The Mad Crab in University City 1-1-2020

My son, Jake, is home for the holidays and he and I both love crab legs.  When he was growing up we would LOVE to go to Emperor's Palace Chinese buffet in Chesterfield valley and eat pound after pound of crab legs.  Who knew those would be the "good old days."  Now, you can't find any place with decent unlimited crab legs.  If they have them they are usually not fresh and cold.

The Mad Crab has a special on Wednesday nights.  Buy a pound of crab legs at market price ($25/lb.) and get the second pound for 1/2 off.  Yes, I know it is expensive, but it is the best deal I've found in town.

Mike, Jake and I went to Mad Crab on New Year's Day.  We were actually there around 5:30 p.m. which was a good deal because they have additional specials until 6 pm for "Happy Hour."  Mike got a shrimp basket that was 1/2 price.  Our drinks (soda and lemonade) were also 1/2 price.

The crab can be flavored with various seasonings.  I ordered 2 pounds with no seasoning at all.  They just brought out some clarified butter.  Jake ordered one pound plain and one pound with Cajun seasoning.
  He said the seasoning was good, but it kind of overpowered the taste of the crab.  You can also order sides like potatoes, sausage, corn on the cob
, etc.  We just stuck to the crab and that's all.

Mike said his shrimp basket was good.  The shrimp were cooked well and not overcooked.

Jake and I totally know how to crack and eat crab.  We powered through our 2 lbs. each.  It was good.  It was decent crab (It should be as Mad Crab on Olive is right next to the huge seafood supermarket).  It was cooked in water that had been well salted.

The restaurant is VERY casual.  The plank walls are covered in notes written in Sharpie by previous customers (like they do at The Shack breakfast place).  That doesn't really do anything for me, I find it messy.  We had a very nice waitress who tied bibs on Jacob and I before we ate and gave us rubber gloves.  Mine were way to big and since I didn't have any seasoning I ended up taking them off.  Jake used his and his Cajun seasoning must have had quite the garlic in it because he got a little cut in his rubber glove on one finger and that finger still smells like garlic 3 days later!  They do have an actual wash station on the way to the restroom where you can wash some of the crabbiness off your hands.



The food was good.  The prices are high, but with crab legs, that is expected.  The place is casual and easy going.  There were a wide variety of  people here, couples, families, singles.  It was a come as you are style of place.  People weren't there to be fancy or to be seen, they were there to eat seafood. Period.  So, if that's what you want to do...this is your place.