Yabbies Coastal Kitchen

Just because times are tough doesn't mean we cannot go out at all. In fact, Drew and I have figured out a way to enjoy all the culinary treats we love at half the price. That right, happy hours are back. And I'm not talking about drinks.

Yelp and Citysearch are two online resources that keep track of all the deals going on in your city everyday. 2 for 1, half off bottles, free corkage, free appetizers with entree, happy hours and more. Keeping a pulse on these great deals is an awesome way to go out on the cheap and feel like you're eating like a king.

We came across Yabbies Coastal Kitchen on Yelp. Citysearch named them 'Best Seafood Restaurant' in 2007, and Zaget and Yelpers gave it praise. Local credentials aside, Yabbies has a killer happy hour menu and, suddenly, we were in the mood for seafood! Eating at 6 makes you feel a little geriatric but the bonus is you can usually choose where you would like to sit and the service is attentive.

Oysters of the day were $1 each and fresh from Point Reyes. We slurped them and washed them down with a glass of house white wine. Glasses start at $5, half carafe is $10 and a bottle of the house red or white runs at $20. Not a bad deal at all.

Next we ordered the Grilled Monterey Bay Calamari with Cilantro Sprigs and Thai Dipping Sauce for $6. I am not a big calamari fan. Fried is totally out of the question because you never actually taste the calamari and wind up eating breading and feel gross by the time you go out or go home. Grilled is usually overdone and you end up with rubbery tentacles. But Drew loves the stuff so I always roll with it. For the record, Yabbies has the best calamari I have ever had in my life. Not only was it cooked to perfection, the Thai dipping sauce is to die for.

For our last bite, we ordered the Mussels with White Wine and Shallot Broth for $9. Dipping a baguette in mussel broth never gets old and could be a meal of its own. Drew always says that I can show him how much I love him by making this very dish at home which, you can imagine, I have done several times.

$40 bucks and a hour and a half later, we left Yabbies full and satisfied. The crowd was coming in as we were going out but they will have paid full price for what we enjoyed for half. Suckers.

Yabbies Coastal Kitchen