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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For the most part had a good experience, left very full. Our server was very helpful and professional. I think the only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because I ordered mild, and I'm pretty sure I received medium. My boil was a bit spicier than usual. I also realized I'm not the hugest fan of their sausage. It's kind of tough. Otherwise, shrimp, potatoes, and corn were delicious. read more

The Boiling Crab - 1/2 lb of shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and corn. - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

This place is airways great and I'm so happy that they built this Kozak. We put ourselves on the waiting list which was to to an hour. Then we headed out. Got there and checked in then waited another 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes were up, we ordered immediately. Our waitress Kayla was nice. A Michelada with Modelo Negro and Elysium beer (2) for drinks were ordered. For apps, half a dozen oysters were ordered and we placed all the fixings on them. Delicious as usual! We saw this guy squeeze lemon juice into his salt and pepper container and dip his food into it. He's a genius and we tried it and it was good. 1 pound of shrimp and sausage in whole shebang mild with rice and corn in butter was ordered a long with the fried shrimp basket with fries. My bf almost finished the whole shrimp basket and we almost finished the other food. But no worries, now i have the left over for lunch and can add more shrimp to the sauce. Win-win! We will always come back! read more

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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 place! Was craving it for a few weeks & finally decided to come. As always, it did NOT disappoint! The snow crabs were amazing. I want to shoutout my server Zandra! Super funny & attentive! Thanks for the great service girl! Will be coming back soon. read more

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

Ivana was absolutely awesome. This is me and my wife's second time here and Ivana was our server both times. I would not have e it any other way going forward. Excellent customer service. The food was great. The soft shell crab was bit salty but tolerable. Thank you Ivana for making our experience memorable read more

The Boiling Crab - My 2nd time to this establishment with my best friend, my wife. Great customer service, Ivana! - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

The food was good, but they're serving portions are really weird. You have to order everything separately.

Best crab place we have tried since moving here. Staff is very helpful and music is good. Will be coming back soon!

This place is my secret comfort food! My husband and I love to come here randomly and share a couple of bags of food. We've been to a similar one in Hawaii and Arizona and this place was way better! Service is always great and friendly also love to tunes lol. Also prices are very reasonable so i can see why large groups like to come. Now that I'm writing this review we will probably stop by this weekend read more

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

It was our first time there. We ordered the Fries Calamari and Catfish baskets. Very delicious by the way. Our server was excellent, he was very kind and courteous. Love the bibs and the authentic table manner with the plastic cloth. I was also surprised how fast we were seated, even though the place was packed!!! Can't wait to go there again! read more

The Boiling Crab - Their Christmas Tree, which I love to see - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Nope this place went down hill the shabang sauce wash wayyy to lemony $244 later it was aiite. I feel like their bags aren't as saucy as they used to be. I had a situation with the waitress and I was totally gas lit. They lost 7 customers today. It's loud and dark so misunderstandings are bound to happen. read more

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

Food is good. It's always a long wait but it's very much worth it. The servers and waiters are always attentive. It is on the price side. read more

The Boiling Crab - Onion rings, 1 lbs of the shrimp with corn and boiled eggs, - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

So, we went to visit Red Lobster to try out their revamped menu, since they have a new Seafood Boil option. We had to send it back! I was very disappointed. We got up, and drove 30 miles south to what we were familiar with; BOILING CRAB! King Crab legs w/the whole Sha-Bang sauce, and all the added extras. Always fire!!! Most importantly, our server Austin, is the reason we're going to continue to visit this particular location. Very attentive, patient, & observant. His vibes were high and upbeat...the music selection was impeccable! Austin's attitude is A+! I hope this message gets to him, and he is recognized for outstanding service! Thank you, Austin! read more

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

I thought it was dinner. It wasn't. My soul was touched. What happened in there? That was a full-blown spiritual seafood awakening. Soon as we walked in, Ricky hit us with the energy of a man who's seen things--but still chooses kindness. Bro knew the menu like he wrote it. Said, "Y'all trust me?" And we did. Next thing I know, I'm elbow-deep in some sauce that had me questioning my whole childhood. Karen came through floatin' like an angel in Crocs. Her energy was peaceful. I asked for extra napkins--she brought me a stack. That's love. Then Alaysia showed up and straight up ran the table like a quarterback. Kept the drinks full, made sure the food was right, and hit us with a "Y'all good?" every 10 minutes like she actually meant it. She got that "I care but I'll still cuss you out if you disrespect my section" kind of vibe. Respect. We laughed so hard we forgot about life for a second. Food was fire. Service was elite. And now I can't eat shrimp without thinkin' about that night like it was a first love. Everyone I talked to. Smash. 10/10. Would risk high blood pressure again. read more

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

This past Monday, 1/13, my friends took me out for dinner (belated Christmas gift). I've been here one time and this was their first time. We arrived around 6ish and they were busy but was able to sit down right away. We all enjoyed the food. I got 1/2 lbs of shrimp with garlic butter and no spice. We shared a catfish basket, an order of hard boiled eggs and an order of mussells. Two of us got a side of rice. They got 1/2 lbs of shrimp with the Sh-bang sauce and mild spice. The eggs were actually in that bag. This was my 2nd time coming in here and food was great. Our waiter then later on changed to a waitress as he had to leave for the day gave great customer service. Thanks you for the bibs and gloves. I wish they had the plastic gloves tighter. My friends enjoyed their visit and they were surprised on the price...not too bad. Will come back in the future and try the other items. read more

We got a snow crab fry, a crabber fry, pound of shrimp, 2 corn, 1 order of potato, 1 order of eggs, extra juicy, with two beers, all at $89! Not a bad deal, considering great service and experience :) read more

The Boiling Crab - Pound of shrimp, beers, and what is left of the crabber fries! - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

they were not clear on the waitlist, there is a sign that is being hidden behind another sign that they are not letting know about it manager Tommy and Neil D Terrible management 0 stars read more

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

Service: 5/5 Jacob was exceptional. He provided prominent service. He repeated our orders verbatim. Jacob was attentive. Food: Food was 5/5 . Of course we love the whole shabang. To be honest it's the only way it should be eaten. We ordered catfish, lemon fries, three beers, two lemonades, two iced teas. Three separate bags of 1-pound shrimp. Two were medium the whole shabang with eggs (one had extra garlic). One was mild with extra garlic. Ordered two extra sauces of the mild with extra garlic (Boy, it was spicy but yummy). Ordered two chicken tender meals. Ambiance: 5/5 Just like any boiling crab, it's packed, spacious, noisy but a good noisy lol. WAIT TIME: was 2 hours. We checked in online and the staff kept us updated. We were # 54 and went to #1 very quickly. We sat before two hours. read more

The Boiling Crab - 1 pound shrimp the whole shabang with extra garlic and mild sauce on the side - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Great food and service. I got shrimp and lobster. Lobster is amazing and so is the shrimp. The waiter was very nice and helped us order. Corn and potatoes are very good and i always get multiple corns. Kinda loud and uncomfortable seating, but overall, one of the best food places I've gone to. read more

Great location in north county! We used the yelp virtual queue to get onto the waitlist on a Friday night, so we waited only about 15 minutes. Our server Ana was amazing and attentive even though it was a busy night! We got the calamari and lemon pepper fries to share and I got the shrimp boil with all the extras in the whole shabang sauce. This location was a 10/10 for me solely for the dedicated hand-wash station outside of the restrooms. We will definitely be back! read more

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I don't eat seafood boil often so this was an experience. Family and I met here on a Sunday at opening and there was a line out front!! I was shocked, there was a party of 20 as well as other groups lined up. We were seated after a 15 minute wait, the employees were all very kind and efficient. We ordered a ton of food: snow crab, king crab, lobster, shrimp and a few of the sides! For my first time here, ordering was confusing. It's by the pound or something and there were sauces as well they could all be tossed in. It was hard to decide. The only reason I took off a star is because I think it's ridiculous to charge per potato and corn and egg the way they did. Anyways, it was a good family meal and I recommend! read more

Best seafood boil around! Flavors are on point, and the prices are fair. You could totally share one bag between two people if you're ballin on a budget. Tons of tables, customer service is great. Family style ambiance, I 10/10 recommend!! read more

I love going, especially when I'm with my family. We ordered the whole shabang and it's so good every time like literally mouth watery thinking about it! read more

super friendly staff from the hostess to the servers. this specific location is always worth the wait!

The staff is friendly. The food as always is delicious and amazing. And the restaurant itself is very nice and I just love the way it's set up read more

CHANGE your waitlist system. you can't be seriously prioritizing ghost customers over walk-in customers ready to dine in. We were kind of excited when we walked in as there were no lines only to be advised that theres a 30-45 min wait and that theres 16 parties in the waitlist before us when theres only us and another party in the area waiting to be seated. read more

Second time visiting this restaurant last night. I love The Boiling Crab !!! I'm so excited to have a location in North County & even more excited to see that it was super busy here last night; means this restaurant will be here to stay for some time. Inside the restaurant is nice, no writing on any of the walls & there are signs to discourage writing on the walls or there will be a fine. Tons of seating here & I love that I can join the Yelp wait list to save my spot in line. Will absolutely be back here many more time read more

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updated 6/9: i occasionally eat out here and every time that I have ordered the shrimp it is ALWAYS overcooked whether I eat in or out. The whole shabang sauce is also never consistent. Sometimes it will be too salty, or it tastes like nothing. I do not believe that shrimp is supposed to be straight mush and crumble apart when you peel it. read more

Been here a few times for a family birthday. Food was pretty good and the service was excellent. Usually grab shrimp (head on) and some clams. The handwash stations in the back are pretty good and convenient. read more

Food and services are always on point. Never disappoints. My kids and I love the pound shrimp

Super yummy comida and the service is good, get the shrimp it's cheap and delicious. The place is cleans with nice music, lots of sinks for when your hands get dirty read more

Okay, lemme start by saying, it was my first time there. So the food................had I sampled the crab boil before, I'd have ordered that. My bad for having a late lunch and ended up there for dinner with our Men's Ministry. So I ordered breaded shrimp type of meal. It was far too much breading for me at the time. Again, I ate lunch not to long before, so my bad. But, if your still reading, watch this... I sample my brothers boiled shrimp, and wow! Southern seafood boil seasonings and texture/temperature is spot on! Loved love luved it. Service was great, had a large group and the young folk's working here are very professional, most likely college kid's with a good work ethic. Ambiance you may ask? Smells amazing if you're geared up, bib on, and are locked cocked & ready to rock some tasty seafood. I will definitely get the shrimp boil next time. And don't get me wrong, I just hadn't sampled anything here before and went in cold n ordered breaded fried shrimps that didn't suit my mood. Place is very clean, no weird smells coming from anywhere. So it was good, they could probably offer a tempura batter or beer battered fried shrimps to make for a lighter choice. All-in-all, about 90% my speed. Would definitely take a date there someday... So my 4 s are actually closer to 5, but I'm a though sell, so I find tiny thing's in just about anything. read more

Delicious food, awesome service, a bit loud, but still it's so worth the drive to San Marcos!!!

The Boiling Crab is replacing Slater's 50/50, which is a big shoe to fill in my opinion. With a fresh desire for crawfish on my mind, my wife figured she'd try to satiate that craving with a trip here. The decor hadn't changed much, a fresh coat of seafood over the old bacon motifs. And the crowds here are definitely coming in droves, ensuring that this place should be around for a while. And it's not bad. Not mind blowing either. But, certainly the better of these types of places I've been to over the last few months. So far, I've had the Crawfish in the Cajun Seasoning. These are small, difficult to eat, but with the right kind of practice, you can pinch a little tail and suck a little head and have a pretty filling meal. They leave the bag it's all been boiled in, and it's essential you dip every bite into whatever sauce you ordered, as the quick cooking time on your seafood means that little flavoring actually gets into the shellfish. Without it, you're basically just eating bland fish chunks. Still, that butter and seasoning are pretty potent. The potatoes are just potatoes, but edible filler with that sauce. And the corn ... that gets kicked up to a whole other level. I've also had the Heads-On Shrimp as well, which are easier to eat and a bit more satisfying than the crawfish. I very much preferred these as the faces are chitinous, soak up the flavoring, and are nice and crunchily edible. In the end, it's not a true crawfish boil, but it's not a bad facsimile of one. The prices aren't too horrible, you can easily go away full for less than $15-$20 (if you stay away from the lobster or crab), and as long as you keep the bag full of seasoning nearby, your food will go down happily. It's safe to say, we'll be back again in good time. read more

It was super yummy very disappointing that lobster sold out but still very good and yummy

Every time I come here the service and food is top notch. I've only done pick up and still experience such great service. Warmly greeted from when you first call in to when you're picking up. They review and check the order with you before you leave, make sure you have your sauces and utensils, and are so kind and engaging. Today was the first time there was one small hiccup. They hadn't put in my order when I called it in so it wasn't ready when I came to pick it up. I believe the manager took over, and he apologized and explained that there was delay in putting the order in. He gave me a discount since I had to wait longer. I will absolutely be back and it's not because they gave me a discount, but now I've seen customer service when things are correct and when there's one slight issue. I appreciated the transparency and accountability in that moment. As for food - the sha bang bang shrimp, sha bang bang scallops, and catfish are bomb. read more