The Anti-Pub at Charles Anthony's

Those of you with years in the Gump under your belts surely remember "The Pub" when it was in Montgomery Mall. Established in 1972 the place was a local institution known among locals as a great seafood restaurant with its signature fried crab claws. When your competition was The Elite and The Sahara, having better seafood at a lower price was not very hard even with a small but homey place down in a hall in the mall. The Pub was cozy, the waitresses were grizzled veterans and the banter was that of regulars kidding the regulars. It was more like a bar with pretty good food.

The new place bears little resemblance to "The Pub" or a pub. Located out in West Shorter a/k/a Pike Road/East Montgomery, Charles Anthony's "at" the Pub is a very nice new structure located right on Chantilly Parkway off the Mitylene Exit. The fare is still primarily seafood based and the have their sauteed and fried claws which are good. On a busy Friday night they moved the customers through at a pace that locals appreciate. The wait staff was competent and friendly and the food was fair. The wait was less than 30 minutes even though the waiting area was pretty full. It was also nice seeing several friends who all remarked as they left about how satisfied they were with their meals. One said, "It was good as always."

We had the sauteed crab claws and 1/2 pound was plenty for three but a little pricey at $16.95 "market price." Question, where is the Crab Claw Stock Market where the market price is set?

Tayteese had the grilled Tilapia ($13.95) and enjoyed it. Gramma B, our guest, had the she-crab soup as an entree and declared it better than the same dish at Sinclairs. Yours truly tried the crabmeat augratin and found it to be unremarkable but certainly decent and worth its $14.95 price tag.

Clearly the place is popular for a reason: the food is reasonably priced and solid. Three of us ate for $72 with a glass of the bubbly each. The surroundings are nice and the waitstaff is proficient. Nevertheless, it reminds me more of a "Fifth Quarter" than a local pub. It is more "prozacky," as one Urban Spooner wrote, than local places in The Gump. I'm not saying you shouldn't go, I'm just saying don't expect anything like a "pub" atmosphere. The nearest dart board is at Academy Sports down the road.