This place is much better than Boiling Crab with less of a wait and better sauces. The garlic noodles are super flavorful too and the service is quick. Not too busy or noisy when we went and I definitely would come back if I'm looking for some cajun boil in a bag. read more

The best food in town so far. Highly recommend to everyone try it out. 5 stars for the food and service.

The best Cajun seafood place in the area. I always get a pound of their head-on shrimp combo (sausage, corn and potatoes) in their famous lemony, garlicky shambalang sauce. Their appetizers are also excellent, especially their wings that are always super crispy. I've been here several times and haven't had any issues with the seafood being cold or not fresh. For me, the value and quality here are much better than their competitors. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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I do like this place a lot. It's more of that low key neighborhood type shack and not commercialized feel such as Boiling Crab. This place is a bit tiny so prepare to stand by the door during wait times. There isn't much space inside but they make things work. I like the large sink where people can rinse after cracking sessions. I thought their garlic noodle dish was decent at about a B-. The noodles were a bit dry and mushy but it did have a good garlic taste to it. Their seafood combos were definitely good. The size and amount of meat is legit. I love how they throw slices of spicy links and boiled potatoes too! I don't recommend ordering a beer with the food because it'll make you feel bloated fast and dehydrated. Stick with water! Me and my fan ordered four different combos, 3 garlic noodles, a few sodas and beers for a total of $194. Not bad at all considering the combos are about 2lbs each! Arrive early to avoid the line and crammed parking lot. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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Seafood boil is one of my FAVORITE messy things to eat! But, of course, I will still opt to wear the bib and gloves, hehe. I've been to several different establishments and this Claw Shack is definitely one of my favorites. I came with my boyfriend and we ordered a pound of headless shrimp and crawfish and we decided to upgrade it to a combo for $4 more. Definitely recommend getting the combo or some sides to change up textures (it DOES get boring eating shrimp after shrimp after shrimp). The potatoes come whole and I wish they were cut up so they could soak up more of the sauce (the shambalang sauce is YUM). However, it's not much of an issue since the potatoes were cooked and we could just break it up and dip it ourselves. The garlic noodles are a MUST. Nothing more needs to be said about that. All-in-all, Claw Shack is definitely one of the best places to get seafood boil (and, I think, one of the more affordable ones). read more

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When I first moved to the Bay Area I would frequent Boiling Crab. Then, Kicking Crab opened, and their lack of wait, somehow much bigger lb of shrimp, and their wings had me hooked. But the quality of food started to decline over the past two years. Last weekend, I had major Cajun cravings and decided to consult my Yelp crew. I'm so glad I did, because Claw Shack is legit! Fist off, they have a huge flavor menu. That's both great but also confusing if you don't get the descriptions right. I found that several of them sounded too similar making it super hard for a newbie to make a selection. And anyone who has eaten at these places knows that sauce is half of the equation. The undecided me opted for two dishes so I can try 2 of their sauces. I got the lobster tail in shambalang mild, one lb of shrimp shakie's mild, and garlic noodles. -Lobster tail ($15.99): the tail was perfectly prepared so much that you could actually get out some meat from the tail fin. The shambalang mild sauce had just enough heat and was on the saltier side which paired well with the lobster. However, the lemons actually added a bit of bitterness to the sauce which I didn't care for. And I can't forget the garlic bun that comes with it. It's super fresh and delicious. -Shrimp with head on: I love that they offer you the option to get shrimp with or without head. Since we had to drive a bit we opted for with head to avoid that the food would be overcooked. Good decision. The portion is definitely smaller than one lb at Kickin' Crab, but the quality is better. The shakie's sauce had a sweeter, more balanced flavor vs the salty shambalang--I bet if you combined the two you would get a winner. -Garlic noodles: this dish was the only one that doesn't measure up. The noodles were quite dry and too soft/overcooked. They stuck together;a little hit of oil would have made a huge difference. I would probably skip. Like the fellow Yelpers pointed out, their service is super friendly. I will be back for some fresh crawfish and to continue my quest to find my perfect sauce. Stay tuned... read more

Claw Shack - Lobster tail covered in shambalang - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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Order Process: We placed a large order over the phone for pick up and it was ready within 20 minutes. When we got there, pick up was hassle free and nothing was missing from our order. Food: - Garlic Noodles: This was good but not worth $10. - Chicken Wings Sampler: We got 4 different flavors but couldn't really taste the difference. The wings themselves were good and crispy. - Lobster with Garlic Butter: Huge chunk of meat that was good & fresh! - King Crab with Shambalang Sauce: A bit disappointing and not as good as Boiling Crab. - Snow Crab Cluster with Special Sauce: Slightly better than the king crab. - Crawfish Combo with Garlicky Sauce: Nothing amazing about the crawfish or sausage but the corn was surprisely really good. - Shrimp With Slackie Sauce: The best of all the seafood we order. The shrimp was so juicy and went well with the sauce. read more

I always crave their shackie's sauce. 2 pounds of shrimp with extra sauce is usually my order. I wish they would open sooner on the weekends cause I start my day off early but it's ok, I can walk the flea market as I wait for 12pm lol. read more

My new fave seafood boil place. Not only are the boiled bags of seafood awesome, but all their side dishes are so tasty. Items we've tried on our last 2 visits: Shrimp with head on - the everything sauce, forgot the actual name Mussels- the garlic butter is ahhh mazing Clam chowder- awesome, soft, and plenty of clams Garlic noodles- garlicky yumminess Gumbo Jambalaya Garlic bread roll- not worth it when there's other yummier starch. But great for soaking up the sauce. Can you tell i love this place? read more

Claw Shack - Gumbo and jambalaya. Tasty. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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We probably visit Claw Shack 3 times a month -- at minimum. This place makes it to our top three for crawfish and Cajun seafood in San Jose. The "garlicky" flavor is my personal favorite and the sauce is not overly buttery. We generally order two pounds of crawfish, two pounds of shrimp (with head), two pounds of clams, a dozen oysters, and garlic noodles. It sounds like a lot but we can eat, and it helps that the flavors are super addicting. You will catch lines on the weekends and the wait can get up to 45 minutes to an hour. The waitlist moves at a decent pace (depends how hungry you are). Servers are pretty friendly and the food comes out from the kitchen lightening fast. Parking can be tricky because the plaza has other stores, including a newly founded Milk Tea shop next door. If you're craving for a crawfish or Cajun seafood fixing, this is your spot! read more

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Great alternative to the other popular Cajun shrimp spot. Flavors are slightly different but close. Small location.

If I could rate this restaurant higher, I definitely would! This is one of the hottest places to get your seafood boil mix, because the sauces are just that good. There are a variety of sauces, but the one I decided to get was the Shackies sauce. I liked that this sauce was thicker than others, so you could scoop up the sauce easier into your seafood, but also to add to your fries and garlic noodles. Their garlic noodles were plentiful and very flavorful. They include whole cloves of garlic inside, which enhances the flavor. We also got cajun fries, which had the best seasoning on them. We came right at opening time, but it got crowded after we left, so you should plan accordingly and expect to have a wait when you come by. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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The food was good. The service was good. But EVERYTHING was served in plastic. Even the silverware was plastic. It was a bit too wasteful for me. read more

Still one of my favorite places to go for Cajun boiling shrimp. I feel like this place is the closest tasting to Boiling Crab's whole shabang (get their shambalang sauce). We also usually order their garlic noodles, corn, and bread to soak up any sauce. I would also say their clam chowder was also a surprise - it's pretty good if you're craving some soup. Overall I usually choose to go here for Cajun seafood if we don't want to drive all the way to BC or any no other Cajun place. read more

This spot has been my go to for cajun boils for a while now above Boiling Crab and Kicking Crab and for very good reason! I find that the shrimp here is SO big and fresh CONSISTENTLY, (consistency is key) absolutely love that! They have a 2 lb combo that comes with 2 lbs of seafood, 2 corn on the cob, 5 sausages, and 2 potatoes. That's what I get every single time to split with someone else and it's just perfect! Don't skip out on their garlic noodles! It's a must order every time I go. I recommend splitting it though, because after a while it does get quite heavy, especially with all the seafood. We have been also ordering this as takeout during Covid, and it's great! The quality has not decreased at all from in person, and the food stays hot on the ride home because of how the food is packaged. Just grab a large bowl and pour out the bag into it, clean your eating surface well, and then dig in! This is always a really fun meal to eat with everyone, even at home! I'll def be back again and again for more takeout during these times! read more

The service was good, the food was delicious, everything in here is perfect. Highly recommend

So I've been to a bunch of these Vietnamese-style cajun places in SoCal so wanted to try one of the ones up here. Came in and left pretty happy with the food here. They provide you gloves and a bib while eating, and don't just give you a roll of giant paper towels but instead have napkins, which is nice. They only take Mastercard/Visa though, just in case you're an AMEX user. We had the shrimp (with head) and crawfish, with the Shackies Sauce, which is a more savory, garlicky and thicker sauce. The crawfish didn't taste that good, but they did warn us that it was out of season and frozen so I don't blame them for that. The shrimp was excellent, and the flavors that they soaked everything in was super good, so I am quite happy with the food overall. I enjoyed the garlic noodles a bunch as well, but those aren't anything special beyond being garlic noodles. Good option to eat with the food though, since it adds a bit of a filler that will make everyone a bit more full. read more

Claw Shack - Garlic Noodles - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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I used to think that Boiling Crab was the best Cajun seafood in the SJ area until I tried Claw Shack. I love their garlic noodles and the shrimp is always so fresh! They have a variety of sauces and give out 3 samples if you're indecisive. My personally favorite is the House sauce with medium spiciness. It's amazing!!! I legit slurp the sauce when I eat it LOL. I would definitely come back! read more

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Best cajun seafood in the bay area. I absolutely love their garlic noodles, it compliments the seafood very well. Also, their wings are underrated, definitely worth the try. I personally enjoy the shambalang and shackies sauce. I usually get one in the bag and one on the side to dip. Service here is also very good. They are quick and attentive. The actual building is a bit small which does feel cramped and parking can sometimes be difficult but the food is outstanding. read more

Checked this place out today after spending time in San Jose and having seafood cravings! Waited about 15-20 minutes for indoor seating but there was outdoor seating w/ out no wait at 5ish PM. Ordered the 2 Pound Entree Combo from the choice of combo options which is $3 extra for 2 corn, 2 potatoes and 5 sausages. The sauce that my girlfriend and I ordered was the garlic butter at a spice of mild and to be honest it was fair for those who don't like a kick to their seafood choices. The shrimp with head was good and to be honest the size of the shrimp were fairly big! I personally like the spice for my shrimp on the spicier end so I was hoping it would've been it a bit spicier. The crawfish was fresh and cooked well, even though it looked burnt on the outside. The garlic noodles were fairly decent, you can't go wrong with them with a side of shrimp and crawfish! Overall, it was a fair experience. Recommended that you try out/ask for sauces that are more in tune with your taste buds and you will have a better experience! read more

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Everyone says this place is amazing, but my experience was just OK. Our waiter recommended the Shambalang sauce. We ordered 1lb shrimp, 1 lb crawfish and 1 lb clams with the recommended sauce, medium spicy with 3 corn and 3 potatoes. We received 1lb shrimp, 1lb clam and 1 lb mussel with 3 corn and 1 potato. The sauce didn't have much flavor and no spice at all. Not sure how they got our order wrong since there was only one other table already eating there. The seafood was cooked well.. it just didn't have any flavor besides buttery. I will probably come by to try their other sauces. Maybe it was just an off day for them. read more

Today, i decided to get it years later after eating here in high school because i normally go to Kickin Crab and let me tell you... i couldn't have been anymore disgusted and disappointed with this place. My total came out to be $112 and ordered 2 lbs of shrimp, 2 fish n chips, 2 butterfly shrimp n chips, 2 garlic noodles and corn. Prior when ordering.. stating i wanted 2 lbs of shrimp.. both sausage and potatoes in each... and the guy kept telling me the promo was get 2+ lbs and get the added stuff for $3 more BUT IT ONLY GOES IN ONE BAG. I said no on the promo, and i was okay with paying the extra money to just add the extra (potatoes and sausage) to each bag... this guy goes hold on.. puts me on hold.. and i knew he was talking about annoying and complicating i sound... but really he was complicating hisself and just REALLY wanted to add that $3 promo.. After having my boyfriend pick up the food.. we make our plate and i started to eat. I start moving my garlic noodles around because that's just me.. i mix my food... and LOW AND BEHOLD.... i find a FUCKING STAPLE IN IT... likeeee disgusted and baffled. I push my noodles aside and as i was about to eat my shrimp... i see a blonde FUCKING HAIR on it and my hair is JET BLACK. No one in my household has blonde hair... at this point... i feel so disgusted and just decided to not eat anymore. I would've been okay with seeing the hair first because I'm a hairstylist and being around hair... i get it... it can get into food... but that fuckin staple... soo random and WTF. I feel like this staple was more disgusting than going to pho Kim long and seeing the Asian man walking to give your soup with his thumb in it... acting like it's not hot.... Besides the point.... i wish i could give this place a zero stars because i was unsatisfied, disgusted, and baffled with how much this place has changed. read more

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Short review since I ordered for pick-up. I feel like I'm not very qualified to review this place since I don't eat a lot of seafood or crawfish. The only time I really eat shrimp is at Giovanni's in Hawaii, but I ordered the pound of shrimp with garlic butter sauce here. I called in the order and they said it would be done in 15 minutes. So I went there to pick up my food and I decided last minute that I wanted some garlic bread rolls too. I ordered 3 and I think I only waited 5 minutes. I'm glad that I got the bread rolls, because I would dip it in the sauce that was left over in the bag. I've had Boiling Crab and it doesn't live up to the hype. At Boiling Crab, the shrimp still has the head and the veins. I've even had Cajun Bistro 7 and I'm not a fan of it either. But I LOVE the shrimp here because you can order it headless and has no veins! And I LOVE the sauce. One thing that I didn't even realize was that most of their sauces have garlic in it already! I think next time I'm going to try the Shakies sauce. read more

It had been a couple year since we've been here. So hubby and I decided to have a date here yesterday and it was sooooooooo good! Here is what we had. Garlic noodles King crab leg Headless shrimp A couple potatoes and corn Cajun fries Seamed rice Bread It was delish, great flavor and the service was great. We are glad we did not need to wait long to eat. read more

Claw Shack - Garlic noodles - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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My brother wanted to come here so I could spoil him for his birthday lol. Its been a few years since I came here, but not much had change except for some food on the menu. I did not remember if they had garlic noodles the last time. I tasted the dish at Kickin it Crab, so I wanted to give it a try at Claw Shack. Make sure to ask for a pair of plastic gloves. We both ordered the Claw Shack Combo 1 which included: 1 lb. crawfish, 1 lb. shrimp with head, 2 corns, 2 potatoes, and 5 pieces of Cajun sausages with medium spice level. My brother recommended to try the signature sauce - Shackie's. The Combo 1 came first before the garlic noodles which was odd, but no worries because I was ready to dig in! The food was so amazing with the Shackie's sauce. The spice level added a great kick to it. Great food, great staff, and saw a BMW i8 parked in the front lol. Totally deserve a 5 stars! read more

Claw Shack - Combo 1 - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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I like the sauce taste.I ask for combo extra hot but it not the hot. Their shrimp very softy and mushy. The service was nice.l they'll guy was pretty chill. The only problem was the shrimp mushy. read more

Super tiny portion of shrimp. We ordered 1 lb shrimp and what we got was 14 pieces of shrimp. This weight is NOT 1lbs. There was barely any sauce for the shrimp. Not sure if the weighted it or just grabbed a few pieces of shrimp and called out a pound. The other order we got was the combo . 1 lb of shrimp (14 pieces of shrimp) and 1 lb of clans and it's WAY heavier than my 1 lb of shrimp. We just got scanned out of shrimp. The price here was more expensive than it's worth. Might as well head over to Kickin' Crab where they give you ACTUAL 1 lb portions unlike this place. read more

Claw Shack - This does NOT look like 1 lbs of shrimp. This is exactly 14 pieces of shrimp. They don't weigh it. We bought 3 bags all 14 piece - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

The food is okay, but the service here is terrible. Everyone looks miserable. I'm sorry you have to work at a Cajun restaurant on a Saturday, but don't ruin the weekends of people who actually have those days off. Own up to your mistakes instead of blaming the customers. read more

So I'm totally in LOVE with Claw Shack! Mind you I didn't think ANYPLACE could replace my love for Boiling Crab but this place cannot be beat! Even before the shelter-in-place we always would order to go... would get combo of Shambalang mild with crawfish and shrimp with heads (LOVE sucking the juices off the head when break off the head... yum!). Hubby and I would share because my daughter loves the MEDIUM version of the Shambalang with the crawfish and shrimp with heads. What makes Claw Shack so special is not just the delicious mouth watering very addictive sauce - BUT that their shrimps are HUGE along with their crawfish... SO MUCH meat... And the combo comes with 2 corns, 2 potatoes and 5 sausages. Now cooked in the sauce - it's SO GOOD - corn is not overcooked - still has the crunch - and the potato... it's these little red potatoes - OMG - SO GOOD - so tender - you break them up with your hands and dip in the sauce...UUUUMMMMMM... and the sausage is yummy as well! Seriously - it is SO GOOD that I will admit we probably order this at least once a week... And when you get it to go - they will give you a large piece of paper to protect your table, plastic bibs and gloves. Though it's good to double check as they do sometimes forget. In addition you get a baggie with fresh juicy limes and some little plastic tubs with a salt and pepper mixture. We usually ask for more lime as when you dip it with that lime just brings out and highlights the flavor of the already delicious sauce. We've also gotten their cajun fries - perfect and great compliment to the meal... their garlic noodles are perfect - al dente with bits of garlic - not too oily... and lastly their garlic honey wings - SO GOOD - so crispy with that delicious honey garlic sauce that somehow keeps those bits of garlic with the wings.... My all time favorite wings!! Overall our families all time favorite - and while we haven't eaten there - bringing it home works for us and they're pretty fast. Again - their crawfish and shrimp are HUGE... even if you get stuck with a few tiny crawfish - there's always a mix of huge ones... with so much meat that when you dip back into the sauce - it's the BEST BITE by FAR!! OK - after writing this review - I feel like we're due to get it for dinner tonight! LOL... read more

Pre-COVID, it was delicious!!! Our all time favorite in the area! During COVID, crawfish is frozen. Whack. Shrimp was slightly undercooked. Whack. We'll be back post-COVID. Customer service is always good though. They did warn us about the crawfish being frozen. So they have that going for them. read more

Delicious seafood. They have great lunch specials on weekdays! I love the deep-fried cornbread with ice cream!!! One of the best desserts!! Friendly and fast service! Cute place! read more

Food was amazing and a lot! Wish the place was a little bigger! First time here and I was full and still had plenty of leftovers. Service is great! read more

Yum great Cajun seafood boil! Medium shambalang had the ideal amount of kick for us, and the shrimp, clams and king crab legs were perfectly cooked. We also enjoyed the crispy Cajun fries and garlic noodles as well! Service was quick and attentive. read more

Never would have guessed by the exterior of this strip mall that it was housing such a gem! The menu is Cajun with Asian influence mostly consisting of seafood boils. I opted for the crawfish+ shrimp mix with all the sides (corn/sausage/potatoes) For every bag of seafood you pick a sauce and heat temperature (mild/medium/hot) in which the fish and sides is boiled in. In addition to the boil, they have sides of crab and lobster tails cooked in the same sauce preference but served in a separate dish, hot wings, various fried seafood baskets, and Asian garlic noodles that are definitely one of the highlights. read more

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I ate here Sunday afternoon with my family and I had notice a sign on the door that said something about their serving only frozen seafood atm (be mindful of that). That threw me off alittle and we still continued to eat here. It was good in the moment, however I noticed the flavor and food tasted different than usual. Next day later my family and I felt nauseous and were constantly in and out of the bathroom. We all had food poisoning and felt very disgusted after eating here. Mind you this was my ONLY meal Sunday and I immediately felt symptoms of food positing the day after and I'm barely recovering 3 days later. I've ate here a good amount of times and it's been good but last Sunday was very disappointing. I won't be back here. read more

I really really really enjoy Claw Shack!!! I am so glad it is right down the street from my house. I'm by myself so I usually order a bunch of items then bring it home to eat which last me a couple meals. My go to are 2 lbs of shrimp medium shambalang, 8 wings with fries honey garlic and lemon pepper. I recently discovered they have combos where if you order 2 lbs or more you can pay and extra $3 extra and they will include 2 corns, 2 potatoes, and a sausage!!! I read through their menu recently and realized I should totally start doing the combo which is such a fantastic deal. I've been here 3 times and every time the employees are extremely nice and welcoming. Great service great food!!! I was for sure be back soon!!! I really want to venture out and try other flavors they have to offer but, the shambalang is always so good!!! Thank you guys for working through this "shelter in place" and providing me and who ever else who wants great Cajun food!!! THANK YOU!!! read more

This is my go-to crawfish/shrimp/seafood place. I love the sauce and their spice level is actually that. Spicy. Love it! I order from here a few times a month if not more. The seafood is wonderful. The fried food is delicious. read more

Had the new hot pot...daughter and I loved it. Messy and fun place to eat with family.

Their shackies sauce is my favorite and the flavor is always spot on! I love to dip the bread loaf in the sauce or pour it over rice. All the other flavors are solid, but Shackies never fails for me. read more

Very good service and the food was excellent. It was nice they went over the menu since that was the first time eating there. I will go back again. I'm glad my son told me about this restaurant. Thank you to the employees for being so nice and giving excellent service. read more