The Krabby Patty formula is one of TV’s best-kept secrets.
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| The Rusty Krab Experience is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston. |
It’s the burger of choice for the citizens of Bikini Bottom, the fictional home of SpongeBob SquarePants. The cartoon icon is a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, where he serves them daily and thwarts attempts by nemesis Plankton to steal the recipe.
A Houston, Texas pop-up has cracked its own Krabby Patty formula. And it isn’t quite so mysterious. It includes a beef patty, American cheese and a wondrously soft bun. (Bacon and a fried egg cost extra.)
It's not a faithful recreation, however, as the real Krabby Patty has no animal protein in it.
You can get it, and meet SpongeBob himself, through Aug. 1 at the Rusty Krab Experience, an interactive pop-up and restaurant in downtown Houston. It opened in April and has since been extended multiple times because of its popularity. Kids are welcome, of course, but it’s a 21-and-older party after 9 nightly, where they use sentence enhancers such as <dolphin noise> and <dolphin noise>.
Owner Sam Chand says he got the idea from his 9-year-old daughter, a huge SpongeBob fan. The same space, next to Capitol Lofts, hosted a Harry Potter pop-up in October and one inspired by The Office earlier this year.
“People loved it, and we just kept on going,” Chand, a former nightclub owner, told the Houston Chronicle. “It was something I was willing to jump into and experiment and see how it works.”
More than food
The Rusty Krab is, no surprise, his most successful pop-up to date. SpongeBob SquarePants debuted in 1999 and quickly grew into a worldwide phenomenon, appealing equally to kids and adults. It is Nickelodeon’s highest-rated program and the fifth-longest-running animated series on U.S. television. Three feature films have been released, and it was adapted into a critically acclaimed Broadway musical. The show has so-far generated $13 billion in merchandise revenue.
The Rusty Krab menu includes everything from chum (chicken) nuggets to pizzas to SpongeBob-themed drinks. Brunch includes chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and French toast. Condiments come in sea-inspired pastel colors.
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| A Krabby Patty is one of the options at the Rusty Krab. Joey Guerra / Joey Guerra |
But food isn’t the attraction here. It’s the venue itself, a dual-level marvel of color and detail. Bright-pink jellyfish accent the walls. You can pose inside a boat or on a stationary bike. And you can sit for your own “Bottom of Bikini” driver’s license photo.
Rapper Los Fidel, a self-proclaimed “Nickelodeon and SpongeBob enthusiast,” came from Connecticut with his girlfriend to visit the Rusty Krab. The entire trip cost them about $1,000.
“It was worth every penny,” he says. “If you’re from the area, you should definitely go. It was the best day ever.”
An ‘artistic adaptation’
It’s a clean, inviting space. Current COVID-19 guidelines include socially distanced tables and a maximum capacity of 100 guests per time slot. (Normal occupancy is 240.) Guests scan QR codes on tables for menus, and they’re also in large lettering on the wall. Couches, handrails and interactive exhibits are disinfected between time slots. Guests can remove masks for photos but must wear them when not seated.
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| Shelby Polite, Alina Briones and Sesley Polite pose for selfie photos in front of the main entrance sign at The Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location Monday, May 10, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor |
A meticulous re-creation of SpongeBob’s home includes his living area and bedroom, where you can pose for Instagram-worthy snaps. SpongeBob himself pops in regularly for photos with fans.
“The kids simply go bananas over that,” Chand says.
The Rusty Krab, however, is “not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Nickelodeon, or the SpongeBob brand directly,” according to a disclaimer. Instead, it’s dubbed an “artistic adaptation recreation of an amazing series that added value to our childhood.”
That explains the slight difference in names. Rusty Krab, not Krusty Krab; Bottom of Bikini, not Bikini Bottom.
This isn’t the first SpongeBob-inspired eatery. Other Krusty Krab-inspired restaurants have opened in the Palestinian territory, Costa Rica and Moscow. Much closer to home, a Texas federal judge stopped a Houston company from opening a restaurant called the Krusty Krab in Kemah in 2018, citing trademark infringement.
It’s so far been smooth sailing for the Rusty Krab. Reservations are optional but strongly suggested and must be booked in addition to purchasing tickets for specific two-hour slots. It offers birthday packages and daily scavenger hunts, along with weekly karaoke, trivia and cosplay nights.
Inside the main dining room, it’s a loud and lively atmosphere. SpongeBob SquarePants clips play on multiple screens. DJ Brody pumps out sing-along hits from Lizzo, Bruno Mars and Outkast. Waitstaff bops along to “The Cupid Shuffle.” When the DJ plays “Wobble,” a young girl dances excitedly alongside her mom.
The Rusty Krab Experience
Hours: 4-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 4 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Saturdays, 4-11 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 1
Where: 711 Main, Ste. 100
Details: $30 ages 15 and older, $20 kids ages 5-14, free for kids under five years old; does not include food and drinks; reservations are strongly suggested; 21 and up after 9 p.m.; therustykrabexperience.com
“The most important thing for me is for people to have fun here. They spend a lot of money to come through. We have people traveling from out of state just to experience this,” Chand says. “I want them to be satisfied with the photo ops, the exhibits, the interactive games, the food and drinks — the whole enchilada.”
Or, more appropriately, the whole Krab Patty.
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| The Rusty Krab Experience is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston. |
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| Presumably, Sol Yousefi and Leslie Montemayor have better luck than SpongeBob ever does in obtaining a driver’s license. Michael Wyke / Contributor |
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| The Rusty Krab Experience is a Spongebob Squarepants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston. |
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| Myriam Martinez and Lee Castro take selfies in front of the main entrance at the Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location. Michael Wyke / Contributor |
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| Owner Sam Chand says his 9-year-old daughter, a SpongeBob SquarePants fan, was the inspiration behind the Rusty Krab Experience. Michael Wyke / Contributor |
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| Rossi Valero poses on the recreated SpongeBob bedroom as Jeremy Schneider shoots her photo at The Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location Monday, May 10, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor |
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| The Rusty Krab Experience is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston. |
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| DJ Brody spins in front of the menu during the dinner hour at The Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location Monday, May 10, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke/Contributor |
Watch SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run & Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years on Paramount+!
Listen to The SpongeBob Musical here!: https://spongebobmusical.blogspot.com
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is now available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices!
CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! We’re serving up everything from legendary scenes to remixes of classic songs to deep dives into Bikini Bottom lore. Be sure to check back every week for Music Mondays, Wumbo Wednesdays, and Flashback Fridays! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!
Shop SpongeBob!: https://www.spongebobshop.com - SpongeBob face masks now available, with ALL proceeds going to charity!
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is now available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices!
CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! We’re serving up everything from legendary scenes to remixes of classic songs to deep dives into Bikini Bottom lore. Be sure to check back every week for Music Mondays, Wumbo Wednesdays, and Flashback Fridays! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!
Shop SpongeBob!: https://www.spongebobshop.com - SpongeBob face masks now available, with ALL proceeds going to charity!
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