March 29, 2024
Local News

Mystery Diner: Tasty fried seafood good for a treat at Surf's Up

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DeKALB - What Surf's Up in DeKalb does well, it does amazingly so.

Even with some petite portions for the price, a sampling of entrees and side dishes from the new seafood joint that just opened up at 850 Pappas Drive, Suite C, provided hit after hit of well-executed fried seafood.

Our family of four ordered the Triple Play – two pieces of fish, 1/4 pound of fried shrimp (which was four in our order), and three wings. We also got an order of shrimp and grits and one of garlic fries. In addition, we selected four dinner rolls and a small order of coleslaw.

We chose the tilapia and the catfish, with perch and whiting also options. Both were fired perfectly and were not oily in the slightest. The flavors really popped off the plate in both pieces. It left everyone wanting more.

Likewise with the shrimp. The fried shrimp were delicious, although getting four of them left us craving more. The wings were OK; we had ordered the buffalo-style ones. As savory as the fish was, the flavor on the wings was much more subdued.

The Triple Play also came with regular fries that were very good. Not overly salty, they picked up the flavor of the fish very well. As good as they were, the garlic fries were even better. It was a huge portion for the price, and although oily from the garlic sauce, they didn't get bogged down and heavy.

The side dishes were appealing. The coleslaw was of the vinegary variety, which to me paired better than the more mayo-heavy type – although it was also very creamy, with the vinegar flavor coming through. It was served in a small container.

The rolls were tasty, but seemed like they were made to be heated and served room temperature. The texture and flavor would have benefited had they been served warm.

The shrimp and cheese grits were very good. It can be an easy dish to mess up, as grits can be exceedingly temperamental. But they turned out to be very creamy and had a lot of flavor beyond seasoning with pepper as some lesser dishes would do. It tasted like a Cajun blend without being too spicy.

The shrimp grits cost $9 more than the regular ones, and that netted four shrimp. Again, like almost everything, the shrimp were skillfully done and tasted amazing.

The menu also offers seafood treats ranging from fried lobster to crab legs.

So if you're sticking to fish and chips, as it were, Surf's Up is a recommendation. The food is some of the tastiest seafood in the area, cooked perfectly and seasoned to be savory. It can get a little pricey, but most of the food dishes we chose were excellent.

• The Mystery Diner is a Daily Chronicle employee who reports on their experience at local restaurants. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.