Crack the shell on the Crabhouse’s history

By Francesca Abarca •

Tom and Natalie McCall, married Daytona Beach residents, first walked into Rustic Inn Crabhouse on Oct. 19. They were only in town for the Taylor Swift concert that night in Miami Gardens and heard about the “best seafood restaurant in South Florida” through a bookstore owner.

Rustic Inn Crabhouse is a traditional seafood restaurant that specializes in garlic crab.

“We wanted to sit outside because we like the boats and the scenery of the water and everything, but from the second we walked in, we smelled the ‘famous’ garlic crabs that everyone talks about,” Tom McCall said.

They have now fallen in love with fresh seafood and will return to the restaurant whenever they are in Fort Lauderdale.

“I would say that it’s just a relaxing, chill atmosphere. I’d say an old Florida feel-good, local historic place. You can hang out and have fun and just be casual, so we will definitely be back here,” Natalie McCall said.

On Dec. 15, 1955, it opened its doors for the first time on Anglers Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

Rose Martel, manager for 35 years, said that the main attraction of the restaurant is the interesting and comical history behind the now-famous seafood restaurant.

“It used to be a pizza restaurant by an Italian lady named Gina, where her main attraction was her beer-drinking giant pigs. When Gina finally wanted to sell her place to return to Italy, the original owner tried to buy it to convert it into a bar that had some freshly caught crabs from the canal,” Martel said.

The grandson of the original owner and assistant general manager, Gary Oreal, got into the food business because of his grandmother.

Oreal grandmother’s recipes were the original inspiration for the crab house that would come to be.

“I grew up eating my grandmother’s crabs. She would make them with the oil, the garlic and the spices. She would make them in pasta sauce with tomatoes and make crab sauce. It was her recipes that inspired me to join the family business to share her recipes with the world,” Oreal said.

The menu offers five different kinds of crab, including the blue crab and the Dungeness crab, which is the most expensive item on the menu. They also have other seafood items, including lobster and shrimp. For customers who are not big fans of seafood, the menu also includes steak and pasta.

Miramar resident, Karen Aguayo, who grew up coming to this restaurant, still visits with her daughter, Brielle Aguayo, who is the art director and photographer for The Current.

“I grew up coming here with my grandparents. My grandma was a big blue crab eater and, back in the day, it was all-you-can-eat for one price, so we would come and just get trays of crab. It’s such a historical place, and being that I got to share that with my grandparents is just so special to me and now I get to share with my family,” Karen Aguayo said.

Martel said that the decor takes one through the journey of the restaurant’s history that contributes to the family friendly environment that can be felt.

“The pictures allow you to be transported back to 1955 and see how much has changed since then. I love walking around and reminiscing,” Martel said.

The restaurant staff prides themselves on their family values and fresh-tasting food every day.

“We used to catch all the food locally in the canal but we still try to provide the freshest tasting food there can be,” Oreal said.

Customers like Tom McCall enjoy going to the restaurant for the food, as well as the history.

“All mom-and-pop seafood restaurants have the best food and are the most fun. We love learning more about local businesses,” McCall said.

For more information:
Location: 4331 Anglers Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
Phone: 954-842-2804
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, 12 to 9 p.m.
Visit rusticinn.com