Hi everyone,

I've read through most of the posts here on the great recommendations for eating in Seattle.

There is one thing I thought I saw somewhere (either here or Chowhound) but I can't find it again.

i am planning a dinner for 4 New Zealanders in Seattle - and want them to have a true Pacific NW *fun* experience.

Is there a place where the seafood is dumped on the table and you crack the shells (crab, oysters etc) right there? It comes with little potatos and corn? Does this sound familiar? Is it GOOD food? or just kitchsy?

This is at the end of their one-week trip to the US, and they've already done lots of high end stuff, so they are looking for something fun and rowdy and different.

Thanks.

I can give you a couple of places in NJ... but we get fries dumped on the table with steamed blue claws and shrimp.

We've eaten at a place on the Seattle waterfront called the Crab Pot. Butcher block paper and the whole yummy mess dumped out on the table, with buckets to throw the shells, etc. in.

As I recall (why does wine make things so hazy...I love vacations!), the food was delicious and the atmosphere was lots of fun--perfect for tourists like us!

No offense to the previous poster, but I would be VERY suspicious of the Crab Pot. I've never heard of any Seattlite that's been there-it's a place only tourists go (locals even avoid that part of the waterfront-it's all tourist trap type places). If you go, just please don't think it's a "true PNW experience."

If you want a good seafood experience that actual Seattlites would do, I'd try to get a reservation for one of the few 4- tops at Matt's in the Market. That's definitely a Seattle place, with great seafood and a view. Getting Szechuan crab or whole fish with black bean sauce at Seven Stars Pepper in the International District would also be fantastic and a definite Seattle experience. If you can do lunch instead of dinner, I'd eat crab-steamed or cocktail-at Jack's Fish Spot in the Market.
I wonder if the salmon bbq at Tillicum Village would count as a fun, PNW experience. You might look at the website and see what you think.

We had several wonderful seafood dinners in Seattle(not rowdy) on first ave. :McCormick and Smiccls.paul

One of my co-workers recently went to Crab Pot with and at the request of out-of-town visitors. I'll ask him what he thought when I get to the office this morning.

Local reviews seem to to typify the Crab Pot as: expensive, variable quality.

I've not eaten there myself, but for local seafood -- given the expense -- I want consistent quality. For that reason alone, I'd probably never try the Crab Pot.

However, if good sloppy fun is your highest priority (trumping both cost and quality), it seems to be the place.

Fritzrl

The Crab Pot is not on anybody's list of best seafood restaurants, but if you want a bunch of seafood dumped in the middle of a table, it is probably the only restaurant in Seattle that will satisfy you.

Some good places for seafood in Seattle are The Waterfront, Anthony's Pier 66, Elliot's, Oceanaire, Flying Fish, Etta's, Ray's Boathouse, and those named above.

I love Jack's Fish Spot for lunch. The cioppino is great and so are the fish and chips and crab. Also like Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar.

I didn't say the Crab Pot was 'the best' or 'typical Seattle.' I said that it was a great place for tourists--reread my post! I stand by that--lots and lots of fun and the food was good (even to my touristy palate). When we were in Seattle, the last thing I wanted to do was dress up and go to a stuffy restaurant. I know good food and good seafood, and believe me, I've had worse than the Crab Pot--it sounds like what maxcaprica is looking for.

Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar in the Pike Place Market is an excellent suggestion. It is definitely not a stuffy fancy place by any stretch.

Tess, the original poster said he was looking for "a true PNW" experience. That is what those comments were refering to.

I am Australian and one my best food memories of the US is of having seafood with corn and potatoes dumped right on the table. Could not believe my eyes!

We had it in Texas, somewhere north of Port Isabel on the coast.

I think it sounds a great idea.

Clambake in the NE

Low country boil in the SE

Don't know what they call it in the NW, but fresh local shellfish prepared simply and dumped on newspaper "tablecloths" is "good eating" - no matter where you are (IMHO, of course)

christy1,
The poster also asked if there was a place where the food was dumped right on the table that was fun and rowdy. Sounds like the Crab Pot!

I think it is the "fresh local seafood" part of the equation we are all questioning, not the format (and a look at the online menu shows that much of the meal is coming frozen from Alaska)...but who knows, maybe it will be just the thing for them.

for a true NW experience I would head to one of the restaurants happytrails mentioned and order dungeoness crab legs or salmon. We don't really do the dump and eat here.

except not the Oceanaire, way overpriced and a midwest chain to boot.

Fisherman's on the warf has a crab platter that is meant to be shared. my dad always loved that when he came to visit.

Friday afternoon fromn Seattle:

I asked two coworkers both long time Seattle-ites & they both agreed the Crab Pot was lots of fun, a good value & that you got tons of seafood.

They also mentioned the big Long Island Ice Tea (cocktail) served in a glass milk bottle, and Amber Ale on tap for beer.

I am a local who had never been to the Crab Pot before and thought it was probably a tourist trap. Boy was I surprised! I was great food and lots of it for about $20. The seafood was fresh as were the vegetables. I would definitely take my family there.

I live in Seattle and have been to both The Crab Pot as well as Fisherman's on the waterfront. Both are good and have different options. The Crab Pot they do indeed dump the food on the table. It's a fun dinner and we have always had good food. Fisherman's has different platters with crab, shrimp, fish, etc. Once again we have always had good food and fun there as well. Both places also have good views of the Puget Sound.