Photo Courtesy of Amudalat Ajasa
Grand opening signs still hang on the side of Ben’s Crab on Hempstead Turnpike. The restaurant first opened its doors on Saturday, Oct. 19.
“We opened a few weeks ago,” said manager Jason Lui. “Nowhere else [on Hempstead Turnpike] has two full bars and party rooms in the basement. We are the best seafood restaurant on Hempstead Turnpike.” Several guests backed that claim up.
“It’s my first time here at the restaurant,” said Liv Chalfin, a sophomore psychology major at Hofstra University. “I thought it was amazing.”
“The sauce left my mouth tingling. The crab was perfect, the shrimp was perfect and the rice was perfect,” Chalfin explained. She ordered a seafood broil with crab and shrimp, which featured a side of corn and potatoes, all smothered in garlic medium sauce.
“On Hempstead Turnpike there aren’t many seafood spots; this is the only one I know of,” said Vanessa Sims, a customer at the restaurant. “The food was good.” Sims ordered a fried shrimp basket, a garden salad and a side of corn.
While the walls on both the inside and outside are painted blue, that didn’t seem to be the emotion of the workers or the music inside. The interior of the restaurant features a nautical theme with pictures of the beach, fishing nets, cage lights and boat-like light fixtures. This was all topped off by a large image of a crab on the center wall of the restaurant. A wide variety of old R&B, new pop and hip hop music set the mood of the restaurant.
Sims, who generally dines at the restaurant’s other location in Oceanside, explained, “This location is more decorative than the Oceanside location. This one has a better seafood feel.”
“I don’t know why I had such low expectations, it’s really clean and well decorated,” Chalfin added. “It has a sailor theme and it’s cohesive.”
“We want a more relaxed vibe. We want people to come in here and hang out. Nothing high-end,” Lui said.
The food and the atmosphere of the restaurant left customers longing to go back for more. “I would 100% come back and bring more people, because it was really good,” Chalfin said.
While people of various ages and ethnic backgrounds were present at the restaurant, Lui explained, “At night, around 8 p.m., a lot of Hofstra students come in.” The high number of students feasting could be because the restaurant offers a 10% discount for all students, which they can access simply by providing their student ID.
There will be more Ben’s Crab locations in the future. Lui explained, “We will be opening up a third location in six months.” The restaurant hopes to become a chain, but is focusing on opening up its third location first.
“We are currently hiring for servers, bartenders and hostesses,” Lui said. Since the restaurant is close to Hofstra, it’s a convenient option for students who are looking for employment.
“If you’re a real seafood lover,” Sims said, “You’re going to like Ben’s Crab.”
