By Jeanni Ritchie
It was my first visit to a Fiery Crab. The popular Louisiana chain has over 20 locations across the state, as well as a store in Texas and in California. Known for their Cajun-style, “juicy” seafood with a secret handcrafted sauce, the chain that started in Lafayette continues to make waves across the state.
I joined my son and his family for my granddaughter’s 16th birthday dinner, a meal laden with plates, shells, and lots of moistened wipes!
We’d gone early — about a quarter til 3 — so I opted for a smaller lunch shrimp basket with fries. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of my shrimp and happily dipped them into chilled cocktail sauce. My basket also came with a side of fries and complimentary hush puppies and crab salad.
I barely made a dent in my basket, already filled on the delicious crab rangoons Cody had ordered. He and Amanda tried unsuccessfully to convince Novalee and me to try the charbroiled oysters. You’ll have to take their word that they were delicious!
The Fiery Crab menu leans heavily into customizable seafood boils, where diners choose their seasoning and spice level before digging into generous portions of shrimp, crab, and crawfish paired with corn, potatoes, sausage, and mushrooms.
This is what the rest of the table ordered. One spicy, one mild — they enjoyed the juiciest platters of seafood and sides I’ve ever seen.
Signature specials like the Shrimp Special, Blue Crab Special, and Crawfish Special offer ready-made combinations, while larger options such as the House Platter and Family Feast are designed for sharing.
We share food in our family, no matter what size it is! Our fingers find their way into each other’s plates, thankful there’s not a Joey Tribbiani in our midst. Joey doesn’t share food!
For those not in the mood to peel and crack, the menu also includes fried seafood baskets, po’boys, pasta dishes, shrimp fried rice, calamari, oysters, crab cakes, chicken tenders and more.
Dessert options are delicious — beignets, cheesecake, and chocolate cake. What better way to top off spicy seafood than with a little sugar!
Fiery Crab is located at 2421 S. MacArthur Drive in Alexandria, Louisiana. The restaurant can be reached by phone at (318) 321-1718, and more information is available online at fierycrab.com.
Hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
