By Janet Perez
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

A favorite seafood eatery has made its way to San Tan Valley near Queen Creek.

In seven years, the Angry Crab Shack has grown to 11 locations in Arizona, including six owned-and operated restaurants in the Valley. The Mesa-based company has another restaurant in Orange Beach, Alabama, and has plans to open other franchised operations in Nevada and other areas in the South.

Angry Crab Shack specializes in seafood and boils with Asian and Cajun flavors. Ron Lou founded Angry Crab Shack in 2013 after years of building a reputation as a successful Valley restaurateur with his acclaimed Chinese seafood restaurant C-Fu Gourmet

“We are looking forward to sharing our fun and unforgettable dining experience with the San Tan Valley community,” Mr. Lou said. “We love seeing families and groups of friends enjoy our fresh, delicious seafood while engaging with our one-of-a-kind restaurant.”

Mr. Lou’s enthusiasm is not meant to minimize the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the company has remained steady, opened new revenue streams and is committed to keeping its restaurant staff members safe.

Andy Diamond, chief financial officer for Angry Crab Shack, said the pandemic has proven to be a double-edged sword. In July, the company closed its dining rooms as precaution amid a spike in COVID cases. At the same time, the company took the opportunity to live with the new normal and delved into take-out and delivery service.

Diamond said that shift in dining has inspired the company to think of ways to properly package food so it gets to customers’ homes almost the way they would at the restaurant.

Even with dining rooms reopened, Diamond said many old and new customers are happy to keep ordering online or doing pick-up. Meanwhile,  managers of the company-owned and -operated Angry Crab Shacks, as well as franchisees, are making sure employees stay safe with gloves, masks, social distancing and temperature checks. Guests also have their temperatures checked before entering the dining room.

The San Tan Valley restaurant will feature Angry Crab Shack’s signature menu of Cajun seafood boils, as well as seafood-focused appetizers, sandwiches, soups and salads. The restaurants source lobster from the East Coast, Dungeness crab from the Pacific Northwest, King and Snow Crab from Alaska, and crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico

The family-friendly San Tan Valley restaurant has a similar look and feel to other Angry Crab Shack locations. It incorporates its well-known, vibrant décor that includes live fish tanks, ocean life decorations and wood-boarded walls that guests can sign.

The restaurant is  at 1749 W. Hunt Highway and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. for dine-in, carryout and delivery. To place an order for pick-up, call the restaurant at 480-608-2722, or to place a delivery order online via DoorDash.