My wife and mother-in-law came in and it has been a long time since we've been here. It was remodeled so well super beautiful. I ordered the smoked salmon. My wife ordered the white fish and my mother-in-law ordered the shrimp and scallops We started off with a loaf of bread and butter. Everything was so delicious. Candace took great care of us. She was fun and polite and just very welcoming. I highly recommend this place Sincerely, thank you TJ read more

Casual seafood eatery perfect for refueling after a long day at the beach. Or anytime! Service was outstanding!!! Super friendly and on top of refills. I ordered the halibut which was the fresh catch of the day. Holy cow was this the best fish I've ever had. Firm and tender at the same time and not fishy at all. The pickled coleslaw was deceptively delicious, as well as the mashed potatoes. The bread was also a hit. Clam chowder is tomato based I believe, Manhattan style, but still extremely creamy. We sat in the area closest to Newport Blvd with the windows open. It was a beautiful view. The decor was fun too! Lots of nostalgic items on display. Parking is tight so you might find yourself walking off the calories. read more

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We have been going to Crab Cooker since the mid 80s. All those years it hasn't been either good or wonderful. That's why we kept coming back. Lately, The main chef has either changed or become sloppy. The skewers are now saltier, burnt but oddly not fully cooked inside the fish. How can he burn them when I can see him standing over the grill? Does he not pay attention? He is def rushing the orders and grill on high heat. How lazy.... Please tell the chef to sharpen up or you will lose long time customers read more

Was expecting more but feel even at 3 stars I am being nice. Came in for a light lunch with my wife because we couldn't find parking close to the other place that we were actually planning on going to first. Was mildly disappointed and feel they survive based on location alone. It's not that the food is bad, I would say it is on the better side of average, but the portions are small and the prices are high. Waitress was super nice and the reason they got three stars. Nothing had that OMG reaction as far as quality or selection. The location is great, inside the dining room is nice and inviting, and parking is horrible. read more

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"The Main Thing is to Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing" This place has been around forever. Newport Beach was a big party destination for me back in my college days. We used to go to the Crab Cooker all the time for some clam chowder and breadsticks. Back in those days, the breadsticks came free in a container at your table. Us broke college kids would order some soup and devour all of those free breadsticks. Now they just give you a few with your cup of soup. But despite the changes, I still enjoy coming here after all these years. The Crab Cooker is full of nostalgia and still serves up some yummy classic seafood. You cannot miss this place when walking by Newport Pier. They still have the red neon sign on the outside of the building. The decor inside pays homage to Newport Beach's fishing history. The Crab Cooker opened in 1951. It is family-owned and has always been about delivering quality seafood. They catch fish by hook and line only and never with nets. The environment is always a fun crowd. They sell merch too if you want to grab some on your way out. I came here recently and grabbed some chowder and shrimp on a skewer. I absolutely love their clam chowder - so good! Parking is still a pain, but I got lucky and found a spot nearby. Not sure if they still do this, but the Crab Cooker used to have postcards in the front that you can fill out and they will stamp and mail for you. I always thought that was pretty cool. The Crab Cooker also has a location in Tustin. read more

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Iconic spot to eat in Newport Beach! Location wise, it's in the middle of the action at Balboa Island so you can come here for lunch and enjoy your day with exploring around the area. We started either the crab cocktail. Taste wise it was great and it was a fair portion, loved the cocktail sauce. The crab was just really overcooked. We also ordered the lunch plate of the combination and scallops skewer. We always ordered the slaw and the cheesy potatoes for the sides. The food was great, scallops never miss here and are always tender. What we really enjoy was the tartar sauce they give. It looks like it was a lot cleaner here than before and renovation was done. It was a lot cozier than before with plenty of seating inside. Staff were nice as well. Service was pretty quick and food came out pretty quickly. read more

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A nostalgic favorite, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Look. This place isn't perfect. It isn't revolutionary. It isn't even a particularly great value. It has not updated, adapted, or reconsidered a single thing in decades, and that is precisely the point. The Crab Cooker knows exactly what it is, and it has been that thing so long and so stubbornly that the stubbornness has become the appeal. I respect it enormously. What it does is serve flawless, easy-to-replicate seafood classics that somehow nobody else around here bothers to get right. So don't overthink it. The smoked fish is good. The chowder is good. The cheesy potatoes swimming in clarified butter are scary good, the kind of dish you think about later at inappropriate moments. Put those next to a heaping pile of king crab legs, which get rarer and more precious every year, and you've got a winner no matter how much of a pain in the ass the parking turned out to be. The Crab Cooker, don't go changing. read more

The Crab Cooker - Spiny Lobster On A Skewer with cheesy potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Thank you Tim M. for such amazing service. You are dedicated to your customers with a unique and patient demeanor. We got the clam chowder, and crab cakes with their delicious sourdough bread. For dinner we had Alaskan King Crab Legs that were hearty chunks of meat. The lobster skewers were delicious. The ambiance is family friendly and great for celebration a special occasion or just a great day at the beach. read more

The Crab Cooker - Thanks Tim M. and team! - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

A classic Newport landmark. I hadn't been since the remodel so I was excited to be here! Parking is always a tad stressful so I got her at 5 and got really lucky and parked on the steet. For $2.10 a per hour- total bargain!! I was glad to see The menu stayed the same. We Got the crab cakes (they we're just okay..not big chunks of crab like a tall, meaty Maryland crab cake - but more like shredded crab flat pancake) coleslaw (bland) potatoes (cheesy goodness-star of the show) smoked salmon appetizer (nothing to write home about) They do a great job with their branded merch (hats, mugs, t-shirts) and the fresh seafood counter at the entrance looks fantastic. read more

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Upon entering this staple of Newports original Crab Cooker, we were sat quickly and with a smile by Victoria. She was the only Server on the floor as it was an hour before closing. She had the other side of the .-reastruant, and '11 topsea/1 15 min before closing.--She is professional and with a smile. The food fan fare was quite the best and different than *normal* seafood restaura,nts. And so delicious. Ambiance is eclectic with nautical beauties and oddities.. recomend to all. Price decent to fir the area. read more

The Crab Cooker - Scallops On A Skewer Lobster On A Skewer Side of Romano Cheese Potatoes #1 Soft Shell Crabs, and My Sext Date - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Me and my friend had ordered a to go order when we went to pick it up. I had never been there , first time and it looked like a cute atmosphere so we decided to go inside and order a couple ciders . The hostess was nice and seated us .We ended up eating some of our food while we had our drinks. We were going to order another round until the waitress Becca came over and told us we weren't allowed to sit inside even though we did order additional stuff and still spent almost $70 . That comment could have waited, she was really nasty. Mind you we did clean up the table, left no work for her and plenty of other empty tables for others . She didn't lose out on anything. We apologized to the hostess but because of that waitresses rudeness i will never go back . She made sure she made no effort to be nice so my 1st experience was not good at all . Luckily the food was good but the mango keylime pie that we ordered and paid ahead of time was unavailable and this was at noon . Not worth the hype at all read more

The Crab Cooker - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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I have been coming to The Crab Cooker since the 1960s. We landed here for lunch this clear February day. There was no line. We were immediately greeted and seated. The place is comfortably and cheesely decorated. I remember the old place, and, seated in the new place, I honestly can't tell the difference. The food is certainly the same. The freshest sea food simply prepared and served on paper plates with plastic tableware. The lunch special has been a favorite of mine for decades. A bowl of the clam chowder (Manhattan) with the fish salad and a drink for $15! We had a wonderful time eating and reminiscing about this landmark of the Balboa/Newport neighborhood. It is perfect this time of year. The off season is when we locals can really appreciate what a paradise we live in. read more

A Balboa staple packed with memories and history. With the location, comes parking challenges. We ordered clam chowder (the favorite of our group and we bought some to take home), salmon, crab cakes (both yummy) and smoked fish (ok). The smoked fish was an appetizer but came out after the entrees were served. The Cole slaw side was yummy but the cheese potatoes did not live up to the hype. Too many tables were sat at the same time and the server seemed spread to thin. read more

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This a very cute place to grab lunch/dinner. It has a very relaxing feel on the inside. They have benches alongside the restaurant for you to sit and wait for your table. The staff is very nice and welcoming. Parking can be a challenge so plan ahead especially if you arrive on a weekend or a nice warm SoCal summer evening. Clam chowder - very good. Soft shell crab - also good and lightly fried to perfection. Alaskan icelandi- the fish tasted very fresh and the potato side was amazing! read more

Oh man, this place is incredible as soon as I walked out the door I wanted to have dinner there again. Everything we ate was absolutely amazing. We had calamari crabcakes, a shrimp and crab cocktail, that is relatively small so order multiple as apps. My friend had the shrimp and scallop skewer and it comes seasoned perfectly and it's so buttery and it just melts in your mouth. I got the combination skewer and same thing melts in your mouth. It's buttery incredible seasoned perfectly. I can't wait to come back here again. I wish I would've gotten some stuff to go. The menu is kind of hard to understand in terms of whether you're gonna have to pick apart a whole crab or if it's crab legs I think that we asked the server about the Japan item and she told us that it was a full crab and in reality it was crab legs, so that was a kind of a bummer for us because we thought otherwise. So make sure you clarify what you want. read more

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This place is always. Lean and inviting. Fresh fish when you walk thru the front door. The service is always good. They are on it. Paper plates make it easy for them to clean up. Not too loud inside. Lots to look at. Always a good meal here. Parking can be tough at times. read more

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I had the scallop and shrimp skewers. They were cooked perfectly juicy and tender, and the fish was so fresh delicious

Been happily dining at The Crab Cooker for years. The 'light eaters' skewered cod was great and price conscious. The new Kingklip fish replacement is really, really awful. Weird taste, weird texture. Plus it's more of an eel than a fish. Sorry Crab Cooker, hard pass on what was once your most affordable plate. read more

This place has vintage nostalgic charm with great service, and amazing food! The grilled halibut was cooked perfectly! read more

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We were told we had to eat here, but it was only OK. Maybe we should have gotten the king crab legs, but we got salmon and a shrimp and scallop skewer. They were both good, but nothing really memorable about them. The crab cakes were tasty but once again nothing I will crave in the future. Fun location and good but not great food. read more

Steer clear of this place if you don't want to spend the rest of week on the toilet. None only is their food toxic but the staff, the staff! are some of the worse people ever to be supposedly serving the public. Rude, disrespectful, not at all welcoming. I've had a bad experience or two in restaurants in the past but this one was a doozy. Save your time and money and give this place a big pass. Yuck! Big fail! read more

Been coming here for ages since I was a teenager but shamefully I'm admitting I haven't been in about five years. I hadn't been here since the remodel, but the place still has that same personality I remember. I came in today with one thing on my mind, their famous clam chowder. By far the best I've ever had and they even put it on the menu as the world's best lol. The chowder came out nice and hot and you can immediately tell it's made fresh. It's thick but not heavy, super creamy with clams in every spoonful along with soft potatoes and little bits of veggies mixed in. The flavor is rich and buttery without being overpowering and it has that perfect comforting homemade taste that keeps you going back for another bite. Every spoonful just tastes complete and balanced. Honestly it tasted exactly how I remembered it and now I remember why I used to come here all the time. read more

The Crab Cooker - Clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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I hadn't been to The Crab Cooker in Newport Beach in years, and wow--what an amazing reminder of why this place is such a classic. From the moment you walk in, it feels timeless in the best way. The seafood was incredibly fresh, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor--exactly what I remembered, maybe even better. The atmosphere is casual and no-frills, which just adds to the charm, and the staff was friendly and efficient. It's the kind of place that doesn't need to change because they've been doing it right for decades. If you haven't been in a while, do yourself a favor and go back. Still absolutely worthy of five stars and then some. read more

The Crab Cooker - Lobster was amazing. New England clam chowder was also delicious - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Love the holiday decor and Christmas music this time of year! Service was prompt, and super friendly. It was a bit quiet because of the construction (repainting the building) and midday on a Thursday. Food had fantastic flavor and was a perfect afternoon. We ordered the local Spiny Lobster, 8 oysters on half shell, calamari and cups of chowder. DELICIOUS!! Also got their Holiday Seafood Dip to go - may need go get more!! read more

The Crab Cooker - Local Spiny Lobster, Oysters in half shell and Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

We ordered the seabass, Cole slaw, rice, crab cakes, and smoked salmon. Everything was delicious! You can really tell they have perfected their menu and ingredients, the service and ambiance are also 10/10. Best seafood in Newport. read more

The Crab Cooker - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Fantastic! This place always delivers! The food is so good, the specials are always fun, the staff is friendly and efficient which makes the service second to none and the atmosphere is nice, clean and lively. I love the decor and how quality everything feels. The paper plates are an interesting choice given that everything else feels like a high end place but I think it's kind of fun and the prices certainly are hard to beat for this quality. A staple in Newport Beach. read more

The Crab Cooker - Sea MKT Seabass - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Paper plates, plastic utensils and mediocre seafood. Over $300 for two adults and a teen And we did not order alcohol. Absolute tourist trap. Never will we be back. read more

This place was recommended to us and we finally had a chance to check it out. We went on a Tuesday at lunch time and were seated right away (party of 3). The service was great- they were super friendly, attentive and made recommendations for us. Everything we got was fresh, flavorful and unique. They do the manhattan clam chowder, it was our first time having it, and we enjoyed it. The salmon was cooked to perfection, my daughter loved her shrimp, and my son had the best time learning how to eat the crab. It was on the pricey side and they only have seafood, so be prepared. The menu is small, but if you like seafood I'm sure you will like this place. read more

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My husband and I were craving seafood since we were right near the beach, but unfortunately, this place was a huge disappointment. The portions were very small, the side selections were terrible, and everything was served on paper plates with plastic utensils. Overall, the experience did not live up to our expectations, especially for a seafood restaurant near the beach. The service was also not great. read more

Went there last week, first time since May. Have been going there for decades. Venerable place which somehow managed to be "reborn" after adjacent construction project ruined their bldg's foundation some years ago. The 'track record' for the chefs here who prepare the fish is unblemished...they NEVER SCREW UP THE FISH! Not a fan of their coleslaw, the rice is forgettable...but the POTATOES! Don't pass them up. All their seafood is always fresh due to how busy they are ALL THE TIME. Don't go if eating on paper plates and drinking and eating with plastic cups and dinnerware offends you. There's a darn good reason this place has been around forever. Long live the Crab Cooker! read more

Everything tasted alright but the portions were a little on the smaller side for what you pay. We visited in the past & feel a bit of a difference as of quantity from before. Service was nice though. read more

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A must try...but not for non-seafood eaters....there are no land choices here. The king crab legs were market price were a bit pricey but so worth it! They were steamed perfectly and even pre-cut for ya. Their unique cheesy potatoes were flavorful and added a nice touch to the palate. Not much more than mixed cabbage in the slaw but tasty nonetheless. The service was prompt and friendly and the place was nostalgic to add to the special dining experience. Parking is tight so we parked a few blocks down and enjoyed the nice walk to and from. It's also off the beach 2 blocks so not a very sandy place which is nice. read more

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It is a very sad time in Newport Beach with Crab Cooker changing their menu and recipes. No longer a wonderful local caught Cod " Light Eaters" selection, now replaced with an extra firm very fishy tasting NZ Kingklip. Why would anyone replace locally caught and sourced fish and replace it with weeks old fish? The other major changes that stick out are the recipe changes of the clam chowder and the tartar sauce. My family has been coming here for over 60 years with I am sure 100s of thousands of $$ spent. "If it ain't broken, don't fix it". Today on a hot Sunday the restaurant was barely 1/4 full. A few years back you would have to wait hours on a Sunday to get a seat. Sadly reporting this was our last trip to Crab Cooker. Truly saddening read more

Food was outstanding, the service was second to none an the ambiance was very inviting. Went for my birthday and enjoyed every minute. read more

The Crab Cooker - Seafood Near Me - Newport Beach, California

The portions have grown slightly but so have the prices which it usual for a seafood restaurant. My tried and true is the light eaters scallops with rice and potatoes. Always visit when we are in Newport. read more

A place that has been around so long has to be doing something right still. Certainly for people of a certain age like me, every dish comes with a dollop of nostalgia. Even if the building is only like 5 years old, this place has been here since my dad took us in the early 1970's back when a Chinese immigrant could buy whole fish straight from fishermen's boats pulled ashore on the beach across the street (at least that's what I remember). So when we happened to take a minute detour into Balboa, and passed the Crab Cooker, I kinda knew dad was telling me to come back that way for lunch and so we did. We probably had the same lunch dad would have gotten us -ie a cheap one: a couple of cups of The Chowder, and a loaf of bread. This has to be my core memory of red chowder, it probably tastes exactly the same, even the funny little soup croutons (that IIRC dad tried to remake at home without success). The loaf of bread was definitely enough for the two of us to share. And definitely worth paying for alongside the chowders. Only thing I didn't get, was a nice cold beer. But my dad wasn't much of a drinker so he probably didn't either back then. Ambiance: we sat in the front room which was nice and bright, and the deco on the walls -some of it has to be from the original building right? One funny thing: my wife wondered at some point before we even walked in: "is this the (late Bay Area chain) Fish Market?" And yeah, from the decor down to the chunky font, they do seem like the same? read more

We ended here after a day at the beach. My son had been saying all day, let's get fish and chips. I didn't look up the menu beforehand, but spoiler alert, the crab cooker does not have fish and chips. Also the famous clam chowder is not New England style. The food we get was fresh and tasty. But slightly disappointed with the selection options. Our server was wonderful! She had great recommendations and made the experience great. read more

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Fantastic seafood! Fresh & delicious! I live this place for fresh seafood! The scallops are one of my favorites! I use to work here & had a fantastic experience! I loved Robby read more

Excellent food from the chef and excellent service from Sofia. The calamari, the grilled mussels, the grilled halibut, the soft shell crab and king crab legs were excellent. The manhattan style clam chowder was OK. I prefer the New England style. We were here celebrating a birthday and Sofia and the team sang to my wife and presented her with a delicious cheesecake. Really fun place and family oriented. This was on our to places to eat list as we are always at Newport Beach. We'll have good memories when we drive by the crab cooker. If you see Bluewater Grill on yelp. Don't bother. This place is better in every way. read more

The food here was just okay. And the service here was also just okay. The price of the food was great tho, very reasonable. I wish the food had more flavor and I wish that the server was kinder and more attentive to us. I feel like we were constantly forgotten about. I like the restaurants decor though it was very cute and I like the proximity it is to the beach. read more