The Crab Trap is the chunk of the Perdido Key Drive seafood economy that does big-volume gulf-front family dinner well. Wraparound deck on the Gulf, an inside dining room large enough to never feel like you’re being rushed, and a menu that hits the usual Gulf Coast seafood marks — Royal Reds when they’re in, peel-and-eat shrimp, fried platters, grouper sandwich, the works.
What it doesn’t try to be: a fine dining experience, a quiet date spot in March, or a place where you’ll get a table on a Saturday night in July without a wait.
What it is: a reliable answer to “we’ve got six adults and four kids and we want to be on the water and we don’t want to think about it.” The booth on the corner of the deck with the unobstructed Gulf view is the booth to angle for.
Bushwackers also available here — same regional rules apply.
What to order
Royal Reds when they’re running, peel-and-eat shrimp when they’re not, and the grouper sandwich as the safe middle. Fried platters feed the kids without drama. Nothing here is reinventing the Gulf Coast playbook, and that’s the point — you order the obvious thing and it shows up done right.
The deck
The wraparound Gulf-front deck is the whole reason to pick the Crab Trap over an inland spot. Angle for the corner booth with the unobstructed Gulf view, and time it for sunset if you can — that’s the seat the regulars quietly compete for. Inside, the dining room is big enough that you never feel rushed even on a full night.
When to go and getting there
Gulf-front on Perdido Key Drive, built for big-volume family dinner — which means a Saturday night in July comes with a wait. Early dinner beats it. This is the answer when you’ve got a crowd of adults and kids, you want to be on the water, and you don’t want to think about it.
What's on the menu
A few things worth knowing about before you go — taken straight off Crab Trap Perdido Key's own menu.
- Hot Crab & Shrimp Dip $14.99 Fresh crab meat, shrimp, cream cheese, fresh basil, red peppers, and green onions, with pita chips
- Southern-Style Crab Cake $16.99 Signature handmade cake with 85% crab meat, on a fried green tomato with corn maque choux
- Raw Oysters (half-dozen / dozen) $11.99 / $23.99 Shucked and served on the half-shell with saltines, cocktail sauce, horseradish, and lemon.
- Blue Crab Claws MP 1/3 lb fried local crab claws
- Seafood Gumbo (cup / bowl) $7.99 / $10.49 Slow cooked Louisiana-style gumbo with spices, shrimp, fish, andouille sausage and white rice
- Alaska Bairdi Crab Dinner $75.99 1½ lbs of wild-caught bairdi crab; served with drawn butter, fresh corn, and new potatoes.
- Alaska Snow Crab Legs $42.99 1 1/2 lbs of Alaska snow crab. Served with corn and new potatoes.
- Three Pound Steamer Platter for Two $119.99 1 lb Alaska snow crab, 1 lb dungeness crab, 1 lb Gulf shrimp with double sides
- Crab Trap Catch $32.99 Grilled fish topped with crab meat, local bay shrimp, and a light lemon butter sauce.
- The Captain's Platter $33.99 Large Gulf shrimp, bay scallops, deviled crab, and fresh fish.
Prices as published by the restaurant on September 17, 2026. Menus change and ours is not the register — treat these as a guide, not a quote. See the full current menu ↗
