I was invited to dinner with a friend's friends last night, and we bellied up to Joe's Crab Shack, a chain-seafood joint. I was expecting something like Red Lobster. I was wrong! This place is excellent.

I had the "Broiled Seafood Plate" for 16 bucks. This was - a barbecue skewer of BIG shrimp that had been marinated in some delicious garlic sauce; a serving of scampi that had the same sauce and so was equally as delicious but with a different texture; a couple of mouthwatering crab cakes, not heavily breaded and not fried; a piece of amazingly tasty and crumbly-but-firm fish whose name I don't recall, that was extra spicy with a crust of butter sauce and paprika fine bread crumbs, and made even better by the local hot sauce; and rice pilaf that was deliciously non-greasy. OUTSTANDING food. Several people had King crab legs and they were also delighted. My stomach was also delighted - very very low grease quotient. It was the best seafood I've had in some time - from a chain store!

For this feast, two beers, a tequila and a mandatory gratuity - 33 bucks. Highly recommended. The place reminded me of some of the out-of-the-way shacks on the Gulf Coast, and sure enough this one's from Houston. Get it while it's good, all chains go downhill fast.