The Kickin’ Crab Serves Cajun Seafood Boils and Appetizers in Olivette

A casual southern California-based seafood chain recently opened a location in Olivette, Missouri, bringing its signature Cajun comfort food to the St. Louis area. The Kickin’ Crab debuted its first Midwest location on Sept. 26, featuring bagged seafood boils and a variety of appetizers.

The franchise location is owned by Tri Nguyen. According to Kickin’ Crab manager Virgil Valmonte, The Kickin’ Crab was founded in 2010 and currently has 20 locations in California, Texas and, now, St. Louis.

“The Kickin’ Crab is a seafood house featuring an Asian interpretation of Cajun cuisine,” Valmonte says. “Our style of food is a really unique fusion.”

The Kickin’ Crab fills an approximately 2,400-square-foot space, with 96 seats throughout a modern dining room bathed in colorful neon lights. Aquatic-themed décor covers every wall, and the tables come topped with a sheet of wax paper so guests can have a hands-on dining experience.

From the menu, choose from top-selling appetizers such as garlic noodles with Cajun grilled shrimp; fried fish tacos with white fish, pico and taco sauce on corn tortillas; and fried jumbo shrimp with Cajun fries, served with cocktail sauce. Coconut sea snails are a unique offering with wild-caught baby snails, coriander, lemongrass and coconut cream.

Seafood in a bag is available priced per pound or as mix-and-match combos with corn, potatoes and sausages. Choose from options such as clams, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, dungeness crab, lobster, king crab legs and snow crab legs. Six garlic butter-based seasonings such as Cajun and lemon-pepper are available in five different spice levels.

“Seafood boils are what we’re known for,” Valmonte says. “We’ve sold a lot of snow crab at this location compared to some of the California locations, so we’ve created specials for people who want to come in for lunch and not have to order a large amount of food.”

The Kickin’ Crab also offers two soups: clam chowder and KC gumbo with chicken-pork sausages, shrimp, corn, celery, okra, tomato and bell peppers. Plate options include KC tilapia as well as seafood alfredo pasta with fettuccine, scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels and house alfredo sauce. To drink, choose from Coke products, strawberry or lime frozen Margaritas, bottled beer, sake, soju and Micheladas.

The Kickin’ Crab is open daily from noon to 10pm.

The Kickin’ Crab, 9616 Olive Blvd., Olivette, Missouri, 314.888.8688, thekickincrab.com

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