(June 9, 2016) Though this version of Don’s Seafood and Chicken house is only about four years old, owners Stone and Lambertson have been in the restaurant business in Pocomoke for more than two decades and have a clear vision of what they do and don’t want in their eateries.
Named for brother-sister team of Sandi Stone and Wayne Lambertson, Stone and Lambertson bought Don’s from the previous owner who operated a similarly named restaurant in Chincoteague.
Stone and Lambertson operated Don’s as Don’s for a while, on the north side of Route 13 heading toward the Virginia line, before constructing a new building a couple of hundred yards away and switching to a Greene Turtle franchise about four years ago.
The switch didn’t take, and the building was changed back into Don’s to fill the need for a family-owned restaurant offering homemade meals.
“Without getting into all that,” owner Sandi Stone said with a wave of her hand, “the college age, nightlife atmosphere” wasn’t conducive to the business the team wanted to build.
“We want to provide good food and good service in the Eastern Shore style,” Stone said.
What draws people in, Stone said, is the word “seafood” on the sign. What keeps them coming back, she continued, are home cooked meals, prepared or uncooked crabcakes available as entrees or to-go, and cakes baked in the Smith Island style by their on-site baker.
“Travelers are the name of the game from May to September. We’re busy — about a 30 percent increase in business during that time. We focus on the 20-mile radius around Pocomoke City: Crisfield, Snow Hill and into Virginia,” she said.
Ingredients are “as local as they can be” due to catches and seasonality of products. Sometimes, Stone said, seafood comes from Chincoteague or Crisfield, but the catch has to be fresh and it has to be in season.
“We get crab meat, oysters, clams and some scallops,” she said.
But Don’s is not a crab house, so don’t expect all you can eat blue crabs here.
“We’d like to keep our meals as fresh and as local as possible. That way, everyone helps everyone else out,” Stone said. “We’d like to serve more locals, and we think this is one way to draw them in. We see it in other places and think we can do that here.”
Stone said she was considering tapping into the expanding microbrewery movement on the shore, but hasn’t inked any deals yet.
Don’s already has a wine and spirits section of the restaurant, but doesn’t offer carryout beer, yet. It has a full-service bar, but with recent changes in the way liquor and beer is going to be handled in Worcester County, Stone said no hard decisions have been made.
A growing aspect of Don’s Seafood and Chicken house are party trays. Stone has compiled a list of 20 different trays, ranging from crab dip to turkey clubs to pasta salad, with estimated serving sizes that can be taken away to cater a party, or consumed at Don’s for an event.
Stone said they also have a number of carryout fried chicken options from two to 16 pieces, along with side dishes.
“I really like our food. The crab cakes are my favorite. I hope people notice we’re friendly and provide a welcoming atmosphere,” Stone said.
Named for brother-sister team of Sandi Stone and Wayne Lambertson, Stone and Lambertson bought Don’s from the previous owner who operated a similarly named restaurant in Chincoteague.
Stone and Lambertson operated Don’s as Don’s for a while, on the north side of Route 13 heading toward the Virginia line, before constructing a new building a couple of hundred yards away and switching to a Greene Turtle franchise about four years ago.
The switch didn’t take, and the building was changed back into Don’s to fill the need for a family-owned restaurant offering homemade meals.
“Without getting into all that,” owner Sandi Stone said with a wave of her hand, “the college age, nightlife atmosphere” wasn’t conducive to the business the team wanted to build.
“We want to provide good food and good service in the Eastern Shore style,” Stone said.
What draws people in, Stone said, is the word “seafood” on the sign. What keeps them coming back, she continued, are home cooked meals, prepared or uncooked crabcakes available as entrees or to-go, and cakes baked in the Smith Island style by their on-site baker.
“Travelers are the name of the game from May to September. We’re busy — about a 30 percent increase in business during that time. We focus on the 20-mile radius around Pocomoke City: Crisfield, Snow Hill and into Virginia,” she said.
Ingredients are “as local as they can be” due to catches and seasonality of products. Sometimes, Stone said, seafood comes from Chincoteague or Crisfield, but the catch has to be fresh and it has to be in season.
“We get crab meat, oysters, clams and some scallops,” she said.
But Don’s is not a crab house, so don’t expect all you can eat blue crabs here.
“We’d like to keep our meals as fresh and as local as possible. That way, everyone helps everyone else out,” Stone said. “We’d like to serve more locals, and we think this is one way to draw them in. We see it in other places and think we can do that here.”
Stone said she was considering tapping into the expanding microbrewery movement on the shore, but hasn’t inked any deals yet.
Don’s already has a wine and spirits section of the restaurant, but doesn’t offer carryout beer, yet. It has a full-service bar, but with recent changes in the way liquor and beer is going to be handled in Worcester County, Stone said no hard decisions have been made.
A growing aspect of Don’s Seafood and Chicken house are party trays. Stone has compiled a list of 20 different trays, ranging from crab dip to turkey clubs to pasta salad, with estimated serving sizes that can be taken away to cater a party, or consumed at Don’s for an event.
Stone said they also have a number of carryout fried chicken options from two to 16 pieces, along with side dishes.
“I really like our food. The crab cakes are my favorite. I hope people notice we’re friendly and provide a welcoming atmosphere,” Stone said.