During our recent vacation to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, my wife and I had the good fortune to have dinner (twice) at the Rustic Inn Crabhouse. This seafood restaurant is located on the water near the airport. It features a pretty diverse menu, focusing on crabs as you might imagine.
 The Rustic Inn sign (taken by my camera phone at night, so the quality is lacking)
On our first visit, we both had shrimp cocktails as our appetizers. We agreed that these were probably the best shrimp cocktails we'd ever had. The shrimp were very large, much larger than you might get at Red Lobster. They were cooked to perfection and lightly seasoned. The sauce was tangy with just the right kick of horseradish to it. The price was about $11.99 for the half-dozen or so shrimp in the cocktail, but it was amazingly worth it.
As my main course on the first visit, I had a crab sampler platter that showcased their most popular crab types and flavors (their claim to fame is inventing the garlic flavored crab cluster). I really enjoyed the Alaskan Queen Crab cluster, which had an excellent flavor. I didn't care much for the garlic crabs or the blue crab varieties, as they are a nuisance to hammer open and provide relatively little meat.
On our first visit, my wife had a shrimp dinner that was quite good. It was more than she could eat, so I helped her finish the dish after eating all my crab clusters on the crab platter.
Our second visit a few days later had us revisiting the shrimp cocktails. We enjoyed them just as much the second time around, so I don't hesitate to recommend this item on their menu.
My wife enjoying her shrimp cocktail.
I ordered just the Alaskan Queen Crab clusters on my second visit, as did my wife. They were properly cooked, arrived hot, and were delicious. My wife enjoyed them, but not $26.99 (menu price) worth. I thought they were the best crab clusters I'd ever eaten. They were seasoned expertly, cooked properly (i.e., not so overcooked that the meat sticks to the shell), and delicious. Again, I'd recommend this dish.
For dessert on the second visit, I had their chocolate cake. While I can't say it was the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten, it was certainly quite good. My wife had the Key Lime Pie and loved it.
The Rustic Inn isn't a cheap place to eat. Our bill was over $100 (including tip) both visits. But if you're looking for great seafood and great service, in a very casual and fun atmosphere, look no further.
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