Florida, Charleston, Chesapeake Bay, Maine, Seattle, TheGulf Coast—the United States is blessed with many beautiful coastlands and
waterways, each of them filled with rich natural resources. Fishing is a major industry of the American
Coastlands, and their cuisines reflect that. You have your national chain restaurants, such as Red Lobster and
Bonefish Grill, or fast food chains, like Captain D’s and
Long John Silver’s, but on the coasts of the United States, and even along the
waterways, lakes, rivers, and streams of the interior, you will come across
scores of seafood restaurants that serve up the bounties of Neptune to their
patrons.

Ahoy, Matey!
Whenever the craving for fish and chips, or steamed snow
crab legs hits, many of us head down to our favorite seafood restaurant dining
tables to indulge our desires. Many of
these places decorate themselves to convey an image of the sea, whether it’s
having circular windows that remind one of the port windows on a ship, or
having anchors, and other seafaring memorabilia displayed throughout the
establishment, the proprietors attempt to immerse their patrons in an
environment that harkens back to the oceans and seas, and create an atmosphere
that is one of eating food fresh from the sea. It just seems appropriate to enjoy your salmon dinner in an environment
that feels like you may need to batten down the hatches.

Fresh Fish!
Whether it’s lobster in the North Atlantic, grilled Mahi
Mahi in the Pacific, or Shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico, there are many regions of
coasts in the United States that have their own unique local foods and cuisines
that reflect the nature of the seas around them. When people think of New England, and Maine
in particular, they think of fresh steamed lobster. Whether it’s served whole, or whether you go
for a delicious lobster roll, and you should, you can find shacks, and dives,
and restaurants all across New England that serve up some of the finest lobster
you will ever have.

Like barbeque shacks,
these seafood shacks focus on the food, and create an atmosphere of casualness
that aims to provide a comfortable environment for their customers. After all,
as anyone who has eaten crab legs and lobster can tell you, it’s a messy
affair! A good example of this is the
ubiquitous oyster bar. Down by the
dockside, looking a little rundown, but that’s all part of the charm. You go inside, have a few beers and a dozen
oysters, or some oysters Rockefeller. In
that type of environment, you are not going to care if you start from left to
right with the silverware, or where to properly place your napkin. Just eat and enjoy!

First Class Cabins
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you will find high-end
seafood restaurants, and chains that have established themselves as a place for
a finer dining experience, such as Bonefish Grill. Seafood can run the gamut from easily
affordable to very expensive. Whether
it’s a simple order of steamed oysters, or an expensive lobster dinner, there
is a seafood choice for just about anyone. Unless you don’t like fish.