Catamaran's

Lexington Park, MD

Price:$$

Decor: Casual

Summary:great chicken tenders, just ok otherwise

(3 crabs out of 5)

The bay is breathtaking. The boats on it? Pictaresque. And the bridge soaring up into the heavens makes you take pause and appreciate once again all the wonder that man hath wrought. This can only mean one thing, that you are again at Soloman's Island and after some fine Nature appreciation, you are probably pretty hungry. The fine array of dining options all along the strip may leave you staggering about in indecision, but before you just forget it all and leap into the water for the fish, you may want to turn round and find a place right there, called Catamaran's. You think to yourself, if only there was some way I could be gazing across this water just so, with the convenience of a booth and a large class of soda to go along with it! Well look no further, take ten steps behind you and there lies Catamaran's, a restaurant whose glass windows affording a view of the water makes up for an inner atmosphere that is not dazzling.
The décor is mellow and peach, with a kind of a sea motif. The most defining element of the ambiance for me, however, was a little plant on our table, whose tired leaves looked like they had seen much hardship. Before I could get much information from the plant, however, in the spirit of truly comprehending every facet of the history of the place, the waitress came by. In the usual flurry of deciding what to eat in the seconds she was there, I noted the small illustrations in the menu had been colored, a nice touch certainly.
After ordering, my companion and myself waited in anticipation. Still no response from our leafy tablemate. Our drinks arrived, and as far as taste goes the Sprite I had was beyond compare, very sweet and just the right carbonation. My companion's lemonade, however, was sadly lacking. He noted it as not enough powder, and probably Country Time. Last week's restaurant's deficient grapefruit juice and this week's lemonade leads me to believe that there is some strange pattern, and I would not hesitate to say conspiracy, on Soloman's Island. Hence the new axiom of the week: Never ever but never if your life depends on it order juice on Soloman's Island; it can only lead to sorrow and pain.
In all fairness, however, I must add that the drinks were refilled with remarkable speed; scarcely were the last drops gone but that another drink was in its place. The appetizer next arrived, unfortunately right along with my companion's food and not my own. This would be definitely minus 10 points except for that the chicken tenders of the appetizer were large, hot and juicy, and my annoyance was diminished by the fantastic taste. But be absolutely certain to order Ranch dressing along with them, the blend of chicken and Ranch is divine.
As far as the entrees went, I'd say they would get a 8 on a scale of 1-10. My companion's Crab Soup was an adventure: it seemed to contain all of the spices of the Free World in more than ample measure. This is a taste that will be with you for a very long time. I also indulged in the crab, I had a soft shell crab sandwich, which comes with french fries. It was tasty; there is nothing like grabbing a live animal in its most vulnerable state, deep-frying it and slapping its whole body in a sandwich roll. I think it reminds us of our place in the food chain, especially when the legs are sticking out of the sides. It was good, however it was one of those things that after a while got a little worse with each bite. The french fries were OK verging on mediocre, good but nothing to write home about.
The prices were alright, the soft shell crab was about 8 dollars, the chicken tenders about 5 and the soup and salad about 5 as well. The Sprite I had was a whopping $1.50, but other than that it was a fairly economical meal.

My overall opinion? Nice place, pretty water, fabulous chicken tenders. It is located down Rt. 4, a couple miles off the Soloman's Island bridge. Go there or order in, but in any case I recommend checking out that chicken as soon as you can, this is not the kind of food to hesitate about.

Reviewed- Winter 1999