Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Bag O’ Crab is a seafood boil restaurant that opened a new location in Salem, Oregon right off the Market Street exit. This restaurant offers an array of boil bags that can be customized, including sides, wings and drinks. 

I decided to go and try the restaurant for myself because of my proximity to their newest location. I decided to invite my mom and have a feast. We ordered a Combo 2 which included one pound of snow crab, ¾ pound of headless shrimp, two corn on the cobs, two potatoes and four sausage slices. 

We decided to add two boiled eggs and our flavor of choice was original cajun. On the side, we ordered six lemon pepper wings, two sides of rice and a Cajun fish plate. We ordered a Cinnamon and Pear Moscow Mule and a Mojito Smash for drinks. 

This was a lot of food, but everything came out fast and organized. The restaurant environment was clean and captivating because of the friendly robot that served the food. The tables all had white paper to prepare for the mess of the boil; we also got a bib, gloves and a wet nap, which was much needed. The staff seemed a little occupied as the restaurant was busy, but they got our items exactly as we ordered and checked us out with a friendly goodbye.  

First, we got our drinks which were both very balanced and smooth and chock-full of flavor. Soon after, our bag and rice arrived, delivered by our friendly robot. 

We poured our bag out and started with the crab, which was soft and cooked to perfection; the shrimp was tender and very flavorful. The corn, sausages and potatoes were complementary and gave us a full range of flavors. The rice was a perfect palate cleanser from all the spice. The wings were coated in dry rub that I wished were covered in a wet sauce alternatively, but they were still very full of flavor. The cajun fish was possibly the best fish I’ve had — it was cooked to perfection and a nice entree — if a boil isn’t one’s preferred choice. 

All of the food was incredibly delicious and made the whole experience worth it despite the busy atmosphere. We ate just about everything — with just a few leftovers— and our meal was fairly priced. For someone like me, who hasn’t tried a seafood boil before, it was a great experience. I recommend Bag O’ Crab for one’s next outing or date as the atmosphere and food were phenomenal. 

9/10.

Contact the author at tduff23@mail.wou.edu