Owner of Crabby Bill's opens New England-inspired seafood restaurant in Indian Rocks beach
/The new monstah lobstah restaurant has made its debut in Indian Rocks Beach | matt loder Sr.
Want some wicked chowder? The family behind the Crabby Bill's restaurant brand has opened a New England-style seafood restaurant and bar on Indian Rocks Beach.
Just a few blocks from the original Crabby Bill's restaurant, founder Matt Loder Sr. and his family have converted the former JD's Restaurant and Lounge space at 125 Gulf Boulevard into their newest restaurant brand - Monstah Lobstah - a full-service New England-style Maine Lobster house.
The new restaurant, which held a soft opening this month, has a robust seafood menu with both New England and Florida seafood delicacies.
Inside the new monstah lobstah restaurant | Matt Loder SR.
The Loders, lifelong friends of the Downing family who ran JD’s, purchased the 5,605-square-foot restaurant in a $3.2 million deal in 2022.
“We are honored to continue the family business and legacy of JD’s as a Crabby Bill’s Family Brand. Our respect for them as well as what they have built will be evident in our operations of JD’s now, as [we] take the time after all the years to rest and enjoy life from the other side of the table," the Downing family wrote on their website at the time of the sale.
Like the original JD’s Restaurant, the back porch bar remains, and Monstah Lobstah is continuing to feature daily live music entertainment as JD's did.
The original JD’s back porch bar continues to be a popular drinking and gathering spot in the new monstah lobstah restaurant | Facebook
"[We are] looking forward to this new chapter in this space. A new look a new beginning and many new dishes to explore. We think the public will enjoy something different," Loder wrote in a LinkedIn post.
"We have enlisted a good friend Dan Hall formerly of Maine who has been in the lobster business for over 40 years to be our guide into Maine seafood."
The seafood cuisines on the starters' menu feature elevated offerings such as the Monstah Poutine, a dish made with fries topped with lobster bisque, lobster, shrimp, scallions, bacon, cheese, chives, and lemon aioli.
Other appetizers/starters include the New England haddock cakes, which are homemade cakes made with haddock, peppers, onions, potatoes, and Old Bay aioli, and other items such as haddock chowder, lobster bisque, shrimp and lobster fried mac n' cheese, sauteed mussels, "lobstah" baked oysters, and more.
The menu has traditional raw bar staples like oysters, cocktail shrimp, and a chilled seafood platter.
A few of the dishes featured on the Monstah Lobstah menu | facebook image
There are also fried seafood platters, ranging from clam strips, and popcorn shrimp to haddock and other fish, served with Old Bay chips, slaw, and hushpuppies.
A Florida Fare menu section includes grouper nuggets, smoked fish dip, and buffalo shrimp.
Additionally, Monstah Lobstah has a three-course "Prixe Fixe Menu" customers can order from during the work week (Monday through Friday).
They can select a salad or chowder, an entree from the limited menu with items like a grilled hickory salmon and seafood stuffed half Maine lobster, and their choice of a small dessert for the final course.
The Monstah Lobster signage | matt loder SR.
Monstah Lobstah also offers an extensive drink menu with mules, classic mojitos, margaritas with flavors like spicy Jalapeno, and signature cocktails, including the standard espresso martini and Bloody Mary drinks.
The New England drink section has fun spins on other concoctions like the Cape Codder, a vodka drink with cranberry juice and lime, and a "wicked strong" drink called the Boston Tea Party, which consists of vodka, scotch, tequila, rum, lime and orange juice, liqueur, and Coke.
Be sure to follow Monstah Lobstah on Facebook and Instagram for the latest menu items and live entertainment schedule.
