D. Chung
Google
We accidentally discovered this restaurant. The high Google reviews caught my attention, but the photos didn’t seem to justify the ratings—the food lacked that signature seafood boil appeal. Still, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, my gut feeling was right; the place felt overrated, possibly due to inflated reviews.
For context, I’ve enjoyed seafood boils in California, Hawaii, and Houston—some of the best places for this cuisine. Now in Montreal, I had low but realistic expectations for Ooh Crab, and it still disappointed.
Upon entering, we were greeted by a host (likely the owner) who seemed disinterested, spending most of his time on his phone. You’re required to order, pay, and tip before receiving any service, which made the experience feel very transactional. As others have mentioned, no water is offered—you have to purchase bottled water. It seems they aim to avoid doing dishes since everything is disposable except for the cutlery, which I suppose is a smart move operationally.
We ordered the Jumbo Mix for with rice and potatoes. Sensing it wouldn’t be enough, we added the fried calamari with shrimp, totaling nearly $100 before taxes and tip. The shrimp and rice were good, but the lobster tail was overcooked and had noticeably shrunk. The crab legs were small, frozen, and also overcooked. Clearly most of the seafood served were frozen. The only decent dish was the fried calamari and shrimp, which is hard to mess up.
We tried to make the most of it, but I would pass on returning. At this price point, there are too many better options out there.