Urban Seafood Company Brings Fresh Fish, Shell Towers, and Cool Cocktails to Downtown Plano

Husband-and-wife co-owners Bonnie and Nathan Shea opened their first downtown Plano restaurant in 2009, bringing wood-fired pizza and a rooftop bar to the historic neighborhood. Urban Crust was one of my favorites in the area growing up, so I was excited when they opened their second concept, Mexican spot Urban Rio, three years later. Along with chef Salvatore Gisellu (Pomodoro, Daddy Jack’s Grill), the Sheas have quickly made a name for themselves with their Urban Family Restaurants group in Plano. And now, their third concept, Urban Seafood Company, is serving up fresh fish, shell towers, and pastas on 14th street.

Urban Seafood Company is a New England-inspired seafood restaurant. The idea came from chef Salvatore’s experience with seafood growing up in Sardinia, Italy, and the Sheas’ travels to New England.

On a recent visit to the new seafood spot, I struggled to narrow down dishes from the menu — from lobster rolls to seafood pastas, everything sounded so good. We opted for the crab cakes and baked goat cheese to start. The goat cheese comes with tomato and crostinis to top your warm, gooey cheese onto. And the crab cakes come with a tasty tartar and cocktail sauce.

Although the plates of North Atlantic Salmon with honey-roasted brussels sprouts and towers of oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, and crab legs sounded amazing, I was there for lunch so I went with a lighter option: a field green salad topped with salmon and a champagne vinegrette. It was a perfect, fresh option.

At a nearby table where someone was celebrating a birthday, a baked Alaska went up in flames. I can’t wait to go back for dinner and try it with the Nantucket seafood pasta or crab stuffed shrimp with a side of lobster mac and cheese. The frozen Velvet Hammer cocktail, a concoction of chocolate liqueur, orange curacao, and brandy also looked like a great dessert drink. It’s only $6 at happy hour, which is 2 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday through Friday.