So I when to the boiling crab today . I was so excited to go because of all the reviews on social media. My server Brayan was amazing he gave me great service definitely a 10/10 will be coming back soon. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Was looking forward to the blue crab and the unorthodox dining style (out of a plastic bag with your fingers). The Boiling Crab was very clean and the atmosphere was fun. Unfortunately, the place was pretty empty for the dinner hour on a weekend night which should have been a hint. Our waiter was uninformed even though he claimed that he wasn't new. The food was inconsistent. Some was pretty good (the gumbo and the crabby fries). Some was bland or overly spiced (the crab). The corn on the cob had zero flavor. Overall a very average meal. read more

5 stars just for the michelada! The service was great and they were very helpful with any questions I had since it was my first time there. Would definitely return. read more

The Boiling Crab - Michelada with Modelo - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We placed an order for pick up at 5pm on the dot, I was 25 mins away & once I got there the food was ready, the customer service is great employees are very friendly & neat with all orders! I definitely recommend!!! read more

The food was delicious and shrimps were fresh. The fries were also delish. The restaurant was very clean and private. The service was top notch! The waiters were friendly and helpful, and not annoying like in other restos. I am also very glad that they dont impose a minimum tip. It was an amazing experience overall! read more

No corn,NO OLD BAY, no hush puppies and 45.00 for a single cluster of legs...Fried shrimp is basic and chew like rubber...The charge 1.00 for butter and they don't allow you to have dry rub seasoning because they need it for the sauce..Won't eat here again oh and they have limes with a sprinkle of lemons. Waste of money read more

See all

I've come to this restaurant a few times hoping for a different experience but I always get the same outcome there is never anyone to greet me and i often find myself sitting myself the service from most of the servers here are horrible most of them have attitudes and are very rude I have met a few that were very attentive however I did notice that there never seems to be a manager around for times when I have a question or concerns the food for the most part is pretty good I just wish the service from both managers and staff was better I love that they take apple pay read more

A cute vibe! We ate outside (make sure you bring some OFF spray) there were only 2 servers a guess because it was a Tuesday but their service was great and it was an average wait for the food. Kinda of pricey...double what you would pay at the grocery store ($40 for a lb of snow crabs which is one cluster) but if you're on a budget why are you eating out? The food was pretty good...my only complaint is I wish the sauce didn't have so much oil! Would definitely go again! read more

The food is precooked and cold. And it's 2023 and they don't have a headless shrimp option. Sauce is also mostly oil and lacks seasoning.

I, personally, found the menu a little confusing. But the food was amazing (especially the gumbo). And Latoya did a great job taking care of us. For only having been open a few days, they did great. read more

The Boiling Crab - The gumbo (left) was super tasty. The catfish (right) was solid. And the Cajun (medium) fries had some kick. - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Unfortunately the experience was not great. We came on a Sunday afternoon on the early side and were told that they were out of blue crabs, dungeness crabs, and mussels. We sat down anyway and was going to order a drink and study the menu to see what else we might want. We decided to leave when the (clearly very young, inexperienced) server didn't know what a "lager" was. This place is in such a great location. Just needs to get its act together! read more

I was surprised to find a reasonably priced seafood restaurant. This is not a place for formal dining, but is a great to-go or quick dine-in experience. The fried shrimp was good, but needed a little heavier breading. The service was fast and friendly. Dipping were mediocre (Tatar was bland and the ranch was from a bottle I assume). The crab and boiled shrimp looked flavorful and large. read more

All the seafood surpassed expectations. Manager was handsome af. Playlist was full of slappers. 10/10 would recommend. read more

If you like Buffalo sauce in your seafood boil then this is the spot for you! I'm not into the sauce at The Boiling Crab at all. It taste like the Hooters of seafood chains... Literally. But you are probably wondering why I have the restaurant 3 stars if I dislike the seafood boil. It's all about the fried foods! Get the fried shrimp or catfish, but dear God don't get anything in a bag unless you like lemon pepper over powering the sauce and a chucks of flavorless garlic. read more

Our boils were great. Would definitely return for a second chance. Service was the issue. Understaffed and obviously undertrained. Waited forever for Gumbo that never came but by the time the manager who did try and resolve it we couldn't wait faithfully anymore. read more

Comparing to one of their branches in California, this location gets our order wrong. Please consider setting up a better phone system so that your staffers could hear customers better in an often noisy environment. read more

This place was awesome!! Came here for my birthday with some family from out of town and had a blast!! Loved sitting outside, our server was awesome and the food and drinks were heavenly! We got an assortment of things(all naturally gluten free too) from the mussels, to shrimp to basically a low country boil. Everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly and we just couldn't get enough. Can not wait to come back because it's a guaranteed AMAZING meal! read more

This place is good. Unfortunately, they had ran out of a lot of things starting with the beer, the gloves, and a bunch of the seafood. The things that we did get were fantastic. read more

As a Californian I am happy a DC location opened. It was as bomb as I remembered. Got the fried oysters, the whole shabang mixture at medium hot probably could've gone hotter for the snow crab, half a pound of shrimp and shrimp basket. Service was great and music was bumping. Too busy eating to take pics. read more

Took some snow crab legs to go and it was AMAZING!! My boyfriend and I will definitely be coming back! Taking my mom to eat here soon!

Not sure how I did not write a review for this place yet! I have only been once, haven't made it back on this side of town yet. But the crab boil was amazing!!! On the pricey side but well worth it. Unfortunately, I went during COVID and so things were limited, the bar's service and craft were subpar at best (I'll just have water). Was hard to get sat and not the most comfortable place to sit. No ambiance. It's literally about the food! Not sure if I will ever get another other crab boil from somewhere else in DC- this is my first and only stop. read more

Finalllly they are open!! The food was AMAZING. We got an order of shrimp and crab legs. We couldn't decide on which sauce so we got the whole Sha-bang--it was the best of 3 worlds. They also have options for non seafood loving people. The Cajun wings were well spiced and delicious. I also highly recommended the michelada and the cajun fries! Service was also great too! everyone was so friendly and was very helpful. Can't wait to come back!! read more

I really enjoyed my food at the boiling crab I ordered oysters for my appetizer and the fried shrimp basket as my entree,everything was delicious. I love boiling crab oyster sauce.The restaurant was cute wasn't too crowded but we did go around 4pm so it was still early. The only con was the restaurant don't have there liquor license so hopefully they get that soon. Will definitely be back. read more

Okay I was so excited about this place! Every time I passed it, I would remember the boiling crab in Houston that I would eat at with my family and got so excited that I would have that experience in DC! So let me describe my to-go experience: Service: When I walked in, I was at the wrong door so they told me to go to the to-go register. Greeting was whatever when I first walked in but it also was early in the day for them so I understand they were getting it all together. The to-go register had very friendly staff! I was met at the register by Jaylen and John (the manager). We had a very pleasant conversation and they assisted me with making my choices. I truly appreciate the tips they gave as well. Food: I ordered the seafood boil with shrimp, sausage, eggs and potatoes in the shabang mild. It was pretty decent. The flavoring was okay. It tastes a bit oily for me and needed a bit more seasoning and maybe a sweetness to add to it but I would get the seafood boil again in the garlic butter flavor instead. Some of my shrimp were also mushy after I did allow the bag to be open to make sure they don't overcook but that's okay bc I had some that were good! Stuff happens. The sides were cooked well! Overall, I would come back and try to eat in person to get the full experience. Love the staff in the togo area. Service is great but the food wasn't as good this time as I know it has potential to be, so I'm going to give 4 stars instead of 5. read more

The best seafood boil I've been to! I live in Philly and my friends and I take the trip all the way down to DC all the time to eat their food! It's that good! We always order their sha bang bang shrimp with a side of cocktail sauce and their crab legs! There is so much flavor and the spice is just right! Please open one in Philly! read more

Food good 7/10 but too pricey $44 for one snow crab cluster ONE I'm from Louisiana where you can get bout 4 snow crab clusters for bout $42 but overall waitress was nice loved her. read more

Thank you so much to the Cook Mr.KJ for making our experience wonderful. He had a great personality, got our food out quick and made our food with love. We will definitely be back because of him. Thank you again read more

Let me start off with saying the servers here are awesome.. but everything else is just downhill.. I've been to many crab boil restaurants from Pennsylvania to Virginia and this honestly was just the worst. First let's start with the price .. we ordered a lb of crab legs each and a half lb of shrimp... the half lb of shrimp was 13 I think.. sure reasonable ... the snow crab legs were like 43 a lb not king crab legs ... snow crab legs for 43 a lb!!!! ... the menu says market price for most items you order there by the way so you have no clue how much till you ask and sides aren't included in the bag they charge individually for corn potatoes and eggs . ,we were like whatever we are here and hungry so we ordered them... let me tell you my jaw about hit the floor when the bag came out and there was one cluster of crab legs in each bag ... ONE! Ain't no way that was a lb of crab legs.., wellllll as I got to my last leg in my bag I noticed a black mark in the claw I went to open it and it was pure black inside ... obviously not their fault it happens so I mentioned it to our waiter and the manager came over to look... he took the crab and said he would get me another ... he brought me out another single leg to replace about 15 minutes later ... I would just saw if you are thinking about going here for crab seafood... DONT! We paid our tab and quietly left but for the amount of money spent and to still feel hungry when leaving ...something isn't right... I was in Virginia a week later and ordered from another crab boil place and my lb of crab legs were 23.99 and also more than one cluster of legs, also included potatoes, corn and an egg ...I also went to captain George's in Virginia and all you can eat crab legs were 42 bucks a person ... this location just seems to be price gauging insanely... I just can no way justifying ever returning or recommending read more

It's our first time dining in at this Boiling Crab location. The food was really tasty. We loved their whole Sha-Bang sauce, it's the best one! The service crew are really welcoming and friendly. They explained the menu very well. Overall, service and food deserved five star rating. It was a great dining experience. Will definitely come back again. read more

The food was absolutely amazing-- we had the shrimp and snow crab in the whole shabang. The staff was also so friendly and wonderful. They did a great job of offering recommendations, checking in on us, and were just all around so kind. 10/10 would recommend to anyone. read more

Overpriced, they were out of too many items to call it a crab boil, butter is $1 for a small ramekin when you purchase $45 for 1 cluster not pound of crab legs, shrimp basket undercooked, children's chicken meal is literally a froze chicken patty on fries, and last but not least they don't have old bay so you're forced to dip your seafood in the premix seasoning bag of oil and hot sauce because the GM says it's a flavor from New Orleans but I've got creole in my family and they use old bay and Cajun seasoning...The staff is not from here and it definitely shows, and to think this place is the old Horse and Dickie's smh Gentrification at its not so best.~A Very DISAPPOINTED True Washingtonian who won't be returning. read more

What amazing customer service. Nakiah was our server and she repeated our order to make sure it was perfect. A great service we rarely get in this world anymore. the gentleman that was the host was so nice. The young lady that dropped off the food also a sweetie. Everyone was so nice. The owners stopped by! Food was great. I'll be back. read more

First off we had 3 different servers. The manager gave us plastic silverware with his bare hands, during COVID. They gave us 1/3 cup of Tabasco sauce, like they were paying for it! The shrimp came with head on, and doesn't have an option for head off! The menu prices aren't the same for what they charged us. The corn, potatoes, sausage, and main dish all came separately, not in one bag at all! We had to pay for those on the side. VERY VERY stingy restaurant. Not worth the money or wait. read more

Food was great! TV, Place was very clean. Drinks was very good. Family friendly. We will be back soon.

Cold corn and potatoes, very salty sauce, seafood is not good at all. I love boiling crab at CA. This one is terrible.

What can I say.....this will be a long one: for starters, they recently opened up and they did not have the Blue Crabs and only had shrimp w/heads. The just opened up how is the menu wrong Then we ordered appetizers and they came out during our main course. The Main course order was wrong To top that, we could hear the entire conversation between our server and the manager about our order being wrong. The food, well, the crabber fries were not that great, they just threw some crab meat on top; the boil, eh, okay but not great, especially for the price, let me just say, the fried chicken wings were the best (appetizer) but it's a seafood restaurant. PRICE: DON'T believe the price on the menu because when you get there, they will tell you the prices went up and the food isn't worth it ‼ Oh and everything is NOT included in the price, it's Ala Carte, extra for corn on the cob, extra for sausages, extra for potatoes, extra for boiled eggs, etc.... and that's not cheap, $2.50 for HALF ear of corn ‼‼ Server: Unexperienced, that's all I will say. Not rude, just inexperienced. You get big tips based on service. Establishment: Small. Parking: Giant Grocery Store. Why didn't we leave: because, we were hungry and was already there. Will I visit again or refer a friend: Never. Next time go the The Wharf, get everything you want and it will still be cheaper than you having your own boil and your time‼. Hopefully, after time, it will be better, if not, they will be closed within a year or two due to lack of business ethics. Have a great day read more

I'm from New York and we came down for a wedding so my husband and I decided to check this place out. I had snow crab legs and he had the King we had the the whole sha-bang seasoning mild flavor. I should have known when are server gave us hot sauce, lime and salt and pepper that the taste was going to be disgusting. How do you mess up a crab boil just ask The Boiling crab. The server told use we would get a whole corn that was cut in half when we received our order it was one baby corn. my husband was told he would have a claw with his king crab order he did not. I've been to crab boils in several different states and this is the worse one please trust me when I tell you don't waste your time. I asked the server how are the lemon pepper fries he said they are fries with lemon WTF? I said how are they how do they taste I got a blank stare another clue was the place was empty on a Saturday at 6PM read more

Ive had boiling crab dozens of times before back home in Cali , this was in 2009 ... when i seen it opening here in dc i was so excited it brought back so many memories. I ordered a Lb of snow crab in the whole shabang sauce mild. I was honestly disappointed it doesn't taste like what i remembered... it taste very different and just off in my opinion. Maybe this review will help them fix the sauce bcuz it taste like something is missing. read more

Extremely overpriced and no liquor or wine choices. A pound of seafood equates to two or three pounds elsewhere. There is no surprise this place stays empty. Gentrification at its best. Think twice before you decide to visit here on any given day. Disappointed in the business model. read more

Amazing food! And such great service. I will be coming back again and again! I had the shrimp and snow crab with the whole sha-bang sauce: I recommend adding potatoes and corn. read more