Just tried Holy Crab and it definitely lived up to the hype. The seafood boil was packed with flavor -- I went with the garlic butter/Cajun style sauce and it coated everything perfectly. I added pototoes and Corn. The Wings were great. It's a messy, hands-on experience (they give you bibs and gloves), but that's part of the fun. The portions were solid and the spice level had a nice kick without overpowering the flavor. I went very mild. If you like seafood boils with bold seasoning and a casual, fun atmosphere, Holy Crab is definitely worth checking out. I'll definitely be back. Be ready to look for parking. Service was great. Jacob was our server. read more

Holly Crab - 1lb Shrimp head off with Corn and Potato's - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Delicious seafood boil close to home!! I had my first seafood boil in New Orleans and they taste the same! I haven't had the chance to dine-in but it looks nice every time I pick up my food. The staff are always friendly. read more

This was my first seafood boil experience and it was everything I imagined and more! Everything we ordered was exceptional. We got the snow crab and shrimp in a spicy garlic butter sauce and it was perfect. We got fries and garlic noodles on the side that were good as well. We walked in and were able to grab a table immediately. Service was quick and easy. It was a great experience overall and we'll definitely be back! read more

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Love going to this place! It's fun and interactive and you definitely get a bit messy. This time we tried the lobster in holly crab sauce as well as the snow crab/shrimp combo in holly crab sauce (they both hit). I've tried a variety of the seafood so here are my takes: - Lobster and snow crab are most worth it since they have the most meat and are easy to shell - Dungeness crab I remember was super hard to crack and had such a thick shell with not much meat, snow crab I don't remember - shrimp had more meat than crawfish but less juicy and both need the poop taken out yourself - clam and mussels if you like them are good - THEY HAVE GREAT FRIED FOOD!! From the catfish and soft shell crab to the chicken, it is quite yummy I have come back here many times. Hits the seafood craving! read more

Holly Crab - Fresh whole Lobster - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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We went to Holly Crab in allston for my daughter's 17th bday. She wanted seafood boil and the reviews and pictures looked better here than the much closer by Shaking Crab. It was a rainy day and we still made the trek to Allston, and lucked out with parking pretty easily on a Friday night after work. The restaurant wasn't that busy either so we were immediately seated. The decor, seating areas were all comfy and clean. The tables and bench seats were roomy. Let me review each of the major items we ordered. Shrimp with head on + Snow crab combo + added sausage $49.90: This was really good. There were 2 pieces of potatos and a corn as well. Sausage tasted really good in the sauce (more on this soon). The snow crabs were hit or miss. Some we were able to crack in half and pull out hole pieces, others were not so good because the shell just bent without cracking and then we'd spend a lot of time trying to get the meat out. The shrimp was cooked nicely and plentiful! If you want no head, you'll have to pay extra. Just get the heads and suck it and save the money. This came with Holly sauce with medium spice. It was actually kinda spicy. Everything is fine with this bag except there was not much sauce. We struggled to dig up some sauce within the bag. Green mussel + Snow crab $44.95: This was great. Mussels tasted good, though slightly over cooked. We still enjoyed it. Snow crab is the same as above review. We got the holly sweet sauce (not sure if thats what its called) but it was our favorite. Sweet and spicy. Crawfish + Clam combo $26.95: Skip this. The clams are tiny...like half the size of the dime! It's barely visible. Truffle Fries $7.95: Not much truffle flavor but the fries are cooked fresh and goes from fryer to table. We'd order it again. Cheesy Noodles $7.95: If you're expecting straight cheese and boiled noodles, this is not that. It has a flavor to it, not sure if its garlic or something else? It was hit and miss amongst our table. Some liked it some did not. 20 piece (large) Soy Garlic wings $23.95: Wings are not a primary focus here, so don't expect a bunch of flavor options like a korean fried chicken joint. The wings came out looking really nice. They tell you it takes 30 minutes but it felt sooner. Looks wise, size wise and flavor wise it was great. Problem is it was really overcooked. Inside is very dry and not enjoyable. Hoping it was a one off. Soft drinks are not refillable, as they give you cans with a cup of ice. Sodas were $2 each, strawberry lemonade was $5.95, orange juice was $3. Service: Everyone was friendly. They didn't come to empty our garbage bin though. They did come once to refill the waters...but I had to ask 2 times before they brought us waters. I like that they give us gloves and bibs. They come by afterwards to bring a moist towelette. read more

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Food was decent but service was slow; for some reason they only had 2 waiters/stresses with 1 behind the counter and 1 actually serving. Poor management on the management side. We got the black mussels and shrimp boil and a shrimp and crawfish boil. We counted 8 black mussels that were firmly closed which was about 1/3-1/2 of the total mussel content but we talked to the 1 waitress and she did offer to remedy the situation by giving us another pound of black mussels. They messed that up and gave us green mussel instead of the black but we accepted didn't care too much. We ordered the pasta in one boil but it was a bit overdone and not al Dante. Potatoes and corn were good. The Cajun sauce was better than the garlic soy sauce for the boils. read more

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We had a blast here. Very cool and different how the food comes out. It's like a picnic. My partner and his friends ordered, because they had been many times before. The Cajun fries and the calamari were fire. So was the corn. They ordered two different types of seafood. My favorite were actually the clams. My bf and his friends were big fans of the head on shrimp. They give you gloves for eating the seafood with. It comes in these bags, with a lot of garlicky sauce. My favorite part was eating the rice balls with sauce at the end. I wish I had more to dip in that sauce. read more

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The food is always great!! We order from here all the time and usually get the snow crab deal. Tonight was the first time we got the wrong order and after calling they more than made up for having to drive back. We got the right order and then some! The front worker was very apologetic and we appreciate the effort! read more

Holly crab is my go to spot for Cajun boiled seafood! The restaurant is decorated in fisherman and seafare attire. There is metered parking available outside. There is usually no need to make a reservation ahead of time. For appetizers, I recommend the cajun fries and cheesy noodles. For the seafood boil, I always get the 2 pound seafood boil combo of snow crab and shrimp (you can ask for the head off) which comes with 1 lb of each plus potatoes and corn. Next, you pick a sauce and my favorite is the Holly Crab sauce which is made up of Cajun, garlic and lemon. Last is the spice level and I personally enjoy the "hidden spicy" and I eat a fair amount of spicy foods. I also recommend ordering the Holly Crab chicken wings with half and half of soy garlic and spicy garlic. The chicken is Korean style so it's very crispy and delicious. You also get to put on an apron and gloves when you eat to avoid a mess and a small trash can to put the shells in. The prices are reasonable and the portion sizes are good. The service here is awesome and the staff are very attentive and kept checking up on us and making sure that everything was good. Our water cups never ran empty. If you have leftovers, it's not a bad idea to save the sauce and put mix it with rice or noodles for food for the next day. The bathrooms are unisex and were pretty clean and located downstairs. There are not a lot of Cajun boil seafood restaurants in Boston so I do recommend coming here as a solid choice. read more

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I love and crave this placeeeee!!! It's seriously my go to spot!!! Not only is the owner amazing and very hospitable, the food is always so yummy ... sooooo very reliable. Every time I go, I always enjoy my food ... and so have my friends. I'm never disappointed!!! The portion sizes are really good for the price. I always get the snow crab legs in the Holly Crab sauce (SO GOOD!!!), and my BF always gets the shrimp. I love to go with our friends because we usually end up ordering a good variety of items to share ... like the lobster and king crab legs. I've been to some other "seafood boil" type places, and I definitely prefer this place due to the Holly Crab sauce. It's just so good!!! I usually get mild or medium spice, which makes it perfect!!! Other yummy items I love there are the Cajun fries and the cheesy noodles. Drool. I just recently tried the truffle fries, but I didn't love them ... not very truffle-y. More just ... cheesy. The place is always really clean and has a very open style environment. Super casual ... so it's ok to wear the provided "bib" and get messy. I seriously love this place so much that I order takeout quite frequently ... and recently celebrated my Birthday here. That's how obsessed I am!!! The only ... maybe ... downside is, is that they don't serve any "adult" beverages. However, this place is just as delicious and fun without having adult beverages, so it doesn't really matter to me. If anything ... it's more room in my tummy for the yummy food!!! read more

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We had an incredibly horrible day getting to Boston and we're about 3.5 hours late. We hadn't ate since early morning. We arrived right before 9 pm and Jay was our server. He was amazing and made what was a horrible day into a great ending!!! We ordered the crawfish and crab legs boil with an extra corn and andouille sausage. We chose their holly sauce and I found it really tasty! We had several large chunks of crab meat. My son also had a cup of clam chowder. He didn't seem to have many clams, but he enjoyed it. Thank you, Jay!!! read more

Holly Crab - 6. Crawfish and Snow Crab Combo with andouille sausage added - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I used to go to Holly Crab often years ago because I felt they were the only place around here whose sauce (Cajun and signature) had flavor. So I was so excited when they had a BOGO sale for New Years! I ordered the snow crab with all corn in Holly sauce. When it arrived, it was still hot and the sauce tasted just as I remembered! A consistent restaurant is hard to come by so I appreciated this service on one of the busiest days of the year!! read more

Amazing seafood, and pretty well priced for Boston, the speciality drinks like the mango lemonade are great but a little pricey. I like that you get to add your own sides, especially as someone who doesn't care for corn. The vibe is also great, expect to get you hands dirty. Most importantly the service is fantastic, the people working there are so nice, and attentive. Thank you for saving my hat, I'm so glad I went to check, I got my hat and some more great food. read more

The combos are 2lbs, but I feel like it was adequate more for 1 person rather than 2. The snow crab legs are quite thin so it's tough to get the meat out. The experience is overall still very enjoyable considering there's really not many places in boston as similar to the gloves and bib experience with Cajun seafood. I really liked the interior. Cute stuffed sea creatures and sea like wooden boarding. Not sure if it's run by a Korean business owner, but if so, I'm impressed that they got the Cajun flavoring so well done/the business model and trendy modern/contemporary look as well as a Korean American. They even offer gumbo and soju and beer alternatives. The waitstaff and service was great. The only thing I was slightly disappointed by was that 1lb didn't seem enough for 1 person depending on what you ordered. Overall experience was great. There was plenty of seating on a Monday night. read more

Holly Crab - 6. Crawfish and Snow Crab Combo - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This was a lunch to remember! Cold, cloudy day in Allston while we enjoyed a hot seafood boil in a cute, quiet restaurant off Comm Ave. Service was quick and attentive. We ordered the 1.75 fresh dungeness crab with the Holly Sauce and the green mussel and shrimp combo (1 lb each), again with the same sauce. When you order the fresh dungeness crab cut, like we did, they fill the shell with rice and bring it to you. The Holly Sauce is a mix of garlic, butter, lemon and we ordered it medium spicy, so it also had chili. The boil also came with potatoes and corn. The star of the show was the crab, followed by the shrimp. Honestly, the potatoes weren't far behind either! Might not order the green mussels again because they felt chewy. The sauce was spectacular. We could not get enough, and I'm glad the restaurant didn't skimp on the sauce, there was plenty to go around. We took our time to eat these, and didn't feel rushed at all. Only a couple of tables were occupied. It was great food in a nice ambiance and we enjoyed it! The one change I might want is I wish they offered 1/2 lb orders so you could order more variety. read more

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I've ordered from here a few times, but today's meal was the best so far. The crab was the biggest I've ever had, packed full of meat, and the shrimp portions were incredibly generous--enough to burst! The spiciness level was just right, and it seems you can easily adjust it to your taste. I highly recommend it! read more

Holly Crab - same - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This place is great. For a fresh seafood boil the price is reasonable, the amount of food is appropriate, and the house garlic sauce is fire. read more

The crab boil hit the spot for a quick lunch! We've visited a few similar spots around the US, and the staff and food was top notch. I'd say the ambiance was very casual but it didn't hinder my opinion of the meal. read more

Holly Crab - Not a 'y daughter after eating here! - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I ordered from Holly Crab via doordash. I'm from the DMV area which has amazing seafood boil, but I wanted to try some while I was in Boston and saw Holly crab on Yelp. The flavor of the seafood boil was good - not as strong as some other places I been to. We ordered the gumbo and chowder too and liked both. Was hoping the boil would come with more add ons such as sausages and potatoes that I'm used to at other seafood boil spots, but it was pretty good overall! read more

Im giving this place a 5/5 because of the quality of food and quantity being great for the price! The sauces were yummy and the seafood was great as well -- we were shocked that the price wasn't super pricey for what we got. The atmosphere was nice and the server was friendly as well. I will definitely come back here! read more

Holly Crab - 4. Snow Crab and Shrimp Combo, Fresh whole Lobster(1.25-1.5#) - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here in a solo date just treating myself . The peach green tea drink is made fresh to order and is so refreshing and too sweet . The sauce for the crab boil ( I got the holly sauce ) Cajun, butter and garlic was a bit salty but still delicious . I definitely couldn't finish even half this bag so had to take it with me . I did order boil eggs and steamed rice on the side . They put a generous amount of sauce in the bag . The staff was pleasant and very accommodating. read more

Holly Crab - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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There was an Uber Eats deal for Holly Crab so we decided to get the 1lb snow crab + 1lb shrimp dish (which was BOGO, so overall we got 2 pounds of each). The shrimp was not good -- it's the opaque kind that gets overcooked and grainy easily. I also would have appreciated more corn -- there was only half a corn per 2lb of seafood (and 2 potatoes). The crab is quite good, though, and the Holly Crab sauce is delicious! We paid $60 total thanks to the discounts. It would've probably cost closer to $100 in store. The food was still hot and fresh when we got it. Overall the flavors were amazing, and I liked the crab, but wouldn't get the shrimp again. read more

If you like shellfish you'll love this place!! Take out or eat in!! The service is quick down to a system from the host to waitstaff to the kitchen!! This place cater to a mix of young adults and young professionals. It can get pretty busy and there maybe a waiting list expected at peak hour but it's worth the wait. The bathroom is clean and the decor is pretty basic. read more

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Unfortunately I had to report Holly Crab Allston location to the Board of health, I got severe food poisoning after eating bad seafood, reported it to staff immediately and was told "there's nothing we can do about it as other customers didn't report getting sick". 0/10. read more

This is one of my favorite seafood boil places. They have great flavors and quality seafood with a reasonable price. The place fills up quickly so I recommend making a reservation (by calling) or coming at an off time. My favorites are: Cheese noodles: these noodles have the perfect amount of cheese to offset the spice Wings with garlic soy: perfectly tender and crunchy Green lip muscles and shrimp combo: the green lip mussels are my favorite here! They are big and soak in the sauce so well. The shrimp are also plump. read more

We checked this place out for dinner and oh my goodness they didn't disappoint! We started off with a platter fresh, juicy oysters. Then, we got the seafood boil: crawfish combo with mussels and corn. Our spice level was spicy and it was just enough for us. They give bibs, gloves, and wipes which are super helpful for this delicious, but messy meal. Not pictured: large, spicy Korean fried chicken wings and sweet potato fries. Both were delicious. Highly recommend this place! Parking can be a little difficult to find, but public parking is available 7 minutes away (walking). You NEED to try Holly Crab in Allston! read more

Holly Crab - 3. Green Mussel and Crawfish Combo - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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This became my go to for seafood boils! I've been to every place in Boston and this is definitely my favorite. We had a great experience with takeout and dine in. The staff are great and friendly. The food is delicious and the sauce is the best around! My personal favorites are the green mussels because they are huge, cheesy noodles, and the Korean wings which might actually just be the best in Boston! I actually like them more than the specific Korean wings places. The rice balls are good if you like lighter flavors. I probably spend around $30-$50 when I'm here. Allston can be hard to find parking, but it is always easy to find parking nearby this location. read more

This place I found on yelp. It was listed like #7 on seafood search but it did not disappoint in any way. We got bibs, GLOVES !! And cleaning cloths!! They only serve can soda but we didn't care. I had the holly spice at hidden spice !! Both bags came with 2 potatoes and a corn!! More than enough!! Wish I took a before picture but we dug right in & didn't even talk to each other it was so good!! Delicious!! Spicy!! We came at 1pm, we were only ones here for about 10-15 mins then ppl started to show up!! Hidden gem !! read more

Holly Crab - Delicious!!! So good you eat with eyes closed - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I came on a weekday for dinner and there were plenty of seating so my party of 7 was seated immediately. The service was pretty good and the food came out at a reasonable time so it didn't take too long to wait for the food. The seafood that comes in bags are what they're known for so I got shrimp, snow crab legs, and clams. I tried the Holly sauce and the Sweet Holly sauce. The sweet Holly sauce was actually really good. They also give free baguette bread that you can use to dip in the sauce and it's perfect because it soaks up the juices from the sauce. It would be better if the baguettes were warmed up though. You can also get rice and have it over rice which is also good. The shrimp didn't come out of the shell smoothly, sadly, but everything else was good. As for some additional foods: - Cheesy noodles were decent but not as good as I hoped. It was kind of greasy. - Their wings are super crispy and very juicy. But, they were small pieces of wings so not a lot of meat in it and didn't have a lot of sauce covering it. - The boneless breasts were pretty good too. Like the wings, it was really crispy and the pieces were pretty thin. - Cajun Fries were good. A bit spicy for those not tolerant to spice. Overall, a great seafood boil spot that also serves nice Korean style fried chicken! It's definitely a good spot to come with friends to share food and socialize as you eat messily together. At the end of your meal, you might feel a bit greasy from all the sauce settling in but it's a good experience and tasty. read more

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Loved the place! I took a picture of the seafood boil but it turned out blurry so wasn't able to post it but I'll return there again so I'll post a picture then. But posted is the garlic noodles. Super yummy, would recommend the noodles with their boil sauce too! I got the garlic butter and the holly crab sauce for my boil. It was with their snow crab, shrimp, mussels and clams. All amazing but my favorite would be hands down their snow crab! Cute small cozy place so it would be great for parties of around 4 people maximum I'd say. Overall, loved the vibes, loved the food! Get ready to get messy but you'll definitely be satisfied. read more

Holly Crab - Noodles - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I tried to come here for lunch, they open at noon. I walked in at 1:15 and was told it's takeout only. I tried to order inside but was informed that I could only order online. the website wouldn't work, and I asked for help and the staff ignored me? they acted like I wasn't even there. This entire time the phone was ringing and the staff wasn't answering it. I finally ordered on a third party app, and got my 1 bowl of soup 25 minutes after walking in. Mindblowingly bad experience read more

I went with 4 people on a Saturday for dinner. We got lucky because no wait but the place was fully packed. I got the Snow Crab and Clams Combo with the Holly Crab sauce. The sauce was really salty but we got 3 clusters for each combo when we were only expecting 2!!! I'm guessing they were feeling a bit generous but I'm not too sure. Great dinner though! read more

Had such a great time! Didn't know what to expect from the outside look of the restaurant. I have had seafood boils at other places in US and was totally surprised by the quality of the seafood. Beat my best expectation. Took my daughter there for a last night together before I leave. The waiter was awesome! Could not have been better. He informed us how "it works" and was gracious and friendly. Everything was served hot and fresh. So fun to get your hands dirty and wear bibs. We got a boil with clams, crab, shrimp, and crawfish. Perfect. Butter and garlic and mild spicy. Will be back if I am in the area. read more

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holy seafood holly crab. we came here last saturday evening for dinner. restaurant was open for dine in so we took advantage of it. the first time we ate from holly crab was carry out back in 2020. we ordered two combos; snow crab legs and clams and snow crab legs and crawfish. each combo came with with potatoes and an ear of corn. our sauce choice was holly sauce and mild spice level. in each of our combo, three clusters of crab legs came in the bag. multiple mini clams in one and multiple mini crawfish in the other. the sauce had lots of garlic, butter, and spices. it was really delicious. the crabs were fresh. so was everything else. i definitely will be returning whenever i feel like holly crab's flavors on seafood. parking is street meters. read more

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We paid extra for the head off, easy peel shrimp, but still got the wrong ones. The shrimp themselves were good though. The clam chowder was terrible. We threw it out. It tasted like watered down milk with a few potatoes & maybe clams or just onions, we're not sure. The catfish bites & sweet potato fries were ok. Would not recommend. read more

Food Was Read,hot an very well seasoned.. It was delicious I loved it.. definitely will be back read more

Been driving by this place many times but never get to try it. Parking can be challenging since it is all street parking but due to pandemics, finding a parking space is much easier. I have been craving some cajun seafood, finally, give this place a try. We ordered the snow crab + shrimp & clams + crawfish. Both mild and one with garlic butter and one with holly. I can't really tell the difference. It is bland and only can taste the butter. Seafood is fresh. I am happy that they have fresh crawfish since it is seasonal, cajun seafood restaurants might not have fresh crawfish. But I am disappointed that they did not wash the crawfish, there is still dirt on it. Definitely will not come back again since there are new cajun seafood restaurants just opened, I would rather try a new cajun seafood restaurant. read more

Boiled and fried seafood on offer here at Holly Crab. It's definitely not fancy and the presentation is sorely lacking. If you're into having your seafood arrive in a plastic bag, then you've found the right place. Tables are covered in heavy paper and this is important because the stuff goes EVERYWHERE. Fortunately, standard issue when eating shellfish here is a plastic bib to save your clothes as well as a big pile of napkins. I was especially impressed that there were two latex gloves included with the food and that definitely made eating a lot more enjoyable. I got a pound of shrimp, paying the $1 upcharge for the heads to be removed and added potatoes. The bag arrived, filled with shrimp and two nice sized potatoes. The shrimp still had to be peeled but they were tasty and with the gloves, I was unconcerned with having "stinky" hands the rest of the evening. The potatoes broke apart easily and were consumed in three or four bites each. No silverware, but no worries. Several four-space tables line the outside walls and then two very long "community" tables down the center of the restaurant. I didn't spot a fountain but they do have a cooler with a small selection of beers and wine. I had an Angry Orchard cider which went well with the seafood. It's not first date fancy but you could definitely do a third date here. read more

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The staff here is so courteous and nice! My favorite was the shrimp and potatoes. Would definitely recommend getting the rice balls on the side and dipping them in the sauce as well! read more

Holly Crab - Seafood Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Holly Crab is now my favorite crawfish joint in Boston since Brother's Crawfish in Dorchester changed ownership. The restaurant is easily accessible by T. Parking is a little difficult in Allston in general and especially on Commonwealth Ave. But you may get lucky. Be prepared to cycle around the block a few times. What I like most about Holly Crab is their bold flavors and you have to be willing to up the notch on the level of spicy so none of that low or mild spicy levels. I definitely recommend going for fresh crawfish over frozen any day. If you're willing to pay extra, go for the Alaska king crab, dungeons crab, snow crab, and even the fresh blue crabs. They are very expensive by the pound. The combo is probably the way to go if you want to start sampling their flavors. Try the different flavors and see what suits you. I recommend the crawfish and shrimp combo or the crawfish and snow crab leg combo. The crawfish and clam combo is also good. It really boils down to what seafood you like best. I think the lemon pepper sauce goes best with the shrimps and clams. As for crawfish, go with butter garlic, the Canjun, or their special. All three are good. I recommend kicking the spice level up as high as you can go and chase it down with a cold beer. Honestly, if you can't handle the heat, don't later complain about your seafood lacking flavor. I don't want to hear it. Got it? The rice balls are expensive but is another must try. Funny but this is one of my favorite item on the menu and my son loves it also. The oysters are also very fresh and plump. And their gumbo is pretty good also. Overall, quick prompt service. Great atmosphere. Just a tad bit expensive but well worth it for the bold flavors. See my pictures. read more

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