First Look: Pier 213 Seafood, Marietta

Appetizers, soups and salads, $2.99-$10.99; sandwiches and seafood tacos, $6.99-$10.99; fried, grilled and steamed seafood plates, $6.99-$16.99; sides, $1.50-$2.50; desserts, $4.99; kids plates, $4.99-$6.99.

35 South Marietta Parkway, 678-290-8170, pier213.com.

Pier 213 Seafood recently opened near Marietta Square, evoking the simple pleasures of Southern fish shacks. Brother-and-sister owners, Kevin and Kammie Sakprasit, have ties to both the metro Atlanta area and fishing communities along the Gulf coast, where they source most of their seafood.

The look: Located in a freestanding building on busy South Marietta Parkway, the fast casual design is tidy and bright, with sea-blue colors, tall windows and nautical decorations. Order at the multi-station fast food-style counter, grab tableware, drinks and condiments, and find a spot in the spacious dining room.

The scene: One recent afternoon, the parking lot and the dining room were crowded, as a noisy lunch crowd formed irregular lines at the counter. In the dining room, friendly, speedy food runners delivered orders in paper-lined baskets, and checked back to chat and find out if everything was OK, offering to refill drinks and grab containers of house-made cocktail or tartar sauce.

The menu: Find a crab cake ($7.99), shrimp cocktail ($7.99) and fried crab claws ($10.99) among the appetizers. Sandwiches, served with fries, include Cajun-style oyster ($9.99), shrimp ($8.99) and soft-shell crab ($10.99) po’ boys. Fried, grilled or steamed plates, served with two sides, include two or three item combos ($12.99-$16.99), grilled fish of the day (market price) and steamed crawfish ($10.99). Sides ($1.50-$2.50) range from hush puppies and fried okra to cole slaw and dirty rice.

The drinks: The basic beverage menu features sweet or un-sweet tea and fountain soft drinks with refills ($1.50). And there’s small selection of domestic ($3.25) and craft ($4.50) beers, plus wines by the glass (market).

The extras: Recent daily specials include sausage and seafood jambalaya, sauteed tilapia with sea scallops and steamed blue crabs. Key lime pie and sticky toffee pudding ($4.99) are on the dessert menu.