Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Dungeness crab and snow crab mixed in Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic sauce
Surveying the impressive heap of russet and pink shells and rummaging through the bag for just one more crawfish, you think, “Man, this is a great idea.”
The concept’s simple: Order seafood to your liking, calibrating the spice level, then wait for it to be delivered, steaming, in a bag, and dig in. Peeling, cracking, nibbling, slurping: Tony’s it ain’t.
The Mad Crab is a celebration of simple seafood and even simpler dining, which isn’t to say it’s artless. To the contrary, much care has gone into this place: It’s carefully designed, from the big-screen TVs to the dining hall–size tables, kitschy maritime décor, and no-frills menu. It’s all directed at those out to enjoy seafood with minimum fuss.
Imagine Louisiana and Michigan shrimp and fish boils tumbled into a Maryland crab shack. A sign over the counter lists market prices for the shrimp, crawfish, mussels, clams, crabs, and lobster. The best bets are the combos, pairings of seafood with boiled potatoes, sausage, and corn on the cob, all of it marinated in the house’s magic liquid mojo. Exactly how spicy it comes is up to you; the scale runs from “Mild” to “I Can’t Feel My Mouth.” There are also “Flavor” options—“Rajun Cajun,” “Lemon Pepper,” “Garlic Sauce”—but the only way to go is the “Whole Shabang”: Butter, garlic (lots of garlic), lime, red pepper, and other mysterious ingredients make for a rich, fragrant slurry that finishes it all perfectly.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
There are also fried specialties: catfish, shrimp, and raw oysters. It’s the steamed bag o’ low tide, though, that makes this place so delightful. Five-gallon plastic sacks arrive in buckets. They’re twisted open by staffers who never seem to tire of the operation. It’s a kind of en papillote
method, and the results are amazing. The aroma of the sea mingles with all those spices, resulting in a perfume that explodes forth when the bag’s undone and says, “This is some serious eating.”
The fat shrimp are steamed so that they retain their flavor and texture. Crimson crawfish are perfect for pinching and sucking. Manila clams are buttery-sweet, mussels plump and juicy. And the crabs: Dungeness, blue, and hefty king crab legs. The potatoes and corn roll around in all that lovely beach broth and soak up every drop of garlicky goodness.
Silverware? Ha! You get plastic gloves, along with a bib if you want. It’s easily the most relaxed place at which you’ll dine next year. And as you tuck into that last crawfish, you’ll think again, “Man, this is a great idea.”
The Bottom Line: Spicy, fabulously rich seafood served for hands-on dining.
