Shuckin' good time, even without the oysters

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

The Food: Shellfish, chicken wings, salads, seafood sandwiches

The Story: Full disclosure, my husband and I had never been to the Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar and neither of us really like oysters. But everyone has been talking about this spot, so we had to give it a try.

We liked it.

On the suggestion of our server Martha, who gave us several good tips, we started with the Cold Crab Dip ($12), a large mound of crab meat, mixed with cream cheese and sprinkled with some spices served with 10 slices of toasted garlic bread. After the first few bites, I still wasn’t sure how I felt about this stuff, so I kept eating, and it grew on me. By the time I had eaten half the plate, I was hooked. This dip was really good, and there was more than enough to slather all over the toasted garlic bread.

For our entrees, my husband chose The Greggah, a lobster roll with a side of fries ($19). Served on an open-face roll, it didn’t look like a lot of lobster until he folded it up and then there was plenty. The lobster seemed kind of bland, he said, until he added the house-made spicy mustard that added just the zip this sandwich needed, bringing out the flavor of the lobster.

I went with the Low Country Boil ($18), a plate piled high with boiled shrimp, chunks of boiled red potatoes, a couple of ears of sweet corn, lemon slices and slices of kielbasa, all covered with a spicy paprika spice. The boiled shrimp were the stars of this entrée, perfectly cooked, firm and a nice size. The side of melted butter was a nice touch for dipping the shrimp. The kielbasa was a close runner-up, with a smoky flavor.

And even though we didn’t try the oysters, my new friend Jay was feasting on a plate full of raw oysters on the half shell. He explained that they are the smaller Connecticut species, and tasty.

There’s a full bar, too, with lots of creative frozen drinks with Caribbean and Mexican themes.

The Atmosphere: Tucked into a new strip mall, Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has quickly gotten a reputation for being a fun place to chill out. The big wide-open room is decorated with full-size surf boards, surfing posters and lobster traps hanging from the ceiling. An outdoor area features picnic tables, cornhole boards and windows directly into the full bar. There’s televisions on every wall, all of them showing sports.

The Details: 1826 Cannon Drive, Suite 100; 817-217-5715; https://www.theshuckinshack.com/location/mansfieldtx/; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; full bar

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