Restaurant Review: King Crab in the Midway District

King Crab
3960 W. Point Loma Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110
619-269-0800

By Judi Curry

Ever since COVID hit, many favorite restaurants have closed, and many new ones have opened.  And even some of the new ones have closed.

I have been watching the space where Soup Plantation used to be, wondering what might go in there since it seems that buffets are a thing of the past.  So when my daughter Michele and I stepped into King Crab it was almost like déjà vu – but not quite.

The large buffet tables in the center of the room were gone, and it was a big open space, but the table set-up is almost the same as the previous restaurant.  And all similarities stop there.  Let’s start with the most intriguing menu I have seen in a long time.

There are 10 appetizers listed beginning with Hushpuppies! And next are spring rolls, fried calamari, chicken wings, etc.  You have to read a little bit further to come up with the fish products – Shrimp cocktail, raw oysters, steamed oysters, and “bang bang shrimp!”  Interested yet?

The next item on the menu is entitled, “Get Your Hands Dirty”, which blew us away.  There are 3 steps – pick your catch, pick your seasoning, and pick your spicy level.  You have your choice of 13 items, including crabs, lobster, scallops, shrimp, crawfish, mussels and/or clams.

But this is where we had to rely on our fantastic server – Rafa – for directions, because you order what you want by the pound! He must have thought we were real dummies, because we kept asking questions about that section of the menu.

Bang, bang shrimp

I personally do not like hot crab; I prefer it cold.  So I asked him what item was cold crab.  And this was the mind blower – there isn’t any.

He explained to us that the fish entrees were first put in a water bath and then put in plastic bags. They add whatever sauce you have chosen and finish it off in the bag.  As my daughter said, it is the strangest thing to see when they bring this huge steamed bag to your table.

They offer three salads and two soups – clam chowder and gumbo, but a variety of side dishes.  There are daily specials and combo specials as well.

There is a nice wine offering; many boba tea’s; a limited kids menu; sandwiches, fried fish, etc.

I do not think that I have ever asked as many questions as I did of Rafa in any restaurant before.  He was delightful in his answers, and made some excellent suggestions.  Michele and I were very grateful for his help.

Clam Chowder

So what did we have?  We decided to do some “grazing” – which was fun and delicious.  We started out with Clam Chowder – $7.50 – and it was not served in a bowl.  It was served in a cardboard container, but a good quality one.  At first Michele was reluctant to taste it because it had a green tint to it and she was afraid it had split peas in it – which she cannot eat. However, she did taste it and said it was delicious.  (She was right! I had a few spoonfuls and I would like their recipe!)

We went from the soup to ten Hushpuppies ($4.50) that were served with a tasty sauce.  We also had an order of 3 spring rolls ($4.50) that were crispy and hot.  They also were very good.  Grazing is so much fun!

Hushpuppies

We ordered their “Bang, bang shrimp” ($12) that had a lot of shrimp on the plate as well as a side order of rice that was drenched in the most delicious sauce we had had in a long time.  We finished up the dinner with a half-pound order of scallops, which was served in the steamed bag with a potato and small corn on the cob.

I have to say that when I heard how it was cooked I was very reluctant to order it.  The idea of it being cooked in a water bath was not very appealing to me, but I wanted to try something from that part of the menu, and since scallops is my favorite shell fish, I went for it.  I was not disappointed, and I would order it again.  They were sweet, tasty, and plentiful.  It was listed at $32 a pound, and I received at least $16 worth of scallops.

Fried calamari

Along with all the food, we were given bibs to wear; gloves to wear; and the food was served on paper plates.  As I have stated earlier – I was very skeptical of how things were prepared and served, at first, but the meal was delicious and there is no question about going back again.  I would reorder everything that we had to eat because everything was that good.

I also want to say that when I do a review I never introduce myself. Neither Rafa nor Jennie, the manager, knew that I was doing a review and their service was extraordinary.  I watched them both interact with other diners, and it was delightful to see.  They took their time to explain the menu to the diners and because it was the first time for so many of us, I would imagine that they could get very tired saying the same thing over and over.  But the smiles and explanations were welcome, and I think that this new restaurant will be a success. Try it.

And don’t be afraid to ask your questions.  You’ll like it.