The original Rustic Inn Crabhouse began as a roadhouse saloon in Fort Lauderdale some 60 years ago. Over the years, the hole-in-the-wall has evolved to meet the demands for steamed crabs, seafood, and other popular dishes. Famous for its signature dish, garlic crabs, it has become a Fort Lauderdale staple.
Nestled on the banks of the Dania cut-off canal sits the Rustic Inn, which goes back to the days of sightseeing tours in the Florida Everglades. In those days, it was a small Italian restaurant, and the original owner, Hank, would often catch crabs behind the restaurant for himself. One day, he was eating some crab when a customer approached his table and asked, “Can we get some of those?” The crabs, served with garlic butter, soon became a popular menu item. The popularity grew for the shack on the canal. It didn’t have a name until one day, Hank was driving by an abandoned motel and noticed its discarded sign on the side of the road. He mounted the sign, and Rustic Inn became the name of his place. The original one-room bar has been expanded. You can perch at the original bar or grab a patio table by the Dania Canal.
As you might expect, the menu is very seafood-forward, although there are steak, burger, and rib options. Appetizers, priced in the $10-$20 range, run the gamut from the expected: oysters and clams, crab cakes, Key West shrimp, red or white clam chowder, to slightly more exotic, frog legs, alligator, conch salad, or chowder. Dinner salad options: garden, Caesar, and a wedge topped with lump crabmeat are in the $10-$20 range, and can be topped with a choice of grilled mahi-mahi, blackened chicken, or grilled shrimp for $11. There are two versions of lobster rolls: the hot version is drenched in garlic butter, the cold in a sour cream dill sauce. Both feature copious amounts of tender meat and are served with fries, coleslaw, and a pickle. I sampled the cold lobster roll and not only was the portion larger than I’ve found elsewhere in South Florida (I ate half of it with a fork before I could easily pick up the sandwich), but it was also one of the best.
Entrée options include local fresh fish, a variety of shrimp dishes, numerous platters of fried fish and shrimp, and a catch of the day, most priced in the $20-$30 range. There are also several surf and turf options, steaks, BBQ ribs, and pasta dishes. However, most folks come here for the crab dishes, whether they feature Blue, Dungeness, Queen, King, or combinations. Priced at $75 (or market), they are served with Rustic Inn’s signature garlic butter and parsley potatoes. You’ll see folks wearing plastic bibs, wielding wooden mallets, as they pound away and pick at fresh crab.
Lunch specials, available Monday through Friday, are reasonably priced at $16-$17. They include a fried seafood combo, half-rack of BBQ ribs, an enormous platter of peel-and-eat shrimp, or grilled mahi. Tuesday’s fish sandwich special is $10. The only high-priced lunch is Wednesday’s crab combo, but it includes both Dungeness and Queen crab clusters, crab cake, fries, and a soft drink for $36.
There is a surprisingly decent wine list, and there are tropical and frozen cocktails. If you have room for dessert, your options include carrot cake, peanut butter pie, mud pie, NY cheesecake, and a bargain-priced, yummy Key Lime pie. Service is friendly and efficient. It may be known to tourists, but Rustic Inn is a place that locals go back to repeatedly.
Rustic Inn Crabhouse
4331 Anglers Ave., Fort Lauderdale
954-842-2804
RusticInn.com
A Slice is Nice
Fort Lauderdale's kicking off the new year with something truly special, Pizza Fest at the Park, Feb. 7-8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Esplanade Park. Tickets include unlimited pizza from local pizzerias, live music, cooking classes, and drinks. Earlybird tickets are $26.75 at EventBrite.com.
