Share:

As someone who enjoys the Louisiana culture of Cajun seafood, my excitement couldn’t be held within as I arrived to Stinkin Crawfish in Monrovia with an empty stomach and high expectations for quality seafood, hopefully at a reasonable price.

Upon my arrival, I noticed some customers who were sitting in an outdoor seating area of the restaurant who had a paper table cover on their table while also wearing bibs as they enjoyed their meals. Trying not to laugh about how funny they looked, I would soon realize how convenient bibs were for eating at seafood establishments like the Stinkin Crawfish.

As my waitress greeted me and walked me to my table, I was mesmerized by what fellow customers had ordered before me and was in complete disbelief about the total mess that was being made. Crab legs, shrimp, oysters, corn and sauces covered their tables and as I took my seat I wondered if my table would soon turn into a war zone of seafood.

Mike Palmer, who ordered the Snow crab Legs, said, “This is my first time here, but I’ve been to seafood restaurants like this. The food is definitely worth the mess.”

The menu had a variety of classic Cajun seafood options that consisted of oysters, fried catfish, butterfly shrimp, lobster legs and much more which made my choice a lot more difficult, because everything looked very appetizing. One problem was that a majority of the items on the menu were labeled as “market price”, meaning the price of certain items on the menu would fluctuate regularly. As a college student on a budget, this should be considered.

One thing that caught my eye immediately was the Gumbo– a popular stew that consisted of shrimp, sausage, stock, bell peppers and onions. It’s very popular with myself and is an iconic stable for Louisiana cuisine. With a price of just $7, I couldn’t miss out on it! I would also recommend ordering the Headless Tiger Shrimp with the “stinkin special” spice for just $12.

Waiting for my food to arrive, the atmosphere of the restaurant felt dull and bland as the walls were covered with little decorative fish that really didn’t belong and the trendy music that was playing felt out of place as I dug into my phone screen trying to hurry the time until my food arrived.

I was not disappointed when my food reached my table. I placed my bib on, grabbed as many napkins as I possibly could and dug in. Even though the Gumbo was presented in a styrofoam cup and didn’t look very appetizing to eat, it had all the necessary ingredients down to the tasty shrimp, fresh sausage and a tangy stock that was very enjoyable. The real mess (in a good way) was when I moved on to the Tiger Shrimp. The shrimp was presented very nicely in a bowl with the “stinkin special” spices covering the shrimp and the corn I ordered. As I was tearing away the shells of the shrimp, my bib, table, and hands were covered in sauces. The shrimp was prepared nicely and looked fairly fresh. I was disappointed about the “stinkin sauce” flavoring that was supposed to be popular with the restaurant as I wasn’t able to identify what made the sauce special. As I finished my meal, I was given a free dessert of a small scoop of ice cream and a deep fried Oreo drizzled in chocolate syrup that completed a nice meal.

Except for the decor and music selection, Stinkin Crawfish brings the classic of Cajun seafood to Monrovia and is a place to check out with friends or family if your looking for good selection of fresh and tasty seafood.

Stinkin Crawfish is located at 123 East Colorado Boulevard in Monrovia and is open from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 11:30 to 10:30 Friday to Sunday.

Follow: