Andy's Fish House — Restaurant in Snohomish

Well, we have pretty much tried half the menu. Aside from the fried stuff which is really good for what if is everything has been really good. A nice surprise.

We have had the Raw Oysters, Oyster Stew, Clam Chowder, Grilled Salmon with veggies, Louie Salad with Crab, Crab Cakes, Captains Plate, Fettuccini, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mouse and I am sure that there has actually been more.

The Oyster Stew and Clam chowder are both very satisfying soups on there own. Delicate flavors that intermingle beautifully. The Oyster stew is very smooth and silky (Also, I got 7 Oysters in my stew so the ratio of meat to soup is actually very generous) while the Clam Chowder is hearty and satisfying. Next time I get the chowder, I am going to try the bread bowl.

My husband and I usually get a Dozen Oysters to share and so far my favorites are the Pacific. They’re Briny and Fresh and served with Lemon, Cocktail Sauce and Extra Horse Radish (you can mix the amount of heat you want). I like them too, because they are a better value I feel; Very plump and juicy and I tend to like savory better than sweet any day. The other smaller variety oysters have all been a little sweeter, they’re still excellent, but I still prefer the Pacifics.

The grilled Salmon was perfect. Very Fresh. Nice light crust on the outside, Flaky and delicious on the inside. The vegetable pairing is a lightly herbed mix of squash, mushrooms and asparagus that I really enjoyed.

The Louie Salad is very fresh and crisp lettuces and veggies topped off with fresh, flaky crab meat. This is meat that I appreciate the touch of sweet on.

OK now for the standout star of the Andy’s experience… The CRAB CAKES. My husbands job has had us living in the DC area for a time. There is nothing like the Blue Crab Crab Cakes we used to get there. We lived there 16 years ago. We have tried crab cakes all over the country and have never come even remotely close to the crab cakes at A little Jewish Deli in Germantown, MD, until Andy’s. We have found an equal contender! The Crab Cakes are light, well seasoned and meaty! No filler. No yucky crackers or breadcrumbs to stretch the crab. Just pure unadulterated crab cake bliss served in a lemony and delicious Cream Sauce!!!

We also tried the Fish and Chips. Captain’s Platter. For a fried offering it was good, but not usually my cup of tea, so maybe don’t take my word for that. If you like fried stuff try it amd let me know what you think.

For Dessert so far we have tried the Strawberry Shortcake and the Chocolate Mouse.

The Strawberry shortcake wasn’t bad, but I prefer a slightly sweet biscuit with an ever so slight hint of salt instead of Angel food Cake. Probably a sweetness issue for me again. I like well balanced sweet and Angel food has always seemed very sweet to me, probably because there is no fat component to balance the sugar, but it was topped with fresh whipping cream and that does make a difference.

The chocolate mousse was the perfect density and had a very nice chocolate flavor. The only complaint I have is that it was slightly over whipped so it had a bit of a buttery nuance instead of a silky finish on the tongue.

All in all the food at Andy’s is well prepared with excellent service. Attention to details here is apparent in the perfectly balanced flavors and nicely plated food. Someone in this kitchen cares about what you are eating and it tastes that way!

Looking forward to more Date...

My wife, son and I tried this place for the first time. We ordered a shrimp cocktail, fish and chips, salad and Alaska True Cod taco. Both my wife and I tried the shrimp cocktail and the shrimp appeared to have a fair bit of water in it and from what we surmised the shrimp frozen, thawed, steamed and then chilled. Not sure how it was chilled, but the shrimp had water in it and didn't have the right texture. The salad, once mostly eaten appeared to have a hair beneath the leaves of the salad and the Alaska True Cod taco was actually the wrong order. I had consumed it and at first I thought the Pico De Gallo was just all pulverized; however after the fact realized they served me the Halibut Taco instead. At home I double-check the receipt from payment and it only states "Two Tacos" so it's possible the kitchen and waitress never double-checked which taco dish I had ordered and just guessed and brought one out. I tasted my son's fish and ships and while he was happy with it, the fish clearly had no seasoning on it under the breading. My recommendations: If Kitchen/waitress not sure of a dish, always double-check with the patrons...I'd rather have this then to be served the wrong dish. I should have double-checked. Have food prep people consider wearing hair nets, etc., so that hair does not wind up in the food. Don't list "fresh" on your menu if in fact the shrimp, fish are in fact thawed out from being frozen prior to cooking. If this isn't the case, at least season the fish prior to applying a bread coating. Blue-cheese dressing on a salad typically has lumps of cheese in it..the blue cheese on my wife's salad was completely watery as though it had been diluted out of a jar dressing.

I give credit to the manager for their willingness to remove the shrimp cocktail from our check.

Probably not going back...

I've never understood what servers are thinking when they argue with a customer about whether they should enjoy their food and drink.

You do understand that you work for tips, correct? And even if you didn't, what is to be gained?

I was excited to see that they offered a Killkenny Irish ale on tap. You don't see that very often. I have brewed beer for 30 years, so I have learned a little bit about it.

It arrived completely flat. Yes, I know it is a nitrogen carbonated ale. That means the carbonation bubbles are smaller which makes it creamier. It does not mean that it should be completely flat. I have consumed many many Nitro ales.

It's difficult to serve a nitro ale at a restaurant. You need a special tap with a restrictor that ensures the nitrogen bubbles remain in the ale. They either didn't have that restrictor or they hadn't installed it correctly. I tried to choke it down for a couple of swallows but it was awful. There was 90% of the ale left in the glass.

I told the waitress when she came back that I didn't want it and I would rather have a pale ale. She informed me that the beer was supposed to be that way.

It's always pleasant to be lectured to by someone 30 years younger with no knowledge or experience about brewing.

She took it away and brought me my pale ale. When the check came she had not removed it from the bill. I called her back and informed her that in no way was I going to pay for this.

It is shocking that she didn't remove it from the bill.

She did finally remove it from the bill, but why argue with your customers about something they didn't want?

When we left she and the other staff of unoccupied servers gave us the evil eye. Won't come back to...