Solid place for asian style, specifically Chinese, cajun food. Parking is tough as always near UCB. Service was pretty fast and responsive, but the restaurant vibe felt a little off due to the poor lighting and overall sketchy block this shop is on. Value is great considering the location. I ordered a combo 1 with mild thirteen spices, a side order of clams with mild mala spice, and a side of garlic noodles. The mild thirteen spices felt like it was missing some spices, but it's still got that Chinese flavor and spice kick to it. If you've ever had crawfish in China with thirteen spices, this comes pretty close to that flavor. The mala clams was also pretty good and packed a punch even at mild. Personally felt like they just added hot pot base to get the taste profile. Garlic noodles were bomb, but definitely tasted very, very Chinese. Something you'd find in a restaurant with lobster noodles since it had a thick, chewy profile. The seafood quality is good, though I was most impressed with the crawfish. Although the menu stated it was frozen, the shell was hard and the meat was chewy, and it tasted a lot fresher than I expected. Overall a solid place, though the open window without a screen let in a few bugs...including a mosquito which bit me. They also use the crappy plastic gloves that leak oil onto your finger tips (which is also a thing in Chinese restaurants in China). Make sure to bring your own nitrile gloves for a better experience. I'd recommend getting takeout if you order here for a better dining experience. The Chinese flavors are definitely present, and they even add some veggies in the boil. read more

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Came in during a weekday evening right before the rush. Was able to find street parking right in front but it took a few trips around the block. It gets really busy as this location is near the college. It wasn't busy when we first arrived. Was seated right away. Ordered a bottled beer as they don't have any on tap. As far as the food, we asked if the crawfish was fresh and they said it was frozen, so we opted out of ordering that. Went with the shrimp and crab combo instead. For the flavor, we went with the atomic sauce (which includes all of the flavors: original Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter) and for the heat, we went with medium. We also ordered the Cajun fish special cause my friend wanted to try it. When the food came out, they don't bring anything to throw away the shells in which is something I'm not used to. I don't like to just throw it away on the table which is what the server recommended so we just threw it away on this tray the food came served to us on. The sauce was good. Not spicy at all but that was ok. Shrimp was cooked perfectly. Not too big a fan of the crab but my friend wanted that instead of the crawfish. (I would've gotten the clams instead but that's just my preference). The fish special was cooked perfectly. Big portion also. Came with a side of coleslaw and white rice. I would order that again. As far as the service, they didn't really check on us at all. Not even when it wasn't busy. Never asked us if we wanted water or anything. So not the best service. They were nice enough though. Place was clean. Bathrooms were clean. Music selection was great. Didn't get pictures of the food but I did attach the menu photos I took. read more

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My fav is the C3 combo with Mala spice, medium. Try the MALA SPICE. It is pungent with flavor and can be quite spicy. I sometimes also buy a side order of the atomic sauce mild. It takes me two settings to finish. I always phone in my order and pickup. The restaurant isn't too big inside and the tables I believe are up to 4ppl. Parking is not good as it is in downtown Berkeley near the college. read more

Please.... PUHLEASE don't judge me! Because this review is STRICTLY based on their lobster roll and that lobster roll ONLY. Because this is the only damn thang that I've had off of their menu.... multiple times... EVERY time. I'm light weight hooked y'all. I know what you're thinking; "A lobster from bag of CRAB?!". But, just hear me out and gimme a chance to explain. I went to Portland, Maine last July and experienced my first ever REAL Maine lobster. It was... life changing. You should do it at least once in your lifetime. But anyways, I've been having these lobster cravings ever since. Specifically lobster rolls. There are much better places than this that get some bomb ass lobster rolls in the Bay Area. But erm... have YOU seen those prices?! And, have you seen how far that some of these places are? In my "old" age... I've become not only cheap, but also lazy. I don't wanna spend $40 for a lobster roll and I damn sure don't want to travel for it. I can do that occasionally, but this is not good for a quick fix. This is where Bag o' Crab kicks in. I kid you not; I have been ordering a lobster roll from this place almost monthly since last July to fulfill this insane lobster roll craving. I've even gotten both of my employees hooked on this place, but they actually order items that are typical of a Cajun crab boil spot. The lobster roll itself isn't the best that I've had, but it's always meaty and the split top bun is alway crisp and lightly buttered on the outside. It could definitely use way more butter (especially on the inside), but for the price and for the convenience, I'm not trippin' too much. The only issue that I have is that sometimes they tend to put too much mayo on it. I wish that they had an option for no mayo at all (mayo shouldn't even be on it honestly), but this is the sacrifice that I make to fulfill my lobster roll craving. Where else are you going to find a meaty lobster roll for UNDER $30 these days? I'm sure for that price the lobster might be questionable, but it tastes delicious and I haven't gotten sick... so I'll take it at this point. Also, their sweet potato fries are pretty exceptional. I just wish that they would throw in some ranch for my to-go order instead of ketchup, but I digress. The Cajun fries are pretty tasty too. I'll be honest; I have yet to actually enter their establishment. I usually order for to go on days when I'm short staffed at work and I can't leave the office. They always package everything so nicely and the food always arrives warm. I so appreciate that. I do need to stop by and dine in at some point, and I also need to try something other than their lobster rolls. This I will most certainly do. But for now, a solid 4 stars will be rewarded for their lobster roll. A huge thanks to them for allowing me to satisfy my crazy lobster cravings. read more

Bag O' Crab - Lobster Roll w/ Sweet Potato Fries - Tasty! - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Bag o crab! Say no more! This location is incredibly convenient, order to go - order to eat in either way... this is not a medium. I usually get the bomb where there is everything. I love the crab and quite honestly, you can never go wrong! The shrimp is amazing as well, and the potatoes give you a little nice break in between the seafood. Not the best photos! But completely forgot to take a picture of the chicken wings -oh my god! These were unexpectedly a huge hit. Ambiance is great and the music sets the tone. Defiantly inviting while walking past it. The service is fast especially if you know what you're ordering. I will absolutely order again. Time and time again. read more

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I just tried this spot and I'm not sure why Bag O' Crab doesn't have a higher rating because the food was delicious. I got the whole crab with mild atomic sauce. I'm so glad I got mild because I was still sniffing lol The crab was fresh, flavorful and it was good portions. Even the corn on the cob was good - crunchy, sweet & fresh. I feel satisfied. read more

Bag O' Crab - Dungeness Crab and Corn on the Cob - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

We always drive from San Jose to Berkeley just for this place. We're absolutely in love with it -- everything is so yummy and delicious. Today my husband and I went there, and the place was fully booked. There was only one table for two left. Then a group of four new customers arrived, and the staff kindly asked if we could switch to a smaller table so they could seat them at ours. We agreed without any problem, and they even gave us a discount afterward. That was so sweet. read more

Bag O' Crab - King crab legs Combo 3 - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

So yummy! I really like the range of flavors on the menu. My friend and I each got a bag and also the garlic noodles. My only complaint is that my bag was extremely salty so it was hard to enjoy. I got the atomic and asked for a more intense flavor. I am planning to go back and get a different flavor in hope that its not as salty. I also didnt like how thick the garlic noodles were, they were delicious but I dont think I will get them again. read more

Bag O' Crab - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time customers Clean place, very themed Food is plenty, good amount for the price The garlic noodles were amazing Service was friendly and fairly quick read more

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I loved everything about Bag O' Crab! Customer service was spot on, my order came out perfect and love the atmosphere! This is the first time I have had a crab boil where I can choose what I want and the spice level. It was delicious and I highly recommend! read more

What a delicious seafood boil spot! Though I am used to making the trip out to Boiling Crab, this is a very solid spot. I went with my Mom and brother where we shared a Combo #3 with Dungeness Crab and shrimp in the Cajun sauce. I love how there's an option to have the shrimp without heads, but the "catch" (ha ha) is it's 3/4 lbs instead of 1 lb. I was surprised the portions are smaller here, and when they say 4 sausages in a bag--they literally mean 4 slices of sausage in a bag. We almost ordered another combo, but opted out of it. Next time, our party of 3 will likely order 2 combos of the seafood boil and add extra sausage, which is my personal preference. The service here is decent, our food came out pretty quickly, and it was VERY hot so we know it was fresh. I would have liked for our server to come back and ask if we wanted any additional food/check on the table, but wasn't a huge issue. Lastly, the ambiance is quite nice, we got to choose our own table since there were only 3 other parties there, and there's a fun nautical theme. We loved the giant crab "mural" and the lights reminded us of the Krusty Krab in Spongebob. Overall, satisfied with our experience and will be back! read more

I'm not a fan of this location at all. They need ti do a better job of not giving old food.

The crab, corn and sweet potato fries we ordered were quite tasty. I wish they'd provided a crab cracker (similar to a nutcracker) and a pick (tiny fork) for extracting the meat as I've used every other time I've had crab at a restaurant. I found it too difficult to use the scissors they provided. I got frustrated and without a pick, was unable to remove all the meat. IF I return, I'll have to bring my own tools, which frankly, considering a crab dinner is not inexpensive, sucks. read more

I ordered the combo 2 atomic sauce plus lemon pepper wings ... I would say it was very good but the wings were fiya ... they only sale flat which is my favorite piece of the wing it was delicious- let's not talk abot the music was R&B on this Sunday such a vibe !!!! staff was friendly read more

Bag O' Crab - Smashed !!!! - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

My favorite seafood boil restaurant. No one is topping this BOC . Great service and customer support. I eat here once a week for sure.

The food is good. can't go wrong with a boil. Only thing i was annoyed about it is the customer service. Not the best

My friend and I are basically regulars at the Berkeley location, mostly because we're constantly craving seafood boil and it's the closest spot near campus. I've also been to the Alameda location once with my parents, and although I don't remember what we got, I do remember agreeing that the seafood boil we get back home in Dallas was better. My friend and I always split the C1 Combo with ¾ lb head-off shrimp and 1 lb clams, and while we've tried different seasonings, we always come back to a mix of Original Cajun (medium spice) and Garlic Butter. It's usually a bit salty, but the Steamed Rice helps. My friend's also a big fan of their wings. The Berkeley location is clean, service is fast and friendly, and it's rarely too crowded! read more

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I'm not kidding I've been here like 4+ times already. Louisiana sauce is sooo good because the garlic did its thing ;). Garlic noodles were yum too. Main difference with the atomic sauce is that it does not have garlic and I think with this sauce you mostly taste the spice depending on what level you choose. read more

Bag O' Crab - We ate it all so only Louisiana sauce garlic is left LOL (we love the garlic in the Louisiana sauce ) - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food is good, the lady who serves us is always nice and accommodating. The food comes out quick and is always what we ordered. Sometimes the next day you feel kind of gross but if you think you have a somewhat strong stomach, you got this. read more

Bag O' Crab - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

They now serve cajun noodle soup which is a seafood ramen that is so tasty! Still have yet to find another seafood boil restaurant in the bay that's better than Bag o Crab. Flavor, freshness, and variety here is amazing. Staff are amazing as well, especially Jenny the manager. 100% recommend coming here read more

Bag O' Crab - Cajun Seafood Noodle Soup (Spicy) - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Called on the phone during dinner time for Togo order only 10-15 min wait wonderful and sweet staff, and the fried soft shell crab is soo yummy read more

I was seated, but no one wanted to take my order, so I left, and no one wanted to ask me why.

Good place to go. Food was ok. Service was Also ok and can be better. Flavor needs a lil bit more taste. Overall not too bad for a seafood boil spot. Everyone seems happy. Nothing truly bad maybe some better chairs. read more

Shit was absolutely bussin' I kid you not, my friends and I demolished this bag of seafood in a blink of an eye. My friends are a little more covid conscious so we took this to-go but indoor seating was available and there was a decent ambiance. The food itself was delicious! Obviously the seafood is not five start quality... i mean it literally comes in a bag. But it was really enjoyable and such a fun experience to have with my friends. Reasonable price point when you split between multiple people. Definitely give this a try :) Enjoy! read more

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Customer service is 0/10. Place is understaffed and the food lacks flavor. Will not be returning.

The food was sooo good. We got the combo 1 in the Louisiana flavor and it was just so mouthwatering good. 9/10 definitely my new favorite place in Berkeley. We also got the Cajun fries as appetizers, a little bit salty but it was flavorful aswell. 7.6/10 The service was good, and very friendly. They were always in a happy mood. The interior is well decorated and they give you gloves and a bib! Was wearing a white shirt but luckily nothing spilled on me. read more

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Isabelle was a great server for our table and really great help explaining the menu to us

All the better restaurants on Center Street having been closed in some redevelopment project, I wound up here. I am not a fan of messy shellfish in a bag, so I hoped they had something else. They did. I ordered grilled Cajun fish. It came with salad and rice. The salad was mixed lettuce with fried onions on top and the rice was a lump of standard Chinese-style sticky rice, both pretty good. So was the seasoning on the fish. The fish itself, however, though of a good quantity, was rather rubbery and not particularly appetizing. read more

If I could give this place a 0 star review I would. We waited around 1 and a half hours to be seated, which we understood as it was Valentine's Day and they were busy. The staff were overwhelmed and seemed very disorganized. Once seated it was all downhill from there. The customer service was absolutely atrocious!!!! They are SEVERELY understaffed and a complete mess from start to finish. It took a good 30 mins for them to take our order after being seated and this was AFTER having to flag down an overwhelmed waitress. .Anthony the "manager" brings us an order that was completely wrong. I use the manager term loosely as he was the worst when it came to customer service. It may be his position but he has 0 customer support skills. It takes an additional 45 mins to get someone's attention to tell them they didn't bring us what we ordered. He comes back to argue that we would have to pay a lot more for the order he mistakenly gave us. Mind you the order included the wrong items, the wrong flavor and missing items from what we actually ordered. It takes a lot of back and forth on our bill for him to make some form of adjustment that still benefited them. 2 HOURS after this entire ordeal, the waitress finally shows up with our correct order as we were getting up to leave. Only to have Anthony snatch it from the waitresses hands to ensure she did not give it to us. I cannot fathom how this man was tasked with a managerial position when my 10 year old child has more manners than he does. After further argument I told him to just keep the order because I was done by that point. This place is absolutely terrible. I highly suggest you go elsewhere if you want to avoid the headache. It is honestly NOT worth it. I will never return to this place again! read more

Bag O' Crab was delicious. Today was the first time I had it in person where I saw at the restaurant. Sitting at the restaurant made it better than the times where my wife would bring Bag O' Crab home. I got the C1 - Combo with the crawfish and shrimps with their heads on with the Louisiana seating and medium spicy. I think what could have made it easier for me was having some directions on how to eat crawfish as it was my first time having it. The restaurant had a sea type of vibe on the inside with its decorations. read more

Bag O' Crab - C1 Combo - Shrimp with Head and Crawfish - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I say this place is more of a Cajun-inspired Chinese place. The shrimp and clams are okay, with decent garlic, butter, paprika, and chilies. But the mussels with Chinese Sichuan peppers is excellent, with zucchini and bell peppers! The servers were quiet spoken but friendly and attentive. I recommend it! read more

Honestly, I really love a good seafood boil and I don't know where in SF to find a good one, so I commute all the way to Berkeley to eat here. It's a bit messy so just beware before going. They give you bibs and gloves and then put paper on the table where the boil can be poured onto after they bring it out. They come out pretty hot in a plastic bag, we ordered two Combo 1 to share between three people, and they let you choose two out of four seafoods which is nice, but it is on the pricier side (but this is kind of expected for seafood). We got the lemon pepper (3/5 because not a huge ton of flavor and the garlic butter was just much butter) and garlic butter (4/5 because way more flavorful) for our two bags. We also decided on mild which didn't even taste spicy at all. Extremely messy and the sauce is all over the table and surprisingly didn't get it on my pants. They do come by and drop off some lemons on the table for you to eat as well. It can make you feel pretty full, but this was a good portion size for three of us. Shrimp (4/5): Pretty big shrimp, no need to peel the head off, but the tail is there. Clams (3.5/5): Pretty standard clams, sometimes the meal falls out so you get a lot of shells which take up the mass of the bag. Potato (3.5/5): Very soft, a good whole potato, but very dense if you are not a huge potato fan like myself. Sausage (3.5/5): Pretty good sausage, very flavorful with the sauce. Crawfish (3/5): Not a ton of meat, you have to break apart the body so it gets very messy and a lot of effort for the smallest bit of body meat. Corn (3/5): Kind of hard to share two corns between three people when they just serve it on the cob. read more

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I normally rock it out with Rockin Crawfish but bag o crab has turned out to be a hit as well. I love how they put your to go order in this pretty light blue bag. The sauce is also really good. I'll be back for sure ! read more

Bag O' Crab - Crab boil - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

Service was great! Food was so delicious The noodles were DE best! Garlic Seafood was delicious enough for 2 or 3 people we took some to go :) read more

Bag O' Crab - Seafood Near Me - Berkeley, California

One of my family's favorite places nearby! Their atomic sauce is amazingly garlicky, and medium spice level is not overwhelming. Portions are decent, though I'd say seafood quality peaks in the spring/summer months. Fries are also solid! The service is pretty great - they give you the check at the start but don't put any pressure on you to leave. They even let us readjust spice levels after the food came out, and all the dining-ware was really clean. read more

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This was my first time at Bag o' Crab and I was a little hesitant to try because of previous reviews however, the food was great! The flavor was amazing and it had just the right texture and sauce I was looking for. The service can be a little better but, I would definitely go back! read more

The seasonings were usually what I expected. It still felt salty and bland. There was barely any snow crab. I've had better. The place gets packed since it's right by the college, just not the best. read more

I love seafood boil so I had to try this place out. I thought it was nice that they have combos to choose from. I got their second combo with the atomic sauce (a mix of Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter). The sauce was 95% butter and that really turned me off because it felt super oily. The flavor was alright but not too strong. Really my only complain is that there's way too much butter. The shrimp mostly felt fresh (I had one or two bad ones). Their service was interesting. The give you the check right after your order and before the food arrives. I don't think you have to pay first before getting your food but we did it anyways. I like the decorations on the wall in the restaurant. Its a small restaurant so when there's a lot of people, it might be hard to navigate through. read more

Such amazing service, fast and quality food really fun place to go whether it's on a date, with friends, or with family!!!

Crab was old and reheated. It was a waste of money. The one in Vallejo is much better. The seasoning here was lack luster as well.