Crawmama's is May Restaurant of the month!

I am so sorry we have not contributed to the blog as much this past month. We sold our PERSONAL home and had to move. We are just getting out of the box (so to speak). Show thanks for the new Restaurant of the month for May. Crawmama's of Guntersville took us by surprise. Read the full review below!

This month we would like to recognize Crawmama’s Restaurant of Guntersville as our Restaurant of the Month! My wife and I have been residents of Marshall County here in Alabama for over 10 years, and last month was the first time that we stopped in to eat at Crawmama’s. Since then, we have been kicking ourselves for living here for 10 years and never going!!! The food is unbelievable, and the portions are huge! We both grew up on the Gulf Coast, and seafood was a weekly staple for us (often getting fresh seafood right off of the boats as they came into port). Because of this, we have always been leery of the “fresh seafood” line that most restaurants offer. However, we were pleasantly surprised at the quality and freshness of the seafood we had at Crawmama’s. It reminded us both of the “fresh off the boat” taste we used to get back in Florida.
The atmosphere at Crawmama’s is very relaxed, lively, and “come as you are”. Be sure to have everyone in your party sign a dollar for the wall (or ceiling, or rafter, etc..). They offer an outdoor dining area for the warmer parts of the year, and the restaurant is large enough to accommodate any size party. The service we received was equal to that of any “fancy” restaurant we have every dined in…. better in fact. The evening that we went the restaurant was packed, but our server was at our table about every five minutes to see if everything was alright, filling glasses, etc. It wasn’t just us, everyone we spoke to at surrounding tables made the same complement.
Now I would like to take some time and go over the menu selections we had during our meal, and tell you a little about them. We started off with an appetizer of Cajun Fried Alligator and Fried and steamed Crab Claws. Man oh man, the steamed crab claws was a first for us, but will NOT be a last! The Alligator was lightly breaded and extremely tender. It had a hint of Cajun spice and was served with an absolutely delectable side of homemade honey mustard sauce. The gator reminded me of the fried alligator tail my grandmother used to make when I was a kid. Absolutely delicious!! The Crab Claws can be ordered either fried or steamed, and for this meal we chose fried. Again, when you think fried seafood, you almost expect a heavy batter and a little bit of meat; however Crawmama’s fried crab claws the other way around. Large claw portions, lightly battered….I could eat myself sick on these things!!
For our meals, we ordered different menu items so we could each try different things. I ordered the Sea Scallops meal, which came with 1lb of grilled Sea Scallops, which was served with lemon garlic butter, 2 Cajun Corns and 2 Potatoes. I also got a side of rice pilaf. With this I also ordered a large order of Peel and Eat Shrimp (which can be ordered either hot or cold!). My wife ordered from their combination menu, and got Fried Oysters, Stuffed Crab, and Coconut Shrimp. With this you get two sides, she ordered Fried Green Tomatoes and Hushpuppies. If you order the Coconut Shrimp, we highly recommend getting the Pina Colada dip. It was fantastic! For desert, we ordered a slice of Gran’s Rum Cake, and a slice their Homemade Blackberry wine cake. We would recommend either one, they practically melt in your mouth.
I want to take a moment to talk about other menu options that Crawmama’s offers, (things I want to try soon!), but was too stuffed to try. They offer the “Crawbabies” menu for children, which has chicken fingers, popcorn shrimp, burgers, etc. They have a steamed menu, from which we found the most popular items were the “Sampler Platter”, the “Tramp Steamer”, and the “Luxury Liner”, all of which are HUGE! They offer a full menu of oyster dishes, which they shuck fresh daily. They also have a menu for those who like their seafood fried, grilled, blackened, and sautéed. They offer a pasta menu which allows you to “build your own pasta plate”. They also offer a “Weight Watchers” menu for those of us who love good food but are trying to cut back a little. For those who own businesses, office managers, or if you are just planning to get some folks together, we have one word for you CATERING! They can cater in the restaurant, your place, your office, or on one of their famous houseboats!
It’s hard to say that we have favorites….yet! We are planning on going back to Crawmama’s this week for another round of fantastic food, and we will be back on the blog with more great meals, appetizers, and other goodies to try from Crawmama’s!

UPDATE:

We went to Crawmama's this past Thursday night to eat the all you can eat seafood assortment. Well, the shrimp were surprisingly large for what you expect on an all you can eat at the price of only $14.99. They are all deveined as well, which is something I would have not expected. The grilled and blackened Tilapia was mouth watering! The lightly breaded grouper was surprising to me. It was the first time that I have eaten it and I am glad I was able to get to try it. The fried shrimp is very lightly battered as well. They weren't greasy like you usually get at all you can eat places. Shrimp are also available boiled and scampi in butter. The scampi is by far my favorite. Each re-order is FRESHLY cooked, so order your next order as soon as they bring out the first. I have to say, if you want to try a great assortment of things, go while they have the all you can eat. It's not a permanent option to the menu, so I wouldn't wait!