I finally tried this place after my best friend and sister recommended it! I ordered the Fried Shrimp Basket and got the Cajun Fries with no spice. I also had a plain Margarita. It had a lot of flavor and was pretty strong, so I stayed in the restaurant for a while to let the buzz wear off. I'll definitely be back to try more things from the menu. The Boiling Crab is now one of my favorite restaurants! read more

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Estimated 75-105 min wait for a Sunday dinner at 6:15pm. Added us on the yelp waitlist and then decided to kill some time and walk around in target across the parking lot. Too bad you can't add to the waitlist beforehand. We ended up getting seated at our table around 7:50pm This location is not as big as the other SJ location but it is slightly less busy than that one since it's further out. They have a white board near the door that lists the seafood that they're out of for the day, which is helpful to note. Menu and pricing is available through the QR code on the table We ordered 2lbs of shrimp and 1 lb of crawfish in medium spice with the whole shabang to share between 2 people. The seafood boil came out hot and within 10 mins but we felt like it wasn't marinaded into the seafood, potato's and corn enough. Portion and spice wise was perfect though. We were hoping to order garlic noodles but was a little disappointed it wasn't on their menu. Our host was attentive though and came by to check on us and give us more gloves read more

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I was really disappointed with our visit. I haven't been to The Boiling Crab in years--probably 7 years or more. One reason is that I don't live in the San Jose area anymore, and another is that there are now so many seafood boil spots around since Boiling Crab really started the trend. One positive right away: there was no long wait. We arrived around 8pm and were seated immediately, which was great. I remember the days when we'd have to put our name down and walk around Target while waiting for our table. I do wish they offered combo bags like a lot of other seafood boil places do now, since that's always a hit. Instead, we ordered 3 pounds of shrimp with whole-sha-bang sauce in mild. The shrimp themselves were great--nice and big, not the tiny peanut-sized ones you sometimes get. The flavor was also really good. However, the "mild" tasted much spicier than I remembered. From past visits, mild always had a small kick but was still pretty manageable. This honestly tasted closer to medium. My boyfriend politely asked one of the servers if he could get a small side of garlic butter because the sauce was spicier than expected. She immediately responded that it would be $5 for extra sauce, and the way it was said came off pretty rude. We understand that there's an option to make the bag "extra saucy" for an additional charge, but he wasn't asking for extra sauce for the whole bag--just a small side to balance out the spice. Even a simple response like "I'm sorry it came out spicier than expected" would have gone a long way. I've worked in customer service for over 15 years, and I've always believed in "kill them with kindness." We weren't rude at all--we just mentioned that it seemed spicier than mild. In the end, we decided to just skip the extra sauce. Again, the flavor was still good, but to me this definitely tasted more like medium. When we got our check, a different server asked how everything was. My boyfriend mentioned that the sauce was spicier than mild, and she responded with, "Oh no, I'm sorry it wasn't exactly what you wanted." We told her it wasn't her fault since we had already mentioned it earlier, and she just gave us a sympathetic look. Overall, the food itself was good, and I'd probably give it a 4 for taste, but the lack of customer service knocked the experience down for me. I understand it was later in the evening and they still had a full lobby, but a little kindness and attentiveness would have made a big difference. read more

Food. First time visitor. No wait for table. Negative: Sat us at table near restrooms. People constantly passing by table. Positive: waiters kept coming to table. Explained the menu, how to order. Water with lemon is good. Negative: Prices for Crab or items on first page only MP. The prices should be shown but reason given is cost is based on weight of Crab pieces. So when you place order, you will not know how much much you will get. I ordered snow Crab legs. I asked if it would be a pound and response is close but more like .8 lbs. Negative: every item is a la carte. Corn is $2. If you want shrimp, head off or on, it a separate charge. Everything is an additional charge. Most boils include shrimp, potatoes and sausages all inclusive for one price starting at $45. Sausage was an additional $8. When I finally received my Crab boil it was one snow Crab section. The body didn't have much meat. The leggs are so skinny with no meat. The sauce was not the best. RECOMMENDATION: Go to RED LOBSTER instead. I went to Red Lobster a few days before ordered snow crab received two crabs sections, very meaty, ordered Bairdy crab. I received crab, roasted potatoes and one side for $42. I chose garlic butter sauce. It was delicious. Food is soooo much better at Red Lobster. This is my first and last trip to Boiling Crab. I didn't think anyone could mess up crab. No flavor. I also ordered gumbo. They should call it brown gravy with a few slivers of sausage, shrimp and maybe one or two pieces of crab meat. This is not gumbo. It looks like gumbo but it doesn't take like gumbo. I was told the okra is on the side. Wrong, it was in the gumbo. I asked before I ordered. Not sure who is correct, waiter or cook. Either way, it's not gumbo. The rice is on the side, scooped into a little condiment cup. Once you include the rice, you can't find it in the stew. My friend ordered Calamari. Had to ask for sauce. They brought cocktail sauce and tarter sauce but had to ask after food was brought to table. Also ordered Crabber Fries. Was told it included crab on top of fries. It looked go but no flavor. Will never go back to restaurant. Reviews are mostly high. Seems the most complaints are wait times. Biggest complaint food just not good.. I traveled over 75 miles, had not eaten so I was hungry, so I had to eat food, I had a long drive home. I had watermelon when I got home because I was still hungry. it was too late to eat full meal. Total bill was $80. Not worth the money spent. Watermelon was better. If I could rate a zero star, that's my rating. A negative zero. read more

Good service, nice people, relaxing and happy whit my friends. I invited anyone to visit this restaurant read more

The Boiling Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Always a good time here! The sauce hits every time--garlicky, buttery, and spicy Seafood tasted fresh and came out quick. Staff was super friendly too. Be ready to get messy but that's part of the experience and WEAR YOUR BIB read more

The Boiling Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

They don't take reservations or have an online waitlist. Expect a 45 min to an hour wait, especially on weekends. Fortunately, we were seated sooner than the quoted time. The restaurant is in a great plaza where you can easily walk to Target or grab matcha while you wait (which is exactly what we did!). Their menu is a bit different from other seafood boil spots. There are no combo options, so you order everything by the pound. Service was quick and friendly. With a group of three, we ordered 2 lbs of shrimp, 1 lb of mussels, and 1 lb of clams with the whole shabang sauce at medium spice. The heat builds as you go, but the flavor was delicious -great kick and super saucy. The fried calamari was nicely cooked and tasty as well. My only wish is that they offered garlic noodles on the menu. read more

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What a treat to have in South Bay!! A Cajun seafood experience. If you come at peak time, be prepared to wait. They only have an onsite Yelp waitlist. We came on a Friday evening and waited about 45 minutes. Food is great and comes quickly! Service is fast too given the number of people at the restaurant. read more

I have been eating here for years. I would always say it's the best seafood boil place without trying other places. In the past year I have tried 3 other places and I can say with full confidence and now experience boiling crab is the BEST. The flavor profile and the way the seasonings coat the food I love the laid back vibe, the staff is always attentive and checking in on you. Today we went and watched the Mexico World Cup game which was perfect with the tvs surrounding the dining area! Favorite forever! read more

The best seafood boil meal in the bay area is at Boiling Crab. Our favorites are shrimps, whole sha-bang sauce, medium spicy. My preference is 1/2 a pound $9. This time we tried the blue crab which is $25 for 2 crabs. The other stuff were fine. Fried scallops $19, fried calamari rings $12 and fried shrimps $16. That Cajun, garlic butter and lemon pepper on the seafood is what makes it perfect. Service was excellent. Boiling Crab is always a fun place to be because of the lively atmosphere and young staff. Good job guys. read more

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Quick take: take out option My parents live very close to boiling crab. We had family visiting and everyone wanted to chill and take a break from running around the bay area. We ordered take out and set everything up at home. What a great idea! They provide the table sheets, bibs, gloves, and all the condiments. Definitely will do this again. read more

Came here last week with my sissy in law. She's been raving about it here and how it's her favorite seafood boil spot in all of SJ. I can see what she means. I do still have my love for the Crab Bay so right now this seafood boil spot is in my top 3. I would have given it perfect 5 stars but here was some lacking in the service. Our main server was sweet but there were a few things missing from my order and the wait was a bit longer than expected for the missing items. Also, getting the attention of the staff was a bit difficult when we tried grabbing their attention. Many of them just hung out in the BOH and chatted, which I understand was a bit of slow time with not many customers, but I think the attention to the tables weren't there. Took a bit to get a refill on our drinks too. Other than that, I do think it's worth a try here. The sauce was bomb, on all the seafood. The clams were clean the shrimp was so tender and the crablegs, well were crablegs. lol. Funny enough, my absolute favorite item from here was their Lemon Pepper Wings!!!! Like bruh, how do they have better wings than restaurants that specialize in wings. I'd highly recommend getting their wings and dip it in the wingstop ranch. Ultimate combo. read more

On a chill Wednesday, my partner and I decided to get some seafood boil following a blood donation as it is a great way to restore iron. We decided to get some shrimp with added sausage in the medium whole shabang sauce. We also got the fried soft shell crab basket w/ lemon pepper fries. The food was delicious and was of pretty solid value. The only thing that was a little surprising to me was the amount of fries in the basket. I was expecting at least 1.5 to 2 times the amount of fries. It was definitely delicious, but with fries being a relatively cheap accompaniment, I would've thought there would be more. Regardless, food and service were fantastic and it was a great time there. read more

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The OG location of Cajun seafood boils! We use to go here back in the day when there was not that many seafood boil spots around. I remember the wait back then was really bad like 1-2 hours wait. Nowadays the wait is not that bad depending on the time of the day. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon after church. Parking was accessible but can still be crowded. Fortunately we got seated immediately upon arrival. We ordered our usual 2lbs of shrimp, rice, calamari, and Cajun fries. Perfect amount for our family of four. Unfortunately they do not have any garlic noodles which we usually get at other similar Cajun seafood boil spots. Not good but oh well. Everything was delicious. The shrimp with the whole sha-bang sauce was scrumptious with the right kick. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Overall we enjoyed our experience being back at The Boiling Crab. Not sure if we'll be back anytime soon since there are other Cajun seafood spots closer to us and that serve garlic noodles. Nonetheless it was nostalgic to revisit the OG location. read more

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The best Boiling Crab location I've been to! The shrimp was super fresh and sweet, and the corn tasted fresh too. I loved the double fry on the fries. read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp and Mussels with sausage, potatoes, and corn - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

TBC on a Sunday for 4 around 1:30P was about a 20min wait. They utilize Yelp Waitlist which I really like because you get a text when it's your turn for a table. I like this feature because it allows you to wait outside/in your car as the waiting area inside the restaurant is quite small. Service was pretty consistent and our waiter checked up on us a couple of times. S&P, bibs and lemons were given however gloves and forks were upon request during my visit. Calamari-- 2/5. Maybe 15 pieces? Comes with no sauce... then saw on the menu 75c per sauce... usually calamari comes with sauce or at least that's what I'm accustomed to. Next time I know. Some overcooked pieces but seasoning was probably the only highlight. Cajun fries (medium spice)-- 1/5. Fries seasoned very poorly and unevenly.. all it takes is a little shake and toss. Seafood Boil (whole shabang sauce, medium spice)-- 4/5 for flavor, 3/5 for quality. Got some shrimp heads without shrimps, a lot of clam shells without clams but the garlic pieces at the bottom of the bag were definitely a plus and added lots of flavor. $100 for 3lb shrimp, 1lb clams, cajun fries and calamari after tip. It was a while since I've eaten here and I had very high hopes returning but think it's my last time as my experience was very underwhelming. read more

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I used to love coming to Boiling Crab, but the past two years I've noticed that the quality of their seafood has gone downhill. The last two visits, the shrimp and clams didn't taste very fresh. I'm also not sure why they changed their hot link sausage to a different kind that doesn't taste good. I probably won't be coming back anytime . read more

The Boiling Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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This is a super nice restaurant, it has very good customer service and the staff are friendly. I specifically highly Dylan for making our experience even better than it was. The fried options were delicious and the seafood boils were amazing. Would definitely recommend coming here and definitely ask for Dylan if you want an unforgettable experience and some "eye candy" he's a hottie. read more

The Boiling Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

We have tried several other Cajun seafood boil and we always end up coming back to the Boiling Crab. Can't beat the whole shebang

Love me some Boiling Crab. Always order the shabangbang shrimp. It's a good portion for the price. You get 10-12 fried shrimp covered in their signature sauce atop a bed of white rice. Just add lemon and you have a delicious combo. I'd say the only negative with this company is its weekly hours. They're only open for dinner time during the week. read more

Me gusta mucho el sabor del camarón junto con toda la combinación de raciones q la componen

Came here for my sons birthday. The staff were very friendly, they checked in and made sure we didn't need anything. The food was delicious! read more

The Boiling Crab - Crawfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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I got take out. Not as saucy as the one at The Plant, but still tasty. Takeout was quick. I enjoyed it.

Never ordering takeout again here! Came on a Saturday night after 8 and it was a zoo. Waited over half a hour and got no text food was ready. Turns out it was ready 20 minutes ago but they never texted. Food was cold, and they did not apologize and expect me to eat the food anyways. The fries were stale already... They offered to "warm it up", but after talking to a manager, the order was offered to be remade. Asked if they would text me this time around, and the answer was no. Had to awkwardly wait for another 10 mins while I saw over a dozen others get their food! They did NOT remake the food, it was the same thing but the box was warmer. I'm almost certain they just threw it back in the microwave. The fries were overcooked and inedible. Just threw everything away at the end. They packed the bag to the brim and would not give me another bag. As I feared, it toppled over the car. 15 minutes later while home, I noticed one box was ripped and leaking. $50 down the drain.... So disappointed with what this chain has become... A lot of the staff here are young, so they're trying their best, but it's frustrating to get this level of service for what we have to pay for with inflation and this economy. Shrinkflation is very real. All the boxes were only a quarter full. read more

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Been craving seafood boil for week and finally made it out to this place. Pleasantly surprised as they gave us a 20-40 minute wait time and were called in a little over 20 minutes. read more

The Boiling Crab - How it started - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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I haven't been here in years. My first experience? Great! I ate there for my birthday after getting back from a vacation trip...east coast! Fun ...I do want to go here again... read more

The Boiling Crab - Birthday at the boiling crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Food and service are great! Love this place and will be back. Place was great for our 2 6 month olds.

Sometimes long wait so get on the waitlist asap. The food is tasty and the service is great. Big shoutout to the manager?/server Or food runner not sure... his name was Justin D. He was super friendly and attentive he took care of my party & I. Can't go wrong with the seafood boil read more

My favorite restaurant. Usually come on a weekday for dinner since weekends can get busy, staff is friendly and welcoming. Their customer service is great, they offer a different section for to-go orders. We love the variety of seafood that is offered but our favorite food to order is the shrimp with whole shabang, I ca't order spicy so non-spicy is my go to. I love their cajun fries as well. Their sauce is amazing, you can always take it home to go and make other food dishes with it as well. There is plenty of seating available inside as well and ambiance is always lively. read more

love this place! great food - my fav is the whole shabang sauce w extra lemon! the crabber fries were delish too really good service - everyone there was attentive. the manager justin d and our server nat took great care of us and kept checking in there is a long wait so get there early read more

Lunch with my daughter today at The Boiling Crab was so good. This place was nice and comfortable. Our server (Kayle) was kind and helpful. Food was so good and what I like a lot was that I drop my Cajun sauce by accident in my table by the time I was saving my left overs and they give me another small one. That was very nice of them. I definitely coming back and I recommend this place and location read more

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Love all of the different options of seafood they serve here, you can really find something for everybody. Wish the service was more friendly. read more

Lots of great things to say about the food - delicious flavors and the seafood is fresh. You can't go wrong with ordering anything on the menu - from the large varities of fresh seafood to their fried food choices, everything is great and tasty! Service is usually great but they can be slow/inattentive at times. Also tried ordering to-go once due to long wait times and somehow felt like it took as long as it would if we just waited to sit down. Do not come here if you're not willing to wait a little bit. I found that no matter what time you get here, there will always be a wait - busy days can have a wait time for more than 3 hours! Personally, no food is not worth a wait that long but if you have time to spare or come during a not busy time, stop by. read more

Pretty good food and overall was a nice experience. Recommend for a 2nd option but not quite there for a 1st

Got the usual one pound shrimp with potatoes, sausages, corn, and eggs!! Always hits the spot! Definitely have to try the Cajun wings and catfish. Comes out hot and fresh. And I love the extra tartar and ranch sauce! Service was top notch, forgot the girls name but always checked in on us and made sure we were good! The atmosphere of the place is cute and busy! read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp, catcfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Wait was about 50 min on a Saturday night for 2. I use to love Boiling Crab, but the (whole shabang) sauce doesn't taste as good as it use to. It use to be super thick and saucy and had a ton of garlic and now it's watered down. Other than that, it was still flavorful and they give a generous amount of lemon. The shrimp was good. We got 1lb mild and 1lb medium spicy and TBH, they both tasted like the same spicy level. Catfish basket is good. I looove the cajun fries. Gumbo is good. Overall, still good. Just not the same as it use to be. Service was good as well. read more

Came here for dinner, wait was estimated for 2 hours. We waited over 3 hours for a table. A table of 9 were seated before us when we were next on the list. By the time we were seated, they were out of half the items on the menu. We drove 3 hours to eat here. Needless to say, it was the last time we'll be dining here. read more

Came here cause we were craving boiling crab. We literally drove 4hrs to come here. We came when it first opened because we knew that this place gets busy. You know a place is good when there's already a line before you open. We were sat right away, and off the bat we were able to order. We had multiple people helping us and service here is top notch. Our food came out pretty quick too. Got the whole shebang, no spice with 1.5 pounds of shrimp, and 2 corn in the bag. Also ordered a side of rice. You can never go wrong with boiling crab. Will continue to come here every time we come to California. read more

The Boiling Crab - 1.5 pound of shrimp, side of rice - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

I come here all the time to dine in! Recently picked up a large order for our company holiday party, and Jordan, Justin, and Angelo had everything ready right on time. All the food was fresh and delicious. Only regret? Not ordering more Shabang Bang Shrimp! read more

The food is always good whenever I eat here! My go to order is getting the 1lb shrimp with the whole shabang sauce. I love getting the medium spice for an extra kick to the meal. We also tried their fried soft shell crab and it was delicious! This time we came around 8:30pm on a Saturday and it was packed! We waited about 30min for a table. Service was fairly quick after we ordered. read more

The Boiling Crab - 1lb Shrimp with Whole Shabang Sauce (Medium spice) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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