Since the last time I visited DeShawn’s Seafood and Chicken, a pandemic happened. So, I wasn’t too surprised to see some changes. It’s famous all-you-can-eat crab legs are now $64.99 per person, for example.
But it still has the bell in its front room, which customers would ring to recognize their first visit (funny story: My mom was so excited to ring it, she broke it on her first try!). It’s also still not fancy: The walls are the same faded blue, decorated with fish and fishing-related items and the tables are covered in the same slightly sticky, plastic red-and-white gingham.
But it also still has generous portions of grilled or battered seafood and sides, plus plenty of options for land lovers, including sub sandwiches, meat and two plates, burgers, hot dogs and more.
My daughter, however, was more interested in the juice. Our friendly waitress offered strawberry lemonade, which got her vigorous nod.
“I got a dolphin cup,” my daughter exclaimed as it was set in front of her. “Mmmm! I can’t stop drinking it!”
I ordered my daughter’s meal first since I was still waiting for friend Tricia to arrive. I was a little doubtful about her choice of popcorn shrimp—the other options on the kids menu were fish, chicken tenders or a corn dog. I find most popcorn shrimp to be heavy on the “popcorn,” or breading, but I didn’t need to worry. DeShawn’s knows its stuff when it comes to frying. They were great—the shrimp tasted tender and fresh, and batter was light and beautifully seasoned with a mix of spices. I noticed a trend: “I can’t stop eating them!” my daughter said. Her crunchy battered fries were similarly addictive.
Meanwhile, Tricia had arrived. We both love seafood and promised to share. She ordered the crab cake on top of yellow rice with fried okra and potato salad, while I went for the fried catfish and oysters with mashed potatoes and gravy and corn on the cob.
I gotta say, the healthy choice was my least favorite. The corn tasted like it had been overboiled in plain water.
“It doesn’t have any flavor,” announced my daughter, turning back to her shrimp.
But I loved the tender moist oysters, which had the same seasoned breading as her shrimp. The moist white fish was similarly coated too, but it also had a gamey flavor that I decided to mask with generous dollops of cocktail sauce. The mashed potatoes were another hit though, creamy with a sharp beef gravy.
Tricia’s meal, meanwhile, hit all the high notes. Her crab cake was just how a crab cake should be, big on the meat and light on the breading. The fried okra was tender inside and crisp outside. And the potato salad was both sweet and tangy, yellow with mustard.
We also both had hushpuppies, which were sweet and oniony.
As we walked out with my daughter’s leftovers (enough for another full meal!), I told her the bell story. She asked if she could ring it, and I lifted her up so she could give the bell pull a gentle swing back and forth. Pre-pandemic, the whole restaurant used to applaud every bell ringer, but now, there were plenty of smiles turned our way. DeShawn’s may be little different, but it’s still got it.
Make Your Reservation
DeShawn’s Seafood and Chicken
10316 Atomic Rd., North Augusta
Open for Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Entrée cost: About $11.99 to $20.99 for any of the standard dinners (not including crab legs)
