordered the Shrimp Au Seasoned, which is shrimp simmered slowly with fresh vegetables in a seasoned butter sauce from an old famaily recipe served over rice. The vegetables were NOT fresh (canned mushrooms and frozen vegetables) which was very disappointing. They served side dishes of CANNED green beans with no seasoning and Lyonnaise potatoes, which were sliced with onion sauteed. The potatoes were almost burn on the outside and not done inside. All 3 meals had the same issues, needless to say we will NOT BE BACK. The shrimp was good but fresh shrimp usually is.
NAME: NEB SUBMITTED: 3/22/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 03/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Made reservations for a special 35 year anniversary dinner. Their web site says that the dress code is business to dress. When we arrived there were people in shorts and sandels. We waited 1 hour for our table. We had to ask for service. The food was great, but we had to ask again for our check. My first visit was the best and it's gone downhill from there. Too bad because the food is great. This should be a special place to eat at, yet it is being run like any other poorly managed restaurant.
NAME: Baddog SUBMITTED: 7/26/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 7/25/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: First impressions mean a lot, and it is time to update the interior. It is so overdue for a makeover that it's embarrassing. We had to wait in the bar for a table, and I felt like we had stepped back in time to 1975 -- mocha indoor/outdoor carpeting on the walls, faded pictures on the walls, dingy ceiling tiles, and discount-store nautical accents. The restaurant's interior wasn't much better. A lot of people comment about the view, but the design of the restaurant actually does a spectacular job obscuring it.
The food was good, but nothing terribly adventurous or innovative. The service was outstanding -- our waiter was one of the best that we have had in quite a while. I know a lot of people on the island love this place, but I just don't get it.
NAME: Jaybear SUBMITTED: 7/21/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 7/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Number 1: There is no sign that says "wait to be seated" and the front person that does the scheduling was to busy gabbing with other customers to tell us anything. A waiter happend to come by and told us they would seat us shortly and that was fine.
Number 2: It wasn't like the place was packed, but we still had to wait a while to be seated.
Number 3: Our waiter never asked us what we wanted to drink, we had to flag another person down just to get our drinks, she was very nice and brought us our drinks.
Number 4: Our waiter took our order, but never asked what sides we wanted with them. And then when we did get our meal he said "I couldn't remember if you said a baked potatoe or lynaisse potatoes". My husband actually wanted the rice, but he brought lynaisse potatoes I guess our waiter ordered for us.
Number 5: Ordered a shrimp cocktail figuring it would be like other shrimp cocktails (tall glass with shrimp hanging off the sides and sauce in the middle) but I got shrimp layed on top of lettuce so it was more like a shrimp salad. When I bit into the shrimp water just ran out of them. I had to squeeze them out first before I could eat them. So basically I ate two salads (the shrimp cocktail and I orderd a salad with my meal). Had I known I would have ordered a different appetizer.
Number 6: The food was overly salted.
Number 7: Our waiter never came back to take our money so we had to walk up front and hand it to the same person that brought our drinks.
We did like the view, the four spicey shrimp and the green beans.
All in all we were totally disappointed. This was by a referral, perhaps they were having a off night. We always leave a tip, but this time we did not the waiter did not deserve one. We won't be back.
NAME: Karen SUBMITTED: 7/3/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 6/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Went back this year for my partner's Birthday. The hospitality is the best of any place around or any place I have ever been. (I considered asking our waiter if he tutored manners on the side, as I am trying to civilize my 3 year old grandson)
The food was fabulous I got my usual grilled oyster platter, my partner got the Sara B Lynn platter (I think that is the proper name) had oysters and crab augratin. (along with the sides) The Couple sitting near our table also got the SBL Platter and the lady moaned deliriously throughout the meal with each bite, what a pleasure for someone to enjoy food like that.
Mr.Clary, what can you say he is such a nice genteel man, he knows how to make someone feel fabulously special in his restaurant.
I recomend this place over any other place in Galveston for a Special occasion place, or a regular dinner place you must go...
NAME: D&B SUBMITTED: 5/17/2006 LAST VISIT WAS: 05/06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...
MY REVIEW: Did have that "musty" smell upon entering. We loved the HUGE appetizer plate that was the special that evening (assortment of seafood). Waiter parked the two of us so close to the guitar player, I thought they wanted us to join in! Service was initially slow.
Our appetizer was exceptional and due to the fact that it was large, we decided to split a main course (crab balls). As soon as I told the waiter we would be sharing a main course, an instantaneous negative expression appeared on his face. Not sure why, but from that moment he was rude. After we finished our delicious meal, he couldn't even wait for us to finish the after meal experience before rudely removing utensils/plates.
Positives: Excellent seafood.
Negatives: 1. Rude waiter "that" night (but maybe he was having a bad night) 2. Why have waiters in tuxedo's and nice mood lighting, but use PAPER napkins???! Go with cloth, it's more classy.
3. Time to update the restaurant interior.
P.S. I'll go again.
NAME: RB SUBMITTED: 3/16/2005 LAST VISIT WAS: 02/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: I thought I had said it all regarding Clary's, but I'm back again with a few things I missed last time. We went to Galveston over the past weekend, this time with a friend, and of course we had to take her by our new favorite place for dinner (the lunch menu Tue-Fri looks great too).
We went about 30 minutes later than we did last time (around 6:30) and with the days growing shorter, the candle light on the tables was even more impressive. This time we got to watch evening set over the water and noticed the twinkling lights appear as darkness fell. The soft guitar music in the background made for a wonderful romantic touch. I noticed several couples sitting by the window as we did last time, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes.
Mr. Clary remembered us and stopped by to chat several times. We talked alot about great food! Many of the dishes at Clary's are ones that he has created. Many others are from "Mama's kitchen" in S. Louisiana. He even gave us an article written about the background of the restaurant and how he got started.
We were not super hungry, so after much discussion, the 3 of us decided to split the appetizers for 4 as a meal. That way we could try several things. My husband's favorites were the crab claws (he said they were excellent) and the flame broiled shrimp, which all 3 of us agreed were fantastic. My friend absolutely loved the potato bread, so much so that she had trouble helping us finish the platter. The platter also had the fish fingers and crab balls, which were very good, and we substituted fried shrimp for the oysters. We thoroughly enjoyed it all.
To top it off, Mr. Clary sent over several items for us to try. First, we had a cup of shrimp gumbo, full of large shrimp. I'd have to say this is some of the best gumbo I've ever tasted! It is prepared Southern Louisiana style and the roux is done just right, slightly thick, very smooth and creamy with just the right amount of spice. I consider myself picky regarding gumbo and this was absolutely WONDERFUL!!! Next, he had us sample the green beans that come with many of the meals. They were excellent--fresh, steamed with small bits of potato, perfectly seasoned, cooked just right, just like Mama used to do them.
For the grand finale, Mr. Clary had us try the MOST WONDERFUL bread pudding I have ever put in my mouth! It was heavenly! All 3 of us were in agreement about that! It was full of raisens and nuts and big chunks of apple covered with a rich creamy praline type sauce. Even though we were already full, we made room to split this delicious dessert (and cleaned the plate). My German husband said this tasted like the German apfel cake he grew up with. My friend was so enthralled, she talked about how wonderful it was the rest of the evening. "I'd come back here just for the bread pudding", she said.
All of this and as before, we had the same excellent service! And I cannot say enough about the warmth and hospitality shown by Mr. Clary. It truly felt more as though we were visiting a longtime friend for dinner. What a place!
As we "rolled" out the door, I was thinking, when we come back, I'd like a big bowl of gumbo and an order of delicious bread pudding for myself!
For a fine culinary experience, romantic evening or just a good ole time, you can not get any better than Clary's! Yum!!!
NAME: Even More Starry-Eyed SUBMITTED: 9/29/2004 LAST VISIT WAS: 09/25/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: I did not smell any kind of "musty" odor when we went in to Clary's, nor did I see any "rundown" building. What we found was a WONDERFUL restaurant in a sunny looking building surrounded by plants, right on the water! We went around 6pm on Saturday evening and the first thing we noticed were all the photos covering the walls. There are hundreds of photos of smiling happy faces, many of them famous and autographed. But as we later found out, everyone is treated "famously" here. The bar area, although quiet when we visited, was beautiful. We walked into the dining area and were seated promptly at the most perfect table, right by the window, where we could look out and admire the view of the water. It was wonderful! Everything about this place says "fine restaurant". The tables are elegantly set, the staff is perfectly trained--I would have been hard pressed to find anything that I would call less than perfect. Our waiter came over right away with crackers and butter and a bowl of--WONDERFUL BOILED SHRIMP!!! I have never had shrimp brought before even ordering before. And they were excellent! My husband enjoyed the shrimp so much that he ordered them for dinner! My husband has eaten in fine restaurants all over the world and he is fairly "picky" about seafood. It has to be really good to merit a compliment from him. He said their "spicy boiled shrimp" was the best shrimp he had ever tasted anywhere--very flavorful and fresh, with just the right amount of "spicy". He further stated that Clary's was one of the finest restaurants he had visited.
We had a fabulous meal with excellent service! The staff was superb! I had the fried fish fingers and the Lyonnaise potatoes, both of which were excellent! We were both too full to even try a dessert. The prices were very reasonable for such a fine quality restaurant. The appetizers were big enough to double as meals if you weren't super hungry. When we had finished eating, I wanted to commend the "manager" on the excellent meal and service. Well, Mr. Clary Millburn himself came over. He was warm and friendly and engaging and I immediately felt like I had known him for years. I noticed during our meal that he was making the rounds, checking on the patrons, making sure they were happy. Most of them looked to be "regulars", which is what I plan to become in the near future. The food, the service, the view and the warmth and hospitality Mr. Clary showed will keep us coming back.
This place is a well-kept secret, off the beaten path, but if you want an excellent meal, or a romantic or special place for dinner, this is it!
NAME: Starry-eyed SUBMITTED: 9/20/2004 LAST VISIT WAS: 09/18/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Yeah, the building smells a bit "musty"...or is that the salt air? But the staff is so distinguished and polite without being subservient. Very knowledgeable and helpful, very attentive without being overbearing. And the food...very very good in a classic Galveston manner. And the atmosphere is so relaxing! You can watch the sunset from the panoramic window view. The softly playing classical guitar completes the serene ambience.
Or if you're in more of a jolly party mood, the piano bar lounge is hopping!
If we're in the mood for seafood, or just a relaxing dinner for 2, Clary's is where we go. And our total bill was less than $60. Not bad for a wonderful dinner.
NAME: Brenda S SUBMITTED: 7/13/2004 LAST VISIT WAS: 7/10/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times
MY REVIEW: I can't go to Galveston without eating at Clary's. Classic gulf-coast seafood. Yeah, the building is a little musty, but it's bayside Galveston, right on the water. I consider it a mark of authenticity.
NAME: Chris Pando SUBMITTED: 8/20/2003 LAST VISIT WAS: 8/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times
MY REVIEW: Save your money. Expensive for what you get. The restaruant is in a run down building, dark, with a musty odor.
NAME: Philip SUBMITTED: 5/11/2003 LAST VISIT WAS: 5-11-03 FREQUENCY: Visited once
MY REVIEW: Terrific date restaurant! I took my fiance there for his birthday and can't say enough good things. The food is top notch. It's elegant without being uncomfortable or pretentious. Great service. Top notch!
NAME: cantrellja SUBMITTED: 1/23/2003 LAST VISIT WAS: 09/02 FREQUENCY: Visited once
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