Grab a Yabby is the newest addition to Mount Lawley’s Beaux Laneway and a great one! I went there with my wife LittleMissBacon for dinner during their opening week and after having nice chat to the owner Phil, it turned out that he was hosting an event which foodie cravings were invited to.
The beginnings of Grab a Yabby is quite an inspirational story that really hits home with my dreams of one day leaving the corporate life and doing something I am passionate about like food. Originally, owners Phil and Michelle started Grab a Yabby as a weekend popup in Melbourne that paid homage to the Louisiana crawfish boils and the cajun flavours they fell in love with during their travels to New Orleans. Due to the growing demand, they eventually left their jobs in IT and Finance and opened up their first restaurant in Melbourne and decided to expand west and open their second branch in Perth.
At the event, we sampled a selection of Grab a Yabby’s menu, here are my top picks.
Sweet Potato Fries
I had the sweet potato chips both at the event and when I took my parents to Grab a Yabby on Aussie day. Whenever I take my mum out to eat, without even looking at the menu she will automatically request for sweet potato chips. About 50% of the time the restaurant will respond that they don’t do sweet potato chips, on this occasion they did! Thinly sliced, super crispy and served with a combo of mayo and their special “magic dust” cajun sauce, kind of makes me wanna get sweet potato chips everytime I’m here.
Hearty Ribs
Even though Grab a Yabby specialises in Yabby and Seafood boils, they also do some mean Pork and Beef ribs. As Owner Phil reckons “you gotta have meat on the menu for the boys” and we agree - so he put these bad boys onto the menu.
Both styles are nicely marinated and very saucy compared to the dry rub style offered by some of the other rib restaurants in Perth. I actually like the beef ribs more than the pork. Beef ribs take awhile to cook and are prone to being a bit tough if not cooked for long enough, this isn’t the case with Grab A Yabby’s beef ribs which were super tender.
Seafood Boil
Of course if you come down, you gotta try their specialty seafood boil which comes with the option to be lathered with XO, Special or Garlic sauce. I’d say the asian-inspired XO sauce was my favourite.
Tempura Prawns
I’m usually not a fan of tempura or deep fried prawns, but they do it really well here. The batter is light and doesn’t overpower the prawn.
Soft Shell Crab Sliders
Soft shell crab, chilli and sliders are three things I love to eat, so this slider was sure a winner for me. Really nice contrast of crispy fried soft shell crab with the soft brioche bun.
If you’re looking to head down (or up?) to Mount Lawley, Grab a Yabby should definitely be on your hitlist… I’m a big fan and been here 3 times since it’s opened. They also have lunch specials where you can get a meal and drink for around $24-$28 which is really great value for money.
