HOuRS: MONDAy THROuGH FRIDAy 2:00 PM – 10:30 PM • SATuRDAy – SuNDAy 1:00 PM – 10:30 PM Dungeness Crabs, King Crab Legs, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, and of course, Crawfish. Oysters on the half shell are also available. All of the boils are sold by the pound at market prices, which are posted near the bar. Side orders include corn cobbettes, red potatoes, rice, pork sausages, and garlic noodles. In addition to these choices, there are over a dozen appetizers available, several of which also qualify as entrees. Examples of these include Fish & Chips (made with catfish); Chicken Strips and fries; and a fried Shrimp Basket with fries. Beverages include an assortment of draft and bottled beers, sodas, lemonades and iced teas. An intriguing alcoholic drink, Saketinis—the Rockin’ Crawfish’s version of a Martini but made with Sake—is also available in five different fruity flavors. On our first visit, my guest and I were promptly greeted by our server, Adriana. She showed us to our table, provided menus, and brought us water. Even before we looked at the menu, she offered a very comprehensive explanation of the various offerings. Sensing my apprehension about the crawfish, she recommended several appetizer options for us to try, and then left us to decide what we wanted to order. While we perused the menu, we were somewhat distracted and intrigued by the very interesting interior décor of Rockin’ Crawfish. The restaurant is large, with table, booth, and bar seating for close to 100 guests. All tables are covered with white butcher paper, each equipped with a roll of paper towels. There are 10 large screen Tv’s mounted behind the bar and around the dining area, tuned to various channels. There are brick walls and walls made from wood resembling old fence planks, and all are thoroughly tagged (i.e. decorated with graffiti) by design. Even the booth seats are tagged, as are the walls in the bathrooms. Guests are welcome to add their own special ANNA AND PETER FRIED SHRIMP APPETIZER artwork or messages with colorful Sharpies provided by the servers! various neon beer signs mounted around the dining area supplement the recessed lighting and the natural light from the large front windows. you’ll also find a real phone booth, a fire hydrant, a guitar and a stoplight, in addition to an aquarium tank with live Dungeness crabs awaiting their fate. Assorted beer cans decorate the overhang above the bar, and another wall in the dining area is covered with metal license plates. Most notable is a wonderful handpainted mural that spans the entire length of the right wall as you enter the restaurant, depicting large, frolicking crawfish against the backdrop of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and skyline. (No tagging allowed on the mural!) Suffice to say that there is no shortage of visual stimulation at Rockin’ Crawfish! When Adriana returned, we ordered a bowl of gumbo and the Fried Shrimp Basket with waffle fries from the appetizer menu. Within minutes, our food was delivered to our table. Our gumbo was served with a side of rice, although it can also be served mixed in with the soup. The gumbo included shrimp, pork sausage, crab, celery, okra, and onions, and we had a choice of spice levels ranging from original spice to very hot (volcano). We ordered mild spice, and it was plenty spicy for both of us! The gumbo was delicious and very filling. The shrimp basket included nine large, breaded and crisply fried shrimp, and a generous serving of large, thick, waffle fries. The shrimp were plump and tasty, and neither the shrimp nor the waffle fries were at all greasy or oily. As we were finishing our meal, Adriana returned to ask if we wanted to try one of the boils. Although we were quite full, she offered to sell us a half pound of whatever we wanted, versus a full pound. So we decided to try the boiled shrimp (with heads off!) All of the boils are available with either Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Garlic Butter, or the Rockin’ Combo, a blend of both seasonings, which is what we chose. Our shrimp was served in a black disposable plastic serving dish, and inside was a plastic bag the shrimp and seasonings. We emptied the bag into the dish to find nine boiled peel-and-eat shrimp in a red sauce that smelled wonderfully garlicky. Adriana brought us plastic bibs to wear while we ate our shrimp, which were appreciated since
Contra Costa Marketplace - April 2016
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