Visit Bowen Hills for nine days each August and the sounds of the Ekka echo through the suburb. Hit up the inner-city spot since August 2023, however, and you'll hear plenty of cracking at Claw. This crustacean-slinging joint on King Street is an American-influenced crab shack, pairing seafood with barbecue fare in a massive sports bar.
How massive? Taking over the space that food truck park Welcome to Bowen Hills previously called home, Claw can cater to 1000 people donning bibs, slicing into a steak, sipping boozy slushies and watching a match.
Obviously, the crab shack heroes its fondness for seafood in its moniker, with king crab its signature menu item. You'll nab it in buckets, prepared Baja-style, and paired with chilled shrimp, oysters, lemon and cocktail sauce — and you'll pay $199 for the venue's delicacy.
Also on offer: plank-roasted salmon, shrimp enchiladas, rib-eye steaks topped with half a lobster tail, jalapeño bacon burgers, fried chook, beef short ribs, Texas smoked beef brisket, Carolina pulled pork, buffalo chicken wings and blackened shrimp tacos. Add Cheetos mac 'n' cheese as a side, then feast on a salted choc brownie sundae for dessert.
To wash down all of the above, frozen cocktails and craft beers are in the spotlight. Claw's drinks list features boozy slushies — think: margaritas, mango daiquiris and beergarita made with Coronas to share — plus both local and international brews, with an exposed keg room heroing the latter.
If you prefer wine, there's a short array of options. And for more cocktails, go for guava or cactus apple margs, the root beer float, an apple pie-inspired tipple and a two-person concoction that's served in "a shark-infested fishbowl".
For sports fans, large-screen TVs are a given, while DJs and live music will provide a soundtrack. Plus, because this is a family-friendly joint, there's even a playground for children. And, for everyone, arcade games will get you mashing buttons.
