Hilltop Crab House Restaurant
Chester County has thousands of restaurants. I am sure that there are hundreds, if not thousands of pizza and hoagie shops, deli’s, Chinese restaurants and Thai Noodle houses, upscale and downscale Italian places, maybe several dozen establishments that serve Cajun or Middle Eastern food, even places that deliver Yak burgers. You can pay a thousand dollars for a meal for four with the finest wine, you can get the dollar menu at McDonald’s. There are eateries that flash “Steaks and Seafood” in neon on the window and deliver cheesesteak and fried shrimp baskets. You can get a boiled lobster, cooked to order at Wegman’s and you can get Maryland crabs at Hill’s for take out. You can go to The Farmhouse, or Doc MacGrogan’s and of course, Ludwig’s if you want a fine dining experience. But, what if, in your heart of hearts, you want to sit around a brown paper tablecloth with your friends, laugh loudly, throw crab shells in a plastic bucket on the floor, drink a beer or a margarita, enjoy good live local music, and wipe your Old Bay fingers on your jeans?
I have heard such places exist, like I know that there is an amusement park somewhere that smells like chocolate, and a whole town that revolves around mushrooms.
I have to admit, my fantasy about such a place is pretty specific. It needs to be a cross between a Texas Roadhouse and a Maryland Crab Shack, which is pretty ambitious since I have never actually been to either. There would need to be good, live music, a bar with a tv on a sports channel, friendly waitresses, long tables for big groups, and if at all possible, a really big stuffed fish on the wall. Or two. and some fishnets with shells. Yeah. That’s the ticket. OH, and if there could be a few beautiful Harley’s in the parking lot, well then I would know I was in the right place. Would it be too much to ask if they had a frequent, all you can eat special? What if, in addition to both Chesapeake crabs, you had King? And wings? Maybe an unpretentious salad bar?
This fantasy is fueled by movies like Honky Tonk and Road House, and further fanned by the idea that some night, at some point in my life, I would have a group of friends who shared the fantasy. Enter Maureen and Anne. Not only did they get my vision of the perfect way to spend an early October night, but they were available to go! We piled in Anne’s new coupe and sped through the night, guided by the friendly voice of the GPS, on and on and on, down roads that looked like private drives through horse farms and estates, on to Rt. 41 and there, after what felt like leaving our galaxy for another, we saw it!
Hilltop Crab House Restaurant in Toughkenamon, PA, one mile from the Pennsylvania/Delaware border on Rt. 41. It’s like they read my mind! Beyond that, it’s like they let me write the menu!
Each item sounded better than the last, and although we were starved, I think we set a record for Entree Vacillation. I finally settled on The Net Buster with Sweet Potato Fries with dipping sauce for an appetizer. The Net Buster comes with mussels, clams, crab legs, shrimp and an actual lobster tail, red potatoes all steamed and served together in a big bowl. I was not wearing anything net, so nothing got busted, but I could not finish it, especially since it also came with two sides (I chose mashed potatoes and corn, because I feel compelled to judge all restaurants regarding mashed potatoes). I didn’t realize until it all arrived that this meant I had sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes and steamed red potatoes all at one meal, but I did not judge myself harshly for this. Anne chose a bowl of creamy crab bisque, side salad, and the crab leg entree. Maureen was so over come at the point of decision she just dittoed Anne’s order, and didn’t realize till it arrived that she was getting crab bisque AGAIN after having spent the previous week in Cape Cod eating it every single night, and pushed it across the table to me. Of course, I ate that. She rallied enough to order mushrooms stuffed with crab meat as an appetizer. Yum!
That bisque was absolutely the second best of my life, the first being an event that can not be repeated without the convergence of heaven and earth. if you go, get it. It’s buttery, creamy with the perfect amount of crab flavor. Strictly speaking, bisque should never have actual lumps of anything in it, but this soup pushed the rules just enough to deliver an overwhelmingly tasty experience. As I sat there, I thought of how much I would love to have just this soup with a nice crusty roll some cold winter night. BUT then the Net Buster was delivered.
Initially, when the food arrived, there were long, long periods of silence at the table while we cracked and picked and shelled. The term “motherlode” was muttered more than once, as long, intact pieces of crab came out of the shells. At first I worried there would not be enough butter (like I worry there won’t be enough anything when there always is) , but Anne pointed out that there was a huge vat of melted butter right behind us at the service bar. I devolved into a seafood eating machine, moving from crab legs, to shrimp, to steamed clams, to yes, yes an actual lobster tail. Maureen and Anne, with heads bowed, plowed through their pounds of crab legs and corn and mashed potatoes.
We all remarked that the mashed were real and really good. The sweet potato fries were sweet and not too thick, perfectly cooked with a delicious mustardy dipping sauce. The stuffed mushrooms were amply stuffed with LUMPS of crabmeat and a nice sauce, but not a lot of bready binder, like you get at some places. A little cup of butter was thoughtfully tucked in the basket.
We agreed that The Hilltop Crab House Restaurant really delivered everything we needed: great food, exactly the right atmosphere with awesome live music and dancing, a dining room full of families cracking crabs and a bar full of locals. Go! Spend the evening! You will love it!
The menu, available on line, includes salads, sandwiches, seafood specials, steak, wings, battered onion rings and more.
YMMMMY (out of a possible YMMMMMY)
Bring: Cash and credit/debit cards accepted. They will split tickets, but only two ways. You might want to bring your own small, sharp pair of scissors - they don’t have these and I find them perfect for opening shells. They will give you hammers and pincers, but no sharp pickers. A bib or an old shirt would be perfect!
Directions: 8980 Gap Newport Pike One mile north of the PA/Delaware line on Rt. 41. Click “Directions” for map.
Ample portions, around thirty dollars a person.
Family Friendly Dining Room, casual bar.
Casual Atmosphere, whatever you are wearing is fine.
Service was pleasant and efficient!
Video of Live Band: (This video does not do the music justice - really good)
