It's Not My Crab Shack

by Joe Lyons

Joe's Crab Shack may belong to somebody named Joe, but that's not me. It's not Joe Kennedy, either, although he is the manager at Joe's in Rancho Cucamonga.

To picture Joe's, think Jimmy Buffet meets Bubba Gump. Its décor successfully projects a tin-roof, dock-of-the-bay atmosphere and the menu consists of all things crab, instead of shrimp.

To be fair, Joe's has a lot of shrimp and seafood, even langoustine lobster. Langoustine lobster is technically a redundant term, since langoustine is Spanish for lobster. We could call it Mexican lobster, but the other way sounds more exotic. I think.

My first visit was on a hot summer night with a ball game blaring from the TV and music competing from the sound system. The noise was palpable.

My second visit was on a quiet Monday at lunchtime and the difference could be measured on a decibel meter.

Highlighting the first visit was the snow crab and lobster pasta dish. It was rich and creamy and delicious. The lobster fondue was a treat as well. (Who knew that fondue would come back? Next will be wide collar shirts and bell bottom pants.)

Actually, the first thing that you are served is a dish of corn bread biscuits. Something free to nibble on is considered a Southern hospitality treat. The biscuits are not gummy as some restaurants serve. Nor are they crumbly as others are. To quote Goldilocks, “These are just right.”

The crawfish etoufee was also a delight. I have discussed with you before that restaurants have different spellings for ‘etoufee.' This is Joe's spelling.

No longer on the menu is a treat called pineapple shrimp, although my waitress told me that you can get both pineapple and shrimp in other dishes. One item that they do well is the crab dip with Parmesan cheese. My waitress volunteered that this is her favorite dish. One could get into trouble ordering this too often.

On any given day, Joe's carries Snow, Dungeness and King crab. Actually, they were out of King the first time I was there, but it's in now and although it is a seasonal treat, it's worth the wait. I once traveled all over Seattle to find King crab, and never succeeded. Of course, there is no Joe's in Seattle, although there is one in Vancouver, WA. They also fly in salmon and tilapia, subject to availability. The crab can be prepared BBQ, garlic or steamed. The other seafood can be grilled, blackened or lemon peppered. Joe's also has signature Mediterranean or Pontchartrain sauce topping.

My biggest disappointment was the fish and chips. Oh, it was hot enough and the portion size was great, but it just didn't have the flavor I expected. In fact, it had almost no flavor.

The menu at Joe's Crab Shack is extensive. So much so that after two visits, I still have not been able to enjoy the key lime pie, and I so dearly wanted to. Perhaps if you go, you can call the Journal and let me know how it is.

Joe's Crab Shack is at the southeast corner of Day Creek and Foothill Blvd. in Rancho Cucamonga, just south of Victoria Gardens. You can find them on the Web at www.joescrabshack.com