Shaking Crab Spices up Cambridge With Cajun Seafood This Weekend

A seafood restaurant opens a new location in Cambridge this weekend, bringing piles and piles of spicy seafood to the Porter Square neighborhood. Shaking Crab launches evening service on Friday, December 15, unveiling a familiar menu of Cajun-spiced seafood in its newest location (1815 Massachusetts Ave).

With existing regional restaurants in Newton (the original location) and Quincy, Shaking Crab is on the expansion train, adding Porter Square to the mix today and restaurants on Boston Common and in Brookline later. There are also Shaking Crab restaurants in Flushing, New York, and on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

The chain serves all manner of seafood — from mussels and lobster to shrimp, crawfish, clams, and multiple varieties of crab — seasoned with Cajun spices, butter, and garlic. For sides (offering a respite from the spice), Shaking Crab has french fries (in regular, curly, and sweet potato form), onion rings, fried pickles, and fried shishito peppers, along with chicken wings and fingers, calamari, fried oysters, and fried catfish. Other menu items include garlic noodles, steamed rice, mac and cheese, cole slaw, gumbo, and corn.

Shaking Crab took over 1815 Massachusetts Ave. after the closure of Tavern in the Square, and it will reap benefits from the size of the space, according to partner Kevin Duong. For one, the Porter Square restaurant will eventually be able to offer an expanded menu, thanks to a larger kitchen and equipment. Second, the restaurant will make use of 50 tap lines, serving local and craft beer.

To celebrate the opening, Shaking Crab will have a 10 percent off special (excluding alcohol) extending until December 29 for anyone who checks in to the restaurant on social media. The restaurant opens Friday, December 15, at 5 p.m.

Going forward, at least for now, it will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. But in the new year, Shaking Crab will add weekday lunch service.

Shaking Crab/Facebook

• Shaking Crab Coverage on Eater [EBOS]