Sea Island Shrimp House — Restaurant in San Antonio

Food: Our Coconut Shrimp was very oily, but we ate it anyways. It was so oily however that I began feeling a little nauseated after eating it. Our buzzer went off a minute into the appetizer. I ordered Southern Style Fried Catfish and it was so oily I could only eat about two bites. Oil was pooling in the bottom of the plate. I was only able to eat the baked potato, which was good as far as potatos go. My husbands food was grilled but even it was not very good. It was like they glazed it with oil from the fryer. He ate it but said it was not something he would ever come back for. I think they need to change the oil and increase the temp on the fryer to prevent it from absorbing so much oil.

Decor: Not fancy at all. The light fixtures had about a years worth of dust caked on them. Pretty gross. This is pretty much a glorified fast food place. You order at a counter, they give you a buzzer, you go get it at the counter. The buzzer keeps going off for two minutes after you get the appetizer which is annoying. No waiters. Nothing. Get your own refills.

Service: The manager came by once to check on us and I had to tell him about the food. He was very kind but seemed pretty shocked and said he had worked there for a year and never had heard anyone complain. But when I showed him the oil on the bottom of the plate he agreed that it was too oily. We talked for a moment and agreed that he should check to temp on the fryer. He issued us a refund for my part of the meal and gave me a coupon for a free appetizer. I appreciated his professional response to my complaint.

As responsive as the manager was I will not ever go back here. Even if the fish had not been oily I didn't taste any kind of flaver in the batter or anything in the few bites I did take. It was all very very bland. I'm from the south. I know what southern fried catfish is supposed to taste like. This...

I went to place an order over the phone tonight and asked if they had any flounder or flounder fillets. The lady over the phone said no, which was fine. Only she then went on to say they hadn't had it since the start of COVID-19.

Well, the last time I visited and got take out from this location was roughly a month ago. To which I ordered and received fresh flounder fillets.

No further explanation was given to my confusion and when I asked to speak to the manager, the first time the lady over the phone seemed flustered and I was placed on what seemed like a never ending hold. The second time, a lady claiming to be the manager picked up. Whether or not this was true is not for me to decide. But she also went on to imply that we did not receive the flounder from her location recently. And that they indeed did not have it since COVID-19. And then promptly dismissed our concerns and said "well what do you want me to help you with?" with a clear I-don't-care attitude. This is not how you respond after a customer voices their confusion.

So I called the 410 location and asked if they had flounder. The lady over the phone said no, BUT that select items on their menu including flounder were on rotation. That explained away my confusion in a way that was clear and polite.

Why didn't anyone at this location seem to have this information? It would have saved us from the time, confusion, and ultimately having any issues with the lady over the phone. I suggest the team members of this location be better informed, and better trained to deal with customers inquiring about unavailable menu items. The experience I received tonight was quite unsettling and honestly makes me want to think twice about ordering...

Wednesday August 28, 2919!at 6:18 p.m. Earlier in the day, We received an email from my Daughter about a Catfish Special at Sea Island on Wednesday’s in August. We’re regular customers here and we find the Seafood and Service is always great! You can go to Pappadeaux and get their “Specialty” dishes but in the end you pay through the nose and you still get fried fish! The difference here is that the fish order is always piping hot and the customer service is excellent! Today was no exception! I have to give kudos to “Mike” (with the hairnet) at the counter for his outstanding attitude and superb Customer Service Skills! When my pager went off I went to pick up our dinner and mentioned that I couldn’t find Tabasco. Mike immediately left his post and searched for a Tabasco bottle for me, brought it to our table and made sure we were pleased with our order. As many times as we’ve been here I’ve noticed that he’s upbeat, cheery and provides outstanding customer service. Further, the Managers were going table by table greeting customers and making sure their orders were served correctly! Great Job Sea Island. We’ll be back! PS: My Qualifications as an Expert & Experienced Food and Service Critic; I have been trained in two culinary schools to include on-the-job training at other different venues. I’ve managed full service as well as fast food restaurants and have also had my own catering business. As a trainer, I have trained personnel on how to provide superb cuisine and customer service. at the age of 72, I am now retired and enjoy being on the other side...