Rockin Crawfish

I've been to Louisiana many times and have eaten crawfish and other types of seafood (cajun style) more so than anyone I know. With that being said, I'm confident that I'm quite the credible source in terms of cajun seafood assessment, especially crawfish! But before I jump into assessing the venue, Rockin' Crawfish in particular, I'd like to give you a brief overview about the critter of discussion, crawfishes!

Crawfish are very much like lobsters in identity but much smaller in size, about 1/10 of the size. Also, the texture of the meat is much softer and the taste is unlike any you've tasted. Almost everyone that has tried it will enjoy its taste but a lot of people are also turned off by the work required to deshell the critter. I myself was discouraged when first starting to eat this type of food but after being shown the proper technique, it's much easier than you think. My advise for first-time eaters is to ask to be instructed the proper technique to avoid discouragement!

About the venue & food: I've been to almost every crawfish/cajun seafood restaurants in Orange County and my favorite is now Rockin' Crawfish. When first introduced to Orange County, there were only a couple of restaurants to select from but now that the critter has been widely accepted in the community, a few more restaurants of the sort has popped up over the last year. The attributes that makes Rockin' Crawfish my place to be and distinctive from the rests are:

-Extremely Rich Flavoring (best I've tasted so far)
-Beyond-Fresh Seafood
-Lively Louisiana Style Ambience/Decor
-NO MSG (I always steer clear from MSG and to my dismay, they don't use any MSG for their products vs. the other restaurants.
-More conducive to an adult environment.
-Wider selection of beers and cocktail beverages
-Better appetizers
-Inexpensive
-Late Hours (open til 11pm from Su-Th and until midnight on Fr&Sa)

Crawfish done in Louisiana are very simple in preparation and is simply dipped in butter or lemon juice & black pepper. After eating crawfish prepared with the Asian twist, Ive come to realize how inferior the Louisiana style taste has become.

Only downside to the restaurant is that parking is hectic before 6 or 7 p.m. but it clears up after neighboring retail stores close. If you've never tried crawfishes before, I'd very much recommend this for an icebreaker type date since it's messy and fun!!

Matt O'Conner
Irvine, CA