Sports bars and seafood restaurants — especially family-friendly ones — don't necessarily seem like a natural combination. But at Steelefish Grille in Bel Air, big screen TVs and plenty of drink specials coexist happily alongside kids' menus and a seafood-heavy selection of entrees.
The restaurant, which opened in September in the space formerly occupied by Freddie's Bar & Grill, is immediately likable, both for the food and the service. Neither one is perfect but both the kitchen and the staff have a lot to offer.
Scene & Decor Before opening, Steelefish's owners renovated the building, converting the pirate-themed Freddie's into a clean, open space with a few subtle nautical touches and a whole lot of televisions.
When we arrived around 7 p.m. on a recent Monday, the restaurant was about half full and the crowd was gearing up for that night's Ravens game. Our table, a generously sized booth, gave us a prime view of a handful of TVs — good for fans. Given the number of TVs (20), we were pleasantly surprised to find that in the hour before the game started, the noise level wasn't outrageous.
Appetizers On our waiter's strong recommendation, we started with the Sunset Shrimp ($10.99), a large bowl full of lightly fried shrimp tossed with bits of mango and scallion and a creamy sauce that had more than a little kick. The shrimp, served on a bed of cabbage slaw, were cooked nicely, just until done. The breading, just a light coat, was thin enough that the sweet flavor of the fish shined through.
Was the appetizer a subtle example of sophisticated flavors? No. But even food snobs would have to admit that it tasted great. Our waiter steered us in the right direction.
Entrees In addition to seafood, Steelefish offers a handful of standard bar-friendly favorites, including several varieties of burger. We tried the BBQ Bacon Jack burger ($11.99) which, as its name implies, was topped with bacon, sweet barbecue sauce and Monterey jack cheese.
It was a good burger — well-seasoned and cooked just to medium rare, sitting on a glossy brioche bun. But the menu promised an onion ring, which was nowhere to be found, and we missed it.
We did enjoy the fries, though, which were liberally seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked until they were crispy on the outside but still pillowy inside.
A trio of red snapper tacos ($16.99), topped with mango, broccoli slaw, tomatoes and a slightly spicy cucumber wasabi dressing, were also appealing, if not perfect. The fish was cooked and seasoned inconsistently. All of it was cooked reasonably well, though some pieces were better than others.
A side order of Old Bay chips ($2.99) was crispier than we expected, and that was a good thing. So many things can go wrong with house-made chips. Some are too oily, some too soft, some stale, some under seasoned. These, however, were just right.
Drinks With dinner, orange crushes ($5) and Brooklyn Brown Ale draughts ($2.25) were nicely poured and inexpensive.
Service Every once in a while, we meet a server who is a perfect match for his or her restaurant. That's what happened at Steelefish Grille.
Our waiter was a gregarious man who seemed to genuinely enjoy his job — as well he should because he's good at it. He kept an eye on us, making sure we had what we needed, offered thoughtful advice and was a friendly guy all around. He managed to chat up several tables at a time without lingering too long at any one of them — a rare skill but an important one.
His only misstep was early on, when we sat with empty glasses for a few minutes too long. But once he realized we needed another round, he was quick to deliver.
The kitchen's timing was prompt, too. Food came when it should, giving us just enough time to enjoy each course.
Even if the food wasn't perfect, good timing made the meal enjoyable overall.
Dessert Steelefish Grille still employs a dessert tray, that relic of a bygone restaurant era that makes ordering dessert just a little more fun. We opted for a generous and moist slice of red velvet cake ($6.99), thickly frosted with tart icing.
When we left, happy and full, the bar was filling up as the Ravens geared up for an eventual victory over the Saints. A good night for everyone, all around.