by Steven Doyle
Soulfish Grill would otherwise be noted as a quaint neighborhood bar if you were a casual passerby in scratch of a beer or cocktail, but scratch away the nautical patina and you find that it is a pretty tasty restaurant in disguise. I spent the first half of Fat Tuesday getting fatter noshing on a few shared plates with friends at Soulfish, and fell in love with the food, drinks and the people that patronize the two year old bar.
As it happened, this particular also evening fell on the monthly meeting of the Dallas Ukulele Club. The club is a vibrant mix of young and old ukulele enthusiasts from around the area, and basically filled the bar up with their members. For a fortunate few sitting at the bar we were able to take in the entertainment as a fly on the wall.
We started our night off with a few Hurricanes to get us in the mood for the food to come. The bar mixes up some fantastic cocktails and serves plenty of local beers to satisfy most anyone.
Then there was the food. First with the fried calamari which made me think this would be average fare. The fried calamari thing is a bit overdone, but everyone seems to keep ordering the stuff so why mess with a good thing.
I was much more impressed with the rest of the food, starting with the delicious fish tacos. These were fat daddies filled to the brim of the fresh grilled tortillas. The accompanying sauces were spot on terrific. But what truly impressed me was the mammoth Big Island Avocado Shrimp Salad which was romaine tossed with house-made guacamole, bacon and jack cheese, topped with 6 perfectly grilled shrimp. Delicious.
The grilled oysters are the house specialty and not to be missed. These big oysters are huge Gulf’s filled with a bit of bread crumb and garlic, then grilled off to bring all the flavor together.
Soulfish grill is a perfect oasis of fun and food, although a bit hidden in Richardson on Plano Road near Campbell. Be sure to check out the nightly fresh fish specials, these will make you want to play a ukelele and sing.
Soulfish Grill | 2000 N Plano Rd, Richardson | 972-290-0830
