The Crab Shop

Crab is the anchor of the menu at The Crab Shop, a seafood restaurant at 2455 Dollarton Hwy in North Vancouver's Parkgate neighbourhood, in a format that blends a retail seafood counter with a place to sit down and eat. That combination suits customers who want to compare buying fresh seafood to take home against ordering a cooked plate on the spot. This kind of shop-and-eat setup is fairly common among coastal seafood businesses, where the same product moves in two directions, out the door in a bag or onto a table for lunch.

Mount Seymour and Deep Cove sit on either side of Parkgate, where outdoor recreation is woven into daily routines, and stopping for seafood after time on the water or on nearby trails fits naturally into that pattern. Dollarton Hwy runs along this part of the North Shore on the way toward Deep Cove, putting a seafood counter within easy reach of anyone already making that drive. A seafood-focused business may adjust its hours around seasonal supply, so a glance at the restaurant's website ahead of a visit can help avoid a wasted trip.