A hidden gem! The food is absolutely phenomenal. We got two different seafood boils, one with their Shaking (cajun) sauce and the other with their barlic (butter and garlic) sauce. The Shaking sauce was absolute perfection. The barlic was probably delicious but didn't even compare with the amount of flavor in the shaking sauce. All of the seafood was cooked beautifully and tasted fresh. The quality of the meal was incredible. We also ordered a lobster roll and their garlic noodles. I think the lobster roll was a lobster salad and I really really enjoyed it. I don't think I'd order the noodles again but only because everything else blew me away and I was so full by the time I got to them. They have a full bar which allows for a ton of drink choices. 10/10 will frequent the Shaking Crab. read more

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Shaking Crab has tons of locations and this location in Newton is great! The interior is also so cute hahaha. For food, we ordered the jumbo seafood boil which came with snow crab, crawfish, shrimp, mussels, potatoes, corn, and we added sausage! We got it with the regular cajun sauce and it was delishhh. The sauce is a classic you can't go wrong with! My only wish is that the snow crab was bigger / meatier but everything else was in the boil great. We also ordered garlic noodles, mac and cheese, and fried pickles. The garlic noodles are fine but not great. It tastes like cheap takeout noodles and I wouldn't get it again. Similarly, the mac and cheese is also just fine. I actually liked the fried pickles though because batter was seasoned well but just a little salty. If you come here, get ready to eat messy! Thankfully they give you bibs and gloves so you can eat comfortably. Next time I want to try the Tom Yum sauce. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Wow!! I have no absolutely idea what I was getting myself into, but I'm glad I came here. The seafood boil was absolutely fantastic. I got their choice of seasoning the shaking shack and did not regret, medium spice level, and added eggs;) The service was attentive there was only two servers, but they managed. The ambience was great & they had a fire playlist playing in the background. Would definitely come here again!!! read more

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Service was prompt. Ordered be shellfish. Was not prepared for amount of work and messiness, my bad. Provided bib and gloves. 2 potatoes in boil were bland when mashed with sauce that was super oily. Corn tasted good. Did not live up to hype. read more

Ok so let me start off, food's amazing but there is one little problem but it's not really even a problem. They have to be less stingy with the sauce like cmon man let me have a nice dip, and the sauce is like all mainly straight up oil oil oil oil, let me get some extra garlic or something. But no bad things it's just the sauce, food amazing and the crab legs aren't flimsy and soft like holy crab in Boston. I added some eggs myself at home read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Seafood boil - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Two words. Seafood. Boil. This place is in Newton so it's a bit out of the city but well worth the trip, TRUST ME. Since it's a bit out, you aren't paying as high of a price as you would in the city. It's a cute spot with lots of pics inside. The staff is so friendly and you can tell they really just care. They're super accommodating to your needs and will continue bringing the napkins throughout this messy endeavor. Their lobster cheesy fries (yes you heard me right) were unreal. The fries were crispy and flavorful and everything is better with lobster and cheese. I had the Royal catch with a medium shaking spice level and it was epic. I probably could have gotten it spicier but now I know. You absolutely need to come check it out for all your seafood boil needs (but they also have other things) read more

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Service was great. Chicken sandwich was one of the best I have ever had. Sweet tea was also very good.

Usually great, this time got up and walked out server was moving at the pace of a snail. Good food awful service she didn't seem to care.

We got the boil with shrimp and crab legs - Delicious food, great service! Loved the music too. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Snow crab legs and shrimp with regular Cajun seasoning - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I came a few years ago and the food was fantastic. We decided to go back last weekend and was VERY disappointed. Ordered the king crab legs (79.00) and 2 lobster tail which everything was VERY overcooked. The king crab legs had no flavor and almost a bit of a chemically taste. For $79.00 you only get 2 legs. The lobster tails were very overcooked and was sticking to the shell. The service was nice. There was only one waitress handling drinks and patrons. Pricing was crazy for what you received and the food has really gone down hill read more

I ordered shaking crab today for dinner around 6:20pm. When I order it, it says on the website ETA 15 mins. I drive to the restaurant, get there at 6:40 and they tell me its going to take another 40+ mins. I go for a walk and come back, at 7:30 it is finally handed to me. I get home, open the bag and there are no utensils, gloves or aprons. So i call the store and they tell me i didnt mark off that I needed them. So the default option while ordering from a seafood boil restaurant is to NOT need gloves and aprons? Needless to say, fine whatever might as well enjoy my dinner. THEN i take a muscle out and its not even cleaned, and there is some messy pile of crap in my bag too. This is so unprofessional, i will never eat here again. Please be warned!! read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Mussle in my boil - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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The wait can be long if you hit the dinner rush as it's not a huge place. The food is pretty fresh and the sauce selection is good. The servers were friendly and attentive when we went recently. It had been years since we had gone back so it was great to leave thinking the place was still good! read more

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stop in here friday night for dinner. the restaurant is about a dozen tables, easy to configure for your party needs. there's a full bar. we ordered couple of the boils, two set A's. we both got mild spicy shaking crab flavor with the boils. it's nice the sets came with fries and a soda. the food is fresh. the fries came out nice and crispy. the cluster of snow crab legs is on the smaller side. the sauce is flavorful, a bit on the salty side for me. the corn and the baby potatoes paired well with the sauce. parking is street, free but limited time. after 7pm it is unlimited. read more

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This is one of the best seafood places I've ever been at beautiful inside good customer service good for parties events gatherings seafood is reasonably price clean, spacious up-to-date read more

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This restaurant has no business charging this much for average seafood boil. Had seafood boil on the cape and all I could think about while trying to like the shaking crab was "I wish I didn't spend 70 dollars on this when I could have had it for 50$ on the cape." The flavor was bad - I got the Cajun medium. The one on the cape was much more spicy and flavorful. Tried one potato, a bite of corn, and the crab leg. Then I got sad and tossed it because it simply was not good. read more

Their seafood is fresh with yummy Shaking sauce. There are many spicy levels to choose to flavor our taste. The server was very friendly and accommodated with what we wanted. The 2 hours free parking on the street is the plus. We love to recommend this place! read more

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The food was amazing. And the look of the restaurant fits what it is. It is definitely seafood. The service was good but only one server for the entire dining room but the wait was small. Would definitely recommend for great seafood. Just be careful how you order. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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10/10 all the time. I've been here twice. Each time it's the best . We always get the royal catch ( king crab legs , shrimp, potatoes, corn and sausage. read more

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Came here with my grandfather and stepfather after a long day of not catching any fish. Grandfather is a long time critic of food that he does not prepare himself but he loved the food and the time we had. Drinks was stiff and the food was hot. Couldn't of asked for a better time. Grandfather is still talking about them Catfish fillets. read more

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Did a late night take out order because after a long week of working serving people I feel as though I deserve a seafood boil. The food was absolutely disgusting. I couldn't tell if they had given me a take out order that was never picked up or the quality of their seafood is just that bad. My crab legs were soft and flimsy with an odd odor with block dot all of the back of the legs. My shrimp was so soggy the heads were mushy falling apart and definitely not fresh what's so ever. I'm not trying to be dramatic either I have seafood boils once every few months because I'm obsessed with seafood. I typically pick my order up from the Foxborough location but had to order from here the newton location because Foxborough closed early for some reason. When I had picked up my order 3 tall guys were blocking the front lobby (definitely not customers because the restaurant had closed and chairs were being put up) making extremely awkward and uncomfortable to pick up my order. After I had done my payment it had seem as if these guys were trying to block me not trying to let me leave. Overall I'm extremely disappointed and upset that this is the quality of food you sell even if it is a late order in the night the food should always be the highest quality especially when I'm paying $115 for dinner. Do better! This experience alone has made not really ever want to purchase seafood boils again and especially from this establishment. read more

Great food. This was our first time at a boil seafood restaurant. The hostess/waitress was very nice and helpful. We came here to celebrate my daughter's birthday day and the waitress was very helpful with keeping our cake cool and bringing it out. She offered to help with the candles and to cutting the cake. She was the only server there and even while the restaurant was half full she was able to keep us and the other customers satisfied. We will come back to try more of the menu. read more

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Overhyped for the quality and the price point. The garlic noodles were much better than the seafood bags.

Amazing food, great service and a fun atmosphere. The best lobster roll I have ever had!

Another great Cajun seafood restaurant located in Newton, Ma. Who would have thought to drive to Newton for Cajun seafood. I sure didn't. There was limited street parking on both side of the street. I would recommend coming early before the dinner rush to avoid a long wait for tables. You are greeted with the delicious smell of Cajun spices and butter garlic as you enter the restaurant. The smell intensified as you enter past the double doors. Great if you have to wait for a table since you will be kept from the elements. We came around 4:00 and were seated immediately. Even so, the restaurant was already packed during late lunch hours and there were only two other opened tables. The restaurant had a really friendly atmosphere and the patrons were polite and we even chatted with the two tables near us. Just good natured people anticipating a good meal. The waitress that served us was very efficient and amicable. It was our first time so she explained the menu and how to order the seafood. First you select your seafood, then you select the sauce, then you select the level of spice, and sides are optional at an additional cost. For starters, we ordered the garlic noodle and the Cajun fries. The garlic noodle was good but the Cajun fries were amazing. I would definitely order Cajun fries again. The small order of gumbo was anything but small. Sadly, it was not like the gumbo I have had in Louisiana nor does it even come close. There was no okra or shrimp. There were tiny bits of diced sausages, a lot of celery, and a huge potato. I don't recommend this. Other than this, everything about the dinner was great. My husband ordered two pounds of crawfish in Shakin' (house Cajun) sauce, and hot for level of spice and with added side of corn. The restaurant was able to accommodate his request to have extra garlic in the sauce as well. They crawfish came in plastic bags which the waitress shook at the table before placing it on our table. Now hot was not hot at all. If you really want spicy, I would select the hottest level they've got, Shakin' hot. For myself, I ordered the one pound of crawfish and one pound of shrimp in the Gulf flavor (rich and tangy) and medium hot. Of the two flavors, my husband and I preferred the Gulf over the Shakin'. There are three other flavors, the Seoul (sweet chili miso), the simple (garlic and butter), and the Envy (cilantro lime). I want to say, the shrimp was my favorite. Not sure why head off cost more that heads on. If anything, I enjoy sucking the heads as much as eating the body. There were maybe two or three really salty crawfish in my batch which reminded me of frozen crawfish but the rest were really good and fresh tasting. I wish they gave us more sauce only because I am one to dip my crawfish meat into the sauce once I remove the shell. I recommend using the bibs you guys. You have to see the splash on it by the end of the meal to realize the damage that would have been without. I went through two pairs of gloves. My husband went without. It's hard to eat with the gloves but for myself, it was necessary. If I was at home, I would totally jump right in without gloves on and I would be licking my fingers left and right. But atlas, I try to stay give a somewhat civilized demeanor when eating in public. An hour into our labor of love meal, the wait and line began to form as people came for dinner. We asked for to go bags and dessert. For dessert, we had the sesame ice cream. You get two scoops with whipped cream and a chocolate syrup to top it off. It was a good way to end the meal. Next time I want to try the green tea ice cream. See my pictures. read more

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Unfortunately they do not take reservations. My family and I were in the area and decided to come to Shaking Crab in Newton for their seafood. At the time of our arrival, it was busy and could not accommodate a party of 10. We waited about thirty five minutes and was told that they were unable to connect the tables; we opted to split the party into two tables. There is no parking lot in the area making it slightly difficult to find parking as the streets are narrow and spots are limited. The menu is clear and easy to read. They sectioned the steps allowing you to choose the seafood, flavor, spice level and add ons. We ordered pounds of shrimp, clams, crawfish, lobster, mussels and snow crab legs. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I am a big fan of Boiling Crab in California so I was happy to find a place like this in Boston! Shaking Crab is a pretty small restaurant located in a residential area in Newton. Parking is on the street. Came here around 7PM on a Friday night and there were still a decent amount of open tables, but soon after being seated they filled up fast. I got 1lb shrimp with head ($1 without head) with "hot" gulf sauce. The shrimp came out steaming hot in clear plastic bags. The shrimp were big and plump just the way I like them. Bibs and gloves were provided which were much appreciated because who likes shrimp fingers for the rest of the day? Not me. Wish they had different sized gloves because the gloves were quite big so it was hard to peel the shrimp. The sauce was hot and seasoned. It wasn't like the sauce from Boiling Crab which I was hoping for.. but I will try a different flavor next time. There are 4 different sauces to choose from. Next time, Ill probably get the classic/original. Cajun fries were also very yummy! My friend go the Po Boy sandwich which she enjoyed. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Pound of shrimp - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

1st time here. Have driven by hundreds of times......not sure what I was thinking....it took figuring out that you can't get Alaskan King crab legs at Legal Seafoods to force me to try this place out. Took an order to go. A+ yes messy....very messy the middle Hot sauce was excellent and everywhere. Good fun. Shared as an appetizer and we all agree Good stuff. They have "All you can Eat" on Sat and Sun I believe for $30 so a great deal. We will try again. Tiny place maybe 10-12 tables so use OpenTable. I tried Boston they did not have anything for 3-4 days at 7pm. Also had a Brookline reservation. There are ~24 locations in 8-10 states. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Inside view - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

I love it It's so good, delicious and spicy (love spicy) Will be definitely back to get to go order again soon. Recommend read more

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Amazing everything, I love this place! The space is small, and if you come you better prepared to get down and dirty. My personal favorite sauce is the gulf-hot. Tangy and garlicky, and packs enough heat to get your nose running. My favorite combo (they go by the pound, so usually 2 pounds of 2 things) is snow crab and crawfish, but the shrimp is also spectacular. I've tried adding in the potatoes and quail eggs, and the potatoes are a great add. Quail eggs are alright, wasn't crazy about it honestly. The decor is a cross between formal and casual and they play some hip music. Wait staff is super friendly and helpful if you don't know what you're doing! read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Great little spot in Newton, off the beaten path. PROS: Fresh seafood, boiled and bagged in a variety of spicy sauces. Tried the shrimp, Alaska King Crab legs, and clams. All of it was very good. CONS: They were out of crawfish, and that was the main reason I decided to visit here. There didn't seem to be much difference in the two different sauces I ordered. I couldn't tell them apart. Both were good, but in a blind taste test, I'd fail to identify them. The place is small, and as a result, you end up pretty much eating WITH other tables. Conversation can be hard and distracting, if your impromptu dinner mates are loud. OVERALL: It's good. It's unique. It's worth trying. I am told I have to try Holly Crab, so I will go and compare the two. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Alaska king crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

Delicious! This was such a great experience. I love the robust garlic and spicy flavors. I had the easy peel shrimp with shakin' sauce at medium heat - if you like a good kick (but not to crazy) this is perfect! My brother preferred less spicy - he had half mussels + half crawfish with barlic medium sauce. We shared an order of spicy calamari. We both loved our food, however a couple of his mussels were still closed so he couldn't eat them. Also, he wasn't as full as I was after finishing the meal, so if you have a big appetite I would suggest getting 1-2 appetizers. Overall we had a lot of fun. I would definitely come again especially with a group. read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Spicy Calamari - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

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Food was excellent. The place is very small but the service makes up for it. Had a table of 6 and never felt we were neglected. Truly impressed by our first restaurant in Boston! Had the crawfish/shrimp, garlic Mac and cheese, garlic noodles, clam chowder, lobster roll, sweet potato fries. Crawfish was the weakest but still tasty. Will be coming back! read more

Shaking Crab - Newton - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Newton, Massachusetts

These. Guys. ROCK. A few ladies and myself decided to come here for dinner after work last night, and boy am I glad we did. I have a dairy allergy, and from going to past seafood boils, I know that the sauces are butter based. I called ahead and asked if they can use olive oil. They said the kitchen could hook a girl up. I was like THANK YOU! We were seated, and were given bibs, napkins and gloves. I ordered 1 lb shrimp and 1/2 lb mussels in the shakin cajun sauce (hot). I'm a Caribbean girl. We like it hot. I also ordered potatoes to go with mine. The seafood came in plastic bags (seafood boil style) with your sauce and add-ons and an empty bag was placed in the middle of the table for shells and such. Hot damn. The seafood was YUMMY. The sauce was ON POINT and with just the right amount of spice. Tender shrimp and tasty mussels made Nan happy. The potatoes were tender and loved the variety of the small potatoes! My friends ordered blue crab and crawfish, which were devoured, because they were THAT good. My hands are small, so using the gloves were a bit cumbersome. Home girl went IN with no gloves. I was very happy, and so were my three friends. An EXTRA HUGE THANK YOU for accommodating me with the olive oil instead of the butter. THANKS SO MUCH!!!! read more

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The very worst shrimp I have ever been served in a restaurant. These poor shrimp were cooked for so long they were as tough as leather. I liked the idea behind this restaurant. I wanted the food to be good but alas, no. On a positive note, the catfish was excellent There is no parking read more

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The service was great, the seafood was seasoned very well. However the corn and collard greens was very under cooked. Was not enjoyable. Cocktail I shared was fisherman's fish bowl. Nice drink if you like Run and coconut. This spot could have been a four stars dining experience, because of the under cooked side I have to give them two stars. read more

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Fun spot to go with a group and get messy! Lots to choose from and fun drink options!

This is your typical Cajun/ creole broil joint. It's a bit small on the inside, I felt as though I was sharing a table with the two parties on either side of me, but the service was great and the atmosphere was enjoyable. I ordered the shrimp and lobster tail combo with sweet miso sauce , with some added heat to it. I also ordered some corn and Cajun fries. I ate the whole thing ! And was so stuffed after that my friend and I had to take a walk after ! Although we both got the sweet miso with added heat, the spiciness was a bit overpowering and my tummy was uncomfortable later on (which is odd because I LOVE spicy food). The Cajun fries were perfectly seasoned and the seafood was cooked so well. I will definitely be back, but- to be honest, I don't understand the hype. The food was great, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't blown away. It's a great experience, everyone used their hands and taping into their primal instincts and just enjoying food. read more

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Great customer service. Food was delicious. The only thing I wish that it would have been better was the clam. The clam was a bit smaller. I feel like I would need to get 3 or 4 lbs of clams to be worth it. I also had 1 1/2 lbs of snow crab legs with some clams. read more

Stopped by on a Tuesday - I've been to Shaking Crab twice (once here in Newton and once at Porter). I've always been a fan, but I think it was my recent visit that totally won me over compared to other cajun seafood restaurants. I love that this location is super cozy and small, and is a minute walk from my home so that I can just park in my driveway instead of hunting for parking spots. Although it was busy on a Tuesday night, they were still able to accommodate my friend and I. Their cajun fries are one of my favorites so I ordered that for starters. My friend and I decided to split a catfish poboy and the combo bag of shrimp + crawfish. The poboy comes with a side of fries, which we decided to get regular. Not really fan of the regular fries - the cajun seasoning really makes it special! I never had a poboy before so I'm not sure how its supposed to be like, but I really enjoyed this one. The batter was light yet flavorful - the catfish was not tough and cooked perfectly. I highly recommend ordering this. I wanted to get fried shrimp originally, but we were already eating a ton of shrimp. Will order next time. My friend and I got the shakin sauce (super mild). I noticed they don't have that garlic butter sauce anymore :( That was one of my favorites ah but it's okay! This sauce was just as good. What I loved about the shrimp + crawfish combo was that the crawfish were SO BIG. Holy crap I never had so much meat in one crawfish. Usually not a fan, but Shaking Crab has turned me into a fan. Love the meat of the crawfish mmm. I actually preferred that over the shrimp, which was surprising because I love shrimp. This was plenty of food for the both of us and it didn't even cost us that much :) Will definitely be back read more

Awesome seafood boil here!!!! Fried calamari was great. Nice cajun spice. Had 3 bags for this - 2 lobster tails with potatoes sausage and corn. Soooooo flavorful. Had mussels with a lime sauce and then snow crab legs with cajun spice as well. Nice selection of cocktails too. Their service was good and everyone was nice read more

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