Saltwater Crab

The new restaurant in Overton Square is a maritime delight.

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There are plenty of fish in the sea, as the adage goes, but for fresh and tasty ones, head to Saltwater Crab. Newly opened by Atlanta-based restaurateur Gary Lin (who has operated 30 restaurants), the establishment offers a sea’s worth of seafood options for pescatarian aficionados.

Essentially, Saltwater Crab rolls three types of restaurants into one. “We’re serving sushi, we’re serving boils, and we’ve got a whole line of different styles of fish,” says general manager Sam Miller. “We’ve got something special here. No one else is really doing sushi and seafood here on the strip.”

Business has been booming since the restaurant’s opening earlier this summer in the former Indian Pass location. With a vast array of options, the starters alone make it tough to choose, with interesting fusion dishes like crab bruschetta or barbecue shrimp offering an early twist. If raw fish is your thing, Saltwater Crab offers 12 specialty sushi rolls, like the crab- and lobster-based Royal King Roll or the fried salmon Dynamite Roll, in addition to an extensive list of more conventional ones.

For the main course, how about a boil replete with several pounds of seafood? Choose from blue crab, snow crab legs, shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, or lobster tails, each mixed with potatoes and corn (then add in sausage for good measure). If you’re extra hungry, throw several of those options together in one of the larger boil combos.

And no meal would be complete without one of their sangrias, although you can’t go wrong with any of the other specialty cocktails.

For every dish, quality is key, Miller says. “Freshness, seafood, Atlantic. Freshness speaks for itself, and you don’t want to take away what the food can do for itself.”

A prime example are the oysters, sourced from the Gulf and the East Coast and cracked open by hand rather than machine. “I spent a lot of time researching what our best options were regarding oysters,” says Lin. “We open them as we go, and the way we do it keeps the juices in and adds extra flavor.”

Going forward, the restaurant plans to constantly freshen up and streamline its menu. Some new menu items that Lin wants to consider are seafood dip, shrimp ceviche, and a Wagyu burger. Saltwater Crab also plans to make good use of its patio with live music, and diners can expect late-night menu options with small plates and sushi.

While previous restaurants have struggled at this location, Miller isn’t fazed: “Lin has a plan. He’s got a strong business mind, and he’s been involved with numerous restaurants. We’re looking ahead with an open mind.”

For now, Lin is happy with business. And the leadership team, which also includes Andy Knight as executive chef, is well equipped to tackle the Memphis restaurant market. “I came to Memphis because I saw this unique location, and thought there was room for a really good seafood and sushi restaurant,” says Lin. “If things go well here, I have plenty of other concepts to try in town.”

2059 Madison Ave. (901-922-5202) $ $