Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is good but you can find better for half the price

Speaking of mediocre and pricey we went to Pappadeux's over the weekend.  This is another example of a restaurant being squarely in the middle of the pack.  Given their relationship with Papasito's I really can't explain the disconnect.  Steph thinks it's the fact that seafood places have a bit more overhead.  That might explain the high prices but it doesn't explain it all.  Maybe it's just time for a good overhaul.

We went early on Saturday and ordered from the lunch menu so our portions were small especially for the price. I have the Fried Seafood Sampler Platter and Steph had the Blackened Costa Rican Mahi.  The shrimp were pretty big but they butterflied them so six little shrimp were made from three. I liked the coating on them and they were cooked correctly.  There was a pretty good mound of crawfish, one of my favorites, and they are nice and crunchy outside and tender inside.  The Tilapia was OK but not really my favorite.  Something about the flesh just didn't seem right.  It didn't taste bad but I only ate half of it.  There were plenty of fries on the plate to fill it all out.  Overall it was a good meal just not exactly what I wanted I guess.  Steph loved her Mahi and it was over cheese grits so she was in double heaven.  Since the order was half the size I told her she had the left half and then looked around as if to be trying to find the right half.  We laughed.  It was quiet.

As we were eating several groups of blue hairs meandered by in the ill fitting suits and dresses.  Everyone had a smile of their face as if they were all gathering for a reunion or event.  As one lady walked by a long grey hair flew over us and landed on my plate.  I kind of watched it fly over so I grabbed it immediately but I've just never seen that happen before.  It kind of defines the day we had at Pappadeaux.

If there was a highlight of the meal it would have to be the Turtle Brownie a la mode.  Big, rich and just what we needed to put a smile back on my face.

All this said, the staff was nice and the food was good but nothing was really spectacular.  It's time to breathe some life back into this place because they aren't dead, just need a new suit or something.

Read Steph's recollections on her blog at http://www.shesfedupinaustin.com/2011/10/pappadeaux-seafood-kitchen.html