SO glad I found a SOLID cajun spot where I don't have to go all the way to LA for! My friend and I shared: 1) Combo #1 with shrimp, crawfish and mussels. Shrimp is my favorite so that was bomb. The crawfish barely had any meat inside so I would probably double up on the shrimp next time. We got the mixed sauce (cajun, lemon pepper, garlic butter) on a medium spicy level but it wasn't spicy at all!! It also comes with corn, potatoes and Louisiana sausage. 2) GET YOSELF THE GARLIC NOODLES (in lieu of rice). Addicting AF. 3) Cajun fries. Wonderfully crunchy and delicious. I love that they served the combo on a tray (you mix the seafood and sauce with your own hands) instead of a bag. They also provide a small trash bin which made things a LOT less messy! read more

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I'm going to start this off by saying I made the mistake of NOT ordering a combo, which clearly seems to be their specialty...my mistake. I'm also going to start with a positive. The wait staff were very attentive and friendly. It's a shame that the product makes their job tough. That being said, we did order other main offerings off the menu. We started with the clam chowder which was really good. The main dishes however were HIGHLY disappointing. I ordered the garlic shrimp noodles . The noodles were over cooked and the sauce was actually so sweet I could barely taste the garlic. The shrimp while huge had a strong fishy taste (yes I know it's seafood, but I'm pretty sure that kind of fishy means it wasn't fresh). The other main we ordered was the salmon which was over cooked and super dry (think hockey puck) with what seemed to be a bottled teriyaki sauce on top. The salad that came with it was doused in oil and a hint of vinegar, pretty bland. When we mentioned how disappointing the dish was to the waitress, her response was "yeah, it's nit my favorite" Wish she had saved us the $30 saying so when we ordered, or tell them owner so they can improve it or take it off the menu. To top it all of at a hefty price on average of $30 per plate, not only was the taste disappointing but the presentation was HORRiD. The clam chowder came in styrofoam cups and the main dishes were served on paper plates that were so cheap the the waitress had to practically fold them in half to keep the food from falling off the plate and onto our laps. All in all very disappointing. I would recommend to the owners taking items off the menu that are fillers and offer only what you're good at. People can't fault you for a lean menu if it's amazing but can if you don't match your food and experience to justify the price. read more

Food was horrible the shrimp was over cooked definitely not worth it don't recommend please save ur money what a waste.

We stopped by for dinner on the way to the LA arboretum. The ambience is open and casual, almost cafeteria style. The food was very tasty, and especially surprising were the crackin wings which were incredible. The fried shrimp basket was good, nothing overly special however tasty and not overdone. The salmon entree was also good, with a nice teriyaki touch. read more

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I've been here at least 3 times. The food is decent and the service is also good without the long wait. The seafood tastes pretty fresh and the prices are comparable to other seafood like spots. I recommend the crab, with mild/spicy seasoning. The chowder is not too bad either. Overall, not bad. read more

We just order from this place on Doordash. My wife and i ordered the Combo #3 and garlic bread. First of all the food was really really good. It was still hot when we got it and the seasoning was good. We got the medium and it was still sort of spicy. ( so if you dont like spicy, get the mild) We did the lobster, craw fish and shrimp with potatoes,sausage and corn. The food was really good, all of it. Honestly I read some reviews and I was a little hesitant, but decided to order anyways and i was very satisfied. The only thing is that, there was way too much food. We couldnt finish it by any means. ( But for me thats always good) i rather have too much food, then not enough. Overall I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is wanting to eat really good creole food. I have eat real creole food at St. Thomas ( Caribbean) and this was pretty close. read more

Update.... called to ask if they had snow crab and they did. We came here last night and the food was absolutely the bomb !! Now I couldn't have one of my favorite appetizers, the oysters because of the keto diet I'm on by that didn't stop my boo from ordering them and indulging but it's cool. I enjoyed my perfect snow crab legs! So glad you guys have snow crab again! read more

I ordered a pound of peeled shrimp with the Crackin' mix (all 3 flavors)/medium spicy with rice, potatoes,and corn. The shrimp was delicious and hot at a reasonable price. The service and pickup during a weekday was swift and the staff was sweet. They provide all utensils with my to-go order, including napkins, salt, limes, and disposable bib/gloves. I'll definitely be back!!! read more

Cracking Crab - 1 lb. Peeled Shrimp - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

I'm not sure if shrimp was either overcooked or not fresh, but it was falling apart and way too mushy. I've been ordering here for a few times and it wasn't like this before. So disappointed with their food quality. read more

Cracking Crab - Shrimps - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Came here today for the first time and enjoyed it!! First of all, our waiter ALEX was AWESSOMEEE! super friendly, very nice, and very sweet. he was patient with us and explained the menu and the most popular items. He gave us some suggestions which ended up being great!!! He checked in on us a lot and made sure we were okay. He refilled out water constantly. If you go here make sure you sit in his section. The calamari was ok, honestly it was a bit tiny and dry for my taste. Cajun Wings were amazing!!! great crispy crust on them. Crawfish platter was delish and the deep fried shrimp platter. read more

Solid Cajun seafood boil spot in Montrose. I usually get their combo #1 (crawfish, clams, shrimps) and order snow crab legs separately. Medium is a sweet spot but if you can handle spicy well, you can bring it up a notch by going really spicy. I like their house Cajun sauce and also lime and salt. If you are ordering multiple orders, I highly recommend you try different flavors to switch it up. Quality and service have always been great and I never had any issue dining at this spot. Definitely recommend you give it a try! read more

I like it here - convenient spot with sufficient parking. The restaurant is big, I've never had to wait in line. They can also give you gloves & a bib to keep clean. Obviously the bag of shrimp is the most tasty & interactive/exciting. Try the crackin mix! I would recommend coming with a friend and ordering a few things to share. read more

My toddler LOVES their mac n cheese. I like the noodles shrimp and I like to add garlic broccoli.

Shrimp sauce was too sweet so we asked to try the other sauce. Waitress got us a side of the other saUce and it was not good either. We were not told that it was going to be extra charge for the exTra sauce and found out when we paid the tab. So ridiculous. Overall, nice place and beautiful setting. Food is mediocre and not worth it. I've had better. The coleslaw was the only thing that I thought was better than a feW other cajun places I I've tried. read more

I have eaten at the restaurant many times since this had experience. I do love their food and their service at the restaurant is good. I am updating my review. read more

TLDR: Food is super tasty, service is 'meh'. Went here with family and it was an early evening on a Sunday. This seemed to be a slow time for them, which was nice because we were seated immediately. The food itself also came out very relatively quickly which was another plus. The service was just...bleh. Neither good nor bad, but leaning towards the "you're making it hard for me to tip well" side of the spectrum. Our waitress seemed to be new, and she was nice, but because of this, she wasn't particularly helpful, and the waitress behind her (who was training her, I assume) wasn't particularly helpful either. We had to ask for simple things like crab-crackers, and a high chair for the baby who was with us. These things aren't that big of a deal, but overall the service was lack luster. The food on the other hand...oh my word. The food thoroughly made up for the service. I would recommend getting the "crackin'" mix for the seafood, and get it at a medium heat level. It's not very spicy at all, but adds a great level of depth to the sauce. Very much worth it. The crab was also super sweet and tasty, and the pound of crab is a pretty good portion size. If you're hungry, you'll need a side or two, but it's well balanced. Overall this is a good place, and is good for a large group too depending on the time you go. Shell-sucking-good / 10 read more

A good place to curb your "cajun" craving if you're not in the mood to wait 2+ hours for Boiling Crab. a few friends and I came on a Saturday around 2pm. there were plenty of tables; we were seated immediately. 1 LB of SHRIMP (Spicy): I like how they aren't as stingy with their sauce as they are at Boiling Crab. The amount of sauce they give is plenty, it should be more than enough to soak the shrimp pieces in salty goodness. If you order rice I recommend pouring some of the sauce from the shrimp in with the rice, it's so good. POPCORN LOBSTER BASKET (CRAWFISH): It may not be real lobster, but it's pretty damn tasty! Fried and seasoned balls of lobster (crawfish) along with a generous side of cajun fries. We finished one basket and ordered another. FRIED CATFISH BASKET: Avoid the Fried Catfish basket. It's fishy, and not in a good way. We immediately regretted getting this and didn't even finish the basket, minus the fries. FRIED VANILLA ICE CREAM: Vanilla ice cream fried with strawberry syrup drizzled around it. The crispy outer layer is made from corn flakes. A nice way to counterbalance all that sodium that you just inhaled. They share a large lot in the back with other surrounding businesses. If I remember correctly it's 3 hour parking. read more

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Yum yum yum! Big fan of seafood & I love this spot. I always get the King crab legs & lobster sooo yummy. Nice atmosphere, good selection of sake, service is great their always fast & on point. It's a new ownership & their changing or adding on to the menu, can't wait to come back and check it out ! read more

Cracking Crab - 2 pound Lobster - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Yaaayn!!! Finally a close-by seafood place in Montrose! The tartar sauce is ADDICTING. I ordered the calamari and dipped it in the sauce and I'm officially hooked. I had to order extra sauce because it's truly an addiction at this point... My boyfriend and I ordered king crabs and mussels. I've never been a fan of mussels or clams so I let him enjoy the mussels. But after snacking on calamari, the jaw dropping crabs arrived. And my gosh. They were pretty good! Why this review is one I never thought I would write is because I am not a huge fan of seafood. So if I'm writing this review and saying the food was amazing, you bet it was! I hate when fish smells like fish because I always think freshly cooked fish does not smell. Regardless of my off reasoning, that is why I would avoid it. But this place is great since there's no stinky fish smell and kept clean despite the messiness of the cuisine. The service was delighrful; they took care of me and were fairly consistent and attentive. I will come back when I crave the tartar sauce again! read more

Cracking Crab - Calamari - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

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Better naked than clothed, meaning, wear minimal clothes that you don't mind getting stained. I ordered both shrimp and mussels with the Cracking Crab Mix sauce since I couldn't make up my mind. It was Spicy Party in my Mouth and Across my (bibbed) Chest! **NOTE** Ask to take the sauce/s home. If you're into alternative luvin', just warm it a little, smear on your guests, then lick it off each other with low lighting and mood music. If you like to cook, you can add it to scrambled eggs, omelettes, reconstitute it with soups and stews...it's THAT flavorful. Restaurant is also clean, excellent service, plenty of parking off/north/south of Honolulu Ave. I'm lucky cuz I can just walk. Decor is lighthouse-beach & they have an extensive beer menu (I don't drink, but I just noticed). Allergic to shellfish? There's other protein choices on the menu besides seafood. For my non-Paleo and "CrossFitters-are-so-annoying" friends, they do serve potatoes, rice, and corn on the cob. But this place serves my Paleo needs just fine! I'm so glad that overpriced Spanish tapas restaurant moved out and Cracking Crab moved in, because Montrose could use more interesting seafood alternatives other than the three sushi restaurants in town. read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

After two visits I just cannot get myself to like this place. I have been to multiple other restaurants like here, and Cracking Crab is by far the worst. The staff gives off a very cold and unfriendly vibe which makes eating here less enjoyable. As for the food, the seasoning is way too salty, the king crab legs had a weird plastic-like taste, and the shrimp was soft on the inside, giving it a strange texture that shrimp should not have. Personally I would advise anyone to not waste their time here and go to Crab Boil Ave. in Glendale instead, or Boiling Crab if you really do not mind the wait. read more

Yum. Don't wait in line at the other crab-in-a-bag places. Head over here, put on your bib and gloves, and go for it. The lobster-and-fries basket is a must order. This place is a hit! read more

Lunch discussions are a pretty big deal at the office and one guy mentioned shrimp. That's all it took for us to make the trek out to the Crab. I ordered the spicy garlic shrimp and he ordered the garlic butter shrimp which we mixed & matched. Damn it was good! This is the type of place where they bring you out a bib and gloves to eat with your hands. Those little suckers were good! The spicy garlic is pretty spicy so if you don't want to go past your garlic threshold, just order the garlic butter and you'll be alright. We also ordered the deep fried lobster with seasoned fries. For $10 you can't get a better deal in town. I recommend ordering this with your shrimp or crab to make your life complete! read more

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I love boiling crab, but I hate the wait and the drive. This place is awesome ! There was barely a wait and I rather come here than going to LA and driving through traffic. The food is just as delicious as boiling crab. The service was great. What sealed the deal with this place is that they don't only give you lime slices but they already juiced lime and pour it into your salt&pepper container! Come on, where else can you find a Cajun crab restaurant who takes their time to do this for their customers ?? read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Was super excited to learn about this new restaurant so when I found out about it, I had to go. When you eat at a new place w a big menu, sometimes you look around to see what others ordered. What the food looks like, what they seem to be enjoying. I turned around, and asked two guys if they were enjoying their oysters, if they tasted fresh. "Excellent, briny, have two." "Really?" "Please, I work here." The two Blue Point oysters were very good and we ordered a dozen. He sold us. It is great to meet staff that is friendly and enthusiastic about the food -- even on his night off. "Remember to suck them heads!" We also ordered dungeness crab (garlic butter) and the shrimp (cajun). No photos because it is really messy. Love that they give you a lot of lime wedges. You eat off the table, too so the red sauce gets everywhere. When you crack, it runs down your arms. The dungeness crab was our favorite, perhaps because it is harder to get. Soon as you walk in, the waitress ties a bib on you. Thank goodness, too. Advise against wearing your really good clothes. There was this guy in a suit, and everyone prayed for him. Because I agreed to do Paleo this month with a friend, I did not drink beer, or eat corn and potatoes. My DH enjoyed them, though. Next month, perhaps. Like that there are TVs so we could enjoy good food with the Dodgers game. Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost. But Cracked Crab won a return visit. I'm only giving 4 stars because the women's restroom was out of paper towels and dirty. It's a one person bathroom so luckily there is a sink up front where you can wash your hands. But really, at a place where people are getting their hands messy, you have to refill the towels, or make sure the towel dispenser is working. The total bill came to $75 with tip. As we walked out, we thanked the employee who donated two oysters and offered menu suggestions. He said, we hope to see you again soon. read more

What an experience!! You eat with your hands and most of the food comes in a plastic bag, no plates, but plenty of napkins (plus they were nice enough to have sink near the bar). Still I recommend you be prepared to get MESSY. Food was awesome. Oysters were very fresh, not overly fishy or too slimy. King crab legs were ridiculously huge. Well cooked, so fresh, tons of meat. Fried shrimp and sweet potato fries were perfectly fried and seasoned just right. Atmosphere was outstanding and everything was very clean since it is a new restaurant. I am very happy such fun place has joined our Montrose Promenade and will surely visit again. read more

Cracking Crab - Oysters are really fresh - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

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Walked in on a Saturday afternoon to grab some lunch and it wasn't busy at all. We were seated right away and our order was taken fairly quick. I got a pound of shrimp mild with all the seasonings accompanied by some sausage and corn. I was fairly disappointed with the lack of heat. The waitress advised us that the heat would be good at mild given that I don't like anything TOO spicy but boy was she off. I know she couldn't possibly know what heat levels one can manage but geezeeee, picking the right heat level would've made a world of difference. The pound of shrimp wasn't really a whole pound. At $11+ I was excepting it to be just like the Boiling Crab in portions AT LEAST but of course it wasn't. We also got an order of sweet potato fries and Cajun fries, both of which were good. The portion for these were pretty big and definitely the sharing size. Overall Obviously, not the boiling crab when it comes to taste and price. This is a lot closer to me but I don't find myself craving it even though it does have a shorter wait time. Tip Parking isn't awful but you have to look for the lot in the back, don't expect to find parking upfront There is a sink on the side of the resturant They have cheap-ish beers :) read more

Where do I begin? Understaffed and food was disgusting. Everything we ordered was gross. Sauces were disgusting from the cajun to the cocktail sauce, salad was a hot mess, calamari was unchewable, soda was undrinkable. If ubhave any standards at all or have any knowledge of seafood, don't waste your time coming here.. TRUST ME read more

Happy hour at cracking crab!!!! 3 dollar beer, oyster half off! Enjoying shrimp sliders, oysters and clams. Fast and friendly service. read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

I had a date night with my mom tonight and I had really hard time deciding where to go... and then I remembered my brother telling me about this new crawfish joint that opened up earlier this week. He raved about how good and fresh their food was so I decided to give it a try. First thing I noticed when I entered was the garlicky Cajun seasoning smell that filled the restaurant. (Not in a bad way, but in a way that made my mouth salivate like crazy!) Anyways, so this is what we ordered: Sweet potato fries, fried oysters, two stella's (can't have fried food without beer), crawfish, shrimp, Dungeness crab, and king crab legs. All one pound each with cracking crab mix and medium spicy. And the verdict is??? Fried sweet potatoes and fried oyster were amazing!!! Nice and crispy on the outside and hot n tasty on the inside! Oh, and I forgot to mention that the fried oysters came with Cajun fries. (Extra bonus!) Their cracking crab seasoning was awesome!!! (I want more right now just thinking about it!) Shrimp was big and fat, crawfish was mixed with large and small ones, Dungeness crab and king crab legs were freakin' unbelievable!!! People that can drink and eat the crab guts will know what I'm talking about! Crabs were so fresh and tasty! (I think they use live crab fosho!) The best part was that my mom was very satisfied. She's the most critical person when it comes to food but this place made her happy, so I'm happy. :) Good job Cracking Crab!!! Only bad thing I noticed after was that my hands still smell like crabs... I keep smelling my hands...:( read more

Cracking Crab - Outside the restaurant - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

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Anytime the hankering got Cajun shrimp hits, off to cracking crab we go! Disappointed they mo longer offer my fave fried oysters though. Gaelic middles are BOMB read more

We dined here on 01/05/2017 at around 6pm. It's very clean and spacious. There's also free parking in the back of the restaurant. The service was ok. I'm not sure if the other guy was a food runner or server, but he wasn't our main server. Our main server sucked. He took our order & that was it. He walked by us a million times and never asked if we were doing ok. The other guy on the other hand, did a great job in making sure we had everything we needed. I knew he wasn't our server because he told us that our server told him that we ordered a lot of food for 3 people... which we finished btw except for 3 wings. Food: calamari was mediocre and bland. Oysters were huge, but had a weird taste. I prefer the smaller ones because they're sweeter. We asked if we could have the garlic fries with the spicy Cajun seasoning & the server said yes. They didn't toss the fries in the seasoning. They just dumped it onto the center of the fries. It stuck to the cheese & garlic & made it salty AF. The fries were also not crispy. The worst thing we ordered were the Cajun wings. You can tell they pre baked them and then deep fried it. It tasted old and texture was mushy inside. Disgusting. The Dungeness crab had good texture and flavor. My sister said her crawfish was ok. We eat at a lot of these types of crab places and this place would do alright if you're craving it, but there are just too many better ones out there. read more

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Don't ever go to boiling crab or crab ave, or any other seafood place to have amazing seafood. Cracking crab has the best prices. Their sauce for the seafood is thick and sticky to the seafood so u really taste it in every bite. U get to have so much seafood in an amazing price with the potatoes corn and sausage and not ordering it separate is amazing! Their garlic noodles and their garlic fries are out this world. Their other appetizers are great too. The service is always down to earth and wonderful too. So much room to sit, this restaurant should open near the beach I tell u! Eating this seafood by the ocean would be such a dream. The only downside is seafood for takeout and the garlic being too overpowering for kids that they don't want to eat it anymore lol! read more

Love this placethey are super friendly with super attentive staff. The snow crabs are sooooo fresh!!! Yum Try the Gumbo it's my husbands fav... We've even taken to go and they sent wax paper home with you. The smartest thing I've seen here is they have a sink in the front to wash your hands I'm so glad to have this Resturant on this side of town. read more

Cracking Crab - Corn and potatoes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Best in town Try it you won't regret, better then any other local crab places . Good customer service and fresh food Seasonings are amazing read more

Hi Jason, So I appreciate your response.....you at least had the decency to write back, however I assume you are the owner? Your behavior sure as hell does not fit that status with what you said trying to justify your mistakes. First of all it is not about the 20 dollars... but it is however about how your business is being ran! Learn to own up to yours mistakes and stop trying to belittle people by saying go buy a book blah blah blah ... after all ISNT Yelp created to make others aware of how BAD a business is being ran or how good it is? Instead or replying like the way you did invest more of that time into training your staff or possibly buying a book yourself on how to run a business. read more

This is one of my favorite shrimp places to eat at. When you walk in, you're seated right away. They have great service, always attending to your needs. If you're into sports like me, they have lots of tv's on the walls to enjoy while eating. I recommend to anyone that loves seafood! read more

Cracking Crab - My girlfriend and I enjoying our pound of cracking mix shrimp! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Have to say that this place is delicious if you enjoy seafood and spices, spicy spices that is. Came in on a Saturday night and I thought we would have to wait a very long time to grab a table since the last couple of years I have seen these types of restaurants being slammed and the wait time is somewhat ridiculous. Got sat down pretty quick, saw the menu and my friend and I ordered the garlic noodles, mussels, shrimp and crab legs. Everything is by 1 pound weight but as we later saw our receipt the crap legs were 2 pounds per order. Other seafood options are market price, so make sure to ask before going all Loco and order a bunch. Add-ons such as potatoes, corn and other stuff is usually 50 cents per item, so again, make sure you know what you are ordering. The staff is attentive at first but I noticed that at least our server after a while wasn't to be found, we didn't wait more the 10 mins but you figure that the other staff could help one another out. They apply a plastic bib so you don't get messy, they offer plastic gloves but come on, you came here to Crack and Claw your way to food glory. They offer three stages of spicy sauce. Make sure you ask, we went with Medium and it had a small kick, we liked it, anything higher would have been overwhelming. Mussels were good but small, enough meat but on the small side. Shrimp were very good, nice size whole shrimp. The crab legs were a good size, we got two just to have our crab leg fix. Garlic noodles were decent, tasted fine but a basic dish that complimented our seafood just right. Plenty of parking behind the restaurant or side streets. Will return for sure. read more

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Okay so here's the deal. My friends and I are absolutely obsessed with boiling crab. We meet at the ktown location at least once a month. No joke. I came here today solo after work just to test this place out. Ordered the half dozen of oysters, as well as a lb of shrimp medium with their everything sauce. Oysters were fresh and very yummy. The shrimps on the other hand were fresh. . But something about the way it was cooked. . My shrimps heads were are all disintegrated.. sort of a weird mushy texture. . Which made it difficult for the shrimp head sucking we Asians like to do. . The sauce was good with the shrimp. . I usually like to drizzle the shrimp sauce on my rice at boiling crab. . Doing so here. . I definitely don't like the sauce as much. . A lil too tangy to mix with my rice. . Not saying it was bad. . But definitely wasn't as thick nor bold and zesty as my go to Boiling Crab. They are quite new so I'm sure the sauce will only get better in time. . So ill be back to check on that. Otherwise. . Staff was very nice. No wait at all. . Clean modern cool deco.. I'll definitely be coming back when I don't wanna make my drive down to KTOWN. read more

Cracking Crab - Lb of shrimp medium with the everything sauce. Sauce is on the tangy side - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

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Can't wait to come back. Food was delicious and the service was fantastic. Mark was our server, and took extra good care of our party of six that included two kids under two. He excelled in the little things, like cracking the crab for us and telling us which soap to use to get the oil out best. We'll be back because of him. Thanks Mark and Cracking Crab! read more