This place does not disappoint. They are extremely accommodating. The Paloma is chefs kiss every time with a sugar rim. They had a shrimp special recently so definitely call beforehand. The whole sha-bang is delicious. Always ask for salt and pepper for some more flavor. The ambiance is great for get together and group friendly. Highly recommend going 10-15 min before original time to find parking nearby. read more

Visited many locations, the shrimp was over cooked, dirty and the she bang was not dry. Asked for Gumbo and rice, got gumbo no rice.. gumbo was tasty. Catfish and cajun fries didn't come out hot, but was good. Disappointining read more

DO NOT EAT HERE!!!! $178 for two dungeanous crabs, 1 piece of corn, 3 potatoes and 3 boiled eggs. Horrible service, waiter left us and never showed back up. No refills. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!! read more

This is absolutely HORRIBLE I called twice to see if they had blue crabs they said yes 10 mins before I walked in the door I get here they have no blue crabs and the MANAGER was very RUDE and dismissive. He didn't care nit one bit and I was very respectful to him I ubered all the way from Maryland to come here. I will NEVER come back here after the way I was treated. He is the Chinese man with the black glasses read more

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

This seafood boil spot is well situated on H street, and being from the south, I was very excited to see that they were bringing The Boiling Crab to the DC area. The place is fairly small, but wasn't too busy on a Monday evening, so I was able to walk right in. A number of people also came in to pick up online orders while I was there. This place allows you to order shrimp by the half pound, which I always appreciate. I ended up ordering a pound of crab legs and a half pound of shrimp in the whole shabang sauce, medium. Now it's been a while since I've eaten at The Boiling Crab, but I do not remember the whole shabang being so oily!! The oil made the sauce very bland and tasteless, so I wasn't able to enjoy what ever flavor it may have had. I ended up ordering some sausage in the Cajun sauce. This flavor was MUCH better, and I mixed it with my seafood so that I was able to actually enjoy my meal. Other than that, the staff here is super helpful and friendly, and I received superior service. I wish they would add more alcoholic drinks to their menu (they only serve margaritas and beer), but otherwise, this is your typical seafood boil restaurant. read more

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Yes, if anyone likes Tasty Foods Get Yours From The Boiling Crab! It's Super!!. The variety of shellfish in the order makes any hungry person sleeps well! read more

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

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The whole shabangle I love it! I went to the one in California and I was so excited to find it in DC too. Hostess and waitress were so friendly ! read more

We were...underwhelmed. Things just didn't taste that great and weren't necessarily cooked well. The best part was our server. He was incredibly polite and checked on us often. The service was a standout. read more

The Boiling Crab - a table full of food - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was a big fan of boiling crab when I lived in California! It had such a hype when it first opened... so naturally I was very happy to find that they opened one here in DC I called and placed an order.. was told it will be ready in 15 min... after arriving in 15 mins.. to my surprise not only the food wasn't ready, they apearently "lost my order"... the lady acknowledged speaking to me and wrote my order down in a piece of paper but the paper got lost in the shuffle... this was very disappointing to hear.. After waiting for another 10 min there.. the food was finally ready... I got the medium spicy sha-bang which does have a kick. The shrimp wasn't the freshest but was tasty. The corn was way over cooked Overall not a great experience but would come back if I am home sick and wanted a taste of something I remember from back home in California. read more

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

Everything is a la carte (including potatoes, corn, and eggs.) I'm not a fan or accustomed to that at a seafood boil restaurant. They also don't have black mussels or allow you to buy 1/2 lbs of anything except for shrimp. Outside of that though the staff was very nice, the restaurant isn't too loud, and the music is good, but not too loud. Based on the other things I probably won't be back, but everything else is great! read more

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

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The Food was hot, The serve wasGreat, The waitress were friendly The food was season to profection. read more

Upon entrance everything seemed fine. However it seemed like all the staff was new and everything was so unorganized and there was no communication between the staff and kitchen. Upon waiting for our food they messed up our orders more than 3 times. Server apologized and said he would fix it, and then when we thought our food had arrived he apologized and took it back because it was meant for another table. A side of rice took about 30 min to come the server apologized and said there was little communication with the kitchen staff and if it wasn't ready she would go back there and make the rice herself?? Our server also changed like 2-3x. I just don't understand how the service was so bad when we were the last clients to walk in around 8pm and there were only 2 other tables there. read more

The food was great! I got the snow crab, shrimp, and mussels. They were all of great quality. Although I enjoyed the food, there was unfortunately a stray hair found in my crab bag. We alerted the staff and they efficiently solved the problem and included a discount on our bill as well as new crab. Marcell was an astounding server! He was attentive, quick and knowledgable. read more

Food: always smacksssss Service: happy, helpful, and fast Ambiance: clean, fun, and artsy read more

My wife loves this place, she always looks forward to going when we get the chance, the food and wait staff was excellent

Terrible service. The we had to wait forever to get our drinks. There was so much drama happening between the front of house staff and back of house. The only thing that was good was the food. read more

Their food was amazing and our waiter was very attentive. Next time we are in DC, we will visit again!

Nearly 90% of the shrimps had a texture resembling mashed potatoes, suggesting they were not fresh, how such poorly prepared food could have passed inspection. read more

The Boiling Crab - Can you explain what is this ?? - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Stopped in on a random Saturday night. It was easy to find parking close by. Our party of 5 was greeted and seated promptly. Our server Jordan knew the menu well and gave us great suggestions. We had the Sha bang shrimp for appetizer, lemon pepper fries, fried shrimp, crab legs and chicken fingers. The food was good and came out hot, our server checked on us frequently and we enjoyed the laid back atmosphere. Great experience and excellent service. read more

A lil too pricey for the portion size. $85 for two King crab legs and half a claw was a little upsetting but thankfully the manager took care of us. The margaritas were good along with the sides and seasonings but my only other complaint was the frozen corn on the cob. When you've been around long enough, you definitely know the difference. I don't mind paying extra for good food, but please don't cut any corners. This place came highly recommended by a friend who frequents their location in Cali...and even she was disappointed. I strongly doubt there will be another visit. read more

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I just love the boiling crab!! The uniqueness in flavors, the setting and local is perfect for a night out with the girls or family dinning! If you like spice this is the place for you! Be mindful every thing is à la cart which is surprising for some. Service was a little slow the night I went but experience and my service was pleasant! Would recommend oh and make sure you get the lime! Enjoy read more

As DC transplants from California, partner and I were so excited when we saw that Boiling Crab was coming to DC on H street. The staff here is so incredibly friendly every time we have been here, and that is quite a few times! We usually get some mix of oysters, shrimp, mussels, crab, fried and rice and it is delicious! The oysters are massive and my partner loves them with their house made sauce. The last few times we have been, the shrimp has seemed a bit mushy but it is still pretty tasty. The one knock I have is that sometimes the seafood at the top of the bag doesn't seem as well seasoned or drenched in the sauce as the food at the bottom. I wish it was a bit more evenly coated. This place can also get a bit pricey for sure. Overall we love seafood, the flavors are solid, and the staff is extremely kind. Highly recommend if you are looking for a seafood splurge! read more

It wasn't really worth the cost and with there no parking. I don't know if it a Washington DC thing but everything was piece by piece cost. 3 dollar for corn, 7 dollar with sausage, it really ridiculous when you can go to va and go to a place with the whole meal being included and as a whole cheaper then getting random items together. read more

We first had the Boiling Crab on the west coast in San Jose and absolutely fell in love with the sauce. I'm not sure when the Boiling Crab in DC opened but we only recently found out that there was one in this area and we were so delighted! We immediately made plans to come with friends. When we came, the restaurant was relatively empty so it was easy to get a seat. We got the calamari for an appetizer and shrimp and crawfish with corn, potatoes, and sausages in the whole shabang sauce at medium. The sauce is the exact same as we remember, so flavorful and delicious. Not that other places here aren't good, they just don't pack that extra profile. The seafood on the other hand, definitely felt less fresh, maybe frozen. The shrimp tail wasn't easy to get off as it is on a fresh shrimp like other places have. The corn and potatoes were great, just as expected, and the sausage was delicious too! This place is definitely on the pricier end though, so be prepared for that. This place is also further away for us than other seafood boil places in this area. So while the sauce is amazing and out of this world, I think our other go-to's will do since their sauce is still good paired with fresher seafood. read more

It was our first time here and it didn't disappoint. The restaurant itself is super cute. Once they put the white paper down on the table I knew this could get messy so when the team offered bibs and gloves I wanted everything. I would highly recommend all the tools for a successful deep dive into the boil bags. Catfish was fire The Crab and seafood boils were so yummy full of flavor. You can build your own bag and ad in anything your little heart desires. Just so you know mild is still fairly spicy but very flavorful. If you can, ask for Ayana, she was the best, not only was she a solid server, but she really added to the overall experience with her quick response to service and the add ins to our order and friendly suggestions. She also took pictures for us. It was an amazing experience overall and we will be back soon! Also, Matthew, and the whole team in the restaurant tonight were so friendly and hospitable. Really loved it here. Be back soon! read more

The Boiling Crab - Bibbed & Ready! - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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It's actually been hard finding a WELL SEASONED seafood boil with LIVE crawfish. After eating seafood boils down south, I've been disappointed with the boils in the DMV, especially because we are known for crabs, but I must say The Boiling Crab HIT THE SPOT. The flavors were on point and they actually have LIVE CRAWFISH that give you the southern taste and vibe. read more

The Boiling Crab - Fried shrimp basket, crawfish boil, and crab boil - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Over priced and under portioned - crazy the disrespectful business practice they have here. The Manager John is comfortable trip'n people off. Staff doesn't really care either. Hard pass. Being from Cali thought it was gonna be like the locations out there ... definitely not! Naw your employees quoted me over $100 for a half of cluster of snow crab legs 3 boiled eggs and corn - that doesn't reflect market prices at all. Y'all tried it though - y'all really disgraceful charging those prices in the neighborhood y'all located in read more

The Boiling Crab - 1 cluster is a lb ... disgraceful ... I'd rather buy a boat and fish for them myself - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As a native Californian, seafood boil is a must have and I might just have to consider myself a connoisseur in the matter. While on the east coast I was more than delighted to see that there was a boiling crab not that far from me. On both occasions that I visited this restaurant not only was the food amazing, but the service was matched if not better. Every single individual that I interacted with in this establishment had made sure to go above and beyond ensuring top tier service. Specifically Ayana was an absolute sweetheart who offered her suggestions, great service, as well as constant check ins which honestly our table needed haha. We would always forget something else we wanted to order and Ayana had ensured us that it was not a problem. Amazing service, crew, and food. A must while in DC. Try the crabber fries, they are honestly the best fry variety I've had yet ! read more

The Boiling Crab - 1/2 order Crabber fries with lemon pepper - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Coming from Southern California, it's unheard of for me to go to a Boiling Crab and being seated right away, especially for a weekend dinner! I'm used to typical waits being 45 minutes upwards to 2 or 3 hours! Reading previous reviews, and knowing DC, I was aware that parking was not the best in the world. Given this, we decided to take the train. Boiling Crab was only about an 8 minute walk from the station. Not bad! But for those who decides to drive, there were a few nearby garages that didn't seem too bad. My friend found one near the metro station, and it was only $12 for parking. I ordered my typical from California: Cajun fries, 2lbs of clams, and 1lbs of shrimp, whole she-bang, mild. Finally, some rice to eat with the sauce. I brought along some friends that never been to a Boiling Crab, and they ordered the same. Cajun fries were a 10/10. Took me back to California, I would highly recommend everyone to get some fries. They're different from basic fries. Clams were 9/10. It was not quite there compared to California, but was still delicious. A few clams were shut, which I had to pry open. Never had this issue before. Shrimp were 9/10. These are head on, which my friends were not familiar with. I felt as if these were tougher compared to California, but still delicious. She-bang sauce 10/10. If you are a garlic lover, you will LOVE this sauce. Huge garlic chunks may be found inside. The secret is to eat rice WITH the sauce. This will change your life. My friends were all mind blown. They were a bit apprehensive when we first arrived, but they already want to come back! read more

My friend who's a cajun boil fan has been telling me I got to try The Boiling Crab while I was in Cali, I'm glad I was able to try it here in DC b/c I didn't get a chance to there. I think The Boiling Crab was one of the first "seafood in a plastic bag" cajun boil franchises, and it was good to try. I like how the cajun boil has big garlic chunks, and was really tasty, Like all cajun boils, it was salty and will leave you with cotton mouth after, but it was tasty, and I would go back. read more

We went there on a Saturday evening around 8:30. There were a few people in there but definitely not packed. It had both upstairs and downstairs dining options so that was nice. We sat upstairs. Our waitress was super nice and answered all of our questions since that was our first time in. Let me start by saying I was flabbergasted appalled that the potatoes, sausage, corn was not included in the seafood boil. Excuse me!!! So basically what I got was a pound of shrimp with the chosen seasonings...that's it! If I wanted anything that normally comes in a boil bag was extra!! And then the "sauce" was so sparse and I guess that's because they want you to pay that $4.50 for extra "juice". And then they only had shrimp with the heads on them! And then they didn't automatically give you gloves you had to request them. It's a no for me. Maybe y'all do it differently in MD...IDK... read more

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This place was such a disappointment. Our server, Peaches, was amazing, but the seafood boil was nasty. The sauce was more like an oil but it lacked seasoning and flavor. The eggs tasted like microwavable eggs, the shrimp were very mushy and the corn wasn't good. We ordered calamari and crab fries which were pretty decent. On the flip side, the manager was very nice and polite about the situation. He adjusted our bill and was very apologetic. If it wasnt for Peaches and the manager, I wouldn't even give them 2 stars! read more

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I've been an avid fan of Boiling Crab from their CA locations for awhile now so I was pretty excited to hear there was a location in DC. My party of two came around noon on a Sunday and were seated immediately. Latoya was our server and she went above and beyond with the customer service. She was very informative and kept checking in with us throughout our entire meal to make sure everything was okay! Moving onto the food: you have a wide selection of seafood options to choose from and then you choose the type of sauce you want it in and the spice level. My go-to is 1lb of shrimp with the whole shabang sauce (basically a combo of all their sauces and def the move!) in medium. I added potatoes to my order and also ordered crab fries as an appetizer. The fries are so crispy and the crab (super soft) with the sauce (kinda like a tartar sauce?) compliment one another so well. Every time I go to Boiling Crab, I always forget how good these fries are! As for the shrimp, you won't regret getting whole shabang on them. This cajun, garlicky, buttery sauce coats the shrimp so well and it just draws you to keep eating. Their sauce is more on the chunky side but I feel like that brings out the flavor more than being more liquid buttery. The shrimp was approx $16 market price but I ended up being so full with half the bag that I ended up taking the rest home as leftovers so definitely getting bang for your buck. Overall, I think that this is well comparable to my experiences with the CA ones. Maybe I give the DC location more brownie points because I didn't have to wait the usual 2 hours that I do elsewhere to get a table! Highly recommend to anyone who has never experienced Boiling Crab or anyone in the market for some good seafood. read more

The Boiling Crab - crab fries (full size) - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We came in today and ordered the crab legs and shrimp; it was DELICIOUS! Rasaan was our server; He made great recommendations as he always does and gave us outstanding service!!!! The crab legs and shrimp were so fresh. We will definitely be back. read more

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

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I'm very new to DC and the only place that I continue to go to at least once a month is this restraunt. I come alone all the time and every single time the staff is nice and friendly. Today I had gone to a few places for dinner but all were closed so I decided to go to my comfort place. I was seated and waited for my food to come, only this time I waited long. I knew the food was worth it so I didn't fuss! However, the manager, John came up and explained the situation and was just so great about everything! Thank you to the amazing staff for ALWAYS being so awesome. Eating out alone is hard but this place makes things less awkward! read more

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

Over priced seafood place in DC located on H St NE. The quality of seafood is not the best. The shrimp appeared frozen rather than fresh not to mention it is very small. Seasoning is great and the presentation is very minimal work since it comes in a plastic bag ready to peel and eat. The crab legs are also overpriced. Staff are friendly and they are overstuffed for the amount of guest they get. I would not recommend unless you really want to try it. Instead go to the wharf for fresh seafood. read more

I came here the day after they opened and had a great experience. The seafood and shabang sauce was tasty and spicy. The staff were all pleasant and helpful in checking-in and making sure my experience went well. My waitress was able to answer all my questions and provided some great suggestions. Given that it was my first time, I did request to try one of the spicier sauces, and she brought me a huge container of it, and also charged me almost $5 for it, without telling me there was a charge for it first. I only wanted to try a little so it was abit of a waste to be charged for such a big container that I really didn't have a use for. Outside of that, everything else went well. They don't have a bar, or any drink specials, so that would be great to see in the future. I believe there are only 2 options for drinks right now (margarita and michelada), and a few beers. read more

Great environment & good guest service. Music is great for the atmosphere. My drink is amazing

Finger licking good. Still thinking about it for hours after my meal. Their Instagram feed always drives me hungry. (Better Mukbang clips than YouTube) Months after months of drooling, the DC location, we were invited for friends and family event ahead of their Opening on Monday. Within their limited menu, we were still able to taste their Whole Sha-bang sauce. I truly believe that it's made in heaven for garlic lovers. Shrimps were super sweet and tender. Crawfish were so fresh and chewy. Ah! lemon pepper fries -- the biggest surprise to me. I could go just for this. read more

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Very nice customer service , the food looks amazing I love the vibes and music, I was very impressed by the customer service