by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Most restaurants in our area have Mayport shrimp somewhere on the menu. This is because Mayport is so close that eateries would be foolish not to take advantage of this source of fresh shrimp.
If you’re hanging out in Mayport, or you just want to visit the place for the day, you might want to swing by the Marina Restaurant at Safe Harbor. For a casual bite, fresh seafood fans often head to this fish market/restaurant.
Diners order their meal at the counter and then wait for their number, picking up their food when it’s called. You can eat inside at a few of the tables located adjacent to the counter, but most people prefer to take in the Mayport charm, which you can see from the outdoor seating area. Look at rugged shrimp trawlers as you keep your meal from over-eager birds. The gulls and their companions are vaguely threatened by humans, and will only attempt to steal your fries if you leave your meal unattended. A huge sign (which I suspect most people must ignore) says something about not feeding the birds. Even if it’s cold, you can still sit outside, because they’ve got a decent heater out there and can let down plastic windows to hold in the heat.
Their fried baskets are popular and include a serving of their homemade slaw and hot French fries. You can get your choice of scallops, crab cakes, fried oysters, fish and of course, fried shrimp. The scallops are not at all tiny. They are large and delish, covered in a fluffy, deep-fried batter. You may well fall in love with their savory crab cakes. Many people have. The oysters, fish and shrimp are also fried favorites. If you can’t decide what to have in your fried basket, there are combo options, wherein you can get two, three or four of the options. If you want any more than that, I think they just start you a new basket.
It’s not surprising that the best thing I’ve found on their menu so far is the shrimp—it is Mayport after all. Nothing beats their peel ‘n eat shrimp, spicy from Old Bay Seasoning, with melted butter at the bottom of the shrimp pile. There really isn’t anything like freshly caught, well prepared shrimp.
I wasn’t all that enthused about the seared tuna salad on the menu, mostly because of a lackluster miso ginger sauce. There was too much of it and it really failed to do much of anything flavor-wise. The salad itself was an excellent combo of flavors, and the cut of tuna was excellent, with decent seasoning. If you order it, just have them put the sauce on the side so you can decide if you like it.
I love soup, so I opted to order their red fish chowder. This salty, savory and lightly acidic soup, filled with chunks of tomatoes, cubes of potatoes and fish, is even better after a night in the fridge.
There are some tasty deli-style options if that’s more your style. Stuffed potato skins, shrimp and octopus ceviche, a tortellini salad and a smoked crab pasta salad are just some of the options you might miss if you don’t take a look at the deli case next to the counter.
Desserts are also available, though they aren’t the most popular items. You’ll find the day’s desserts taped to the napkin dispensers at the indoor tables. Key lime pie, cheesecake and chocolate mousse were the selections available when I visited.
While I’ve been impressed by Safe Harbor on most visits, especially in terms of cleanliness and smell, this time I spotted some rather unsanitary conditions in the ice dispenser. I was rather shocked by this, since I’ve never been greeted by any kind of bad smell or strong fishy smell in the market. In all my other experiences, I’ve taken note of how clean they keep the place. The fish on display are very fresh and generally clear-eyed. Nonetheless, eat at your own risk and make sure you check for obvious signs of neglect.
Safe Harbor Seafood Market. 4378 Ocean St, Ste 3 Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Market hours: Mon-Thu 9pm-5:30pm & Fri-Sat 9am-6pm
Marina Restaurant Mon-Sat 10am-8pm
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