Seafood boil restaurants popping up across metro Detroit - Detroit Free Press

Have you noticed all the crab and seafood boil places opening across metro Detroit? New restaurants featuring crab and seafood boils have popped up within the last year or so, and more are on the way. The draw at most places is the seafood boil, which has culinary roots in coastal regions of the South and New England. 

Seafood boils can be more of an event such as an outdoor barbecue or communal meal. At its core, a seafood boil involves boiling shellfish with seasonings or spices and adding vegetables like potatoes and corn. 

Many of these places are nationwide chains. One of the latest to open is from popular Detroit restaurant owners who were looking to expand their menu. And there are some metro Detroit restaurants that have been around for several years, including Detroit Pho & Crab Restaurant in Warren and the family-owned Crab House Ribs & Soul Cafe, with locations in Detroit and Warren.

The seafood-themed restaurants have a variety of crab, including snow crab legs and king crab, along with seasonal offerings of Dungeness or Blue crab. Also on many of the menus is other seafood, including crawfish, mussels, shrimp, fish and lobster. 

Sloppy Crab, from the owners of Sloppy Chops on West McNichols in Detroit, opened about two months ago in downtown Detroit across from the RenCen. Al Moxley is a co-owner of both places and also the executive chef. 

"It was kind of popular ... seafood pots and seafood boils," Moxley said of the idea to open Sloppy Crab. "We wanted to expand and create a separate venue, primarily for seafood." 

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Kenny and Sue Yim made the switch from operating Fortune Buffet in Livonia to opening Crab Kitchen Cajun Seafood in Westland on Wayne Road. The spot opened in December 2020 and also offers catering and party trays. 

"Buffets are so complicated; this is simpler," he said. 

Yim said people come to his place because of the secret seasoning. 

At these restaurants, the seafood is placed in heat-proof or oven bags and boiled. The boils are typically served in plastic-lined buckets, or in the bags for to-go orders. The boils include a variety of seafood and other fixings. You can also pick and choose what goes into the boil. Most include potatoes, corn on the cob and sometimes smoked sausage.

Some have their own seasonings and plenty offer Cajun spices. The boils can make for messy eating, so many places supply aprons and plastic gloves for handling, along with wipes for clean up. 

If you need some inspiration to put you in the mood for seafood, the dining rooms of many of these crab spots feature crab-shack items and nautical themes. You'll find netting, traps, giant crab and fish fixtures on walls and hanging from ceilings.  

When headed to one of these places, be prepared to pay. Most restaurant owners say seafood prices, like many other food items, are through the roof. 

Here is a sampling of places around metro Detroit.

Crafty Crab

Allen Park

This took the spot of the former Johnny Carino's on Outer Drive, which abruptly closed two years ago. Crafty Crab is a chain with another Michigan location in Kalamazoo and nearly 60 others, mostly in Florida. Here, the chain's claim is fresh seafood and authentic recipes paired with Southern charm, according to its website. The restaurant makes its own seasonings. Its signature dish, the website says, is the New Orleans-style Low Country Boil.  

The boils can be ordered with a combination of seafood and choice of seasoning: Crafty Cajun, buttery garlic, lemon pepper or "the boom" which is a mix of all three. You can also choose your desired heat level: mild, medium, fire, or dry with seasoning on the side. There's also crawfish, calamari and lobster. You can order oysters and scallops by half a dozen or dozen. 

For info: craftycrabrestaurant.com

Crab Du Jour

Dearborn Fairlane

This is a fun spot with a seafood and nautical theme. There's netting, giant crab and fish fixtures hanging on the walls and from the ceiling. Crab Du Jour opened in the former Bravo! Cucina Italiana in Dearborn on the grounds of Fairlane Town Center. It's billed as a "Cajun Seafood Boil and Bar," according to its website.  

The "make your own catch" is served in buckets lined with plastic, according to the menu. You can choose a pound or half-pound of a variety of seafood, ranging from snow or king crab legs and Dungeness crab to shrimp, mussels and scallops. Prices vary. You can also order combo deals, oysters, po'boys and baskets of fried seafood.

The website calls the portions generous, but the du jour sliders (three) of crabmeat and shrimp were not. Each slider had one piece of heavily battered fried shrimp and some vague shreds of crab. The fries were ample, however.

For info: crabdujour.com

Crab Kitchen Cajun Seafood

Westland

This spot, according to its Facebook page, is family-owned and serves Cajun seafood boils, baskets of fried seafood, po'boy sandwiches and more. Crab Kitchen is from the Yims, who formerly ran the Fortune Buffet in Livonia, according to Hometown Life.  Crab Kitchen opened last December in a former Pizza Hut. 

Its menu features specialty platters where you choose your seafood, add-ins, sauce and spice level. It also has a variety of fried seafood baskets. For the holidays, Crab Kitchen has four seafood boil specials that range in price from $79 to $155.

For info: crabkitchen.ordereze.net

Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood

Multiple locations

This is a franchise with four locations in metro Detroit and two more are planned for Shelby Township and Southgate, according to the chain's website. Here you can create your own seafood boil with everything from from snow and king crab legs to crawfish and shrimp, with or without the heads on. Next, you add a sauce: Cajun, garlic butter, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper or Hook and Reel's special blend. Follow up with a desired level of spiciness, from mild to spicy to fire.

The boils come with potatoes and corn on the cob, but you can also get hard-boiled eggs, noodles and rice. Hook & Reel's menu also includes fried seafood baskets, a selection of Po'boy's and raw oysters. 

For info: hookreel.com

Mad Crab

Oak Park

The Oak Park eatery in the Parkwoods Plaza opened more than a year ago. It's from the owners of Crazy Crab on Telegraph in Southfield and on Hoover in Warren. Another Southfield location is expected to open on 12 Mile. Like the others, it has a nautical theme and features plenty of seafood, according to its online menu.

There are snow crab legs, crawfish, mussels, shrimp and lobster tail. The crazy crab seafood boil combos are the most popular item, and they come with corn and potatoes, according to Mad Crab manager Lisa Gwen. The most popular combo, Gwen said, is the half-pound of snow crab legs and half-pound of shrimp. There are baskets of fried fish and sides that include egg or fried rice or shrimp fried rice. You can order the seafood boils seasoned with Cajun spices, lemon pepper and garlic or a mix of the three. 

For info: madcrabseafood.com

Sloppy Crab

Detroit

This downtown Detroit spot across from the RenCen is in the former Briggs Sports Bar. The restaurant opened in late September and is from the owners of Sloppy Chops steakhouse on West McNichols. Moxley is a co-owner and executive chef at both places.  

The Sloppy Crab menu is divided into small plates, lunch and Sloppy entrees. Each section has a mix of seafood, including a catfish po'boy, shrimp, lobster mac, blackened salmon, lobster tacos and lobster tails. Its Sloppy seafood pot has king crab, jumbo shrimp, lobster, cob corn, baby potatoes and Andouille sausage, all simmered in its house made Sloppy seafood sauce. 

Moxley says the menu at Sloppy Chops is pared down with not as many seafood offerings as he wanted to expand to this new seafood spot. But for the non-seafood lover, there are several options, including a pasta chicken dish and Sloppy Chops favorites such as a half-pound burger and Sloppy Chops (marinated and chargrilled lamb chops served with the restaurant's signature sauce). Sloppy Crab also offers a brunch menu 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

For info: sloppycrabdetroit.com

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Sue Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

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