Ever since we were little kids, our parents taught us dinner etiquette to the best of their ability, después de varios años y un sinfín de jalones de oreja finalmente agarramos la onda and we learned how to eat and behave properly while eating out. Those habits are hard to break and we carry them throughout our lives, some of us have even committed the sinful atrocity of eating an oversized torta or a huarache with a fork-and-knife. If you love shrimp, crab, or fish with a Cajun flare AND you happen to be a messy eater, or you simply don’t mind getting down and dirty when it’s grub-time, then you’ll love OC’s “The Boiling Crab”. This is the place to eat like a king, a barbaric caveman king that is- a mano limpia.
Down and dirty
Dress code is a key part of your visit when going to “The Boiling Crab”. You can’t go dressed en tu ropa dominguera, all ritzy and like Fergie would say: g-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s; you could, but it’s not recommended. Ditch the white clothes, y que no se te olvide llevar babero.
It doesn’t matter if you took etiquette classes with Martha Stewart, there is no way you can escape “The Boiling Crab” without a stain of some sort.
Although they have silverware, you hardly ever use it, plus if you decide to use it you’ll have a hell of a hard time eating and you will make a fool out of yourself— eating with silverware at “The Boiling Crab” is the equivalent to eating a taco with fork-and-knife at your local taco stand.
Todo se come con las manos… absolutamente todo.
Cajun salsa!
If you want the full “Boiling Crab” experience, it’s better if you go with a large group of people, that way you can pretty much order a little bit of everything without feeling like a total fatty.
Even if you’re not really into fish, you can’t go to “The Boiling Crab” and not try their crawfish and their crab legs.
You order by the pound and you can choose the intensity of the Cajun sauce: mild, medium or hot.
Hot is the way to go, their “whole sha-bang” sauce will instantly become your new addiction. Its garlicky, spicy, buttery, lemon peppery Cajun sauce gives the shrimp, and whatever it is you eat a unique, particular and badass taste with a great kick.
House of shrimp
Even though it’s called “The Boiling Crab” and they serve crab legs and crawfish, their specialty is none other than shrimp.
You could easily eat a whole pound of shrimp by yourself even if you have to do the entire job and peel the suckers right then and there. The crab legs and the crawfish are beyond messy, and hard to get to, but worth the effort.
The spiciness of the sauce and the sodium in the seafood might leave you with a bit of a dry mouth, so it’s better if you order some side dishes to go with your shrimp extravaganza.
You can’t go wrong with the Cajun fries and corn on the cob. Whatever you do, stay away from the rice- plain white rice, sticky icky and with no flavor whatsoever.
They have no novelty drinks… just your usual fountain drinks, however if you only want water they’ll charge you .25¢ per cup- which I personally think is an outrage… I have never ever been in a restaurant that charges for tap water. I know it’s only a quarter, but it’s no Evian, its tap water… there is no doubt that the economy is in a bit of a slump, but sheesh!
Overall, “The Boiling Crab” is a great place to get your shrimp and Cajun fix. Perfect for a guys-night-out, or just to hang out with the amigos.
Beware, it’s not the ideal place to go on a first or second or third or tenth date… you’ve been warned, it’s not pretty!
The Boiling Crab 14241 Euclid St. Ste C116 Garden Grove, CA 92842 714.265.2722