It’s springtime in Austin, which means it’s practically summer in Austin. And that means it’s time to kick back on the patio, soak up some sun, and start gobbling up some fresh seafood. One regional restaurant group has two new seafood eateries to help Austinites reel in the goods.
Plank Seafood Provisions, newly opened at The Domain, is a property of Flagship Restaurant Group, based in Omaha, Nebraska, but that doesn’t mean this landlocked company is a fish out of water. In fact, Flagship boasts 15 sushi restaurants from the Midwest to the South — and a variety of other restaurant concepts, including Tex-Asian pub Anthem in Austin’s Rainey Street District.
The Plank concept originated in Omaha in 2013 and is billed as a “coastally inspired oyster bar and seafood grill,” that seeks to “transport guests to an elevated yet whimsical ocean-themed setting.”
Sustainable seafood sourcing is the name of the fish game at Plank. In fact, Flagship Restaurant Group is the largest sushi restaurant group partner of the revered Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch and maintains a Conscious Earth program that commits the company to responsibly and sustainably sourcing its seafood. The restaurant’s menu even includes sourcing details about every fish, fish roe, shellfish, and meat product Plank serves.
The new eatery — bedecked in wooden boat-shaped sculptures, nautical rope accents, and sea-style artwork — features a full raw bar and wood-fired grill, and menu items range from must-have seafood dishes to odd yet intriguing plates. Highlights include seafood towers from the raw bar, chowder fries, crispy crab boil turkey necks with creole wing sauce and chive, sauteed mussels, scallop a la plancha, and a filet of soft-shell crab sandwich.
Saturday and Sunday brunch offerings include dishes like a crawfish omelet, fried clam strips, and BLT avocado toast with bacon-onion jam. The kid-friendly Tackle Box menu takes into account that little ones aren’t necessarily hooked on seafood, and includes corn dogs and sourdough grilled cheese, as well as grilled salmon.
Unsurprisingly, Plank also features seafood-inspired cocktails and mocktails, including the Overboard Oyster (oyster, infused vodka, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, dirty mix), and the Island Hopper, made up of Bombay Sapphire Gin, Electric Jellyfish IPA from Austin’s Pinthouse Brewing, pineapple, and lemon. The restaurant also offers a selection of beer and wine.
Plank also boasts a four-seasons patio so seafood lovers can dine in the aforementioned al fresco style.
Plank Seafood Provisions is open daily for lunch and dinner service, Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm, and for brunch service Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 am to 2 pm. Through April 4, Plank will welcome Austinites with half-priced oysters.
And proving there are always more fish in the sea, Flagship Restaurant Group will also open its Blue Sushi Sake Grill — the company’s first-ever concept — in Austin in April. With Blue Sushi Sake Grill already open in Dallas and Fort Worth, the company plans to expand further into Texas with its Austin spot, as well as a Houston location opening by the end of this summer.
Fresh seafood towers are a mainstay of the Plank menu.
