NORFOLK — A Hampton Roads food truck favorite is opening a restaurant on Granby this fall.
MJ Medlar, the owner of Capt’n Crabby, said she’s bringing all the “good ol’ Baltimore stuff” from her main food truck menu to the Riverview Village where she hopes customers will grab one of her famous crab cake sandwiches and more to stay at what’s to become a new neighborhood hangout spot.
“We want people to come in and drink coffee and work on their computers during the day, then come out for comedy night and other special events,” she said. “The whole vibe of it is like you’re at a bar in Baltimore.”
The “main cultural artery” on Granby was exactly what Medlar said she was looking for in a location where customers could get a “mini-Baltimore” feeling but also fresh coastal cattle beef from Pungo, locally roasted coffee, and Virginia beers and wines, with of course, $2 ‘Natty Bohs’ –a Baltimore staple.
Having a stand-alone building with its own lot, or a place where Medlar could host her farmers market, community engagement events, and food trucks events was also on her list of must-haves.
“We’ve been doing Riverview Village Days, the artisan and farmers market, at Lafayette Park for four years and I just love the area,” she said. “It’s such a good community and it seems to me there’s a lot of opportunity here.”
Medlar said her family has more than 200 years of history in Baltimore and when she and her husband brought their first Capt’n Crabby van to Hampton Roads about five years ago, she brought some of her grandmother’s recipes.
Now, they serve everything from gluten-free and vegan crab cakes to kid-friendly options for ‘little crabsters’ at the main trailer, seasonal poke bowls on their van, and authentic Mexican street tacos out of their “Capt’n Crabby Taco Flavored Kisses” trailer.
But don’t fret, Medlar said the food trucks will still be out and about in the 757, but having a permanent location just means you don’t have to go looking for your ‘crabby fries’ — they’ll be there at 4140 Granby St. but also with burgers on Thursday nights and freshly made Maryland-style desserts.
Stay tuned to Capt’n Crabby’s Facebook page for word on the restaurant’s grand opening or to see where the food trucks are headed next.
