A longtime Clovis restaurant is gone from Sierra Vista Mall, but a new one is moving in
A new seafood restaurant is headed for a prime spot at Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis.
Captain Crab is a Stockton-based full-service restaurant that hopes to open by the end of the year in the outdoor portion of the mall.
It’s taking over the space left behind by Rio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse near the movie theater. That restaurant was in business for 13 years, before it closed last year.
The Captain Crab in Clovis will be the restaurant’s fourth location in the Central Valley. The first started in Stockton and others are open in Sacramento and Elk Grove.
The company is waiting on building and health permits from various agencies before it can start work inside the building. The remodeling – mostly cosmetic work to change the decor from a steakhouse to a seafood theme – is expected to take two or three months, said Darren Guo, one of the restaurant’s owners.
Captain Crab is a sit-down restaurant, though it will do take-out too. It will be open for lunch and dinner.
When it’s open, it will employ between 15 and 30 people.
Why Clovis?
Guo said the ownership group chose Clovis because it doesn’t have a lot of seafood eateries.
“I don’t see major seafood restaurants in Clovis,” he said. “It’s a new market.”
Clovis residents will drive to Fresno, where there are popular seafood restaurants like Pismo’s Coastal Grill. In Old Town Clovis, restaurant The Craft House has a fair amount of seafood on its menu.
But Yelp.com shows just one seafood restaurant in Clovis – West Coast Fish and Chips.
Ironically, it’s across the street from the mall on Shaw Avenue.
The menu
Captain Crab’s menu features plenty of fried foods (like calamari and hush puppies). Baskets of fried seafood and french fries are available, including shrimp, tilapia, catfish and oysters.
Po’boy sandwiches are on the menu with your choice of fish.
The most popular option, Guo said, are the bowls. Customers pick their seafood from options like crawfish, lobster tail, clams, crab and more. Then they pick their seasoning (from options like Cajun or garlic butter) and finally, pick their spice level (from not spicy to extra hot).
Desserts like key lime pie and cheesecake are available too.
