SASS is a seafood restaurant (“Sauce and Shells”) that now occupies the empty space vacated by Merci on the Capitol Square. Overall, I thought the restaurant’s food and experience needed more refinement.
On both visits, the service was just okay, as they were short-staffed like many other restaurants. During one of my visits, the waitress never came back to check on us after bringing our entrees.
Meanwhile, many of the dishes had flaws in them. I’ll start with the scampi ($26.95), which comes with angel hair pasta and your choice of shrimp, chicken, clams or mussels in garlic and herb sauce. This dish was disappointingly simple and not at all garlicky. You get plenty of clams, but there were bits of shell everywhere. In other words, EVERY SINGLE BITE had bits of shell in it, making the dish unenjoyable. On top of that, I didn’t get a plate to dump my empty shells.
The scallops (market price; $60 when I visited) dish comes with a ton of scallops of various sizes, but they needed to be more tender and seemed overpriced for what you get. At least they carried a lot of flavor thanks to the orange ginger sauce, which is cajun-y.
The machaca ribeye ($35.95) is fine. The coffee-rubbing led to a very charred outside, but at least the steak was tender inside. The odd part is that the ribeye absorbed the flavor of the sauteed red peppers and onions on top, so it was like eating a fajita.
All entrees come hush puppies that are dry and stale along with two sides. If you choose the red potatoes, be warned that they are completely plain and devoid of any seasoning.
For soups, the lobster bisque ($7.50 for a cup, $10.50 for a bowl) is very thin, with almost non-existent pieces of lobster and an odd vinegar flavor. The other choices are French onion and a soup of the day.
Don’t worry, I did have a few items that I liked. The Salmon Oscar ($26.95) was surprisingly good. It had a nice grilled flavor, and the Hollandaise sauce and crab meat on top were tasty.
Joe’s Ribs ($16.95-$36.95) can be ordered as a starter or as an entree. The ribs were small and tender. I had them coated with the yummy SASS BBQ sauce, which was neither sweet nor smoky.
SASS has a big bar, and with it, a decent cocktail list.
- The SASS Old Fashioned ($11) is a little out there because of its use of Kurvball BBQ whiskey. It’s worth a sip but not an order.
- The Kattis Meow martini ($11) is made with lemon juice and simple syrup, and they do a good job of not making it too sour or sweet.
- The cucumber martini ($12), with elderflower liqueur, is refreshing with the right amount of sweetness.
SASS is open every day for lunch and dinner.
