<a href="http://www.accessatlanta.com/dining/restaurants/22447/DetailedList.jspd?activity=22447">Steamhouse Lounge</a>
The Steamhouse Lounge was a Buckhead Village institution that lasted for nearly a quarter of a century, serving steamed seafood and potent cocktails in a party atmosphere evocative of a beach bar in Key West. It was pushed out of the Village in July 2007 to make way for the sprawling Streets of Buckhead project. But Steamhouse regulars who find their way to the new location may experience a flash of déjà vu — many of the fixtures and photos from the old place made the move, and so did the easygoing vibe.
CARIBBEAN DREAM: The multileveled space on the corner of 11th and West Peachtree streets was most recently home to Element and Richard Blais of "Top Chef" fame. The redo is a Caribbean dream of bright colors, nautical themes and a whole lot of kitsch. Wraparound decks and a patio with a palm tree in the center and a satellite bar offer plenty of outdoor seating. Inside, there are upstairs and downstairs bars surrounded by booths, tables and high tops. Weird and whimsical touches range from faux portholes and real life jackets to the signs on the restroom doors (buoys and gulls upstairs, the Johns — Elton and Olivia Newton — downstairs).
RAW AND COOKED: Like its sister restaurants — Vickery's, the Depot and Fontaine's Oyster House — the Steamhouse menu is basically bar food, but with Caribbean and Lowcountry flavors, and seafood is the star of the show. Raw oysters, boiled shrimp and steamed crab legs are crowd pleasers. On a recent visit, the Frogmore Skillet offered some entertainment as well as nourishment. It's a steamed combo of oysters, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes in a peppery butter sauce. If your oyster-shucking and shrimp-peeling skills aren't up to par, you might be flummoxed. But for $12, it's a little feast of messy fun. For $12.75, the lobster roll is less satisfying. It's a quarter-pound of picked tail and claw meat served on a poppy seed bun with drawn butter. And while that sort of simplicity would be very appealing at a lobster pound in Maine, it comes off a tad bland here, tasting more flash frozen and reheated than fresh from the sea. The huge menu has a host of other choices, including fried seafood baskets and platters, a grouper sandwich and the Daddyo Burger, with two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun (get it?). Every Wednesday, get a dozen oysters for $5.
DRINK ON: Bottled beer on ice is a big thing, and on Tuesdays one of the featured beers is just a buck a bottle. Tropical cocktails are de rigueur for sipping on the deck. Look for the Goombay Smash, made with Cruzan coconut rum and orange, pineapple and lime juice, and a Key Lime Martini with Stoli Vanilla, Licor 43 and lime juice rimmed with graham cracker crust crumbles. On Saturdays and Sundays, the special spicy Bloody Mary is garnished with jumbo shrimp and pepperoncini.
HOURS: Kitchen 11 a.m-1 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sundays (bar open later)
CREDIT CARDS: MasterCard, Visa, Discover
PRICES: Appetizers, soups and salads, $4.25-$10; burgers and sandwiches, $5.75-$12.75; seafood and entrees, $10-$35
RESERVATIONS: No
RECOMMENDED DISHES: Oysters, steamed and fried seafood
PARKING: Street; complimentary valet after 5 p.m.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
SMOKING POLICY: Upstairs, inside and outside.
TAKEOUT: Yes
VERDICT: A favorite Buckhead bar is reborn in Midtown, but it's still a lot like Key West.
