The name of Dirty Dick’s Crab House might provoke a smirk, a giggle, or maybe a kind of disgusted frown. Regardless, the place serves one of the more varied seafood menus in the seafood-rich PCB area, much of it of the fried description.
The place isn’t a chain, but the owners—who between them have associations with both New Orleans and the New England shore—also own two Dirty Dick’s locations in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
New England and especially Louisiana flourishes crop up on the Dirty Dick’s Crab House menu: including side by side in the “soup” corner, what with your Gumbo of the Day and New England Clam “Chowdah” rubbing shoulders.
Dirty Dick’s Crab House comes by at least one part of its name honestly, with one of the PCB coast’s most comprehensive selection of crab varieties.
Daily lunch specials include Whole Fried Catfish, the Jambalaya Wrap, Chicken Creole & Grits, Fried Pork Chops, and Grouper Cakes. There’s also the popular All You Can Eat steamed or fried options: from crab legs and peel-and-eat shrimp to chicken and fish.
Dirty Dick’s Crab House tempts with a whole crush of appetizers, from fried or sautéed crab fingers and Louisiana crab dip to oysters on the half-shell, a Fried Green Tomato Stack, and the breaded and fried Cajun pork/rice sausage balls known as Boudin Balls.
You’ve got plenty of seafood available among the pasta entrees: Louisiana Shrimp Scampi, Fried Crab Lasagna, and Seafood Bordelaise, for example. The fryer turns out everything from frog legs to jumbo shrimp, with the Mariner’s Platter fried seafood feast for big eaters; steamed baskets include crabs, shrimp, and crawfish.
Steak lovers have plenty to choose from (including the DDX Surf & Turf combining ribeye with jumbo shrimp and crabcakes). Any New Orleans-inspired joint is likely to have po’boy sandwiches, and Dirty Dick’s isn’t an exception: Choose between shrimp, oyster, and “Sloppy Roast Beef” fillings.
Burgers, paninis, ribs, and various salads are other possibilities here, with sides ranging from Creamy Cheese Corn Grits and Cajun Smashed Taters to red beans and rice and Sweet Potato Waffle Batter Fries. Dirty Dick’s doesn’t skimp on the desserts, either: from the White Chocolate Bread Pudding to the house version of Key Lime Pie.
The bar menu is jampacked: beers by the pitcher or the tower, specialty cocktails such as Dick’s Addiction and the Crabby Mary, various margaritas, wines, and more.
Want a few specific recommendations for what to order at Dirty Dick’s Crab House? Read on!
The Trinity Platter
Meant to be shared, the Trinity Platter serves up a steamer smorgasbord: snow crab, Jonah crab claws, spiced shrimp, and a pair of jumbo dancing shrimp presented with Low Country sausage, potatoes, and corn.
Hush Puppies
The house hush puppies top the Dirty Dick’s Crab House selection of sides: good stuff!
Creole Shrimp & Grits
One of the Dirty Dick’s specialties, the Creole Shrimp & Grits put Creole-sauce-cooked jumbo shrimp atop Creamy Cheese Corn Grits for your diving-in pleasure—with DDX bread on the side.
Fried Gator Tail
Probably the appetizer that’ll catch your eye the quickest, the crab house’s fried gator tail gives you an authentic Florida (and Louisiana) delicacy dressed up with Jalapeño ranch sauce.
Dirty Dick’s Crab House isn’t the cheapest place to eat in PCB, but the portions are generous: Come here hungry!
Insider Tip:
Call ahead to find out whether the All You Can Eat specials are available for dinner service: That’s only a seasonal offering, though it’s a year-round deal for lunch.