Tried this place last Friday, almost drove right past it until my 11 year old noticed it. It's tucked away in the same building as Half Price Books, to give you an idea of where it's located.
As it's only been open for several weeks now, the ambience is still getting there, but it's still cozy and very clean. It could do for a bit more nautical or even Cajun décor, but I'm sure that will come with time. Now for the good stuff...the food!
Upon entering, our hostess asked our preference for seating (nice), so we chose a window near the back where the fresh crab and lobster tanks are located. Tablecloths are white butcher paper, which makes for convenient games of tic tac toe as you await your order. While the menu lists your seafood options as "Market Price", they put a current menu of the market prices on the napkin dispensers which they can change out to reflect the most current options. They had root beer on tap for our kiddos, otherwise Pepsi products. They also have local beers on tap, to include our favorite from Georgetown Brewing, Bodhizafa (HUGE plus). Additionally, they have some interesting cocktails, including an oyster shooter and a crazy-looking Cajun Bloody Mary with a friggin' crab leg sticking out of it.
Our servers, Steven and Amanda: awesome. Attentive, knowledgeable of the menu, and patient with our questions about the menu options. Again: we were first-timers. When I asked what made their restaurant different from the similar one down the street, they were able to articulate without putting down the other place. Basically, the other restaurant has a decidedly "Viet-Cajun" twist, while the Angry Crab Shack is more traditionally American South. While the wife and I perused the menu options, my 11 year old opted for the Popcorn Shrimp with Onion Rings. My very picky 6 year old chose...the Kids Cheeseburger with Fries (shocker). We also chose a half dozen fresh oysters, and tacked on an order of the Angry Edamame.
Edamame came out first, and was SO tasty, quickly followed by our kid's food and the oysters. While there was no option for which oysters you could select, they were perfectly shucked, deep cups, full of meaty, briny, local oysters, which came with cocktail sauce and lemon. We asked for hot sauce and were provided with both Cholula and Tabasco. My 6 year old's burger was actually adult-sized (bigger than a McD's cheeseburger), delicious (Dad tax), and she devoured nearly all of it. Fries were surprisingly tasty and crisp, as well. My 11 year old inhaled his Popcorn Shrimp, and his Onion Rings were very good, too. Breading had zero fishy aftertaste, so I suspect they and the fries were cooked in their own oil, vice the same oil used for the seafood. Another plus.
The wife and I decided to get the seafood boil; a pound each of the crawfish and the head-on shrimp (nice to have options: they also have Mussels, Lobster, Crab, Clams, et al). We sauced it with the restaurant's "Trifecta", a combination of Cajun, Lemon Pepper and Garlic, spiced at number 3 (hot), and added 4 pieces of Cajun Sausage. After being provided with the requisite gloves and bibs, our two-pound bag of shellfish arrived, along with a side of "Bread for Soppin'" that we added.
Once we dug in, I was not expecting what I tasted. I was used to the "bag o' crustaceans" down the street, but this hit different. The "Trifecta" sauce was tangy, hot, and a bit sweet, and the sausage added a different flavor, as well. While I love my Vietnamese spices in a great Pho or Banh Mi, this taste was decidedly traditional American South/Cajun. Look no further than the menu for evidence; Hush Puppies, Jambalaya, Cajun Fried Pickles, Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Shrimp and Grits...even Charred Oysters! Oh, and those four pieces of sausage? They actually snuck in six. While the medium-sized crawfish were a bit of work (always are), my wife's head-off shrimp were large and very easy to peel. Cooked perfectly and not overdone, the shells just fell off (oh, and they give you a generously-sized bucket for the detritus, too). Full disclosure: the bread was tasty and perfect for "Soppin'", but I could have done with a crisper crust. Nevertheless, it was a great companion to the meal.
Refills for the kids' Root Beer came automatically at first, after which Steven checked with us via "looks" to make sure we were okay with it. Had some dessert even (Cheesecake and Ice Cream Sandwich), which were delicious. We left full, happy, and with a hefty bag of leftovers.
SUMMARY: this place rocks. I wish I was hungrier during my visit. I can't WAIT to try the other menu items and am looking forward to coming back. SOON. There are SO many meal options: Po' Boy sandwiches, Lobster Rolls and even non-seafood items, if that's not your bag. Only thing that would have made it better was some Fried Okra! Give this place a shot, I'm sure it will soon be a local staple. I hope they do well here, I'd hate to see them leave. read more