Love coming to this place whenever we are in town. Today I wanted to try something new on their menu. BOY was I WRONG I ordered steam clams! It literally came in a bowl of hot water with a side of melted butter and lemon slices. YUCK ‍ for $18.99! I'm still shock! DO NOT order this. Stick with their skewers!!! I've had steamed clams in many seafood and steak houses and it's ALWAYS cooked in a buttery broth and many seasonings. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Kitschy place with simple menu and decent prices - given how expensive seafood is.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had the soft crabs and two sides for lunch - three soft crabs on the plate - and they were well-prepared and tasty. I'll be back! read more

I've been coming here for over 25 years now and have never been disappointed! The food and service are always amazing, especially the halibut and the mashed potatoes. I read some of the negative reviews concerning the paper plates and plastic utensils, Seriously???? I come for the great food and service and will continue to do so. read more

Dined here with a friend for lunch. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The entry features the fish market and the dining room is beyond it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The room is very open with tables and chairs only- no outdoor dining and no booths.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Foods served on paper plates or on paper bowls. Silverware is plastic/disposable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My friend got a large clam chowder and I got a shrimp cocktail. $12.95 for five large shrimp and cocktail sauce. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance to me is too old school casual and the food is okay.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Hard to mess up poached shrimp! read more

Been going to Crab Cooker since the 1960's. The food is consistent and excellent. The service is always friendly and efficient. Highly recommend both locations but prefer the Newport Beach atmosphere. read more

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

Still a fantastic with friendly staff! We ordered a variety of dishes and were incredibly happy with the quality. Make sure to stop by here whenever you're in town! read more

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Perfect location with plenty of parking and the freshest menu items make this a great selection every time! The service is always fabulous too! read more

Crab Cooker is a longtime fave for my family and even though we no longer live in San Diego, we always make the trip when we're in town for a visit. Yesterday's meal was perfect. The restaurant was packed for lunch (it was Mother's Day,) but the servers were hustling and food came out relatively fast, despite the crowd. We enjoyed the calamari and clam chowder for appetizers and shrimp and scallop plates for our entrees. The food was delicious, as always, and we had a lovely time. read more

The Crab Cooker - Cup of Clam Chowder and a cider. A perfect combination. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Went again last night another fantastic experience. The service is excellent and the staff is friendly the prices are perfect. Try the crabcakes they were delicious read more

My review might be a bit skewed because I grew up eating at the Crab Cooker so whenever I go I am filled with nostalgia and the food just feels like a homemade meal. It's a wonderful restaurant with zero pretension. Just down to earth good food. Service is always great and I love the paper plate aesthetic. We ordered the smoked salmon plate, calamari, and coleslaw. Everything was just as I remembered and it was the perfect size meal for my mom and I. The tartar sauce is the best that I have ever had and though this time we didn't order the Manhattan Clam Chowder, that is a MUST for the newbies. read more

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Wonderful casual place to dine if you're a seafood lover.Everything was delicious, and the service was great as well!! read more

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Great food as always. The freshest sea food . Great service. The food is consistently delicious.

Gross! Ordered the Louie salad came to me on a paper plate. All the salad had was lettuce crab with bones and avacado. No egg, no asparagus. What kind of Louie salad is this. I also ordered large shrimp cocktail came in a small paper bowl. Not on Ice in a cup and the sauce tasted jarred not homemade. I also wanted to taste the sides so i got the potato and rice. Potato tasted gummy and the rice tasted like minute rice. I could of made this at home and it would of been presented better and tasted a lot better for half the price. I won't be returning. read more

For my family the Crab cooker is the go to place for delicious small menu seafood and sides

Crab Cooker has been our go to fish house since the 1960s and even longer for my husband who used to eat at the NB location while in high school. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Same ambience, old fisherman vibe with to go counter to grab catch if the day and take home.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Only thing missing is the free soft taffy candy jar to pull one out as you leave. I know you can buy a bag these days but digging the scoop in to grab your favorite flavor was cool. Love the clam chowder, sm shrimp cocktail, for lunch with a loaf of fresh bread, and shrimp on a skewer for dinner. Totally fills my tummy up. Service is quick and pleasant. Refills for water come without asking. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Always feel right at home at either the NB and Tustin locations.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Halibut Parmesan potato and coleslaw. I went to the Tustin location. The food was wonderful, [[HIGHLIGHT]]noise level was moderate.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The Crab Cooker - Bread - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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Beachy vibes at my go-to Newport seafood joint. Delicious fresh seafood awaits you at the crab cooker. Whether you dine in or buy directly from their ice display to cook at home. I dove right in ordering the shrimp and scallops on a kabob grilled to order. I paired it up with cheesy potatoes and slaw. Great combination with scallops that melt in your mouth. Highly recommend the homemade bread loafs and clam chowder as well! read more

The Crab Cooker - Shrimp and scallops plate paired with cheesy potatoes and slaw sides. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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The seafood here tastes very fresh and good. Friends who ate with us ordered the local spiny lobster and said it was very good BUT almost impossible to eat with plasticware provided. This was the only downside here. the least the restaurant should do is to provide silverware for lobster dishes only. I believe that the plasticware is kind of a tradition here. My husband and I had scallop skewers which were perfectly cooked and very nicely seasoned. We enjoyed our entrees. The prices are high, but we didn't mind because everything was very fresh and tasty. One criticism is the coleslaw which everyone at our table agreed did not taste good. There needs to be less vinegar in the recipe and less mayo. I think this restaurant might save money by slicing the bread loaf that they serve more thinly. It was sliced too thick. There was plenty of butter served for the bread which was very nice read more

This is the last time that I will visit this location. My poor little 2 year old grandson had his mother order his meal first. The waitress came back with our food and his was missing. She had some lame excuse why it wasn't there! My daughters crab legs looked gray and not fresh, the bread was not warm, we were the only ones in the restaurant at 11 am today and the service was really poor and done by a waitress that had no clue what she was doing. Newport delivers great food and service, Tustin is not a good representation of this iconic gem. read more

It was bad, food tasted terrible, [[HIGHLIGHT]]they had plastic utensils and paper plates[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]the establishment seemed very old and worn out[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] would not recommend read more

wanted 2 like this place & i was hungry so while we spent a day @da beach, 1 of my guy frenz & i ditched our group 2 come grab some grubs had clam chowder, king crab legs, shrimp cocktail & scallop skewers ~ everything taste just ok, nothin really stood out & da service was mehhh but they were fairly bz on a sunday, understandably read more

Been a long time customer 50 years always lived 40 miles away but this place sees me every month for there wonderful prepared meals and I always take home some fish salad and smoked salmon read more

(From my 9 year old daughter who loves The Crab Cooker) The food was amazing, the service was amazing and we had a really nice waitress so I don't know how anyone could give it a bad review. read more

My friend who lives in San Diego introduced me to the Crab Cooker. I live in Sacramento, and several times a year, we meet there for lunch. It never fails. One of my favorite parts is seeing Penny the server. She has been there for 25 years. She is super friendly, works the room fast, and is so professional . You can tell she loves her work. My friend and I laugh because we always say we will try something different. It never happens. We stick with our favorites of combo plate and shrimp skewers with coleslaw and potatoes. Great food, ambience, and staff. Do yourself a favor and go. read more

The Crab Cooker - Scrimp skewers with coleslaw and potatoes. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

We eat here frequently all the way from the Inland Empire . Yesterday was a very great personal experience with Placido our server . Very friendly and was able to help and we enjoyed his service and manners . Swordfish was very delicious and still enjoy the famous warm bread !!! Management should know the employees are very on top of their game!!! Thank you !! read more

Growing up, going to the crab cooker in Newport Beach later when Tustin location opened my dad loved it. Parking was easy and it was the same yummy crab cooker with friendly service and so convenient right off the freeway. I had the lobster on a skewer yummy barbecue flavor. It taste so good. I can't wait to go back $39 for the lunch not bad comes with two sides. We both had Manhattan clam chowder something that I went specifically therefore I can't seem to find anything that comes close to this, absolutely don't miss clam chowder smoked fish appetizer is one of my favorites. Roy had the halibut and it was delicious light and flaky. Everything was so good. I always get an extra side order of potatoes to take home. Brenda our server makes you feel right at home and was very attentive and, you just don't get great service like this anymore very professional and confident and downright nice with the great food and atmosphere crab cooker cannot be beat. It's a great value and I love that everything comes on paper plates and it's just the way you remember it love the consistency, thanks Brenda for an awesome experience. Love you recommendation for smoked fish appetizer. read more

The Crab Cooker - Love this place makes me feel better - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

The Crab Cooker is a great spot for casual, fresh seafood. You can either order fresh seafood to cook at home at their market or pick up food from the restaurant. My personal favorites are their Manhattan clam chowder and their crab cakes. The Manhattan clam chowder is a thick tomato based soup that comes packed with chunky strips of clams, more pieces of clam than any other chowder I've had. The crab cakes are great because they're light and crispy, not overly bread heavy, and filled with real crab. I personally like to get mine with fresh tomato slices and their cheesy mashed potatoes. Other things that are great here are their salmon wings, shrimp and scallop skewer, and smoked salmon. read more

The Crab Cooker - Crab cakes | IG: @bobabitchess - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

This location is old and dated. The waitress was friendly but the Manhattan clam chowder tasted like something out of a can and the swordfish was well seasoned but lacked flavor. My cut of fish also was very small and had a thick piece of fat running through-horrible cut of fish. The Cole slaw tasted sour or old and had no seasoning. The potatoes were ok but looked like they had been under a hotlamp. Very dissatisfied for almost $100 for 2 and no alcohol read more

I walked in b4 my family and went to the restroom. My family walked in past the hostess looking for me, thinking I was sat. The hostess gave them a nasty look as they walked by, and as I was walking up, I'm sure she was thinking they were going to sit themselves. She sat us and was our waitress also, her attitude showed the whole time she waited on us, didn't get her name as she had no name tag and she didn't mention it to us. I was irritated by her attitude i didn't bother to ask. As I sat at the table waiting for our food, I noticed that the ceiling was very dirty and a couple of speakers needed to be pushed back up in the ceiling. I love this place, but this waitress is just really rude, and I didn't appreciate it! read more

Very traditional casual restaurant, the food presentation is simple and the service is very straightforward. What was the biggest surprise was how great everything tasted. I had the red chowder, delicious!! I also had the Alaskan crab legs with potatoes and cole slaw and it was just perfect. I even enjoyed a small bottle of Prosecco. This place is no frills and as I looked around the restaurant I realized most of the patrons were in their 70s or older. read more

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We've going to the Tustin restaurant twice a month for 20 years. Food and service are great. I'm too busy eating to notice the ambiance. The Herringtons read more

Delicious food, fun kitschy maritime vibe, great service, no frills restaurant. The cracked Dungeness crab portion was huge, and the rice pilaf was fantastic. Added a glass of the Layer Cake Malbec and it was a perfect meal, my first time here while visiting from out of state. read more

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Good day, folks. I'm looking for the "why" on this one! In one hard blow my expectation has been hammered to the floor in the blistering cold. This restaurant had me at all things seafood, until I tasted their offerings. Jesus took the wheel on this one as I bit into and attempted to chew the bland king crab leg coupled with the two sides, which just happen to rice pilov and packaged coleslaw. My only question, "where is the old bay." My wife attempted the scallop and shrimp skewer accompanied with rice pilov and a scoop of what were calling (unconventional mashed potatoes) which was scooped and cold, she further described it as having "some sort of yellowish completion." Our tab amounted to $143 bucks at the end of this evening. Finding later that their credit card machine would not accept payment from customers. This added to the frustration of the evening.Poor food quality, which I will amount to "soulless cooking", is an indication that my we will never dine at this establishment again! Again, still assessing for the why. The establishment needs an upgrade if they want to attract a new generation of customer. read more

The Crab Cooker - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Menu is limited. The food was not good. It's great for quick snack or shrimp cocktail. The dinning experience was more like fast food with paper plates. Over priced items. read more

I've been here probably 6 times in the last 12 years (whenever we visit.) It's VERY casual. The food is always consistent. No frills. I just wish they had French fries. The service has always been good for us but I'm sure they've been hit with staffing issues these last few years just like everywhere else. The smoked albacore is my favorite along with the salmon plate. Can't go wrong with the chowder either. read more

The Crab Cooker - Salmon plate - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

There just isn't anything like the Crab Cooker. They are definitely consistent and you always get amazing fish and can I say those potatoes and chowder are the best. read more

I haven't been to the Crab Cooker for a couple of years and driving by decided to stop in for a quick lunch. It was a bit after 2pm so maybe 20% full. I ordered the steamed clams which were delicious. Of course at the Crab Cooker all food is served on paper/plastic plates with plastic utensils. My clams arrived steaming hot in the broth they were steamed in. They were delicious with the melted butter. As all steamed clams lovers know the best part of the meal is dunking fresh bread in the clam broth. None was brought with the meal so I asked my server if I could have some bread. She advised me that bread didn't come with it so if I wanted some I'd have to buy it. She brought out a loaf of bread, sliced, I said she could slice it, in 10 big slices. I was by myself so I did enjoy 2 of the big slices dipped in the broth. The price of this loaf of bread is $4.95. on top of the steamed clams. I understand if a person wants bread for the table it would be fair if a restaurant wants to charge for it. But I don't think it's good customer service to serve a dish like this without a slice or 2 of bread. I left the majority of the bread on the table. I could have taken it but I'm not a big bread eater except when I want it for special meals. I live alone and there was no one to share with. I'm very disappointed with the "chicken poo poo ' attitude of this restaurant and I'm taking the time to call them out. read more

Excellent quality seafood in a super casual setting. It's been around a long time and the food must be the reason because it's really simple and delicious. I usually get the lobster skewer for myself and my son enjoys the salmon. I wish they had New England chowder because I don't like the Manhattan style. But that's just my preference. read more

The Crab Cooker - Lobster Skewer (1pc) #2 - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Food was good, favorite part was the broiled shrimp and scallops. Cheese potatoes were great. The salty blonde ale was crisp, light and refreshing. Not a fan of the red clam chowder. The food presentation was very basic, plastic skier ware and paper plates. Easy cleanup. read more

The Crab Cooker - Shrimp Scallops Skewer (1pcs) #3 - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Best place to come for raw oysters! My husband and I can eat dozens of these and they are the most fresh oysters I've ever had. Their grilled oysters are amazing, light eaters and chowders are delicious with the tartar sauce. Wish they had a store in Vegas and I'd have it every week! read more

The Crab Cooker - Raw oysters are SO fresh and delicious - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California