Fried oysters and shrimp ... Clear Springs knows how to fry up the seafood. And to me their speciality is their shrimp.
Clear Springs used to have five locations in Texas, but the one in San Antonio closed. This is the one outside of New Braunfels on TX-46, between I-10 and I-35. The other ones are in Nacogdoches, Midland, and Tyler.
Appetizers
Fried Mushrooms:
Here is one of my favorite appetizers: fried mushrooms served up with this spicy sauce. A great dish to share with someone special before one of Clear Springs great meals.
Fried Cheese Sticks:
Don't try this at home. The only dish more difficult to prepare is deep frying a turkey. You start this dish with breading the cheese sticks. Next you freeze them. Yes, freeze them or you'll have this pot of greasy goo, and you may still get that. Then you get your oil hot. Now comes the hard part and I have yet to master it: deep fry the cheese just long enough to heat the center. Too little time in the fryer, the cheese is cold; too much time, and you have that greasy-gooy mess. My guess is there is a three second window for fried cheese which is ideal.
Entrees
Blackened Catfish with Crawfish Ettoufee:
Here is a combination of two of my favorite entrees: blacken catfish, which Clear Springs does so well, and one of my favorite dishes ever, crawfish ettoufee. This is an eat-it slow dish. Savor each bite.
Shrimp-n-Catfish Platter:
Clear Springs's other speciality is their catfish. One of the best plates they serve is the fried shrimp-n-catfish combo. Their cooks know how to fry up seafood.
Seafood Platter:
Fried Shrimp with Side of Shrimp Brochette:
The shrimp brochette is shrimp grilled with jalapenos wrapped in bacon. Need I say anything else.
Shrimp Trio!
This is the masterpiece platter: deep fried shrimp, shrimp brochette, and grilled shrimp. There's almost a dozen shrimp on this plate! See the tub of melted butter. That's for the grilled shrimp.
