Tuesday, April 08, 2014
PJ's Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant - Indian Rocks Beach, Florida
www.pjsoysterbar.com
These burgers are in
the style of the roadside diner of the Route 66 era; cooked on a large hot
griddle, the buns toasting on the same griddle. Griddle cooked burgers have
their distinctive taste. The cook was trying to cook to order but perhaps just
a tad too long; on Gil’s well done order you can’t tell but my medium well was
almost well done but not dry. Nevertheless, the about 1/3 pound patties were tasty,
with a nice meaty flavor, the cheese nicely melted on top. The lettuce was
crisp leaves of Romaine lettuce and the tomato was ripe, juicy and flavorful.
We both enjoyed our cheeseburgers very much. Portions were adequate and we had
a filling lunch.
PJ’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant
500 1st Street
Indian Rocks Beach,
FL 33785596-5898
www.pjsoysterbar.com
My wife’s Aunt Effie and Uncle Gil needed a bit of help with
their computer. A promise of lunch out in exchange was a tempting offer I could
not refuse. On a rainy, blustery late morning we went to work on a computer. It
was a simple task really, downloading and installing software which was well
within their capabilities. It was more just insure that if something went wrong
there wouldn’t be a long delay in getting help. All went as it should have
(well, maybe one little snag) and a little after the noon hour we started off
for PJ’s Oyster bar and Seafood Restaurant. By the time we arrived it was still
cloudy and overcast but the rain had stopped.
The building has been there a long time. It is small, tired,
faded and worn but in reasonable repair. Inside the décor is what you might
call eclectic. There is a collection of items, some seacoast related and some
not, hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps PJ’s is best known for the dollar bills
that adorn just about every available wall space. On request a server will
bring you a felt pen and staple gun to add your autographed dollar bill to the
collection. After about 35 years in this location PJ’s is moving to a newer
building almost directly across the street. When the move comes the dollar bill
collection will be removed and the money donated to a local charity. Patrons
can jot down their guess as to how many bills there are on the back of their receipts
and place them in a jar at the exit. The three closest will be awarded a substantial
gift certificate.
A blurb on their menu states that when they opened their
door for business in 1985 their intent was to provide a family atmosphere, good
food at reasonable prices. We were about to test how well they succeeded in
their resolve. The small parking area in front of the restaurant was full and
there were several cars in the overflow parking across the street. It promised
to be busy inside. The interior is roomier than it would appear from outside.
We were shown almost immediately to a table in the center of the restaurant
next to a pony wall that divides the dining room in half lengthwise. From there
we had a vantage point to see the entire restaurant. Menus quickly arrived and beverage orders
taken.
It is not surprising that with a name like PJ’s Oyster Bar
and Sea Food Restaurant that the majority of the menu is seafood items. There
are salads, chicken, beef and pasta selections to satisfy the “Land Lovers” as
the menu says. Aunt Effie and Uncle Gilbert have been here several times and
they have their favorites. Aunt Effie ordered the Shrimp Salad Sandwich
($6.99 All sandwiches served with French
fries or slaw. No Substitutes.) The shrimp salad was piled high on her
split-top sesame seed bun. It was accompanied with crisp, green lettuce and a
slice of ripe tomato. The accompanying slaw was in a small serving dish on the
plate. Effie said the slaw was very good, a little sweet, a little tart, not
too wet and not too dry; just about right. She had no trouble finishing the
sandwich. She used her fork to pare down the pile of salad before making the
sandwich. She said it was good bur perhaps not as flavorful as she remembered
but qualified that saying it may well be the little case of sniffles that was
dulling her taste. Nonetheless, she did enjoy her meal.
My wife Janis ordered a Hamburger ($6.59 These burgers are for the true connoisseur
and grilled to perfection All burgers are served with French fries or slaw,
lettuce, tomato and onion on the side. No Substitutes.) True to the menu,
she was asked how she wanted it cooked. She chose medium for a pink center and
also chose French fries for her side dish. When the hamburger arrived it was
served with crisp green lettuce, a slice of ripe tomato and a nice serving of
crisp, golden brown French fries. Everything seemed to be in order save perhaps
the center of the patty was a faintly pink, just a bit over cooked from the
order. Other than that, the hamburger had good flavor as did the fries. It may
have been slightly over cooked but there was none left to take home in a little
bag for the hungry hounds.
Gilbert and I both ordered the Cheeseburger ($6.99 These burgers are for the true connoisseur
and grilled to perfection All burgers are served with French fries or slaw,
lettuce, tomato and onion on the side. No Substitutes.) Gilbert ordered
well done and selected French fries. I also chose the French fries but ordered
my burger cooked medium well. When the cheeseburgers arrive they were served
with crisp lettuce greens and slices of ripe tomato. The French fries were an
inviting crispy golden brown.
The menu also says that the staff members are sometimes a
bit “quirky” but dedicated… I’m not sure about the quirky part but the staff is
busy doing the host thing and doing well at making you feel at home. The food
is good as is the service. The karma certainly isn’t pretentious and one can
feel right at home in just a few minutes. To that end it would appear that PJ’s
has succeeded in their grand opening quest. When they move to the new facility
across the street they may lose a bit of the charm that has accumulated over
the years in their original building. I wouldn’t mind going back to see and
enjoy another cheeseburger or be even more adventurous and order something else
form the menu. I might just look a bit unto the future and see how things might
be by visiting their newer sister location in St Pete Beach (595 Corey Avenue St. Pete Beach, Florida
33706 (727)367-3309). I think you will enjoy what they have to offer.
About the money on the walls; the menu explains thusly, “ Returning from their plundering escapades,
pirates would come to shore to spend all their booty at local taverns on rum,
wine, women, alcohol and food. Legend has it, in order for the tavern owners to
insure that the tab would be paid, the pirates would mark their money and give
it to the barmaids to hang up behind the bar. At the end of the night
(sometimes even the weekend) the bartenders would simply take the money off the
walls to pay the check. Here at P.J,'s if your dollars come off the
wall, they are donated to All Children's Hospital. Your server will provide you
with a marker and staple gun to be a part of history and leave your mark...
Happy Dining.”
Labels: cheeseburger, dollar bills, hamburger, Indian Rocks Beach, Oyster Bar, PJ's, seafood, shrimp salad, St Pete Beach
¶ 1:15 PM
