Background:
Seafood connection, owned by Chef Jamie Walker, started as a pop-up in Dublin, Georgia. When Walker moved, he moved his pop-up with him to Charlotte, and he operated mainly out of Indian restaurant King of Spicy. Last year, the owners of King of Spicy decided to close up shop, and Walker purchased their space, and he is now operating full time in the Albemarle road location.
Walker and his team of chefs pride themselves on only cooking fresh food (never frozen), and making all of their sauces from scratch.
We were invited out a few weeks ago to check out Seafood Connection, but it seems as though much of Charlotte already knows about this spot--the restaurant has 45k+ Instagram followers, and Walker and his girlfriend, Yashica Russell, said that they regularly see wait times over one hour. They are open Thursday-Sunday only, and they serve a brunch menu from 11-3 on Sundays.
Eat This:
Shrimp & Grits
a classic
Everyone at the table loved this dish. A winner.
Chicken & Waffles
fried chicken tenders & red velvet waffle
Another solid option. The chicken was spicy and a certain someone at my table said the waffles tasted like "cupcakes."
Shrimp Tacos
solid
Simple, but flavorful. I liked these tacos quite a bit. They could have used some hot sauce, however.
Seafood Mac & Cheese
the winner of the night
My hands-down favorite thing we tried. It was rich and cheesy, and it had lobster, shrimp, and crab mixed in.
C-Port Platter
lobster, crab, shrimp, potatoes, corn, & sausage
Honestly, although Chef Walker is known for his sauce, I am not quite sure why anyone would put this much butter all over seafood. And I love butter. This actually tasted like margarine to me, and it completely overpowered the taste of the seafood. I don't mind it, but next time I would ask for it on the side.
Dessert:
No dessert, but if you go for Sunday brunch, that red velvet waffle could certainly function as a dessert.
Drink:
Seafood Connection has a full bar and a wide selection of soft drinks.
My girls: Katy, Chrissie Beth, & Alex
Atmosphere:
There is not much going on here in the way of atmosphere. It is a very large space with lots of windows, which was perfect for bloggers trying to get that Insta-worthy shot. My one complaint was an overwhelming smell of cleaning solution throughout the entire restaurant, which decreased my appetite somewhat. I am glad it was clean, but a harsh bleach smell certainly adversely impacts the dining experience.
Crustacean Hospitality:
The service, while friendly, is slow. This is more of a function of the food coming out slowly, rather than the servers themselves. Do not come here if you are in a hurry. Diners order at the counter and then receive full service at their table. Russell said to expect an hour to wait and an hour to receive food, at the bare minimum.
Frankie's Notes:
I was at this event for four hours without cell reception, and Jason thought I was dead; The fun doesn't start until you put on a crab bib; Chrissie Beth can crack crab legs with her bare hands, and she taught us how to be cool like her; Bloggers flock to a window seat like moths to a flame; Jason and I take a long restaurant wait time about as well as Frankie takes bath time, which is to say: not well.
Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.