VALDOSTA — Despite his many successful ventures, Charles Wiggins isn’t content to rest on his past but is always focused on the future. His latest venture is the reintroduction of the Steamhouse Seafood restaurant located on James Road next to I-75.

It’s a terrific location, with future development planned all around it, and features a great menu, with enough variety to please any palate.

Wiggins began Charley O’Corley’s years ago and ran it for a long time before selling it, and a couple of familiar favorites from those days are now on the Steamhouse menu, including the Shroomy Burger. He created the Bistro in downtown Valdosta several years ago, and the fine dining establishment continues to maintain a strong and popular presence downtown.

With the success he has had in finding excellent workers and managers, Wiggins decided to branch out and try his hand at something new. The Steamhouse initially opened about three years ago and has been closed for nearly two, and Wiggins has borrowed from the former restaurant’s successes while adding his own touches.

Katie Wiggins is very much a part of the family business, and despite juggling life with three young children — Whitney, 10, Sydney, 8, and Charley, 2, — she has had a significant hand in helping to decide the new restaurant’s menu.

“It was Katie’s idea to add the fried green beans as an appetizer, and people love them,” said Charles. “It’s also her honey dressing on the Yummy Honey Salad (which features fresh greens, mandarin oranges, strawberries and avocados), and her crab dip is on the menu too.” According to Katie, the changes they made to the former restaurant include taking out the volleyball net and putting in a playground. “We are parents of three young children ourselves, and our children go wherever we go, so we’ve learned how important it is to cater to little needs. We started by adding a great playground system so our young guests can use their energy and work up their appetites.”

She added that on days they host special events, such as a Super Bowl party, they will have a playground monitor for the children and planned activities. The restaurant also features a wide variety of kid-friendly foods as well.

When customers walk into the Steamhouse, they immediately notice the walls and ceiling full of memorabilia. From the giant crab to the Pee Wee Herman bicycle to the unicycle to the blowfish, the kitschy atmosphere is fun, energetic and makes for great conversation pieces. Katie says she is thrilled to have the items out of her garage, as they’ve moved with the family many times, but they all have sentimental value.

“We’ve got the Schwartz Family Outfitters sign that originally hung in the Schwartz building that neighbors the building the Bistro is in downtown. Jan Partin should come see the new home for her old sign!” Katie said.

While the atmosphere is eclectic, the food is excellent, with a very wide variety and some unusual new combinations. The former restaurant’s steamed seafood is still offered, with a Low Country Boil or a Nantucket Bucket that adds crab legs to the mix and is served in a roasting pan.

“My family went to Boston once on a trip, and we stopped in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. We had this incredible pile of seafood served in a turkey baster, and I liked the idea so much I’ve remembered it for 35 years,” said Charles.

Other menu items include a new Grouper Reuben sandwich, buffalo shrimp with Charles’ famous bleu cheese dressing, coconut shrimp, hamburgers, wraps, salads, and more. Homemade Tres Leches, Key Lime Pie and Pineapple Icebox Pie round out the desserts, if you have room after your meal!

The staff is a very experienced mixture with restaurant experience from all around town. Brothers Kevin and Patrick LaMarca are the general manager and kitchen manager, respectively. They grew up in their family’s restaurant in Florida and have worked for several years in Valdosta at Austins and the Bistro.

Recruited from the Just BBQ restaurant is former owner Emmanuel Illiomme, and Nathan Montgomery has overseen the Bistro’s lunch buffet for some time. The rest of the staff are all well-trained and experienced, and happy to be there.

Open seven days a week, lunch and dinner, the Steamhouse Seafood Restaurant also offers a bar area with bartender Katie Dakos taking the lead with preparing the area for customers. With numerous TVs throughout, as well as cute T-shirts with a variety of sayings (at least one was created by Whitney Wiggins), the entire atmosphere is not just family friendly but a family affair as well. Even Charles’ sister Penelope Wiggins is an investor in the project, believing that her brother will have another successful venture on his hands.