15

Hermit’s Crab House opens on Clement – temporary pop-up?

Posted on by Sarah B.


Photo by Derek

Reader Derek sent us these pics of new eatery Hermit’s Crab House which opened very recently at 332 Clement near 5th Avenue in what used to be the home of Chow Win restaurant.

We haven’t been able to find any info on the menu or hours of operation. But their lone Yelp review from Dan B. references chili cheese fries and “grease, salt, gooey cheese, red meats”. But no mention of crab or seafood. Whatever the menu, sounds like you’ll want to keep your TUMS handy.

Some photos from the same reviewer include a shot of a sidewalk sandwich board that says “pop up now open”, so it’s unclear if Hermit’s is here to stay, or just a temporary tenant. Based on their high-end banner/sign, we’re thinking maybe this is not permanent…

UPDATE 2/8/15: The sign is gone and the business no longer appears to be in operation. So if you’re thinking about heading over, don’t bother.

Sarah B.

15 Comments

  1. I think it’s owned by Herman, the owner of Chin Sushi on California. You could check with him.

  2. Not a big fan of these spray paint signs – give an artist a job!

  3. Some months ago, Herman moved chin sushi to this location. He opened without a beer/wine license, had a very limited menu, and described an idea about having a kid play space upstairs for entertaining children while parents had dinner. Then it closed, but you could see DJ turntables displayed in the window. It is all very curious.

  5. Caution neighbors — this restaurant had a serious pest problem (and I don’t mean the insect kind). So please be skeptical about the health/hygiene standards and practices of this latest venture.

  6. We passed by on Super Bowl Sunday. An employee was on the sidewalk offering samples of their soups. He said they only opened that day as a pop-up to take advantage of the SB crowds and that they would open as a regular restaurant in the near future. Soup was good. I plan to check it out later.

  8. so by “pests” are we talking parasites? why not be clear with such an accusation?

  9. Hey Karl, I think I’ve seen you sometimes in Japantown. If you’re the same person who plays there on occasion (or did at least) then my compliments, you were amazing and I always looked forward to catching the silver-haired man with the wooden flute (if you’ll pardon my description).

  11. Thanks Bumblebee (though the flute is bamboo, and technically bamboo is a grass :-)) – come up and harass me next time…

  12. Just walked by and it’s open withe a Soft Opening sign. No one was inside eating though.

  13. Am an employee here – I can assure you that we’re open for business. Anyone concerned with the pest problem is free to stop by and look at the kitchen – we did a thorough sanitization of the kitchen and premises; I have not seen anything of the sort other than the occasional fly brought about by leaving the doors open.

    Other than that, we’re open 11 to 9 every day but Monday and while I may be biased, I find the food to be delicious. Anyone who comes by should feel free to look around – we have a special Valentine’s Day menu featuring bacon wrapped scallops and crab legs with an assortment of aiolis.

  14. Also – the official name is Hermit Crab House – not Hermit’s Crab House

  15. Actually, Hermit Crab House is NOT open at the moment. I am very sorry for all the confusion! Chef Matthew & I are currently working towards acquiring funding to procure this space OFFICIALLY, however for the moment this location is NOT producing food for sale. In the meantime, I am personally making certain that this building is clean, sanitized, functional, and up to/above ALL health code standards. So rest assured, when (HOPEFULLY!!!!) Matthew & I open these front doors Hermit Crab House will be where you want to go for bites of awesome!

    *While we embark on this amazing journey, you can stay updated on our progress/adventures by visiting our Facebook page. Remember, it’s not Hermit’s Crab House! The correct name is
    HERMIT CRAB HOUSE *
    😉

    I’ll see ya there!
    —-Stephanie Crowe
    Assistant Manager

Comments are closed.