First Bite--Hudson Bay Seafood
Let's start with the good about Hudson Bay, okay? The building itself is low-slung, sprawling and uniformly gray, with bright red porthole doors marking the entrance. The bathrooms are newly remodeled and very clean. Mind you, the floors were slightly gummy but my suspicion is that someone was heavy-handed with cleansers while mopping. The commodes are alarming. As a matter of fact, I deemed them the 'Vortex of Death'. They flush with the velocity of a sizeable tornado.
On our visit, a dozen or so groups peppered the left side of the large dining area while the right remained vacant. It would appear that their patrons are almost all elderly couples.
Inside is worn and dull. Yellowed, epoxied tables are each embedded with a length of thick rope and a gold, nautical insignia. Green vinyl booths line the perimeter of each room. Commercial grade carpet is well trafficked. Very fake looking mounted game fish are tacked to the walls. Not the most egregious error they could make, but it makes a person skeptical all the same, y'know? The most charming part of the décor, for me, was the vintage black and white fishing-themed photos that banded the chair rail.
At best, this food was uninspired. The hushpuppies are slightly chewy, the cole slaw was creamy and sweet and the shrimp was marginally good. The stuffed crab was far too uniform and homogenous looking not to have come from a box. We came to the conclusion that much of the food served here is frozen.
My fried tilapia was strangely brown. Darryl's flounder, while cooked well, was under seasoned. Both fish had an odd, acrid taste to them. Our scallops, well, they never made an appearance. And let's not talk about the fake bacon bits or vat of alien orange nacho cheese on the potato bar. *shakes head miserably*
Prices are comparable to other casual seafood restaurants we've been to. Darryl's order, however, was a large platter, which cost $2 more than mine. When both meals arrived at the table they were on identical saucers with no discernible difference in quantity. The couple seated beside us, inveterate diners, were given large dinner plates.
Was it completely abysmal? No, it wasn't. But, given the inconsistencies, it's definitely not a place we'll eat again.
2816 Ramsey St, Fayetteville
(910) 630-0007
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Related Southern food writing:
* The Captain's Wharf
Places we wouldn't eat again if you paid us:
* Larry's Southern Kitchen, Raleigh
* The Mayflower
Related restaurant reviews (Seafood or Fayetteville):
* Skippers Fish Fry and Market, Apex
* The Boathouse Seafood and Grill, Smithfield
* Holt Lake Barbecue and Seafood, Four Oaks
* Doug Sauls' BBQ and Seafood Nashville, NC
* Blue Moon Café, Fayetteville
* Will's Grill, Fayetteville