A few weeks ago a co-worker emailed me — her parents were coming to town and she needed suggestions for “cheap eats” in Westchester. I emailed her back a few ideas, including Ebb Tide Seafood in Port Chester.
I obviously had a brain cramp. Unfortunately, it’s a mistake I’ve made before; Ebb Tide’s a lot of things, but inexpensive is not one of them. Comparatively it’s no more expensive than other Westchester seafood restaurants, but the informal dining room and bait shop mere feet away from the food counter lead to a certain expectation… then you spot the market prices on the big chalkboard and whoa!
I get that seafood is inherently pricey, especially if it’s good quality. Add in outdoor dining and a water view and you’re going to pay for the experience.
On this visit to Ebb Tide the going prices were $29.99 for sauteed lobster tails, $17.95 for seafood chowder, and $14.95 for the lobster roll.
I’ll say this — the homemade toasted bread kicks butt. It’s a wonderful change of pace from the standard hot dog bun and makes a perfect vehicle for fresh lobster. But look closely…
Is it? Could it? Could he have? It is!! There’s imitation crab meat in the lobster roll and Poppie peed on my sofa! (Greetings to the ten people who got that joke).
Maybe it’s real crab, but it sure tasted like imitation crab, and besides, what’s it doing in my $14.95 lobster roll? I had two incredible lobster rolls this summer — one at J’s Oyster Bar in Portland, ME and the other at Spanky’s Clam Shack in Hyannis, MA — and neither was filled with anything but chunks of pure lobster.
Perhaps I need to recalibrate my thinking — after all, $14.95 is less expensive than driving to Maine or the Cape. And the lobster roll (plus whatever’s in it) IS pretty good. So okay, I’ll curb my outrage. I just need to drill it into my head: Ebb Tide is not a cheap eat, Ebb Tide is not a cheap eat…
Ebb Tide Seafood
1 Willett Ave.
Port Chester, NY 10573
914-939-4810
3 Comments
1 Eric Nachman wrote:
When you go to the Cape go to the Raw Bar in New Seaberry. You cannot eat the lobster roll alone. It must be shared to finish. Best that I ever had.
2 Julia wrote:
Ebb Tide is not cheap, you got that right! Although their fried oysters are out of this world and plentiful, the prices are disappointing for the atmoshphere. Unless I am at a concert or ball game, I prefer not to drink my beer out of a plastic cup. For great fish and a water view in Port Chester I like to go to F.I.S.H. Try the spicy tuna flatbread…
3 Jordan wrote:
No, much more expensive then you would think, based upon the setting and picnic tables.
It’ a shame that Westcheter food everywehre is so expensive