By: Jaylene Maldonado & Kaiya Alsobrook

It was a Friday afternoon, traffic was bumper to bumper making me eager to reach my destination. The Kickin’ Crab was in the heart of Plaza Mexico. You could hear the mariachi playing their guitar as soon as you stepped into the main square of the plaza. The Hispanic culture was captivating making you feel as if you traveled to Mexico.

Once you walk in you suddenly get a rush of energy from the restaurant. You can’t hear yourself think because there is so much happening at one-time R&B music, the conversations of satisfied customers and the sounds of the sports commentators for the Mexico vs Bermuda game fill the establishment.

The restaurant was at its’ max capacity, each table filled with different families. Walking in, you immediately smelled butter and cajun seasoning – all appetizing things. While you wait for your table to be ready you may walk around Plaza Mexico. Plaza Mexico is home to many establishments including, Wetzel's Pretzels, Two Scoop, Planet Fitness and more. As you walk pass Planet Fitness you realize that you may need to stop by after filling up on delicious cajun seasoned seafood that you are about to devour.

Once your table is ready, you will find that it consists only of a plastic table cover, salt and pepper in a small plastic container, ketchup, a roll of napkins, and a mountain of limes.

The Kickin crab is not your traditional sit-down restaurant. Your food is served to you in the bags and as you are meant to put all your trash on the table. The restaurant serves a wide variety of shellfish, including shrimp, clams, and mussels in addition to seasonal items as well as being able to choose the level of spiciness. They also offer different sides to come in your bag as well, such as corn, potatoes, and sausages. If you are unaware of what spicy level to get I recommend getting the Medium to start off as the spicy may be too spicy for some. I had ordered the spicy as it had been my first time there.

“You might want to keep in mind that the spicy is actually spicy”

Immediately as you open the bag you are hit with a strong piquant smell of the cajun seasoning along with the spiciness. It was mouthwatering and made me want to rip off the shrimp skin off in an instant. You notice that the shrimp is not peeled and still has its black bug eyes that stare at you as you strip away its shell and bite into its spicy insides.

After taking a few bites of the shrimp you instantly regretted getting spicy. Your lips may begin to feel numb and started to sting as if my lips were on fire. The lingering dark thick red sauce marinated the shrimp making you want more despite the blazing sensation. At first, it may feel quite unusual that you are left to eat like a 5-year-old with no plates and leaving your trash on the table but makes for the perfect experience.

You may also decide that you don’t want your food in a bag and bucket and decide to order mess-free popcorn shrimp with cajun fries. The golden-brown popcorn shrimp is crunchy on the outside and the cajun seasoning packs a punch on the inside.

The corn was scrumptious, it was both dulcet and hot. One bite it was sweet like sugar then the next it was unbearable but left you wanting more just like the rest of the menu. You could do without the potatoes as they were half-cooked and not as appealing as the rest. If you are looking for an extra kick then I suggest the Kickin’ Crab.

3170 E Imperial Hwy 102 B, Lynwood, CA 90626. (310) 632-1983. https://thekickincrab.com/. Hours: Monday-Sunday 12 pm-10-pm. Prices vary depending on market price.