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The taste and spirit of Gulf Coast seafood comes to the former Chiwawa space in Midtown, thanks to owner George Gouras. The menu is simple and fresh with standouts like steamed crab claws, char-grilled Cajun oysters, head-on shrimp, and a beer station with local labels on tap.
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The taste and spirit of Gulf Coast seafood comes to the former Chiwawa space in Midtown, thanks to owner George Gouras. The menu is simple and fresh with standouts like steamed crab claws, char-grilled Cajun oysters, head-on shrimp, and a beer station with local labels on tap.
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The taste and spirit of Gulf Coast seafood comes to the former Chiwawa space in Midtown, thanks to owner George Gouras. The menu is simple and fresh with standouts like steamed crab claws, char-grilled Cajun oysters, head-on shrimp, and a beer station with local labels on tap.
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The taste and spirit of Gulf Coast seafood comes to the former Chiwawa space in Midtown, thanks to owner George Gouras. The menu is simple and fresh with standouts like steamed crab claws, char-grilled Cajun oysters, head-on shrimp, and a beer station with local labels on tap.
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The taste and spirit of Gulf Coast seafood comes to the former Chiwawa space in Midtown, thanks to owner George Gouras. The menu is simple and fresh with standouts like steamed crab claws, char-grilled Cajun oysters, head-on shrimp, and a beer station with local labels on tap.
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The taste and spirit of Gulf Coast seafood comes to the former Chiwawa space in Midtown, thanks to owner George Gouras. The menu is simple and fresh with standouts like steamed crab claws, char-grilled Cajun oysters, head-on shrimp, and a beer station with local labels on tap.
First a confession: I like my oysters raw, slurped from a briny half shell. Fried oysters? Forget it. Chargrilled and loaded with cheese? Only when I’m drinking. “Have you ever eaten broiled oysters?” asks George Gouras when I explain my propensities during our interview at Indian Pass, his new seafood restaurant on Madison at the edge of Overton Square.
When I answer no, Gouras heads for the restaurant’s flat top and plops a dozen or so oysters on the heated grill. A ladle or two of lemon butter comes next, along with minced garlic and onion. Mesmerized by the smell, I watch the oysters sizzle and pop. “The right balance in the lemon butter is key,” Gouras explains, scooting the oysters back and forth between square-end spatulas. “When the lemon butter browns, it changes the flavor profile.”
Indeed. The oysters with a wedge of Texas toast taste delicious like the beach, as do the restaurant’s shrimp, prepared in a similar way. Although neither shrimp nor oysters are broiled, Gouras is partial to the dish and to the name, which originated at his uncle’s Florida restaurant. A homegrown expert on seafood from the Gulf, Gouras grew up in Panama City not far from the state’s pristine Forgotten Coast, where the original Indian Pass restaurant is located near Port St. Joe.
For its reinvention in Memphis, Indian Pass keeps the seafood simple and fresh: gumbo, oysters, crab legs, head-on shrimp, and seafood dip — crab or Mahi-Mahi — with a side of warm pita. For dessert, try house-made peanut butter pie or look ahead for banana pudding, coming to the menu this summer.
Along with the food, the spirited vibe at Indian Pass stays true to its coastal roots. Outside, listen to a lineup of local musicians perform on a covered two-tier deck. Inside, linger at the beer station with its 10 local brews on tap and 50 more bottled labels. If you are lucky, self-proclaimed beer wench Susan Meriwether will be nearby to facilitate tastings and disperse fun advice. “Try the Cat Nap IPA,” she said on a recent visit. “It smells like hooch.”
Indian Pass Raw Bar & Grill,2059 Madison Ave. (901-207-7397) $$
