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Orange County's Best Restaurants For Eating Shrimp

shrimp 610
(credit: Mateusz Gzik/shutterstock)

Shrimp can come in a variety of ways. Whether you like it crispy, crunchy, breaded or decked out in coconut, boiled, fried, sautéed, or served in a cocktail, it's always delicious. There's no better time to check out some of Orange County's best restaurants for shrimp.

OC Shrimp Fish Camp
(credit: Fish Camp)

Fish Camp
16600 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
(562) 592-2267
www.samsfishcamp.com

Fish Camp is a sunny fast casual seafood spot replete with kitschy dockside furnishings. But the shrimp isn't kitschy at all. Spicy and sweet N'Awlins BBQ Shrimp is just one flavorful option. Other options include their blackened, lemon butter grilled shrimp, or their plancha style shrimp tacos.

Paul Martins
(credit: Diana C./yelp)

Paul Martin's Grill
534 Fortune Dr.
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 453-1144
www.paulmartinsamericangrill.com

Paul Martin's American Grill, with additional locations Los Angeles, is a terrific place to get your shrimp fix. With shrimp salads and a variety of seasonal shrimp dishes on the menu, it's also a solid bet for great shrimp. The dish that must be ordered is their renowned Salt & Pepper Shrimp starter. Wild Mexican Pacific shrimp is lightly fried and combined with pesto aioli for a flavorful dish that doesn't overpower the sweet taste of fresh shrimp.

OC Shrimp Kings
(credit: Melanie C./Yelp)

King's Fish House
7691 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 793-1177
www.kingsfishhouse.com

Naturally at a restaurant called King's Fish House, there's plenty of fish on the menu, including shrimp. This inventive and upscale restaurant has a number of signature shrimp dishes, including the Sautéed N'awlins BBQ Shrimp - a dish made with wild jumbo shrimp, steamed jasmine rice, and a toasted sourdough baguette. Another winning dish is their wild Texas jumbo shrimp pasta, prepared with tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, white wine, and tomato sauce. Don't forget the shrimp crunch roll - a spectacular sushi dish featuring lightly fried and breaded shrimp.

OC Shrimp bluewater
(credit: Bluewater Grill)

Bluewater Grill
2409 Park Ave.
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 258-3474
www.bluewatergrill.com

Bluewater Grill is known for its fresh seafood and comfortable yet elegant dining in a traditional upscale atmosphere. Voted the Best Seafood in Orange County, the Tustin menu includes a Chopped Salad with grilled vegetables, avocado, and delicious grilled shrimp, and a shrimp and chicken gumbo that pairs shrimp, chicken, and sausage with okra, celery, onions, and sassafras leaves. The crispy salt and pepper shrimp is another don't-miss-shrimp dish that will make you want to party until the break of prawn!

OC shrimp The Boiling Crab
(credit: The Boiling Crab)

The Boiling Crab
13892 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 636-4885
www.theboilingcrab.com

Ignore the fact that The Boiling Crab is not called "boiling shrimp" and head on down to this lively, comfortably casual small seafood chain for some of the best peel and eat shrimp around. When this restaurant suggests you get ready to eat with your hands - well, you should. Try their shrimp available for a pound along with potatoes, corn, sausage, mushrooms, and garlic cloves. Get it hot or mild, either way it's a feast.

Genie Davis is a multi-published journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. She lives near the beach in Los Angeles. See more on: CBSLA | eco-exist.com | geniedavis.com | DiversionsLA | Twitter.
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