By Marianne Weaver
Although Out of the Blue (5005 Wellington Rd., Gainesville) opened in July 2017, the husband and wife team of Danny and Ryan Pell bring a lifetime of experience to the table.
Danny grew up at his family’s seafood restaurant in Fairfax before moving to Naples, Florida, where he worked as a commercial fisherman shipping crabs back to his family and making connections with other fishermen. That’s when he met Ryan, who at the time, was working for a corporate restaurant.
“I had just graduated from high school in Indiana and moved to Florida,” said Ryan. “At that time, I hated seafood and was terrified of boats.”
And, yet, they were a match. The couple spent two years working together on a crab boat, where Ryan gained an appreciation for good, fresh seafood dishes. They brought that expertise back to Virginia and have established their own restaurant in Virginia Gateway.
“For us, it’s all about quality and value,” said Ryan. “Since Danny has been in this business so long, he has the best resources and we only carry quality products.”
The Menu
India Pinkney, Fredericksburg, said her father sent her there to try out the all-you-can-eat blue crabs.
“My experience was amazing,” she said. “The highlight was how fresh and hot the crabs were. The prices were also really nice. The crabs were tasty. They were big, hot and delicious. It’s a great atmosphere as well.”
Blue crabs, sourced locally whenever possible, are sold for market value. Out of the Blue also offers blue crabs by the dozen, bushel and half-bushel for carry-out all year long.
During the regular football season, from open to close on Sundays and Mondays, all-you-can-eat blue crabs are buy one, get one free and so are orders of wings. Ryan said they pair perfectly with the all-day, every day Miller Lite and Bud Light draft specials. Not a light beer fan? There are 12 beers on tap, and they are kept ice cold, thanks to the glycol beer system.
“Ice-cold beer and hot crabs,” she said, adding that there is also a drink-of-the-week special.
Katya Makarov, Brambleton, also stumbled upon Out of the Blue on the recommendation from a friend and raved about the crabs, but that wasn’t all.
“The XLs were truly large,” she said. “I’d recommend the hush puppies, the XL crabs and the sidewinder French fries.”
Ryan said steamed crabs are the top seller, but the $28 crab bomb dinner — 8 ounces of jumbo lump meat crab cake served with mango salsa and spicy Thai sauce — runs a close second.
“Try the scallops, they are my favorite,” she said, adding that she also loves the appetizers, especially the signature hot, fresh crab meat dip.
And the Colossal Fried Shrimp, which is served with sriracha lime and cocktail sauce. “And the lobster tails are amazing. Everything is so good,” Ryan said.
She noted that although she tends to favor the seafood dishes, there are lots of other entree options: Cajun-spiced Castaway chicken, an 8-ounce filet mignon and a selection of pasta entrees.
“The seafood was so fresh and delicious,” said Keisha Livingston, Woodbridge, who first discovered Out of the Blue while attending a private event. “I would definitely recommend them to others. I believe the standouts were the peel-and-eat shrimp, the whole crabs and the hush puppies.”
Beyond the Meal
“We are local,” said Ryan, who lives just a few miles from the restaurant. “We can adapt to the community better and faster than corporations. We make the decisions.”
One of their early decisions was to become part of the community. With that in mind, they host Military Appreciation Monday. And this is not the typical percentage of sales donation. It’s an event. Attendees make reservations to attend. Local businesses sign on to sponsor the dinner. They sell tickets and receive raffle prize donations. Each month, a different military-affiliated charity is chosen, and the sponsors match the night’s sales with a donation to that charity. To date, they have donated more than $27,000 to local organizations supporting military members and their families.
In addition to Military Appreciation Mondays, Out of the Blue has opened its doors for community meetings. Local businesses host breakfasts, lunches and dinners in private areas of the restaurant.
They’ve also hosted rehearsal dinners, reunions, and other private corporate events and parties. The spacious back room, which includes a private bar, can seat about 120 people. A small dining room accommodates about 40 for private events, and a section of the patio can seat about 30 people.
“The space is vast and open, and the server is constantly attentive,” said Makarov. “Highlight was service but also the quality of the crabs!” Out of the Blue also offers catering, featuring crab feasts and shrimp boils, from their mobile steam trailer.
For more information about specials, promotions and upcoming events, follow their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Marianne E. Weaver (mweaver@princewilliamliving.com) is a freelance editor and writer. She earned a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and an MJ from Temple University.
