Snooky’s Known as Locals’ Hideaway
By Becky Billingsley
If you are from out of town, it's likely you wouldn't stumble upon Snooky's unless some kind local points the way (turn east at the stoplight on U.S. 17 in Little River at Baker Street and go to the end). And once it is found, Snooky's becomes a favorite tasteful hangout.
Dress casually, climb the stairs to Snooky's second story aerie, and you can sit inside at the roomy bar or at one of the tables with sweeping panoramic views of Cricket Cove Marina, a gorgeous marsh full of shore birds and the Intracoastal Waterway. There's also a big deck with a couple dozen additional seats, each offering a unique perspective on that gorgeous vista.
Servers are friendly and efficient, and a full bar serves a thorough range of cocktails, beers and wines. Executive Chef Rich Bryan is classically trained and enjoys honing his menu that appeals to many tastes and invokes a regional coastal culinary heritage.
Chef Bryan's appetizers include Conch Fritters; Crab Dip made with gruyere cheese; a Crab Cake topped with Béarnaise and served with wasabi slaw; Stuffed Shrimp filled with crab, lobster, cheese and bacon; and a cool Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail served with vodka cocktail sauce.
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Classic creamy She-Crab Soup is treated with mellowness and a deft hand with spices, while Oysters Snookyfeller are lightly baked with a fresh spinach/onion/bacon/Parmesan/Béarnaise topping.
Snooky's is open for lunch, and the chef's sandwich board is a popular midday pick. He makes a Pacific Salmon BLT; a Fried Green Tomato Baguette with chevre and black pepper aioli; the Firecracker Shrimp Wrap; and an upscale down home Smokin' Bologna Sandwich where grilled mortadella bologna is topped with caramelized onions and melted smoked gouda and served on locally baked rye bread.
The sandwiches are also available at dinner, and a popular pick at either meal is the Candied Pepper Bacon Cheeseburger. It's topped with provolone, and tastes as good as it sounds.
Entree salads are winning summer choice, and Snooky's offers Chopped Grilled Chicken, Poseidon Greek Salad, and Aunt Judy's Salad with fresh spinach, seasonal fruit, poppy seeds and house-make black walnut raspberry vinaigrette. Two other fresh dressings include Applewood Bacon Blue Cheese and Buttermilk Ranch.
Nightly specials often feature fresh local seafood such as Grilled Grouper and Asparagus nestled on a mound of sweet potato puree.
Menu entrees range from steaks to seafood, poultry and pasta. Chicken Marsala and the Little River Fried Seafood Platter are consistent favorites, while Shrimp and Grits exhibits regional flair with jumbo shrimp, peppers, onions, Andouille cream sauce and Cheddar grits.
The Coastal Grazer features an 8-ounce filet mignon topped with jumbo grilled shrimp, crab meat, grilled asparagus, crispy onion strings and Béarnaise, which is plated with butter-whipped potatoes. In Alfredo del Mar, shrimp and caramelized scallops join sauteed mushrooms in a creamy collusion with fettuccine.
Ready for dessert? Snooky's is known for its Key Lime Pie.
Snooky's is at 4495 Baker St. in Little River, and the number is (843) 249-5252. It's open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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