The History of Crab Louis or Louie

Crab Louis: The Forgotten Star of West Coast Salads

If you've never heard of Crab Louis (sometimes spelled "Louie"), you're not alone—but once you do, it sticks with you. This iconic West Coast dish once graced fine dining tables and sunny coastal lunches with its crisp simplicity and elegant flair. It deserves a revival, not only for its refreshing flavor but also for the fascinating culinary history behind it.

What Is Crab Louis?

At its core, Crab Louis is a composed salad. The traditional presentation features a generous mound of Dungeness crab atop a bed of shredded lettuce, surrounded by wedges of hard-boiled eggs and juicy tomato slices. Sometimes you'll find extras like avocado or asparagus. But what ties it all together is the distinctive Louis dressing—a creamy, tangy mix typically made from mayonnaise and chili sauce, with chopped green peppers, onions or scallions, and sometimes pickles, olives, or even hard-boiled egg.

Louis vs. Thousand Island: The Dressing Dilemma

Let’s get this out of the way: Louis dressing and Thousand Island are very similar. So similar, in fact, that even die-hard food historians struggle to distinguish them. Both are mayonnaise-based with sweet and tangy elements, often including chopped vegetables. Some argue that the presence of horseradish in Louis dressing (which echoes the flavors of a seafood cocktail sauce) is the defining feature. Others say it comes down to subtle regional twists.

To be honest, after comparing dozens of recipes, the differences blur. The conclusion? Louis dressing is the West Coast’s spirited cousin to the more famous Thousand Island—just a little more adventurous and briny.

A Mystery of Origins

Like many beloved dishes, the exact origin of Crab Louis is wrapped in debate. Most agree it emerged on the West Coast of the United States in the early 1900s. But was it born in San Francisco? Or Seattle?

James Beard, a culinary legend, believed the dish was created in both cities around the same time. Others, like New York Times food editor Craig Claiborne, dubbed it simply the "West Coast version of French dressing."

Here are the most compelling claims:

• San Francisco, CA: Some say the dish originated at Solari’s Restaurant, where it was mentioned in the 1914 book Bohemian San Francisco. Others point to the St. Francis Hotel, which featured the salad in a 1919 cookbook.

• Seattle, WA: A 1960s reader claimed the dish was invented by a French chef named Louis at Seattle’s Olympic Club, after he fell in love with Dungeness crab. The salad was allegedly named in his honor and served as early as 1909.

• Another Contender: The Berger-Franz’s Old Poodle Dog restaurant once served "Crab Legs a la Louis" as early as 1908, perhaps in tribute to Chef Louis Coutard.

No matter which story is true, it’s clear that Crab Louis represents the best of Pacific Coast seafood, dressed with the flair of early 20th-century elegance.

The Peak of Popularity

From the 1920s through the 1970s, Crab Louis became a staple on West Coast menus and a symbol of breezy Californian dining. By the 1950s, articles called it a "restaurant favorite" that could be made at home. It was ideal for hot summer days: no stove needed, no fuss required.

Newspapers praised it as a refreshing lunch, perfect for those "too-hot-to-cook" evenings. Even James Beard, while lamenting the poor renditions of Louis dressing he encountered, held a deep respect for the salad when done right.

In San Francisco, it became almost synonymous with the city’s food scene. At Fisherman’s Wharf, it was served regularly by the 1920s. Food historian Erica Peters calls it a "signature dish" of the city’s culinary history.

Why You Should Bring It Back

Besides its storied past, Crab Louis is just plain delicious. It’s simple, bright, and endlessly customizable. Don’t have crab? Use shrimp. Not a fan of seafood? Try grilled chicken or tofu. The star here is the dressing, and once you make a batch, you’ll want to put it on everything.

It also doesn’t require much cooking—only boiling eggs and mixing sauce. On a hot day, that’s a gift. And the presentation? Stunning, even with minimal effort. It looks like a chef made it, but you did.

Classic Crab Louis Recipe

Servings: 4 | Time: 1.5 hours (mostly chilling) | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup chili sauce

• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper

• 2 tablespoons chopped scallions

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 lb Dungeness or jumbo lump crab meat (or shrimp)

• 4 cups shredded lettuce

• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

• Optional: paprika and sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, green pepper, scallions, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Chill for at least 1 hour.

2. Toss crab meat with a bit of the sauce.

3. On 4 plates, create a bed of lettuce. Pile crab in the center. Arrange tomatoes and eggs around the crab.

4. Drizzle with more dressing and garnish if desired.

Make It Easy With the Right Tools

Want to save time preparing your veggies and garnishes?

Try our customer-favorite kitchen tools:

• Multi-Purpose Vegetable Chopper – Chop green peppers, onions, and hard-boiled eggs in seconds.

• Stainless Steel Tomato Multifunctional Slicer – Perfect tomato wedges without the mess.

These tools are designed to make prep faster, cleaner, and more fun—so you can spend less time chopping and more time enjoying the salad that made history.

Let’s bring Crab Louis back to the table. This time, in your kitchen.