Customers know a good thing and they aren’t afraid to ask for it. The inspiration for the very popular Coastal Crab Burger at this casual concept came from a regular, who couldn’t decide between the signature crab dip and a burger. “He asked if he could have the dip on the burger, and the Coastal Crab Burger was born,” says Jennifer Daskevich, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Coastal Grill & Bar. “Taking inspiration from our guests always leads to good results. Combining two favorites into one creates something that is better than its parts—and this burger fits that bill.”
A half-pound burger on a fresh-baked, butter-toasted brioche bun gets topped with a spinach salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. The jumbo lump crap dip goes on top, followed by crisp tortilla strips and Old Bay seasoning. “With the richness in this burger, it was important to create a contrast of textures and flavors,” she says. “The spinach with lemon vinaigrette was added to create a fresh break from the rich burger and creamy crab dip.” To mimic all of the flavors and textures of the dip, which is served in a skillet with fried tortilla strips for dipping, the burger adopts them as a crispy garnish. “The result is a perfectly balanced fresh and rich burger with a little crunch,” she says.
Daskevich says diner feedback has been fantastic. “Customers love it so much. They will usually have the crab dip first, fall in love with that, and come back and get the crab burger.” The flavors from the dip are so well loved that there’s now also a Coastal Crab Pizza, too, boasting crab dip, spinach and Fontina.
