Food excellent Service excellent Easy going everyday atmosphere very pleasant. Be aware of 1 thing. Don't experiment with seasoning mixes. There's no second chance if u don't choose wisely. Seafood very fresh. read more

Excellent service,food,and a great atmosphere to enjoy your food. I recommend the lobster with mussels and clams as well as shrimp & Brussel sprouts an potatoes all cooked in butter and spices. read more

Food was good as was the service but the prices are quite high. Not an everyday meal but on for a special occasion

We came here on a whimb. Had the 2 person combo with crab, shrimp and sausage. It was amazing! Only downside was I forgot my wife had a bum wrist. So I did all the shucking! Still we had a great experience! read more

My husband and I ordered a combo meal that was intended for 4, and it fed us dinner 3x. Def worth the price! The food and sauce and service was great. read more

I went when opened they didn't even have their full wine bar yet. The bar chairs are very uncomfortable. But I was game for a little lobster and crab after work so I stopped in. Only two negatives one is the Seafood is over cooked and that's a big mistake when the meat sticks to the shell. that is good as burnt to crustacean. The new staff, learning and training were very nice and very friendly. The manager was very friendly it was a nice group in there. I met some nice locals that were trying it for the first time it just opened. The overdue on my second comment would be they overdo the crab boil, but I ended up going with drawn butter and lemon, which was excellent. The lemon was fresh and it all worked out other than over cooked for Seafood. I thought the price was just fine plenty of parking and if any restaurant needs to survive in Escondido in North county is a decent seafood place there aren't any. read more

Surfing Crab - Greeting at the front door. - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

We ate there today and the shrimp is absolutely delicious. Usually I get the basket but today I tried the shrimp and broccoli lunch combo and it was even better cuz it came with their delicious clam chowder soup. Next time we plan to go all out and get lobster and king crab specials. So anxious to go try it all! read more

This is the best seafood we've had in 5 years, and we've been looking. I brought my family here for my wife's birthday, and she loved it. We got the Texas special and added Dungeness Crab and shrimp. It was so affordable, and our waitress guided us through the menu with perfect recommendations. The meal... the while experience was perfect. read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

The food was really good. Wait staff was very friendly and attentive. Ambiance was fun and kitschy. We will come back.

I make a long drive from Encinitas just to come here about every other week; this Dining establishment is that unique. No other place that I have found in San Diego has Maryland Crabs. While they are small in size - they would be very much more expensive (in Maryland too) if large/r - and at $22 for the three crabs with potatoes, corn - is worth it. (Just know that it is a lot of work for not big amount of crab). Normally, I'll have the 'Get Your Hands Dirty' Combo 2 (this is snow crab) with one option (shrimp) for around $24; has sausage, corn and potatoes all yummy. If one enjoys working to get out the crab meat as I do - am a Maryland-born boy - it's an excellent meal choice imo. If you really want to splurge, the Gentleman Special with King Crab is very special indeed - but $70 - good for two persons! Given the trajectory downwards in fecundity and so availability of King Crabs off Alaska due to Global Heating, Ocean heat waves - this meal may be like visiting Glaciers - an increasingly rare treat! I very much enjoy coming here... read more

Different for Escondido. Service was great, the presentation great! Flavor excellent, calamari overcooked but that is standard. Ambiance is fun read more

We've been to this new seafood restaurant at North County Mall twice now and it was excellent both times. The quality of the boiled shrimp was excellent and their size was very large. They were cooked perfectly and the sauce ( we picked the surfin special, medium hot) was delicious. The green mussels were also excellent. All the seafood items we tried tasted very fresh. There are many different combinations to choose from of boiled seafood and also many fried food options. We tried the fried oysters and they were perfectly fried, not overdone. They also offer several traditional Chinese menu options. We tried the house special fried rice and it was also excellent. Can't wait to go back to try some other items from the extensive menu. The only item we were disappointed in were the clams. They tasted great but their size was so small, about the size of a penny. Probably will skip these next time. Service was fast and accurate. You definitely want to try this place. read more

Excellent food, very reasonable prices and an always attentive and friendly staff. The ambiance here is fantastic and relaxing. Definitely a go to place if you are craving seafood and don't want to break the bank read more

Went here today for lunch around 2pm. The crowd was fairly light and was greeted and order taken fairly fast. Ordered the shrimp w/heads,corn,potatoes and sausage. Also an appetizer of hush puppies which were good. I had the lemon/pepper and garlic butter with mild spice which was excellent, the shrimp was firm and fresh. They're gave you a good amount of sauce to cover the food. The place look's clean and nice inside and recommend this place. I really enjoyed the time there and food. read more

My son and I got the Escondido special. It was a little bit to get our boil but it was worth the wait. I got home and my husky is licking my legs. Inside was clean and the waitress was kind and attentive. read more

Surfing Crab - Boil sniffer - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Have been here twice. Prices are good, relative to the amount of food included in the boils. Both times we have gone the service has been excellent. Adult beverages are also good! Being familiar with, and having eaten at other local restaurants which also offer similar types of boils, I would recommend Surfing Crab over the others. read more

Surfing Crab - Cowboy special with old bay & garlic butter (Medium spicy level) - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

The food is really good. It's unusual to have Asian cuisine mixed with seafood but it works here. Our first visit was for Asian food. My next one will be for the seafood. Really large portions for the price. read more

FOOD POISONING BEWARE!!! The service was also horrible. Our waiter came over maybe once, then we had to to hunt him down for our check. Food was warm, shrimp was extremely chewy and batter wasn't crispy. Never again. I do not advise anyone go here. Stick with the real seafood places down south. read more

First time. Ordered to go: Escondido Special $41.99 for 1 lobster tail, 1 crab claw, about a dozen good sized shrimp in the mild Old Bay + Garlic Butter sauce. It was fantastic! The flavoring was strong even with mild hotness. Strong salt flavor. Lots of garlic pieces. It came with 3 medium-sized red potatoes and 3 corn on the cob pieces and maybe a dozen salty sausage slices. All wrapped in a strong clear plastic bag. And that bag was in another just to be sure! Would definitely recommend and order this again. Also ordered the Shrimp Lo Mein. Good noodles and the shrimp look like large thick, tightly rounded prawns. So you aren't getting tiny shrimp. Next time, I'll probably try something else but this was good and I would be happy to order it again at ~$16. read more

First time. Came for lunch with friends. Did not want a lot of food as offered by many items on menu, so I selected fried oysters and shrimp plate with fries. Wife chose jumbo shrimp cocktail and steamed broccoli as she can't have fried food! Shrimp cocktail was tasteless and soggy. My food was greasy tasting. Waitress did a good job explaining the menu which represented what was available at their Texas locations but not all available here. Couldn't afford to print menus that reflected what you offer?? Interior remodel of this former Macaroni Grill looked cheap and rushed. Not coming back...EVER! read more

Yes the family enjoyed the seafood boil. Good food and decent price. Went during lunch so it wasn't too busy.

Fantastic new addition to Escondido! Surfing Crab took over the long-closed Macaroni Grill, and did a nice transformation. The big, glowing crab and lobster figures are really fun. Food is excellent. Fried Calamari app was perfectly cooked and hot. All the seafood in the boils (between all of us we had the crawfish, shrimp, black mussels, lobster, and crab) was very well cooked. The sauce options were tasty, especially the Surfing Special which combines all the sauces. The spicy hot option was decently hot, the mild was great, too. They give you the option to have the boils left in the bags, or served in a large plate, which is nice. Best corn we've had in a seafood boil. It was fresh, well-cooked, and nicely sized. They are generous with the potatoes and sliced sausage as well. Service was friendly, informative, and attentive - really appreciated that. The food came out quickly. While many of the seafood boil places in Kearny Mesa are terrific, it's so nice to have a place that's more local to us and with plenty of parking. read more

This place is amazing! It is better and cheaper than Crab Hut. The lunch specials is where it is at. The seafood boil includes potatoes, corn, and sausage. At Crab Hut you would need to purchase each item separately and the cost would be at least double. The ambiance is cool with the lighting, and they play fun 80s music. When I walked in Kate bush running up that hill was playing and our servers name was Will. The staff were very friendly and Will was an excellent server. I did not get an alcoholic drink but they had a good selection of choices on the menu. Would definitely recommend especially for lunch special! read more

The staff is very helpful and attentive. The food is very good. Good food for the price, it is allot of food.

I went here for the first time this past weekend. I got the crayfish and fried rice and everything turned out great. I went back for lunch a few days later. So far their fried rice is my favorite, but the different kinds of seafood boils you can get look pretty good also. The interior is fun and my toddler son liked looking at all the fun things on the walls. Depending on what you order it can get pretty messy so just be prepared for a meal you eat with your hands. read more

Exceeded my expectations. I decided to bring my niece since she has been asking to go. It was our first time. We came on a Friday during lunch hours shortly after they opened. We were greeted right away and seated in a booth next to the bar. The restaurant was very clean. We loved how they decorated the inside. We decided to order their seafood boil lunch special. We ordered different items so we could try a variety of the seafood. Food came out fairly quickly after ordering. They bring it out to you in a clear bag with the sauce and mix it up in front of you. They then pour everything out on your plate. It was a lot more food than I realized. Everything was excellent. I even liked the sausage, which I am usually not a fan of. We did have some clams that did not open. While we were looking at them, the manager walking by noticed. He went to the back and came out with a bowl of fresh clams for us. I truly appreciate this type of service. Our server checked on us several times, never letting our drinks get empty. He was very pleasant and friendly. Overall, we had such a nice time enjoying our lunch and the food was delicious. We will definitely be back. read more

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Great overall experience, great food and atmosphere. Special thanks to Mike who took care of us. Will definitely be back!

Great experience!! Orange chicken was really good, fried rice was delicious. We got the snow crab, crawfish, and shrimp with sausage corn and potatoes. We ordered it surfers style medium. Plenty of flavor and sauce for dipping might order it hot next time for a bigger kick. Service was fast and friendly from the greeters to server and even the guy who brought the food. Wish I'd gotten a picture. But go visit and enjoy! read more

Customer service is fantastic Ambiance is very welcoming fun creative beach feeling And the food is tasty wide selections in the menu drinks are delicious read more

The ambience and service was very nice. The shrimp tasted good, and the Lowcountry boil and the sauce as well. We had the old bay with garlic sauce. My only complaints are that the corn was frozen, not fresh, and there was no bread at all to enjoy with the sauce. Ramona bakery makes an excellent sourdough bread and before I go back, I would be sure that bread is available for the meal. read more

Me and my boyfriend have been wanting to try this place and check out what they did with the old macaroni grill (he used to work there as a teenager lol). We were PLEASANTLY surprised. We got the combo #2 crab boil and everything was so delicious. I loved how when we ordered a side of boiled eggs they brought it out in a little bowl with more butter and seasoning on them! Other seafood boil places just bring them plain. We were also very shocked it was so quiet in there. If we went to crab hut or boiling crab we would have had to wait like an hour for pricier food at a lesser quality. It felt too good to be true ! Also big shout out to julio the GM. He took good care of us and was very attentive . We will definitely be coming back since we're local here. read more

Delicious affordable lunch. Pleasantly surprised. Fried catfish moist and succulent. Fried shrimp cooked just right. Will eat here again! Service was great. read more

Went to Surfing Crab for my birthday tonight for the first time. First of all our server Liam, was fantastic!! He realized quickly that we were new to this so he made suggestions and explained how the menu worked and the result was amazing. We had the Don Julian boil and we ordered extra snow crab and shrimp cause we are verascious sea food eaters. Very happy and full when we left. Will be back for seconds and thirds! read more

We love this place! The food is fantastic! They dump a big tray of shrimp, crab, sausage and corn on your table and you dig in! Yummy! Have the deep fried biscuits too. read more

Not too shabby, crawfish was a bit hard to take apart and get the meat. The combo 28$ I believe that comes with two choices, only comes with two potatoes and two corns, thought it was a bit lame. But other than that service was pretty great, very friendly. read more

Overall, I think Surfin Crab offers great value for price. I think they still have work to do on ambiance. When we were there, it was so quiet. No music. Nothing to fill the room. This made it awkward to talk and you could hear servers just shooting the shit. I don't like how they serve the food table side. They dump the goods into large metal trays and our food became cold quite fast. Also makes it hard to enjoy the sauce as it spreads out and is just cold. Additionally, wasn't appetizing watching the server squeeze sauce out of the bag. Would prefer less wide, deeper vessel for the food and that they leave it in the bag. I can dump it out myself. Also, their "sausage" is Kielbasa. Was expecting Andouille. That was a huge disappointment for my husband. Cocktails were really good. I'd go back but it isn't better than Boiling Crab. read more

Great food and had amazing service with Skylar. He attended us pretty promptly and made sure our party well taken care of. Would definitely check this place out again if I am around. read more

UUpdate to last visit. Manager called and apologized. I went in and got my $10 back. I'm good. Might revisit for 2nd chance now.

As a Texan, I was thoroughly impressed with this place. It excelled in every aspect! The cuisine was delightful, the service was outstanding, and the prices were reasonable. There were so many TVs and you could watch football from any seat in the house. read more

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This is hands down the best crab boil in North Country and perhaps San Diego. I got the Escondido Surfing Special which has 1 LOBSTER TAIL, 1/2 LB SNOW CRAB, 1/2 LB SHRIMP (NO HEAD) with potatoes, corn, and sausage all for less than $50 (either $40 or $45 can't remember). This is enough for two people and it has been our go-to order every time we are here. There are no garlic noodles but our server said that they have regular noodles (think like ramen noodles) and to add a side of the crab boil sauce. We did and loved it! Even more than the garlic noodles at other places. So now we get the noodle with the sauce on the side every time. They have cocktails and I've tried SoCal Fire and Smoke Paloma; both really good. This place even has desserts! We have had the chocolate lava cake which comes with scoop of vanilla ice cream; it's so yummy! The owner/manager? is very nice and friendly and so is the staff. Definitely a place I would recommend and take friends/family when visiting from out of town. I always have to drive to Convoy or San Diego for good food. So glad I found this place since it's a lot closer! read more