San Francisco

There are some places you don't really need to go in to review. Lame... maybe, but when you smell the pungent odor of crabs wafting in through the alleyway from Art's Crab Shak, hear the arguments from just outside its doors and see the glare from the neon sign casting an eerie glow into your apartment.... do you really need to go in? I'm going to break it down for you like this: Pay first. A regular bucket of crabs costs $28. In all the reviews that I've seen, the food has gotten mixed reviews—from delicious buttery garlic crab madness to mediocre. Sounds familiar right? Except this is an Oakland institution, a painted, classy facade and a hella special place for crabs. It's been open since 1963 and that’s just about the era you enter every time you step through the door. I'll tell you one thing, if I ate meat and liked the smell of crabs, I'd be in here once a month. If you’re interested in a unique Oakland experience, hit Broadway between 40th and 41st, same block as Mama's Royale, and sit down with a bib and a bucket o' crabs.

Photo:  Eva Silverman