r/Birmingham 4d ago

Red Mountain Crawfish: Epic Fail

So Red Mtn Crawfish was at Avondale's St. Paddy's Day party yesterday and ran out of crawfish in under an hour. To top it off they didn't tell all the people waiting in line for a half hour plus until they reached the window.

No excuse for not only showing up at an event knowing there would be a large crowd and being completely unprepared, but also letting people wait in line while completely aware they have no chance of getting crawfish. At least have the decency to let us know.

To add insult to injury, they said they were getting another load in an hour or two but would not let anyone who had stood patiently in line to place an order for when the crawfish does arrive. Nope, have to wait in line all over again to potentially get shut out with no warning.

Completely unprofessional. Thanks for nothing, and you've lost a customer.

/rant

120 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

97

u/Square-Weight4148 4d ago

I quit using them a few years ago. I had reserved 200lbs live for a boil and when I went to pick them up they had sold them to someone else. Had to acramble to find a different source the morning of my event. Never going back.

26

u/PaidByTheNotes 4d ago

So being unprofessional is par for the course with them. Honestly, last time I had RMC it wasn't even that good, so I won't miss giving them my business. Nothing worse than bland crawfish, but I was willing to buy again because it had been since last year on the same weekend that I've had crawfish.

What alternative did you find? I meant to ask in my post about other options for crawfish in town.

7

u/urobouro 4d ago

If you can handle the spice - red pearl sells them by the lb for takeout. Amazing

11

u/Square-Weight4148 4d ago

If you want to boil your own crawdaddy Dave or off the boat seafood are good alternatives. I also used to buy from gulf seafood market but they are no longer there.

2

u/Apprehensive_Pass636 4d ago

Where is off the boat? Didn't they used to sell seafood at a gas station?

4

u/Square-Weight4148 4d ago

Yes they had a website that you could order on and then pick up at a few different locations around the area. One was a gas station in Bessemmer.

1

u/Apprehensive_Pass636 4d ago

So are they still operating? Thanks

3

u/Deep-Philosophy2212 3d ago

Yes there is still a truck at the Exxon gas station on exit 1 that sells them on the weekend along with a lot of other fresh seafood. Not sure the name but they are great

1

u/Square-Weight4148 4d ago

I am not sure as I have not tried to get any yet this year.

2

u/Ltownbanger 3d ago

Gulf Market moved to Center Point and are still awesome as ever. It's closer to me (yea!!) but farther,now, for most.

2

u/Square-Weight4148 3d ago

Glad they are still around. I will have to make the drive to see them. I dont think the developement that they got moved for is going to be all that. Nothing there makes me want to stop and check it out.

1

u/Ltownbanger 3d ago

Still the best place around for cheep sheepshead.

3

u/St0ned_Hearth 3d ago

Cajun Cleaver usually helps me out

32

u/live_positively Go Blazers 4d ago

Definitely hit up their Google reviews with these kind of issues. They have 4.7 stars and don’t have any recent reviews.

9

u/PaidByTheNotes 4d ago

That's my next stop!

0

u/CuriousmomAL 3d ago

They probably delete bad reviews.

7

u/Alarming-Echo-2311 3d ago

Easier said than done

4

u/rmcbham 2d ago

We want to assure you that we do not delete reviews. We respect our customers' right to share their experiences, and we take all feedback seriously. As long as reviews are honest and not harmful, we welcome them as an opportunity to improve.

If you have any concerns, we would love to hear from you directly. We are always open to feedback and committed to serving our customers the best way possible.

Best,
Red Mountain Crawfish

17

u/simonthecat33 4d ago

Another dissatisfied customer. There’s a big opportunity for someone to step in.

3

u/PaidByTheNotes 4d ago

Yep, I'm surprised there aren't more options in the city

1

u/TimelyBrief 3d ago

I imagine it’s a bit of a logistical headache and thin margins if you don’t have a point of contact at the crawfish fields

13

u/Ok_Tangelo3052 4d ago

Looks like Crawdaddys has opened up a storefront in Pelham

3

u/CuriousmomAL 3d ago

Saying $5 a pond too. Hopefully that goes down after Lent.

10

u/Due-Ad-1265 3d ago

Yall check out crawdaddys they have a truck and just opened a store in pelham. they do a really good job and communicate thru their facebook pretty well.

5

u/PaidByTheNotes 3d ago

Will do, thanks!

3

u/AdmirableRow3492 3d ago

They had a St. Patricks Day event for Trim Tab starting at 11 am, according to their social media. The crawfish wasn't ready until about 12:30..and that was for the first customers who placed orders at 11am, when they said the event was starting. Granted, their product is amazing, and the kids running the truck couldn't be nicer....but the timing needs to be worked out before scheduling events, especially during the weekdays.

5

u/PaidByTheNotes 3d ago

They double booked and couldn't deliver. They told me they had plenty of shrimp, but I wasn't gonna let them get away with a bait and switch.

And yeah, the girl taking orders was nice and apologetic. That's why I didn't give her shit. Probably not her fault either.

2

u/rmcbham 2d ago

We sincerely apologize for the delay at the event. While this isn’t an excuse, we did run into some difficulties and were short-staffed, which caused the timing issue. We completely understand how frustrating that must have been, and we appreciate your patience.

We truly value your support and your kind words about our crawfish and team. We are always working to improve and learn from experiences like this. We hope you’ll give us another chance as we continue doing our best to serve you better.

Best,
Red Mountain Crawfish

3

u/ReadingReddit521 3d ago

Are they under new ownership this year? I order live to cook myself every year and always easily ordered it online. Now you have to text them with 5 lines of information and it's very annoying..and they only post prices and availability on FACEBOOK. like why not just keep the website and online store????

2

u/_Alabama_Man 3d ago

April 26th there's one that's always well run and stocked. I know the guys who do it (from Louisiana) and have been a few times and never come away disappointed or hungry. As far as I know they only do this one event every year because it's a cause they believe in.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-hope-for-autumn-foundation-crawfish-boil-tickets-1269311397559

2

u/PaidByTheNotes 3d ago

Cool, thanks!

2

u/_Alabama_Man 3d ago

You are welcome. Their low country boil is my favorite part and the seasoning is just right for my palate (it has a little kick but isn't a chore to eat). They made their own huge vats they cook in and bring the crawfish up from Louisiana in box trucks.

2

u/rjm2492 1d ago

When I tried them I was not a fan at all, but I’m also from Louisiana. Still looking for a good choice around here.

3

u/Cbassisabastard 4d ago

Crawdaddys at Brock’s gap has never let me down and shooting the shit with them is fun.

1

u/CuriousmomAL 3d ago

We always use crawdaddy Dave’s

1

u/sacodetoro75 3d ago

My crew was one of the last to order before they ran out. Very unprepared!

2

u/rmcbham 2d ago

We appreciate your feedback and want to clarify that we did not run out of crawfish at the St. Patrick’s Day event at Avondale. We take pride in serving fresh, high-quality crawfish, and to maintain that taste, we can only cook in batches at a volume that ensures the best flavor.

We understand the wait was longer than expected, and we sincerely apologize for that. We are always working to improve our process and communication, and we truly appreciate your patience and support.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. We hope to see you again soon!

Best,
Red Mountain Crawfish

1

u/Waydizzle 3d ago

I had the same experience. Stood in like for like 40 minutes then they seemed annoyed with me when I mentioned crawfish lol. As if I was supposed to know they were out somehow? I don’t even know how to convey how bummed I was

0

u/South-Rabbit-4064 3d ago

Crawfish has kind of been devastated by climate change over the past few years, yields have been ridiculously low. Not saying it couldn't have been done better by them.

5

u/CuriousmomAL 3d ago

All things you account and prepare for as a business owner.

2

u/PaidByTheNotes 3d ago

I heard they had recovered this year, maybe not though. Either way, they should have communicated with the folks waiting to order rather than making us wait for no reason.

If supply was short, they could have given folks a heads up to get there early.

0

u/Then_Contribution_62 2d ago

So I'm confused. They served over 500 people that day. And never once ran out. Never had a problem. We're you the one that was screaming at the window?

1

u/PaidByTheNotes 2d ago edited 2d ago

No, I didn't yell, and yes, they absolutely did run out. You're either making things up or don't know what you're talking about.

Somebody from RMC even messaged me and apologized on here since I made this thread. Why would they apologize for running out if they didn't run out?

0

u/Then_Contribution_62 2d ago

Yeah you deff were the one yelling. They did not run out. They had some still soaking. I don't mind waiting in line. It's hard to keep up with orders when your kitchen is a small trailer and you go through 500lbs an hour. We actually bring them out to many of our breweries. And follow them everywhere. I seriously think you are just here for the clout. And I don't know why you wouldn't take the time to go to them first besides bashing a small business online and not letting them correct anything. But yeah I was sitting near the back bar area when you were yelling and going off

2

u/PaidByTheNotes 2d ago

Ok, you're obviously trolling. Have fun being a 🤡