Then I remembered that Mary’s Seafood & Steakhouse has a large, spacious, comfortable bar, so we stopped there. At least there’d be a pleasant place to sit out the wait. I hadn’t been there in several years, as I’ve become less and less a carnivore, but I recalled their steaks as superb, and now, to my delight, I found that there were dining tables in the bar, mostly unoccupied. We settled in and ordered a drink while perusing the menu.

That didn’t take long. To nibble with my drink, I pounced on my all-time favorite appetizer, Escargot. Though they weren’t encased in the traditional shells, they were delicious. My companion tried the calamari. Excellent. So far, so good.

In my book, Anything Oscar, be it the original Veal Oscar, chicken, pork or fish, is irresistible. You just can’t beat crabmeat, asparagus and hollandaise sauce atop anything. My partner chose the seared salmon with shrimp and mushrooms. In both cases, the fish was perfectly cooked, without a hint of over or under cooked texture and the accoutrements were delightful.

Our salads were crisp and tasty. All the entrees come with a choice of baked potatoes, fries or spaghetti, so we both took what has come to be the Big Gamble, and ordered the Baked. And for perhaps the second time in as many years, the potatoes came out tasting exactly like potatoes! Why this is so difficult remains a mystery to me, but nevertheless it’s a sad fact of life.

Needless to say, we didn’t sample any of the bar menu, but much of it sounded enticing, especially the French Dip, made with sliced Prime Rib and topped with mozzarella. There are also a variety of salads and sandwiches to try next time. And there definitely will be a next time, many next times.

Mary’s is definitely much more than a great steak house!

Questions? Comments? Email Cima.

Mary’s Seafood & Steakhouse
10002 Abercorn St.
Savannah
Tel: 927-1300
Open Daily
Entrees: $17 to $26
Full Bar