pricehike:

Here’s what you’ll pay for King Crab at non-Japanese New York restaurants, as organized by “starting price.” I say starting price because you can always order more, but you won’t be able to order less.

And I say non-Japanese because I have no intention of looking up the price of every King Crab roll in New York City. I have a day job too, you know. 

1. Catch: $60 (16oz, cold), $90 (1.5 pounds, hot).
2. City Crab: $58 (16oz). 
3. City Lobster: $42 (20 ounces).
4. Brooklyn Crab: $40 (24oz). 
5. The Standard Grill: $34 (half-pound). 
6. Buddakan: $31 (King Crab hot pot)-$36(Singapore Chile King Crab). 
7. The Lion: $27 (half-pound). 
8. Todd English Food Hall: $26 (half-pound)
9. BLT Fish Shack: $26 (half-pound). 
10. Brasserie Pushkin: $24 (salad). 
11. STK: $24 
12. Jeffrey’s Grocery: $22 (half-pound) 
13. Club A Steakhouse (“cocktail”): $21
14. RYU: King Crab Tempura: $19
15. 40/40 Club: $8 (The Executive King Crab Slider — no thanks)

As is the case with our “State of Steak” listicles, we don’t calculate “price per ounce,” because when you go out to a restaurant, you won’t be able to “buy by the ounce.” Smart restaurants will let you start off by the half-pound. Others won’t. So even though Brooklyn Crab is kind enough to offer 24 ounces for $40, possibly the lowest per ounce price here, you’re still SOL if you don’t want to eat or spend that much. 

Prices are historically high due to tight supplies, a result of a Russian crackdown on illegal fishing and a tight “total allowable catch” limit in Alaska — at least that’s the case as of 2011; this year’s Alaskan Red King Crab harvest begins in mid-October. 

No, this certainly isn’t a collection of New York’s best restaurants — we’re inclined to say Jeffrey’s Grocery and perhaps The Standard Grill are the impressive odd men out on this list. Either I’m not searching hard enough or good eateries aren’t as interested in selling King Crab as they are strip steaks.

If you catch any big omissions, please add your thoughts in the comments section. Oh, in case you’re interested, Red Lobster in Times Square tells me they’re not currently selling King Crab legs.