Fiery Crab, a Cajun seafood boil chain, is opening two locations in the Portland area, one at 1832 NE 122nd Ave in Portland and another at 14930 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Suite 101, in Vancouver, WA. Franchisee Xia Zhen confirmed to What Now Portland that both restaurants are targeting a late September opening.
Zhen said he first discovered the chain while traveling in Louisiana, where he ate at a Fiery Crab location and liked it enough to call the company directly about joining as a franchisee. He said he is part-owner of the group behind both new locations and separately owns another restaurant in Vancouver.
Fiery Crab was founded in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2018 by Victoria Crigan and Andy Yang, building its concept around seafood served boiling in sealed, heat-proof bags with a choice of sauce and spice level, meant to be eaten by hand at paper-covered tables. The chain has grown to more than 20 locations, mostly across Louisiana, with additional franchises in South Carolina and California.
Zhen pointed to the sauce itself; it delivers a genuine Louisiana taste even though the seafood is sourced from the Pacific Northwest rather than shipped in from the Gulf Coast. Their sauce makes the restaurant stand out from the rest
