Angler Seafood Restaurant the

Very good food and friendly service.

The location was a little out of the way but not hard to find using gps. The restaurant is clean with plenty of seating for large groups.

I think their only downfall was that we compared it to Top O the River the entire meal, and we LOVE Top O the River.

Cornbread and Coleslaw come out to you in similar TOR fashion. Cornbread in a small cast iron skillet and coleslaw in a small tin pail. TOR has some of the best coleslaw I feel so Angler's was lacking just a little for me, simply because some bites tasted of pure cabbage. The cornbread, I think, is better than TOR. It has more flavor with bits of jalapenos and corn. If you can't take the heat, don't eat the cornbread.

We ordered a small plate of fried dill pickles, a staple for us at TOR. I was very pleased with the size of the plate for the price. We thought they had misheard and brought us the large. I really liked that they were not greasy in the least. Every pickle was well coated in a crispy crust. And unlike TOR we didn't have to flag down a busy waiter to get more ranch.

I ordered a cup of Seafood Gumbo. It was full of crab meat and shrimp. Yummy. It also had jalapenos but as slices they were easy to pick out. Definitely worth trying if you like seafood gumbo.

Finally, the entrees.

I had the boiled shrimp with blacked potatoes. I love peel & eat shrimp despite the trouble because the shrimp don't get dried out. Here you can get them cold or hot. The shrimp were well cooked and had a good basic flavor but didn't taste like they were seasoned. The blackened potatoes are cubed potatoes coated in blackening seasoning and fried with onions and diced peppers. Sort of like country fried potatoes but with a Cajun edge. They were more unique than your typical seafood side dish options. I thought they were good but was really too full to enjoy them so my husband ate them and liked them. I definitely feel I got plenty of shrimp for the plate price.

The hubs had the shrimp trio which came with fried shrimp (like popcorn shrimp), grilled shrimp, and scampi. He said he likes the scampi better at Red Lobster but still enjoyed his meal. The grilled shrimp was seasoned well, possibly with the same blackening seasoning as the potatoes.

So yes we compared everything to TOR but in the end I think it comes out even because some things are better and some things are not quite as good.

PROS here over TOR are:
-friendly service that isn't bombarded with a crowd
-reasonable prices for seafood
-more options for folks who don't like seafood. They had plenty of steak and chicken options.
-more menu options in general

CONS:
-No hushpuppies came with the meal (I'm wondering if they've stopped serving them)
-It won't satisfy my craving for TOR coleslaw
-The bathrooms are TINY so I couldn't see a wheelchair user being able to access them
-They are only open for dinner Thursday thru Saturday and lunch Sunday.

FYI: The menu on their website is not the same menu you will get there.

List:
The BEST seafood gumbo I've ever had.

Fan-freaking-tastic!  First really good meal I had on my trip back home.  Food was delicious, fresh, and authentic--and I really don't even care for seafood much.  I even ate the fish and liked it, which is crazy, because I hate fish!  PLEASE teach the rest of the restaurants in Cullman County how to properly prepare coleslaw; soooo tasty.

Sweet tea and the personal cornbread was just right.  Service was fast, friendly, and very understanding and helpful.

Priced right for what you get!  Thanks for a great experience.

Remember too, if you're reading this with the thought of going, Smith Lake park is literally right around the corner!!!!  Go visit.

Come with your appetite so you can't say " I wish I'd tried..."