A Generous Seafood and Steak Dinner in Albuquerque

A proper prime-rib dinner comes with a few nonnegotiables: a rosy, tender slice of beef, a well-seasoned crust, enough au jus to keep each bite glossy, and horseradish that arrives finely grated rather than as an afterthought. At this Albuquerque seafood-and-steak restaurant, prime rib has built a following for precisely that sort of plate.

But dinner rarely stays a simple steakhouse proposition here. Calamari, crab cakes, oysters, fish and chips, Alaskan king crab legs and sprawling surf-and-turf combinations give the menu a broad, celebratory range. You can come in wanting a ribeye and leave tempted by halibut, shrimp, or a dessert that requires a small committee of spoons.

The room matches that generous approach. It has an upscale-seaport look without becoming stiff, and the mood can shift comfortably from a family dinner to a date night, a birthday meal, or a table of coworkers settling in after a long day. There is enough energy in the place to keep it social, while the full-service format gives dinner a pleasantly unhurried shape.

Calamari is one of the appetizers that keeps coming up for good reason. It is a reliable opening move when the table is still looking over the long list of seafood, steaks, combinations and sides, and it gives everyone something to reach for before the main plates arrive.

The Maryland crab cake is another dish worth putting near the top of the list. It has been singled out often enough to stand apart from the usual appetizer lineup, and crab cakes also work nicely alongside a bowl of clam chowder when a lighter, seafood-focused meal sounds better than a giant entrée.

For a more sauce-friendly start, the sizzling mussels arrive sautéed in white wine and garlic butter, with toasted baguette slices alongside. The bread has a clear job here: mop up the buttery sauce before the plate is cleared.

Other options take the menu in several directions. Fried mushrooms, oysters Rockefeller, artichokes with butter and a combo appetizer sampler make it easy for a table with mixed appetites to avoid a one-note beginning. Oysters can also be ordered topless or on the half shell for diners who prefer to keep their seafood straightforward.

Prime rib is the order for a classic steakhouse meal, but it also anchors some of the restaurant's most appealing surf-and-turf combinations. Pairing it with shrimp makes sense for the diner who cannot decide between beef and seafood and has no interest in making that decision easier.

Another combination brings steak and Alaskan king crab legs together on one substantial plate. It is the sort of meal that turns dinner into an event, especially when the table has already made room for an appetizer and plans to consider dessert later.

Ribeye is available for those who prefer a more traditional steak cut, and green-chile-and-cheese preparations add a regional note to the meat side of the menu. A split-ribeye arrangement can let two diners share the steak while each chooses sides, which is a practical option when an oversized dinner sounds appealing but two full entrées do not.

Salads here are notably large, not the tiny side bowls that disappear in three bites. A shared salad alongside a split ribeye and baked potatoes can make a very complete meal. Roasted asparagus, fries, Caesar salad and herb-and-wild-rice pilaf offer enough familiar support that the main dish does not have to carry the whole plate alone.

Fish and chips is a dependable go-to on the menu and a particularly memorable choice for diners who want seafood without the ceremony of a crab-leg feast. It has the satisfying directness of a good pub-style dinner: crisp fish, fries, and not much need for further explanation.

Seafood combination plates are useful when ordering feels impossible. One option brings fish with chips and scallops together, while other plates move through shrimp, crab and assorted catches. These are meals for the diner whose favorite answer to “What are you having?” is “a little of everything.”

The Shrimp Pelican gives fried shrimp a golden crust and can appear in a surf-and-turf combination. Shrimp scampi offers a different lane altogether, while salmon and grouper provide choices for diners looking for a simpler fish entrée.

One especially distinctive plate is the piñon-crusted halibut, served with chili sauce, herb-and-wild-rice pilaf, zucchini and shredded carrot. It is a more composed entrée than fish and chips, with the nutty crust and chile element giving the dish a Southwest-tinged direction without losing its seafood-dinner character.

House bread arrives crusty and chewy, with whipped butter and roasted whole garlic cloves sometimes sharing the basket. It is a small detail, but roasted garlic changes the usual pre-dinner bread routine considerably. Spread a little on a warm piece of bread and it is easy to understand why the basket can vanish early.

The portions throughout the meal tend toward abundance. Leftovers are common after dinner, particularly when appetizers, salads, potatoes and large entrées all make their way onto the table. This is not a menu that treats a side dish as decorative scenery.

Mud pie is the dessert to know. It is unusually large and is regularly treated as a shared assignment rather than an individual finishing course. Several spoons are entirely reasonable; one person may be ambitious, but the table will probably be happier with a group effort.

Drinks can take dinner in a light, festive direction with a Tropical Breeze, a glass of Moscato or an espresso martini. The selections can change, so it is best to check current offerings if you have a particular cocktail in mind.

The main dining room has a traditional, polished seaport-inspired look, making it a natural setting for a more complete sit-down dinner. It is welcoming rather than fussy, which helps explain why families and couples can occupy the same room without either group seeming out of place.

An open kitchen gives diners a view of food being prepared, adding a little movement to the room during a meal. It suits a restaurant where much of the pleasure is in watching a long dinner unfold: appetizers first, then big plates, then the inevitable debate over mud pie.

Booths, counter seating, standard indoor tables and a patio provide several ways to settle in. The patio offers an outdoor option when that suits the day, while the bar has televisions and a more casual, game-day-friendly feel than the dining room.

The restaurant is kept clean and well maintained, and the service style is attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. A broad menu can be a lot to sort through on a first visit, so a helpful recommendation is especially welcome when the choice is between prime rib, crab cakes, halibut, scampi and a platter of king crab legs.

A couple can make an evening of it with oysters, a steak-and-seafood combination and a shared dessert. A family can build a meal around calamari, fish and chips, potatoes and something indulgent at the end. Coworkers and larger groups have enough menu range to avoid the usual problem of trying to find one restaurant that satisfies everybody.

The atmosphere is convivial, with the easy bustle of a restaurant where people come to eat a full meal rather than rush through a quick stop. During busier periods, that liveliness can turn loud enough to make conversation more difficult, particularly for a table hoping for a very quiet evening.

Rotating specials have included an all-you-can-eat shrimp night, another reason the menu can reward repeat visits. Because specials are not fixed, treat them as a happy possibility rather than a permanent feature.

A free parking lot serves the restaurant, and parking is generally plentiful, though the lot can be harder to navigate for an open space during a busy visit. Once inside, diners can choose among the dining room, booths, counter seating, bar area and patio.

The restaurant has often been friendly to walk-ins, while phone reservations may be available at certain times. Reservation and wait-time arrangements can vary by day and time, so confirming the current setup before making plans is sensible, particularly for a larger group or a special-occasion dinner.

For a first visit, a good table strategy is simple: share one of the seafood appetizers, let one person order the prime rib, put another seafood specialty on the table, and leave enough room for a few bites of mud pie.