Looking to eat Dungeness Crabs in Seattle. Any suggestions

[shipshape sam]

Going to Seattle for Alaskan cruise in late August.  Would like to enjoy some hardshell crabs.  Not sure there are Blue crabs, maybe just Dungeness crabs.  Any restaurants close to downtown Seattle that serves them?  Any suggestions are much appreciated.  🙂

[CruiserBruce]

Check Ivers.

[Gardyloo]

I would not be optimistic that you're going to find whole- or half-crab Dungeness on any restaurant menu.  I just checked Ivar's, Elliott's and Anthony's menus (all big Seattle waterfront restaurants) and it wasn't there.  However, you can get some (frozen) Alaska King Crab legs at Elliott's for the measly sum of $78 for a plate.  😲

 

The Puget Sound and much of the coastal Dungeness commercial fishery, like the King crab industry in Alaska, is mainly a winter harvest, so August isn't the right time to look for it.  Salmon, on the other hand, is plentiful and often at its cheapest in late summer.

 

If you DO find some Dungeness at the Pike Place market stalls, or at the (quite wonderful) Uwajimaya pan-Asian grocery/department store in the International District (a destination you should include anyway) then you might think about having the fishmonger clean the fish, then take it back to your hotel (assuming you're staying in one with a restaurant and room service) and having the hotel supply some nutcrackers, salad, some fresh bread, maybe melted butter, a bottle of nice wine and plenty of napkins, and just have a picnic in your room.  This is the definitive Seattle area "company's coming" dinner.  I've talked to a couple of area hotels and they said they'd be happy to provide this service.   This might make for an affordable crab dinner; certainly an enjoyable one.

[kaell116]

The Crab Pot on Alaskan Way should have some I am sure.

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 7/27/2019 at 7:08 AM, Gardyloo said:

I would not be optimistic that you're going to find whole- or half-crab Dungeness on any restaurant menu.  I just checked Ivar's, Elliott's and Anthony's menus (all big Seattle waterfront restaurants) and it wasn't there.  However, you can get some (frozen) Alaska King Crab legs at Elliott's for the measly sum of $78 for a plate.  😲

 

The Puget Sound and much of the coastal Dungeness commercial fishery, like the King crab industry in Alaska, is mainly a winter harvest, so August isn't the right time to look for it.  Salmon, on the other hand, is plentiful and often at its cheapest in late summer.

 

If you DO find some Dungeness at the Pike Place market stalls, or at the (quite wonderful) Uwajimaya pan-Asian grocery/department store in the International District (a destination you should include anyway) then you might think about having the fishmonger clean the fish, then take it back to your hotel (assuming you're staying in one with a restaurant and room service) and having the hotel supply some nutcrackers, salad, some fresh bread, maybe melted butter, a bottle of nice wine and plenty of napkins, and just have a picnic in your room.  This is the definitive Seattle area "company's coming" dinner.  I've talked to a couple of area hotels and they said they'd be happy to provide this service.   This might make for an affordable crab dinner; certainly an enjoyable one.

 

I really like Gardyloo's idea of having your own feast.  Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner (11 people) is exactly what Gardyloo described: Dungeness cracked crab, salad, bread, drawn butter and lots of wine/champagne!  Way back, before Dungeness was readily available in supermarkets, our family would go to Pike Place Market early on Christmas Eve morning and go to Jack's Seafoods and buy our crab there, along with the salad fixings and bread from Three Girls Bakery.

 

If  you do decide to have your own picnic would need nutcrackers and at least the small cocktail forks to pull out the crabmeat.  It can be a bit messy, so even having the little moist towelettes (and lots of paper towels) would be helpful, along with a plastic bag to discard the shell remains that you can seal up.

An alternative might be finding a supermarket that just sells the crabmeat ($25 lb or so), but might be worth it.

I kinda wish locals like Gardyloo /me could just show you!

[shipshape sam]

Thanks to all the great ideas, especially out of the box ideas!  

 

Will do some homework on this over the next week or two.  I can throw in a cracker and probe I have into my luggage.  Actually never eaten crabs dipped with butter.  Ours were always with Old Bay seasoning and just crack them and eat the meat, even though butter or butter oil was/is available.  I like idea of bread and butter and wine and napkins 🙂

 

 

 Hope to get some Halibut once in Alaska.

 

Again Thanks!!

[West Coast Gal]

Cutter's Restaurant has whole steamed Dungeness crab, it is at the north end of Pike Place Market

[shipshape sam]

12 hours ago, West Coast Gal said:

Cutter's Restaurant has whole steamed Dungeness crab, it is at the north end of Pike Place Market

 

Thanks,  will check it out online.

[Gardyloo]

13 hours ago, West Coast Gal said:

Cutter's Restaurant has whole steamed Dungeness crab, it is at the north end of Pike Place Market

Cutter's menu says "market price," so I just phoned them and it's available at lunch or dinner for $66.00.  I also phoned Uwajimaya and they have Dungies at $12.99/lb., with the average fish coming in around $20 - $25.  In season, the price will usually be around $7/lb, sometimes as low as $5 or $6 if it's a good year.  For eating at home (or at a hotel) a 2-lb crab will feed 2 if you're not very hungry.  

Edited July 30, 2019 by Gardyloo

[Diggerof4]

Not sure if this will help, but I You Tube "Pikes Market" and there were a couple of places on there.  Just play around with it. I learned a lot from the ones that did an all day food adventure there.  

 

[fastpitchdad]

Any QFC (local Kroger grocery store) will have fresh cooked Dungeness for 9.99/lb or less and they will clean it for you. Just buy some whole crabs and have a picnic somewhere or if your hotel has a kitchenette you can steam them in any pot with corn on the bottom and a can of beer. Dungeness taste a lot like blues except that you don't need to eat 30 of them at a sitting. 

Edited August 3, 2019 by fastpitchdad

[shipshape sam]

On 8/2/2019 at 7:03 PM, Diggerof4 said:

Not sure if this will help, but I You Tube "Pikes Market" and there were a couple of places on there.  Just play around with it. I learned a lot from the ones that did an all day food adventure there.  

 

Will check it out!  Thanks.

 

You would think a fish market would sell cooked crabs.  Have bought many of them at Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran and then found a place to sit close by and just eat them.  

[shipshape sam]

On 8/3/2019 at 7:20 PM, fastpitchdad said:

Any QFC (local Kroger grocery store) will have fresh cooked Dungeness for 9.99/lb or less and they will clean it for you. Just buy some whole crabs and have a picnic somewhere or if your hotel has a kitchenette you can steam them in any pot with corn on the bottom and a can of beer. Dungeness taste a lot like blues except that you don't need to eat 30 of them at a sitting. 

 

 

Do you happen to know if there is a Kroger or similar downtown.  Previous post about fish market is interesting too.  For sure more meat in Dungeness.  Blue crabs if full are great too!

 

My Dad and I had an annual rite of going to crab feast and watching and enjoying a football game each year while eating crabs.  Blue crabs took longer, thus we  watched the whole game. 🙂

 

 

[Gardyloo]

2 hours ago, shipshape sam said:

 

 

Do you happen to know if there is a Kroger or similar downtown.  Previous post about fish market is interesting too.  For sure more meat in Dungeness.  Blue crabs if full are great too!

 

My Dad and I had an annual rite of going to crab feast and watching and enjoying a football game each year while eating crabs.  Blue crabs took longer, thus we  watched the whole game. 🙂

 

 

Where are you staying?  

[shipshape sam]

1 hour ago, Gardyloo said:

Where are you staying?  

Downtown.  I am not sure of hotel.  DW has that info.  I think we are 3-5 blocks from Fish Market.

[yogi2929]

Across from Pike Market, near the Original Starbucks are several fish mongers that’ll steam up Dungeness crab.  Market Price.  No where near a fine dining experience but very good food.  

[Gardyloo]

You can see if there are any Dungeness at the Pike Place Fish Market (where they famously fling the fish) on its webcam  - https://www.livebeaches.com/webcams/pike-place-fish-market-live-cam/

 

Any fishmonger in Seattle will clean the crab for you (which you want, or else hours later the stink will drive you from the room) but of course you'll pay the per-pound price before they've done so.  Figure around a 20% loss in weight, i.e. a 2-lb crab will end up around 1 1/2 lbs wrapped.  If you plan to picnic, be sure to get some nutcrackers and little forks for picking the crab out of the shells, and plenty of napkins or a roll of paper towels - it's not a tidy meal.

[fastpitchdad]

20 hours ago, shipshape sam said:

 

 

Do you happen to know if there is a Kroger or similar downtown.  Previous post about fish market is interesting too.  For sure more meat in Dungeness.  Blue crabs if full are great too!

 

My Dad and I had an annual rite of going to crab feast and watching and enjoying a football game each year while eating crabs.  Blue crabs took longer, thus we  watched the whole game. 🙂

 

 

 

There are several QFCs in and around town...you could do a search then you arrive and give them a call. The Market works as well but the crabs will just be more expensive (~$15.99/lb vs $10/lb). I am not a big fan of the Crab Pot because their crabs usually taste like they were frozen but my kids love it because they dump everything on the table like in our home crab pot picture above. The Fisherman at the end of the same pier offers something similar as well. You can also get fresh Dungeness in Juneau (you can't get fresh king) if that is one of your stops. 

[crzndeb]

14 hours ago, yogi2929 said:

Across from Pike Market, near the Original Starbucks are several fish mongers that’ll steam up Dungeness crab.  Market Price.  No where near a fine dining experience but very good food.  

Just a small fact...it’s not really the original Starbucks, but the original is no longer there, so this one brings in the tourists.

 

The first Starbucks store was located in Seattle at 2000 Western Avenue from 1971–1976. This cafe was later moved to 1912 Pike Place.^[22] During this time, the company only sold roasted whole coffee beans and did not yet brew coffee to sell.^[23] During their first year of operation, they purchased green coffee beans from Peet's,^[24] then began buying directly from growers.^[

[shipshape sam]

11 hours ago, Gardyloo said:

You can see if there are any Dungeness at the Pike Place Fish Market (where they famously fling the fish) on its webcam  - https://www.livebeaches.com/webcams/pike-place-fish-market-live-cam/

 

Any fishmonger in Seattle will clean the crab for you (which you want, or else hours later the stink will drive you from the room) but of course you'll pay the per-pound price before they've done so.  Figure around a 20% loss in weight, i.e. a 2-lb crab will end up around 1 1/2 lbs wrapped.  If you plan to picnic, be sure to get some nutcrackers and little forks for picking the crab out of the shells, and plenty of napkins or a roll of paper towels - it's not a tidy meal.

If I can buy a steamed/cook crab, I will be very happy.  I know how to clean and eat them.  I do plan to bring a small cracker and prong/fork.  Will also make sure I have some wipes/napkins and my wine opener.  I will drink craft beers, but will need some wine/cheese and crackers for DW if we go this way for dinner.  Might try it for lunch as we arrive in Seattle around 10 am the day prior to sailing.  Will look up Fishmonger to see what they offer.   Thanks!

[kaell116]

On 8/6/2019 at 11:42 AM, fastpitchdad said:

 

There are several QFCs in and around town...you could do a search then you arrive and give them a call. The Market works as well but the crabs will just be more expensive (~$15.99/lb vs $10/lb). 

 

The closest QFC to downtown is this one:

 

https://www.qfc.com/stores/details/705/00881

 

the next closest is on capitol hill

 

https://www.qfc.com/stores/details/705/00887