Why Brooklyn Crab Is Perfect For A Summer Afternoon In New York

If you’re looking for a fun, beachy, seafood shack with strong cocktails, mini-golf and corn hole; look no further than Brooklyn Crab.

This split level, indoor-outdoor, slat board crab shack complete with white-washed wood and lobster pots hanging from the ceiling would not be out of place in a seaside town in New England. Instead it’s putting industrial Red Hook on the map for something other than Ikea.

It might not be on the water, but you see it from the top deck and that’s good enough for us.

The atmosphere at Brooklyn Crab is pretty chaotic and there are confusing rules about what you can eat and drink, where and when. There’s a roof-deck, a patio, a below deck bar, a main bar and a beer garden. And the wait for a table can be long.

But hey, we’re in Red Hook! And we got a ferry here! And there’s mini golf! What more could you ask for?

What to order:

The food is what makes Brooklyn Crab special. Obviously there is crab. Lots and lots of crab. Blue crab, King crab, Dungeness crab, Snow crab, crab cakes, crab claws.

It’s fresh, simple and all the more satisfying once you’ve donned your plastic bib and wrangled with crackers and picks to extract juicy, white meat from slippery shells.

The Brooklyn Crab Royale is a great choice if you’re struggling to order and don’t know your Dungeness from your Alaskan King

This platter of an assortment of crab and a 1.25lb Maine Lobster all swimming in garlic butter with sides of sweet corn on the cob and coleslaw is hard to beat.

The appetisers are all solid, including crispy calamari, popcorn shrimp, cajun peel n’ eat shrimp and delicious pei mussels in a garlic and white wine sauce.

All-in-all, Brooklyn Crab is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon either with a group of friends or a date. Order a round of frozen margaritas, a big ol’ steam-pot of crab and remember just how great summer is in the city.

Who needs Cape Cod?!