The History of Crab Louie

Crab Louie, also known as Crab Louis, is a crab salad that’s been popular on the West Coast since the early 1900s. In its modern form, it features greens, asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, avocado, Dungeness crab meat, and pink Louie dressing (the original version often skipped the veggies). However, the origins of this beloved dish are quite murky. The earliest publication of the dish comes from Portland, Oregon in 1912 where it appears in The Neighborhood Cook Book, a recipe compendium compiled by the Portland Council of Jewish Women. Solari’s Restaurant in San Francisco claims to have created Crab Louie in 1914 and a foodie guidebook called Bohemian San Francisco does reference the dish at the restaurant. Another claim comes from the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, and it is also referenced in a 1919 cookbook written by Victor Hirtzler. Another claim comes from the Old Poodle Dog, where chef Louis Coutard created a dressing for crab in 1908 (the restaurant also featured a dish called Crab Legs à la Louis on its menu). However, it reportedly was not the same pink-hued dressing used in Crab Louie. The Davenport Hotel also claims to have invented the salad; the establishment featured Crab Louis on the menu when it first opened in 1914 and the salad was reportedly named after the hotel’s owner, Llewellyn "Louis" Davenport. According to James Beard, it’s most likely that Crab Louis was created independently but more or less simultaneously at many establishments along the West Coast, so many of these claims may have real merit. We do know that the dish grew in popularity throughout the 20th century, peaking in the 1960s. While it may not be as popular as it once was, Crab Louie still remains a favorite for many today, especially along the West Coast.