Five Star New Orleans Seafood at The Boil

Summertime seafood eating is here

It takes a lot to get New Yorkers to happily wait up to two hours for dinner served in a large plastic bag. But The Boil, an exciting new seafood shack at the edge of Chinatown, deserves to pull it off.

Shrimp + crawfish combo with house sauce

Here's why. The seafood is delicious. The value is excellent. You eat with your hands. The menu is straightforward.

Seasonal Louisiana crawfish, crab, lobster, shrimp, and clams are served by the pound or in generous combo platters. Pick a level of spiciness and your choice of sauce: lemon pepper, Old Bay, or garlic butter.The addictive house blend - a mash up of the three marinades - is the way to go.

Appetizers, including oyster sliders and catfish basket, are tasty enough. But save your appetite for the ridiculously generous combos. I could barely finish my $25 bargain dinner of a pound of peel 'n' eat shrimp and a pound of crawfish. The dinner includes corn, potatoes and sausage. The best part is that literally everything - sides too - is dumped into a gloriously warm bag full of special sauce. The melding of natural juices, butter, and garlicky seasonings creates an unforgettable coating that could keep the entire cast of "True Blood" at bay.

Fresh crawfish is in season through August (but the owners are working on getting them year round). Don't worry if you don't know how to eat the tiny crustaceans. There are instructions posted everywhere. Just make sure you aren't afraid to dig in. Literally. The mess is all part of the pleasure. They have bibs on hand.

The line starts forming nightly at 5 pm. See you there.

139 Chrystie Street

Between Broome + Delancey Streets

212 925 8815
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