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    theBoil

    4.1 (969 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order theBoil Takeout or Delivery

    theBoil Photos

    THEBOIL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - theBoil

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    Fries
    Giselle G.

    I came to the boil recently and it was good. It is always a good time. I ordered the shrimp with lobster and crab legs. My crab legs were a bit overcooked this time. My niece was happy she ordered the King Alaskan crab legs. The service was good; I was disappointed to see there had a sale going on which I missed. The place is always nice and a great time. The staff is always friendly a check-ins on you.

    Tony Y.

    Man, I've been going to The Boil since their original location in Chinatown. Sadly, that spot closed awhile ago. And admittedly, it has been quite some time since I've been back. I was really craving a good seafood boil and no one was available tonight, so I came alone. And really, this isn't the type of food you want a lot of company watching you eat. They're cash only and remind you of that before you seat. If you didn't know or forgot, there's a convenient ATM within the restaurant. The service is very friendly and attentive without being intrusive. I was seated at a booth and revisited numerous times to make sure I was good. So if you haven't been here before, you're going to eat with your hands and out of a bag. Don't bring a first date here. I went with the crawfish and shrimp combo with the house sauce - spicy of course. I didn't order anything else except a cold beer and a side of vermicelli. Why the vermicelli? Well, that's because the sauce is delicious. And you're going to need a vehicle to mop it all up. Trust me. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is because the sauce isn't as thick as I remembered it was. Also the crawfish itself wasn't that flavorful. But overall a fantastic meal and one I'll do again.

    Seafood boil

    I love this place food and service always amazing. This is the best seafood boil in Manhattan

    Sandra S.

    I was so sad to find out that the Grand street location has been closed for awhile. This one is the only location in Manhattan (they have 1 in queens + brooklyn). We were craving for Cajun seafood so we came here. We ordered to share: 1) Mac & Cheese, 2) 6 pieces of oysters, 3) snow crab w/ jumbo shrimp in the boil sauce, 4) rice Out of all the foods we tried, the oysters were the worst (super small and did not taste that good) + the mac and cheese was so-so. The snow crab was ok & did not have much meat. The jumbo shrimps were great + the boil sauce was amazing. I added rice into the bag of sauce + it was even more delicious! Staff was very attentive and friendly. I do think that the quality of their foods has gone down. P.S - they added 20% gratuity/hospitality service fee to our receipt so just make sure to look at your receipt before paying the final bill. Cash only

    Menu
    Samari G.

    I've been coming here for years, and it never disappoints. I'm obsessed with their boil sauce the crab legs are coated in this buttery, flavorful magic that keeps me coming back. It's seriously addictive. The fries? Best I've ever had. Crispy, seasoned to perfection, and paired with their dill dipping sauce it's an elite combo. I dream about that dip. On top of the food, the vibe is always right. They play great music, the drinks are delicious, and the service is consistently amazing. Everyone's friendly, attentive, and you can tell they care about the experience. Yes, it's a little on the pricey side, but it's 100% worth it. Between the food, drinks, and atmosphere, this place is a whole experience and I'll always keep coming back.

    Oysters
    Abbey N.

    This place made me speechless. I was welcomed by the staff and the vibrancy. The staff was particularly nice, they made sure we were eating well, had enough gloves, and wiped. Food was prepared very quickly as well. I love how the staff allowed us to try different samples of beer. I personally had Barrier Honey IPA (I think that's the name, but it was def IPA) correct me if I'm wrong . My friend Heineken, but it wasn't the traditional one . Anyway, back to the food. We ordered half a dozen of raw oysters (soo fresh and sweet and it was happy hr so it was half the price). Then, fried calamari, 2 queen combos (one with garlic butter and one with Cajun) and 1lb of crawfish . I love seafood so Everything was amazing, I had a great time. Thank you to the staff!

    Aj L.

    We had such a great time here Our server " LaMOON" was so kinda and amazing The food was amazing!!! Well seasoned crabs... The crab cake was also good (but not my favorite) The ambiance was truly beautiful They have a big BAYOU sign in the ceiling that gives you that sea vibe. Love how clean the bathrooms are and the big vintage sink The only negative is that they only take cash! That's no bueno lol Overall, we had a good time And we will definitely be back

    Live Crawfish
    Summer L.

    I LOVEEEE the boil! I just had their live crawfish and it is to die for! Highly recommend doing it dry rub. It was so JUICYYYY! You have to pair it with a nice crisp lager! The music was on point and staff are friendly. Can't wait to come back with my friends!

    Snow Crab Legs (1 Cluster)

    I loved this place. They have an amazing menu with wide variety. They also have amazing softshell crab. I feel like not a lot of places do that good this place did them amazing. I also got a pound of snow crab legs the staff there was so nice and that gave us a little tips on how to crack it even better. The vibes were immaculate.

    Shrimp & Snow Crab - Queen Combo
    Emilia R.

    The boil is a great interactive food experience that allows you to be as messy as you want while eating quality seafood cooked to perfection. I have been many times and finally had clean enough hands to take pictures this time. We started with the Cajun wings and Mac and cheese. My only complaint here is that for how much it costs, they are using plastic forks for us to eat with. Not only do I find this incredibly wasteful, I feel as though they are not very useful in a seafood restaurant, especially when you have to break open your own shellfish. I ordered a pound of snow crab legs and a pound of shrimp. You're able to order heads on or off and they offer many different combos with the option to trade the crawfish for shrimp. They also do offer a few tools to help open your crab legs. The music in this place is always bumping, service is speedy and you can usually always get a table without a reservation. Like always, I will be back again!!!

    Sofyan S.

    Food (4/5): Most of the dishes were good although a bit expensive and the lobster was a bit lackluster. We came a group of 7 and ordered several pounds of headless shrimp, lobster, crab cake, Cajun fries, garlic bread, lobster roll, and various lemonades. The shrimp with the garlic butter sauce was really good and I personally prefer it over the boil special sauce which some of my friends got. I also liked the crab cake and Cajun fries. The lobster roll was delicious but it was really expensive for such a small portion. The lobster itself was a letdown because the meat tasted a bit tough and overcooked. Service (4/5): Overall good service. The servers weren't super friendly and didn't check up too frequently, but they helped when requested with no issues. They helped our group take photos and got additional items as requested. Ambiance (5/5): Nicely themed seafood restaurant with tons of space. I liked the nautical decorations. There is a nice bar area as well as lots of seating.

    Oysters, clams, boil, Potatoes
    Queenie H.

    Great spot to have some happy hour drinks and have some seafood! They have great happy hour specials every day of the week. We went on a monday and they had $1 oysters and clams and $10 margaritas. We shared a boil with snow crab and shrimp and added potatoes and corn on the side. It was the perfect amount for 2-3 people to share. The workers were very on top of the service and constantly made sure we had what we needed.

    Lobster, snow crab, crawfish, headless shrimp, mac and cheese, gumbo, Cajun fries, roasted potato, corn on the cob
    Mike H.

    Went for my bday dinner. They easily accommodated a reservation for our party of 11. You order appetizers and seafood with a selected sauce and spice level. They bring you the seafood in bags with the sauce, roasted potatoes, and corn cobs inside. You put on a plastic bib and plastic gloves and proceed to eat everything with your hands directly on the paper covered table. Got a hurricane and it was very sweet and strong. It was mostly ice I tried the mac and cheese, gumbo, pasta, and Cajun fries. The mac and cheese and gumbo were bland, the fries were good but not my favorite, and the pasta was quite good. The pasta had some rich cream sauce that was really good. We shared lobster, snow crab, and shrimp, and crawfish. I really liked the lobster, the crab tasted good but didn't yield much meat, the shrimp is great because it's shrimp, and I didn't like the crawfish. The corn was tender. My favorite part was eating the roasted russet potatoes that soaked up the sauce in the bags

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    9 months ago

    If you're cash only, shouldn't you be cheaper than the other seafood boil spots in the city?

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    1 year ago

    Over priced and small potions. 3 stars for the atmosphere which is cool. Bill was insane and I still left hungry.

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    10 months ago

    Nice atmosphere and very good service! The host/server was kind, attentive, and quick. 5 stars.

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    Page 1 of 25

    Ask the Community - theBoil

    Do they accept credit cards?

    No. Cash only. There is an atm in the vestibule fyi.

    Are reservations recommended on Saturdays?

    Yes. Make reservations. Saturdays are VERY busy. Also, bring cash.

    Can you order takeout here?

    Yes

    Do they have crawfish yet... if so are they small or tasty?

    Yes they do! The waitress explained to me that when they are not in season, they will have it but they will be small. It is tasty though!

    Is this place cash only?

    Yes

    I'm coming here later today, i don't have a reservation can i still go in ? are walk-ins accepted?

    Yes you can def just walk in. Its cash only btw

    If you request it, and pay if need be, will they peel/take the head off shrimp before serving?

    If you don't want to peel the shrimp, order the shrimp cocktails would be better.

    Are the sauces lactose intolerant friendly? Butter free?

    One of our main ingredients for the wet sauce is butter unless u want to order it dry without the butter.

    How come I don't see the blue crabs or the lousiana crabs on the menu from all the photos i seen?

    I work as a hostess and server here. Blue Crabs are at the end of the list of Mains on the left hand side under the Clams. Call ahead to see if we have them if that's the priority of your visit (:

    View All 16 Questions

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    Crab House NYC

    Crab House NYC

    4.4(1.4k reviews)
    2.4 miMidtown East
    $$$$

    I had a great experience here. There are so many food options to choose from, including lobster,…read moreshrimp, all kinds of crab legs, and even blue crabs. It's honestly a seafood lover's dream. I highly recommend coming with a large group so you can try a bit of everything. They also offer an option to pay an extra $45 to take your leftovers home, which is absolutely worth it. I ended up with so much food that my fridge is still full. The service was impeccable from start to finish. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. I would definitely come back and highly recommend this place to others.

    If I had to choose a death row meal, this would be my new selection!! WOW - the offerings on the…read moremenu were so plentiful and a meal that would usually cost probably a thousand dollars was only $125 per person. The lobster is a little chewy, but the spicy claws were very flavorful. All of the crab had so much meat and the seasonings were all amazing. Surprisingly, the iron steak was one of our favorites despite this being a seafood spot. The waiter did say to just check mark the paper instead of quantities, but they end up bringing you 2 of everything you order. The sweet & spicy fish is also very solid, garlic noodles were buttery, and even their iced tea was super refreshing. Could not recommend this place more!! Bonus: they play a great 2000s throwback playlist that got us singing along and dancing while we were peeling all our seafood to pass the time. Shoutout to whichever employee put that playlist together!

    Photos
    Crab House NYC - First dining room when you walk in, more space down the stairs farther in

    First dining room when you walk in, more space down the stairs farther in

    Crab House NYC - Cajun butter shrimp

    Cajun butter shrimp

    Crab House NYC - Salt & Pepper Fried Lobsters

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    Salt & Pepper Fried Lobsters

    Mermaid Oyster Bar - Shrimp avocado sliders

    Mermaid Oyster Bar

    4.3(239 reviews)
    1.9 miTheater District, Midtown West

    Stopped by Mermaid Oyster Bar near Times Square for a quick bite during happy hour before catching…read morea train. This is exactly the kind of place that works well when you need something fast but still high quality. Service stood out. Jeanine was excellent; she quickly understood our time constraint, guided us to the right dishes, and kept everything moving without making it feel rushed. At one point we accidentally put a plastic menu over a lit candle, and she handled it immediately and made the moment feel light rather than awkward. The atmosphere was lively and full; the place was packed, but it still felt organized rather than chaotic. The bar looked well stocked, and the overall ambience worked well for a pre-train, Times Square-adjacent stop. Food was solid, with a few standouts. The salmon tartare with sesame crackers was excellent; clean, fresh, and well balanced. Jeanine recommended the shrimp avocado sliders, and that was the right call; they were outstanding. Happy hour oysters were fresh and well balanced. Littleneck clams were good, though slightly less compelling than the oysters. The fish tacos were good but not particularly memorable. Fried calamari was well executed, though the accompanying sauce could have used a little more flavor. The hot sauce, assuming it is made in house, was excellent and added a much better punch to the seafood. Drinks from the happy hour menu, including the Pink Flamingo and margarita, were good and consistent. I would come back to try more from the main menu. If you like seafood, this is a strong option for the price point and location, especially during happy hour.

    Seafood tower was great except the clams. They took the clams back no questioned ask (fishy)…read more Branzino and wedge salad were on point. Atmosphere was clean and noise level not good to allow for conversation Service was professional albeit a bit "go through the motions" versus having joy / emote enthusiasm

    Photos
    Mermaid Oyster Bar - Bar area

    Bar area

    Mermaid Oyster Bar - Fried calamari

    Fried calamari

    Mermaid Oyster Bar - Hot & Dirty Martini

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    Crab House Times Square

    Crab House Times Square

    4.7(68 reviews)
    1.7 miMidtown West, Theater District

    10 outta 10, highly recommend! While visiting NYC, I…read moredecided to finally try The Crab House in Times Square after seeing it all over my social media feed. Overall, the food was really good! The mussels and fried soft shell crab were probably my least favorite items, but everything else was enjoyable and flavorful. What really made the experience stand out was the service. Alisha was absolutely top tier, attentive, honest, friendly, and didn't miss a beat the entire time. Great customer service truly makes a difference, and she made my experience even better!

    Wanted to enjoy a post Mother's Day dinner, had been looking at Crab House Times Square for their…read moreluxurious seafood experience! All I can say is this place is very impressive! From the moment I entered the restaurant, I knew the experience was going to be next level. Thank you Jay for seating me and my friend at the best table in the house. Thank you to our phenomenal server Shamim. Your service was really over the top stellar. Soon as you sit at the table, menus are placed. Complimentary delicious bread, water, and warm hand towels are provided to clean your hands. The seafood buffet is $168 and you can order everything, as many times as you like. The buffet is contactless. The food is served to you at your table. Because the food is served in a manner that is based on a shared dining experience. All guests at the table have to order either buffet or Prix Fix menu. My order of Rockefeller oysters, and clams were simply the best I ever tasted. The way they were prepared is the only way I want to taste them. The next dishes they brought out were fried shrimp, sizzling shrimp scampi. Soft shell crab was cooked to perfection. My garlic butter Nova Scotia Lobster was divine. Cooked, and served to perfection! Next the sizzling sea bass was brought to the table! O-M-G! Within a second after arriving to our table still sizzling. Jose came to personally debone the fish (never had that done before) and he added the Thai chili sauce. At this point, my body was in a foodie coma! After a brief clean up of our table. I left our dining room, and went to the ladies room. When you walk in the ladies room, between the floral scent, and decor you are in awe of the details, the bathroom was dreamy. Back at the table our two servers set up a Picasso style dessert with hand drawn chocolate with the ice cream and a delicious cheesecake. Thank you for the birthday wishes, and celebration for my friend. José out did his self with his talented art skills. Special thanks to the Manager Sam for stopping by every table to see if everything was to our satisfaction. It was beyond our satisfaction. Tip: Make reservations even if your a party of two. Be sure all guests arrive at the same time. Tip#2: The upstairs level is perfect for large gatherings, corporate events, holiday events, bridal, baby showers, bar/bat mitvah's, and industry events.

    Photos
    Crab House Times Square - Room for corporate meetings

    Room for corporate meetings

    Crab House Times Square - Lobster rolls

    Lobster rolls

    Crab House Times Square - Beautiful private room

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    Beautiful private room

    The Shell Restaurant - Seafood Spanish Paella

    The Shell Restaurant

    4.8(164 reviews)
    4.3 miUpper West Side

    We had my sister's and niece's milestone birthday (50th & 21st) celebration at The Shell…read moreRestaurant. What a great choice!! From the moment we arrived the staff made us feel incredibly welcome and went above and beyond to make the evening special. The atmosphere was vibrant, yet elegant, perfect for a family and friends celebration in NYC. Every dish was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious, and the service was attentive without ever feeling rushed. They gave us all the space we needed for our huge party and handled our larger group seamlessly and made both birthday guests feel truly celebrated. A special thank you to the team - specially to the owner, Val, who was great to deal with during the planning of this birthday dinner, Rangu, who is also the owner AND an awesome Bartender, and to Anna and Christian who were great and attentive servers! If you're looking for a restaurant in NYC for a special occasion, this place is a gem - great food, drinks, ambiance, & service!! Highly recommend!

    SO and I were in the neighborhood and stopped here for dinner. The establishment is very spacious…read moreand they also have outside seating when the weather allows. We arrived during happy hour and ordered a few drinks along with a dozen oysters...the drinks were cold and the oysters were fresh. We also ordered the chef's special salad and a seafood soup (special) for appetizers...both were great starters. For entrees, we shared the crab cake and the fish and chips both of which were very tasty. Bottom line, the food and service were excellent.

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    The Shell Restaurant - Inside

    Inside

    The Shell Restaurant - Pear Tartlet

    Pear Tartlet

    The Shell Restaurant - Maine Lobster Ravioli

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    Maine Lobster Ravioli

    Lobster Place - The cooked lobster experience.

    Lobster Place

    4.2(1.6k reviews)
    1.1 miMeatpacking District, Chelsea
    $$

    You really can't beat the raw bar at Lobster Place which is located right in the middle of Chelsea…read moreMarket. There's plenty of seating, both tables and bar seating. To order, you fill out a paper sheet for the raw bar items and place a separate order in the back for kitchen fare. Every time I've been here, the seafood has been incredibly fresh and delicious. It's definitely not cheap though and our most recent meal came out to almost $500 after tip. We ordered: - 2 bread bowl NE clam chowders ($15 ea)--delicious and hearty. The peasant loaf bread was fine and everyone enjoyed it - 6oz lobster roll ($38)--a delicious cold lobster roll with a mayo-based sauce, great flavor, and a soft buttery bun - 20 oysters ($3.75 ea)--all fresh and delicious, primarily East Coast oysters although they occasionally have some West Coast ones. Fisher's Island was akin to drinking straight sea water - 5 Peruvian scallops--small and sweet with a strawberry sauce - 2 California uni ($19 ea)--one was incredibly sweet, clean tasting, and much better than the other, which was slightly more bitter and minerally - 2 diver scallops ($15 ea)--drizzled with olive oil, yuzu, and sea salt - 8 shrimp cocktail ($3.25 ea)--one of the most unworth things I've tried in recent times because the shrimp was so cold it tasted barely thawed and was watery with almost no flavor You order at the counter or via paper ticket and they bring everything to your table. Staff have always been friendly and service was great. They sell fresh fish and some frozen specialty items like escargot. I don't know if anything would ever deter me from coming back here :)

    High quality fish dishes and great staff inside Chelsea Market. Rating 8/10…read more Pros: Quality, seating, staff, good smell. Cons: Mediocre Sangria, smallish size, price.

    Photos
    Lobster Place - A fun and relaxed raw bar atmosphere.

    A fun and relaxed raw bar atmosphere.

    Lobster Place - The raw bar spread.

    The raw bar spread.

    Lobster Place - Great craft beer selection.

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    Great craft beer selection.

    theBoil - cajun - Updated June 2026

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