Finally! Popular waterfront restaurant reopens in St. Augustine after rebuild
After three years of construction, a popular St. Augustine waterfront restaurant is once again welcoming guests back to its tables by car and boat.
Rebuilt, revitalized and offering a fresh caught menu, Outback Crab Shack recently reopened at 8155 County Road 13 N. on Sixmile Creek off the St. Johns River.
The restaurant ― featuring a half-mile-long dock on Sixmile Creek ― is the latest concept from local husband-and-wife restaurateurs Nathan Stuart and Margo Klar, who own and operate multiple restaurants from Tallahassee to St. Augustine.
Guests traveled by car and boat to welcome back Outback Crab Shack during its weekend opening, Aug. 10-11. So many came that the restaurant had to close on Monday because it needed to restock, Stuart posted on Facebook.
"Our first weekend was absolutely phenomenal. I want to say we served over about 5,000 people this weekend," Stuart told the Times-Union.
Established in 1984, the original Outback Crab Shack was severely damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, leading to its closure and demolition.
Sleiman Enterprises, which owns the property, approached the experienced restaurateurs about leasing the restaurant and they agreed. Stuart and Klar's other restaurants include The Boathouse, Orange Park Fish House & Oyster Bar in Orange Park; Julington Creek Fish House & Oyster Co. in Saint Johns; New Berlin Fish House & Oyster Bar in North Jacksonville; Seafood Kitchen in Atlantic Beach; St. Augustine Fish House & Oyster Co. in St. Augustine; and Tally Fish House & Oyster Bar in Tallahassee.
Rebuilding the restaurant took longer than expected, Stuart said, because of "lots of things out of our control" such as foundation issues and other construction challenges.
"There was never any doubt we would open. It was just about when. We weren't going to give up," he said. "But in the end, we got it done and everything is amazing."
The restaurant is reminiscent of an old Florida fish camp with a menu, ambiance and location close to Stuart's heart.
"I grew up here. That's the area and the type of food that I think of when I'm in the river over here. Freshwater bass fishing, alligators and cypress trees," he said.
On the menu at Outback Crab Shack
All the fish and seafood is fresh, and it's cooked to order, he said.
Stuart said some of the restaurant's most popular offerings are seafood boils, including the Outback Boil for 2: a melange of snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes and onions. Similar is the Boil for 2 with shrimp, crawfish, mussels, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes and onions, the menu shows.
Dinner platters offer choices such as grilled fish, sushi-grade scallops or local shrimp. Fried options include fish, shrimp, Gulf oysters or freshly shucked clam strips.
Fish choices include grouper, triggerfish, Atlantic Mahi-Mahi or catfish.
Other Outback Crab Shack specialties include:
Venison Backstrap: Cooked to order with wild mushrooms, red wine demiglace, grilled broccoli and cauliflower puree
Whole Fried Gulf Snapper: Freshly caught snapper scored, breaded and lightly fried then topped with arugula salad
Pan-seared Stuffed Grouper: Grouper stuff with a jumbo lump crab cake and grilled broccoli then topped with Old Bay hollandaise sauce
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes: Served with edamame succotash, roasted corn, bacon bits and house remoulade
Shrimp Pesto Gnocchi: Blackened shrimp with basil and walnut pesto, potato gnocchi, burrata, asparagus, lemon and parmesan cheese
In addition, a selection of fresh oysters along with sandwiches including a Hot Lobster roll and Po'boy, salads and soups are offered. Desserts range from Key lime pie to bread pudding. Beignets, too, are available.
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The restaurant has a full bar offering craft cocktails, beer, and wine. Live music is offered on the weekends.
The rustic restaurant can accommodate 350 people. Its dock has room for 250 boats, Stuart said.
Outback Crab Shack is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Outback Crab Shack reopens on Sixmile Creek in St. Augustine
