The food here is outstanding, and the service is truly next‑level. We walked in thinking we'd…read morediscovered a hidden gem, but it's clear this place is beloved for all the right reasons. What impressed us most was the genuine family‑oriented atmosphere -- they don't just serve you, they welcome you like one of their own. Their appreciation for the U.S. Military is heartfelt, and the owners themselves are two of the kindest people I've ever met. You may experience a bit of a wait, but every minute is worth it. The warmth, the hospitality, and the incredible food make this spot something special.

This was excellent…read more I added this to my list after seeing its outstanding reviews on Google and Yelp in case we had spare time on our business trip, being in San Antonio from Tampa - we had that extra time and ended up here and it's great that we did. I called ahead of time asking if they had availability for 6 guests at around 6 PM and they said that it shouldn't be a problem, but they can't guarantee that we'd be seated right away... sold! We arrived and while the set up the table, Charlene welcomed us to hang out at the bar. We were then greeted by Ben, who we came to find out was one of the owners of the restaurant. He spoke with us briefly as our table was being set up, welcoming us in. Within 3 minutes of coming in, they set up a table for us in the corner of the restaurant and had us seated. The place is small (not tiny) and even on a Wednesday at 6 PM, it was clearly a popular spot... we would continue to find out why that was the case. Forgive me, as I cannot remember our waitresses' name, but she was great. She handed us our menus and let us be as we needed a moment to make our decisions. The front of the menu tells the humble story of how the restaurant came to be - definitely worth a read while you are waiting. Our waitress came back and took our drink and food orders. At the same time, I asked if she could have Ben come over as we wanted to hear more about his story after reading the brief story on the front of the menu. He came over and talked to us for ~5 minutes telling us about how he ended up in the States after leaving his home and how the restaurant came to be - from that alone, my experience had already been elevated and I was even more excited for the remainder of the experience to come. The drinks arrived, followed by the food, which we ordered (mostly) solely on Ben's recommendations. Everything looked delicious and as we were told by Ben, it was all fresh, purchased that day from the market and cooked to order. We started with the fried mozzarella, which was unique to me, in that it had no marinara but instead, spicy honey and sesame seeds and was fried in beef tallow - it was great. I ordered the Chicken Parm, which had fresh mozzarella poured into it at the table - the mozzarella smelled (and tasted) AMAZING. The dish has select bites throughout it that had some spice to it - I'd say that the spice level was about a 3/10, coming from someone who doesn't have the highest spice tolerance. The flavor/satisfaction level? 10/10. Typically, I'm not a dessert guy, but because of how good the experience was up to this point, I had to indulge. I ordered the crème brûlée and was not disappointed. Good temperature, good, mild flavor and presentation. This experience was excellent. From the unsuspecting setting, the greeting, the noise level in the restaurant, the attentiveness of the servers, the presentation and flavor of the food, to the staff asking how everything was and holding the door for us as we left, this is an exemplary example of how hospitality/service should be done. Ben, hopefully you are extremely proud of the team you have put together and the establishment you have made over the past two years. Very well done and thank you for your hospitality. If we are ever in town again, this will DEFINITELY be a stop that we make. Cheers.

First time coming here but been wanting to take the family here for some seafood…read more We ordered virgin Pina colada, mussels, pasta, grilled fish and fried snapper. The bread that goes with the dish was good. We will definitely come back and order the ceviche.

Amazing mariscos spot, a must try! Alta Mar completely blew…read moreme away. We started with their complimentary ceviche and tostadas they bring to the table when you sit down. such a great touch and incredibly fresh. I ordered the tacos gobernador and they were absolutely perfect. The bacon and peppers were a delicious combination, and the shrimp was cooked to perfection, not rubbery at all, just right. Every bite was packed with flavor. The servers were so sweet and knowledgeable, which made the whole experience even better. If you love mariscos, don't sleep on this place. I'll definitely be back!

The oysters on half shell are always delicious. My only suggestion would be that the shucker…read morerelease the oyster from the membrane so we wouldn't have to fight to get it off and break the oyster. The fried flounder was delicious and our server a delight. This is our second time here, will be back again.

Joined my wonderful sister and her family for lunch at Hook & Reel Cajun, only to be surprised with…read morea birthday celebration for me. The staff made the experience even more special by joining in to sing "Happy Birthday," and I was gifted the cutest Hook & Reel mascot teddy bear along with a complimentary dessert. We had an amazing time, and the seafood boils were delicious. I requested extra spicy chili oil, and our server truly delivered - it was incredibly spicy, but so good I couldn't stop eating it. Definitely a place I would happily visit again.

Restaurant is very clean, food is well seasoned. There is a decent variety to choose from and the…read moregentle who assisted was very knowledgeable on his menu and the flavors they offered. Excellent service.

Average at best. We placed an order with Uber Eats that…read moreconsisted of catfish & fries, popcorn shrimp & fries, and Cajun fried rice. The good was everything was correct with the order. The not-so-good is that the food was not hot or fresh. The fried items lacked any crisp with minimal flavor. The popcorn shrimp are not popcorn shrimp. They are tiny. Also, not sure why the rice is referred to as Cajun. The only difference from other basic fried rice is that there was lots of oil at the bottom of the container. Would I recommend or eat here again? No.

I am new to San Antonio and searching for my "spots" and had high hopes for the fish tacos here. I…read morewas very disappointed. There were no cars in the driveway or inside beyond those working there. They were polite and kind taking my order. It gave vibes of a place to hang out after school if you were in high school. The fish tacos were mostly breading and it wasn't quality fish underneath it all. I hadn't eaten the whole day and it was so bad that I decided I'd rather be hungry than finish the tacos. The flautas were flavorful, though unevenly so. Some had cream and cheese drizzled on top while others had guacamole and salsa. It was like I had two separate orders of taquitos because the taste between them was drastically different. Again, the meat to breading ratio was off and I didn't finish them. I peeled away much of the fried tortilla portion to get a bit of chicken. I left this meal disappointed. It was what I'd expect to eat at a football concession stand.

I've been coming here for years since writing my original review....Almost every week. My mom first…read moreintroduced me...since then I've introduced to everyone else I can. :) Definitely my comfort place. Staff is super nice and knows my order. Everything I've tried here is great but the chicken flautas are just perfect. My photos are crap and don't do the food justice.

I ordered the Caesar wrap and it was amazing. My server jelly was great! Also Megan was awesome and…read morereally funny. This whole experience was great.

First time here and I really enjoyed it. The service was great. The ambiance was great. And the…read morefood was perfect. If I'm ever in the area again, I would definitely stop by. I love that I had the option of changing my beans to a side of rice. Thank you. Thank you for an awesome experience.

The food is very good ! Oysters and gumbo are delicious! Service is great. You get good service and…read morethey also have happy hour !

Came to Crab City today on a very cold day.... But I'm glad we did. The restaurant recently changed…read moreownership and rebranding. But I've always been curious because the building itself is shaped like a boat. The exterior looks a little sketchy at first glance, but don't let that stop you. I'd definitely still give this place a chance. Once inside, they fully commit to the boat theme, which I actually really enjoyed. It's nautical and fun. We were greeted pretty quickly when we walked in. Our group ordered half-shell oysters, baked Cajun oysters, a shrimp po' boy, and a catfish po' boy. The baked Cajun oysters were my favorite and all of us unanimously agreed the fries were some of the best we've had in a while. Perfectly crispy. The shrimp and catfish in the po' boys were deep-fried with a classic cornmeal breading. It was pretty standard, but satisfying. One unexpected and cool touch is that they serve beer... and soju. I've never seen soju at a seafood/Cajun/crab boil spot before, so that was a fun surprise and a nice change from the usual drink options. Overall, a solid experience with good food, friendly service, and a memorable theme. Even if the outside makes you hesitate, it's worth checking out.

One of my favorite San Antonio food chains!…read more Stopped by the Sea Island nearest to us for dinner after an event at the aquarium. Seemed appropriate lol. The place was pretty busy but was kept clean and was maintained throughout our meal. We were brought the wrong meal as there was a mixup with ours and another party's orders, but it was quickly rectified and with minimal issue. I almost always get the same thing whenever I visit a Sea Island and this time was no different. The Lot 'O' Shrimp never fails to satisfy. Crispy breading on plump shrimp dipped in tangy cocktail sauce is the way to go. A hefty side of French Fries, delicious Southern Green Beans, and fluffy Hush Puppies go excellently alongside them. And don't forget a sweet Strawberry Lemonade to keep you quenched! I've tried other dishes on the menu but this one is my absolute favorite. If you haven't tried Sea Island, it's a must. They have the best comfort seafood ever!

I obviously posted a review a while back here that led with "service matters". Obviously, we got…read moreexcellent service that visit. Sadly, this visit was not the same experience. We walked in. The only guests in line. The cashier was leaning against the wall ON HER PHONE. She did not acknowledge us until she was done on the phone, texting, scrolling, I dunno, maybe 20 or so seconds later. Then while we were still in front of her deciding what to order she was still on her phone with it lying under the register, but her focus and her eyeballs were on the phone the entire time. If I wasn't starving and my husband hadn't been wanting sea island we would have left. This is crazy to me. Do better... Oh! The 2* are for the food. It was excellent.

Fairly authentic Mexican grill. This isn't Taco Bell but it's almost as fast, similar in price and…read more50x better. Quick lunch? No prob. Drinks with friends and throwing down mini tacos, absolutely. Looks and feels a little bit like a hole in the wall but it's what I want in authentic. Staff is quick and nice. Pro tip: the TVs loop what the food looks like, I wish I realized that before ordering as the menu is a bit hard to decipher. I'll order better next time!

You probably pass by this place without even looking...and that's a problem…read more This place is YUM. My new "hole in the wall" Mexican seafood eatery. Quaint, cozy & delicious. WIDE variety of seafood dishes -- enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, ceviche, fried fish & fries. We loved it ALL. The rice might have been a bit too stale but the rest of it was inhaled. SCRUMPTIOUS. There is limited seating and though there were only 2 parties when we arrived, that quickly picked up within the next 20 minutes. Service was outstanding -- kind, courteous and attentive. Definitely coming back to try the shrimp cocktail next time. Kids loved the fried fish too!

Food is always good but from the host to servers beyond trash. Host dont want to be there, on their…read morephone looked like we was bothering her when my family walked in. Server walked passed the table 3 times saying " ill be with you" while she just gets on her phone. No drinks for 15 minutes. HAD TO walk out

Smashin Crab has hosted so many of our family celebrations at this point that it's basically part…read moreof the guest list. Birthdays, random cravings, "we survived the week" dinners & you name it, we've probably celebrated it here. The vibe is casual, fun, and laid-back, which is exactly what you want when you're about to put on a bib and commit to a seafood boil. And yes, that is exactly what you should do here because the boils never miss. The seafood is always fresh, the sauces are flavorful, and the spice levels are not playing around. My recommendation? Stick with level 2 unless you enjoy sweating through your meal and reevaluating your life choices. My go-to combo is mussels, shrimp, crab legs, potatoes, boiled egg, and veggies. And before anybody gets suspicious about the veggies in a seafood boil, hear me out, they absolutely belong there. They soak up all that buttery, spicy sauce and add something extra to the whole experience. Don't skip them. Also, get the flights. They're fun, they're good, and they make an already good time even better. Smashin Crab is one of those places we keep coming back to because it's reliable in the best way: good seafood, great flavor, and the kind of meal that feels like an event every time.