First Look: Hammocks Trading Company, Sandy Springs

Soups and salads, $6.50-$7.50; small plates, $4.50-$7.50; oysters, clams and shrimp, $7-$15; entrees, $14.50-$25.50; lunch sandwiches and entrees, $6.50-$13.50.

7285 Roswell Road, 770-395-9592, www.hammockstradingcompany.com

Hammocks Trading Company partners Jason Sheetz and William Sigley call their new Sandy Springs concept “Southern coastal seafood meets Baja, Calif.” Sheetz and Sigley bring fine dining resumes to this laid-back endeavor, including stints at Bone’s and Prime.

The look: Perched on a hilltop above busy Roswell Road, the free-standing building features a beachy front deck with brightly colored umbrellas. Inside, the casual coastal theme is evoked in shades of blue and white, and true to its name, there are hammocks hanging from the ceiling.

The scene: The Hammocks' motto is "Eat. Drink. Hang Out." One recent afternoon, the bar seemed to be the place to do all that, and more. A couple of buddies in shorts and T-shirts worked on burgers and beers while watching ESPN. A man in a shirt and tie conducted a bit of commerce via his Bluetooth headset and picked at a dozen raw oysters. And a young woman in business attire had a salad and iced tea.

The menu: Seafood standbys such as gumbo ($6.50), baked oysters ($8/$15), steamed clams ($7/$13) and peel-and-eat shrimp ($7/$13) are joined on a rambling menu that also includes smoked trout ($6.50) and salmon ($7.50), ceviche ($6.50) and pickled shrimp ($6.50). Entrees range from smoked brisket ($15.50) and fried catfish ($14.50) to sauteed flounder ($15.50) and ribeye steak ($24.50). At lunch, find the likes of a fried grouper sandwich ($8.50) and a BLT made with Nueske's bacon and avocado ($7.50).

The drinks: Maybe the idea is a little something for everyone, but the cocktail list is a curious mix, with classics like a Negroni with Aviation gin ($8) alongside a Key Lime Pie Martini with Smirnoff Whipped Cream vodka ($8). There's house red or white sangria ($5 glass/$20 pitcher), plus a wine list that tops out at $42 for a bottle of La Crema pinot noir. The concise beer list includes Red Hare Watership Brown ($6) and Terrapin Hopsecutioner ($6) on draft.

The extras: Look for food and drink specials nearly every day of the week. Sundays, it's Alaskan snow crab legs and $2.50 Yuengling pints. Tuesdays, it's half-price bottles of wine and $2 street tacos and Tecate cans. Thursdays, it's $5 martinis.