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    theBoil

    4.1 (970 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    THEBOIL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - theBoil

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    Reviews With Photos

    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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]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.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 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.

    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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is always nice and a great time.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff is always friendly a check-ins on you.

    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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]On top of the food, the vibe is always right. They play great music, the drinks are delicious, and the service is consistently amazing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 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!

    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.

    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! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The music was on point and staff are friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 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. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The vibes were immaculate.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    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.

    Kayla B.

    I love seafood boil so much and you won't have a better experience than here! They charge by the pound, have a hearty amount of potatoes & corn included, and we got a good amount of steamed rice on the side. The service was also *chef's kiss* and were very accommodating to our odd requests. I wanted to put the food on the table (we didn't end up doing it) to make it easier to share so they gave us extra plastic to lay on the table. They were also fast and made sure you got your food without waiting too long within your 90 min reservation. Great amenities with a sink by the dining areas and every table feels private. Honestly 100% recommend this if you're looking for high quality seafood boil. BRING CASH!

    Oysters

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    11 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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    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 mi
    $$$$

    I think this is the only seafood restaurant I've ever been to that has a bidet, which definitely…read moregets bonus points. That said, I didn't come here for the bathroom. I came here to throw down on some seafood and that's exactly what we did. I found out about this place because one of my favorite TikTok foodies posted that she came here when she was visiting from Chicago. It was also my friend's birthday so we figured we'd check it out. If you come with a group of 4 or more, including the birthday person, they eat for free, which is a pretty nice perk. This place lived up to every bit of the hype. We did the $125 option which includes lobster. If you have people in your group who are on the fence about spending the extra money, just remind them it's only about $35 more and that's basically the cost of one lobster anywhere else. Here you're getting unlimited lobster. The food literally just kept coming. At one point we were running out of room on the table. One thing I really appreciated was that the staff noticed and started putting multiple items on the same plates instead of bringing everything out separately. It sounds small but it actually helped a lot and showed they were paying attention. The drinks weren't super strong but they definitely weren't weak either. If you love seafood, come hungry and bring a group. The vibes were great, the service was on point, and we left absolutely stuffed.

    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.

    Photos
    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
    Cajun butter shrimp
    Cajun butter shrimp
    Salt & Pepper Fried Lobsters

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    Salt & Pepper Fried Lobsters
    Lobster Place

    Lobster Place

    4.2
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    I finally brought my nephew here so he could try their 2 lb. steamed lobster, and it was just as…read moredelicious as I remembered. I've been coming here for years, and the quality of the food continues to keep me coming back. During this visit, I ran into a recurring issue with my lobster. It was carrying a large amount of roe, which I was actually happy about because I enjoy it and didn't want any of it to go to waste. However, the roe deep inside wasn't fully cooked during the initial steaming process. I had to go back and forth with Ash and the kitchen staff several times, but they remained patient, attentive, and committed to making sure everything was cooked properly. Ash, one of the managers, provided excellent customer service throughout the experience. While I was waiting, he kindly offered me a complimentary cup of New England clam chowder, which was absolutely delicious and very much appreciated since I was starving. Before leaving, I also ordered two more 2 lb. steamed lobsters to go. I explained my concern, and the staff made sure they were thoroughly cooked before packaging them. Both were perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. I truly appreciate the team's dedication to customer satisfaction and their willingness to make things right. Their excellent service, combined with consistently great seafood, is why I've remained a loyal customer for years. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back. Thank you!

    I have nothing bad to say about this lobster roll. It's fresh and delectable…read more We didn't have to wait too long for our order either. The place is very busy inside Chelsea Market.

    Photos
    A fun and relaxed raw bar atmosphere.
    A fun and relaxed raw bar atmosphere.
    The raw bar spread.
    The raw bar spread.
    Great craft beer selection.

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    Great craft beer selection.
    Valerie

    Valerie

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    Came for Brunch on a Sunday . Great food (try the shrimp &…read moreGrits- different but really good). Live music is fabulous (Danny Lipsitz) and the drinks are perfect. Of all the places to go In New York, Glad we stopped here . The attentive service (Bar and Restaurant) made the experience even better. Great job Valerie's !!

    Came here for a slightly early dinner after a Broadway show with a party of 4 on a Sunday evening…read more We had a reservation, but it didn't seem like we would have needed one, but I suppose better safe than sorry. The ambiance feels straight of the golden age, which is an aesthetic I'm certainly a sucker for. Even their robust cocktail menu fits the bill and is one of the prettiest menus I've ever had the joy of perusing. Staff was able to sit us a little bit ahead of our reservation which was also much appreciated. Wait staff was also very helpful and attentive, I don't think I've ever had my water glass so topped off! Starting off with cocktails, this place is a gin bar through and through and you'd be making a mistake if you didn't try one of their many options. I went with the 10,000 words, which you simply just give a spirit of your choice (I picked gin of course) and whether you antes) wanted your drink shaken or stirred and the bartender does the rest, so a bit of a surprise! I wound up with their version of The Last Word which was delightfully citrusy but I was hoping I'd wind up with something a little more adventurous app things considered. My girlfriend got the blackberry G&T, which was not only very pleasing to look at but delicious to boot. For food, we started with splitting some zucchini blossoms and beef cheek bao buns (both come in portions of 3). Both were tasty, but I love a good bao bun and these were so light and pillowy, I could have just went for an order of those for my main course. For the entree I went for the roasted half chicken, perhaps the most unassuming choice on the menu but this was maybe the best roast chicken I've ever had. Prepared perfectly, cooked to perfection, excellent portion size, and the kicker of it all was the stunning gravy that I was tempted to lick my plate for. Chicken is very easy to screw up, and they nailed it on all fronts here. My girlfriend went for the Valerie Signature burger with white cheddar and this thing did not mess around! A very rich patty, cooked to her temperature of choice served alongside some garlic truffle fries that made an American classic feel just a little more elevated. Our experience was delightful and I'd love to comeback here again, especially to check out more of the cocktail menu and soak in more of that golden age aura the place gives.

    Photos
    Valerie
    Valerie
    Valerie

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    theBoil - cajun - Updated July 2026

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