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Restaurant washes up on Folly Beach
By Deidre Schipani
Restaurant washes up on Folly BeachThe Post and Courier Thursday, October 2, 2008
Neighborhood Favorite Phone: 843-633-0100. Address: 11 Center St., Folly Beach. Food: ** Service: ** 1/2 Atmosphere: ** Costs: $-$$ Vegetarian Options: Yes, if one eats seafood. Bar: Full service bar; second level bar with separate bar menu and live entertainment. Hours: Downstairs: Noon- 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; Noon-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Upstairs bar: 4 p.m. -2 a.m.; appetizer menu served 10-11:30 p.m. Closing times can vary based on business and season. Call to confirm. Decibel Level: Varies. Wheelchair Accessible: Lower level. Parking: Folly Beach street parking; city lot. Be aware of restrictions. Other: Live entertainment upstairs; outdoor patio fireplace.
We expected to see a bit of the "Conch Republic" at Conch. A little bit of the Florida Keys attitude of "we seceded where others failed"; maybe the Duke of Earl or even CR, a Minister of Underwater Affairs. No such luck. What we found was a beach bar with a small kitchen attached. Conch (and that would be pronounced "konk") takes its name from the best known edible snail after escargot. Known in the tropics as "hurricane ham," this toothsome gastropod appears on the menu at its namesake restaurant as Conch Fritters ($7.99) and in a Bahamian Conch Salad ($8.79). We did not hear any kitchen pounding, the usual way to tenderize this sure-footed muscle, but we ordered the "restaurant favorite" conch fritters and were served a basket of eight crispy, round balls of conch meat in a batter with bits of red pepper and cornmeal crumb. The fritters were served with a key lime mustard sauce, crisply browned on the exterior; their interior, a bit raw with batter. The conch though was tender and sweet in flavor. The Fried Avocado Strips ($5.99) aroused our curiosity and when our server said it was her favorite menu item, we were sold. It seemed counter-intuitive to take a soft, buttery fruit, crust it with panko and deep fry it. It was. The mango puree that was its "ketchup" dipping sauce was tepid and bland - lacking mango's peach-like perfume with a kick of tart. The Mini Quesadillas ($4.99) served with traditional toppings looked more appealing among the appetizer assortment. The menu is broken down into appetizers, salads, tacos, sliders, fried selections and entrees. Its strengths may very well be the tacos and sliders. The Shrimp Taco ($4.49) is served with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions topped with a lemon-dill sour cream sauce. It sounded refreshing; but, when we learned the shrimp were not local, we detoured to the Citrus Fish Taco ($4.99). Fresh strips of citrus-marinated tilapia were folded into a soft flour taco with pico de gallo, lettuce and smoky chipotle-flavored mayonnaise. Other than a paltry filling of fish, it was very tasty and fresh. Tuna Taco ($5.99) is served with its favorite partner, pineapple relish and calamari can be had in a Surfs Up Taco ($4.99). The slider assortment may be your "B" Plan. Along with the classic Beef ($6.95), Conch prepares Ahi Tuna ($9.95), Crab Cake ($8.95), Mahi BLT ($8.95) and Buffalo Chicken ($7.95). But in the slider universe where three is an order, Conch only serves up two. Bags of house-made chips are stacked around the small service bar on the main level and these browned potato chips accompany the sliders and fried selections. What's the point to make them homemade and then bag them? Neither salty nor "potatoey" nor warm, they added no value to the homemade efforts. The Grouper Fingers ($11.95) were a basket of grouper strips, well fried; served with the aforementioned chips, a crisp bacon-blue cheese slaw and Cajun tartar sauce. One piece of the grouper was fresh and tasty, another, rancid and hard crusted. Stale also were the tortilla chips that came with the tacos - a sad fact of beach life where crispy snack foods wilt before your eyes. We wanted a culinary GPS system to help us navigate this restaurant. Would you order Lobster Mac and Cheese? Island Bouillabaisse as the catch of the day? Red Pepper Gouda Cheese Soup on a hot August day? There was a disconnect here - from what should be uncomplicated seafood fare and summer's appetite for fresh, light and not always fried foods. Foods that refresh, cool, energize. Conch seemed contrived. Not the organic kind of restaurant that usually evolves around a beach location. Why not bowls of conch chowder, or local steamed shrimp tossed "Maryland crab style" on newspaper lined tables or shrimp burgers, local peach salsas on those tacos, even boiled peanuts perhaps? Desserts are a trio of pies: chocolate mousse, coconut cream and key lime. The latter did not disappoint - a graham cracker crust, cream-colored filling of sweet-tart key lime custard, a dollop of whipped cream and a lime wedge. Nicely done and compliementary to the seafood choices on the menu. Possibly the better times are to be had upstairs, where the drinks are cold; the music is live and view noteworthy. On the beach block, this Conch conked.
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Comments
Posted by hightide on October 2, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This review does not surprise me at all. My husband & I have eaten at the Conch (upstairs) twice now. Both times were awful. We always give places a 2nd chance, but were just as disappointed as we were the 1st time. And now that I know they don't use local shrimp (we are a shrimping community!!!), I'm even more sour on the Conch. The service was also terrible. If you want fish tacos, go to Taco Boy... or just stay home and make them yourself.
Posted by kath21445 on October 2, 2008 at 3:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We went to the Conch when it first opened- hoping it would be like the old One Eyed Parrot- only closer to home. First disappointment was that black beans and rice was not on the menu-unheard of for Key West cuisine. Also, felt the prices were steep for the food that we had. We did go upstairs when they were hosting the Bluegrass meeting and thoroughly enjoyed the music, drinks, and view as mentioned.
Posted by KidYendor on October 5, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is about time Deidre got tough on a restaurant review. Holly was my favorite reviewer. Deidre, write to me when I can attend din din with you and your clandestine entourage so that I can add to your column too.
Posted by KidYendor on October 5, 2008 at 10:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And as far as taco/enchilada style food go, you can buy the stacks of flour tortillas at just about anywhere. Process (chop up finely) your favorite veggies in your food processor, you can buy the processors cheap at Goodwill and other thrift stores. Throw strips of meat in the skillet, after a bit throw in your seasonings and veggies and cover. When done, lay in your tortilla and cover for no more than two and a half minutes to heat. Place meat and veggies on edge of hot tortilla and roll up. You can add a bit of cheese too. Extra tortillas can be laid in one at a time for additional meat and veggies. You will not be disappointed and will save lots of money otherwise spent at fancy restaurants. You need to save money for credit cards, the bailout, bills and gasoline.
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