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Claw Shack

4.3 (1.6k reviews)
Closed 3:00 pm - 8:00 PM
Updated 1 month ago

Claw Shack Photos

Business Info

CLAW SHACK ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Casual
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Claw Shack

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David C.

This was my go-to seafood boil spot for the past five years. I'd always recommend this place to friends because it was consistently one of the better seafood boil spots in SJ. After today's visit, though... I finally understand why the second location closed. Ordered: Shackie's Sauce (Hot) Shrimp & Mussels Combo Snow Crab Clusters Garlic Noodles Garlic Fries The seafood boil was nowhere near the quality it used to be. The corn tasted old, the shrimp and snow crab didn't taste fresh, and the snow crab clusters had barely any meat. By the time I cracked everything open, it felt like there was more shell than seafood. The mussel shells even had barnacles on them, which I've never seen here before. It made the seafood feel like it hadn't been cleaned as well as it should have. The garlic fries were crispy, but that's it. It was weird--I could see the garlic and was literally eating it, yet there was no garlic flavor. The garlic noodles used to be one of my favorite items because they were bold and packed with garlic. Now they've definitely toned the flavor down, and they're just not the same anymore. It's honestly disappointing because this place used to be one of my favorite seafood spots. The food quality has clearly declined while the prices have continued to go up. I hope they can get back to what made this place so good, but based on today's experience, I can't recommend it anymore.

Susan T.

It's still a hidden gem in my book!! definitely worth the wait!! service is great! The food is so flavorful! I would definitely come back for it the Shambalang ! The shackie is great too, but it's more sweeter. I tend to get confused when I get here I want to get. But if you want more savory. Then get the shambalang !! They now have a cute patio outside, which is very cute!!

Monica-Leah A.

Came here with some friends for a tasty seafood boil. Everything was soo good, great sauce flavors. Very nice interior decor, and good/friendly customer service

1 lb shrimp, 1 lb crawfish, 1 lb mussel combo - shackies sauce medium
Christine B.

Claw shack always hits the spot! Service is quick, seafood is fresh and tasty. Pretty small restaurant but there is a hand wash station outside the bathrooms after getting your hands dirty in that shackies's sauce. The combo is the way to go!

3lbs crawfish w/ shackies seasoning medium spice.
analynn n.

Parking can get crowded otherwise a really solid place for crawfish. If you get 2lbs+ you can turn it into a combo. I did wish they gave more gloves or a trash bag. They do have outdoor seating as well so on a nice day sitting outside is nice. The shackies seasoning is tangy and spicy.

Chicken wings! One of a kind
Ter L.

My family and I love us some Claw Shack. Whenever there is a craving for crawfish, THIS is the place to be... The establishment isn't super big but with the patio seating, this joint can easily handle parties- big & small. I can always come here knowing I will be seated fairly quickly. Perfect for me because I'm not about that hour+ wait kinda life. Staples for our visits: *LIVE Crawfish Seafood Boil *Shrimp WITH HEAD Seafood Boil *Chicken Wings *Garlic Noodles *Regular Fries My top two fave house blend sauces are SHACKIE'S & SHAMBALANG in medium heat for my fam, hot for me. Food: The boils itself is always on point. Flavors are spot on each and every time while the protein is cooked to perfection. The chicken wings are SUPERB!!! Extra crunchy on the outside but not dried out on the inside. The crisp outer skin handles the sauce coating very well and doesn't go soggy as time goes on. Lastly, the garlic noodles is the only dish that can be a hit or miss depending on the day. While I would prefer my noodles to have a bit of a chewy bit to it, there have been plenty of times where this garlicky goodness has been delivered very wet & containing mushy noodles. I continue to religiously order due to my daughter's love for noodles and I live for those moments when the chef comes through such a plate of perfection. My only complaint for our most recent visit is the bad slices of lemon that clearly should have been tossed out & NOT served to guests. I attempted to use the limes anyhow and was met with a yucky, bitter, & altered taste. I couldn't power through with that regardless of how much I love lemon/lime with my boils. 4 stars altogether but they get some extra points because Claw Shack be playing all my damn jamz!!! AND!! With the staff singing out loud, you kinda get a dinner and a show. Lmao.

Liz H.

Tried Claw Shack out since Boiling Crab's wait was so long and our typical go to spot was closed and I really enjoyed it! They have an awesome combo deal where you can get corn, potatoes, and sausage for $6 more if you order two or more pounds. Sauce was delicious and not too salty, they're pretty generous with it too. Garlic fries and Cajun fries were so bomb, really crispy and had a nice fluffy inside. The garlic noodles were def a highlight too! Casual and smaller restaurant but they have some outdoor patio seating. Service was super fast, we had a flight to catch and we were in and out in less than an hour. Will def be back!

Lobster tail (shackies) with bread roll  @rosyeatssj
Rosalind W.

This is our go to spot for seafood boils. Recently we came on a Tuesday night. Was greeted and served immediately. We enjoyed: Garlic noodles 2lb headless shrimp combo in shambalang Lobster tail with bread roll in shackies Chicken fritters and fries I love the garlicky shackies sauce. The shambalang is flavorful too with garlic and lemon slices. Garlic noodles have great flavor. Chicken fritters or wings are a great choice for non seafood eaters. Nice decor and cozy spot with outdoor patio seating.

Seafood Sampler
Arnel E.

Long overdue review. Came here for dinner on a Friday during fall of 2024. Parking wasn't a problem at the North Valley Plaza that night. This restaurant was comparably smaller than a Boiling Crab but we got seated right away. The atmosphere was as staple as can be with restrooms equally devoid of interesting points. We ordered the DF Seafood Sampler (shrimp, calamari, fish filled with shrimp crackers and tartar/cocktail sauce combo), 1lb Shrimp with Garlicky Sauce and no heat, Garlic Fries and Garlic Noodles. Yes, a lot of garlic seasoned dishes because Gilroy (garlic capital of the world) was just a drive away. We downed our food with Peach Soju and Hard Apple Cider. Food was good and reasonably priced. Service was pure business. I'd say this is a decent spot away from busy SJ areas when hankering for shrimp and crab boil.

Rainier F.

We are usually in the Berryessa Lundy area quite a bit since we have family that live in the area. Even though we are huge Cajun seafood boil fans, surprisingly we have not ate at Claw Shack yet. To celebrate my mom's early Mother's Day, we finally ate at Claw Shack recently on a Friday night. The restaurant is located in an older plaza close to the Berryessa Flea Market. Parking is accessible in the medium size plaza parking lot. It can definitely be a challenge when it is peak hours though. The restaurant is small but they do use the patio area which works quite well for large parties. Our daughter arrived early that night to put her name down for the waiting list so fortunately we were able to sit down immediately in the patio once upon arrival. We ordered 4lbs of shrimps, corn, sausages, rice, fries, and garlic noodles. It was good amount of food for our family and my parents. Everything was delicious. The shrimp with the shackie sauce was so scrumptious. Probably my favorite seafood boil sauce out of all the local Cajun seafood boil spots. The staff was accommodating and efficient. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Claw Shack. My mom enjoyed her food a lot so I'll definitely bring my parents back.

Dom N.

Today, I'm in the South Bay Area. I felt like doing some Louisiana style Seafood boil today. I'm here at Claw Shack off Berryessa Rd. in the evening. And yeah, I did say I got some personal history with Louisiana, I happen to go school with Hurricane Katrina evacuees 20 years ago. So I like, appreciate, enjoy, and know everything about Southern Cajun cuisine. I finally got my Bag of 1 pound of Manila Clams, 1 pound of Green Lip Mussels, and Lobster Tail with Bread Roll included. The Seafood was fresh. The Garlicky House Blend Spicy Sauce was Smack. I went and dipped the Bread Roll into the Sauce, and it was so good, that was the move. And I can't forget about my Cup of Lychee Jelly Green Tea, so refreshing. I was thinking this was going to be a 3.8-4.3 stars, this could be a 4.4 stars on a good day, but I give this 4.3/4.4 stars out of 5 stars. I'm satisfied.

Amanda M.

Came here one evening for dinner and ordered the garlic noodles, and also got 1lb of head on shrimp with some sausage and 1 potato, with the shambalang medium spice boil. The shrimp was good, the sauce had a nice salty lemony garlicy flavor. The medium spicy wasn't spicy enough for me, but it was a good start to figure out their spice level. The ingredients in the boil were good. I was happy that they had gloves and aprons. The garlic noodles were a tad bit bland but with the boil sauce it was fine. Overall, good meal and will come back when they have fresh crawfish as well.

Allison S.

A small spot with limited indoor seating, but they have outdoor dining area that makes up for it. Seafood boil combo was on point. It included corn, sausage and potatoes. The Shambalang sauce is a must, it was really garlicky and had excellent flavor. The seafood was fresh but I would skip the gumbo next time though, it lacked flavor and was watery.

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4 years ago

the food was pretty good but me and my boyfriend got food poisoning from this place ):

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6 years ago

Loved the food, the service and I'm definitely going back for more. My new go to seafood place...

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8 years ago

The food was not worth the drive at all. The gumbo was a poor excuse. Service was good.

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

The best crawfish place in San Jose. The crawfish is super good as well the the shrimps. This is a must try.

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9 years ago

IMO better than Boiling Crab! Unfortunately the place is really small so expect long waits.

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

Better than Boiling Crab, except crab or crab legs. So gross and frozen. But overall everything else is super duper good.

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8 years ago

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6 years ago

Great customer service garlic wings and teriyaki are the go to! Sauces for the boiled entrees are pretty good tasty and satisfying!

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10 years ago

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

I come here literally like every 2 weeks, i love this place. Their food is beyond comparable and the servers are cool

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8 years ago

Best place for crawfish in san jose. Soo good. Worth the wait everytime. Get the 1 lb crawfish 1lb shrimp. Its a good deal

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8 years ago

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Page 29 of 41

Claw Shack Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Claw Shack

What kind of fish is the fried fish?

Tilapia

Is it possible to buy like a quart of just sauce lol?

I believe you can purchase extra sauce on the side so probably would just need to buy a good amount of "extra sauce" for a quart worth!

Since crawfish is not in season, what is the cost of frozen ones per lb?

Do y'all still offer outdoor seating?

Their new outdoor dining area is up and running! It looks great. Check my photo of the spot.

Do you do on site catering or can you handle a large party during lunch time?

Do you guys take reservations? If so, does it have to be day of or could it be in advance?

no, they don't

Do you allow indoor dining now?

Yea indoor dining is available as well as outdoor.

Is it crawfish season yet?? Wondering if there's live crawfish and if anyone's had it (are they pretty big now)?

On March 1, they didn't have any fresh crawfish yet. Perhaps now they do.

Is there anything here keto friendly?

Depends on how Keto you wanna get. Their boiled combos include seafood, corn, potatoes, and sausage.

Are they open for takeout?

YUUUUUUP🙌🏻

Do they use disposable or reusable dish ware? I saw a lot of single-use disposable plates, cups, bowls in the m pictures.

Disposable plates and cups.

Which sauce is closest to Cajun garlic butter, or something similar to Crawdaddy's sauce?

There is a garlic butter sauce called garlic butter sauce actually. The others are house, garlicky, casian, lemon pepper, shackies, and shambalang. You can mix sauces to get different flavors and shambalang is a mix of them all.

Hows the wait time for this place?

There was no wait when I get but it was on a weeknight close to closing time. I'm sure there is a wait on the weekends and all since it's a smaller place. There is also a boba spot next to it too so it will always look busy.

How much is 1lb of king crabs legs and shrimp?

I believe it's market price, so it varies

Can you call to make reservations here or is it a 1st come, 1st serve?

1st come 1st serve

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Yaichi Japanese Restaurant

Yaichi Japanese Restaurant

4.2
(172 reviews)
4.0 mi

Food: Ume Bowl with Ochazuke Set Price: $26 + $4.5…read moreOverall: I came here with my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary back in April! It is in the general area with Cere Tea and Koi Palace. We arrived around 6PM and were seated immediately. We came for the seafood don and both got the UME with an addition of the ochazuke set. For $26 + 4.5 for the set, I think it's really worth the price and you get a good amount of fresh fish. Each bite felt like I was transported to Japan and eating a Kaisendon. Although we had to wait for a bit for the dashi soup to arrive , it was a delicious end to our meal. So comforting and hearty.

Finally got the chance to try Yaichi, the so called Bay Area Tsujihan for their massive seafood…read morerice bowls with ochazuke transformation and I have to say as someone who just came from asia and HAD Tsujihan, Yaichi is so much BETTER. Same quality but Bigger portions and better dashi, for about the same price? Sign me up. My girlfriend and I skated the potato salad appetizer - a delicious DIY experience that let you control the texture of your potato salad (though I feel I overmixed), and two take bowls which were MASSIVE - easily could have shared. The seafood was fresh, the portions generous, and maybe it's because I have a more Americanized palate, but the mixed seafood dashi was richer and paired much better than a mild seafood chazuke. Plus it came with shiso leaves and tempura crunchies so it was really no comparison. Overall this was a delicious meal that left me extremely full, unlike other seafood bowls that leave you just a little too hungry. Given the tastiness of their dashi, I'll def be back to try their udon. Also, as an added bonus, my dogs love the little dashi fish topper on their food they sell separately at the front. Love! --- Sweet: amazing dashi broth, delicious seafood bowls. Rare instance of a dinner living up to the hype Bitter: wish they had mini versions of their more deluxe bowls!!

Photos
Creamy Mentaiko Udon
 Spicy cod roe, shiso leaf, nori seaweed, Lemon, soft-boiled
 egg
Creamy Mentaiko Udon Spicy cod roe, shiso leaf, nori seaweed, Lemon, soft-boiled egg
Yaichi Japanese Restaurant
Minced tuna, Hokkaido Scallop,
 Tobiko, Snow Crab, Marinated Salmon Roe, Hokkaido Sea Urchin, Cucumber,
 Pickled Lotus root

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Minced tuna, Hokkaido Scallop, Tobiko, Snow Crab, Marinated Salmon Roe, Hokkaido Sea Urchin, Cucumber, Pickled Lotus root
K & C Food Wholesale

K & C Food Wholesale

3.9
(518 reviews)
1.4 mi
$$

We were planning to cook some oysters for Father's day and decided to pick some oysters for K&C. My…read morefriends would come here 10+ years ago to get their raw oyster fix. I was worried they would be close by the time I get there since they close at 5pm and it was 4:45pm when we got there. There is parking in the back that you can drive in and park. I told them I wanted 120 Pacific oysters and the worker brought it out right away. They were $120 but since I used my card to pay, they tacked on $5 to the price. I think you have to spend a certain amount to avoid the $5 credit card charge. They asked if I was ok with it and I told them it was fine and proceeded to pay. They have newspapers on the side that you can use to put in ur car so the water from the oysters doesn't get on the car carpet. The oysters were really good and tasted fresh. We ended up killing all 120 oysters last night. Highly recommend this place for oysters. I heard certain hours of the day, the place can be packed so be prepared just in case you can't park inside and have to find street parking.

Happy customer: A…read more Call first to see what they had in stock and for pricing. Grabbed a box of live lobsters for the fam. Service was quick and efficient. Lobsters were fresh and meaty. Cash and cards are accepted. -John

Photos
K & C Food Wholesale
Regular oysters!
Regular oysters!
Dang K&C - what happened to your oysters? We bought  a bag of the medium size bbq oysters and they were all this small.

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Dang K&C - what happened to your oysters? We bought a bag of the medium size bbq oysters and they were all this small.
The Crab Bay

The Crab Bay

4.0
(633 reviews)
6.0 mi
$$$
Family-owned & operated
Locally owned & operated

Delicious meal overall! We ordered Cajun seafood boil with crawfish and shrimp, garlic noodles, and…read morechicken tenders with fries. Everything was flavorful and came out great. The seafood was well-seasoned with a nice spicy kick, and our noodles were very garlicky (in a good way). The chicken tenders were also flavorful, but a bit dry (I still like it btw). The only small downside was that the crawfish had a bit of a fishy taste, but it wasn't enough to ruin the meal since the seasoning was still really good. The shrimp, on the other hand, were delicious and cooked perfectly. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating, great for groups. It was pretty busy when we arrived, which says a lot about how popular the place is, but we were still able to enjoy our meal comfortably. The service was efficient despite the crowd, we didn't have to wait for too long. Overall, we had a great experience and I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area again!

We ordered the Lobster Garlic Noodles, Garlic Fries, shrimp, mussels, and clams with the House…read moreSpecial Mild sauce. Overall, the standout dishes were definitely the noodles and fries. The garlic fries were cooked to the perfect level of crispiness, while the lobster garlic noodles were flavorful, savory, and packed with garlic goodness. The seafood itself was fresh and good quality, but I found the House Special Mild sauce a little underwhelming. I was hoping for more depth and flavor, but most of what I tasted was a mild kick of heat. While it wasn't bad, it didn't have the rich, buttery, and well-seasoned flavor profile that I typically look for in a seafood boil sauce. Service was great throughout our visit. We were seated promptly, our food arrived quickly, and any requests we had were fulfilled without issue. The staff was attentive and made the dining experience smooth and enjoyable. I also appreciated the restaurant's nautical theme. The decor featured fishing nets, ship-inspired accents, and other sea-themed elements that helped create a fun and immersive atmosphere. Overall, I'm glad we gave this place a try. The garlic noodles and fries were delicious, and the service was excellent. While I would probably choose other seafood boil spots in the future, this was still a solid experience and worth trying at least once.

Photos
Bayou Bucket #2. King Crab Legs + 2 lbs Shrimp
Bayou Bucket #2. King Crab Legs + 2 lbs Shrimp
Fried Calamari..
Fried Calamari..
Hello Mr Crab.  I'm about to eat you!

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Hello Mr Crab. I'm about to eat you!
Custom Cut Butcher

Custom Cut Butcher

4.9
(96 reviews)
3.3 mi

They stock a variety of fresh herbs, artisanal spices & butters…read more Alfonso provides great service. I've been relying on him to cut my steaks to the perfect thickness for years.

If you're looking for a shop with a variety of high quality meat at a reasonable price, look no…read morefurther! The shop isn't very big but feels super clean inside and it doesn't have a meat smell. There's two huge meat fridges showing you what they have, plus couple fridges and shelves filled with stuff that you might need to cook with your food like spices, aromatics, seasonings. The staff here are really nice and helpful too. They even give you complimentary containers of their salt rub. My partner and I specifically come here specifically for their Picanha steaks which are extremely high quality and affordable. They're great to cook using the reverse sear method or grill like they do at Brazilian steak houses. They taste fantastic with chimichurri or even just with flaky salt because of how buttery the steaks are on their own. The last time we were here, we got 10 steaks for around $150 and we seriously thought we'd be spending way more. Of course the cost will depend on what you, like the prime rib here is very expensive, but weigh out your options! I do think everything else here seems to be a great price for the quality compared to mass grocers. I'd highly recommend anyone to check out this shop!

Photos
Filet - cut to whatever size you want, right when you order
Filet - cut to whatever size you want, right when you order
The short ribs!
The short ribs!
Grilling in the dark is easy, with an instant read thermometer!

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Grilling in the dark is easy, with an instant read thermometer!

Claw Shack - cajun - Updated July 2026

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