20. Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
Yep, we’re staying on the Valentine’s Day seafood train, mainly because seafood is life.
This time, we’re going a bit more intimate with Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, a chain that is definitely made for date night, and not for those who have kids in tow. The price may cause you to take out a second mortgage, or take out a loan, but it will be worth it for the experience that you will be having here with your significant other.
Eddie V’s was the creation of Guy Villavaso and Larry Foles, who founded the restaurant in 2000 in Austin, Texas. Eddie V’s stayed primarily a Texas institution until 2011 when the duo simply couldn’t say no to a $59 million offer from restaurant giant Darden Restaurants and sold it to the conglomerate.
Some were fearful about Darden taking over a beloved date night classic. As one may know, Darden was the owners of Red Lobster, so some may have thought that they were going to try to remake the chain into a more family friendly image.
Thankfully, they didn’t. Eddie V’s is the same as it was when it first started.
Their seafood is simply to-die-for, and the drinks and the atmosphere really give off a vibe that is hard to really describe. It a lot of ways, one can thank God that Eddie V’s wanted to expand and bring their upscale seafood concept to the rest of the nation.
In short, Darden has done a good job taking good care of this beloved chain.