DINNER ON 252 IN MEDIA:
THE BOATHOUSE WIMPED OUT AND WIMPY’S SAILED AWAY WITH OUR HEARTS AND STOMACHS.

The Boathouse as locals call it in Media on 252 has been a landmark of sorts since 1972. You would stop in when you were driving by, have a beer and some fried finger food and go on your way. It was a landmark of mediocrity and never strived for much and achieved it. It was never one of those places you just had to go back to, because it was so good. It was more like an island in the ocean, you would stop. ..cause your there, but never program it into your navigation system.

Now the Boathouse has set its sails to be more.

We stopped in the other night, after an afternoon matinee figuring to relax over a cocktail, for a few minutes, then go somewhere else for dinner. Never figuring to eat here, we noticed some food coming out to customers so we decided to look at the menu.

Holiday specials were on board and we decided to take a crack, in hopes of finding that missing place for good seafood that’s been long missing in Delco.

We got excited when we read the menu. Everything looked so good. It looked as if a new leaf had been turned at the Boathouse. The specials looked great.., steamers, mussels, steamers and mussels together, your choice of sauce, peppercorn grilled tuna wrap, grilled shrimp and veggies salad with blue cheese crumbles and balsamic “dressing”, jumbo u-10 sea scallops in teriyaki bourbon glaze, red snapper provincial, and Mr. Crab’s crabby fries.

So we ordered the 12 “fresh” steamed clams and 12 “fresh” steamed mussels combo in marinara, with bread for dipping (remember that bread thing) for $12.59, also available with white wine garlic sauce. Hoping this would be the place in Delco to get that old shore favorite-steamed peel and eat shrimp. We also tried the ˝ pound of steamed shrimp for $9.29 from the regular menu.

Then we figured to try the lobster bisque $3.99 a cup and finish by splitting the grilled salad said to be entrée size with 5 grilled shrimp, asparagus, zucchini, squash, and red onions over mixed greens with the balsamic dressing and blue cheese, for $12.99.

Service was professionally efficient and coldy distant, no-one will be coming back because the help made them feel so welcome here. A great loss and crippler to any restaurant. Mediocre.

Out come the apps. We got 12 small mussels and clams, but they were the frozen packs sold to restaurants these days, NOT FRESH AS THE MENU STATED. They were dropped in the bowl and they were dry, except for the thick pasty red sauce poured (very reduced and dry marinara) over about half of them, on one side of the dish. But the other half were bone dry, no sauce, no clam or mussel juice no nothin’, which kinda fits the “bread for dipping” cause this was one of the biggest jokes I’ve ever had pulled on me in a restaurant. We got 1 four inch bread sticks, I guess it was sized to the amount of sauce you get; next to nothin’! Poor at best.

The peel and eat shrimp were well prepared, but to my surprise the half pound was 24 small shrimp in shell, about the size you see in less expensive Chinese food, or the size of your pinky finger. Ok, what the menu said …. but geeze.. how much can you save by using shrimp so small the customer can hardly peel them, fifty cents an order? I would never order them again, you shouldn’t either. Give me bigger shimp and I would come back for more, charge me more, just make it good...over priced and mediocre. The lobster bisque, was the right color, had many tiny bits of lobster, and I think I could taste the butter in the roux it was made with. It was however, a bit on the thin side, but most of all something was just missing, not bad- but bland or indescript. We left 2/3rds of a bowl. Mediocre.

The grilled salad was very good, well done with shrimp and grilled veggies as listed above, served in a large bowl over spring mixed greens, with balsamic vinagerette. Nice, best of the day even, but couldn’t overcome the rest of the experience.

We did not feel we got what we paid for; it was very little-small portions, for big prices. Pretty good raw product, not bad but no way good. It seems The Boathouse has sailed to new horizons, mediocrity AT HIGH PRICES.

We waited to get outside, as to not to be rude, and called Wimpy’s Original Burger down the road and ordered cheese steaks to go.

Now Wimpy’s believes in stuffed sandwiches at great prices. They make their living on giving the customer huge packed cheese steaks that are the absolute best in Media, blowing away our old favorite, Pinnochio’s. You get much more for less, and at $6.49 at Wimpy’s, they may make the best cheese steak in Delco. Wimpy’s also makes burgers people stand in line for and other overstuffed sandwiches. It is a place you will return to over and over again. The chicken breast special is labeled “fantastic” by those who have eaten it. Don’t even think about trying the extra thick milkshake and funnel fries unless you plan to be coming back to Wimpy’s over and over again. Good stuff guys.

SO EXPECT THIS:

At Campbell’s Boathouse expect food you are just not going to tell your friends about. Reservations are not taken and recommendations are not given.

At Wimpy’s expect to be thrilled, best value, quality, and quantity around. Check their hours and order ahead by phone. Expect to crave the food and to go back again and again. So put the number in your cell phone because you will be driving home a couple of times a month and find your car turning Wimpy’s way. Awesome for kids too!
Wimpy’s Original Burger can be found at (610) 565-3910
1015 N. Providence Road (Rt. 252)
Media PA 19063
Campbell’s Boathouse can be found at (610) 566-9140
1250 N. Providence Road (Rt. 252)
Media PA 19063