Update August 2020: Saltwater Crab is open for takeout including online orderings and lunch specials, plus limited dine-in. They have an open patio as well. Check out the latest hours and info on their website.

Contributor Veena ate at Saltwater Crab restaurant in Overton Square when it first opened in July 2019. Below is her full report from that time, with some updates for 2020. All menu items mentioned may not be available. Check out the menu on Saltwater Crab's website for the most up-to-date information. 

In January of 2020, Chef Jimmi Sinh aka "Sushi Jimmi" took over the kitchen at Saltwater and brought in his signature sushi rolls, sushi burritos, and spicy crawfish nachos on Doritos to the existing menu of seafood entreés and the ultra-trendy seafood boils. 

How many restaurants have been in this small, narrow restaurant space near Overton Square in midtown? Most longtime Memphians remember Chicago Pizza Factory during the original Overton heyday in the 70s and 80s, and then the building’s eventual decline.

In 2013, there was a big renovation and a short stint for Chiwawa—two years of hot dogs and sangria on the spacious patio—before an even shorter stint for Indian Pass Raw Bar, which was open for eight months in 2018. 

Now, the space at 2059 Madison is up for its third fourth recent attempt at serving the legions of thirsty Memphians (and visitors) who flock to Overton Square.

 

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A post shared by Sushi Jimmi (@sushi_jimmi) on Jul 23, 2020 at 6:02am PDT

Saltwater Crab opened on July 1, 2019 in a renovated space under totally new ownership, and in January 2020 the restaurant was sold again and the new owners brought in beloved local chef Jimmi Sinh aka "Sushi Jimmi" to add his signatures dishes to the menu.

Think sushi burritos and spicy crawfish nachos served on Doritos chips, in addition to the already sprawling menu of sushi rolls, seafood appetizers and entrées, and seafood boils.

My friend Katie and I tried it out during its sneak peek, and we committed fully to trying everything. We ate so. much. food. Each time we thought there couldn’t possibly be more, another round was brought to us and we found some extra space in our stomachs. 

All told we had tuna, sushi, New York strip with potatoes, salmon with broccolini, fried oysters, raw oysters. Then there was the boil with crab legs, shrimp, mussels, corn on the cob, and potatoes. To top it off, we tried the key lime pie. We both tried the hibiscus rum cooler, and Katie also had the bootlegger custom cocktail.

Our favorites were the crab legs, the tuna, and the salmon with broccolini. I also really enjoyed the NY strip (Katie doesn’t eat beef, so I was on my own for that one) but we both agree the real winner of the night was the chimichurri sauce that was served with the raw oysters. I proceeded to pour a dollop of this onto everything else that was served, minus the pie.

One thing I especially like about Saltwater is that your dining experience can be as casual or as fancy as you want to make it. With simpler items like soups, salads, and sandwiches, a dinner for two can cost $35 - $40, but if you’re in the mood for something a little nicer, you can enjoy steaks, sushi, and any number of different boils.

Saltwater also has beers on tap and a full cocktail bar. Go for the sushi, stay for the crab legs, and enjoy the covered outdoor patio while you’re at it.

 

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A post shared by Sushi Jimmi (@sushi_jimmi) on May 31, 2020 at 9:39am PDT

 

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A post shared by Sushi Jimmi (@sushi_jimmi) on Jul 12, 2020 at 6:49am PDT

Go there:

Saltwater Crab
2059 Madison Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38104

Website
Instagram

Photos by Katie Milligan, used with permission.