We tried the shrimp with all seven levels of spice at Tucson’s Angry Crab Shack.
While the menu offers assorted fried seafood, burgers, po’ boys, barbecue, and more, the main draw is the Seafood Market priced by the pound. Live and fresh seafood are flown in daily, with crawfish being the frozen exception unless it’s in season.
Items (seafood and sauce) are served in a plastic bag which can then be dumped onto the paper-lined table for customers to eat with their hands. Gloves and bibs are provided, but don’t wear a white shirt to be on the safe side.
Guests choose a seafood, a sauce, and a spice level. The Trifecta is the most popular sauce, including a combination of their Kajun, Lemon Pepper, and Garlic. The spice level currently ranges from zero to six, the hottest including Carolina Reaper peppers.
Are the intimidatingly-named sauces more bark than bite? I tried every flavor to find out.
Angry Crab Shack Sauces
- Kajun
- Lemon Pepper
- Garlic
- Trifecta (Kajun, Lemon Pepper, and Garlic)
- Traditional Boil
- Pacific Rim
- Sweet N Tangy
Spice Levels
- 0 – (Me no likey spice)
- 1 – Mild (Wimpy)
- 2 – Medium (Sizzlin’)
- 3 – Hot (I can’t feel my lips!)
- 4 – Angry Ghost (Inferno!)
- 5 – Scorching Scorpion
- 6 – Grim Reaper
The heat jump from Hot to Angry Ghost is the most significant, while the Grim Reaper heat is an immediate kick in the mouth. No flavor was overwhelming to the point of regret, though keep in mind I’ve eaten ghost peppers on their own for fun. Hot and Angry Ghost were my personal favorites of the selection.
If you’re someone who can’t handle a jalapeño, stick with mild.
Angry Crab Shack is located at 1365 W. Grant Rd. For more information, call (520) 398-5004 or keep up with Angry Crab Shack Tucson on Facebook.
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Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
