Photography by Bill Whaley
When a restaurant in Easton that Austin Smale had helped open for a restaurant group went out of business in early 2021, surprisingly to him, he had no idea what to do next. But Smale, who served as the general manager, couldn’t believe what happened next. The owner of the actual building asked him if he wanted to start his own restaurant on these premises—any kind he wanted. “On a handshake deal, he said, ‘Whatever you want to do here, go for it,’ Smale recalls.
Inspired, Smale opened Tiger Lily, a tiki-fusion restaurant, in October of 2021. He was a 30-year-old restaurant owner. Now, he is 34.
“I think it’s rare and incredible,” Tiger Lily Executive Chef Kevin Loza says of Smale’s age. “I am so proud of how far Austin has come.”
Tiger Lily specializes in ethnic, Latin American, South American, and Peruvian food. Smale, an Easton resident, believes Tiger Lily has filled a void that existed in Easton’s bar and restaurant scene, as a casual place with live entertainment and value-priced food. “There was nothing in the market as far as that goes,” Smale says. “It was a home run idea.”
We recently sat down with Smale and Loza to discuss Tiger Lily.
How would you describe Tiger Lily and its menu? We are a tiki-fusion restaurant. We specialize in ethnic cuisine. I love fish. The menu is creative and diverse. We are not just a taco place. We do a lot of Latin American and South American food. On the menu, we also have Peruvian food and an award-winning crab cake—which was judged the best on the Shore.
I also create a bi-weekly features menu. It’s our specials menu. It always has fun things on it. We never do just one style of cuisine. That’s what we love about it: It’s always changing. It’s affordable. It’s what everybody pulls together. It’s a collaboration between myself and the other chefs. The menu allows chefs to express how passionate we are about our food.
Photography by Bill Whaley
What is your best-selling entree? What do customers like about it? Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl. It’s ahi yellow-fin tuna marinated in house-made poke sauce. It’s served with sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, mandolin carrots, seaweed salad, and pickled onions. It is topped with spicy mayonnaise over a cold bed of jasmine rice. It easily transports you to Hawaii. I’ve had customers tell me it’s the best Poke Bowl they’ve ever had.
What else popular? Birria Tacos. They are home-made. Our tortillas are made fresh daily and charred on both sides. We put shredded cheddar cheese on the tortilla. We top it off with our house braised angus brisket. That’s braised in our oven mixed with a marinade, celery, carrots, red peppers, jalapenos, and garlic. We serve it with a side of our consommé sauce, or our dipping sauce. They are savory, crunchy, and warm your soul.
Tell me about some of your food specials? Tiger Lily is a great affordable restaurant for everyone. Every night of the week, we have a special. Monday is burger night. You get an angus double smashed burger with fries for 10 dollars. Tuesday night, street tacos are three dollars. Wednesday night, we have half-price bottles of wine and six-dollar crushes. Thursday night, we have all-you-can-eat jumbo wings with 11 different flavors. I am trying to reach the family group on Fridays. Kids under 10 eat for free. Parents have to order one entree.
Photography by Bill Whaley
Kevin, in your 23 years in the restaurant industry, have you come across an owner quite like Austin? Not a lot of people his age have accomplished the things he has done. Some people have doubted him [because of his age], but I don’t think he gets enough credit for building this business. He is a great boss, a very understanding person, and he will give you the shirt off his back.
Austin, where do you source your food from? We get a lot of our seafood from BSA Seafood in Grasonville. They have such a wide variety of products that are of a very high quality like crab meat, halibut, tuna, and flounder. A lot of our produce comes from Teddy Bear Fresh Produce in Easton. All the things they offer are top quality. They provide a better product than others in the area. It’s always fresh and if there is something specific we are looking for, they can find it.
Do you feel there has been a lack of casual, beach-like restaurants in the area? The Eastern Shore is a giant attraction for Maryland classic dishes: crab cakes, eating crabs on the deck. A lot of places have that covered, but we can provide more of a fusion experience that you see in beach towns or Annapolis for example. There are not as many creative options to choose from in Easton. We have become that creative option while incorporating some of the Eastern Shore cuisine into our food and keeping it affordable.
What changes have you made since opening the restaurant? It seems like you wanted to make the inside bar area very special? The indoor bar [there’s also an outside bar] is something you won’t find anywhere in Easton. We dove into a lot more products for the bar. When you come in the front door, the bar area kind of takes you on vacation. We have fishing nets on the ceiling, Japanese lanterns, and tropical wallpaper surrounding the bar. There’s a really nice display of spirits with a beer tap in the center. It transforms you. It’s like a tiki location. The inside decor is a mural from one of our employees going with the theme of monstera tropical plants.
Why did you bring in longtime friend Kevin as executive chef in March of last year? I knew his set of skills really well as far as creativity, but most importantly his logistical understanding, from ordering to stocking properly. He established a new standard. He is really doing a great job. He is very good at understanding ingredients and costs, which gives him an advantage in that he can create fantastic dishes at a cost-effective level. He does fantastic seafood. We have one of the best crab cakes in Easton.
Photography by Bill Whaley
Shrimp Tempura Skewers
Serves 1 (4 skewers)
Ingredients:
For the Shrimp:
- 8 large (26/30) peeled and deveined Gulf shrimp
- 4 wooden skewers (2 shrimp per skewer)
Dry Dredge:
- 1 quart all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 4 oz Old Bay seasoning (or to taste)
Wet Batter:
- 1 quart all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1.5 to 2 cups club soda (until smooth and pourable)
For the Garnish & Plate:
- Arugula or spring mix (as bed for plating)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Fresno Aioli (Spicy Mayo):
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic (minced or grated)
Mix together and chill until ready to use.
Teriyaki-Style Shogun Sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Simmer in a small saucepan for 3–4 minutes until slightly reduced. Cool before drizzling.
Directions:
Prepare the shrimp: Thread 2 shrimp onto each skewer (4 skewers total). Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 350F. Dredge shrimp skewers first in the dry mix, then dip into the wet batter. Fry for 3–4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Plate: Lay down a small bed of greens. Arrange shrimp skewers on top. Drizzle with Fresno aioli and teriyaki-style sauce. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Tiger Lily | 206 N. Washington Street, Easton • 410-690-4602 • tigerlilyeaston.com
