Looking for BBQ Shrimp? Check Out the Gnarly Gar at Point Venture
I have been to New Orleans many times and always seem to work my way over to Pascal’s Manale for their amazing BBQ shrimp at least once on each visit. Eating this dish is a messy but glorious experience as you’re engulfed in flavors you might never have thought possible. Owner Luke DeFelice and his crew do an amazing job in this restaurant that dates back to 1913.
Imagine my surprise when we took the shuttle boat from the Austin Yacht Club the other night out to Austin’s only floating restaurant, the Gnarly Gar off Point Venture.
We were looking forward to their New England style fried clams when I noticed BBQ shrimp on the menu. Since my search in Austin for something close to the BBQ Shrimp I get in NOLA has been less than productive, we immediately ordered it.
And were we knocked out. The shrimp, served with heads and all (because the heads impart a large amount of the dish’s flavor during cooking) were served atop a killer roux with bread for dipping into the sauce. The flavor was excellent, kind of coming at you in savory waves like it does at Pascal’s. When we finished this 40 napkin affair there was not a drop of sauce left in the bowl and we were so pleased that we were already checking our calendars for the next visit.
BTW the fried clams were sweet and tasty as we’d expected. But the surprise of the evening was the BBQ shrimp!
The BBQ Shrimp at the Gnarly Gar
We’ll be posting a more complete review of this floating restaurant in the next month.
The Gnarly Gar
18200 Lakepoint Cove
Point Venture, TX 78645
(512) 267-1845
