Same. Same. Same.
That's my biggest problem with Las Vegas restaurants these days; everything is the same. Sure, everything has its own bit of uniqueness. At one buffet you might find prime rib while another will have duck. At the steakhouses one might serve their meat with sauces, the other dry.
And true if you're willing to spend outrageous sums of money you can find some originality, but at the core of it, whatever restaurant you are at, you'll probably be able to find 10 others that do pretty much the exact same thing.
That's why restaurants like Fish Camp at the Town Square shopping center are such a delight. It's not the "same."
The brainchild of low-country cuisine specialist Louis Osteen, Fish Camp is the more casual, less pricey cousin to the equally delightful Louis' Las Vegas located right next door. It raison d'être is a mixture of deep south staples, southeast Atlantic seafood, and all of the mouth-watering flavors that come from the region. And don't worry, fish fearers. Despite the name of the restaurant, there are plenty of things to eat that weren't swimming in their previous incarnation.
As mentioned, the place is casual - a whimsical sea shanty with fish nets hovering above the comfortable booths and tables, plus a lot of very interesting artwork. Take some time to study the giant mural near the main bar that looks like a 3-D version of a dream Salvador Dali had.
The menu covers all of the territory that you'd want it to starting with a series of Bar Snacks like Caroline Pulled Pork Empanadas, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, and a concoction called Low Country Nachos - potato crisps with pimento cheese, BBQ pulled pork, jalapenos, and ranch dressing.
After that you move into the appetizer section, which is like the bar snacks only more. They serve up regional specialties like fried alligator, oyster shooters (spiked with a Vodka Bloody Mary sauce), crab and lobster cakes, and more.
Soups and salads run the gamut, from simple to extravagant. There's she Crab soup and gumbo plus inexpensive greens all the way up to a Carolina Crab Cobb that is so big and so packed with stuff that it's going to run you more than most of the entrees. Sharing is the key here.
Sandwiches include shrimp or oyster Po-Boys, burgers, pulled pork, and deviled crab cake among others but take a look at the House Favorites section of the menu for the really interesting low country flavors show up.
You could try the shrimp and grits or the flash-fried Carolina fish of the day, but why not go whole hog (so to speak) with a pork porterhouse served alongside cracklings and Jack Daniels whipped potatoes.
We visited at lunch so those entrees were a bit too much for our agenda, although by the time we were done we had stuffed ourselves with so much food that we should've just gone for it.
The chef sent us out a sampling of the appetizers including the alligator, which if you can get past the concept of eating alligator, was delicious, lightly breaded and fried then served with both blue cheese and hot sauce. It's spicier and a bit tougher but otherwise you'd never know you weren't eating chicken unless someone told you. We also ordered the onion rings, which were crispy and tangy even before the ravigote dipping sauce.
My dining companion went with a simple salad of arugula greens tossed with buttermilk blue cheese and candied pecans plus some crispy New Orleans shrimp. I veered from the fish as usual and tried the sirloin burger served with bacon, because everything tastes better with bacon.
The shrimp was probably the least successful item on the table, a bit on the overcooked side of things but still worth knowing about. My burger, on the other hand, was fantastic - succulent, juices-flowing beef with fried-to-a-crisp bacon and gooey white cheddar cheese. It's one of the best burgers in Vegas, which may seem odd considering this is a place that specializes in fish, but there it is.
The prices are moderate. Snacks, appetizers, soups, and salads are mostly in the $7-13 range, sandwiches $14-17, and entrees all over $20. That's on the high side for lunch but no more than you'll pay for most quality buffets and you won't get this kind of cuisine under a warming lamp.
Service was good and although we noted a few delays here and there that probably could've been tightened up there was nothing to get worked up about.
They have live music and a full bar so this is also a good spot for getting together with friends for a fun night out.
Fish Camp is an original in a sea of "same."
Fish Camp
Town Square
6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-463-3000
website
Hours
Daily 11:30am-11pm
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