'It's not a rich man's dive.' Seafood joint to open next to gas station and Pepper's

With his new Columbus seafood restaurant a couple weeks from opening, Loren Smith could not be more pleased with his out-of-the-way location on Warm Springs Road.

Bluewater Grill, at 4640 Warm Springs Rd., is attached to a gas station and convenience store.

“We wanted a friendly little seafood joint,” Smith said late last week as he was going through the paces in preparation for the opening. “It is not a rich man’s dive, but it’s a place that’s an eclectic location, for sure. We also feel we are pretty identifiable as a location because we are right next door to Pepper’s barbecue.”

No firm opening date for Bluewater Grill has been set, but it will likely be in mid-March.

Smith is a third generation seafood restaurant owner, but the first in his family to do it away from the Florida panhandle shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Most recently, Smith owned Pompano’s in Panama City Beach. His father, Lowe Smith, built the original Shrimp Boat in the early 1950s.

Smith moved to Columbus with his family last year after selling the Pompano’s property on Front Beach Road to a developer. One of the reasons he chose to move to Columbus was he has family in the area, including his mother, Gwen Morrison.

It didn’t take Smith long to figure out his new market.

“There are so many folks here, locals, that say this is a town where people love to go eat out,” he said. “That’s the glove that fits for us. We can provide maybe a little something special to go along with everything that is offered up here.”

In March 2017, Shrimp Basket opened on Veterans Parkway. Smith is measured when comparing his restaurant to the Shrimp Basket.

“Well, we’re not corporate,” he said. “We’re just a little old redneck operation. We don’t have multiple units. We are only concentrating on this one. And I will be kind and leave it at that.”

When it comes to seafood restaurants, the Bluewater Grill looks the part. It is decorated with dozens of photographs Smith has collected over the years. Many of them are pictures of large hauls made from his father’s fishing barge. There are also pieces of that old boat, including the large spotlight.

But despite how it looks, Smith knows customers won’t return unless there is quality food at affordable prices.

There are char-roasted oysters on the menu for $7.90 and half dozen and $14.90 a dozen. The appetizers include Alligator Bites and Shrimp Pompano, which are wrapped in apple wood bacon, grilled & topped with a Creole-Tupelo sauce. Those will be priced at less than $12.

The entries, which feature fresh fish and seafood as well as a chicken and beef dish, are priced between $14 and $19. There will also be a selection of Po Boy sandwiches priced under $13.

Smith hopes people from the Columbus area who have frequented the Shrimp Boat and Pompano’s while at the beach will give Bluewater Grill a visit.

“We hope that helps a lot of people, that they remember, ‘Hey, I went to Pompano’s and let’s go check out the new Bluewater Grill,” Smith said. “Instead of a three-hour drive, it’s a five-minute drive. We’re going to be putting out the same quality food at a reasonable price.”

Smith has been working for several months to assure he will have quality, fresh seafood at the Columbus restaurant.

“The logistics have been a challenge, but they are one we overcame,” he said. “Through a partnership with Webb Seafood and Abrahams Seafood.”

Through a deal with a food supplier, Smith said he will be able to get Webb Seafood and Abrahams Seafood into his restaurant.

Asked if his new restaurant was on an island, away from many of the other restaurants in Columbus, Smith just laughs.

“That’s ironic that you saw we were on an island, because I spent a lot of time on Shell Island and people wanted to go there,” he said. “Hopefully, we are in an island everybody wants to visit.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2018 at 4:08 PM with the headline "'It's not a rich man's dive.' Seafood joint to open next to gas station and Pepper's."