Since 1955, Rustic Inn has served as the spot where locals have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries by banging wooden mallets into just-steamed crabs. I wouldn’t promise that you’ll love the prepared dishes, and you’ll wish somebody else is paying when it comes to the crabs: $70 for a hefty bowl of blue, queen or dungeness. But the seriously rustic space is a time capsule, and there’s just something that’s celebratory about hammering until you end up with a sweet pile of garlicky crab legs.

The late Wayne McDonald started with a cozy one-room roadhouse in 1955 when this stretch of Dania Beach was a remote service road just west of the little airport. The still-rustic place brags that it's "still crackin'." The huge menu features garlic crabs (patrons bang crabs open with mallets on tables covered with newspapers) and peel-and-eat shrimp (either with garlic and butter or spiced and steamed). Finish off your meal with Key lime pie made from a family recipe.

Yes, Southport is our favorite waterfront seafood spot in Fort Lauderdale, but Rustic Inn Crabhouse is a very close second. This is another Fort Lauderdale classic. The seafood is all solid, but you’re coming here to wear plastic bibs and smash big piles of dungeness, garlic blue crabs, and Alaskan snow crab with little wooden mallets.

Rustic Inn,if you like crabs, check out their web site for coupons. Catfish Dewey's for great fried catfish and hush puppies. They are NOT in any way shape or form, upscale !.

Once an old roadhouse saloon, the Rustic Inn has spent more than six decades channeling Old Florida, and is any local's go-to hole-in-the-wall fish house. The dining room is draped in a thick, seafaring rope; tables are covered in butcher paper, and sinks shaped like wooden barrels are scattered throughout the restaurant, stocked with paper towels and soap. After more than 50 years in business, the cavernous restaurant overlooking a canal has become the perfect place for diners to release their aggression on the backs of blue crabs.

Old Florida disappeared faster than an afternoon thunderstorm, but you can still find it alive and well inside the Rustic Inn. What began in the 1960s as a little roadside saloon has transformed into a destination seafood house, thanks mostly to the cult popularity of its garlic crabs. Though immersing yourself in the dark and cool interior gives you a good sense of what the place was like when it was a simple dive bar, enjoying an order of King Crab legs or Key West shrimp on the waterside patio is far more enjoyable.

Any way you look at it -- from a blue, golden, stone, or king crab perspective -- if you order the signature dishes in this overgrown waterside shack, you'll be hanging around for a while. That's because portions of the crabs, especially the blues steamed in garlic and oil, a house specialty, are large enough to satisfy the biggest eater in your life. Because wooden mallets are mandatory utensils here, flecks of shell and drips of oil tend to mark patrons after they've consumed even just one crab.

The Rustic Inn Crabhouse describes itself as “not fancy, just fresh” and serves up their famous garlic crabs with wooden mallets for you to smash them open yourself – so don’t come here if you don’t want to get your hands dirty!. After you chow down, head to Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor for dessert, where you can explore “one of the nation’s largest collections of rural American memorabilia” while you devour scoop after scoop of the creamy treat.

Rustic Inn Crabhouse Description: Bare-bones seafood house with water view. Cavernous, bustling restaurant near the airport serving signature garlic crab since 1955. Address: 4331 Anglers Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, United States Phone Number: +1 954-842-2804 Website: Homepage Store Hours: Sunday: 12-9PM | Monday: 11:30AM-9PM | Tuesday: 11:30AM-9PM | Wednesday: 11:30AM-9PM | Thursday: 11:30AM-9PM | …

At this dockside seafood house, diners garbed in bibs and grubby attire crack crabs at picnic tables. In addition to crabs, shrimp, lobster, seafood pasta, and a variety of fish, grilled or broiled, make tasty dinners; meanwhile, chicken and beef dishes keep landlubbers from going hungry. Daily lunch specials run $5-7 and include side items (usually fries and coleslaw) and a beverage.

The Rustic Inn Crabhouse serves up some fantastic seafood platters and is a popular place for a casual dining experience. This restaurant services more than 161 tons of crab annually, along with other forms of seafood, including shrimp, lobsters, mussels, calamari, clams, and sea scallops. Many boaters like to dock their boats, grab a beverage, and enjoy items from the raw bar.

We love to venture all over for good food…good crab in particular and it seemed perfectly timed to celebrate my birthday at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse in fabulous Fort Lauderdale in Broward County… Garlic Crabs for everyone!. Our server was fantastic and the food was amazing!. We love to experience different food spots around South Florida so check out our vlogs and reviews!

If you like hard shell crabs, the Rustic Inn Crabhouse in Fort Lauderdale is a really yummy place to check out with your family. It is right next to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (like closer than economy parking) so expect to hear some big jets fly overhead. The neighborhood won’t wow you but you’re coming for the food and experience.

A trip to a coastal destination must include a trip to the beach and what pairs better with a trip to the beach than a classic crab house dining experience. This location is the perfect destination when looking for things to do in Fort Lauderdale with kids. Enjoy the staple seafood specials like Whole Broiled Lobster, Fried Calamari.

Next to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, make this your first stop in Florida and start your vacation off right!. A local staple, Rustic Inn is known for their incredible seafood, like their world famous garlic crabs. Grab a drink with your meal, sit back, relax, and enjoy the gorgeous view!

Rustic Inn Crabhouse began life as a hole-in-the-wall eatery. However, it has come a long way since it first opened and has become one of the most popular casual restaurants in the area. As its name suggests, the interior of this restaurant is very rustic and diners eat at picnic tables.

At Rustic Inn Crabhouse, the aroma of fresh seafood greeted me as soon as I walked in. This charming spot boasts a wonderful buffet that features an impressive selection of crab, shrimp, and more. The signature garlic butter is a must-try, elevating every dish to new heights.

4331 Anglers Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312* Dine-in *Curbside * Delivery. Those craving old Florida can find it at the Rustic Inn Crab House. This 60-year-old hole-in-the-wall restaurant is extremely popular on Yelp with 4.5 stars and nearly 8,000 reviews!

Let me start by saying that Rustic Inn Crabhouse is quite the fun place to dine!. From the moment you step foot inside, the lively atmosphere and friendly staff make you feel right at home. As an avid crab lover, I was excited to see what they had to offer.

Alrighty then—the word “rustic” in the name isn’t just a marketing ploy—this seafood joint just west of the airport has been kicking around since the year Disneyland opened, and the fact that it has practically zero ambience doesn’t bother…

About: Rustic Inn Crabhouse is a local legend, famous for its garlic crabs and no-frills dining experience. Since 1955, this spot has been a go-to for seafood lovers seeking delicious crab legs in a casual, fun atmosphere.

But also, my recommendations would be to go to Rustic Inn for dinner one night... It's kind of pricey but you get some really good seafood. You guys could also do an airboat ride in the Everglades...

Established in 1955, Rustic Inn is known for its garlic crab. If you’re a seafood enthusiast, you’ll immediately sense the garlic crab is something special. But crab is not all they offer.

For groups of 25 persons or more, The Rustic Inn offers a variety of packages to fit most any budget. Choose from one of our special plans or let us custom create one for you.

Rustic Inn Crabhouse, 4331 Ravenswood Road, Fort Lauderdale, 954-584-1637. The specialties include steamed garlic blue crabs served on newspaper-covered tables.

Another fun place to eat is at the Rustic Inn, if you like crabs legs and wearing a bib. This restaurant is, however, a little further out.