Gloves off, bibs on: Inside the Boxing Crab’s Cajun seafood boil

Walk in the door of the Boxing Crab, and you’ll immediately be greeted by a server who guides you to your booth, brings a large swath of paper from a giant roll to cover your table, and hands you a few plastic bibs.

Welcome to the time-honored tradition of a seafood boil.

A seafood boil originates from coastal areas in the eastern and southern United States and typically refers to a meal centered around shellfish, potatoes, and corn, all boiled in a single pot. The Louisiana style is a spicy version with cayenne, paprika, lemon, onion, and garlic as the main spices. 

Since different seafoods are cooked and the contents are served on the table for easy access, the paper protects everyone from potential and inevitable messes.

Put on a bib and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Cool off your palate with an icy drink, usually a beer, but you can also try a flavored soju, a Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. (Just a word of caution, these can be high in alcohol, so pace yourself.)

The Boxing Crab offers a “Choose Your Combo,” which includes Shrimp, Crawfish (seasonal), Manila Clams, Green Mussels, and Dungeness Clusters. Next, choose your sauce and spice level, ranging from Mild to Hella Spicy and KO.

There are a variety of sauce choices, including “How you like it” sauces such as Cajun, Cajun Garlic Butter, Cajun Lemon Pepper, and One N’ Only Sauce, which is tangy and savory, perfectly complementing the shrimp and crab.

A disclaimer on the menu reads, “If you cannot handle spicy, please try mild first.”

They currently offer four “Choose Your Seafood Combos”: Shrimp Lovers, King & Queen, Queen of the Sea, and Cfood Lovers. Each combo offers a seafood protein, plus sausages, corn, and red potatoes, and is mixed with a sauce of your choice.

For a taste of Cajun food, try the Gumbo, filled with roasted chicken, shrimp, crawfish, and sausages. Just add hot sauce to please your palate.

Or choose “I Like Fried”, “Come w’ Fries”, and try some Cajun-style side dishes such as Fried Kig Crab Leg, Gator Bites, Fried Butterfly Shrimp, or Fried Catfish.

Drinks offered are a multicultural array.

The aforementioned soju, a Korean distilled alcoholic beverage, comes in different flavors such as peach, lychee, grapefruit, or peach mango. A sangria, Mexican Coke, or Jarritos represents south of the border-style refreshments. Japanese beers, as well as local San Diego and other American brews, can cool your palate.

No need to worry about getting messy, they have washing stations, plastic gloves, bibs, and plenty of napkins. Join them for Happy Hour, Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., for a variety of discounts.

They are open daily from noon to 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday).