This is our go to for garlic Dungeness crabs. We have tried the different varieties of crab on the menu and have always landed (no pun) back on the dungeness for how much meat they yield. Also learned they are highly sustainable. The service is always great and just want to say we adore when our server Karen is available. Ask for her, you will be thrilled. That's not say the others aren't also spectacular at anticipating your needs and menu knowledge, but she has a sparkling personality and doesn't miss a beat. It also says a lot when someone has worked there for years and years. It says without words that employee retention is a reflection of the company itself (management and owners). I definitely highly recommend this environment for those who enjoy a lively place as there is a fun and unique way in which they honor birthdays (a great spot for these celebrations), every guest is given a wooden mallet (hammer) to break the crab shells, however, when they announce a birthday wish over the speakers throughout the array of dining room options (one being a large barge on the canal), EVERYONE bangs their mallets on the tables which creates a cacophony of sound! SO much fun, but do not go there if you have a headache or are looking for a low key atmosphere. We adore The Rustic Inn, as it also has a very New England vibe and that happens to be where I'm from. It is consistently great, and it is a little spendy, but it's CRAB, so don't expect it to be cheap. If you want a delicious meal with top tier hospitality, in a down home environment, The Rustic Inn is the best around and conveniently located right off I-95 read more

Food was terrible. I ordered a medium rare strip with Queen crab legs. I got a piece of leather and the skinniest crab legs I've ever had. My bill was $80 with a sprite. New to the area. Hoping other seafood places aren't this overpriced and low quality. I will not try this place again. read more

The day before hubs and I flew back from Ft. Lauderdale to NY, we spent the afternoon poolside at our hotel, then rolled over here for one last seafood lunch bite. And if crustaceans are on the menu, say less. Thank God I'm not allergic. Rustic Inn is big. There's like...one, two, maybe three entrances? We parked in the back by the takeout window, then headed inside only to walk all the way up to the host stand just to get seated near the same entrance we originally came through. Whatever. Worth it. Forget all the Michelin star this, the Michelin star that- Rustic I. runs like a well-oiled machine. They call themselves "best garlic crabs" and they're not lying. We kicked things off with a dozen meaty oysters. Then came the pièce de résistance: the $74.95 garlic crab clusters. This was the perfect amount for the two of us- especially with that little bowl of buttery garlic redskin potatoes. If you're expecting those rubbery crab legs that just bend instead of crack- not here. These legs snapped exactly how they're supposed to and every bite was loaded with sweet crab meat. Our server hooked us up with the plastic bib and all the crab tools too so you can get every last piece in those tight nooks and crannies. Since hubs and I don't know when to quit, we ordered the fried oysters too. The oysters themselves were plump and fresh, but I wasn't jiving with the batter. Maybe a lighter dredge and let the oysters do the talking. Service was on point though, my cocktail actually had a decent kick and by the time we left, we were happy and messy. Exactly how a crab feast is supposed to end. Don't worry- you get wet wipes for your hands and there's a sink and soap dispenser to rid of all that butter and garlic from your hands. read more

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We were regulars in 1985-2000 before we moved. Just visited after 20 years.. for sure 3.5-4 stars. Little over cooked, good flavors on the crab combo. The seasoning and cook was perfect on the Blackened Mahi. Need more crab in the crab cake appetizer. Waiter was good, table next to us had a "Lap Dog..." not a fan when I am eating and wife is allergic to dander. Easy parking read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - 2 crab cakes for appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Food is great next to the intra coastal. I had the scalops. Very tasty. Lunch menu is reasonably priced. They have specials every day. Service is just ok. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Scalops w/garlic butter yellow rice and parsley potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Over the weekend, a few NYC friends visited me in Florida. Since I'm the local resident now, I was tasked to find a good sea food spot for dinner. Of course the first thing I did was to consult my trusted Yelp. The Rustic Inn Crabhouse, came highly recommended! Its rustic, homey atmosphere and patio dinning options were a highlight to our dinning experience. Upon arrival, we waited maybe 10 min to be seated. We were a party of 6 and managed to secure a table outside by the water. This restaurant is huge! Spacious with a constant rotation of customers. The drinks were ok but would recommend something off of their beer or wine menu. Seafood was fresh, delicious and perfectly cooked. Everything down to their salad dressing is made in house. I loved the buttery lobster roll and tender grilled snapper. There was a mix up with our order where the wrong item was brought out to us. Instead of having us wait for the correct meal, our waitress severed us the incorrect order with apologies and packed our correct order to go and on the house. We very much appreciated that. The bathroom situation is not the best. Don't go if you don't have to. Free parking is available. read more

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From Hawaii first time in Fort Lauderdale, so no stranger to seafood. This place was amazing. Rich was our server, he was on top of checking on us, if we needed anything and refilling our drinks. He was great. The manager Tiffany (I believe was her name) she was so nice. She came cleaned our plates off the table. We seen her moving around checking on other tables, which was awesome to see. She was not standing on the side micro managing workers. She was in there with them. We left stuffed. Hoping we can squeeze in another visit there before we leave in a couple days. Everything we ate was so good. Shrimp, fish, crab, alligator, frog legs even the sides were good. Their tartar sauce was good on everything. Down to the coleslaw was good. Place was very lively and the workers were all nice. Bought a couple of shirts as souvenirs as well. Mahalo RUSTIC INN read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Lowsy lowsy service! He couldn't get our order right. Never checked to refill drinks, kept disappearing in the kitchen or somewhere. The Caesar salad was swimming in too much dressing. Grilled shrimp were sauteed, not grilled. Crab sampler took forever and was overcooked. This place has really gone down hill. read more

Omg! So much food First time here for my son's 34th birthday . Noisy is not the word..lol Well if you're a fish fanatic this is the place to come . They ordered crab legs , broiled scallops and a fish fry that was good but skinny on the shrimp only 2 :( read more

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I visited Rustic to grab take out dinner. The girl working the counter was very friendly and very attentive. We've had small service issues in the past but overall the food is always great and there was no difference this time around. read more

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One of the best meals we have had in awhile the place is so historic tons of locals eating here and celebs on the wall you know it has to be good. The sampler was a good first timer choice a little pricey but the portions are huge. The Dungeness crabs were the best followed by the snow crab but overall the meal was worth it. The service was good and loved sitting outside. Highly recommended place read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

This place was fantastic! The food and service were spectacular and the venue couldn't have been better. After traveling all day to get to Fort Lauderdale, this was a great place to kick back and relax with friends for the evening. We sat outside, and the weather was just perfect. Seafood was off the charts and beverages top-notch. Exactly what the doctor ordered after a long and stressful week. Will come back here in a heartbeat with friends and family alike. Loved the easy-going, casual atmosphere. Two thumbs up! read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Great place to hang out with friends! - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Put on your bib grab a wooden mallet and start cracking some shells! You'll be cracking a lot of crab shells at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse. This crabhouse is located minutes away from the airport in Fort Lauderdale. I recommend you seat outside, you'll get a nice view of the airplanes flying low. You will also get view of the canal, boats and a few paddleboarders which is a great topic for conversation. Immediately as I walked in, I got the roadhouse saloon vibes from this place. Communal tables and loud customers. You can hear the sound of laughs, wooden mallets and people singing happy birthday. This is definitely a favorite spot for celebrations. Noticed a lot of balloons and more people arriving to celebrate birthdays. This is not an elegant spot but if you are looking for fun, relax, messy and have butter slicked fingers then this is your place! I like the sinks in the restaurant so you can quickly wash yours hands before and after your meal without having to enter the bathrooms. Their steamed Dungeness crab drenched in garlic butter are amazing. Be sure to get an extra side order of that same garlic butter they used to cook the crab in. You can dip the crab once out of the shell for extra added flavor. It is a little pricey about $74 for the crab and about $54 for the steamed stuffed lobster. They have a more reasonable lunch menu specials with prices ranging from $9 to $15 Monday to Friday. Side note : they do charge an extra 2% if you use a credit card but not for debit cards. Oh and they were out of King Crab due to a supply issue. read more

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My friend recommended this place. So our next girls dinner date was this place. This restaurant is located in the inner Costal. We had the seafood Lobster Fra Diavolo over Linguine Sautéed with Whole Clams, Mussels, Blue Crab Cluster, Shrimp and (Half or Whole) Split Lobster with choice of Red Crab Sauce, Italian Style White Clam Sauce or Mixed Sauce This dish was delicious!!! We also had the bucket drink and had a blast. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Although this restaurant is popular, mostly for its seafood, our Hot Dog Club went there today to try their hotdogs. We were very pleasantly surprised. First of all our waitress, Kristin, was very friendly, pleasant, and attentive. The drinks were delicious, and the hotdogs were excellent. Some opted to have the side of grilled peppers and onions, which were very yummy. The hotdog also came with french fries and a small side of coleslaw, which was very good. And they put some garlic dill pickles on the table too. The place is very popular and had a lot of diners even on this very hot, rainy summer day. Seating was plentiful inside and out on the patio which was covered so you did not get rained on. And parking is quite plentiful as well. Easy to get to also. I definitely plan on going back to try some of their delicious looking seafood. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I've been going to the Rustic Inn for over 40 years. Sadly, I think I visited it for the last time. I had a crabcake that was worse than mediocre. All filling and no crab. I've lived in Maryland and my crabcake standards may be high, but tonight was very disappointing. My family loves going there to eat blue crabs. They said they were mushy and overcooked. For many years, I did not think the squeeze was worth the juice in breaking the shells to try to get a little bit of crab meat. I have been getting the steak with crab sauce for many years and tonight it was excellent. Our waiter, James, who I now call the professor because he showed my son-in-law a new way to open up a king crab leg.. It was a fun place to visit, but I think it's seen it day. So long old friend. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Steak Crabiola. Excellent choice - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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I've visited Rustic Crabhouse several times in the past, so this visit was pretty disappointing. The only bright spot was the customer service. Our waitress, Heather T., was outstanding--she was knowledgeable about the menu, attentive, and handled every issue professionally. Even though I had to send food back multiple times, she remained friendly, accommodating, and made every effort to make things right. Unfortunately, the food missed the mark. I ordered the Crab Sampler, which included one Dungeness crab, one queen crab, three blue crabs, and one golden crab. The golden crab and the three blue crabs were overcooked and extremely mushy, so I had to send them back. The replacements still weren't much better, which was very disappointing. I'm not sure if the restaurant is under new management or has a new chef, but the quality was nowhere near what I've experienced during previous visits. Based on this experience, I'd describe the meal as mediocre at best. I hope they can get back to the quality they were known for because this visit definitely fell short. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Crab Sampler - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Absolutely Amazing seafood. We ate at several seafood restaurants in FL this week and this was by far the best! The crab meat was sweet, succulent and flaky as it should be. buttery, garlicky and salty-- the best trio for seafood. The fresh seafood was seasoned generously which made every bite so flavorful. The salad was filled with fresh leafy romaine greens. The clam chowder was thick and creamy with a whole bunch of texture due to the clams and bacon. I'm not a big fan of the bacon flavoring, but enjoyed the richness of the chowder. The fried calamari, fried gator and frog legs didn't particularly stand out other than being unique meat to try. The calamari rings were oddly thin uniform rings and heavily battered. The frog legs were tender but heavily battered as well. The service was good! The staff were attentive and kind. We sat along the water with the plastic blinds rolled up. It was very hot. It would've been nice if the material was something that could have been breathable but provide shade. The decor was fun and festive. I enjoyed the crab traps, memorabilia and seasonal decorations too! We would definitely recommend and return in the future! read more

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Great time, great food! I was surprised to find this great seafood restaurant. From the moment I steped in I felt at home. The staff was so warm and the service was great. It rained and some patrons were outside; the rain was more of a STORM and the staff jumped into action to make sure everyone was comfortable. We had the Mahi sandwich, scallops, raw oysters and clam chowder for lunch, it was delicious. I enjoyed the decor and atmosphere this restaurant offers. Truly a place I'll go back to. read more

Excellent crabs Excellent service Perfect October evening the weather was amazing to sit outside read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Corn on the Cobb - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Rustic Inn is a place where you can go to enjoy good crabs and other seafood without worrying about getting sick. They have been there for a long time and the quality and the taste of their crabs never disappoints. Maybe for me, I don't go there frequently enough but whenever I do go, it's just as I remember it and the dining experience is always pleasant. We were a party of four on a Thursday night around 8pm. There was short wait time until we were seated. The staff members were friendly and welcoming, but one hostess lady was a bit hasty. Throwing the menus in front of us and showing lack of patience made me give 3/5 stars for service. Besides her, server named Jose was amazing in recommending dishes and answering my questions all the while training the new lady that just started working there. We ordered 4 orders of Dungeness crabs, 1 order of king crab legs ($199 and various because of fluctuating market price), 3 different soups (cup size was enough), conch fritters, shrimp appetizer, and different sides like rice and corn on a cob for us to all share. The king crab legs were okay, but it seemed to me that we all enjoyed the Dungeness crabs more because of the flavor and it was easier to eat. Lol maybe our taste buds weren't fancy enough for the big boy crabs. If you go there with the intention of eating crabs just order minimum amount of appetizers to share. The wait time is pretty long so appetizers are a must but if you don't make the same mistake as we did, 2 apps and 3 Dungeness crabs will be plenty to be shared for a party of four. We did have 2 bowls of untouched Dungeness crabs left over and 1 king crab legs to take home to our siblings. They have plenty of parking spaces, though a bit cramped. We went to the Fort Lauderdale location and the entrance way is gravel road so please drive carefully if you have fancier cars. Please give this place a try if you haven't already, and if it's been a while, maybe it's time to go again! read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Do not ever book a big private event with this place or if you do, make sure it is in writing not just over the phone!! They turn you down the last moment and lie all across! Have been to the place a hundred times, the food is great but the way they treated us really pissed me off! Will never be back there!!! read more

First time being here. Wouldn't come back due to having been to better places for crab! I got the Tito's strawberry lemonade and it was watered down. I got oysters as as app and those were as expected. Got the dungeness garlic crab. I was disappointed by the lack of flavor. The seasoning just wasn't really there. Although I liked that it had chunks of garlic - it was overall bland. I asked for hot butter and lemon. I would have thought those came with the menu. The French fry wedges were so good though- not going to lie lol. Nice and crispy but soft inside. Our server , Maddy , was fantastic! Very attentive and super sweet soul. We sat by the water so that was nice to watch the boats go by! read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Dungeness Garlic Crabs with French Fries - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Omg! All the food here was amazing, and delicious. The service was amazing and very helpful servers. We ate outside which made it better. Love the vibe out this place . Definitely would do this again 1000% The servers were all knowledgeable about the food and restaurant. read more

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Ok peeps. IYKYK and I know. Rustic In. Has been a favorite for years. I've been going for over 30 years and have always had an amazing time with the am I ace, the food, the drinks and the service. Almost nothing has changed and that's good in some ways but not others. I'm all about a crab boil but the side bland potatoes just needs to go or mix it with corn or something. To be honest, it's not even needed and they aren't great. We're all here for the crab. My hubby got the Queens platter and it was a a bargain for the price. Now, here's where I took some exception. I ordered the Alaskan King Crab at "market price". I thought, ok. Maybe it's $100 or so......it was $185. You heard me...$185. I'm not cheap by any means but if you're going to charge almost $200 for a crab, I feel like there should have been a disclosure. I spoke with some other folks who fell into the same trap and were stunned by the bill. There was no, "hey customer, market price is higher than normal". Now, shame on me for not asking but I've been to this place hundreds of time- always ordered the Alaskan Crab and never paid more than $125. It was disappointing to say the least. Now, with that said, the crab was delicious. I will tell you that this was the first time I felt the food has been frozen and the quality has gone down. It's just not the same. I'm not totally writing off the Rustic Inn bc it's nostalgic and has such a huge place in my heart and holds so many memories. I hope they bring back the freshness and the service and the common sense to warn people about a $200 crab. I need for you to be better Rustic Inn bc read more

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I Absolutely love @rusticinncrabhouse I've been here many times and it has always been delicious experience the broiled lobster tails were juicy and buttery, but the star of the show was the lobster fra diabolical over linguini in their red carb sauce. This was such a memorable place to celebrate my dad's birthday The service was fast and they have great celebration vibes. I will continue to come back. read more

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I came here for dinner with my family on a Tuesday night. It was a bit chilly so we sat inside. We ordered the conch fritters, Caesar salad, full-size linguine pasta, crab sampler (snow crab, Dungeness crab, stone crab, blue crab), and jumbo fried shrimp. The portions were large and the quality was pretty good. The crab sampler and the jumbo fried shrimp was a good deal and the seafood was fresh. I definitely have to come back in summer when you can sit outside on the deck along the water. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Crab Sampler - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Rustic Inn Crabhouse was recommended to us by a friend, and it did not disappoint. We went during lunchtime and were lucky enough to sit outside by the water, which made the experience even better. Our waitress was on point--friendly and attentive--despite being very busy. The food was very good. We ordered the daily lunch special, and it was extremely pleasing and satisfying. Next time, we'll definitely be going back for the crabs, which are their specialty. read more

We had friends from out of town and since we had been here before once and found it amazing we gave it a try. And this time was no different. We had a blast. We started off with steamed and fresh oysters and followed it up with piles of seafood. The portions are gigantic and everything tastes really fresh. The service was a little bit uneven as they were quite busy as always, but everyone enjoyed themselves. The pictures on the wall are a part of history and the place is just a hoot! I recommend it to anyone for good seafood. read more

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I came back Feb2026 after not visiting for a few years, and OMG the crab legs were just as good as I remembered! The ambiance was loud with at least four bdays and we had to make reservations. The plates are around $75 but big enough to share. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Du Dungeness Garlic Crabs - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Rustic Inn is quite the treat! I really enjoyed visiting the take out area and ordering. The food is ultra fresh and ready in a few minutes! They have the menu enlarged on the wall for easy view of delicious items to select from. There's also a bench with great lighting and a vending machine. Sometimes you just don't feel like getting dressed and want to sit and home eating your crab legs comfortably.... THAT'S ME! I highly recommend coming back soon if it's been a while and you just wasn't sure if it's as good as you remembered- the TASTE hasn't skipped a BEAT! read more

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This might be the worst seafood place I have eaten at in a longtime. My boss was in town from Wisconsin for a seminar. She was hoping to have exceptional seafood compared to what is available there. I told her if she had never tried gator tail, that was a must do so we ordered it. When it came out, it had an awful batter and was very soft. I know maky people say gator taste like chicken but it should not and definetley does not have the consistency of chicken. I asked the server if they were frozen and she said no they are fresh. "why don't you like them"? I said no and her response was Hmm most people love them. Our entrees came, my boss ordered Mahi, she had never had it before but said it was really good. I had a platter of fried seafood, it all had the same awful batter. I tried a little of everything and none of it was good. The server said "well we are known for our crabs not our seafood, if you want good seafood this isn't the place". We waited over an hour for our check to get out of there. If you want to sit on the water, maybe the ambiance is OK but if you are looking for good service and good food, stay away. I have lived in Florida for over 50 years and this is probably in the top 5 worst seafood places I have ever been to. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Mediocre gator - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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The server we had was Michelle and she was so courteous and kind and the food tasted even better with such amazing service to go with it.

I have been coming to this spot for years a little gem off the beaten path. its high end food with a casual feel. Our server, Danielle was so attentive and went above and beyond . The conch fritters were some of the best i have ever tried, The stone crabs refresh, served with mustard sauce. the Fra Diavolo says for 2 but was huge and had so much seafood inside and it could definitely feed at least four for the price that's a win. it was a mallet knocking night. read more

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What a fun place for family to go! A SoFlo staple that took us entirely way too long to finally get to experience. We started with oysters and as a table split clam strips (excellent and fried in fresh, clean oil!). My son had the fried shrimp platter, which must have been great because he devoured it. The Cole slaw was also very good as a side. No sweet pickles- dill instead. Great choice, RI! We also had the Alaska queen crab legs. We had so much fun smashing, poking, scraping out all the delicious crab meat while donning our dinner bibs. A cold bottled beer was an excellent choice to wash down the salty butter drenched crab bites. Our server was very friendly and took time to walk us through the menu, make recommendations and demonstrate how to get the most crab with the least amount of effort. Price was fair for the amount of fresh food we got! Will come back. read more

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Omg! I can't even. We went here based on hearing several people rave about-- our Uber driver even said it was one of her favorite date places. If you're in the area, GO!!! Food was incredible. Can see why they have the legacy they do! read more

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We came here for dinner and had the choice to sit inside or outside and we chose outside. My spouse ordered the Alaska queen crab legs that were easy to crack, sweet and delicious....But market price so always ask $$$$. I had the jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab meat also delicious and very filling. Our server was nice. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Jumbo Shrimp (Stuffed with Crabmeat) - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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We stopped by for seafood and left happy with both the food and the experience. The crab was fresh, the portions were filling, and there were plenty of options on the menu to choose from. The atmosphere was casual and made it easy to relax and enjoy the meal. I would gladly come back the next time I'm in the area read more

I have been going to Rustic inn through these many years. Their staff is kind and sweet. Their food is good and currently I am having monthly luncheon the first Wednesday of every month as Wink Women In Networking Know-WINK and you cannot get more hands-on more caregiving, and good food by the staff. Thank you to the Owner and the Mgr. they are wonderful. read more

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We always come here when we're craving King Crab or celebrating something special. The bar tucked in the back is my favorite place to sit. Always great vibes and quick service with the amazing bartenders! Great place to take out of town'ers for a Florida'esq menu of alligator/frog and seafood. read more

Rustic Inn Crabhouse - Alaska King Crab Legs - Seafood Near Me - Fort Lauderdale, Florida