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By Phyllis Johnson
Correspondent
PORTSMOUTH
Are soft shell crabs and Oysters Rockefeller something that floats your boat? If so, you need to head down to Clayton's Restaurant on Hodges Ferry Road in Portsmouth.
Some of our longtime area residents may remember when the eatery first opened for business 37 years ago. Originally housed at the Hampton Roads Regional Airport, the restaurant has been in Portsmouth since 1986. For a few years, owner Clayton Flenner operated his restaurant in Churchland where Speers Restaurant was formerly located.
These days, at the Hodges Ferry Road location, it's a small, cozy place and one of Portsmouth's hidden treasures. A popular eatery, it got a bronze ribbon for Best Food and Dining in the seafood category in this year's Best of Hampton Roads contest. This is not surprising because they are well known for preparing quality seafood.
For those who don't eat delicacies from the sea, Clayton's also serves a number of landlubber entrees. Weekends are their busiest times with their 4 cooks and 5 waitresses giving friendly service and serving up good food.
"Our most popular dishes are the soft shell crabs and the seafood platters. They also love the flounder stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp," Clayton said.
Glancing into the kitchen, I saw cook Mike Gordon preparing shrimp for some of the many shrimp dishes on the menu including their seafood salad, the Clayton's Special Shrimp Platter and their Clayton's Seafood Platter. There is also a nice selection of steak from which to choose.
Next door to the restaurant, they also have banquet facilities. Fay, Clayton's wife and co-owner, has a catering menu for patrons to select from when holding events at the facility. There is no charge for use of the building, only the price of the catering which is done on-site only.
Phyllis Johnson, pjcolumnist@aol.com
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I only ask if it is an ad
because of the writing style.
The call to action in the opening ... "then head right down' sounds like something from an infomercial on television.
So do other phrases like ... "for the landlubbers."
It doesn't sound like an objective, fact-based evaluation of the restaurant or the food.
The article really doesn't entice me to learn more, or give me the information I need to decide if I want to visit. In fact, it is almost the opposite - the slant taken makes me feel like it is a biased ad for the restaurant.
Could someone tell me the credentials of the Pilot writer?
This must be a paid ad.
The food is over priced and not good. My wife and I go there every couple of years just to remind ourselves of why we don't go more often. We did it again this summer for the first time in several years and the string beans were so bad I couldn't even eat mine. We won't waste anymore time or money going there again.
Yummy
I doubt this is a paid ad as me and my husband frequent Clayton's and I usually order the shrimp platter and he almost always orders the flounder stuffed with crab meat! Great little casual restaurant.
No, Its not..
Thank you VP for telling me about other restaurants in the area.
Being a Chef I like to support other restaurnts and since I don't like to cook all the time, these always offer great suggestions.
Is this an ad?
I am wondering if these columns are paid ad?
SUBJECTIVE OPINION
This place is an overpriced and overhyped mom and pop restaurant. The portions are very small, and the prices high. The food is not that good. I do think that this is paid advertising. A very "sneaky" way of promoting an establishment.