Crabby’s was a seafood restaurant in Wisconsin Dells that in 2016 began offering heated rocks as a method of cooking. That concept apparently was popular enough that it is now the name of the restaurant as of this year: Hot Rocks.
The hot rocks will be the focus of this review. I actually did enjoy the experience of cooking my own dinner right on the table, although that obviously seems counterintuitive to going out to eat at a restaurant.
You get your choice of 21 “on the rock” entrees, including three lamb chops ($25), pineapple teriyaki glazed ham ($15) and Black Angus ribeye ($24). I had my mind set on seafood, so I ordered the seafood trio ($30), which comes with salmon, two tiger shrimp and two scallops.
Your waiter will warn you that the shrimp and scallop take little time to cook on the 750-degree stone slab. (If you order steak, they’ll tell you to slice the steak to make it cook more quickly.)
I have no criticism of the preparation, since I cooked the food myself, but I would have liked some oil or butter, as the food stuck to the stone. I thought the salmon, shrimp and scallops were tasty, but they needed seasoning. Fortunately, you get your choice of dipping sauces, and they helped a lot.
The entrees also come with a medley of vegetables that you can cook, as well as fries or baby potatoes.
The rest of the menu has appetizers, salads and desserts. Since I wasn’t full from the meal, I ordered the hot rock fudge volcano ($12), a decadent ensemble of cake, ice cream, waffle cones (the volcano) and licorice (the lava) served on a cold stone that you can further enhance with caramel, fudge and sprinkles.
Hot Rocks serves dinner every day in the summer and Thursday through Saturday in the off-season.
Tags: American, seafood, Wisconsin Dells
