Happy December! Time to remember and reflect all the great memories we had this year! Angry Crab brings me fond memories. My first experience with crawfish was filled with blunders. I didn’t know how to eat the little sea creatures and was embarrassed because it seemed like everyone else knew what they were doing. Good thing someone spoke up because we all realized that no one actually knew what they were doing. This was especially true since Chicago didn’t have too many crawfish joints at the time. By the time Angry Crab opened up in Chicago and crawfish became popular, my friends and I were already pros at the art of eating crawfish so I decided to create my own guide.
Here is my review of Angry Crab and a step-by-step guide on how to eat crawfish…
{Ambiance}
When you get to the restaurant, be ready to wait for a table because a line starts forming right when they open. Everyone is dressed in casual attire because they know that it is going to get messy. Make sure you are not wearing your Sunday’s best when you go! You will find groups of families and friends ready to chow down while you are waiting in line. You will also feel the anticipation grow, as you get closer to your turn.
{Food}
Angry Crab has a plethora of seafood dishes that you can choose from on their menu. Some staples are the crawfish (a must have), clams, shrimp and the Dungeness crab. They do orders by the pounds but the crab dishes have to be ordered whole. I recommend the clams. Make sure you get the garlic butter and the lemon pepper mixed together. The combination is delicious! We kept it kalm cubs (non-spicy) but you can definitely make it spicy. You will want to put that sauce on everything after you finish your bag of clams. Adding a bowl of rice and/or the garlic fries on the side will be the best choice you can make here. The crawfish is absolutely amazing so make sure you order that as well. We got the Bi-polar (all the seasoning) with the Ragin’ Bulls (mild). The first time we went, we decided to go easy on the spice but as we started dining there more frequently, the spices became hotter in our orders.
So how do you eat crawfish? A lot of people have asked me this question and I’ve decided to put together a guide to help the newbies out.
Van’s 101 Guide on How to Eat Crawfish:
- Pick out the most attractive looking crawfish in the batch.
- Separate the head and the body by carefully pulling off the legs, pinchers, etc. while grasping the head. (You have the option of eating the organs in the head but you don’t have to. It goes really well with rice.)
- Straighten the body of the crawfish so that it is no longer in a curled position.
- Wiggle the tail of the crawfish to separate it from the body, however do it carefully and slowly! Correct execution will allow you to then pull out the intestine of the crawfish out, along with the tail.
- Bite the meat from the head of the crawfish to then drag it out of the shell for devouring. If this does not work, you can then break the shell from the belly area (this will be the softest part of the shell) to extract the meat.
This is just a simple guide to help you guys out, however don’t be shy to dive right in and get your hands dirty to find your own way of eating it!
{Experience}
Angry Crab is all about getting down with the seafood with no barriers. You will get to see your friends in a whole new light as you all work for your food together. The waiters and waitresses are amazingly friendly and very helpful. If you ever need any suggestions about the best way to have your seafood, they will be there to give you the 411. This place is BYO so be sure to bring some drinks to pair with your food and enhance your experience.
Go early but most importantly, GO! It’s a great place to chill and hangout with friends and family members. With a friendly atmosphere and some seriously amazing food, it’s a spot you don’t want to miss!
FAB TIP: You might have to wait a while but it’s BYO so have some drinks while you wait!
{Location}
The Angry Crab
Rogers Park || 5665 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL || P: (773) 784-6848
{Price}
$$ ($11-$35)
{Fab Rating: 4 Fabs}
Let me know how your experience was if you’ve gone! Are there other seafood joints that you think deserve some love and affection? Comment below and I can’t wait to see all your suggestions!
Until the next venture!
With love,
Van
Note: These meals were not complimentary. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the writer.
