“A cute Main Lobster Shack” is the description many articles I read about this place said. "Fresh fish prepared simply" emphasized the most. It tantalized my curiosity, so at the first opportunity I could, I find my feet leading me through the door of Tackle Box in Georgetown. It is almost noon, yet, there is no line, and only one young father having lunch at the communal table with his daughter sleeping in the stroller... I guess this is a good sign of desirable noise levels in the busy neighborhood of Georgetown.
The decor is that of a shack, with nice picnic tables designed as a communal table, and couple of stools lined up by the window. The ordering process is very simple - a big and colorful blackboard tels you the options and since there is one price for a typical platter, all you need to focus on is what to pick. The Main Meal is probably what most people order - $13 gets you one fish (or another seafood choice) done crispy or grilled, one sauce, and two side dishes. You can also get rolls ($19 for lobster roll, definitely not Maine prices!), appetizers (clam chowder, peel-and-eat shrimp, etc.), or other items like grilled hot dogs or chorizo. I guess there are people who don't like seafood in this world... Oh, they also have Lobster Pot - which, if I lived closeby, I'd be ordering quite often.
I like my fish grilled in general, so the blue fish seems to be the best choice. Sweet potato fries, grilled broccoli, and grilled lemons complete my order. The process is easy, and you can sit and watch your food being cooked. The food is served – I presume – in biodegradable disposable plates. The guy cooking the food, even though attentive, doesn’t seem to care much, and I am not sure if it is his attitude or the minimal effort he puts to it, but my plate turns to be less than what I expected. Grilled broccoli has no flavor other than broccoli, and it is a little too raw, even
for someone who likes her food on the less cooked side. The fries are warm but seem to have absorbed a little too much oil then what I'd ahev liked. The fish seems fresh, but a little bit of salt and pepper probably would bring out the flavor. Plus, maybe because I was there before noon, I guess they lit the grill for me, so it lacks the marks and the crispiness from the grill on one side. The grilled lemon certainly could have been put on fire a little earlier, I am not sure if my inattentive cook forgot to time it right, or if it is supposed to come “warmed up” as opposed to “grilled”.
I like my fish grilled in general, so the blue fish seems to be the best choice. Sweet potato fries, grilled broccoli, and grilled lemons complete my order. The process is easy, and you can sit and watch your food being cooked. The food is served – I presume – in biodegradable disposable plates. The guy cooking the food, even though attentive, doesn’t seem to care much, and I am not sure if it is his attitude or the minimal effort he puts to it, but my plate turns to be less than what I expected. Grilled broccoli has no flavor other than broccoli, and it is a little too raw, even
for someone who likes her food on the less cooked side. The fries are warm but seem to have absorbed a little too much oil then what I'd ahev liked. The fish seems fresh, but a little bit of salt and pepper probably would bring out the flavor. Plus, maybe because I was there before noon, I guess they lit the grill for me, so it lacks the marks and the crispiness from the grill on one side. The grilled lemon certainly could have been put on fire a little earlier, I am not sure if my inattentive cook forgot to time it right, or if it is supposed to come “warmed up” as opposed to “grilled”. Overall, I was happy to have a nice piece of fresh fish for lunch, and I'd probably go back to try other things. I'd definitely go for more "juicy" sauces" as the grilled fish on its own doesn't have that much flavor, neither does broccoli (but I heard another customer raving about the grilled asparagus).
As I was getting ready to leave I saw more people coming in to give it a try, which is a good thing. I think this place will deliver better food when it is buzzing because then they don't have to play with the temperatures, and if that happens, I see that it could become quite popular. For now, I hope the lack of crowds are because of my visit in mid-August. And I hope it is the reason for my fish being cooked on a not so hot grill at the beginning. I think Tackle Box is worth another try and another chance, because it has a unique promise in our "frozen or expensive fish" city. If the owners pay a little more attention to training, and if the cooks pay a little more attention to instructions, I think we may have a “cute Maine lobster shack” to keep in Washington.
Tackle Box: 3245 M St NW, Washington DC 20007
Phone: 202.337.TBOX (8269) http://www.tacklebox-dc.com/
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