Josh Thoma has some serious lobster love. Judging from the fervor around his Smack Shack food truck and its famed lobster roll, he's not alone.

Fans of Thoma's crustacean creation have been pre-tucking their bibs since word spread last year that a brick-and-mortar restaurant was in the works. The chef/restaurateur of La Belle Vie, Bar La Grassa and Solera lineage and his business partner Kevin Fitzgerald open Smack Shack's new digs in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood Friday.

Dropping anchor in a 7,500-square-foot location, Thoma is now capable of dishing his savory seafood on a larger scale. A 1,200-gallon tank he had custom-built in Nova Scotia can hold 400 to 500 lobsters.

"It was funny," Thoma recalled. "The guy that built this tank and engineered it said, 'What do you think you'll be selling in lobsters, maybe like 60 pounds a week?' I'm like, 'Oh, no, like 200 to 300 pounds a day.' "

The capacious tank sits next to a 100-gallon boiler, encircled by what Thoma describes as primarily a "food bar." The counter-service setup lies between the 115-seat dining room and a separate bar area adjacent to Washington Avenue. A small mezzanine overlooking the dining room will be used for private events and a patio seating about 80 will open in the spring, he said.

Backed by a stable of investors, including ex-Viking Bernard Berrian and Déjà Vu/Sneaky Pete's owner Peter Hafiz, Smack Shack is opening one year after Thoma signed the lease on the converted warehouse space. He said they experienced a number of delays, such as a "soil compaction" issue that temporarily halted construction to ensure that erecting the mezzanine wouldn't cause the building to sink.

Mahi mahi tacos are among the offerings at the new Smack Shack, opening Friday.

Despite Smack Shack's shiny new home, Thoma said he's not abandoning the food-truck game or his relationship with the 1029 bar, where some of his lobster-leaning treats also are served. While far sleeker than a mobile kitchen or a Nordeast dive bar, Smack Shack central is short on pretense. It might be the only joint in town with pulltabs and a $35-plus lobster entree.

"It's supposed to be someplace you could go before a Twins game in flip-flops," Thoma said. "It's [also] someplace you could go for an anniversary. It's as special an occasion as you want to make it."

Smack Shack will initially be open from 5 p.m.-1 a.m. weekdays, and stay open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Thoma said after a week or so, lunch service will be added.

Aside from an expanded food menu, the new Smack Shack features a full bar and 16 tap beers. A short cocktail menu that Thomas describes as "more Shack than craft" includes a Hurricane — a fruity-boozy drink popularized in New Orleans.

While the Hurricane may go down well year-round, you might want to save the flip-flops for another season.

603 Washington Av. N., Mpls.,

612-259-7288 www.smack-shack.com.

Forming a taproom trio

After debuting its beers at the Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival, anticipated brewery/taproom 612 Brew looks to open Feb. 13 pending a final inspection this week, said co-owner Ryan Libby. 612 Brew will form a taproom trinity in northeast Minneapolis alongside Indeed Brewing and Dangerous Man, which had its grand opening Jan. 25. Start mapping those taproom crawls.

945 NE. Broadway, Mpls.,

www.612brew.com

Burger exotica

Former Blue Plate Restaurant Co. minority owner Luke Shimp has slated a Feb. 18 opening for his new Red Cow restaurant. The beer/wine/burger joint will land in the old Blockbuster near 50th and France, with 36 taps and a cuvée wine system Shimp says will keep 24 of its 32 wines in a pressurized tank, preventing oxygen exposure. Besides bovine, Red Cow will offer elk, bison, salmon and other gourmet burgers.

3624 W. 50th St., Mpls.

Fat Tuesday, and a good cause

Downtown Minneapolis gets a taste of New Orleans on Saturday, when the Mardi Crawl pub crawl runs through 10 Warehouse District bars. Organizers of the roving Mardi Gras-themed party have paired with Feeding America to donate three meals for each general-admission ticket purchased.

8 p.m.-2 a.m. Sat. $19-$39, 21-plus, 612-874-8892, www.mardipubcrawl.com

Michael Rietmulder writes about nightlife.