St. James Crabhouse and Kitchen Hamilton

In 2016 Gideon James made Cajun and chilli crab more accessible to Brisbane diners, opening St. James Crabhouse & Kitchen in Kangaroo Point. Then in July 2018 a St. James opened in the Hamilton Harbour complex.

This second restaurant’s fit-out is once again inspired by Boston’s popular crab shacks. Black tiles line the space behind the bar while a street art-style mural provides a feature wall. The venue seats 50 inside and 45 outside, where large, shared dry-bars border the space.

A bigger store than the Kangaroo Point location, this one also has an extended menu, particularly when it comes to lunch and drink options; there are more starters and lunch-friendly dishes.

The menu rotates market specials and offers an everyday menu of crab, seafood, ribs and other proteins. Regular options include Alaskan king crab, snow crab and Australian blue swimmers, packed and cooked in a bag with sauces such as New Orleans Cajun or Singapore chilli. If you don’t like crab, St. James also offers American-style burgers and slow-cooked charred pork.

Drinks lean heavily on wines that match with the seafood, so champagne, riesling, sauvignon blanc and white blends. Four beers are available on tap.