Seafood restaurant announces opening after nearly 2 years of prep

UPDATE MON MAR 02, 2023

They have finally announced… The opening date for Mighty Crab will be Monday, March 6th. It seems like it’s been forever since we first learned but hey, it’s only been a year and a half.

They’ve published a menu with daily specials, lunch specials and all the dishes you’d expect from a seafood restaurant in Arkansas. They’ll have snow crab, black mussel, shrimp, lobster, calamari, oysters, clams, steak, catfish, tilapia, crawfish, sausage, and chicken wings. 17 types of appetizers, plus soup and salad, fried baskets, po boys, boil bags, several sides, desserts, and kids menu.

 

The open hours with be Monday – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 10 p.m. We’ve said it before, but once again, they are located in the old Dixie Cafe building right before Home Depot at 17306 Interstate 30 North in Benton.

UPDATE MON JAN 23, 2023

We told you about a week ago that Mighty Crab has a goal of opening very soon in the old Dixie Cafe location. But today we have pictures of the signs going up.

Scroll down for more info about this restaurant.

UPDATE JAN 13, 2023

If you have been thinking to yourself that it’s been a long time since we heard about Mighty Crab, and you are wondering if it’s still going to open in Benton… it is.

I spoke with a company representative today and they are seeking permit and approval from the Arkansas Department of Health. They hope to be opening their doors in the next month or so. Look for them to appear on social media.

UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2022

Well my goodness, it’s been closer to a year now since we told you that a Mighty Crab restaurant was coming to Benton in the old Dixie Cafe building. Ok, nine months. But it’s been so long that the general public wondered if the restaurant still had plans to press forward and open a new location there.

The manager originally told me they’d be open by January or February. (I don’t think he meant 2023?) They couldn’t have known how hard it would be to get kitchen equipment and contractors. 

I had some difficulty matching my schedule to the right people at the restaurant, so that I could get an answer about whether they are really, really still coming. Well of course they are. But they couldn’t pin down a date. And so we will wait…

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOV 22, 2021

The banner might be difficult to read from the road, given that Arkansas winds tend to make things messy. There is a banner in the grass in front of the former Dixie Cafe property at 17306 Interstate 30 in Benton.

I got out to have a better look and it says “Mighty Crab Coming Soon.” The banner has photos of some really good looking seafood. Lobster, clams, crab legs and more. Their menu also shows tilapia, oysters, shrimp, calamari – and yes they have chicken wings, chicken tenders and a lot more seafood.

Mighty Crab has several locations already in Arkansas. The manager stated that they are coming to Benton in the beginning of the new year. January or February is what they originally said, but restaurant equipment has been hard to come by, so they have a goal to open as soon as possible.

A little history – Dixie Cafe has sat empty since about four years ago. It was then that the company announced they would be closing all locations, including 12 of their restaurants in Arkansas.