How to Eat Crawfish (with Video)

By Katharine Shilcutt Wed., Mar. 14 2012 at 1:00 PM

Photo by Troy Fields

Order the boiled crawfish platter in order to get both corn and potatoes at The Seafood Shoppe.

This week's cafe review found us in Westchase to review The Seafood Shoppe, a Viet-Cajun place specializing in boiled crawfish by the pound. We were led to the under-the-radar spot by long-time commenter SirRon, who said of the place:

Someday you'll mention Seafood Shoppe on Westheimer near the Belt -- and I'll pee my pants. Until then, I'll make my annual mention underneath your crawfish post.

While we wait to see whether or not SirRon pees his proverbial pants, we thought now would be as good a time as any for a refresher course on how to eat crawfish. After all, we don't want to send you to The Seafood Shoppe -- or any other crawfish joint -- uneducated.

Photos by Groovehouse

Look at that luscious tail meat.

The photos below will show you how to pinch those tails and suck those heads, but you can also skip ahead to the video on the next page if you're the impatient type. So get your bugs and let's get started.

Step One: Grab the head and tail of the crawfish.

Step Two: Pinch the tail and pull it gently but firmly away from the head.

Step Three: Congratulations! You should now have your crawdad in two pieces. You can Choose Your Own Adventure from here. Your options are:

1) Peel the tail away from the meat like you would a boiled shrimp and eat it that way.

2) Grasp the tail meat between your lips and/or teeth and suck-pull it out of the shell.

3) Do either of the above and suck the head when you're finished.

Location Info

Venue

Map

Seafood Shoppe

10555 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX

Category: Restaurant

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crawfish, how to, review advance, The Seafood Shoppe

We Recommend

John Seaborn Gray

This is so hot. I mean, INFORMATIVE.

Guest

Should I feel bad for staring at Shilcutt's rack during all this?

Megan

Ever since I dissected a crawfish in freshman biology class (high school), I can't eat them. It's not because they're bad; I just can't get the smell of preserving fluid out of my head when I see them. More for everyone else!

Flamiandamian

Pull the tail, get at dat good meat; then just put the chest cavity up to your mouth, suck slightly and squish the body with your thumb and index finger. That gets the meat, the juice and the effluvium that is so flava-packed.

(Then, wash hands thoroughly before sexual activities which will ensue).

Jalapeno

Whatever happened to the thumb push? Where you push in the exact right place and it pops out of the shell. Teething it out seems so much easier.

Katharine Shilcutt

My technique is just one of many, and admittedly there are many other techniques that are far more impressive. One of my best friends has perfected the one-handed crawfish eating technique (beer in the other hand, natch) and I'm in constant awe of her.

CMN

so you don't worry about pulling out the "vein?"

SirRon

If you pinch the end of the tail right, then the vein comes with it. It's a cool technique, but I've never met anyone who really likes crawfish and cares much about the vein.