Betsy is one of the people whose opinion I trust most when it comes to fresh seafood and cajun-style cuisine. We have eaten together at Perla’s, Nubian Queen Lola’s, and now Shuck Shack. I heard about Shuck Shack first via Maggie’s Austin, another local food blog with awesome photography.

Below is Betsy’s review — I’ll follow up after to add my two cents (although I generally agree with her).

Shuck Shack’s website prominently proclaims “The Gulf Coast Comes to East Austin.” As a Gulf Coast native who is generally disappointed in Austin’s seafood options (see my recent Perla’s post), I was definitely dubious. I decided to go along for the Tasty Tour adventure anyway, mostly just to catch up with Katie and Jodi.

After checking out the inviting outdoor patio with wooden picnic tables, the simple chalkboard menu and the breezy, retro-esque interior, I figured at the very least, this would be a good place to take advantage of the $2 beer specials.

The menu was simple and while not cheap, the prices and nice-sized portions seemed to be about on par with your standard Gulf Coast casual seafood restaurant. Although most of the menu was focused on fried seafood, we decided to keep it relatively light by splitting the peel-and-eat shrimp, large salad, baked oysters and hush puppies.

As soon as I took a bite of a nice-sized, Cajun-spiked peel and eat shrimp, I realized this place was legit. With an almost lobster-like flavor, this was hands-down the best shrimp I’ve had in Austin and rivaled the boiled shrimp at Gulfport’s ‘Lil Rays, one of my hometown favorites.

My second-favorite dish was the hush puppies; deep fried but not too greasy, I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh cornbread flavor studded with kernels of whole corn hidden inside.

The baked oysters were plump, juicy and perfectly seasoned; a great alternative for those of us who can’t quite stomach the texture of raw oysters. The mixed green salad was pretty standard, but a nice, fresh healthy choice to round out the meal and served with a light caper vinaigrette on the side.

I’ll definitely be back to Shuck Shack whenever I need my Gulf shrimp fix. Next time, I’d like to try the New Orleans barbecue shrimp, Texas caviar and maybe the ceviche appetizer.

Laissez le bon temps roule!

And now for Jodi’s Thoughts….

Many of the Yelp reviewers complained about the high prices at Shuck Shack, and my expectations were low heading into the evening. However, I was looking forward to spending time with my girlfriends and excited that a new spot had opened in the old Azul location. Situated on a beautiful lot on East Cesar Chavez, the restaurant is in an adorable converted home surrounded by lovely trees, strings of white lights, and a games area with horseshoes, washers, and petanque.

It’s still hot so we stayed inside to enjoy the air conditioning but look forward to relaxing outside with friends on cool fall evenings. I ordered a $2 Pearl — Shuck Shack offers $2 Pearl, Pearl Light, and Lonestars all day everyday. Pearl is a San Antonio beer that I’d never tried before but was cool and refreshing. I was also won over by the free koozie it was served in.

The dishes were good sized and so flavorful. I loved everything we ordered and the hush puppies were the first I have ever enjoyed — served with a cool and spicy dipping sauce and flavored with jalapenos and corn. The shrimp was juicy and sweet, and the fried oysters were lovely and crunchy from the baked cheese on top.

Unlike Perla’s, the service was down-to-earth, the prices were reasonable (my total with tip was $18), and the atmosphere lovely. I look forward to coming back — hopefully before the rest of Austin discovers it.