Filled to gills for a few bills

Pete may or may not be lazy.

But he's certainly sober.

During our most recent visit to Lazy Pete's Fish & Shrimp -- formerly Krazy Mike's Shrimp n Wings -- I went to grab a Bud Light from the ice cooler when I noticed it was empty. When I inquired, an employee said the restaurant temporarily cannot sell alcohol, despite all the neon wall signs promising beer.

Long story short: Somebody made an error with the initial permit filed years ago and it wasn't caught until the restaurant changed its name. (An owner left, and a new LLC was formed.)

The name and the temporary temperance (beer and wine will be available beginning July 1) are all that are different at the relaxed Bowman Road strip-center restaurant. The menu is the same, as is the ordering procedure. Diners order at the counter, wait for numbers to be called, fetch their food, pour their soft drinks and tea and seat themselves at four-top tables or worn, and even torn, booths -- if there is a table or a booth. Each time we dined there, just about all tables were full, though we were always able to grab a seat.

Daily specials appear on a wipe-off board. On paper menus is everything else: dinner baskets of catfish, fried shrimp, oysters and chicken tenders; grilled fish/chicken; wings; dinner salads; fish/shrimp tacos; burgers; po'boys; raw oysters; boiled shrimp; soups/stews; and kids meals (catfish, chicken tenders, popcorn shrimp, hamburger, hot dog, grilled cheese or PBJ with fries or chips and a hush puppy for $5-$6).

Some things we liked more than others. In general, prices are reasonable for ample portions.

Our first visit, we "started" (note, however, that all the food comes out at the same time) with boiled shrimp ($9.50 half-pound, $17.95 for a pound). The sizable shellfish were nicely spiced and came -- as do most of Pete's orders -- in a paper-lined plastic basket with cocktail sauce, lemon wedges and saltine crackers.

My three-piece catfish basket ($10.95) had more fries than fish. There wasn't much "meat" to the three slim pieces of catfish, but they were crisp, non-greasy and tasty. Rounding out the basket was a side of standard coleslaw, tartar sauce, lemon wedges and a hunk of raw onion. (If there were hush puppies -- advertised on the menu -- I don't remember them, and they don't appear in the photo I took, but could they be hiding behind the basket paper?)

My date, who is particular about crawfish and hosts a big boil each spring, was pleased with Lazy Pete's spicy crawdads, served with red potatoes and a corn cobbette. While in season, crawfish are available Friday night and all day Saturday for $6 per pound; a 3-pound plate is $16.50.

Wings, available in 11 flavors, also are a draw at Lazy Pete's, where one can order 10 ($8.50) to 100 ($85). During lunch with a friend, we shared an order of 10 meaty wings -- five Thai Chili and five Honey Sriracha, both zesty with Asian zing. On a subsequent visit, a skimpy amount of sauce on the Original flavor didn't quite cling to the wings and didn't offer much zip.

My friend reported that the smallish shrimp in her Shrimp & Grits ($9.95) -- tails still on, but meticulously deveined and slightly butterflied -- were cooked perfectly. "All in all, a good dish. But the grits were a little plain and boring, even with the bacon stirred in. Maybe a sauce would have helped. Maybe cooking the bacon in with the grits. It just needed a little push to make it a great dish instead of a good one."

She noted the star of her lunch was the accompanying grilled bread. That was also the case with my half Shrimp Po-Boy (part of a $10.50 lunch special with gumbo and a bag of Lay's chips). Sure, the fried shrimp spilling out with shreds of lettuce and tomato was no slouch either, but that flaky, soft, buttery bread: Wow. Deep and rich, the gumbo also was a delight.

During our final dinner visit, my date ordered the copious Fish & Chips special ($12.95), four mini logs of batter-fried fish, a pile of fries, slaw, onion and hush puppies. A shower in malt vinegar and tartar sauce amped up the mild flavor.

I wish I had ordered the Blackened Shrimp Tacos ($12.95 for fish or shrimp tacos, blackened, grilled or fried) instead of the grilled, as the small shrimp didn't excite. But the presentation (topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, ripe avocado slices and a drizzle of an unadvertised sauce and joined by a heap of garlic and herb rice) was pretty.

It's nothing a beer wouldn't have made better. I'd order it again. In July.

Weekend on 04/30/2015