Peg Leg Pete's ... what's the buzz all about?

We went to Peg Leg Pete's on Pensacola Beach because we wanted to avoid the tourist eateries while on our  25th Wedding Anniversary adventure.

Our wait was brief.  We had a cocktail at the Underwhere Bar (me a frozen margarita, and Karl had the house special and it kicked his butt).  We were told 30-40 minutes, which usually means 15-20.

Seating was crowded and there's not much atmosphere.  Now I know that they are famous for their oyster bar, but I'm not an oyster eater.  Karl didn't want oysters.

We started with fried crab claws and these were really good.  I've never seen crab claws this large before.  The were fried well and lightly dusted with corn meal.  I squeezed copious amounts of lemon on them, and we gobbled them up quickly.  No cocktail sauce needed.

I ordered the crab stuffed shrimp and the gumbo.  First, the gumbo is great.  Full of fish, oysters (passed to Karl), shrimp (45-50 sized or smaller), and lots of tomatoes and okra.  Good flavor and color.  The stuffed shrimp, on the other hand, were not great.  The crab stuffing was commercial grade and I don't know how they consider there is crab in there unless there is crab broth used.  It was over-salty and not great.  The shrimp, however, were cooked well, so I will give them that.

Karl had the seafood platter, and for a seafood restaurant, it was disappointing.  The food was greasy and overcooked.  I wouldn't recommend it at all.  We were looking for something quick and this meal served that purpose, but it was very expensive ($75 even with my not ordering an entree) and I don't know that I would recommend Peg Leg Petes. 

If you are an oyster lover, give them a try.  I can't speak to the oysters, but what I had was far-less than exemplary.   For the line and the wait limits, I would have expected a better quality product.  The gumbo was the shining star of the meal, and it's worth trying!