Favorite crab boil spot in SD. Food is great, service is great, and the staff and owner are great.

When our nephew told me he was celebrating his graduation party at Chief's Da Crab Shack, I thought we were eating seafood in a plastic bag with our choice of spices. Chief's is one of those type of restaurants, but what I didn't know about Chief's is that it is a sister restaurant to JJ's Island Grindz and Chief's Da Tiki Bar. The food that was served came from JJ's Island Grindz and Chief's Da Crab Shack, and both served delish grub. Besides the tasty food, I really enjoyed the Hawaiian vibe inside, the tunes emanating from the House DJ made me want to dance, and I appreciated the hustle from the hard working staff. If you're looking for a restaurant for a party or a graduation celebration, check out Chief's Da Crab Shack. Chief's Da Crab Shack is located in South San Diego, specifically Bonita, and it can be reached utilizing the 805 freeway and driving east. The restaurant can be found within an outdoor strip mall that contains the following businesses: Chief's sister businesses, JJ's Island Grindz and Chief's Da Tiki Bar; Franco's Flapjack; Wells Fargo; Colima's Mexican Food; and Fresheria. There is plenty of parking in this shopping center. As you enter Chief's, you immediately notice the Hawaiian decor and fisherman imagery with dryed grass skirt material hanging over their seating booths, netting holding crustaceans and seashells, thick ropes, fish as light fixtures, and ocean birds. This is a spacious restaurant with indoor booth seating, tables and chairs, distressed wooden tables for group seating, and outdoor seating. There were televisions around the restaurant showing World Cup soccer. I appreciated the diligence of Chief's staff who hustled while handling my nephew's graduation party and regular customers visiting. Before making my first visit to Chief's Da Crab Shack, I thought we'd be grubbing on seafood that are boiled and placed in a plastic bag with your choice of seasoning. That is what Chief's primary business is, but since it's affiliated with JJ's Island Grindz, my nephew's graduation party had a buffet line that featured Hawaiian and Asian food, which came from both Chief's and JJ's. The following dishes from Chief's were waiting for our tummies: mini pork lumpia shanghai, buffalo lemon pepper wings, garlic noodles, and white rice. The following dishes from JJ's were calling our name: spam musubi, salt and pepper chicken wings, teriyaki chicken, kalbi beef ribs, and red rice. The spam musubi is spam wrapped with seasoned sushi rice and nori seaweed. The spam musubi was a tasty bite in a small package. The mini pork lumpias were packed with ingredients and flavorful. The salt and pepper chicken and the buffalo lemon pepper wings were crispy and wok fried with green onion, fresh minced garlic, crush red pepper, and lemon. I devoured those chicken wings, which ate well with the two types of rice. The garlic noodles were yummy and had an abundant amount of garlic flavor. The red rice complemented all of the protein I ate. The kalbi beef ribs were okay and I wished they were more tender. My nephew and in-laws made appetizing choices for the graduation party and I happily consumed two plates of the food. 4.5 stars because the kalbi beef ribs weren't as good as the other food items. When we were told that our nephew was celebrating his gradution at Chief's Da Crab Shack, I was looking forward to experiencing seafood seasoned in a plastic bag. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Chief's is affiliated with JJ's Island Grindz and was able to grub on delicious Hawaiian and Asian entrees from JJ's and Chief's. Next time, I'd like to visit both Chief's and JJ's and try entrees that they're known for. read more

See all

I enjoyed my Mother's Day dinner at Chiefs Da Crab Shack in Bonita, CA. They had a Mother's Day Special 1lb snow crab & 1lb of shrimp for $29.99. The special came with a complimentary Mimosa or Wine. The service was a bit slow today because it was busy with large parties and totally understandable but the food was delicious. Check out their instagram for events and specials. I we enjoyed watching the SD Padres game Vs. STL Cardinals so glad we won!! Happy Mother's Day! Check this place out! Happy Yelping :) read more

See all

Love the food. Service still takes forever. Great ambiance, fun. They had karaoke so beware or run towards it! read more

See all

Had a great time supporting a local CPO business! A little disappointed we couldn't watch multiple sports at the bar while waiting for our event, but overall, I've been here a few times and will definitely be back, despite the TV hiccup. #support #business #sports #event read more

See all

Came here for Father's Day! Staff was friendly and the food was great! It wasn't busy at all, they definitely deserve a crowd ! read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Lettuce wrap shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

New customer. Stopped in during happy hour while my car was being serviced at Bonita Valley Auto Care. My server was super friendly! I tried the recommended Joe's Shrimp Po'boy at 20% off and a $5 pint of Sculpin , upgrading fries to onion rings. Reading on Yelp, I asked to try the house sauce people raved about. It was too much food! Enough onion rings for 2-3 people. The shrimp were delicious but I felt the spicy remoulade sauce overwhelmed other flavors. It's pretty spicy! But it's Cajun so that's okay! The house sauce, with garlic, lemon, lobster broth and other flavors was amazing. Onion rings were thin sliced, crispy panko coated, and very good. I probably wouldn't order the same thing again, but the garlic noodles are tempting, and I want to return for one of their Sunday brunches with seafood boil and DJ music. Glad I found it! read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Joe's Shrimp Po'boy with onion rings upgrade - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

Great food. Great service. Will be back. have been back a few times now and the food does not disappoint.

This place had a great vibe, great food, great music, great service, and the greatest owner Chief Joe. Everything was great even the drinks and loved the layout. We're already planning our next visit I'm sorryto to this spot again. read more

See all

"We arrived at 4:49 PM hoping to enjoy a nice dinner with our family. Our order was taken promptly, but unfortunately, we never received our food. While we waited, several tables around us--who arrived after we did--were served their meals without issue. After waiting over an hour with no updates, we asked to speak to a manager, but they were not available. Another staff member came over, and while I explained the situation, there was no real resolution offered--not even an apology, update, or small gesture while we were waiting. This was extremely disappointing. Being overlooked for that long without communication or acknowledgment is unacceptable, especially when dining with family. I hope the restaurant addresses this kind of service breakdown so it doesn't happen to others." read more

I dropped into Chief's Da Crab Shack hoping for a no-frills seafood splurge, but the experience left me more crabby than satisfied. My order--the crab cluster and a lobster tail combo--arrived looking tired: shell colors muted, meat slightly translucent, and the drawn butter pooling with an unappetizing film (see attached photo). One bite confirmed the visuals: the crab lacked that sweet, ocean-bright snap, and the lobster was watery and bland, as if it had been par-cooked long before hitting my plate. Considering the cost, freshness should be a given. Instead, I felt like I'd paid premium prices for supermarket steam-table quality. The lone bright spot was the staff: my server greeted me with genuine enthusiasm. Their friendliness softened the blow, but great service can't mask sub-par ingredients. Bottom line: If you're craving crustaceans in Bonita, spend your money elsewhere until Chief's tightens up its sourcing--or be prepared to shell out a lot for very little payoff. read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Lobster tail not really clean and crab soggy. - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

See all

The food was amazing, but I think the staff wasn't ready for such a big turnout. The customer service was a bit lacking. Everyone got their food at different times and there were never any apologies More stars given considering this was their first 90's brunch. One big suggestion, go for the menu items instead of the brunch buffet! One look and you'll be disappointed at the buffet spread, but the menu was wayyy better read more

See all

WOW. Amazing food and service. Isabel was the sweetest and very attentive. We didn't try much on the menu because we came for crab legs but we were not disappointed and can't wait to go back and try other options. We had the house sauce which is already medium spicy, highly recommend if you like a little heat. We also had the garlic butter with mild heat. Very savory and not too salty. Cajun fries are a must!!! Lots of beer on tap and fun cocktails. Over all a great experience with excellent food, genuinely nice people and good music. Definitely a hidden gem and I hope it doesn't stay hidden. Thank you for the amazing food and service Chiefs Da Crab Shack ! read more

See all

This is our new go-to seafood boil spot down here in the South Bay! Always clean & never too long of a wait compared to other similar restaurants in SD. Honestly this is a hidden gem When we order our seafood boils, we default to the house "Shack Sauce" and then ask for all the specialty sauces on the side to dip our seafood in. We love them ALL! Love the ambiance on their Sunday AYCE Reggae Brunch events for those who love Hip Hop, R&B + Island Reggae. Trust me, IT'S A VIBE! read more

New Cajun food spot opened up in August 2024. Seafood boil was are goal. Service was great our waitress was very kind. Not very busy when arrived prior to 6p. They have karaoke nights every Saturday 6p Lloyd was cool & has jokes. We got king crab ll1 pound with 1 choice of either shrimp, crayfish, mussels or claws & if you want lobster that's available additional charge. The usual comes in it potatoes, corn, sausages & your choice of sauce. I chose da chief signature sauce medium & shrimp. The crab legs were cut in half no need to Crack open & the shrimp come with head on & in shell $2 more for headless. Drinks soft drinks beer, wine & soju. Tried a beat box soju bomb $6 not bad but small cup for my liking so purchased a beat box separately for $11 bit overpriced but it's in a restaurant & to be expected. They also have soju blushes which my daughter had & my other daughter got Moscato. Boils were good but not the best we've had for more spice go with xx (there's not changing once you order)they put pineapple in the boil. This was different for us but wasn't a bad experience, but not our best. Definitely will comeback to try the other dishes. And karaoke was fun my daughter got asked to sing Whitney Houston I'll always love you after singing. That was to be expected & it was fun to watch. They also have a couple doors down Da Tiki bar which we didn't check out maybe another time. Recommend trying. read more

See all

First time at this restaurant, We arrived 30 minutes before closing and they still served us and didn't rush us. A good South Bay Option for crab n shrimp boils. Amber was excellent taking care of us and recommending food. Overall good food and great service! read more

Yummmy!!! Couldnt wait for this place to open. Knowing how delicious JJs is next door i knew Da Crab Shack wasnt going to disappoint. And it DID NOT! I ordered the chief house sauce and they even gave us samples of the other sauces to try and gosh they were all perfect! They're clams (appetizer/see photo) is my favorite. Just writing this review is making me hungry... might go there for dinner tonight for watch the padre game! Woo Hoo go padres! Annnnd this place has a huge screen tv at the back - so big you catch watch for outside LOL. they even have a Dj and karoake sometimes. I def recommend this spot. The entire staff are extremely nice and friendly. read more

See all

Chiefs Da Crab Shack located in Bonita in a shopping center and parking is easy! Good size place that can easily accommodate large crowds. A humongous tv screen to watch the games while grubbing. They do have a bar but we were told they do not have a drinks menu due them constantly serving new ones. Nice area for photos and they appear to have a stage as well. Customer service was good. It was our first time but my family frequents quite often being good friends with the owner. It was a Sunday and to our surprise it was pretty slow. It was actually a pleasant surprise to have the place all to ourselves. We ordered: Calamari - delish Salt n pepper wings - perfectly cooked, crispy out and juicy in garlic cheese bread - delish Chief's king crab garlic noodles - AMAZING! Perfectly cooked and flavored. We ordered two orders to go Mussels and clams - Very healthy serving portion but, the broth was just a bit too salty for my taste. Slushy drinks - I can't remember the names but, they were both good. Cherry one was my favorite out of the two. Scallops on the half shell (warm appetizer)- Compliments of the chef, these little gems were very delicious. Scallops were tiny but they were smooth and buttery in texture and flavor was delish. THANK YOU CHEF for the complimentary treat! If in the area definitely give this spot a try. I did not try the boil bags at all but my family swears it is all good! read more

See all

I love going to Chiefs Da Crab Shack. Being able to eat my favorite crab and enjoy a nice cold drink with it doesn't get better than that. It's always buzzing in there with awesome food, people, and of course top of the line service. read more

Generous two stars, only because I'm sure the other food here might be better than what I ordered. I'm highly disappointed in the jambalaya and clam chowder I ordered. The jambalaya was like gumbo, maybe you might want to change that title to gumbo and not jambalaya on your menu. It's definitely not what I was expecting. Flavors were ok, rice tasted like uncle Ben's minute rice. I was hoping for a traditional, rice filling jambalaya, but instead it was kinda like soup. Did not taste like jambalaya at all, it just tasted like soup with Cajun seasoning. The clam chowder was the worse clam chowder I've ever had from a restaurant, I expected it to be filled with clams, be creamy and flavorful. This clam chowder tasted like plastic or canned clamed chowder. It literally tasted like Campbell's chunky New England clam chowder. So disappointed in both of these items. I was really excited to try them too. I ended up wasting money and tossing the nasty clam chowder. I do not recommend getting either of these items. read more

See all

Been meaning to try this place for the longest time and I finally had the chance to drop by. First of all the layout of the seating was well done. There are tables and seats in the middle but along the walls were cozy U shaped booths with moveable tables because I came there HANGRY after fasting. We were greeted by Isa who let us choose where we wanted to sit. She was really friendly and welcoming and made awesome suggestions, especially with the sauce because I would've never been daring to try them and I'm glad I did! We got the shrimp lettuce wraps which we opted to sub out the fries for onion rings. They were all perfectly fried and I'm not sure if the onion rings were seasoned but they were really good! We got the king crab garlic noodle and for all you that like garlic noodles, the addition of the king crab took it to another level!! Then we opted to choose our own mix of lobster tails, shrimp, sausage and corn with mild lemon/garlic butter mix. But Isa suggested some of the special sauces for dipping and let me tell you, I would never have thought to dip my seafood d n coconut lemon grass sauce...GAME changer!! We enjoyed everything we got. So glad we don't have to venture out to Clairemont or National City anymore for seafood boils because this place has everything we could ever want and more! read more

See all

Ny family and I went here and the food was good. I got a shrimp wrap but the lettuce were wrapped in rice paper. They were so good. My husband got the poboy fish sandwich. That was so good too. We will be back to try the fish boil. read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Shrimp lettuce wrap - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

I'm not sure I'm the right fit for this establishment because they might have a certain target audience that enjoys mediocre food and service. My demeanor continued to decline because I did not feel valued in any way. Now, let's get into the food. I have been to almost every crab boil in bag establishment in San Diego. But this will be one I will never go back to or recommend. The sauce was so oily, soon as the bag was placed on the table, the white paper was saturated with oil. I got the house sauce medium. The taste was also "interesting" to say the least. I did not enjoy my meal because who wants to suck on greasy unseasoned seafood. I'm not sure this Cajun - island fusion was what I expected, but this mixture must be an acquired taste. This is not Cajun by any means. I also can't say their combination menu has an adequate variety in comparison to other crab boil in bag places. Now let's get into the service. My server Haley was so, unattentive. She took my order but that's where her serving stopped. Someone else brought my food, and that's where my full service experience ended. Haley stopped by 1 other time and then I was staring her down trying to get her attention to bring me water, lemons, and the bill. I was done eating for well over 15 minutes before I was acknowledged. She only had two other tables, but I believe she was manning the front desk, too. Clearly my telepathic signals just weren't working for me to have the minimal attention one would expect at a sit in establishment . read more

See all

Last week I saw an online ad for their oxtail soup, which is rare to find at a restaurant that makes it well. So, I decided to drive up and check it out. Let me tell you-it was not false advertising! The bowl of soup looked exactly like the photo I saw online. When we arrived, we waited a few minutes before being seated. The restaurant wasn't too busy and was clean, which was nice. Not going to lie, I wish the waitress had smiled and been a bit more friendly. But aside from that and having to drive around to find parking, I had a good experience. It might be helpful to activate the comment section on your page so people can leave reviews and you can see who comments when you post. We'll be visiting again soon! read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Their online ad - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

See all

Good food and good service with a great atmosphere. Owner is super nice and friendly.

EVERYTHING was outstanding. The vibe, the service, the FOOD. I couldn't decide on which sauces to try inside my Crab Boil so the sweet server gave me a sample of all of them. My favorite was the House Sauce (Garlic & Buttery). You have to order their Scallops. I gotta go back for more. read more

See all

My husband and I went on a Saturday for my birthday. There was only one waitress, but the place was almost empty. I got the king crab legs-- one lb for $77. They were good, but they came with NOTHING else. We paid for a side of rice and a salad for me. My husband got the surf 'n' turf, but the steak was full of gristle and difficult to chew. We told the waitress that the meat (medium rare) was tough, so she said that she would tell the cook. They said that they would cook another one for us. By that time there were two other parties of about 8 each. Apparently there was only one cook, and he helped the other two tables first even though we had been there first and couldn't get another steak cooked for us. My husband had to spit out half of the steak pieces that he had eaten. We told waitress to forget about trying to get another steak-- we had waited long enough. We left half the steak there and paid our bill, but they DID NOT offer a discount for the tough steak. I doubt that we will return. It was an expensive meal for what we received. Waitress was nice but obviously harried with trying to handle three tables. read more

The place is always clean and had a beach theme. Been going here with my husband and every single time their food and customer service have been fantastic!!! We got to meet the owner, Joe, and he's very friendly! He thanked us for coming and apologized for not having blue crab. Their staff, Isabelle, was very attentive and even packed our food food for us. Love, love, love this place!! We will recommend this place again and again!!! read more

See all

It's a gem in Bonita. I've been next door to Francos for breakfast and noticed this place. The decor is definitely Tiki inspired. We ordered the beef egg rolls, gyoza, and the chicken and beef bowl with the red rice. Everything was great. The serving size is worth the price. There was live music as well. The servers could've been a bit more attentive. They were busy, but there's only so many seats. I will definitely put this place in rotation. read more

Had an awesome time. Celebrated with family for Aunt birthday. Food was delicious . Staff was great! Place was awesome ! Wish I had some of their food right now! lol read more

Went here for a party and overall, it did not disappoint. Everything was just perfection. Food was delicious, service was amazing and the ambiance reminds me of the island. Highly recommend this place. read more

The service was wonderful she was kind and attentive, the foods was very tasty we will definitely come back the only feedback is the portions could be more considering the price other than that great place, laid back and awesome decor. read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Garlic shrimp noodle...the phone is used to show size of portion. Very tasty! - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

The food was good! We did the boil and it was yummy! There was a dj playing really good music when we went so great vibe! Staff was very friendly. Definitely will go again. read more

Saw the sign on the door by chance and had to circle parking lot for a double take! "Now serving Oxtail soup!" Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. So Came out here today Saturday! Total legit!! Made me miss our yearly family vacation trip to Hawaii! Highly recommend!! read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Oxtail soup with bone marrow. - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

Loved this place from the service to the decor and of course the food --this place is sooo good. We had their seafood boil and added the pork sausage. They have so many different types of sauces--we got the house sauce. We also had the wings, garlic noodles, calamari and scallops. Everything was perfectly cooked with amazing spice. Most of all I really enjoyed the wings. We ordered the garlic wings and the buffalo lemon pepper which was as so delicious that I would consider going here just for that. Highly recommend Chief's! read more

See all

This place was AMAZING , the food was great & the customer service was on point . So good , it left my picky 12 year old with a food coma. I would definitely come back 100/10 ! Shout out to the chef for making sure my family was pleased with our food , shows how much he values his customers. read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

Known for their seafood boil. They have a variety of sauces to sample. Their all you can eat brunch menu changes, and they switch up their specials as well! Not to mention, but they have DJ's that spin R& B and Soul on a specific Easy Sunday. The food & music alone is worth it!! I highly recommend making reservations, if you have a big party. read more

Chiefs Da Crab Shack - One of the few places in SD that does Oxtail Soup! First time having it with bone marrow! Comes with a side of rice. - Seafood Near Me - Bonita, California

See all

Decided to try this place since I live in Bonita for a while and constantly see it took my family there there were seven of us. We ordered two of their big chief crab combos, couple other side dishes, and another one their combos which I think was a all of them were outstanding service was great Just a little disappointed wasn't that busy but then again it was a Sunday evening who goes to dinner, but on Sunday evening, evidently not a lot of people. I wanted to recommend this. I would very highly price was good. Food was great. Parking was easy. Nothing nothing bad to say about this place. It is really good. read more

We are so grateful to come here for dinner weekly, if at all possible. So many delicious cultural foods and everything we've tried is excellent! Joe, the owner, is very friendly and stops by to chat for a few minutes when we're there. Isabella is an exceptional waitress and we always look forward to our conversations together. The ambiance and vibe is beautiful! For Valentine's Day, they even had our very own decorated placements waiting for us in our usual seats. When we can, we love to go their monthly brunches, too. For anyone looking for an exemplary restaurant, please check it out! Parking is always available and Chief Da Crab Shack is one of our favorite restaurants in Bonita! Love this place!!! read more

wow the seafood boil was outstanding, but the unexpected star dish was that oxtail soup " amazing" hidden gem in bonita