When Joe's Crab Shack opens its third Md. location Monday in Abingdon, the first 100 patrons served will get a voucher for free Snow Crab Bucket every month for a year.
Joe's Crab Shack, which specializes in steam pots, seafood entrees and crab dishes, is owned by the Houston-based Ignite Restaurant Group. Wait, a Texas-based crab chain spreading across the Chesapeake. Coals to Newcastle, right? Not really. Joe's Crab Shack does have blue crab on the menu but is better known for its Dungeness crabs and especially the cold-water crustaceans known variously as snow, king and queen crabs.
The new 250-seat Joe's Crab Shack opens Monday at 11 a.m. at 3414 Merchant Blvd. in Abingdon at the Boulevard at Box Hill Shopping Center. The other Joe's Crab Shacks are in Md. are in Greenbelt and Gaithersburg.
In addition to the snow-crab giveaway, every patron who donates any time in January to the No Kid Hungry - Share Our Strength campaign to end childhood hunger in America will get "bounce-back" coupons good for an appetizer, entree or dessert.
But how early do you have to get there to get one of those snow crab coupon thingies? Real early, according to a company spokesman.