A new Boise restaurant and bar just opened where one closed after 22 years

Michael Deeds
·2 min read

It took a little over a year, but things appear to be going swimmingly again in a high-profile building at the Boise Spectrum.

O’Crab Cajun Seafood and Bar recently opened at 1749 S. Cole Road. It took over where McGrath’s Fish House had operated since 1998. McGrath’s, a Salem, Oregon-based brand, closed the restaurant in late 2020, blaming it on an expired lease.

O’Crab is a small but growing chain. Its first Idaho location opened last year in Nampa at 16808 N. Market Place Blvd. O’Crab also has a restaurant in West Jordan, Utah.

“When you come in our doors at O’ Crab Cajun, be prepared to have a great night,” the restaurant proclaims on its website. “Our menu features a wide selection of freshly imported seafood and Cajun dishes inspired by the style of cooking made famous in New Orleans. Perfect for family, friends, and date nights, enjoy our full-service bar and fun atmosphere. Our elevated level of quality and service will quickly have you adding this hot spot to your list of favorites.”

Seafood boils are the focus. Many diners will prefer to mix and match. You can order a half pound of, say, Dungeness crab ($15), then combine it with a half pound of crawfish ($8), head-off shrimp ($11.50) or clams ($7). Or feed the family with a prearranged combo boil such as The Perfect Storm ($41): a half pound of snow crab, a full pound of shrimp and a half pound of black mussels. Everything gets seasoned with your choice from five sauces and three spice levels. Boils come with corn and two potatoes.

O’Crab Cajun Seafood and Bar has opened where McGrath’s Fish House used to be in Boise.
O’Crab Cajun Seafood and Bar has opened where McGrath’s Fish House used to be in Boise.

O’Crab also has an array of breaded, fried seafood-basket dinners, which come with french fries or sweet potato fries. The lobster tail basket costs $17. Catfish is $13.

The menu also includes po’boys and sliders, soups and salads — even pasta in the form of seafood spaghetti marinara ($17) and Cajun shrimp alfredo ($15).

Seafood has enjoyed a resurgence in the Boise area in recent years. In addition to O’Crab’s two restaurants, a Hook and Reel Cajun Seafood and Bar opened in Meridian in 2019, and Anthony’s opened in downtown Boise in late 2020.

▪ O’Crab in Boise is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Online: ocrabcajun.com. Phone: (208) 378-8080.