Popular Seafood Spot In Plano Is As Good As Ever

I remember when Sea Breeze Fish Market and Grill first opened nearly a decade ago. It was an awkward combination of seafood shop and seafood restaurant. You ordered your fish at the counter and asked for it to be cooked if you planned to stay. You did not actually know, until the cooking was complete, whether you would have a seat, and you could not make reservations. For someone driving the 25 miles from Dallas, that was a big barrier to visiting.

Fast forward to present day and Sea Breeze has expanded, taking over the next-door premises to at least double the restaurant's size. The extra space is a bona fide restaurant (and bar) with table service and reservations. That solves both problems with Sea Breeze 1.0. The fish market still survives and seems to do as strong a trade as ever.

The seafood menu is vast, and quality does not seem to suffer. We loved the beer-battered halibut ($17) that formed one half of our fish and chips. The batter was crispy without being fat-logged. The chips are made in house but seem not to have been given more than perfunctory thought. I would like to see thick, unpeeled fries, first cooked in the microwave for a fluffy core, then deep fried for a crisp skin. People would accuse me of copying elements of Graham Dodds' fries, and that would be true. His were the best.

Corn chowder is a winner, with the sweetness of the corn juggling with the crispness of the wonton crackers. For dessert, the cheesecake is guilty pleasure number one.

The full bar means that almost any beverage is possible, and there is a respectable wine list as well, though it could do with a couple of Texas offerings.

Service was fast and friendly, making Sea Breeze a destination worth returning to.