With a lack of options around MSU’s campus, seafood restaurants are often overlooked by a number of students. But if you are a Christian partaking in lent, restaurants with a seafood or vegetarian option on the menu are vital for Fridays out with friends.
Satisfying a fancier taste and offering dishes that aren’t typically seen around MSU’s campus, here are some of the local restaurants with seafood on the menu.
“We are best known for our fresh fish because we fly it in almost daily.” — Supervisor Alyssa Meucciap
Located in the Eastwood Towne Center, Mitchell’s Fish Market offers a variety of fish along with shrimp, crab and lobster.
“We have multiple preparations for lunch and dinner,” Meucci said.
Kinesiology junior Madison Levine said she went to Mitchell’s Fish Market for a special occasion and thought it was a great experience.
“I think I got the shrimp scampi,” Levine said. “It was really rich and the seafood was very fresh.”
Students also have the opportunity to attend happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Students can grab a drink with friends while enjoying some crab dip or crispy calamari as an appetizer.
“They had really good customer service and I liked the atmosphere a lot.” — Hospitality business sophomore Annemarie Fata
Houlihan’s is located on West Saginaw Highway and offers a number of surf and turf dishes at reasonable prices.
On Thursdays after 4 p.m., Houlihan’s offers a pair of cold water lobster tails or fried shrimp with select steaks for $3.
“It’s fresh and flavorful and it has been here for 30 years,” manager Natalie Khouri said. “We have a great customer base.”
A lesser-known spot for students, Houlihan’s offers scallops, tilapia, salmon and shrimp along with a number of non-seafood dishes.
Fata said she not only enjoyed the food, but also the experience.
Capital Prime Steaks and Seafood
“Some of our new additions are shrimp and scallop scampi and it’s very well received.” — Manager Leonard Jump
Located near Mitchell’s Fish Market, Capital Prime is a great stop for students willing to spend a little more on date night.
Capital Prime offers scallops, salmon, shrimp, mahi-mahi and more, with a choice of soup du jour or salad.
Political science sophomore Tristan Bredehoft said he didn’t order the seafood, but it looked appetizing on his friend’s plate.
“I’ll have to get it next time,” Bredehoft said.
But for people who don’t necessarily like seafood, Capital Prime offers a number of other options, such as their premier cuts of meat.
“We do a lot of different things with it and we put our own flare and spin on it.” — Executive chef Brent Ebert
Located in Okemos, Gilbert and Blake’s is a fine dining restaurant that has been in the area around 10 years.
Executive chef Brent Ebert said that Gilbert and Blake’s offers most of the basics when it comes to seafood and even offers fish from the Great Lakes region.
“Right now we have swordfish and of course lobster tail and crab legs,” Ebert said. “Everything we get is cold water and all of our perch and white fish are all (from the) Great Lakes.”
Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Gilbert and Blake’s is just a short drive away from MSU’s campus, though some may not have been aware of its presence due to its Okemos location.
