Sambo's, a midstate stop for crab

A few weeks ago, while scouring the area for some of the best crabhouses, we came across a little slice of heaven down in Leipsic, just south of Dover, where Sambo's Tavern sits on the water and folks flock from miles around.

The crabs were stupendous. Hot, huge and coated in a mix of salt, red pepper and other ingredients the owners weren't about to share, the crustaceans knocked our socks off. We sat there at the table cracking away, licking the powdery, salty residue from our fingertips.

But there were a few members of our party who just weren't fans of crabs. Whether it's the work involved or the mess that's left behind, some people just aren't down with the cracking. So we also loaded up on their other seafood selections while we were there.

And we're here to tell you that, although Sambo's Tavern may be known for its crabs, they do pretty well in all seafood departments, be they fried, sauteed, steamed, baked, broiled or raw.

The tavern itself has a very down-home feel to it, with neon beer signs in the bar area, a pool table and scattered NASCAR art on the walls. Head through the bar and a glassed-in dining room sits on the other side, with a sunny view of the dock and marsh beyond.

First thing we did upon sitting down was order a pitcher of Yuengling ($11). Gotta say, the pitcher of beer is an underrated and underused option these days. Bars should really look at bringing it back full-scale.

While we sipped our lager, the girls in our party threw back a couple of Pauline's Coladas ($6.75), an "extra special" piña colada that was sweet, creamy and refreshing. The Candied Crab ($6.75), a frozen amaretto sour with grenadine, also sounded good.

In a timely fashion, our appetizers arrived, which included gooey broccoli bites ($5.50) served with a side of ranch, and a basket of crispy and tasty french fries ($2.50), dusted with Old Bay, to get the juices flowing.

Then out came the Seafood Sampler I ($23), a fried smorgasbord of sea treasures, including rockfish, clams, oysters, shrimp and scallops, all with an array of sauces like cocktail and tartar, and a few hush puppies on the side.

The clam strips were quite tender, not overly fried, and the tartar sauce paired with them provided a nice tangy bite. But the scallops were the star, just lightly breaded and flash fried, preserving that delicate flavor within.

One member of our dining crew went with the crab cake sandwich ($12.50), which owner Ike Burrows had boasted about in our interview about their crabs. And though the price was a little steep, you could tell they used their own fresh crab meat for the sandwich.

We ordered an additional side of hush puppies ($2.50), which were sweet and flavorful, though a little small, and a side of the coleslaw ($2), which came lightly dressed in vinegar and only a touch of mayonnaise.

But we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about the crabs again. When we stopped in, a dozen of them were selling for $35. Of course, that's subject to the market, but worth every penny for the big and meaty crustaceans.

Ike mentioned that, since they get a majority of their blueclaws locally, they use the meat in all of their crab dishes on the menu (bisque, cakes, imperial), so you can really taste that crabby freshness in each bite.

And no offense to the other crabhouses we visited in our reporting, but Sambo's Tavern beats all -- especially as a great stop-off for food and beer on our way to the beach.

Insider tip: Early bird gets the beer Now, we're not sure how you feel about it, but we find it comforting to know that somewhere in this state, at 9 a.m., if you want to sit at a bar and have a beer, you can do so. That's what time Sambo's Tavern opens every day other than Sunday. Call it old school, call it strange. We call it cool. But remember, it's 21 and over at the tavern.

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