Expect a food coma afterward, and a newfound love and mastery of eating shellfish. Come with friends who can teach you to open a headed shrimp in one swift movement. And here's an obvious suggestion: get the Boil Special seasoning blend of garlic butter, old bay, and lemon pepper. It's to die for. This place gets packed; make a reservation. Bring cash, it's cash only. Once seated, order the cajun fries. The seasonings here are pretty spot-on with most cajun dishes I've eaten before, even those I've had in New Orleans. Sometimes the waitstaff will tie your bib on for you. Have a manicure? Wear the gloves. Another tip: carbs are pretty limited in your meal so order some rice or garlic bread on the side to dip into the sauce. I used to be terrified of breaking apart shellfish, but the Boil has shown me the way. Come here and see for yourself. read more

theBoil - 1 lb. Dungeness Crab, 1 lb. Snow Crab Legs, Garlic Bread, 1 lb. Crawfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

Love the food! The BBQ shrimp was the best I've had north of Louisiana. The boils are perfectly seasoned and textured. And they have a papaya mango salad that is the perfect side dish, great for sharing. read more

This please has changed a lot. The service was horrible from the hostess to management. It took the waitress over 15 minutes to acknowledge us to then get our order wrong. Manager didn't care to fix or even check on us. Before the night was over they were already picking up mats off the floor and rinsing the mop in the sink 2 feet away from where guest were eating. Andddd no air conditioner on (85 degrees outside). read more

theBoil - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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They have delicious crab legs and great service at the boil! My party and me had a fun time and can't wait to go back.

TL; DR: The Boil for the win! Delicious crab legs, bang for your buck, and the spicy margarita is not to be missed! First of all, our waitress Jenny WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! From the moment that our group of three sat down she was so helpful in terms of recommendations and tutorials (on the all-important proper crawfish and lobster tail-eating technique). This was my second time ever visiting The Boil -- I know, how is that ever possible? *facepalm* -- and if I could visit every week I honestly, truly would! The food was delicious and the vibe was unpretentious + lively on a Friday night (great music!) I ordered the snow crab legs ($28/lb) and shared fries + Mac and cheese with my friends. There is definitely bang for your buck as we were all stuffed when we were done. I also had two of the spicy margaritas and wish I had it on tap in my apartment. If you're into tequila, order it and thank me later. read more

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The Boil is a Cajun boil seafood restaurant. If you don't know what a boil is: basically, they give you a large pile of seafood that you peel/crack open yourself. It gets messy. They give you gloves and a bib. The food and service were pretty good. They have indoor seating. I reserved on OpenTable. The downside is their list of unfriendly rules. My OpenTable reservation stated that the reservation would only be held for 15 minutes, that there's a $15 charge per person for no-shows or cancellations, and that I'd only have a table for 1.5 hours. They didn't enforce the 1.5 hour rule. They have some more rules that they didn't mention in the OpenTable email. They're cash-only. They charge a mandatory 20% service fee. read more

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This was my first true Cajun experience ever and it was fairly satisfying. The Boil is located in the heart of the NYU campus and Greenwich Village. It is probably recommended to get a reservation ahead of time. Our party of 8 was lucky to snag tables within 15 minutes. The place is also cash only so be sure to carry enough to cover the costs depending on party size and what is to be ordered. First impression when entering is its a fancy restaurant-type ambiance with a casual style of eating. The lights are dimly lit and people are dressed like there on dates. However remember this is a Cajun restaurant so instead of using utensils, many have gloves on and are digging away into their bag of seafood delights. The menu is a one pager and fairly easy to understand. There are appetizers, raw dishes, sides, main entrees, or combination. Our family all went for combinations (e.g. 1 lb crawfish & 1 lb shrimp) with sides. This was decent but if you're looking to eat a specific seafood (e.g. crawfish, crab legs) then it may be better to order it individually. One thing I do caution is to make sure your orders are clear and visible to the server. Ours may have been new and switched up one of my orders leading to confusion and more lead time. This is what I ordered - 1 1/2 lobster & 1 lb crawfish (3/5). The lobster was not fresh. The meat 'evarporated' and was not good. Cajun and lobster may not go hand in hand so I suggest trying out either the king or snow crabs. The crawfish were standard - 1 lb crawfish & 1 lb shrimp (4/5). I love shrimp so it was good. I had this bag with the 'Cajun Blend' sauce on a medium level (not too spicy). One of my cousins had this same order with the garlic shrimp sauce and that was delicious too It is little on the heavier end for my tasting but it was fairly good and a decent introduction to Cajun. read more

theBoil - B: 1 1/2 Lb Lobster & 1 Lb Crawfish (4/5) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

I have visited this location & the grand street one. After coming here once, I was very disappointed with the quality of the food & service at this location. The seafood & brussel sprouts I ordered was overcooked & they did not give enough boil sauce & corn and potatoes in the bag. The staff at Grand Street were much attentive & friendly - not so at this location. I think I will just stick to the Grand street location next time. read more

I love this place. Its great. Service is always satisfying as far as table service. I was slightly annoyed that I made a reservation and still had to wait longer than 10 minutes. The drinks were great and the music selections are always on point too. Lol. I enjoy the crawfish sliders and fries. The corn and potatoes are great. I usually get shrimp n crab legs in the boil sauce. Try it you won't regret it. The decor is cool too read more

theBoil - Crawfish sliders - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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Delicious and Fun! If you are from LA, especially from the valley and missing Boiling Crab, this place will satisfy you cravings! My girlfriend told me about this place and wanted to have dinner here on her visit. So we made reservations at 4:30 since the restaurant opens at 4pm on Sundays. BTW they only take cash!! They have an ATM by the door but they really should put a sign up as well. We arrived around 10 minutes late to our reservation since we accidentally google mapped The Broiler room ( don't do that!). Fortunately it was not very busy and the staff was super nice about it. The seafood cost $15 and up by the pound. If you get 2lbs combos it includes corn and potatoes automatically! There are choices for sauces but the boil special which is a blend of all the sauces I believe... they also have a lot of beers available! We ended up ordering some fries, a beer, a coke, and 2lbs of shrimp with the boil sauce and with medium spicy. The restaurant provides bibs and gloves! Which was really nice since your hands don't get super dirty. The food arrived quickly and it was delicious! The fries were crispy and also seasoned nicely. The shrimps were plump and juicy in the sauce although for some reason the veins on the shrimp really bothered me. Normally this is not a big deal but for some reason the veins were very prominent in each shrimp as I peeled away the shells. The sauce as delicious! The butter flavor just hits you in the face. The sauce for me was too buttery and not citrusy enough, but that's because in loooove lemon on my shrimp. That also makes me bring up that they didn't offer fresh lemon and pepper on the side ( Like boiling crab does) Overall this place was great! definitely go to place in the city to get your hands smelling like garlic and spices :)! read more

theBoil - They sell by the pound! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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First time there... Besides the oysters & Cajun fries everything else was not to par... The chicken fingers look like 2 large chicken cutlets and they were over cooked. The bbq shrimp is marinated in a home style bbq sauce... Heavy on the sauce so it's very spicy (note) does not mention that. The drink Hurricane does not say it's a slushie either.. SMH Btw towards the end we was given some after dinner mints... Take precautions what you give your customers and get an exterminator ASAP... The manager didn't even come out to apologize... Do you enjoy your stay if you make your way there!!!!! read more

theBoil - Raw oysters - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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This place is so good. I live in Maryland and have had many a seafood boil, and this was one of the best, if not THE best one I have had. We started off with the soft-shell basket. The crab was perfectly fried and seasoned. Then we got two combos, for a total of crawfish, head-on shrimp, lobster, and crab with the Boil Special Sauce and medium spice level. By the end, we had DEVOURED it. That special sauce is literally finger-licking good, the hand-wipes were definitely needed at the end. Just note they are cash only so make sure you have plenty on you before you go! read more

The fiancé was craving The Boil and there was no stopping him. Even presented with the option of coming here next weekend after learning that we can make reservations at this location, he clung to his stubborn stomach and insisted we give this place a try and walk in. Maybe we'll be lucky. Maybe it wouldn't be as crazy as their Christie St location. On a Saturday evening. For a party of 6. We arrived at 6pm and the wait was 1.5 hour. About expected. Thankfully it was a beautiful evening and it was a pleasant walk around the park and they texted us as they promised when our table opened up. Compared to their other site, this place felt more spacious and had more comfortable seating. For appetizers, we ordered the crabmeat and catfish sliders as well as the soft shell crab basket which came with fries - no complaints there. We ordered 2 of the Combo C (1.5lb Dungeness crab and 1lb shrimp) and 2lb shrimp to share. We got both their house Cajun sauce and the garlic butter sauce, of which we preferred the Cajun sauce more. Crab was really meaty and nice. The sauce was garlicky and buttery, perfectly paired with the corn and potatoes they tossed into the bag, but I did find it all pretty heavy and salty, leaving me so thirsty at the end. Service was sufficiently polite. Cash only, but they also charge taxes and they tack on automatic 20% gratuities for parties greater than 4. read more

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I ordered for delivery from this place and I didn't expect them to mess up a simple order. How do you mix up crawfish and jumbo shrimp? Jumbo shrimp is very big in comparison to crawfish. I'm actually grossed out by crawfish. Might be better to eat there in person at the restaurant. Overall taste of the food is good but is very pricey for the amount of food you're getting when I compare to another place. Might as well make this yourself at home read more

This place was absolutely amazing! Their "The Boil" sauce is heavenly & all the meat was cooked perfectly. We got Dungeness crab, snow crab & a whole lobster to share for two people. Loved the included sides of corn & potatoes as it helps to fill in those final nooks & crannies of pure protein. Dipping the potatoes in the boil sauce is incredible. 4 stars just because they're cash only, they do have an ATM at the front. read more

Ordered takeout for a dinner party as we wanted to serve crawfish. My husband and his best friend both lived in New Orleans and have high standards when it comes to this cuisine! I am pleased to report that the Boil exceeded expectations! We ordered a few hours in advance and the food arrived right at the requested delivery time. We got mild, medium and spicy and each was seasoned appropriately. The special boil sauce was delicious and the garlic butter was a hit with the spicy flavor! We will definitely be back for more! Look forward to going in person. Highly recommend! read more

The bbq shrimp basket never disappoints! The frozen margs need a little more kick in them

Ate here on Memorial Day with three others after traveling back to the city. They were so quick and efficient n serving us, and the food was great! They have the art of the boil down to a science! We enjoyed the beers and the seafood and the prices were reasonable for the area. A fun experience, I would come back! read more

theBoil - Boils and fries - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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Whenever I see a cash-only restaurant, I can't help but think that there's something fishy about their business operations, even if that might not be true- who knows. That was the first impression we had upon stepping foot into this restaurant and seeing the "CASH ONLY" sign . The hostess that greeted us was very nice, but then told us that a 20% tip would be automatically added onto our bill for our party of 2. We were both taken aback by that. We went from being super excited about going out for seafood to feeling guarded. We couldn't help but wonder if they did not trust the service that their waitresses and bussers would provide. The food was not that great, we've had better. The hostesses were nice though but the short female busser gave us a bit of an attitude. I'm leaving this review to say that, while we didn't love the food, we would have considered bringing other friends or family for a different eating experience, had it not been for the imposed 20% tip and cash only- there are other restaurants similar to The Boil but without those rules. It totally threw off the vibes, and took away from the dining experience that we were excited about. I know there are many Asian owned cash-only restaurants but the mind can't help but wonder what kind of business they are running. As an example, we love the Japanese restaurant, Sugarfish. Even though it is very pricey, and the wait/lines are super long, we willingly return and bring our friends/family with us to share the experience. Why? Yes it is very pricey but not only is the food delicious, they DON'T accept tips and they accept more than just cash. That leads us to believe that they are taking care of their workers and not running a shady business. Tipping can be awkward because owners are passing the buck/guilt to their patrons to support their host/wait staff. It is even worse when a more-than-average tip of 20% is automatically added to your bill without even knowing what kind of service they will provide. The Boil is a different experience for some. However it can be more than just a one-time novel experience. You can attract long-time loyal customers if perhaps business practices are changed. read more

We have recently visited the boil with some friends that came from out of the country or a good friend below highly recommended I go on yelp, and let the world know how amazing this place is. Lamoon was extremely helpful and gave us so many tips on ordering food, they even threw in so many complementary Side dishes. We have never been more impressed and happy with the food. I would highly recommend this place thank you too Lamoon for her services sending love from Antwerp Belgium to the world! read more

We came here for my dads birthday with a large group of 9. During covid this can be a nightmare due to the precautions venues must take, I do want to thank the boil for accommodating our large group and being extremely kind to everyone in the party. Aside from their excellent service, they also have really good food! (Lol)! As we were a large group, we did bags of mixed seafood in their authentic house sauce. The seafood was delicious and came in very large portions. We also had their side dishes of potatoes, bread and corn. The potatoes were a bit bland and I'd skip next time, the other two sides were tasty and complimented the meal. Overall, a very good seafood place that can accommodate large groups. Excellent drinks, food and service. read more

The Boil hits the spot every single time. They have happy hour until 6pm and that includes BOGO cocktails! Our group of four ordered 2lbs of shrimp and 1lb of clams with the special sauce. The shrimp and clams are so juicy and plump. Their sauce is definitely way more flavorful than Claw Daddy's. I wanted to just eat the sauce itself. *Tip: You MUST get the vermicelli to soak up all that sauce!!! In terms of appetizers, the Cajun fries are always solid, the papaya mango salad was very refreshing and the garlic bread is also a great vessel to soak up all that sauce. My mouth is watering thinking about this meal again! read more

The thing that differentiates boiled seafood restaurants from another is their sauce. Boil, your house special sauce is the bomb! Their sauce is spicy, garlicky, buttery and so flavorful. We ordered 4 lbs of shrimp, 4 lbs of snow crab and garlic bread (to sop up all that saucy goodness) for 7 people. It lands us about $35 per person. If you order at least 2 lbs of the same item, they will throw in free corn and potatoes into the bag. You are given powder free gloves and bibs and you dig in Flintstone-style. Come early on weekends as it gets crowded. Cash only. All of us left with the best smelling garlic breath. read more

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Perhaps I was just in a bad mood. * Nowhere on their website does it mention that they are cash only. An unpleasant surprise. (There is an ATM next door). * Our party of four wanted two separate checks. Against their "policy". * Cocktails were at best 4 ounces and still about $14. Beer $9. * Expect high prices (main dishes can exceed $50) for a picnic atmosphere. Plastic silverware and paper plates. A 1.5 lb lobster served in a plastic bag. No small forks available. Almost everything is boiled. Yes you can get a salad for $16-18, and the gumbo was very good. A few people in my group had a good time. You either consider having to wear rubber gloves (which they distribute) fun or you do not. Not my cup of tee. read more

I can't decide what is better here - the food or the service. Drinks could be a little better, but you go here for the food, mainly the snow crab legs! And please get The Boil sauce, which is a mix of everything. read more

The food is here is very good! The social seasoning has flavor! Do not think you need to go for the spiciest of spicy! It's too hot! The environment is casual and finger lickin'! Be mindful that it is cash only. read more

This was my first time going to a boil and it was AMAZING! The Cajun flavoring was the perfect blend of heat and spice, the butter was a savory touch and added depth to the food. Potatoes were soft, yet firm and the corn is seriously addictive. Service and drinks were excellent too! Will be back again for sure. read more

theBoil - Saint Mojito -- so delish!!! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a second location for "The Boil", already established and popular restaurant in the LES ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-boil-new-york-3). It just opened, and since we're in the neighborhood, we got to enjoy the first night. - Same great seafood menu & options - Same bibs, rubber gloves, buckets - Same hip/hop, R&B soundtrack - Much more seating than first location - Reservations on Open Table! Yes! - Still cash only, so get some cash before you head in. My favorite order for two people is: Starter: Catfish Basket (or Cajun Fries) Boil Bag: Combo A 1lb Shrimp & 1lb Crawdads, Boil Sauce (all three), Spicy Heat Still Hungry? 1lb Snow Crab Legs Or: Just Crab Legs & Shrimp- boil spicy Expect to spend $30 per person. You can spend less- but it's really friggin' good. read more

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Overall - An amazing meal and experience! What I got - 2 lbs of crawfish and 2 lbs of shrimp Taste - Fantastic. Everything was cooked very well. The shrimp and crawfish were moist, succulent, and full of flavor. The butter and garlic sauce was wonderful but the boil special sauce was the bomb. It is a combination of all of their sauce flavors. We got medium spicyness and while it didn't hit you right away it certainly crept up on you over time. If you like spicy food get spicy or extra spicy. There is so much flavor it truly is a magical experience. Ahh yes so much garlic! Value - Good, the prices seem reasonable especially since the food is fantastic. I think some of the prices fluctuate based on market values and time of the year. Service - Fast and friendly. The staff bibs you and provides gloves. The food comes out really quick. We didn't know how to effectively peel the crawfish so our waitress was kind enough to show us. Atmosphere - Casual and intimate. You eat very close to the table next to you and it is possible that something another tables is cracking open could land on your table. Facility - We went the week of Halloween and they had some really cool decor up. Even without the Halloween decorations its a pretty cool looking place. Interesting baubles on the walls and a giant Bayou sign on the ceiling. Need to know - Cash Only! Would I come back - Yes Would I go out of my way - Yes Additional info - We shared 4 lbs of shellfish between 3 people. It seemed like the perfect amount because we were all satisfied with the amount of food and didn't leave hungry or too stuffed. We still had room for dessert. The only thing I was disappointed with was how few potatoes and corn there were. There seemed to be 1 small red potato cut up into quarters in each 2 lb bag of food. Also they didn't even give a whole ear of corn. It was maybe 1/2 or 1/3 of a piece. This seemed like a strange thing to skimp on because corn and potatoes are relatively cheap. read more

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Wow! The boil sauce is the best! so good, everything was delicious. Totally worth jt! The tables are super small but the food was sooo good. Definitely would recommend and I will be returning. The calamaries were to die for. cant wait to go back read more

theBoil - Fried Calamari soo good! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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I love the food. It was delicious and the service is also very warming and welcoming. I would definitely go back. The drinks were made every well and everything was just so satisfying. read more

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always my best choice for seafood! Today I ordered a combo of crawfish and shrimp, then soon after added another pound of shrimp. Can't resist the cajun house special sauce and the yumminess! If more friends came with me today, I could definitely ordered the crab and the clam too. Next time I will bring more people! Also, the corns are so delicious, soaked in the special sauce, it was great! read more

theBoil - Crawfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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Customer service is 50/50. I've been to two different locations and one was great the other not so much. I bring this up first because no matter the party size you are automatically charged 20% gratuity and they only accept cash.. the food and the drinks made up for the customer service every time. read more

The catfish was tender with light batter. Shrimp were jumbo sized and snow crab legs were fresh. Venue was large and staff helped in deciding our orders. All told, it was a fussy task to eat the various crustaceans and while everything tasted great, I was left still wanting for more food afterwards. read more

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Love love love the king crab legs here. SUPER MEATY. It was my third visit with my husband & we brought our friend (girl in the pic with the huge crab leg). Every-time we come, we always get king crab legs, boil blend cajun & FIRE. It's no match for us. We love spicy, but daaaamnn that sodium though... our friend got the garlic butter in mild (she doesn't do spicy) & it was still delicious. We got 2 bags of 2lb king crab legs but different flavors. Getting 2lbs of any of the mains comes with corn and potato's which are a nice addition to it. Our server was super nice so that was a great experience as well. Will be back sooooooooon. Oh & they're cash only. read more

theBoil - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

Solid place. Reservations are relatively easy to make on OpenTable, as long as it's a party of 6 or fewer. Most of us got there 5-10 minutes after our reservation time, but I appreciated that they were gracious about it and that they sat us even if one person hadn't yet arrived. The food itself is solid, but the medium spicy was definitely not very spicy. If you even like a little bit of a kick, I would recommend going up at least one more in terms of spiciness level. Unfortunately, our party was quite limited as we had someone that cannot tolerate anything spicy, food or otherwise. In addition to the seafood, they also have a decent selection of sides, which is great if you have a vegetarian in your party like we did. Also an adequate selection of beers on tap. Service was attentive and friendly. Also really liked the music here - throwback to the 90s! I would go back. read more

Such a fun place to go for dinner in the city. We got the clams w/ garlic butter, shrimp with old bay, snow crab legs with garlic butter, and king crab legs with old bay. My favorite was the snow crab legs, but my husbands favorite was the king crab legs. The shrimp were a little hard to peel and you had to devein them. Also the clams were a bit tough. We also got the corn which was very good and perfectly cooked. I would recommend if you're looking for something different to do in the city for dinner. read more

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FOR PICKUP: I placed my order 30 minutes in advance on a weekday night ~6PM. It was ready when I got there and the process was very covid safe with a quick temp check and then I was able to pick up my order at the back of the restaurant. The food was delicious, I had ordered 2 combos: crawfish and king crab & shrimp and Dungeness crab. The boil sauce is just amazing, super buttery and garlicky. Mild was not spicy at all, which was fine with me. There were plenty of shrimp and crawfish so that the two combos was enough for 4 people. Highly recommend and looking forward to visiting to dine in! read more

We had a great experience here! We went about 9:00 pm on a Monday. Prior to this visit, We had only gone to the location at Christie St, which is quite small and at the time did not take reservations and usually had at least an hour wait. That said, I was pleasantly surprised when I found the Waverly Place location online and it accepted reservations. We ended up not making one or needing one for the time we went as there were plenty of open tables at 9pm on a Monday- maybe if you don't like a crowd but you like a boil this would be a good option. I was also very excited to see how big and beautiful the location was when we arrived and added bonus: crawfish are in season! My husband and I each got a combo of dungeonus crabs and crawfish. We both got the everything sauce (forgot the exact name) his spicy and mine mild. Mine had plenty of flavor but without the hot pepper factor. The crawfish were HUGE - more like mini lobsters. That said, I didn't even get to the crab that day - I did try a few bites and it was amazing. Definitely very garlicky so if you have an interview or an important meeting the next day you may want to think twice about it! We ended up getting a second meal the next day at home out of our crabs- just put the bag in a pot and reheated them. Delicious! My only wish is that they had a nice crusty garlic baguette for the sauce instead of potato rolls. In fact, we are going back this week to take the mother's out... if we can get a table because they are booked.. they do have walk in availablilty but be prepared to wait at least an hour at busy times. read more

theBoil - The Boil Waverly - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New York, New York

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Wasn't impressed, I come from Cali where we have boiling crab and kicking crab. This place has many good reviews so I decided to give it a shot - one down fall cash only. I came here with 4 coworkers....Thanh god I had enough cash. Our shrimp, crab and clams came luke warm - I hate that, I love my food hot. It's like they cooked it and let it sit for a good 15 minutes. When I opened my crab no steak came out. Felt like it wasn't fresh. We got the fries, Brussels, Mac and cheese and the pasta that never came that I had to ask them to remove. read more