mmm-yoso!!! is an online diary of food/meals consumed and then recorded for all time here; a blog. Kirk is on vacation (eating a cuisine I have not blogged about since before April 21) and ed(from Yuma) is in Yuma (and not blogging) and today, Cathy is blogging.
Hi. We were back in Mission Valley and hungry. The shopping malls were way too crowded and The Mister (suddenly) declared he had a taste for fried seafood. Even though my favorite place for fried seafood is Crab Hut , I stopped here.
Joe's Crab shack. A chain. Consistent food (and noise levels) and never disappointing.
All the tables have a hole in the middle, with a bucket for your scraps. The roll of paper towels are so necessary. Salt and pepper are the main condiments, others are brought out to go with your food. Pretty much all the food is served in galvanized or camping enameled pieces. 
We ordered (your Waiter/Waitress usually sits down at your table to take your order…part of the 'atmosphere) and soon my cup of New England style clam chowder ($3.49)showed up. This was excellent. It did not need any seasoning, had small cubes of carrot, potato and celery in it and a really nice clam flavor. Not so creamy that your mouth got a coating from the soup.
The Mister wanted the calamari appetizer ($7.69). This was done so very nicely. The breading did have a cajun spice in it, was very light, but with corn meal and the squid was *very* tender. There's a marinara in the center of that bucket. It was a good, plain (not spicy) tomato base.
The Mister ordered a "Seaside" platter ($15.79). Scallops, shrimp and fish. Each battered lightly, differently and fried perfectly. You can taste the seafood instead of the batter. It was done right. Served with crispy, skin on fries and a lightly dressed cole slaw.
We got the onion strings as a side dish add on ($2.79). These were so delicately breaded and fried and still the onion was tasty and thick enough to be tasted. I really liked this version.
In an attempt to eat healthy, I ordered the crab cake Caesar ($11.19), with regular Caesar salad dressing (instead of the chipotle Caesar as on the menu). The dressing was not overwhelmingly garlic. The salad had a corn/red pepper/onion sort of salsa and a lot of the corn chip strips, for a crunch. The crab cake was *excellent*. I could taste the crab, a light dressing and light spice-no binder. It was so lightly fried, just enough to impart some heat and give a very very might crispiness to the crust.
Since the restaurant has "crab" in the name, I did think it would be good and was extremely happy with this crab cake. Next time, I will have the crab cake plate with a side salad and stop playing games.
This chain is known for the loud music, waiters breaking into a line dance for an overhead song and alcoholic beverages. We got one iced tea ($2.49) and water to drink. (I'll save you the math: The total bill was $47.24, with no alcohol). The food here was very good. I do like going to more local places when I can and Crab Hut is just as good, if not better…
Joe's Crab Shack 7610 Hazard Center Drive San Diego 92108 (619)574-8617 Website