Sloppy Crab prepares to open in former Briggs Detroit space later this month

After more than a year, a new restaurant promising "upscale seafood with an urban twist" is preparing to open in downtown Detroit.

According to executive head chef Chef Al, Sloppy Crab is expected to open to the public in the former Briggs Detroit space at 519 E. Jefferson Ave. in a few weeks, following a pair of VIP soft opening events.

Chef Al says everything about Sloppy Crab is a conscious departure from the many fast casual seafood boil spots that have been cropping up around metro Detroit in recent years.

Unlike those grab-and-go restaurants, Sloppy Crab does not serve seafood in a butter-filled bag, as is the case with more traditional seafood boils.

"We're trying to compete with Ocean Prime and Joe Muer's," Chef Al says. "But we still want a casual environment where people feel comfortable." In other words, there's no dress code.

Perhaps the shining star(fish) of the menu is the sophisticatedly plated Sloppy Seafood Pot, which is a decadent take on the boil bag meal and comes with a combination of king crab, jumbo shrimp, lobster, baby corn, potatoes, and andouille sausage simmered in house-made Sloppy Seafood Sauce. It's also poised to be one of the most expensive menu items, as it depends on market prices.

The menu also has items beyond seafood boils, with staff favorites like the Sloppy Crab Prawns, which go for $40 and come with panko-crusted crab-stuffed prawns drizzled with garlic cream sauces, or the Lobster Crab Cakes ($45), which are made with tender lobster and jumbo lump crab cake served with slaw and bistro sauce.

The upscale menu is matched with Sloppy Crab's sleek and sexy interior of deep white leather chairs, white walls, marble bar tops, and several massive video screen walls which will display sports and pay-per-view events. There's a private dining space, too, and a rooftop dining and bar space which will feature a light bites menu once it debuts next summer.

Chef Al also runs Sloppy Chops, the casual fine dining restaurant that opened on Six Mile Road last year. For fans of the Sloppy brand, Chef Al says there are more exciting things on the horizon: and most of it is next door to Sloppy Crab.

"That's all our brand," Chef Al says of the row of storefronts next to Sloppy Crab. "They're their own separate entity. There's a pizza place, a hookah bar, and our catering company." The pizza spot will have some custom pies, wings with house-made sauces, and sliders. He also says a second Sloppy Chops is in the works.

"But we got to get this place up and running first," he says. "Everything else will come after."

More information is available at sloppycrabdetroit.com. Those interested in employment opportunities can email [email protected] to inquire.

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