After two years in San Antonio, the tabletop grills at JPOT have gone cold. A new location of Cajun restaurant Mr. Crabby’s is replacing the all-you-can-eat hot pot and Japanese barbecue spot at 415 TX-1604 Loop.
JPOT first opened in October 2024, part of a mini boom of similar AYCE concepts. Like many of its contemporaries, it relied on abundance. Dozens of vegetables and meats were available for grilling and dipping, and the sauce bar had more than 60 choices.
The restaurant did not make a public announcement about its closure, but it appeared to happen recently. The Yelp page was still collecting reviews through September, and the Google Business profile was only recently changed to “permanently closed.”
Users of the San Antonio Restaurants Facebook group didn’t seem to mourn the restaurant’s passing, with several comparing it unfavorably to the similarly-minded KPOT and others bemoaning the price. The latter might have played into the decision to shutter. With beef prices spiking to record highs in 2026, the $32.99 cost for dinner surely returned shrinking margins.
Mr. Crabby's is known for its Cajun seafood boils.Mr. Crabby's/ Facebook
JPOT’s Far West Side space won’t be vacant long. A vinyl sign for Mr. Crabby’s Seafood Kitchen has already been slung over the entrance. The South Texas chain, which also owns Red Hook Seafood, has two other San Antonio locations in Live Oak and Stone Oak.
Mr. Crabby’s is best known for its boils with seafood options like snow crab, crawfish, and clams. The rest of the menu — shrimp baskets, po’ boys, chicken tenders, and hushpuppies — is mainly fried, but it sneaks in a little Asian flavor in the form of potstickers and edamame.
The restaurant has not yet announced that it is opening a third location on either of its social media accounts and did not immediately return a request for more information. We will update this article should they provide any new information.
Tickets include all the barbecue you can eat.Photo by Briano.