A poor display of manners is encouraged when eating a seafood boil, which are typically served in Louisana (and across the Gulf coast, where all that succulent seafood is caught) at big backyard parties during the summer.
The Cajun dish is made by boiling buckets-full of seafood in flavored broth, then dousing them with butter and spices like Old Bay. A cob of corn and a few potatoes are usually thrown in for good measure. Then you dump your seafood boil onto a table covered in plastic.Diners eat with their hands and lick buttery sauce off their fingers. Bibs are worn. Hand wipes are required for cleanup.
So, yes, you'll have to get dirty to enjoy a seafood boil. And you'll be glad you did.
Luckily, we need not travel to the deep south or attend a big party to enjoy a seafood boil.
Here are North Jersey restaurants that specialize in the Cajun cuisine. Many have adapted the bucket-to-table ritual by serving seafood boils in plastic bags, which contain all the flavorful juices, spices and butter. Shake it up to make sure everything is well coated, then dump it out onto your plate.
Cap't Loui, Fort Lee
The meal to get at Fort Lee's branch of this national seafood chainis the boiler bag. You might feel as if you're on the banks of the Mississippi at a down-and-dirty fish market when handed one of Cap't Loui’s translucent plastic bags full of bright red crawfish, crab legs and more, swimming in spicy sauce.
Each boiler bag comes with your choice of seafood —among your optionsare shrimp, mussels orlobster. Then fries or garlic noodles are addedto the bag, plus an earof corn and a baked potato(prices vary). The cooks will toss your picks into a bag, along withmild, medium, hot or extra hot sauce. Put onyour provided (and necessary) plastic gloves and bib and dig in.
Go: 210 Main St., Fort Lee; 201-461-7080;captloui.com.
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Shaking Crab, Clifton
The name says it all at this fast-casual Cajun restaurant. Shaking crabs is exactly what you'll be doing when you ordera boil,which comes in a plastic bag full of garlic, butter, spices and herbs that need to be shakento coat your poached seafood. Options include whole Dungeness crab, Alaskan King crab legs, whole lobster and shrimp with or without their heads (prices vary). Add in corn, sausage, a baked potato or quail egg and pick your sauce.
Go:1168 Broad St., Clifton;862-225-9996, shakingcrab.com/clifton.
Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar, Kearny, Elmwood Park, West Orange, Bayonne, Englewood
National franchise Hook & Reel has several locations in North Jersey, with another opening soon in Jersey City. Its most popular dish is the customizable seafood boil. Choose from six sauces — original cajun, plain, garlic butter, Old Bay dry rub, lemon pepper or Hook & Reel's special blend — to mix with your choice of seafood. For indecisive folks, the restaurant also offers predesigned combos. Each boil comes with a side of corn and potatoes (prices vary).
Go: 200 Passaic Ave., Kearny;201-628-2996.495 Prospect Ave., West Orange; 862-520-5305.100 Broadway, Elmwood Park;201-367-1858.50 Bayonne Crossing Way, Bayonne;201-75-6719.45 Nathaniel Pl., Englewood;201-569-8888,hookreel.com.
Crab Island Cajun Seafood & Bar, Clifton
The boils at Crab Island come chock-full of clams, crawfish, mussels, shrimp (with or without heads), lobster tail and snow leg crabs — whatever you please. Pick a spice level and let the sauce do the rest (prices vary).
Go: 1016 Main Ave., Clifton;973-955-2911,crabislandcajunseafood.com.
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Jack's Seafood Shack, Montclair
Though known mainly for its lobster rolls, Jack's Seafood Shack also offers seafood boils rich with butter and spice. Like it hot? The Angry Seafood includes1 1/4-pound Maine lobster, shrimp, clams and mussels in a spicy jalapeno garlic sauce, served with corn and potatoes ($45). If a mild tang is more your speed, perhaps opt for the crab pot, a half-pound of Dungeness, half-pound of snow crab legs, mussels, shrimp, clams, sausage, potatoes and corn with butter and Old Bay($44.95).
Go: 718 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair;973-893-5283,jacksseafoodshacknj.com.
Joe's Crab Shack, Clifton
From the outside, Joe's Crab Shack looks like a beachy waterside restaurant that was transplanted to a strip mall on Route 3. Along with plenty of crispy fish, fried shrimp and firm crab legs, Joe's offers steam pots of seafood. Try the classic mussels,clams, shrimp andgarlic seasoning, with garlic bread ($29.89); or the Atlantic Steampot with snow crab, cold water lobster claws, shrimp, smoked sausage and garlic broth seasoned with Old Bay ($43.46).
Go:405 Allwood Road, Clifton;973-777-5114,joescrabshack.com.
Boiling Cajun Seafood, Paterson
Look for the bright yellow sign of this bare-bones seafood boil joint. Customize your boil with the usual suspects: snow crab legs, crawfish, mussels, lobster tail and more.
Go: 1139 Main St., Paterson; 862-336-1788,boilingcajunseafood.com.
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KungFu Crab, Wallington
Expect your choice of crabto be poached in a special blend of spicesand served in a bag with plenty of flavorful sauce (tangy Louisiana-style, slightly sweet lemon pepper with cilantro and live, spicy house Cajun and more). The more you shake, the more coated the crab gets in finger-licking-good sauce.
Go: 209 Paterson Ave., Wallington;973-815-1888,kungfucrab.com.
Sizzlin Seafood, Bogota
Succulent shrimp, sweetcorn and tender red potatoes are marinated in heavily spiced butter to created Sizzlin Seafood's shrimp foil boil ($19.99 for 12 pieces of shrimp). For something a bit more varied, opt for the Cajun boil, lobster tail, crab clusters, five shrimp, five mussels, five clams, red potato and corn on the cob ($49.99).
Go: 64 West Main St., Bogota;201-880-0566,sizzlinseafoodtogo.com.
Hi Good Stuff, Clifton
This humble Clifton seafood spot has a hodgepodge menu of wings, hibachi and, of course, seafood boil. About $14 will get you a lunch special of boiled shrimp, crawfish, green mussels or black mussels. All are served with corn and potato. Boiled seafood combos are also available:shrimp, lobster, crab, sausage and more, served with a boiled egg, corn and potato (prices vary).
Go:603 Van Houten Ave., Clifton;973-777-7778, no website.
Rebecca King is a food writer for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, pleasesubscribe todayand sign up forourNorth Jersey Eats newsletter.
Email:kingr@northjersey.com
Twitter:@rebeccakingnj
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