Drift Seafood & Raw Bar
Drift Seafood & Raw Bar casually drifted into the former Seafood Shack on Baltimore Ave. and helped those who enjoyed the former seafood staple forget how bad the ‘Shack’ really was, and how good a seafood and raw bar can be with effective service, fresh seafood, and an eye toward the needs of a wanting audience. When opening, the owners announced they desired a “sophisticated experience in a fun and relaxed atmosphere,” and that is exactly what they delivered. The physical location does not portend restaurant – it is long and narrow on the inside, burgeoning on the back deck – and often very crowded with walk-ins jockeying for bar space or to seize a cancelled reservation. And for good reason, because Drift is fun, vibrant, and even more important, all about that fresh seafood experience. Crudo of all types, and exactingly fresh. Is there a better lobster French toast anywhere in Delmarva? New spins on coastal classics, including crab hushpuppies, oyster mushroom skewers, and swordfish schnitzel, to name a few ‘must return to try again’ favorites. There are a few non-fish large plates, but seafood is the star, and draw it does, because summer reservations are about as scarce as the inside/outside seating at the bar, and for good reason. Drift attracts plenty of regulars and tourists hoping to be treated as a regular, especially because it offers a unique spin on a coastal raw bar kitchen where almost nothing takes the usual, easy-way-out method of seafood preparation – you will not find the pedestrian sauces, approaches, or tastes. The buzz of a crowd always flowing outside to the sidewalk will get your attention, and the food and ambience will keep it, until, of course, you realize that without a reservation, you’re just another vacationer hoping to grab a piece of the Rehoboth Beach food action.
