The Rustic Inn

Price: $$$$$
Atmosphere: 3 of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5


I’ve covered all kinds of dishes so far on this blog, but I think the one edible ecstasy I haven’t touched on yet is seafood. Why, you ask? Well, I’m not a real big seafood eater. In fact, I’m not too big on fish at all, save the occasional Mahi taco.

Shellfish, on the other hand, I tend to enjoy. Especially crab. Crab to me is the steak of the sea. I know I know, most folk say that about lobster. While I do enjoy lobster, I just crab to have more of a meat consistency and just more flavorful.

The thing is though, crab is expensive. And if I’m going to eat it (or at least pay to eat it), it better be of the top quality crab. Also, crab can be difficult to get at, especially for a novice such as myself. I smash and crack for that little taste of meat, but that’s a lot of work for a little pay off. So as I said, it better be worth my effort.

Welcome to The Rustic Inn, my friends. A South Florida staple (nay, icon) for over 50 years, if you’re going to eat crab I strongly suggest you do so here. This is my wife’s favorite restaurant, and in her first trimester when she was nauseas at the thought of ANY food, this was the one thing she could scarf down and feel totally at peace and somewhat normal.

These people do crab right. In fact, they do all kinds of seafood right. My usual favorite is the ‘All Hands on Deck Platter’, which is a ½ rack of their tangy BBQ ribs, a good size bowl of peel and eat garlic shrimp, a cluster of decadent Alaskan Queen Crab (the easiest to crack and eat, next to King), a boat of these awesomely crunchy potato wedges and the sweetest cornbread you’re gonna find dining out. All this for $26.99, and you don’t leave the table hungry.

The main attraction is my wife’s usual, and I’ve attempted to tackle it a few times myself: The Crab Sampler (That picture up above with the cafeteria tray covered in 1/3 of the ocean’s creatures). This is I don’t know how many pounds of crab, but it comes with their famous garlic crabs, golden crabs, Alaskan queen, and Dungeness crab, plus parsley potatoes.

It’s an insane amount of food. I don’t order it because honestly, it’s just too much for me. My wife and her sister however knock this thing back like it was an appetizer to the ACTUAL Sampler.

But about the flavor: Man. This is top of the line crab. The garlic crabs (note: you MUST be a garlic lover, as this is some potent shellfish) are sweet and pungent with that herby-buttery-garlicky love. The queen is well, just the meatiest, creamiest crab you can get on this tray. The goldens are a nice palette cleanser from the garlic, and everything is so fresh it’s like you were eating on the beach.
It’s a ton of food, and this particular dish is ‘Market Price’ (which means if you need to ask, you probably shouldn’t be eating here). After all, great seafood isn’t cheap my friend. But as I’ve said before, you get what you pay for.

The environment is a child’s dream: It’s loud. It’s packed. You get to destroy things with a mallet. And if you’re prone to headaches, be advised: This is a birthday hotspot. Why does that matter? Because they announce your birthday over the loud speaker and as is tradition, EVERYONE in the restaurant slams the bajeeus out of the table with their crab hammers for about a minute each time.

It’s not a romantic night out, for sure. But it IS a ‘grab a couple friends, head down, have a brew, nosh a crustacean or 15, and just have a good time’ night out. Get there early: they fill up quickly. So bring your wallet, grab some Advil, and don’t forget your appetite.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

The Rustic Inn
4331 Ravenswood Road
Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 33312
954-584-1637
http://www.rusticinn.com/