Joe's Crab Shack Reveals Fan Favorites in Honor of National Seafood Month

HOUSTON, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the first day of National Seafood Month, a yearly ritual Joe's Crab Shack embraces with open claws. This year, Joe's invited everyone to the party, asking its more than 600,000 Facebook fans and email subscribers how they like to celebrate seafood.

The Joe's survey revealed more than 75 percent of fans eat seafood at least once a month and when they do, crab is their favorite, beating out lobster, shrimp and clams. Joe's fans are not alone - the average American ate 15 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2011, which adds up to 4.7 billion pounds of seafood annually, making the U.S. second only to China in seafood consumption.

When asked how they like their seafood prepared, fans overwhelmingly prefer it steamed. That's no surprise to Joe's, which is known for its signature Steampots featuring steamed crab, corn, potatoes and other treats from land and sea. Joe's recently added two new Steampots to the menu, the Santolla Steampot and the Arctic Bay Steampot.

"Each day we work on giving our customers what they love - the highest-quality seafood available served up in ways that highlight its unique flavors. We appreciate that thousands of our fans took a few minutes to tell us their favorites," said Joe's Crab Shack Chief Marketing Officer Robin Ahearn.

Other top findings include:

In the category of all-time favorite seafood: - 47.9 percent chose crab - 29.1 percent chose lobster - 20.8 percent chose shrimp- 2.1 percent chose clams

In the category of favorite seafood preparation:

- 65.7 percent like it steamed
- 20 percent prefer it grilled
- 9.8 percent like it fried
- 4.5 percent prefer it baked

When asked "how often do you enjoy seafood for lunch or dinner?" respondents answered: - 41.9 percent dine on seafood at least once a week- 34.9 percent dine on seafood at least once a month- 17.1 percent dine on seafood a few times a year - 6 percent choose seafood only on special occasions

Not surprisingly, nearly 100 percent of those surveyed believe seafood is a healthy choice. They are right, of course - three ounces of cooked crab is high in protein but contains only 95 calories and is very low in saturated and trans fats. Shellfish is also known for its heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

While its Steampots are Joe's signature dish, the national chain is an equal opportunity seafood provider with a menu that includes a wide variety of fish, mussels, clams and shrimp. Even Joe's kids' menu features Steampots and other healthy choices endorsed by Kids LiveWell.

For a full list of menu items, go to www.joescrabshack.com/menu. For locations, visit www.joescrabshack.com/locations.

Founded in Houston, Texas, in 1991, Joe's Crab Shack is quickly becoming everyone's favorite seafood restaurant, with more than 128 locations in more than 30 states. Joe's serves up fun times and serious seafood, with more than 25 crab items on the menu in addition to fish, lobster, mussels, clams and shrimp. Part of Ignite Restaurant Group's portfolio of restaurants, Joe's is a national partner in Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign, a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. For more information go to www.joescrabshack.com/media-center/.

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SOURCE Joe's Crab Shack