Raging Crab: (another) new Cajun seafood boil restaurant

Who would have guessed that the biggest trend to wash up on Hawaii's shores might be the seafood boil? First, Kickin' Kajun, then Raging Crab, then JJ's Crab City.

In hindsight, it makes sense: Hawaii loves seafood, and these new restaurants have all the casualness and fun of a tailgate party.

No matter that the seafood itself is of so-so quality. We tried Raging Crab and found the crab mushy, the mussels and clams overcooked, and the crawfish tasting muddy. But the seasoning was better than at Kickin' Kajun—it permeated the shellfish thoroughly. Here, you choose from garlic butter, lemon pepper or Raging Cajun, or just get them all with "The Works" for a zesty, spicy, utterly buttery sauce. This stuff saves everything.

The "Captains Special" ($50) is probably the way to go, which includes lobster, king crab legs, snow crab legs, crawfish (just three in our mix), mussels, shrimp, clams, sausage, corn, all of which arrives in a plastic bag, cajun fries and rice on the side. Plastic bib, crab claw cracker included, messy hands a given.