VALDOSTA — When Valdosta’s hot summer days make you crave a beachside breeze, spend your hot summer nights cooling off at Valdosta’s only beach-style restaurant, Steamhouse Seafood and Beachside Bar. It’s as close to a beach experience as you can find two hours away from the true sun, sand and surf.

Owners Ike Miller and Robert Matheson have transformed the property behind Econo Lodge near I-75’s Exit 18 into a palm tree lined, tiki torch lit, beachside restaurant and bar, complete with beach volley ball and mouth-cooling fresh fruit beverages.

With a oceanic, blue, yellow and white color scheme and a giant crab as the mascot, the Steamhouse offers customers a complete beachside restaurant experience.

Guests cross an oyster shell paved parking lot to the front patio, lined with beach chairs, and into the Steamhouse where signs hanging from the walls declare “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” and “No shirt, no shoes, no problem.” Although clothing and shoes are required, the atmosphere is very laid back. Guests of all ages can have a great time.

Tables with holes for easy disposal of seafood shells fill the restaurant’s dining room and patios, seating 100 inside and 65 outside. From the aluminum lined walls to the Reggae and Jimmy Buffett-style music, everything about the Steamhouse shouts beachside fun.

The menu offers a variety of appetizers, entrees, sandwiches, salads and sides, and most are steamed to perfection. Food is fresh and tastefully prepared with large portions. Prices are reasonable

“Our oysters are fresh from the ocean and we have the best crab legs in town,” Miller proclaimed. “Combine our healthy, great tasting food with the unique, laid back atmosphere, and we have a restaurant that anyone will enjoy.”

Before the main course, guests can choose Chesapeake crab dip, shrimp cocktail, West Indies gumbo, Low Country Shrimp Chowda, rock shrimp or oysters. Another favorite is the steamhouse stuffers — wonton dumplings stuffed with either pork, veggies or shrimp and crab.

Entrees include steamhouse oysters, shrimp, mussels, snow crab legs, rock shrimp, crawfish, dungeness crab, chicken alfredo or shrimp pasta. Unique foil dinners (a dinner steamed entirely in foil) are especially popular, including the low country foil, the Cuban foil, the Greek island foil and the Southern foil.

Combine these dinners with sides like Cabbage Patch coleslaw, black beans and jasmine rice, Mr. Potato salad, Steamhouse new potatoes or corn on the cob.

Sandwiches, all served with chips and coleslaw, include the Steamhouse cheeseburger, hotdogs, sausage dogs, shrimp salad, chicken and half and half combos (half sandwich and half soup or salad).

Finish off the dinner experience with mango banana nut cake and key lime ice cream, voodoo volcano (chocolate cake and peppermint ice cream) or steamhouse cheese cake.

Kids aren’t left out with four smaller choices: cheeseburger, hotdog, low country foil or peanut butter and jelly.

After dinner, parents can enjoy drinks or light conversation while sending the kids outside for beach volleyball or to the arcade for some fun.

At night, regulars have found that the beachside bar is a great place to relax and sample perfectly-prepared, Caribbean-style drinks like the Frozen Yellow Bird, Plantation Punch, Smooth Lava, Undertow, Steamhouse Zombie, Cuba Libre and traditional mojitos, daiquiris and margaritas. Beer is available, draft or bottled, along with wine and non-alcoholic drinks. On Friday and Saturday nights, guest are treated to live music.

The beachside experience is complete by purchasing a T-shirt boasting the Steamhouse crab.

Miller and Matheson set out several months ago to create a new restaurant option for Valdosta — one that is different from the traditional and out of the ordinary for this area. The beach-themed restaurant became their passion, both men working hard to create the perfect atmosphere and menu.

“I left a solid, full time job to jump into this with both feet,” Miller stated to prove his determination for making the dream a success.

So far guests have thoroughly enjoyed the Steamhouse experience, many saying thank you for adding such a unique option to Valdosta’s restaurant line-up. Business is steadily increasing and the owners show continued interest in what customers have to say about their investment.

Future updates may include volleyball tournaments, karaoke nights and more non-seafood menu options.

The owners are putting 100 percent into starting a successful restaurant. After a year, they may consider franchising. In fact, they already have the architecture registered so that no one else can copy their specific look.

“We will see what happens, but we feel there is definitely a possibility for a franchise,” Miller said. “Our look is so unique, we believe it will be well received in Valdosta.”

Whether eating outdoors on the breezy patio or indoors under the giant crab that Craig Hawkins formed specifically for the restaurant, guests of all ages will enjoy the experience. As summer approaches and the days grow hotter, spend the evening with family or friends cooling off at Valdosta’s newest restaurant — Steamhouse Seafood and Beachside Bar.