Crab Shack

The Crab Shack and Matterhorn – the best of Welly has come to Auckland in the first half of 2015!

I had been to the Crab Shack in Orleans when they open exclusively on Sunday and Mondays (see blog post). But I have to say, nothing compares to this Simon Gault eatery.

The vibe is spot on and there’s an excited energy about the place. The decor feels like something out of the States with a relaxed Hawaiian feel – heck even the cocktails come with cute umbrellas!

Recommendations:

– The soft shelled crab is a must order! We ordered another portion of it because it was so juicy and unlike other ones which are just crispy tempura batter, you can truly taste the meat.

– The bread. Yes, order the Manuka smoked bread. I don’t even like bread and I was the one who suggested to order seconds.

– It is probably wise to wear the bib that comes with the crab. I realiesd this only after I saw the flecks of crab sauce on my friend’s shirt.

Avoid:

– Going on a Saturday night in a group. They only take bookings for groups of 10 or more so we ended up waiting for an hour before we got seats.

– The cocktails were yummy but priced at $20, there was barely enough alcohol.

I was surprised the whole bill came to around $35 per person – I was expecting a lot more for crab! Mind you, we didn’t order the Red King crab which was $112 for 700g. We got 1kg of the Nelson crab pot with chili-garlic butter. Admittedly it was hard work and messy digging the meat from the crab but also part of the fun! We also ordered the spicy wings and 1/2 pound of Shark Bay tiger prawns in a lemongrass and chili tomato sauce and I can recommend both.

I didn’t order any mains or burgers so if I were to go back, that’s what I would try from the menu. But I can confidently say you’ll be satisfied from the crab pot and shack boards alone. Plus I think you’ll agree that they’re more fun to share and eat!

The Crab Shack

09 9721599

Princes Wharf, Shed 19, 137 Quay Street

Auckland