LOGAN SQUARE — Prepare to get messy, say the owners of a newly opened seafood spot in Logan Square.
The Crab Pad, which opened quietly in late July, is the city's latest seafood-in-a-bag joint following in the footsteps of The Angry Crab, Lowcountry, Brown Bag Seafood Company and Mad Boiler.
It is the first restaurant of its kind in Logan Square and is in the former Boustan Mediterranean Cafe at 2529 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Similar to those other restaurants, the menu is broken down into choices of seafood, which are ordered by the pound.
Customers then choose a seasoning, how spicy they want their boil and any add-ons such as rice, corn or potatoes.
The seafood choices include crawfish, whole shrimp, mussels, clams, three types of crabs and more.
There are also a number of appetizers including fries, wings, chicken tenders and calamari.
There are no plates: Rather the orders come out in a bag and are spilled out on the table, which is covered in a fresh sheet of white paper.
"It's going to get messy, some come preparing for that," said Andrew Nguyen, who opened the restaurant with co-owner Theresa Tran.
One element the owners hope make The Crab Pad stand out is the including of an ice cream bar inside the shop.
They partnered with their friends from San Jose, Milk and Wood, who are running the ice cream.
Customers pick a flavored popsicle, drizzle it with a toping such as white chocolate and then pick toppings to coat it such as mixed nuts or Oreo crumbs.
The Crab Pad is BYOB and open from 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 3-10 p.m. Saturdays, and 3-9 p.m. Sundays.
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