Our server was very friendly and attentive to us. That was the best part of the experience. As for the seafood boil, I wasn't impressed with the quantity or quality of what I was served. I ordered shrimp and snow crab. I got the lemon pepper seasoning and found it very salty. It was also very oily. Potatoes were hard. Corn was overcooked. Maybe I got unlucky with my food since I know people that are regulars diners and love dining there. read more

Shaking Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

Amazing Seafood Boil Place!! I was in the area and stumbled by this spot. It was very busy for a Tuesday evening so I had high hopes. I got the: -Tuesday Special $30.99 (0.5lb shrimp, 0.5lb crawfish, 0.5lb snow crab with potatoes, sausage and corn). Shaking crab sauce. So so delicious and they were generous with their toppings. Other seafood boil places barely give you one piece of potato and 1/4 of a corn. Definitely will be coming back to try other items! read more

Shaking Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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Great service very good seafood boils and great fried haddock 2nd time we been just as good very fresh seafood read more

Shaking Seafood - Seafood boil - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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I have been going to this location for a few years. My initial impression was not great. Inconsistent service, slow to bring check or come back and check on the table. However I discovered the secret, I befriended one of the servers and started requesting them because of their excellent service! Since then it has been a pleasure to go on a weekly basis. The place is relaxed and provides all you need to make a mess whilst enjoying the delicious seafood boil. They even have an AYCE option, which is a bargain given the options of snow crab, scallops and clams are included. The spice options are great for those moments when you're looking for something spicy or just something classic like lemon pepper or plain old garlic butter. Food is consistently excellent and the AYCE option lets you keep ordering platters of food to try a bit of everything, including the fried rice and fried appetizers. This is my one of my favorite places and I will continue to visit for my weekly fix for the foreseeable future. read more

Shaking Seafood - All Make Your Own Seafood Combo - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

It was very accommodating to a large group. The menu is pretty easy to understand and the staff was helpful and friendly. They even let us bring a cake. read more

Shaking Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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2/14/2026 - I placed an order over the phone at 3:40 PM and requested a pickup time for one hour later. When I arrived, they could not find my order. Eventhough I paid as soon ans I arrived and was told it would be ready in five more minutes. I continued waiting, but there was nowhere to stand or sit. The staff kept looking at me, yet no one made any effort to check on my order or provide an update. I remained as patient as possible. Eventually, the manager told a staff member to acknowledge me, at which point the employee informed him that I was still waiting on an order that had not even been made. The manager then came over and said he would look into it. He returned and told me they did not have my order and that it would take another 10 minutes. Given the circumstances, I politely asked if they could offer a complimentary order of French fries for the additional wait and inconvenience. He flatly refused, saying, "We don't do that." My order had already been mishandled multiple times, and the lack of any effort to make things right -- even something as small as offering fries -- reflects very poor customer service and management. I gave them an opportunity to correct the situation, and they chose not to. At that the point the right thing to do would have been to give me a gift card or comp my order. I would have had better service at Mc'Donalds. read more

Jake was our server and he did an excellent job helping us navigate the menu while deciding what to order. We ordered the Thursday special with snow crab, shrimp, clams potatoes, sausage and corn. We added on an order of green mussels. We ordered medium heat with the shakin sauce. The food was delicious and very flavorful. A couple of recommendations for improvement are offer bread to dip in that delicious sauce, a few more slices of sausage (we only got 4) and the merlot was very warm. Should be served at approx. 60°. Overall a great experience and we highly recommend you try them! read more

The service was great, staff was very friendly and the restaurant was clean! We did a takeout order for a seafood boil and we got everything we'd need such as gloves, napkins, and utensils. The spice level of the boil was great but the Cajun sauce tasted more like pepper which I'm not the greatest fan of but if you love pepper seasoning then this would probably a 10/10 for you. read more

The seafood was very fresh! And the sauce was delicious. You can tell it is definitely a popular place. YUM I just recommend they clean the inside of their restaurant. The windows and silverware was outdated / dirty read more

Shaking Seafood - Shrimp, crawfish, & snow crab legs (added boiled eggs, garlic noodles and sausage) - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

They do 90 minutes of All-You-Can-Eat on Mondays through Thursdays for just $49 and you can basically order anything. The food was fresh and the house sauce is decent. Service was slow due to the lack of employees but our server was very kind and accommodating. read more

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Service is good. Food was pretty good. First time actually trying a seafood boil. Had the shrimp and crab legs with the potatoes and corn with all the seasonings and medium heat. Lots of flavor. Just found it a little difficult to crack through the crab legs and get all that crab meat but overall a good experience. Need to practice more on those crab legs lol. read more

Shaking Seafood - The boil in a bag - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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I was really craving seafood boil and was excited to try this place - I believe it was called Happy Crab before - not sure if it just changed management or names. We got the Sunday special which had shrimp, lobster, snow crab, and mussels, and we added King Crab. We got the shaking special sauce and hot - it wasn't hot so if you want spicy go with the max spice value. The flavor itself was okay, I felt like it was under seasoned even though it looks very that. It came with potatoes, corn, and sausage. I also got it with a side of rice which was kind of dry, but at least the sauce made it better. I felt bad because there were only 2 waitresses for the entire packed restaurant, so the service was slow but understandable. What wasn't understandable was they didn't have tap water so I had to pay for a water bottle. I've never had this before, not sure what protocol is in NH, but I thought you always had to give free water. Overall, this place was okay, it does the trick when you're craving seafood boil in the Merrimack Valley, but I've definitely had better. I think their weekly specials are definitely a good deal though so try it out and see for yourself! read more

Shaking Seafood - Sunday Special - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

Oysters were extremely small. My girlfriend loves the chowder though! I got a boil it was ehhhhh. The service was mid read more

Was visiting the area for the first time and had a delicious seafood bowl. Friendly service and served our meal quickly. Recommend.

I got start with, I googled seafood near me, and this popped up. It was empty, unassuming. However it had hood reviews. Menu for non alcoholic beverages, states Fiji water as an option. However she brought Aquafina. I was a little irked, because I felt it was a bait/switch. I declined. After figuring out a beverage option, everything else went smoothly. I opted for shrimp and scallops. DELICIOUS is an understatement. I opted for the "shaking special" option of spices, the house way I think it was labeled. Level 3 spice. It was the most delicious meal I had in 15 days of visiting. Outside of the water glitch, I'd eat here again and again, when visiting. read more

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Came here again, exactly the same experience. No complaints. I would still recommend heartily if you have a hankering for quality seafood at a reasonable price. My seafood boil came out nicely cooked. I asked for no sauce for the crab and they happily obliged. The fried offerings are also very good but I didn't want to fill up on those. read more

The food was delicious and plenty, our server was very polite and attentive, and the drinks were very good. Nice, relaxed atmosphere. We were really happy we tried this place while in the area! read more

Shaking Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

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Cute interior, the ambiance is decent. Really divided on the food. The main attraction, the seafood boil, is mediocre at best. Watery tasting boiled food with overly salty sauces. The garlic noodles were too salty. However, the chicken po boy was one of the best fried chicken sandwiches Ive ever had. Fresh bread, toasted with butter, crispy and juicy fried chicken, it was fantastic. Dont recommend for the seafood boil, but the po boy was fantastic. Service Was decent, waitress checked in at decent times to make sure things were going smooth. read more

10/10- the food was DELICIOUS!! We had Rosana as our server and she was so delightful! She answered every question we had and has such a great attitude! We loved her and can't wait to come back!! read more

I have no idea why people are giving this place 1 star. We came by yesterday (3 kids 2 adults) and the food and service were great! Not only did they help us out the kids but they also added garlic butter to our order after the fact. We had the Thursday special with the happy crab or shaking special sauce. Super good and the seafood was perfectly fresh. I live in Boston so the prices and quality here really cannot be beat. The meal would easily cost double in the city. Well worth a visit and the current reviews are not doing this place any justice. read more

Shaking Seafood - Thursday special! - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

The food was great, and the hospitality (at the start) was Decent too. As we left the restaurant, we were chased down by the waiter... who very rudely yelled at us and told us to tip more. Extremely unprofessional. read more

Sunday special Cajun style! Recommend this place if you're wanting a boil. Temperature of the restaurant could have been better...HOT read more

Shaking Seafood - Sunday special Cajun style It was good! Only complaint was the temperature in the restaurant...think the heat was on full blast! - Seafood Near Me - Salem, New Hampshire

Can't lie, I usually love this place but today I wasn't so happy. First time ordering Takeout through door dash as it said no fees for a birthday dinner gift. Spent 140$ on 3 seafood boils but on my receipt food only came to 116$ and some change. Not such a big deal as maybe its just pricer to order online but for the cost difference I could have practically got a 4th meal. the Green mussels had a bunch of barnacles and beards as if they weren't cleaned or anything, added eggs were over cooked till the yolk was green, One of 3 boil bags had no juice and another had enough juice for the both of them. the black mussels were so salty It was like eating chewy salt cubes and the "shaking Special" sauce seemed like it was lacking in flavor compared to how it is eating in house. Not really sure how you order a day of the week meal in store and get sausages in it but order online and get none. For the price I paid I was better off making my own seafood boils at home. read more

We had Yana as a server. She was so nice and very helpful with navigating the menu. We were going to do the AYCE, but each person in your party would be charged, so we opted for individual orders of seafood. It was good. We got shrimp with head on, clams, and green mussels. My husband got mild, which was very mild. I got the shaking sauce medium, which in my opinion, was mild. Next time, I would get hot. The sauce was a bit salty for me. My children got orange juice, which was a bit watered down. They got the chicken tenders plate with fries and a side of mozzarella sticks. The portion of the chicken tenders plate was large, but lacked some flavor. Ambiance was nice. Super cute with a large painting. There's a bar and large tvs. The blinds could use a wipe down. Didn't make it to the restroom, so can't comment on that. Bottom line, I would return. read more

The food was tastey. The waitress was very nice and the service was fast. The atmosphere matched with the type of food served. It was my first time there with co workers and my kids and we had fun. We definitely will be back again soon. I also purchased two of their Tshirts which I loved and were priced at a good price. read more

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The food was good but the customer service was horrible. The waitress was not friendly at all and when we left and she realized there was no tip because of her bad customer service she ran after us. She was demanding a tip and was extremely irritated to the point where she started yelling outside of the restaurant saying that she had to pay for the table that we used as if it was rented.ticruv-8gEqma-ruvtex I understand that it might be disrespectful to not leave a tip, but the way she just rushed, didn't even say hi properly, didn't check on us at all the whole time we were there and just yelled at us in the middle of the parking lot says a lot. read more

I gave it 4 stars because of the service but I say that with a grain of salt because they did look short staffed. The food was excellent, I literally didn't have a single thing I didn't like. The crab legs were perfect and not skinny & empty. The shrimp was big and not the frozen stuff, the mussels were delicious. Our waitress seemed overwhelmed but she was still very efficient. Overall it was an enjoyable experience! read more

The food was meh, but the worst part was that in the middle of our meal, a MOUSE ran out of the kitchen chased by a lady with a broom. The rodent was crushed to death by a broom inches away from my table. After that scarring experience, I will NOT be going again. read more

To start, apps and entrees came out together. Wings were the only decent thing here. I ordered the grilled haddock with rice. I've never had haddock that stuck together like this one. Horrible. Rice tasted like it was 3 days old. My boyfriend got a broil with crawfish and clams. Clams the size of quarters. Loaded with oil. Nothing tasted fresh. All tasted like Walmart food. The worst part of it all - I went to the bathroom and pieces of seafood all in the sink. Disgusting. Go to a nice fish market and cook your own dinner you will be happier. Would not recommend. read more

Ive just moved to the area and in the last 3 months Ive probably had more meals by theres guys than any other place. I love the quality, portions, and price. I know my catfish and shrimp well and they knock it our every time. Even side dishes (a few boiled eggs or the corn) are great. Thanks for bring around Shaking Seafood and making my transition to the east coast that much easier. read more

This place is a hidden treasure! I am a seafood lover and finally found a place that can satiate my appetite! The seafood is fresh and seasoning perfect. The space is huge, well kept, and clean. Staff are super friendly and tentative. I definitely will be a routine customer. read more

I tried this place for the first time. I didn't want to drive to Lowell to Holly Crabs because they don't open until 5 p.m. I know so late. Yet the one in Boston opens at 11:30 a.m. the only reason I did not go there was because it is not flavoring there too salty. Well this place ( Shaking Seafood) I went to to order. People seem friendly. Yes I got the food in timely manner. I do like they bagged it and put tin foil pan. So you don't have to at home. I read the hot would not get hot so I got extra hot. Got home the water was dried up. The shrimp was over cooked and slit which made it even drier. It should be whole shrimp with head that should cook last. I didn't care for the sausage. The water was oily. Didn't taste like sauce. Sauce was not good. The only good thing this place has to offer is the tin foil deep pan and the price. They have different deals every day. I have to say I am not going to be a frequent customer. I am good. If you all like it good for you.I know my family didn't care for it. read more

I'm happy I didn't listen to the reviews... I don't know why I've seen so many negative comments. The staff were friendly, the ambiance perfect and the food flavorful. I ordered a customized seafood bag and it was delicious. Im from Maryland home of the crab/seafood so I was surprised at how good everything came out! I definitely will be back read more

If you like to eat dark brown/ black fried "oysters" that in truth were fried corn starch crumbles,then go to that restaurant. After I cut/crushed up those gross bits to search for an oyster, I found 1 oyster out of the 8 served. Every week I eat fish and seafood. I will never return there. You cannot find a worse meal than there. Run! read more

Place has craw daddy's for 6.99 a pound plus ton of other seafood. It reminds me of a pirate ship on the inside some real down south type vibes in here. Florida type sheit. If you from the south you're goina like it for sure. Keno too so u can gamble while the craws boiling. read more

The restaurant is a fusion of Southern Seafood boil and New England seafood fry. They are pretty successful in combining the two. The fried haddock was quite good. As were the optional up charged onion rings. The hush puppies are decent and a rare find in New England, but the fried calamari was over cooked and a bit tough. The giant inflated bag presentation of the seafood boil is excellent and the quality of the snow crab, scallops, and clams was quite good. The 1/2 lb portion of the scallops was very surprising, but perhaps that was because the other two had shells as part of their weight. The bartender had a l heavy hand when pouring the rum for my Mai Tai, so it could have been a better balanced drink, but I'm not going to complain about the pint glass serving. In summary I'd recommend this restaurant and am definitely going back to try some more items on the menu. read more

The food was not the best but our sever was outstanding! The two stars are only for the server, her name is ROSANNA, she was absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, there was a young Asian female manager who ruined our experience completely and put our server in a horrible mood. That woman you have working here is an absolute witch! I must say I didn't love the food, the cooking quality is not the best and maybe another chef is needed, the food is so extremely salty it's difficult to enjoy. They do a mandatory gratuity which I have never liked, so we tipped the waitress separately because they make you pay a mandatory gratuity is shared among everyone including this absolute hag that ruined our night....All things in consideration, the worst part of it was still the manager that we found at the desk. She went way out of her way to make sure we would pay as much as possible even after we got a discount from her boss, no one should be this bitter or awful to others, let alone customers. We spent $184 for 2 people and would have loved to go back but as long as she is there we are never going back! She has absolutely no customer service skills and could learn a lot from her servers.....I just don't get people like her who go out of their way to be mean especially when running a business, no wonder there were only 4 people in there all night read more

My food was so dry crab this is why they put sauce on top taste old and also the bartender was rude eating her food while serving me and attitude when I asked what the difference was instead of mussels I wanted more crab and still charged full price that's a ripped off misleading information so she can pocket money people can void meals and take the money I will never come back Newton mass has a an awesome shaking crab and the food is amazing and the service up to par never coming back to this place in Salem sorry not impressed I'm from a Caribbean place this is not crab only one cause there's no 0 read more

I had the fried fish plate, worst fish I have ever had. it was overcooked and dry, no flavor just horrible.

Very great experience. Katie was the best and did everything she could to satisfy us. The food was delicious and they played great music. KATIE DESERVES A RAISE! read more