Tackle Box

Last date I was here: 06/11/2011

Restaurant: Tackle Box (http://www.tackleboxrestaurant.com/)

Location: Cleveland Park

Total Rating: 3.25
Food: 3, Price: 3, Service: 3, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 4

Summary: The second location of DC's only "lobster shack" restaurant, Tackle Box offers fresh New England style seafood. The menu changes slightly seasonally and offers options ranging from steamed clams, grilled fish, to classic lobster rolls. Closest Metro is Cleveland Park.

There was an expected line upon entering Tackle Box, yet the menu was large and hung near the entrance way and the seafood bar was loaded with examples of fresh seafood. The staff was plentiful, informative, and very helpful which was great for newbies and to help keep the line moving. You can sit at the bar for full service or place your order at the counter and wait with your lobster buzzer to collect your food and sit anywhere else. There are a mix of bar side tables, long communal picnic tables, as well as regular tables upstairs. Large screen tvs are scattered about and various fishing gear, lobster traps, and buoys decorate the walls. The wait was a little longer than average, but the laid back atmosphere wasn't so bad since we had our cold sweet tea to satiate us while we waited. My Maine Meal (1 fish + 2 sides + 1 sauce) was the perfect size, although my clam strips were very salty, chewy, and greasy. Also, the lemon garlic aioli had absolutely no flavor. The hush puppies were very dry, on the other hand the potato salad was good. Keith's lobster roll was a little on the small side, yet the star of the menu. Large chunks of lobster were so sweet and stood out on the buttered roll. Glancing at other patron's meal choices, the grilled fishes seemed to be popular and probably would have been a better choice than the fried option I went with. I would like to go back to try the other steamed options and maybe even a whole lobster, but the high price and inconvenient location will most likely deter that for me.

What I ate:

Clam Strips

fired clam pieces with a lemon garlic aioli

Hush Puppies

Potato Salad

Plus Keith ate:

Maine Lobster Roll

served with French fries