After three years of construction, a popular waterfront restaurant in St. Augustine is once again welcoming guests who arrive by car or boat.
Recently remodeled and revitalized, Outback Crab Shack features a menu of freshly caught fish and is located at 8155 County Road 13 N. on Sixmile Creek on the St. Johns River.
The restaurant – with a half-mile dock on Sixmile Creek – is the latest concept from local restauranteur couple Nathan Stuart and Margo Klar, who own and operate several restaurants from Tallahassee to St. Augustine.
Guests arrived by car and boat to welcome back Outback Crab Shack during its opening weekend on Aug. 10 and 11. So many came that the restaurant had to close on Monday because it needed supplies, Stuart posted on Facebook.
“Our first weekend was absolutely phenomenal. I would like to say we served over 5,000 people that weekend,” Stuart told the Times-Union.
The original Outback Crab Shack was established in 1984, but was severely damaged by Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017, leading to its closure and demolition.
Sleiman Enterprises, owner of the property, approached the experienced restaurant owners 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 there were “many things that were beyond our control,” such as problems with the foundation and other construction challenges.
“There was never any doubt that we would open. It was just a question of when. We didn’t want to give up,” he said. “But in the end we did it and everything is great.”
Reminiscent of an old Florida fishing camp, the restaurant features a menu, ambience and location that are very dear to Stuart’s heart.
“I grew up here. This is the area and the type of food I think of when I’m here on the river. Freshwater bass fishing, alligators and cypress trees,” he said.
On the menu at Outback Crab Shack
All the fish and seafood is fresh and prepared to order, he said.
Stuart said some of the restaurant’s most popular offerings are boiled seafood, including the Outback Boil for 2: a mix of snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes and onions. Similarly, the Boil for 2 features shrimp, crawfish, mussels, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes and onions, according to the menu.
Dinner plates include grilled fish, sushi-worthy scallops or local shrimp. Fried options include fish, shrimp, Gulf oysters or freshly shucked mussel strips.
The choices include grouper, triggerfish, Atlantic mahi-mahi or catfish.
Other specialties at the Outback Crab Shack include:
- Saddle of venison: Prepared as desired with wild mushrooms, red wine demi-glace, grilled broccoli and cauliflower puree
- Whole Fried Gulf Snapper: Freshly caught snapper, scored, breaded and lightly fried, then garnished with arugula salad
- Pan-fried stuffed grouper: Grouper stuffed with a giant crab cake and grilled broccoli, topped with Old Bay hollandaise sauce
- Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes: Served with edamame succotash, roasted corn, bacon bits and homemade remoulade
- Shrimp Pesto Gnocchi: Fried shrimp with basil-walnut pesto, potato gnocchi, burrata, asparagus, lemon and parmesan
A selection of fresh oysters is also offered, as well as sandwiches, including a hot lobster roll and po’boy, salads and soups. Desserts range from key lime pie to bread pudding. Beignets are also available.
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The restaurant has a full bar offering cocktails, beer and wine, and there is live music on weekends.
The rustic restaurant seats 350 people, and the boat dock has room for 250 boats, Stuart said.
Outback Crab Shack is open Sunday through Thursday from 12pm to 10pm and Friday and Saturday from 12pm to midnight.
Teresa Stepzinski is a restaurant reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or email her at [email protected].
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