Skippers Steam Machine is a small, outdoor restaurant along Highway 98 offering a selection of fresh seafood. Not surprisingly, everything on the menu is steamed.

It has a cute vibe and you order and pick up at the windows. Even though it was dinner time in late June and peak tourist season in Destin, there was no line when I went, so my sense is this might be a good dining option for anyone wanting to avoid the massive crowds you find at many Destin restaurants.

The menu is limited but the shrimp I had were fresh and cooked perfectly. They came with cocktail sauce and melted butter. For those with food allergy concerns, the butter appeared to be more like the kind you might get on popcorn at a movie theater, just a guess because it would stay liquid at room temperature, but it did have good flavor and complimented the shrimp well.

There is a small outdoor seating area built on some wooden boards that look like they came from a dock on the Destin harbor which gives it a nice ambiance and adds to the character of it being a seafood restaurant. I took my order to go, but sitting at the tables would be enjoyable on a pretty day.