Local Catch: Coastal Cuisine with a Southern twist
Aug. 1, 2021
By Laura Holloway
BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH – When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and when on 30A, do as the locals do and pull up a chair at Local Catch Bar & Grill. Coming up on its 10th anniversary in 2022, Local Catch has become a 30A staple, offering not only a flavorful menu of favorite feasts but also a home for live music and good times, for both locals and area guests.
“It’s the kind of place that makes you feel at home the minute you enter.” – Jimmy Hasser and Adam Yellin, co-owners
Co-owners Jimmy Hasser and Adam Yellin (who is also the restaurant’s chef), said, “From the outside it appears to be a dive bar but as you enter the building the clean, comfortable feeling and amazing aroma of fresh food and smiling faces immediately lets you know that there is love put into every detail, from the personnel to the fresh, locally sourced ingredients. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel at home the minute you enter.”
Located on 30A between Blue Mountain Beach and Gulf Place, Local Catch simultaneously feels like the place you can dine with family after church and the location for a full bar and live music kind of Sunday Funday. It’s a pregame spot, an after work hangout, and a meetup space for so many because it’s vacation, or because it’s a day that ends in ‘Y.” It’s the place for everyone, and the menu reflects that.
Yellin sees the restaurant’s fare “as a mix between Baja Mexican and Cajun cuisine. We call it Coastal Cuisine with a southern twist.”
There’s a full menu of appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. Starters include a traditional Grouper Ceviche (made with local Gulf grouper, green tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and lime), Crab and Cream Cheese Wonton (served with a sweet gastrique and cabbage salad), and their infamous Gumbo (made with house-made Andouille sausage and Gulf shrimp).
Salads don’t feel like salads at Local Catch, as evidenced by the Mile 4 Fish Salad (a spring mix topped with local Gulf grouper, pico de gallo, pineapple and homemade tortilla chips), which is so good it was featured in Southern Living.
Entrees (which all come with one side), invite a quick return to the restaurant, because selecting something for just one meal might be impossible. Caribbean Shrimp Tacos (with grilled coconut rum marinated shrimp, pineapple salsa, cabbage, house white sauce, and roasted red peppers), Buerre Blanc Chicken (served with mashed potatoes, green beans, citrus beurre blanc, and a picco de gallo garnish), and the ambitious and delicious Seafood Sampler for Two, which includes (hold onto your napkin) 6 ounces of fresh Gulf fish, six Gulf shrimp, six fried oysters, six ounces of fried crab claws, a crab cake, French fries, and one additional side of your choice. And the sides? They can be a meal in themselves, including Candied Sweet Potatoes and Cheese Grits.
“We just want to serve a fresh, delicious product in a clean and comfortable atmosphere,” Yellin said. “As a chef, I like to use fine dining techniques for common food like tacos and po boys. We use a lot of classic flavor combinations. For example, our pork tacos are topped with a sweet pineapple salsa, so a classic play on sweet and savory, like prosciutto and melon.”
A children’s menu is even available, offering popcorn shrimp, crab claws, cheese quesadilla, chicken tenders, cheeseburger, and kids-portion shrimp. And of course, don’t dare leave without sampling the dessert menu, even if you have to order the Fried Oreos to go. A full bar is available, and signature cocktails invite guests to stay just a little longer.
Hasser added, “The front of the house provides a relaxing atmosphere with a great happy hour to make sure our patrons feel welcome and never leave with an empty stomach.”
Local Catch is open Sundays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Located at 3711 W. Co. Hwy. 30A in Blue Mountain Beach, you can find out more about the restaurant or daily specials by calling 850-622-2022 or visiting localcatch30a.com.
