We went around 6pm on a Saturday. Our wait time was around 1.5 hours. We were at a location in Garden Grove last week around close time and that experience wasn't as good. But the food and customer service received at this location was incredible. We ordered the fried catfish basket, the whole sha-bang medium shrimp and corn and potatoes. The shrimp was bomb. We always order a xxx sauce on the side so that everyone in the party can enjoy the meat without it being too spicy. The catfish comes out piping hot. The fries are always on point. The service was also on point. We had people checking in on us a good amount of times and grabbing what we needed quickly. read more

I haven't been to Boiling Crab in nearly 10 years. Back when it was really hyped and trendy. It was time to try it again. Me and my wife arrived on a Sunday around 3:30 PM. We put our name down on the Yelp waitlist and the wait for a party of 2 was maybe 90 min. Essentially if you go anytime on the weekend expect to wait at least an hour. There is no such thing as "off times" on the weekend. Evidently Boiling Crab is still as popular as ever. We didn't mind waiting. Once our number was next we were promptly seated. First thing I noticed was how great the service was from the host, to the waiters, to the helpers. We ordered shrimp and Cajun fries. Shrimp is $18/pound and it is the only seafood you can order by the half-a-pound. After ordering the food came out in less than 10 min. Besides the initial wait, everything else about the dining experience was very efficient, which tells me the long waits are not a fault to slow service. I think they are being as efficient as they can. The dining experience was pleasant. They supply bibs, gloves, etc for easy clean-up. There are TVs showing sports. We were out of there at $45 for two. A pretty good deal considering the unique dining experience. I can see why Boiling Crab remained popular after all these years. read more

The Boiling Crab - Cajun fries - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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We absolutely love coming to The Boiling Crab - Santa Ana. This location is so special to us. My husband and I have been coming here since before our son was born -- and we even came here when we got married (lol yes, seafood was a must on our big day!). Every time we walk in, it feels nostalgic in the best way. We love the way it looks and feels inside -- it's lively, cozy, and just has that fun, casual energy. We always ask for a booth because it feels a little more intimate, and honestly, it just makes the whole experience even better. One of the things we love most is how they lay that white paper right on the table and you can just eat without plates and be as messy as you want. There's something so fun and freeing about that! It makes the whole meal feel like an experience, not just dinner. It had been a while since our last visit, so I was excited to see they now offer mussels -- and they did NOT disappoint. So fresh and flavorful! But the real star this time? The crab fries. SO good. Perfectly seasoned, loaded, and addicting. I'm definitely ordering those again next time. The seafood is always consistent, the flavors always hit, and now we get to bring our son with us, which makes it even more special. If you love bold, flavorful seafood and a fun, messy-in-the-best-way kind of experience, this place never disappoints. read more

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I've been to this place once before for dine-in, but this time we decided to order food instead. One thing I really appreciated is that they were open on January 1, especially since many places were closed for the holiday, and I do want to acknowledge the staff who were working that day. The food was good overall. If you're a seafood lover, this is definitely a place worth trying--especially the shrimp, which was amazing. The fried calamari was also very good and flavorful. The ambiance is okay, but it could be cleaner. As for the service, the staff was average--not rude, but not especially friendly or attentive either. They may have been busy, which could explain it, but a bit more attention to customers would make a big difference. Overall, it's a good spot to try, especially if you enjoy seafood. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Oh my goshhhh. For years I have heard how good The Boiling Crab is and I have always wanted to try it. Tonight was the night and I am so glad I did! Food -10/10. We got snow crab, shrimp, potatoes, corn, and sausage. All were amazing. We got the sauce that's all 3 in one at mild spice, which was so delicious. Service- 10/10. Everyone was soooooo kind and helpful. Johnathan G was our server and was amaaaazing. Multiple people also came to check in us periodically to make sure we were doing okay. I really appreciated how attentive they were! They also brought us extra gloves, tools, and sauces to help elevate our experience. Environment- Parking was great. Location was great. There was a lot of seating. Clean restaurant and bathrooms. The restaurant was hoppin but not too loud. I can't wait to come back :) read more

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Service was great! If you get sausage 2 links is a lot!! Food came out pretty fast given it was busy. The crab fries were very good! The garlic aioli was very tasty. The Sha Bang Bang Shrimp was pretty good, just the amount I needed. read more

The Boiling Crab - Sha - Bang Bang Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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We've been going here for years, love their crawfish, shrimp, and king crab whole shabang (medium spicy) with extra garlic. So good. Though the king crab is a bit on the expensive side right now, $90/lb.. but the other items aren't too bad. The place is clean and the employees are very kind. read more

The Whole Sha-Bang seasoning had the right balance of buttery richness, Cajun spice, and citrus flavor. What impressed me most was that the food was still hot after delivery, making it taste just as good as dining in. The mussels came in full shells instead of half shells and some had beards. read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp Mussels - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Crawfish and shrimp was not as fresh as I remember it to be, but still a solid spot. Sauce is good. read more

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Nice and spacious restaurant suitable for small families and also large gatherings. You can scan the QR code on the napkin holder to see the menu but staff will stop by to take your order. Stick to shrimp and skip the crab. We got 2 lbs of shrimp ($36) and 2 clusters of snow crab (1.5 lbs = $66). There's barely any meat in the crab... most of the weight is the crab shell. Next time we will do 3-4 lbs of shrimp for our family of two adults and two kids. Corn and sausage were good. Potato was ok. We got the whole sha-bang (SB) sauce (combo of all 3 sauces: Cajun, lemon pepper and garlic butter) with mild spice level. A bit too salty and spicy for kids. Next time, will get garlic butter with no spice. Kids enjoyed the add on Cajun fries. Saw someone order rice, might try that to go with the garlic butter shrimp. Staff was friendly. Relaxing and family-friendly atmosphere. read more

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My kids are obsessed with The Boiling Crab. Every time we go, the place is packed, so definitely try to get there right when it opens. We love the snow crab and shrimp, and my son somehow eats an entire pound of crawfish by himself every single time. It's such a fun and special spot here in Orange County and honestly one of the best seafood places around. If you love messy, flavorful seafood boils and a super fun atmosphere, this place is a must. read more

We've been coming to this BC for yearsssss, 2015 to be exact, and it's hands down the best location we've been to! The food is always fresh, flavorful, and consistent! What really stands out is the service - staff and managers (Sarahhhhhh) are amazing, very friendly, and always make us feel welcome. The managers are fantastic and clearly lead a great team, which shows in how smoothly everything runs. The vibe is great every time we come. Highly recommend this location to anyone looking for great seafood and even better service. We'll definitely keep coming back for many more years! :o) read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

We came here on a Saturday night with 9 people so it was an expected long wait. We waited over 2 hours and finally got sat around 9pm. Prior to this we tried waitlisting in person around 6pm, letting them know we wanted to eat around 8:30. One worker almost put our name down, and the two others said no Which is fine. We got sat at a booth which is a little inconvenient for our group and didn't want to wait for another table. We ordered 3 fries and 1 of them came out first, then the other 2. I ordered the mild shebang, and I'm pretty sure this was a medium. It was so spicy, it didn't fulfill my cravings. Even my friend's sauce that my sauce color was a lot more redder than theirs and they ordered mild too. Their service is pretty decent/good they check up on you periodically maybe because it was near the end of the day and they wanted to wrap up so they could go home lol. But things would've been good if it wasn't so spicy!! read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I love the shrimp with at this place. Be sure to ask for the whole shebang and mild spice. Also, the corn, eggs and sausage go really well with the shrimp. Enjoy! read more

Lately I feel like I've been writing bad reviews for restaurants because workers have been so rude. Not here! Everyone is so friendly happy and helpful! Such a pleasant experience. Our waitress was so sweet and helpful. Two of us got the the shrimp with corn sausage and eggs. And each got a bag of snow crab. DELICIOUS. All cooked perfectly, flavorful, and hot. We also got the Cajun fries. Ooo so good. As for ambiance, the music played 10/10 90's-2000's hits. Just turn it up next time haha! Thanks for the great experience read more

The Boiling Crab - Whole Sha - Bang Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Elaine was so amazing and was a great server! The food was amazing and I had a great time here.

First time here at the recommendation of our fried and was blown away at the quality and ambiance of the restaurant. I had been hesitant to eat here due to the idea of having to eat with my hand, but they have gloves and a bib for you to wear if you want when handling your food. Service was warm, friendly, and accommodating. They have a variety of seafood In a bag, or fried options for those who do not want to go down the flavorful bag route. I also love that they have wings and fries--vast menu to accommodate various palates! read more

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The service was great, however I was not a fan of the food in general. First time at this chain, just not a fan of the style and way the dishes are served (in bags). I am aware that there are other items onbthe menu, however, the main purpose is to order items that are in the bags...so, there's is that. Needless to say, the ambiance is welcoming and family friendly. If you enjoy your seafood in a bag, then this is the place for you! read more

Pro tip: reserve your party on the Yelp waitlist before driving all the way there! By the time you get there and park they'll be ready to seat you. I didn't take pictures because you gotta know the foods already gonna bust. PS for all the seafood boils, if you add on corn it's only ONE corn per order. So keep that in mind when you think you'll get like 3 in a bag. I love that you can choose spice levels as well. Definitely will return in the future. read more

It's not the first time I've eaten at Boiling Crab and since I was here three years ago, it has always been a spot to crave for! The shellfish is cooked and seasoned to perfection. The secret to it is the delicious sauce while scooping the shellfish out with your hands elevates the flavor and experience! It's a restaurant where sharing food with family and friends. For three hungry excited people we shared a pound each of the shrimp and crawfish with steamed rice. Peeling the crawfish initially takes some practice. From past dining experience I noticed that the sauce this time was not as much as it was before. Nevertheless we left satisfied and happy. Service is prompt and fast. Will definitely come back again to ease the cravings! read more

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Service 5/5 Ambiance 3/5 Food 3.5/5 Value 3.5/5 I wish I had taken photos of our boiled bags. Unfortunately we were just hungry and dug on in. I ordered one pound of shrimp, sausage and potatoes and an order of fried calamari. My friend ordered king crab, sausage, corn and potatoes. We both ordered mild and the mixed sauces of all the flavors. The order was fresh and I wish I had ordered medium spice as it was a little bland to my taste but my friend loved as is. I wish the shrimp could have been ordered without the heads and my rice order would have arrived. Unfortunately it was MIA. The calamari was ok, just ringlets no tentacle and tasted frozen and soft fried and I would have preferred harder. The service was excellent outside of the missing rice, the servers were attentive, cleaned our tables and refilled our ice teas. The ambiance is kind of loud and busy with lots of families having celebrations. This spot is clean and small details like limes, salt/pepper, to-go containers were brought quickly. I would definitely recommend and would return if in the area. read more

Natalie at The Boiling Crab was awesome--super friendly, fast, and made sure we had everything we needed the whole time. Great attitude and really attentive service. She definitely made the experience better. read more

An hour and a half wait for LITERALLY ONE PERSON ,walked in asked about wait time for one person and was told and 1:hour and 30ins

Just finished lunch with the boys, Natalie was our server and she was FANTASTIC. Will be back very soon. .

The food is amazing and also the waiters are very nice and friendly, also the prices are not really bad

Amazing!! Go to spot with my friends every time we hangout. Always super fast to get food out and it definitely makes up for the days with longer waits. read more

I came here today with the family for lunch to celebrate my niece's birthday. Boiling crab is one of her favorite places to eat at. We got there when they opened Noon Saturday 3/28/26. My mom ordered the fried catfish bucket while my step dad got the chicken tenders bucket. Both my niece and I got the dungeness crab while sharing two pounds of shrimp, corn on the cob, and sausage with my sister and nephew. The food was good nice and spicy even though it can be a bit messy. I don't eat crab often so I was struggling to break it up so my mom helped me out. The service was good we had multiple servers check on us beside our main server. Even though I enjoyed my experience here I think it's going to be awhile before I come back. read more

It was my first time at this location and wow I am impressed. This location is bigger than the other locations I've been to. Everything we ordered came out quick. It was hot and ready for me to devour. Everything tasted delicious. It was very flavorful and saucy. The staffs were all very attentive. read more

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It's probably been about 10 years since I've been to Boiling Crab and I totally forgot how good it was. This location is in a plaza so there is ample parking, although the spots are on the smaller side. We put our name on the Yelp waitlist on a Friday evening and didn't wait long until we were seated. OYSTERS ($17 for 6) - these were plump and good. Some of them varied in size though so some were visibly bigger than others. 4.5/5 SHRIMP ($16/lb) - I got a pound of this with the whole sha-bang sauce and mild spice. There were tons of garlic and I drenched the shrimp in it right after I peeled them. We thought mild spice was perfect for us and I was licking my fingers at the end. 5/5 CORN ON THE COB ($1.60) - it came in the bag and soaked up the sauce but it was just okay. 3/5 SAUSAGE ($7) - the portions were pretty good and it also came in the bag so it soaked up the sauce. I liked this more than the corn. 4/5 CAJUN FRIES ($6) - these were very well-seasoned and crispy. 4.5/5 SHA-BANG BANG SHRIMP ($12) - I've never had this before and we ordered this last minute. I'm glad I did because this was delicious! The fried batter was thin and very well-seasoned mixed with the whole sha-bang sauce. I was shocked by how good this was. 5/5 When we left we saw that the long was out the door and the waitlist was closed, and we estimated the wait would be at least an hour and maybe two. I definitely recommend putting your name on the waitlist or getting here early. Otherwise, be prepared to wait. read more

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Top tier food every time. Service is on time and always ask to refill drinks when needed and very attentive to our needs.

Medium was perfect for the fries and the sauce! The shrimp was crispy, and the crawfish was good quality--clean and live! The service was very accommodating overall besides the wait, which is expected here. Overall great place for lunch or to bring the family! NOLA born and raised approved read more

The Boiling Crab - Fried Shrimp Basket - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

The boiling Crab was the absolute best sea food place I ever had! Not only was the food finger licking good but the service there was amazing! As soon as we got there they seated us quickly and attended us! I love their service and the place has a beautiful vibe! Everyone was friendly and it gave me a family feel! I will continue to visit this place again!! read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp, Corn on the Cob, Snow Crab Legs Sausage - Seafood Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Boiling crab is one of my favorite Cajun seafood spots to go to. We usually get a half pound of shrimp and some sides with the whole shabang medium! Service is always friendly and tentative. Ambiance is a fun vibe and great for large groups - expect a wait if you go on a weekend or evening! read more

Great food. Service was great! New to this location. They took their time to go over the menu!

Second time visiting this location, I love how we can join the waitlist via yelp ! It's so convenient since boiling crab always has a long searing time but it's so worth it. Our server was attentive and food was delicious! I normally go to the two locations in garden grove so it's nice that food is consistent throughout! read more

Food 10/10 Service is good And thy haw multiple tvs that play every sport and seating is great read more

Food is delicious and the margarita was exceptional we definitely will be back thank you

Enjoyed shrimp in a bag, soft shell crab, and sweet potato fries. Service was good. We'd do it again.

The food was amazing and the service was spectacular. Overall just a great place to go with your family.

Always a solid choice, but plan on getting there right at open or you may need to anticipate a wait. Haven't been back in a while, but it was a great experience. Service was really good and the food was delicious. Went with whole shebang with shrimp, sausage, clams, and corn. So good. Also got the Cajun fries medium heat. All with some steamed rice and it was another great visit. read more