First off, I just want to say that The Boiling Crab is awesome! The atmosphere is amazing, and the customer service is excellent. The workers check on you at the perfect times, help you understand the menu, and even break down your order and pricing so you know exactly what you're getting. The prices are great and surprisingly affordable. I ended up leaving a $30 tip because I couldn't thank them enough. If you're on a budget, they'll even pull out a Sharpie and write different options and prices right on your table to help you stay within your budget. What other place has service like that? McDonald's? No way. Chick-fil-A? Not even close. The Boiling Crab is an incredible experience, and I would definitely come back again and again. Whether you're trying a seafood boil for the first time or coming back for another visit, this is the place to go. They have all the seafood and sides you could want, and everything tastes amazing. Would you rather spend hundreds of dollars on random stuff from Facebook Marketplace, or about $20 per person for a delicious seafood boil the whole family can enjoy? The food is filling, flavorful, and worth every penny. This place is also perfect for birthday parties. They don't take reservations, but they do have wait times, and you can always call ahead if you're planning something special. I'm actually planning to have my 50th birthday party here with a group of 20 people, and they told me they can accommodate us, which is amazing. I'll be sure to update everyone on how the party goes! Also, my husband is the one who drove me here, and I'm so thankful for him. He's currently fighting stage 4 cancer, and seeing him smile and enjoy a great meal meant the world to me. For a little while, he seemed happier and felt better, and that's something I'll never forget. So, ladies and gentlemen, if you're craving a seafood boil and you're anywhere in the San Diego area--whether you're a few minutes away or even a few hours away--you know where to go: The Boiling Crab. It's a fantastic place for families, friends, and anyone looking for a fun and delicious meal. - Beckett read more

Love the food and vibes. Great customer service and the music always on point. Recommend all of it

I went to this location for my birthday on a Sunday night. After we got seated our server attended to us right away. Her name was Ivana, and she was super helpful and patient with us when it came to ordering our food and answering questions we had. We came with a bigger group (9 people) so she helped us figure out what would be good for our family size. Food came out surprisingly fast for how busy the restaurant was. The staff/server were helpful refilling our drinks making sure we were okay at all time. The portions were perfect for the amount of people we came with And just right. Overall I wasted to highlight our server and the food in this review. read more

We joined the waitlist via Yelp and arrived just as our table became available. Our party of 3 was promptly seated. We were given the option of physical menus or digital. We opted for the physical menus. Our waitress was Celeste! She was personable, knowledgeable, courteous and attentive! I ordered shrimp, potatoes, sausage and corn. My daughter ordered, crab, potatoes, sausage and corn. For my grandson we ordered chicken tenders and fries. We also ordered calamari as an appetizer. All the food was flavorful, delicious and the temperature was perfect. My grandson accidentally dropped a chicken tender because it was too hot for him. I mentioned to Celeste when she checked on us that he dropped one. She told Kayla whom I assume is a manager. Kayla came over and spoke to us and although it's not something they do regularly, she replaced the chicken tender that fell. The food was excellent and customer service here is awesome! Thx for the Novo nail recommendation too! I'm visiting from Long Beach but, will be back! read more

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Honest review, it's OK, it could be better. Server was OK but he went on break right after we ordered and we never saw him again. Nice kid. The lobster was $80. 2 bucks extra for corn. The shrimp I asked for melted butter too and that was $.75 extra, although it came with the lobster. OK. The shrimp was 18-20 bucks, two bucks extra for corn and I don't remember how much it was for sausage. sausage was the best thing out of the whole meal. It's boiled lobster, it was very chewy. The shrimp was very chewy too almost mushy tough. It just wasn't what I expected it to be. Not great, not horrible either. Would we go again as a couple? No. Would we take family there if they wanted to go there and experience it once, sure. It was just disappointing. It wasn't as wonderful as I thought it would be. I think when you order an $80 lobster it should at least come with corn or potatoes. If somebody's ordering a little bit of butter with $140 meal, just give them the butter. The beer was nine dollars. The onion rings were nine dollars. It was just too much for what it was. The place is decorated nice, seemed clean. Pretty loud though. Music is up way too loud. read more

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The Boiling Crab Came here for seafood and left very satisfied. From the start, the staff were friendly, welcoming, and quick to take care of us. Even during a busy time, service was fast and attentive, and the servers were very enthusiastic and helpful. The seafood was fresh, flavorful, and juicy. The seasoning was bold without being overwhelming, and everything tasted well-prepared. Portions were generous and perfect for sharing, especially if you come with friends or family. The restaurant itself is large, clean, and spacious, so it didn't feel crowded. The atmosphere was lively but still comfortable, making it a fun place to enjoy a casual meal. Parking was another big plus, plenty of space and very easy to find, which is always a bonus. Overall, a solid spot for great seafood, excellent service, and a comfortable dining environment. Would definitely come back. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Wait was very long (per usual) at any of their locations. Staff was amazing and friendly. The food always hits the spot! read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I came here for my friend's birthday. I'm not a seafood person so I didn't get crab. So I can't speak on that. They had a very limited menu for someone who doesn't eat crab. The chicken fingers were pretty good all in all. The French fries were rather bland and not that great. The staff was helpful but kind of had an attitude to her too. I got the corn on the cob, which came in a bag with the seasoning of your choice. It was overcooked though. The place has a bunch of tables and booths but still expect a wait. They had sinks outside of the bathroom, which I thought was a good idea for those crab eating peoples. read more

The Boiling Crab - French fries - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Not worth the long wait tbh, but it is the only seafood boil place in the area. I've had better in other places, and better prices. I got two pounds of live crawfish and it took a bit for them to come out. But the crawfish were big and meaty and definitely juicy. I got the whole sha bang as the flavor and it was indeed the whole sha bang, filled with all the flavors. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I wish it was less expensive but they break down everything so you know what to expect, and we loved going here. It's not just a place we can go often. The place is special to me because it is something we did with family that I miss. The food is good, the relaxed nature of it, and the people are all nice. I like the music and it is always a good time. read more

THE BOILING CRAB, SAN MARCOS. What a fun experience! A mom friend from church invited me out and this was my first time here. We walked in just before 6pm and waited less than 5 minutes before being seated in a cozy booth. The menu can be accessed via QR code or they have a physical menu if requested. We both ordered the basket of fried catfish with lemon pepper fries. It was served with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, extra lemon pepper salt, and ketchup. They will also bring Tabasco sauce and/or packets of Louisiana hot sauce if requested. The batter is the perfect texture and not overly thick at all. I loved the flavors and the way it comes is perfect, no need for the extra lemon pepper salt for me. A napkin dispenser is provided at the table and moist wipes packets near the end of the meal. We had a fairly mess free meal but other patrons had quite different experiences wearing bibs and gloves eating out of plastic bags. I think I'll bring my kids here to enjoy a messy meal one of these days. The place got packed quickly and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Highly recommend checking it out! read more

The Boiling Crab - Fried Catfish Basket with Lemon Pepper Fries - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Good as always. The Micheldas hit on a hot summers day!! The vibes were good, the food was amazing, service was okay but only because they were busy. read more

First time trying and was not disappointed. Service and ambiance were very nice. Was surprised how busy it was for a Monday night. Everything came out quickly! read more

The Boiling Crab - Birthday feast! - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

The food was amazing. The service was great. We love everything about this restaurant. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

The Hostess was very polite. First time at this location. Our server was awesome. The food was very delicious. read more

The Boiling Crab - 1 pound of shrimp with corn and potatoes mild The whole Shabang! - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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The wait time was 2 hrs long Friday night. Luckily there is a yelp waitlist online where we can add our names before heading over to the restaurant. No blue crab or live crawfish offered that evening. They ran out of Dungeness crab; however, our waiter came back when it became available again, but we had already decided on snow crab, which I regretted later. Both the crab and shrimp tasted less than fresh. I ordered the medium Whole Sha-Bang and the spice was so overpowering that it masked the freshness of the seafood. What made our dining experience memorable was our waiter. He was very attentive and even tied our bibs for us. The y2k music was on par and kept the vibes going. read more

Food is always delicious and service is always quick and attentive. Have to try the lemon pepper wings 10/10

Good food and server Sonny was amazing and very attentive! Ordered 1lb shrimp whole shabang mild and extra sauce medium! Basket of tenders and fries lemon pepper ! read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Been here a few times and overall customer service has always been great even though it can get busy on a random weekday. Joining the waitlist on Yelp is a must! Wish it would open earlier than 3pm. I always get 1lb whole shabang medium shrimp with corn and potatoes - so bomb and flavorful. I can usually finish it if I'm pretty hungry. FYI The spice level varies on the batch (sometimes a bit too mild for my taste) but tonight the medium spice was perfect! They don't provide gloves unless you ask - your hands will thank you later lol I always order medium spice cajun fries on the side - the fries are top tier here. A michelada also pairs well with this type of food. Decent prices too Chill & casual ambiance with r&b/hiphop early 2000s music playing on the speakers read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

What a great experience it was there. We went there on a whim and it was absolutely delicious. Ended up losing my wallet there with $100 bill in it and it was returned safely. Thank you to the staff. read more

Waited an hr and 10 mins till they texted me and i didn't see it till 16 mins later then texted back asking if i can get a 3 minute extension from the 20 they usually give us. I was only a few mins late and was told to wait another 50 mins for a table. Why mention texting back if my text was ignored. Staff had no empathy and by the negative reviews on here no one seems to care much Update: waited another 1 hr and 20 mins then towards the end of eating my partner and i went to wash our hands, mind you we haven't paid yet so i don't understand why we came back to our table w our leftover food trashed. Waited 2hrs & 30 mins in total to get a table then to be comped $13 off the $50 bill bc they threw our food away. Should have been half the bill but i didn't want to throw a fit while staff showed no genuine remorse for not double checking whether the table was paid off or not. Will def not be coming back read more

We visited The Boiling Crab in San Marcos for the first time and had a great experience! We went on a Saturday and arrived about 20 min before opening. There were a couple of groups ahead of us, and luckily there were a few benches outside. Plenty of parking and the restaurant was massive compared to the Mira Mesa location. The staff were welcoming from the moment we walked in. Shoutout to Paolo who was friendly and attentive! Hubby and I ordered the cajun fries, which had great flavor--though I do wish they were tossed a bit more evenly in the seasoning. We also ordered The Whole Shabang (medium spice) with 2 lbs of snow crab legs and crawfish, plus corn, boiled eggs, potatoes, sausage, and a side of rice. Everything was cooked perfectly--the corn was soft and sweet, the sausage had tons of flavor, potatoes were meh, and the spice level was perfect for us. We left uncomfortably full and felt like it was a great value for the price. Only downside is that they charge extra for additional sauces-- which is a bit annoying. But overall, we had a great experience and would definitely come back! read more

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Was told that because our party was small (four people) there would be an hour and 45 minute wait. It went even 75% full?! Nope. That was the first time and last time I will enter their doors. Apparently my family is not good enough. read more

Came around opening time and had to wait about 30-40 minutes. Lines build up fast here so make sure to get here early! Or at least sign up on the Yelp Waitlist if you are nearby. For the table, got shrimp, crawfish, lobster, corn and crabber fries: - For the fries, we chose cajun. It was decent but I think the flavor profiles didn't quite line up. I think I'd try a different flavor next time. - Skip the lobster. It ended up being way overcooked and chewy which was a bummer because it was the most expensive item. - Shrimp was the best. Highly recommend. Perfectly cooked. - Crawfish was fresh and tasted great but the size of crawfish was tiny. - Corn. Must get. Sweet and crunchy. - I get everything with whole shebang XXX spice level. Honestly it's not that much more spicy than medium. Wish there was another level higher. As for service. Fast and friendly. What more can you ask for. :) read more

The Boiling Crab - Crabber Fries (Half Order) - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

One of the best seafood places! Taste is always 10/10, service is always great and it never takes too long. I have tried multiple seafood boils but I always return here! read more

Love coming to this restaurant for their seafood boil. My go to - Mussels and shrimp with Rajun Cajun Sauce (not spicy). Wash it down with their margarita. read more

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Good food and service very quick to get food great staff and great dinning experience

Love this place! Food is amazing and the perfect level of spice! Pro tip is to ask for gloves if needed I don't prefer them but I had a cut on my finger and I needed it at the time but the servers are always kind and don't check in too regularly and come at the right intervals. Unlike some places that are watching you like a hawk to wait till you shove food in your mouth to ask you how it's going these guys actually walk around and are AVAILABLE and that's all you need! QR code for the menu and thank goodness they finally put prices on the menu itself instead of that "market value" lol I don't want to ask what this minutes market value is for every individual item! So amazing work and good on you guys! read more

Food was good. And our server and the rest of the team were great especially coming in with a big party. Went on Monday night and didn't except it to be so busy because called and said there was no wait plus we had a big party so we put our name in the waitlist. Upon arriving, many parties had arrived and left so it looked like they kept seating every party as they go in the waitlist or not. Expecting to be seated right away once our whole party is all present because we already waited more than 30 minutes as is but they kept saying they are waiting for this one table to leave so they can accommodate to our big party. Understandable but the fact they had to wait for that specific area to be cleared, like we have been waiting for a while and they kept seating small parties. read more

Amazing as always!! Love the San Marcos location you guys will always have my business read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

It was my first time at Boiling Crab and it won't be my last. They have a convenient wait list that you can access through Yelp so you can avoid waiting too long at the location, which I advise since this is a very busy location. We joined the waitlist and waited an hour for the text letting us know that our table was ready. They allow 5 minutes of the text being sent before you lose your spot. We were across the street, and because of the traffic lights, we missed the deadline by a minute. The host was super understanding and gave us the next table available. The servers were very friendly and gave us bibs for our meal and recommendations on what to order. They were also very attentive, refiling our drinks without us having to ask, even though the restaurant was very full and busy. The ambiance of this restaurant was very busy and loud and the excitement of having a tasty meal was palpable in the air. We ordered a meal consisting of a Dungeness Crab, a pound of shrimp, clams, potatoes, eggs, and corn, and we had it seasoned the Whole Sha-Bang way (rajun cajun, lemon pepper, & garlic butter), and at a medium spicy level. To say I was in seafood heaven is an understatement! The whole meal was pricey (that crab alone was $90!!!) but everything was delicious! Overall, it was a great experience and I will be returning soon! :) read more

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Cute host boy working there. food was bomb, diverse clientele and good folks having a good time

Love the food here!! We love coming here with family. Go the whole sha-bang, it's the tastiest. read more

First time at The Boiled Crab, not my first Cajun experience as a lived in Nola. The wait time for this place is huge, but using Yelp you can get on the list and arrive when you are almost ready to eat. The menu changes based on availability, so call ahead if you are concerned. The boils are brought out in bags, they provide bibs, gloves and napkins. We ordered the king crab boil, with three potatoes, two corn, and one sausage. We also added the fried shrimp basket and a bowl of gumbo (I just had to try it). The seasoning is great, mild has a kick, medium is like a 7 or 8 out of 10. The king crab was great. They give you a plastic cutting tool, but it works well. The corn, potatoes, and sausage were good, but not necessary after we had the fried shrimp basket that came with French fries. We had the lemon pepper fries and they were great. The gumbo was a bit on the dirty rice side, my critique is kinda unfair due to my exposure to places in New Orleans (check my review). Overall, the amount of food , the quality of the sauces in the boil and the ambience is outstanding. We'll be back again. read more

The Boiling Crab - Gumbo, small portion of rice in the center. - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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WOW BEST BOIL IN TOWN, I drive over 2hrs to come here. Quick and friendly service and great atmosphere. Staff is always on top of it and it's always worth the drive. read more

Amazing food and I highly recommend it and clean restaurant and fast service and friendly environment

The Boiling Crab continues to please, but I do have a not-so-nice thing about them. We have gone to this location several times in the last several months. Although they say they service Dungeness Crab, I think they have had it one time since they've opened that I've experienced. Everything else is good, but I suggest you go somewhere else if Dungeness is on your list. read more

I've always wanted to come to the Boiling Crab and this was my first time. We came just before opening with a full line outside. We got seated immediately after giving our name to the hostess prior to opening and got seated at a booth. The booth was spacious they know their gluttonous big back audience well. Gotta have some room for the big tummy. The ambiance? Alright. The amount of SCREAMING infants was wild. Who brings an infant to a seafood boil place? Whatever. To each their own I supposed but that's the downside like damn how yall afford crab and diapers in this economy? We got king crab, mussels, shrimp, catfish and some fries. Everything was great. Will def come back. Our servers were awesome and informative for it to be our first time. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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My favorite Cajun restaurant! There are several out there that I love too but it's the sauce that always brings me back here. I've tried to replicate the sauce and I do come close to it but I still haven't made it perfect...one day lol You will always enjoy this place!!! read more

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Well, this restaurant in San Marcos, CA is quite popular! Must say, it is not my style at all. They are known for their seafood, boil bags. However, they do offer other items on the menu, and my husband tried the chicken tenders. He enjoyed those. I ordered a boil bag with various shellfish. I did not like that they left the head and legs on the shrimp. That is so gross to me. They fill a bag up with all the seafood you ordered and boil it with spices of your choice. They bring it to your table in the bag. The bag then gets dumped onto the table. Oh, and they give you bibs to wear if you would like. Of course, I used a bib. This is messy food. Can also be considered fun food due to the festive, savage style of eating. I think this is a great, fun, family place. Shellfish was delicious. I tried the mussels, clams, and shrimp with sausage and corn. My daughter ordered the crab legs in her bag with other items and they were good. Decent size. read more

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