Derek Still has worked in restaurants across the western United States for more than two decades. He’s observed the ebb and flow of customer traffic during the spring, summers and holidays.
Still thought he understood seasonal trends until he caught the first wave of Lent in South Texas.
“When Lenten season hits, business goes bananas,” said Still, co-owner of Smashin Crab since 2017. “There’s absolutely nothing like Lent in San Antonio.”
In observance of the day Jesus was crucified, a large number of Catholics and Protestants abstain from red meat on Friday. But they don’t abstain from fish.
The fish exception turns Smashin Crab into a smash-and-grab, with customers cracking shells, devouring crawfish and clamoring for pounds of peel-and-eat shrimp.
“It’s barely controlled chaos,” Still said. “It’s all hands on deck.”
Once an aspiring actor and musician, Still worked for more than a decade in Los Angeles restaurants before moving to Phoenix, where he managed Angry Crab Shack for two years.
After relocating to San Antonio, Still discovered Lenten season overlapped with peak crawfish season. Business erupted in March and April, especially on Fridays.
“Crawfish kick starts our busy season in January,” he said. “Then Lent comes and it’s like a force magnifier. Everything goes from busy to crazy busy.”
Three weeks into the Lenten season and meatless Fridays remain popular. Seafood kitchens and bars are promoting everything from fish and chips to crawfish etouffee.
Tenfold Rooftop does it with an expansive open-air bar overlooking downtown. From the 10th floor of the Kimpton Santo Hotel, guests can enjoy a “10x Tour,” 10 chef-selected small plates for pescatarians from 10 regions around the world.
The most popular: grilled octopus with crispy potatoes, blistered pepper, chimichurri and pipián and flame-kissed oysters with yuzu hollandaise and cucumber mignonette.
Business is brisk, the view Instagramable. A trendy, breezy space with padded chairs, low tables and a tropical-style bar attracts a host of customers, or covers in restaurant lingo.
“Last Friday, we did over 600 covers,” said sous chef Charlie Jakubowski. “Monday through Thursday, we might do 100 to 200 covers.”
The chalkboard menu changes twice a day at Fish City Grill, a seafood staple.
One Lenten-friendly option is the garlic caper salmon, served with lemon basil rice, garlic wilted spinach, grilled lemon and beurre blanc. Another is the crab platter, a packed-serving of shrimp, potatoes, corn and crab legs.
“One of our favorite dishes right now is the blackened redfish with gulf shrimp, crab meat butter, parmesan rice and green beans,” said Rocky Cheek, chef and executive general manager. “And Fish City Grill is one of the go-to spots for crawfish.”
How is business?
“The first two Fridays of Lent were great,” Cheek said. “We saw a significant increase in customer traffic. This is a great time of year for the seafood industry.”
At Smashin Crab, Derek Still is bracing for another furious Friday. Customers piling in with spouses and children. Ordering boils and hot sauce. Relaxing with cold drinks. Enjoying meals that stretch into hours.
“It’s a family place,” Still said. “People enjoy each other’s company. When you are eating boils and you’re elbow deep in habanero sauce, you’re not going to be on your phone.
“People talk about the Lenten season. They’re going to be observant but they’re still going to come in and get great shrimp and their lips are going to be numb.”
