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MONTGOMERY, TX -- I was privy to a cozy little gathering at the LandShark Bar & Grill located on the Margaritaville Lake Conroe Resort, where a group of social media influencers, several Nashville based singers, and a small group of resort executives sampled the new menu items at the eatery on November 16th. The popular waterfront restaurant is celebrating an update to their menu, their first change to their bill of fare since June 2020. Executive Chef Mijaylou Garcia was excited to show us the new menu offerings to customers that he and his team have been planning for quite some time. The new menu, which debuted on November 15th, now offers new mouthwatering steak, chicken, sandwich, seafood, and even a dessert option that are pleasing to the eye, and taste out of this world as well. And don’t forget the Margaritas! LandShark has added nine (9) new options to Jimmy Buffet’s favorite cocktail, thus ensuring customers an excellent reason to relax, unwind, and just enjoy the atmosphere that the restaurant offers.
“We want to feature more local ingredients in the menu,” said Chef Garcia, who’s been working with vendors located within a hundred mile radius of the resort. “Our fish is fresh and will not be frozen.”
The menu change was spurred by the restaurant's desire to enhance the diners' experience, and staff have already detected a change in customers’ ordering preferences. I was impressed, and will be back to do a proper tasting and describe all the flavors of the new dishes, but with new rollouts taste buds are thrust in all sorts of directions, and to properly describe everything in one fell swoop would be too much. But believe me, I was definitely impressed with the new direction that the LandShark Bar & Grill and Margaritaville Resort are going with their food and beverages. It’s a worthy venture, and deserves recognition for their aim to please the customer with quality and excellence in mind.
LandShark Bar & Grill’s popular burger choices will remain on the menu, and new beers will be added, like Yuengling, Dos Equis XX, High Noon Variety, and Shiner Bock. The fresh never frozen fish pledge will mean that items like the fish sandwich will be charged at market pricing, thus ensuring patrons they will be enjoying the absolutely best available ingredients possible.
“We wanted to change the menu to offer more choices to our clientele,” said Sammy Filala, Assistant Food and Beverage Director at the Margaritaville Resort. “We’ve been working on the project for months, and are confident our customers will love the additional choices.”
New seafood items including shrimp, crab cakes, along with a Seafood Platter will also be available. The shrimp choices include Crispy Coconut Shrimp, Shrimp Scampi, Key Lime Grilled Shrimp, and Shrimp Tacos. A Taco Salad will also be featured, sure to be a crowd pleaser, along with a Steak Sandwich, made from an angus skirt steak, coupled with a new 12 oz. USA Choice Center Cut Sirloin. Also a Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich is on the menu, with a crust that holds up to scrutiny. Everything I tasted was top notch, and chatting with everyone in the little group, my informal polling results yielded that the Shrimp Scampi was tops among them. As for me, everything was my favorite. As long as it was there, I was chomping on it, and before I left the little nook in the restaurant, the Postal Service called wanting to add an additional four numbers to my already nine-digit zip code.
“I loved the Shrimp Scampi,” said Keri Ford, an influencer with Nick’s Local Eats, one of the social media influencers present. “It had a little spice, very tasty, and it was beautifully presented and delicious.”
Sammy Filala also noted that most of the produce is sourced locally, so LandShark is making an all out effort to partner with local suppliers for the best and freshest ingredients in the area.
“We are listening to our customers,” said Executive Chef Garcia. “They have been asking for the freshest ingredients, and that's the direction we have turned.”
Seth Webber, the lead bartender at LandShark, delighted the gathering with margarita after margarita, some that make you pucker up substantially to those that hit the palate with the intensity of fruit punch, but can pack a punch if you're not careful.
“Our inspirations come from the artistry of Tequila and Rum,” said Webber. “We wanted to reinvigorate the menu, and give new tastes and flavors to everyone.”
The new margaritas will be bringing smiles to everyone with sweet and sour choices that will certainly fit into everyone's vision of taste. They even have a fruity frozen version that is aiming to please. And with options like pineapple, coconut, strawberry, watermelon, and other flavors customers will be overwhelmed with choice, which is a good thing. With names like Seaside Hacienda, Coconut Sandbar, Coco Cabana, Cosmo Getaway, or Don’t Stop the Carnival, one is sure to please you.
“I’m impressed, everything was delicious, and I really loved the variety,” said diner Michelle Faust. “I’ve eaten here before, and dishes like the shrimp scampi, and the new cocktails, have reached a new high.”
I had the most wonderful time celebrating the menu with my colleagues at the LandShark Bar & Grill. I loved the energy exhibited by the restaurant staff and kitchen. The Manager on duty Shoaib Ahmed, and his server Corbon Bone took care of everyone’s needs. Nashville based country singers Krystal King and Kirstie Krause entertained a large crowd lakeside that Saturday evening in Margaritaville’s free “It's 5 o'Clock Somewhere Concert Series.” King and Krause are on their first Texas Tour. Besides being a Nashville songwriter, King is also a Radio Margaritaville DJ. The singers were invited to the menu tasting to test out the newbie dishes following their performance.
“The whole new menu was delicious,” said King, who was starving after the two hour concert. “The rice was nice with the Key Lime Grilled Shrimp. I also enjoyed the new chocolate lava cake.”
The new menu at the LandShark Bar & Grill at the Margaritaville Lake Conroe Resort is up and running, and your presence at the beautiful waterfront restaurant is requested. Tell ‘em Ruben sent y’ah. And the staff will probably say, “Who?” But at least you will get your first laugh of the evening. I had a wonderful evening, making new friends, and look forward to going back very soon.
Alcohol Disclaimer: This column is intended for entertainment purposes only. Please drink responsibly, not just for yourself, but for others around you
Margaritaville Lake Conroe Resort
Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net
