Want Crabs? Think Rustic Inn Crabhouse

Yummy!  No, no, messy!  No wait, let's go with yummy.  Those are my thoughts after having dined recently at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse in Ft. Lauderdale.  A friend of mine had been raving about this place almost the way I rave about my favorite Italian place just down the road a piece from there.  Like me, she's a 'foody' from up north; Jersey that is, so if she says it's good, it's good, and I know I'm in for a treat.  As always, she was right.  Fugedaboudit.

We arrived around 8:00 on a rainy Saturday evening, and even though the place was still pretty packed, we got a spot at a table immediately.  By the way, if you don't like 'picnic' style dining, this place may not work for you because you are almost certainly going to be sitting with others.   Some other things to consider, and this is for the guys; since you'll be eating with your fingers and hands, not to mention everyone gets a crab busting mallet, this may not be a good place for a first date.  Lots of garlic and other funky colored stuff that can get caught between your teeth, you don't want to get all dressed up, wearing a raincoat is a thought, and you may need a shower afterwards.  Also, the parking lot isn't well suited for drainage; so if it looks like rain when you plan a visit, bring the duck waders.  Other than that, excellent.

The ambiance is very family oriented.  The ceiling lamp 'shades' are actually bushel baskets, and the tables are mostly set in rows so that you get to make new friends if you like.  I felt very comfortable from the moment I sat down.  Since I was with an expert that knows the place, I didn't even bother to look at the menu; I just let her order for everyone, and order she did.  Forget ordering a salad, and while I love to have a big bowl of bread in front of me when I dine out, it's well that we didn't since I would have eaten it all and wouldn't have been able to enjoy as much of the delectable crab.

We all had the 'World Famous Garlic Crabs' which are served in a bowl the size of which one would serve a salad to the entire family in; each person gets their own huge bowl, with several smaller bowls to use for shells and to keep the rest of the crabs warm as you dive in.  Did I mention garlic?  Yes I did, but it needs to be mentioned again.  This dish is a garlic lover’s delight; I didn't count them, but there had to be at least three whole roasted garlic bulbs in my bowl, and everyone else's as well. 

They roast the garlic and add just enough spice and oil so as not to overpower the delicate flavor of the crab.  They also loosely chop the crab into thirds or quarters, so I'm not really sure if I had 3 or 5 whole crabs in my bowl, but there was more than enough....and I might add, none of it had a chance once I started digging in.  They also brought out a couple of more than ample bowls of Old Bay spice which just screams to go on everything except Ice Cream, but I digress. 

Where my '00' sized friend from Jersey finds room to put almost two such bowls is beyond me, but I've had the pleasure to break bread with her numerous times, and the woman is blessed with an ability to consume at least 3 times her own weight per day, and never gain an ounce.  I'm certain other women must secretly hate her because of that. 

The service is fantastic, as the bowls filled up, they were promptly removed and replaced.  When I was a kid and would ask my mother what was for dinner, she'd often reply, "crabs and ice water."  I always thought she was just being flippant since we never actually had that, but that's what I had to drink anyway.  Turns out it's a great combo. 

There was no chance for dessert; it was getting late, and we were more than satisfied, so we requested the check, which having not looked at the menu beforehand, I thought was a mistake, but then I realized that we had after all been eating imported crab from Maryland, and that ain't cheap.

Overall, I give the Rustic Inn 4.5 out of 5 stars.  If they pave the driveway so that I don't have to swim to the front door the next time I visit when it's raining, I'll bump them up to a 5.

They're located at 4331 Anglers Avenue in Ft. Lauderdale.  Their phone number is 954 584 1637, and you can find them on the web at www.rusticinn.com