Occasionally, a brick-n-mortar restaurant can trace its roots back to a diner on wheels. That’s the case with The Seafood Shack in Mathews, where Amy Blanock Hudgins’ and Robert Martin’s mobile seafood market evolved into a food truck and then a popular eatery. The transformation took less than five years.
The two started a business together in 2017—a fresh market operating out of a small trailer Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays on Main Street in Mathews. In 2020, they upgraded to a larger trailer which allowed them to serve both cooked and fresh market items. They set up in the parking lot of M&M Building Supply on Buckley Hall Road. But Martin had his eye on the building next door.
“He dreamed of buying this building,” said Hudgins.
The building, formerly a medical office-turned gift shop-turned coffeehouse, went up for sale in December 2021 and by Memorial Day 2022, Hudgins and Martin opened the doors to The Seafood Shack, Fresh Market & Kitchen.
On one side of the full-service bar, which splits the building and greets customers as they walk in, is a fresh market offering fish, shellfish and to-go salads, including its popular crab and shrimp salad. That’s also where small bands—think acoustic soloists, duos and trios—entertain on most Saturday nights in the summer.
On the other side of the bar is the dining area, which will overflow onto the front porch and to a few tables in the market area when the restaurant is busy. That was the case a few weeks ago when my husband, Chris, and my mother-in-law, Mary, joined me for dinner at the Shack. It was a packed house and Edison & Friends was playing a mix of beach music and classic rock.
Our waitress, Kayla, was busy running in and outdoors, since the front porch was also packed.
She was all smiles although my husband bounced all around the menu before landing on his selection, a fried oyster platter, which included a heaping helping of crispy fried oysters. So many, he got a doggie bag for himself.
Of course that’s after he devoured an order of fried calamari as an appetizer. I asked for Kayla’s advice on selecting an appetizer and she suggested crab dip or Shack Shrimp, which were crispy wonton-wrapped jumbo shrimp. Dipped into a sweet chili sauce with just the right amount of “bite” to make it slightly spicy, it was a mouthful of goodness! They come eight or 16 to a serving and I’d say I could definitely make a meal on an order and a side of soup or salad.
The crab dip was also loaded with crab meat, creamy and served with fried pita bites for dipping. I ate about half and brought the remaining home. It was just as yummy reheated the next day.
As for my entree, I wanted to try a variety of items and Kayla suggested the captain’s platter, a customer favorite. It came fried or broiled with a choice of three items: crab cake, clam strips, beer battered cod or shrimp. I figured what the heck, go big or go home…it was big and I took a lot of leftovers home.
Mary chose the special, a soft crab platter, which she said included some of the meatiest, fattest soft crabs she’d ever had. And that’s saying something for a retired restaurant owner, who often served soft crabs.
Before our meal, we enjoyed a few of the Shack’s specialty drinks. Mine was a coconut lime crush, a take on a traditional orange crush, with coconut rum, lime and sprite. Chris had the Mathews refresher, a blend of cucumber infused vodka, mint and sprite. He enjoyed it but I think it was more to my taste than his as I’m a big fan of cucumber water.
It wasn’t my first visit to The Seafood Shack and on prior trips my dining partners and I have ordered the steamed shrimp, crab soup, crab and shrimp salad, ahi tuna (a favorite of Chris’) and steamed clams, which was about 30 clams swimming in a rich butter sauce. The steamer menu, which includes clams, snow crab legs, oysters, blue crabs, steamed shrimp and lobster tail, vary with the season and availability.
Although seafood is in the restaurant’s name, the Shack also offers land lover items, including burgers, barbecue and Philly steak and chicken sandwiches. Among the specials the night we went were baby back ribs.
As I said, it wasn’t my first visit and definitely won’t be my last. With its fresh products and hearty portions, The Seafood Shack is quickly becoming a Valdrighi family favorite.
The Seafood Shack
10744 Buckley Hall Rd.
Mathews, VA 23109
804-725-6934
Open
Wednesdays and Thursdays
Market: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Restaurant: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays
Market: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Restaurant: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Sundays
Market and restaurant: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Staff Picks
Crab cakes
Shrimp & crab salad
Poke bowls
Ahi tuna
Did you know?
The Seafood Shack building has been many things over the years including a gift shop and the Daily Grind Coffeehouse.
