At first glance, it's the clubhouse of the Marsh Island Golf Club in Angola, just about a quarter-mile off of Rt. 24, south of JD Shuckers, on Camp Arrowhead Road--complete with pro-shop and lots of parking. Closer inspection reveals a little gem of a restaurant nestled in the corner of the building. Not affiliated with the club itself, the Pelican Grill nonetheless sports an amazing view of the golf course, in addition to home-style comfort food served in an informal bar atmosphere.
My introduction to the Pelican Grill was on Wednesday's "Burger Night." The half-pound burger was prepared perfectly. The all-important roll was fresh (a #1 requirement for me). The side fries are OK, but sub onion rings for the fries (you can get fries anywhere). The rings are enrobed in an interesting batter which tastes suspiciously like funnel cake batter. It works well with the onions, and puffs up to a crackly, ever-so-slightly-sweet coating. Scoop 'em up and put 'em right on the burger. Crunch!
In the appetizer department, the crab balls are good, and I'll bet they bode well for the crab cake platter. Loaded with crab meat with a light binder, they come with a spicy cocktail sauce. Don't bother with the fried oysters. The coating is thin and tasteless and slips off the oyster. The whole thing ends up gooey and sticky. Pelican grill has far better things on the menu than that.
If you're still in an appetizer mood, definitely try the shrimp gumbo! It's one of the "soups du jour," but sometimes Chuck has some squirrelled away and he'll happily warm it up for you. It is NOT to be missed. (A cajun restaurant I reviewed in another section should take notice of this gumbo.) Thick and dark with shrimp, sausage and okra, I get the big bowl as an appetizer.
My nibbling companions have devoured the Lamb French Dip every time we've gone. It looks and tastes delicious. I couldn't get away from the burger, and it was just as good as the first time (with the rings, of course). So, if you like lamb, the French Dip comes highly recommended by this Foodie's loyal gastronomic minions.
The menu has everything from salads to sandwiches (both hot and cold) to cleverly put-together entrees like tequila-lime shrimp, seared salmon with cilantro-cucumber sauce, crab Norfolk and even a "vegetable stack" for the non-meat eaters out there. You can even put together your own sandwich from a list of deli meats, cheeses and breads. And it's all reasonably priced. Part of the experience is the very friendly and able bartender (and sometimes server) Tammy. Even though it was just the second time we had been there, she not only remembered our names, but our drinks from the week before. Y'gotta admit, that can make for a nice warm feeling, to be where "everybody" (or at least Tammy) "knows your name."
They are closed Mondays, but are otherwise open year 'round for breakfast (7:30am-11am), lunch (11am-3pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm). There are roomy tables, but if you sit at the bar, you can watch Chuck and his crew work their magic in the impossibly tiny, but very efficient (and happily clean) kitchen. Give 'em a call to double-check their hours at 302-945-6620. Pelican Grill has no online menu available. (B., L., D., Bar) Price range: Moderate.
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