Boshamps Offers Gulf to Table Southern Cuisine

With a variety of great restaurants along the Destin Harbor, it takes a lot to stand out. With so much fanfare about the recent opening of Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House, they’ve got to be doing something right. Since opening last Spring, Boshamps has garnered much attention for its locally-caught seafood dishes, fresh Apalachicola oysters and southern-inspired cuisine. 
 
Even with the elegant dishes on the menu, the wood paneled walls, waterfront view and sandy beach out back gives Boshamps a laid back atmosphere that is heavy on southern charm. Boshamps location on the Destin Harbor has been home to a few different restaurants over the years - most recently Destin Chops, and before that an old local favorite, Flamingo Cafe (which was actually owned by Boshamps' owner Miller Phillips’ parents).
 

 
With the new restaurant came a huge new back deck, outdoor bar and a sandy beach adorned with hammocks, beach chairs and beach games. The large windows in the dining room give a great view of the Destin Harbor from almost any table and the outdoor seating under bistro lights strewn overhead is charming. If you want to grab a drink and relax with some friends, the sandy beach is a perfect hangout. Just pull up a beach chair next to the fire pit, dig your feet into the sand and sip on a delicious cocktail. The back deck also features live music on the weekends and games projected on the big screen during football season.
 

 
Boshamps menu features both coastal and southern favorites and many of the choices find new ways to mix the two. Most dinner entrées are served with braised local greens or cheese grits and the appetizer menu features everything from fried green tomatoes to blue crab claws. One example of the great southern coastal fusion that Boshamps offers is the Lobster mac and cheese, a generous helping of southern style mac and cheese and juicy pieces of Maine lobster.
 

 
One of Boshamps standout dishes is Snapper Destin, a perfect piece of locally caught snapper, topped with jumbo lump crab and béarnaise sauce. That, along with a choice of steaks and market priced fish, may feel upscale, but there’s still lots of classic “fish camp” style fare to choose from. Their Boshamps Baskets are huge helpings of fried shrimp, crawfish or fish served with a big pile of french fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. No seafood restaurant in the south would be complete without a good po’ boy, so Boshamps serves them up with oysters, shrimp or crawfish and lots of fries.
 

 
If you had to pick what Boshamps does best, it’s got to be oysters. Their oysters are fresh, salty and flavorful, prepared in a variety of ways. Whether you like them raw or baked, Boshamps knows how to prepare them right. Their choices of baked oysters are sure to convert even the pickiest of eaters who may have sworn off the slimy crustacean. The Oyster St. George, a platter of oysters baked with a savory mix of spices and breadcrumbs, is a mouthwatering starter to the meal, as is the Oyster Boshamp, topped with vidalia onions, feta and bacon marmalade. You could share them as an appetizer, or order a dozen and devour them along with a cold beer. Either way it’s sure to be satisfying. Even their cocktails have oysters in them! Their specialty “Oyster Backs” are tasty alcoholic concoctions like the “Florida Caper,” an oyster in a shot of vodka mixed with capers and brine.
 
We’re in prime oyster season, so there’s no better time than now to head to the harbor and get your oyster fix at Boshamps.