Saltwater Cowboys

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Yum, yum!  Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at St. Augustine Beach's Saltwater Cowboys, a quaint restaurant and bar that sits beside a marsh at the end of a narrow, residential road.  If you didn't know what you were looking for, you'd never find it.  Luckily for the owners of this establishment, which claims to have been featured on the Travel Channel, lots of people go looking for their delectable seafood and ribs. 

We sat outside on the deck, overlooking the marshy sunset.  Our table was situated beneath a huge moss-draped tree.  I like to think the tree was a crepe mertle, but I really have no idea what a crepe myrtle looks like, so we'll just pretend.  Upon placing our drink orders, we soon noticed a trio of tabby cats lurking nearby.  They wound themselves around our ankles, sat underneath our table, and generally made themselves at home.  A man from Atlanta was sitting at the table next to us and, apparently disliking cats, he kept on making comments about their uncleanliness.  He scatted them away multiple times in loud, ugly movements set to scare the cats off, but which really only garnered the attention of the fellow diners.  At one point, I very nearly turned to him to inform the gentleman that we were sitting in the kitties' home and that they had every right to be there.  However, given that he appeared to be the unruly sort, I logically kept my mouth closed. 

Closed, that is, until the food arrived.  We started with some delicious slices of cheese bread, followed by green salads topped with freshly made creamy salad dressing.  Afterward, I devoured a plate of boiled Florida rock shrimp, which delightfully tasted more like lobster, while my mother, son, and daughter dined on shrimp and scallops, gator tail and catfish, and clam strips and fries, respectfully.  Our meal concluded with a slice of fresh key lime pie for me and chocolate pie for my mother.  (Alex didn't finish his dinner, so he didn't get a treat.)

All in all, we had a lovely dining experience that was well worth the 20 minute drive north of Hammock Beach.  Delcious food, a quaint atmosphere, and a relaxing sunset combined to make one memorable meal in St. Augustine Beach.