“Who’s Got Crab Legs? We’ve Got Crab Legs!”
If you grew up in Seattle in the 80’s you knew that phrase, sung with gusto by these guys: the dancing, singing Crab Legs!
“What The Friday?!?”
Don’t worry, I’ve got their story!
“We’ve Got Snow…King…Dungeness Too!”
The iconic Sea Galley Dancing and Singing Crab Legs were legendary, beginning when the restaurant opened in Seattle in the 1970s, and the restaurant chain peaked in the mid-1980s with 57 West Coast restaurants!
The dancing, singing Crab Legs were iconic advertising mascots – once you hear and see them singing and dancing, you will fall in love with them and here is why – check out this vintage, not very good quality ad!
You will never be able to get that jingle out of your head!
Sea Galley restaurant owner Steve Hart said that famous jingle was the key to the restaurant chain’s success.
“Back in the day, our commercials were up there with the best,” said Hart, who ran several Northwest Sea Galley locations…he now runs the last remaining restaurant in Washington. As he told Reporter Dave Leder:
“We still use the tune in our advertising because it’s part of our history. People remember us for it.”
Here is another ad which begins with the food, but ends with our singing and dancing crab legs:
Hart owns Washington state’s last remaining Sea Galley restaurant, located in the Yakima valley.
As Leder reported:
“We’re the grandfather of local restaurants,” said Hart, who estimates the number of guests who have come through over the years to be in the millions. “We’ve been here a really long time. People that were coming here in car seats are now pillars in the community.”
Check out the menu:
As you can see, all meals come with a salad bar or shrimp cocktail, chowder and your choice of rice, fries or baked potato, just like any classic old-style restaurant would serve!
And the dancing, singing crab legs will remain one of the most iconic and popular “mascots” ever!
You can read the entire story of the last remaining Sea Galley restaurant by clicking on Dave Leder’s website here:
http://daveleder.com/2019/03/11/one-of-two-remaining-sea-galley-locations-still-a-big-draw/
Growing up in Seattle, my family ate here on those “special occasions”, but for the day-to-day, we went here:
Dick’s Drive-In is legendary, so much so that even Bill Gates steps up to the large glass windows to get a bag of burgers to go!
One local Seattle restaurant made an homage to the Dick’s Deluxe, and you can see it by clicking on my story here:
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Remember, it’s “What The Friday?!?!?!” so I’ve got crab legs!
Categories: Art, Books / Media, Food, food blog, Funny Pictures, Hamburgers, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food
Too funny and delish. Our edible local crabs are blue claws. In season they are sweet delicately delicious but one must work one’snsupper. The are not large and full of meat like their west coast cousins.
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Love the mascots!
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What the friday? Lol
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A BELOVED restaurant and an ad campaign for the ages!
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The old ads are definitely the best…Many are just too over the top for me now especially some of the Japanese /Thai ones we get here…Have a great weekend John 🙂
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Thanks Carol…this was a great restaurant at the time and the ads are iconic! Hope all is well there for you!
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I would have loved that! I have a great fondness for those ads!
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If you grew up there as I did, they were iconic! Thanks as always for commenting, it’s always great to hear from you!
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The y don’t make TV ads like they used to, that’s for sure! These days, we have to try to work out some of them, due to their too-clever ‘abstract’ themes.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I agree Pete! Just tell me what you are selling and why I should buy it! Thanks for commenting!
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The Sea Galley was before my time going to Seattle, started in the late 90’s going to plays, although I did visit the Worlds Fair when I was 18, we hopped the fence before it opened one day to beat the line to go up to the top of the Space Needle, hid behind a concession stand so we wouldn’t get caught, and when people arrived we got in line and went up in the first elevator. It turns out it was some dignitaries in suits and we didn’t have to pay. I’ve always wondered what they thought of two punk kids, but no one said anything. My favorite fave in Seattle right now is Ryder in the Hotel Theater, nice place to stay too. It used to be the Roosevelt.
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Love this troy – thanks for sharing!
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I worked at SeaGalley during college. I still sing their Happy Birthday song to my kids!
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I love that! My family didn’t go often, we couldn’t afford it! I love it and next time I am in Seattle I may just drive to Yakima to eat at the last one!
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Who can forget that commercial? Was sorry when it closed in Seattle.
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