Sunshine and Decoys Restaurant Adventure

The Sun is out! And SO ARE WE!

We heard a much anticipated Restaurant has finally opened so we thought we'd visit today! We headed down Rt 17, north Suffolk area in search of ‘Decoys Seafood’ at Bennett’s Creek Marina.

Bennett’s Creek Marina is reconstructed and this beautiful new restaurant and boat dock sits majestically on the water’s edge. It is 8 acres of thoughtfully constructed waterfront property with a Restaurant “Decoys Seafood”, a 55 Boat Slip Marina, Store, Boat House, Tiki bar and deck and soon to come… a 55+ Condo Community. (Yes, I am tempted!)  Mom and I parked right up front and were seated quickly. Just in time too, soon the ‘lunch crowd arrived’ and the place was bustling!

Our waiter and ‘waiter in training’ were professional, helpful and friendly! The views from our table were amazing! There are dozens of tables set up on the outside deck, but today it was just too chilly. We will definitely return when it gets warmer!

The owner loves duck hunting! Decoys are everywhere, and he named the Restaurant ‘Decoys’, the bar area has duck decoys lining the walls, photos of duck hunting and even the handles on the railings have ducks! 

We cut up with the wait staff, and enjoyed the scenery….moms view was of the water. My view?... well there was a full table of men seated directly behind mom! I ‘thought about’ switching seats with her to give her the  view of the men, but she was really enjoying the water view today!

It took us both a while to decide what we wanted for lunch, there were SO MANY great options…fish, crab and shrimp along with burgers, sandwiches soups and baskets. We started with their Hot Crab Dip appetizer, which was large for two people!  Mom selected a Crab Cake Sandwich with Fries. I selected the Fried Shrimp Basket with Sweet Potato Fries. It’s our ‘go to’ lunch, because we wanted to compare ‘Decoys’ with other Waterfront Restaurants we’ve visited in the area.

Moms Crab Cake was large! Her fries were standard crinkle cut, ( I expected hand cut fries from a restaurant like this) But her sandwich was fabulous! Hush puppies (made with fresh corn and onions inside) are fried up golden. My Shrimp Basket was large! Shrimp were lightly breaded and full sized. I had to talk myself into eating the last few bites, even though I was full! When our waiter returned to take a dessert order, we sighed (I actually think I moaned) and said 'No Thank You'!

Soon, we were greeted by the Lunch Manager which offered to take us on a tour of the property. Upstairs is additional seating and the second floor view out the windows is spectacular! Outside, the large sweeping decks overlook the water (I understand its 14,000 sq ft of decking) and the boat slips. The outside deck boasts a tiki hut bar, with a beautiful cedar roof.

A great deal of the wood used in this entire project was reclaimed from the property itself. And if you look closely, the owner has embedded one of his duck calls into the bar!

After our lunch, and tour, mom and I headed up Rt 17 in search of Jebs Butchery. Mom has mentioned this shop for a while, but has never gone. So today was her lucky day! We found the cute butcher shop and moseyed around the cooler displays of fresh cut pork, beef and chicken. My mind drifted back to Jasper Alabama and Uncle Morts sausage they ground in house! I wonder if I will ever find any like it again. Mom purchased some freshly ground sausage and we were on our way again!

On the way home we enjoyed seeing the newly blossomed trees. Our tulip magnolias (which bloomed earlier) succumbed to a freeze. But the pears, plums and cherries waited til the freeze was over and now they are gracing our drive with springtime colors. Suddenly mom yells out ‘Barn’! She loves taking photos of old barns and this one was beautiful. We passed the field. I circled around and down a drive as close to the field as I could get. Got out and took a few pics. But something told me to retrace our drive and try again. So I headed back up the road again, turned the car around and Boom, there it was, right in front of us. Mom got her photo, and I quickly got back on the road home again! Mom knows I will turn this car around when we are out! It makes things fun!

Still full from lunch (dare I say ‘stuffed’), we needed ONE MORE THING….a cold Dr Pepper! It was a great day! Great lunch, found a new butcher shop,  had fun running around enjoying the spring flowers, and as always I spent cherished time with my mom. Perfect day !