Tacoma sandwich smackdown: Lobster Shop and C.I. Shenanigans
I recently dug into two seafood sandwiches on the Ruston waterfront — a shrimp po’ boy at the Lobster Shop and a crab panini at C.I. Shenanigans. Here’s how they rated in my sandwich smackdown:
C.I. SHENANIGANS
3017 Ruston Way, Tacoma; 253-752-8811, cishenanigans.com
Lump Blue Crab Panini Sandwich, 16.95
Built on sourdough, the sandwich was pressed flat — in fact, too flat — with not enough crab between layers of bacon and cheddar cheese. The mayo was glopped on, not carefully applied the way a heavy condiment such as mayo should be. I could barely taste the crab under all that heavy dressing and that’s just a travesty when eating a sandwich that costs almost $17. Honestly? The thinly cut, skins-on fries outshone the sandwich. I should have just ordered those and saved the money.
LOBSTER SHOP
4015 Ruston Way, Tacoma; 253-759-2165, wp.lobstershop.com
Shrimp po' boy, $14
The bread appeared a touch too squishy for this classic Louisiana sandwich, but the ciabatta wasn’t as mushy as it looked. A few of the cornmeal breaded shrimp had tossed their jackets, leaving the shrimp naked and plainly flavored. Other than that, the sandwich had all the attributes I look for in this classic. One quibble for purists: Remoulade-dressed slaw proved a crunchy accompaniment, but the sandwich didn’t come “dressed” as it is typically adorned in its home state (with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles). The fries here were outstanding. Medium-width fries with the skins kept on looked as if they’d been hand cut.
Verdict: The shrimp po’ boy wins, no competition.
MORE ON SANDWICHES
Have a sandwich you want me to find for you? Just let me know. I’m always on the prowl for a great sandwich. Here are a few recent sandwich projects:
This story was originally published January 9, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tacoma sandwich smackdown: Lobster Shop and C.I. Shenanigans ."