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Categories: Seafood, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Flatiron, Gramercy23rd St-Park Ave S (6)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
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Good option for dinner, but not great. The location is great, just a few steps from Union Square. Lots of restaurants to choose from around this area and we finally went in.
We started our meal with the Hot Combination as an 'appetizer'--we were really hungry! Its a huge platter of maryland crab cake, fried calamari and popcorn shrimp. Its a dish meant for two--but even with our starving stomachs, there was a lot leftover to take home. For the entrees, I went with the Chilean Sea Bass. YUM. Tiny, but delicious. Cooked to the perfect temperature, very moist and tender. On the side, the garlic sauteed spinach was waaay too heavy on the garlic and they were not minced enough. I love garlic and all, but it tasted like I was biting into a raw bulb of garlic or something. The bf had the snapper--we're positive he ordered it STEAMED but the dish came out with a huge fried snapper on the plate. By then, we had waited so long between our appetizer platter for him to send it back. It was still really good, SOO much fish! His side dish of mashed potatoes was probably the best part of the meal for me--it was sooo creamy and just the perfect amount of garlic and some chives. Yum.
The meal here was good, and I plan on returning to try their brunch sometime.
We came in here via an amazing deal on Groupon- $100 worth of food for $50... Let me tell you it was VERY easy to spend $100 :) Our waitress was super friendly and knowledgeable- I chose my order based on her recommendation.
We started with the crab dip (my favorite) and the oyster sampler. I'm not a tremendous oyster eater so I opted to eat more chips and crab dip- I couldn't stop...
For an entree I tried the Shrimp Imperial- it was shrimps topped with crab meat and this yummy mustard sauce. The sauteed spinach was also amazing. My friend had Alaskan crab claw, she also loved hers. We were too full for dessert but were completely and totally satisfied. :)
Just when I thought City Crab couldn't get any better, it did.
I got the BEST FREE MEAL that no money can buy!
I still believe their happy hour to be among the very best values in NYC.
Sign up for the Insider's Club on their website!
I've received and redeemed countless Buy One, Get One Free Brunch coupons.
AND for my birthday, I was also mailed a voucher good for One Free Meal that I could use for any and all of their menu items valuing up to $40!
My boyfriend and I stopped in to redeem it.
He ordered the broiled swordfish, and one of their massive baked potatoes as a side. It was good, but for once I didn't have diner's envy because my meal was far better.
I ordered their Twin Lobster pre-fixe meal for $39.95. I decided on a bowl of their corn chowder, and an order of mashed potatoes to accompany the two 1 1/4 pound steamed lobsters. And it was all perfectly cooked and delicious.
And getting it for FREE made it taste even better.
(posted a pic of the receipt!)
I am almost never up and out of bed in time for brunch.
The 'Buy One Brunch Entree, Get The Second…
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I was very disappointed that I had taken my business here. Food was disappointing - everything lacked flavor. The spinach dip/crab appetizer came with stale tortilla chips, the burger appetizer tasted a lot worse than a cheeseburger at McDonalds (granted I am biased since I enjoy their cheeseburgers very much), the crispy fries that went with each appetizer was too thin to have any taste to them, and crabcake was way too oily for my liking, as were the scallops.
Very good place for happy hour (1/2 off appetizers, drinks including wine and mixed drinks). Otherwise skip this place.
I found City Crab to be a glorified urban Red Lobster (without the delicious cheesy biscuits that Red Lobster serves you endlessly and you cant stop eating them because they are delicious and then you have ruined your meal.)
What we had:
Cocktail:
Lemonade Drink with St. Germain and Bulldog Vodka ($12.00) - I thought can't go wrong with two of my favorite name brand liquors....well ...it wasn't amazing sadly, but did the just getting off work ..need a drink trick! So there you go.
Appetizer:
Maryland Crab Cake - ($15.00) pretty good, but tiny in my opinion especially for the price. They really need to serve this with a side of aioli because the one swirl they put on it left us wanting.. and it could have been quite nice with more. Served with a little veggie side of edamame, colorful peppers and greens, that was refreshing.
Soups:
Clam Chowder - ($7.00) I am a clam chowder lover and this clam chowder was very skimpy in terms of clams and heavy on the cream and salt. I felt very guilty for eating the whole bowl seeing that it was subpar and horrible for me.
Maryland Crab Soup - ($7.00) Slightly spicy thick red broth claw of crab in the soup. Good but not phenomenal.
Dinner:
Alaskan Surf and Turf - ($48.00) For the price I was really shocked to see how small this was. Three Alaskan crab leg segments only! I said segments thats right not the full leg even. They were prepared really nicely however and slit down the side for easy eating. Quite delicious. The Filet Mignon we ordered medium rare and it was served that way I guess...but in my opinion a little too tough on the outside a little TOO raw on the inside was not ideal, but the filet was tasty as well as the herbed butter cream they served with it.
Side of Garlic Spinach was a pretty big serving and hard to mess up. It was good.
Dessert:
Key Lime Pie ($7.00) - The pie was actually quite good! Light and flavorful and pretty presentation with whipped cream and a thin lime twisted on top dusted around the plate with powdered sugar.
--
All and all the waiter service was very friendly and prompt. I would come back for the Alaskan Crab legs and possibly during Happy Hour which I saw I had just missed when I walked in, darn.
Happy Hour Special is currently:
- 1/2 Price Drinks and 1/2 Price Appetizers...
Happy Eating!
Ashley
Crab cakes are such a devilish food. They're delicious to a point where it's unfair, and they're not exactly readily available. I was responsible for a college mini-reunion and City Crab was screaming in my ear. Remember that show "City Guys" on TNBC's Saturday morning line-up? When Anthony Anderson was a fat guy on a High School on a basketball team (now he's just a fat guy on a ___________ )? I kept reciting the City Guys theme song in my head, but replacing "Guys" with "Crab", so I finally set the date at City Crab. If you need a refresher:
http://www.youtube.com...
I was expecting a hit on my wallet considering the location, but WHATEVZ, I WANT ME SOME CRAB CAKE BOY. Started off with some raw oysters, which were okay. I might've slurped them down in haste because I knew the crab cake was coming. Seven anticipatory thumb-twiddling minutes later, the crab cake arrived. It was good, but not great. My great expectations were met, but by the slimmest of margins. I wasn't blown away but just nudged a tad. The accompanying sauce left something to be desired.
It's a nice place to impress someone (perfect for corporate outings). but not really a foodie spot. The happy hour is pretty decent: half-off drinks and $1 oysters.
The place was pretty empty, so we figured it would be a good time for a lunch (it was also someone's birthday). If you didn't see the one star, you know where this is going. Nowhere. Express lane, cash only.
The waitress was given too many tables, but worked them as best she could. However there was no busing, besides what she did. Consequently, no bread was brought to us, until she did it, and there were no replacement small plates after appetizers, or cutlery for what we used for the appetizers.
The $20 carafe was ordered for light drinking (they have 1 red and 1 white for that), and after a delay we were told that they have to go upstairs to find more of the white - 5-10 minutes later we find out they were out. Apologies from the waitress but no offer to have any of the other wines count towards that 'deal'.
The food was good though, we all admitted that. (but I will neglect mentioning it, to keep you from being tempted). One person ordered dessert (ice cream). One spoon was brought out, to dissuade any idea that they might share (which no one wanted to anyway).
What chaps me like sandpaper condoms is that the waitress was clearly ovewhelmed (you could plainly tell she was having a shit day due to customer complaints) and got zero support from the busboys or bartender, both of whom she has to split her tips with at the end of the day. Sometimes crap rolls UPhill - this all falls on an ineffective manager, who did not ensure quality assurance which creates awkwardness for customers and employees. I doubt this person was even there; I am fearful if they actually WERE.
You know that completely unsatisfied/annoyed feeling you get when you leave a really sucky eating experience? EVERYONE in the group felt that.
Absolutely not worth going back for, even with good seafood and live music.
Incredibly fresh seafood, which means a huge thumbs up. Hard to go wrong with the oysters, shrimp or crab cocktail to start. The oyster I bummer off my Dad was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I'm craving some and think I'll have to go back soon.
My mom and I each had a mojito - awesome.
For my entree I had a special - sold wrapped around crab. This is where it loses a point - the sole had a very rubbery consistency. But the crab it was wrapped around was awesome, so I still enjoyed it. The side of spinach it came with was a hit with the whole table, too.
My Dad got the white snapper and my mom got the lobster roll. Didn't try the roll, but she didn't seem to love it. My Dad had the best pick though.
This place really excels at simple seafood, and that's the way to go. Simple, very fresh, and prepared expertly - stay with that, rather than something fancy.
Dessert was wonderful, the oreo ice cream cake.
You must go here - you'll prob see me there at brunch tomorrow because writing this review made me so hungry for it.
I rather be at Red Lobster to be honest with you but before you judge me here is why:
1. Clam chowder was horrible, probably the worst I have ever had anywhere (and I eat everywhere). It didn't even taste like clam anything, it tasted more like mystery soup...
2. I enjoy a good crab cake, and this had little shells inside... that was a first ever for me...
3. Good hockey games were going on and on ALL TVs college football was playing... Are you serious?
4. The Lobster Bake...so traumatizing i almost do not want to speak about it, so I will just write about it... they stuff a bunch of stuff in a net and boil, that is really it. The net is impossible to get open. There is no flavor in the potatoes, vegetables, and corn they have stuffed in this net... The lobster was good, but come on is that so hard?
Now that I have been a Debbie Downer, here is why I like the place:
1. It's always some kind of happy hour if you sit in the bar seating area - even on the weekends. So that means half price on all appetizers. Sure, they make the appetizers smaller but you still get a nice tasting of a bunch of plates for 6 bucks or so... Get the Clams Oregenata...
2. The service was incredible, could it have been because of my good looks? Probably not.. My cleavage? Nope, i wore a turtleneck. My fake Louie Vitton bag that the waiter saw as dollar signs like in a cartoon? I assume so. The waiter saw the table was wobbly about the first minute he came to get my order and got down on all fours and fixed it, could this be a brilliant scheme designed by waiters to hustle me? Absolutely. Did I love every second of it? Absolutely. Do I still have this habit of asking myself questions? All the time.
3. You all know how I hate going anywhere in gowns and dolled up and this place does not require such attire even on the weekends.
4. I think it is a great date place; I would imagine couples with lots to critique and discuss for example the broken shattered window I was sitting next to, I could have easily spoke about that window for 34 minutes or so and made it somewhat clever. It also feels semi-fancy (despite the window) it's all seafood, it's in a great hood in Manhattan, and it's always full of people that are overdressed....
Went here because I got a great deal - $100 for the price of $50. I heard some good things about this place and wanted to verify.
We tried a variety of things:
calamari - too salty
cherry clams - yum! but how can they go wrong?
clam chowder - decent
crab chowder - liked it, very crabby
Between the three of us, we ordered the blackened sea scallops. Basically it's 4 pieces of scallops charred with 2 okay sides. I was not blown away. It's something that can be done easily at home. my friend got the alaskan crab claws and they were meaty and exactly what it should be. The crabmeat filled sole was okay too.
Overall, it's an okay place to go. You are guaranted decent food.
Came here for the happy hour, so that's all I will comment on.
Happy hour is from 4-7, I think.
Where should I start, during happy hour, the cocktails and wine are half off. Oysters were a dollar per (what I came for). I think they had half off crab cakes for happy hour too, but don't quote me on that.
For a drink, I got the Central Park, a mojito. It was good, but nothing to call home about. A family member got a bloody mary, which she seemed to like. We started with with a dozen oysters for the both of us to share. Can I just say that these delicious morsels, for $1 were huge. Big as in, think of the size of your palm, yes, that big! They were delicious, but very filling due to their size ( I suspect these were bluepoints for those oyster afficionados). They could have easily cut one oyster into two, and sold each individual piece for $1 and they'd still be huge. The oysters were succulent, salty, and had that briny flavor to them. We finished off with another half dozen, and called it quits before we left for dinner.
For a happy hour spot, I will definitely be back, no doubt in my mind.
Came here for a wedding dinner and food was OK. I wouldn't say no if I had to come again but I wouldn't recommend it either. Don't you just hate it when a restaurant makes almost no impression on you?
City Crab. I neither hate nor love you and your existence is indifferent to me. So go fuck yourself. J/K. Maybe.
Food: Completely unimpressive food. Nothing wrong with the food, I believe the location led me to think that the food would be of better quality. If the store was located in upstate NY or NJ or some barren, waterless place like Idaho, it would be awesome compared to Red Lobster.
The fried food like the calamari we had for appetizer and fish and chips for my main were heavily battered. The calamari was a bit tough and my fish, wait... I'm still gnawing away the batter, was pretty dry. Clam chowder had a pitiful amount of clams, though I enjoyed the taste, very creamy. Some idiot ordered a salad. I will not speak about such atrocious actions besides that the salad was green. Forget about the lobster roll if you like lobster. If you like rolls, go for it, cause you are gonna get a whole lot of roll and barely any lobster.
Drink: Beer selection includes the usual macro brews and to my surprise they had Victory IPAs. Pretty low end wine selection. They had a full bar but no one ordered any cocktails.
Service: Below average. They either assign too many tables to a waiter or our waiter just liked to meander slowly and pointlessly.
Crowd/Ambiance: Don't know why it was packed, but it was. Think they are trying to go for a I'm a casual seafood restaurant look but it just looks like the inside of any Red Lobster. Just higher ceilings and some tall tables in the middle. Doesn't really gel.
Large windows so its nice to watch the seasons change as you wait hours for water and days for food and years for a check.
The food is just OK and is a few steps up from a Red Lobster. The price however is significantly higher. I have been here several times and a few times the food was incredible and a few it wasn't good at all, so I guess it's one of those places that is hit or miss. Place is pretty big and there is tons of seating, so I never had to wait for a table.
CHANCE I WILL BE BACK- 1time deal-
Reason to go/went: Wanted to tray of my own free will /
To say I been there
good meal. Its very -medium upper class. Its kinda like old fashion seafood restaurant.
seafoods ok but expect to pay a bit higher. Eat here if someone else is paying. Impress a date, show em I know what fine dining is.
take mother /father in law
PLACE HAS NO MAGIC, take a lobster BOIL IT.
gf asked about it. I give her a dirty look.
clams= eh.. too small.
popcorn shrimp= bad, overly fried and dry, overall bad.
surf and turf (lobster and filet mignon)= good. pretty darn good.
lobster bisque= good, strong lobster flavor, not a lot of lobster bits
San Fran style ciopino= great. topped with a bunch of seafood including half a lobster
will i return again? maybe, with a good coupon..
A friend of mine and I went to City Crab during Restaurant Week for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The Restaurant Week menu looked awesome and they had a huge selection to choose from. The food was good, not really great, but I do wonder if that was because we were ordering from the Restaurant Week menu. The crab gazpacho was the best part of my meal, by far. My main course, the crab stuffed lobster, did not live up to my expectations from reading the menu. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it was still a decent meal.
The best part of the experience is actually what came after the meal. Our waiter informed us that they do several promotions through their email list and encouraged us to sign up. We both did sign up, and now I receive a coupon for a free brunch entree...almost every week! I think they also send you a free dinner entree coupon on your birthday...
I have yet to make it back there, but it is on my to do list. I'd like to check out the regular menu and especially the brunch menu now that I'm receiving these great coupons.
I had a delightful experience at City Crab.
This is one of those places I'd passed a hundred times and never eaten in, so my friend and I decided it was time!
A comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, not pretentious at all. I want to say it's kind of like an upscale Red Lobster, but it's not and I won't....
We shared the Saddle Rock Oysters for an appetizer which were fantastic-- slippery and savory with a little zing, just the way I like'm. My friend also had the New England Clam Chowder. And let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if she was first on line to receive this soup intervenously.
After flip flopping bn the Lobster Bake or the Cracked Garlic Alaskan Crab, we both decided to go with the Crab...... "When in Rome," our waiter reminded us. . . I didn't regret the decision, but I failed to connect the "Garlic" in the name with the entree. Where was the garlic? It was good, don't get me wrong, but I've had crab plenty of times and didn't feel like this was any kind of magnificent garlic-y interpretation of your traditional crabby entree. Next time I'll try the Lobster Bake :)
That's right, I'll surely be back. Even though I didn't fall in love with the crab, I loved everything else about this place. And everything else on the menu begged me to come back and try it another time.
With one glass of wine each, the sorbet sampler and an amaretto on the rocks to compliment the rest of our meal, it came to about $70/piece with tip. Plus, our waiter decidedly wooed us back with port wine on the house for each of us :)
New York wouldn't be New York without City Crab & seafood Company...In a way they have a very distinct identity that is really New York...Located at the corner of 19 th St.& Park Avenue South...where it has been for years....catering to the locals and tourist alike...savoring each meal with a live jazz band to spice up the atmosphere and give the setting an elegant air.... .
Widely known for their Oysters......Saddle Rock from Long Island...Komomoto..... from Washington State and Fanny Bay..... from British Columbia.....Clams...Long Island little Necks.....Cape Cods Top Necks.... and Cherrystones...Maine Lobsters and Alaskan Crab Legs.....a Huge selection of Broiled....Grilled... or Seared Fish...It was one of my favorite places...Their Dungeness Crabs is to die for...and their Crab Cakes are very addicting........They are also known for their Weekend Brunch....and Brunch cocktails....
Camille annd I came here today ...for a late lunch...It wasn't planned...I was initially looking for a booth at the street fair where I bought a couple of antique jewelry's a week ago but couldn't find it so we took a bus to Union Square......then to this restaurant....Ordered the Luncheon Salad.....I had the Mixed Grilled Seafood Salad...Shrimps, Scallops and Calamari over baby spinach with roasted red pepper, red Onion and crispy pancetta.....very delicious.....and Camille .had the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna Salad...Seared Ahi Tuna, napa cabbage, mixed greens, romaine, wasabi dressing & soy vinaigrette...she enjoyed it too......The waitstaff as always were very attentive...filling in our bread & butter on the house....and we were lucky to have a window seat....with a bar table....
After going around the Square...I have to hurry home because I had an appointment to meet a friend in the house......Camille choose to stay and enjoy the breeze in the park reading a book......
This another one of those times I wished you could give half a star. My criteria for stars is; 5 = you have to go there or your life will be an unfulfilling mockery of human existence. 4 = I would not hesitate to go there or recommend you do so. 3 = I'd recommend you go there BUT (enter caveat). City Crab resides between 3 and 4 stars for me but I am very stingy with my stars so they get a 3. I had a great experience when I went here with a date, it was suggested by the doorman at the Carlton on Madison. The food was good, the service good. The date really enjoyed the place too. I'll be back
I don't know how many times I passed by City Crab before. This Tuesday I went there for Happy Hour and I absolutely loved it!
Since we don't work in the city, to be able to get there before 7pm we had to run from the station, and it was worth running! All appetizers, cocktails and wine are half of the price. I don't remember the name of the appetizers we ordered but all tasted great. And all staffs were extremely nice.
Definitely I will go back there again SOON.
I never once thought to go in, until my mate said there was an oyster happy hour.
Sold.
Well, actually i didn't even try the oysters - because frankly my economic crisis wallet can't even do a dollar an oyster, i did however indugle in the calarmarie - all the appetizers are half price... as is some of the bottled beer.
The bartender was also really bloody nice and extended the happy hour to a last round for everyone at the bar. I'd come back. Definitely. Definitely.
I was so disappointed in this place!! My boyfriend and I went thinking we would have a nice seafood dinner at a nice place...Well we thought wrong!! First off our service was extremely SLOW..Second we got steamers that were FULL OF SAND! Gross...And third we both ordered the $43 over priced crab that was actually fishy tasting!! It was def. not fresh. I would highly recommend staying AWAY from this place. You could do better at a Red Lobster! Save your money before going here. You'd think going to a crab and seafood company rest. that the food would all be fresh, not here not so much.
Ewwww
The crabs reeked of ammonia- COME ON!!!!!! That's rule #1- DON"T SERVE ROTTEN CRABS!!!!! Lucky we didn't get sick. And thanks sooo much for comping the crabs and, no we didn't want more but thanks for asking....
jesusmageezus....
I was craving a lobster roll all week and was totally let down. Not only did it have celery in the lobster salad - not what I consider typical - but I could barely taste the lobster. We ordered the beets salad which came with 5 TINY pieces of beets and lots of greens. Again, not what I would expect of something called a Beets Salad. My boyfriend's crabcakes had way too much breading to actually be able to taste the crab. The chocolate gelato was fantastic, though.
Not worth the $70 spent in any shape or form.
Do I feel somewhat ashamed of the fact that I went to City Crab? Maybe a little. It just seems like such a tourist trap, what with its gigantic size and suburban-mall-esque atmosphere and all.
But papa had a craving for crab cakes* and the half off appetizers and wine were good enough deals to convince me and friend to go. We had some post-Monday work stress to deal with.**
We chose to sit at a bar table, rather than at the bar itself. We didn't get a coveted window seat, but you can't win them all.*** It was one of those tall tables where you feel like you're sitting in a high chair, which isn't awful considering I'm a shorty. But sometimes it felt like my friend was on the other side of the Atlantic because the tabletop was longer than its width--she was so far away!
We made it work, and ordered some Pinot Grig**** and appetizers, since, duh, all were half off. Got the crabby cake and lobster mac & cheese.
Of course you only get ONE crabby cake because it's the appetizer, not the meal. It was enough to satisfy my craving though, especially with the delicious lobster mac & cheese addition. It was gooey, melted heaven, like an angel dancing on a cloud descending from my mouth to my stomach.*****
Like all young, poor professionals, we worked tirelessly to get another drink in before Happy Hour ended at 7. It was difficult, but we were successful, you'll be glad to know.
In the end, we drank, ate, and, thus, were merry. But I still can't shake the feeling that this is City Crab, and a pricey City Crab at that. I'll keep it on my list of Happy Hour restaurants near work, but maybe that's about it.******
* I seriously love 'em. Love 'em!
** It's called being an assistant.
*** One of my favorite phrases, alongside such gems as "You win some, you lose some!" "Could've been worse!" and "It is what it is!"
**** Pinot Grig and I are on a nickname basis.
***** I was a poetry major, can you tell?!
****** Thus ends my footnotes. Hope you enjoyed them!
Happy Hour 4-7 is impressive! (see review)
Updated review.
The Crab has a great Happy Hour. 1/2 apps and $1 oysters from 4-7, daily! Now a…
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I really enjoy City Crab. It's one of the only places where I can go in the city to find good shellfish, most importantly, Alaskan King Crab legs.
While somewhat expensive, their happy hour specials are pretty good. They have a three course prix fix menu for $25.95, half prices drinks and apps at the bar, as well as $1 oysters. The bartenders are very friendly - they even showed me how to properly eat my first oyster!
The food is delicious. The Alaskan King Crab legs have a lot of meet in them, which is important to any crab lover. Raw bar is just terrific. Their lobster is great and the oysters were yummy (and I'm not even a huge fan). Their Dungeness Crab is good, not the best I have had, but satisfying.
City Crab is great for groups, a date or even by yourself. If you need a seafood (or in my case shellfish) fix, try out City Crab!
The food is okay, the service is extremley slow and the prices are extremley high. It is a nice crowd of profesionals at night so if you do go I suggest just getting a drink or two in the downstairs area for a nice bar experiance. Don't waste time or money on a meal.
I lived in the neighborhood from 1998 - 2003 and never had a bad meal here. By Manhattan standards, the food is good but not great; the ambiance, however, leaves much to be desired. Still, if you're looking for decent seafood in lower Manhattan, it's a safe bet. I prefer the upstairs seating at dinner; downstairs tends to get very noisy after work. For weekends or lunch, downstairs is fine. The lobster tank at the front (is it still there?) induces guilt.
Diner quality , mediocre food ....overpriced.
Great Seafood!
Not cheap, but not overly expensive either, considering the location. The seafood is fresh and well prepared. Have been here many times both for business as well as personal dining. Never been disappointed. service is efficient and friendly
I've also been to the Bar, great bartender!
I recommend reservations, but they always try to accomodate walk-ins.
We recently tried the brunch and it was great, priced reasonably ($13-$15 average, not counting the drinks).
Here's a tip: Join their on-line email list, they will send you notices about special events and I got a Brunch coupon that saved me plenty!
City Crab is a find -- esp. if you love recession-special seafood and drinks, like me! From 10pm-12am on weekends and 4-7pm on weekdays, they offer half-priced appetizers and drinks (wine, beer, and well drinks, though upon request they also halved the price of their specialty cocktails). They also offer a three-course deal for $26.
The grub was great. We had the lobster mac and cheese, buffalo shrimp, crab+spinach+artichoke dip, and crab cake. The mac and cheese was a highlight, as was the crab cake -- it had large meaty chunks of crab and a lovely browned crust. I had the riesling (er, probably a whole bottle's worth); a friend had one of their martini specials and deemed it delish.
The service was excellent. Our waitress was cute and efficient and eager to please. The place is spacious and comfy and yes, a touch tourist-trappy (e.g., the giant crab above the door), but this didn't faze us. You can sit and chat comfortably -- there's actually room between the tables and the music/noise levels allow for easy convo at normal volumes. City Crab may not be the best choice to, say, impress a picky date or feel smugly ensconced in a hipster scene, but it's highly recommended for a casual night of drinking/dining with friends. We'll be back!
My boyfriend and I were craving lobster so we decided to check out City Crab. SIGN UP FOR THEIR EMAIL LIST BEFORE YOU GO!! They will immediately send you a coupon for 15% off of your total check! Another tip: hit the bar for happy hour and get half price cocktails, wine by the glass and some beer, plus half price appetizers. Then sit down and eat dinner to use your coupon. The lobster was decent, a little tough but it was a good deal so we overlooked it. The salads are huge, two people can easily split one. Also, skip the key lime pie for dessert, not good at all.
Was watchin travel channel and dude was eating lobster. I then needed lobster. Moseyed up to City Crab and when i got there my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Ordered a 2lb lobster and a 2 1/4 crab.
Crushed everything, went home and took a Lipitor and passed the F out. Apparently my stomach is bigger than i thought.
Everything was good, but they only had huge lobsters. I think they start tasting like mud when they are 2 lbs+
The crab was a tiny bit overcooked, but still delicious. Minus a star for being too expensive. I should've just gone to Chinatown and bought both and boiled them at home.
I liked this place more than I thought I would. I probably wouldn't come for their regular prices but the Happy Hour is a good deal. I combined half-price appetizers for a tasty and filling meal.
My server was a little long-winded at first but made every effort to be friendly and helpful, which says a lot coming from someone who likes to ask a lot of questions and ask for recommendations. His suggestions were spot on and he even pointed out how I could save money.
The Jumbo Buffalo Shrimp is delicious and so are the Crab Cakes. The Crab Cake appetizer came with a quality salad (edamame, carrots, red pepper, grilled corn, and sprouts of some kind) - none of that bagged lettuce mix stuff. I also had the Oreo Ice Cream Cake, which is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Oreo heaven for Oreo lovers.
I will probably be back for another Happy Hour!
3.5 stars
We shared the clams oreganata, lobster mac 'n cheese, and a dozen raw blue point oysters. My entree was the steamed Maine lobster and I chose to get it stuffed (with crabmeat).
The clams were a little dry and bland, but the lobster mac 'n cheese was yummy. The oysters were probably my favorite, cool and refreshing and enjoyable in the warm summer day. My lobster was a 1 3/4 lb of steamed, meaty goodness, dipped in the drawn butter was mm mm mmm. However, it was too much food for me (since I was already pretty full from the clams, mac 'n cheese, and oysters) so I finished my meal super-stuffed. The shell of the lobster was also overcooked or something, because it was quite difficult to crack open. T ordered the lobster bake, which came with about a 1 lb lobster, mussels, clams and a corn on the cob.
They have a happy hour special from 5-7pm where appetizers are half-price and oysters (of the day) are $1 each! Good deal! I'd definitely come again for the $1 oysters and (a smaller) steamed lobster!
Pros: Cheap happy hour specials, $1 oyster.
Cons: Food quality is not so great.
What a disappointment.
Appetizers: Oysters were ok. Calamari was ok. Fried seafood wonton was ok. Salad was pretty good.
Main course: I ordered the crab cakes (supposedly the best in NYC... bah). It was fine, but not mind-blowing. I didn't even finish it because I was pretty disappointed with the taste.
Sides: The 'creamed' spinach was the most watered down spinach I have ever had. The risotto was not cooked correctly. The mashed potatoes was the best side I had.
Dessert: Oreo ice cream cake. Good, but I wouldn't go back for more.
Service: Pretty good, but there were a few moments that I wanted to slap the waiter upside the head. :P
Overall: Not the greatest dining experience I had... especially when I saw the bill. Overpaying for less than mediocre food is not my idea of a good time.
Last time restaurant week came around, we decided that a seafood fix was in order. I was a little worried this would be NYC's version of Red Lobster complete with novelty bibs and screaming kids throwing around popcorn shrimp. Although being offered a bib for my stuffed lobster, we enjoyed our food very much. My lobster was stuffed with rich, cheesy goodness, but it looked like more food than it was. I was kind enough to give away one of my lobster claws, but it left me hungry. I don't think I would come here based on the prices, but for happy hour, or restaurant week, I would definitely go back!
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