Do you remember that scene from Toy Story 3 where the toys anticipate a delightful stay at a children’s day care, only to find themselves in the clutches of dribbling, toy-mutilating toddlers? Well, my seafood boil experience at Seafood City was kind of like that…

Please note: This was an Influencer event and this experience was gifted. All opinions are my honest thoughts.

Seafood boils, a foodie craze that has taken over TikTok, typically feature people in bibs, sucking on crab legs, with tables draped in Cajun and garlic butter sauce. Vegans, beware! Despite my reservations about messy eating, the concept intrigued me. So, when Seafood City, Birmingham’s very first seafood boil restaurant, opened in The Arcadian, I was eager to dive in. I had never tried a seafood boil before. I love seafood, but never have I eaten it with gloves and had a bucket-load of it on my plate.

Inspired by the original ‘seafood boil’ made famous in Louisiana in the USA’s Deep South, Seafood City is the very first seafood boil restaurant in Birmingham. It is run by the lovely people behind Vietnamese Street Kitchen—the family-run restaurant in Birmingham. Located on the top level of The Arcadian, Seafood City boasts a decent size and a prime location. The whole point of this experience is to get messy, and even though I’m not one for faffing around with my food, I was ready for this new dining experience.

We started with scallops in a garlic and spring onion sauce. While I can’t recall the exact price of the scallops, the sauce was £3.99. These scallops were delightful—beautifully garlicky and buttery! Size-wise, they were spot on, pretty big, and presented nicely in their shells. So far, so good!

My orange wine fans will be happy to know there is an orange wine on the menu! I was over the moon to see Solara Orange on the menu—a gorgeous orange wine that could easily be drunk like pop! Alongside the wine, we enjoyed a couple of cocktails. They offer a fantastic deal: 2 for £15. We sampled the apricot fizz, raspberry ice, and lychee cooler, with the lychee cooler emerging as my favourite.

The wait for the seafood boil was a bit lengthy, but since this was an influencer event, I understood the delay. Bib and gloves secured, the seafood feast finally arrived. Lobster, mussels, squid, king prawns, potatoes, and corn on the cob, all drenched in Cajun sauce. You also have the option of garlic butter or hot and spicy sauces.

Gloves on, it was time to get down and dirty. Cracking open the lobster revealed a generous amount of meat, and the prawns were big, juicy, and perfectly seasoned with Cajun spices. However, as time went on, cracking open the prawns and lobster became a laborious task. Looking around at people sucking on crab claws, pulling apart lobster bodies, and sauce dribbling all over people’s mouths and bibs, it was quite a horror scene. With my gloves soaked, I started to get the ick.

Now, I have a peculiar aversion to wet things. It dates back to my school days, walking home in soaking wet trousers that clung uncomfortably to my legs. That sensation of wet material against my skin makes me cringe, and I experienced a similar discomfort here. The messiness, the wetness, the sauce in places it shouldn’t be—every time I spoke, Cajun spice squirted into my friends’ faces. I did not sign up for a seafood orgy!

For those who enjoy messy eating, this place is a blast. It’s fun, but if you have a phobia of soggy things clinging to you, this could be your worst nightmare. That said, the food was undeniably tasty. The flavours were robust, the variety was impressive, and the extra touch of garlic bread to soak up the sauce was a nice addition. The seafood boil costs £15.95, with the lobster tail as an extra for £16.95 and £3.75 for 5 squid rings, bringing the total to £36.65. While I won’t be rushing back for another seafood boil, the fried cod, crab, and prawn burger on the menu caught my eye and seems more my style. In regard to the seafood boil, they also offer fried and grilled options, plus larger portions.

In conclusion, this new craze is something people will either love or hate. For me, the messiness was a deal-breaker, but I thoroughly enjoyed the food. It’s an experience everyone should try at least once – just maybe bring some goggles to avoid lobster juice in your eye!

Book your Seafood boil experience at Seafood City in Birmingham here