Captain Jack's is the culinary equivalent of that friend who's been gorgeous for 40 years and somehow keeps getting better. The food? Consistently good. Always has been. That's actually the problem. Lately my visits have consisted of a crab-stuffed mushroom appetizer, linguine and clams, lamb, halibut, and steak. In other words, I apparently walked in for dinner and accidentally financed a small yacht. And I have a legitimate question: Is New Zealand the only place on Earth with sheep? Every restaurant that serves lamb proudly announces, "Product of New Zealand." Are American sheep all on vacation? Is there an international witness protection program for lamb? Somewhere there's a vaudeville act waiting to happen. "Where's the lamb from?" "New Zealand." "Again?" "What, you wanted Nebraska mutton? Get out." Then there's the menu. About 80% of it simply says "Market Price." At this point I'm thinking of paying in sand dollars. If we're both using the market, maybe I can buy low, sell high, and leave with a profit. Don't misunderstand me--I love Captain Jack's. The food is worth every penny. I just need to start treating dinner reservations like meetings with my financial advisor. My credit card now stands up and applauds every time I pull into the parking lot. Good service. Good food. I'm just waiting for my seafood portfolio to mature before I come back. Bill: +$200 read more

As a patron of Captain Jack's for over 35 years, it was always a treat to go. Since my wife has never been, wanted to introduce her to one my favorite restaurants. Had Surf n Turf (Crab legs and steak). The crab legs were very, very disappointing. The texture was not as usual and the meat was dry, not moist like every other time. I read the previous review saying the crab legs were dry, reading it I thought the reviewer was too critical. Unfortunately I experienced the same. The legs used to be huge, best I ever had. Not sure what happened but not worth the $129 per person. The staff is the same, best crew, super friendly. 10 out of 10 for the staff but I will not return anytime soon because after spending $450 for dinner it was not worth it. Portions were smaller too. Crab legs used to be 2 pounds (24 ounces), now 18 ounces!! read more

I was introduced to Captain Jack's about 10 years ago, and it has been one of my favorite restaurants ever since. Over the years, I've introduced my now husband, my in-laws, and countless friends and family, who have all gone on to spread the word themselves. It's truly one of those hidden gems tucked away in Sunset Beach that's worth the drive every time. We usually order our go-to favorites, the sirloin and crab legs, but this visit we decided to branch out. I had the seafood scampi linguine, and my husband ordered the blackened Cajun sea bass. Both dishes were excellent and definitely something we'd order again. For drinks, we started with the Adios and then had a French 75. The cocktails are always well made, and Captain Jack's is the only place we order an Adios because they make it so well. One thing we noticed was that we came on a Sunday, and it was much less crowded than we're used to, which made for an even more relaxing experience. Great food, great drinks, and consistently great service. Captain Jack's continues to be one of our favorite spots after all these years. read more

A really nice place on the harbor side of PCH. I had the swordfish and hubby had the halibut. Mine was excellent but hubby said his was bland. Everything else was very good. Service was excellent read more

The food is out of this world, I got the Chilean Seabass however it appears that most people go there to get the red king crab, and or the prime rib, which is gigantic. It is very nice, backed up to the Huntington waterways with a private dock. The service is also outstanding and the Decor makes you feel like you are inside of a ship. Everything from the pumpernickel bread, to the Fish to the wait staff was five stars. read more

Captain Jack's - Chilean Seabass. - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

I hate to write this because I have been coming here since I was 4 years old. Always great food and great service. Tonight I was so excited to bring my good friends to enjoy the best crab in SoCal but the cocktail waitress was RUDE and border line Racist! Our friend asked the difference between 2 drinks and she said "READ THE MENU" rude and condescending! Then after we finished our $700 dollar dinner I notice they charged me for a glass of wine I never received ($13) and after I told the waiter they questioned us and said our friend (who doesn't drink wine) drank it? Really it was $13 we aren't trying to get one over on you. My husband approached the manager after we saw the snotty cocktail waitress complaining about our table. He told him how rude she was and his response was "noted" not sorry or anything. We already paid the $700 dollar bill so it wasn't like we were trying to get something for nothing. I approached the manager as we left and told him my thoughts and again he moved me along and said "noted". I'm so embarrassed I subjected my friends to this type of environment! A apology would have been enough but the manager made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. My family who has live in HB for over 60 years will never return! read more

Just don't do it. Good old boy type favoritism here. A drunk patron cut us off while we were being shown to our table. He literally ran into me as we were being escorted by the host. The host recognized him and entertained his nonsense and belabored our five party seating...literally right in between two tables at the restaurant. If you choose to go to this institution despite this warning, be prepared to pay targeted exorbitant "market" prices while favorite patrons receive exclusive "I got you" type service. read more

Been coming here for over 30yrs And have the most Amazing experience and great time with friends and Family Best drinks in town always something new. The food is even better the Best Shrimp Scampi, Crab legs, Prime Rib I've had them all . Top tier Escargot even better . Inside they play lil music with a guy on the piano and takes request. Seat and lounge are very nice and comfortable. Bar top is small but very personable . You rub elbows with the locals and hear great stories and tell yours as well I always come Back Cheers read more

Captain Jack's - Makers Mark - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

My wife and I chose this place for our anniversary because it was highly recommended by someone we trust, their quality, for restaurants. Upon arrival the lot was full so I had to drop my wife off at the restaurant because there was absolutely no parking, we had reservations yet they told my wife she couldn't be sat til my arrival, twenty minutes later from having to park so far, I arrived, and we still had to wait to be sat. They sat us next to an outside door were everyone was walking in and out of it, non stop. We both ordered the crab legs and upon arrival back home realized we were food poisoned by the crab $160 dollars each for market price, to be food poisoned. The salad was mostly white iceberg lettuce with purple cabbage, I prefer a good green salad. Unfortunately we will not be coming back here. For $400 for two people I expect not to be poisoned read more

Captain Jack's - Surf N Turf that I ordered - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Everything was great. This was my first time here to celebrate a family member's birthday. Inside is dimly lit and a total nautical theme. Decor looks like you are in the lower deck of a wooden ship. Menus are enormous. No reading glasses needed. I had the filet and crab legs together. Comes with a salad and rice. You have to get the blue cheese dressing. Any other dressing choice is wrong. The filet was tender, cooked right and delicious. Crab legs were so good. Easy to eat and cooked perfectly. For desert was a giant piece of Mud Pie. Very good. Service was attentive, fast and friendly. Definitely will be back. read more

Captain Jack's - Red King Crab Legs and Filet - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Love Captain Jack's! Lots of history and great people! It's actually pretty reasonable if you avoid the crab legs, which are now $160 per order. My wife and I each ordered an entree and salad, she had two cocktails and the bill was $120. Half the menu says Market Price. Don't be embarrassed to ask! It's your right to know the prices! Only in restaurants you're asked to buy something without knowing the prices. Go. Know. Have fun!! read more

I have been such a loyal Cap Jacks fan for so long and unfortunately it has not been the same. We ordered three plates for our party but tonight's meal was just good, and not amazing as I remember. Not amazing like it used to be. Let's start with the crab legs. They were VERY DRY and my two orderers were filled with small claws. None of the larger legs were there like it used to be. I had two larger legs for each order and the rest were small. The smaller claws don't come with much meat just lots of shell. The price for these legs have gotten out of control. I get it. The steak was great and the baked potato was god. The service was excellent. Nothing in that and the ambiance has been the same for years and years. Chill and just right. I love you Cap Jacks but for 3 plates we walked out of there unsatisfied unfortunately. The DRY crab legs made me not want to come anymore. read more

Captain Jack's - Baked potato - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

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Took my girlfriend out for her birthday and wasn't initially planning on bringing her here but a change of plans happened and ultimately and happy that it did. Food was lovely we were served by Billy, he was real helpful with the menu. read more

Captain Jack's - New york steak and red king crab - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

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Our families favorite lil place. King Crab Legs are The Best... Love the homemade Blue-cheese salad dressing. Drinks are great. Service is spectacular! read more

I would improve everything except the steak and atmosphere. Was there for a birthday and they pretty much threw the piece of cheesecake at us with a candle on top! Expected better service for their prices! Was my very favorite restaurant. Haven't been there in a couple years. I live far. Very disappointed! Crab was so fishy! Used to be 3 huge legs. Now a bunch of tiny fishy legs for double the price. I am a chef and know my food. Step it up Captain Jacks!!!!! read more

Crab legs the size of baby arms!!! So delicious, service is excellent and the ambiance of the restaurant is that of a old, small town, seafood/steakhouse feeling that you can only dream of and leaves a lasting mark on one's memory. We have been here so many times I always get lost in the main courses I almost forget to leave room for desert but always find a way to "fit it in" read more

Always a great visit! My choice to come to Captain Jack's for my birthday! I really wanted Fresh Swordfish. This is a great place to get seafood but also has it's own unique character! The menus are giant sized sailboats! You meander thru the rooms of a ship. Very special along with the excellent staff! We started with an special bottle of wine we brought from home. Corkage fee was $20, very reasonable! Next of course came their warm bread, so hard not to over indulge especially when we know our meals with large portions are coming. Their salads are very large. I always order blue cheese dressing, it's the best in town! All three of us ordered Swordfish, two charbrpiled and one blackened, all done just right! For my birthday, our server brought out a slice of cheesecake with strawberries. It was very good. We usually get the Mudd Pie, excellent! Service was excellent. The staff all works together as a team! We never feel rushed and aways feel pampered. All the years and still.grrat food and service! read more

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I am sad to write this, had they had an email I would have approached the restaurant directly. My husband has been going to Captain Jacks for 45 years, he introduced me on our first anniversary and for 30 years it has been our go to "extravagant" place to eat and drink. In those years I have never had anything but the crab legs. They have always out performed my imagination. The service always on point and the silly dinner salad that I look forward to always crisp fresh and the blue cheese dressing amazing. We dined with out of town guests on Saturday 8/1/2026 and was so disappointed. We sat at table 46, we were sat offered drinks and then ignored for 17 min before bread was brought. At this time we were the only table in our area with people sitting. After 10 min our server came to bring menu and take order. The escargot appetizer was brought out for the one person who ordered appetizer the salads came about 12 minutes later. The escargot was amazing my salad was over frozen and had about .25 cup of water at the bottom of the plate. I poured this water on my bread plate to try to save my salad but no avail, it was soggy wet mess. When the servers took the water plate no question or comment on what had happened. Dinner was served about 20 min after salad and other than the cocktail waitress we had no other bread service or check ins. 3 people ordered the shrimp scampi and were happy, I got my dreamed about crab legs and they were not at all as expected. They were wet, stringy and the portion was very small. I had 2 thinking that maybe the first was a fluke but unfortunately they were sub par. I love this local restaurant and hope they can bring things back to expectation. read more

Thank you Captain Jacks for having multiple servers coming to our table to deliver food and to take care of our drinks. The ambiance was set just right for salmon, crab legs, and prime rib. The Crab Legs were tasty and cooked to perfection along with the sirloin steak. The seafood linguine was delightful and the scallops were seasoned just right. My husband smiled from ear to ear when they brought out a piece of strawberry cheesecake. Such an awesome night. Thanks again Captain Jacks. read more

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First off, the food here is always fantastic! We ordered the crab, prime rib, and seabass amongst other things. The servings are huge and the quality has never failed. The soft bread they serve is also amazing. The staff is very nice and attentive. The restaurant feels very much on theme to the seafood-heavy menu, with fish tanks and nautical decor Parking nearby is limited. There is a valet next door if you have mobility issues. read more

At this price point, I expect a bit more. Pros: decent (not great) seafood. Cons: zombiefied wait staff, most of the staff seemed hungover or like they really didn't want to be there. Took 3 asks to get a wine list. The wine list looked like it had seen better days. The wine list offerings were mediocre, at best. The final insult was how they boxed the leftovers. It was a complete mess in a too big container and did not include the sauce. Next time I'm going back to Water Grill! read more

Came today for dinner and sat at the lounge area while we waited for our table . Had the captains margarita and a draft ipa and enjoyed the ambiance in the lounge area. We then proceeded to our table and order the king crabs legs with a baked potato and the food was amazing as always. Ambiance is nice and romantic with dim lighting and just intimate. It was very busy but the service was amazing, they kept bringing us drinks and refills on our waters. Parking isn't the best but you can always find parking in the area read more

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This food here is BOMB like it's phenomenal!!! Service was great and the ambience was aesthetic cuz u have a view on the water and the restaurant it's self it near so yea!!! read more

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Captain Jack is the best for crab legs. Nothing else could beat them. We made reservations got in right away. The service was wonderful. Everyone was so nice and cleaned the table as we ate !! on a down side, there is not much more to the plate besides unflavored brown rice and your entrée. We had King crab legs and halibut. No matter what we did to the halibut... sauce lemon it just did not taste right. Mentioned it to the server after he asked if he wanted a box and he said oh sorry. Artichoke was hard ...The salad was pretty good. The crab was delicious and the garlic bread was yummy. Two glasses of wine. 300 read more

First time at this local eatery , cool spot the locals love it. Theres live music but parking was tight Lol For food we of course got the King Krab legs , Crazy Big! The seafood combo comes with shrimp scampi, scallops and crab legs. We also got the linguine pasta and 12oz filet. My partner didn't really like the filet he said it was nothing special. Grabbed drinks and enjoyed the marina for a bit. read more

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I was really disappointed with our visit to Captain Jacks today. We were there to Celebrate my husband's birthday. We ordered prime rib and Crab legs. The prime rib was delicious. The crab legs were a big disappointed. They were really dry and lacking flavor. We've had crab legs there before and they were the best ones we've ever had. But today they were very average. We put tons of butter and lemon juice on them. Second disappointment was their ice water. As I'm drinking my water I noticed something floating inside my water. As we look closer we notice that it was mold. I had drank most of the water so it grossed me out. We did inform the server and he looked in the water glass. He started to say "They need to clean..." but walked away and didn't say anything. I was actually expecting someone to come apologize for giving me moldy water. But instead a different server dropped off another glass of ice water, and didn't say anything. I know they didn't clean the ice machine or water machine that fast. We didn't touch the water after that. No one said anything else about the moldy water. I'm surprised that a restaurant like this doesn't get their water machine or ice machine cleaned often. Third disappointment was that they never asked if we were celebrating anything so my husband's birthday was never acknowledged. We did order carrot cake just to sing to him. But we noticed other tables being asked if they were celebrating anything. I'm really not sure if we would return to the restaurant. read more

Captain Jack's - Mold in water - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

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Always delicious - food A+ oysters, Crab legs, prime rib and mai tai's are on point!! Service is ok - laid back vibes in the canals ... a must when in HB! read more

Captain Jack's - Oysters on ice - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Best crab legs anywhere..... best Caesar salad anywhere ....best service anywhere.... Best bread anywhere...Best Ambiance.....May this place never change for another 60 years read more

I got lost looking for the valet. I was at the front by PCH. Thankfully, I found out that valet was on Broadway, immediate right. It's right across the main door - check out pic I'm including that very important information so first timers like me won't get lost:) We checked in and was seated after a few minutes. I was impressed by the set up. Bar on the right and tables on left and far inside. The lights were dimmed. Our orders were taken by a welcoming server. Love the ambiance! We had a great salad with the Cesar salad dressing was yummy! We had mussels uniquely served in a tea pot. Then the crab legs and prime rib steak came and I was surprised how humongous the serving was! The crabs is off the charts! The steak was medium rare and was a hit with our meat lovers! I feasted on two long and mean crab legs! It was cracked and ready to eat! It was perfectly cooked, juicy and lots of meat! A cupful of rice was served on a platter with different kinds of dip: butter ( ask for lots of lemons) , a soy looking one and ranch dip. The dessert was phenomenal , it was also a big serving that we all shared! It was a heavenly experience and I will definitely recommend this place. I will also promise to go back since I fell in love with the crab legs! The valet parking staff was kind enough to let us know they he was closing and parked our cars well enough so we can get out of the area as safely as we can! Thank you, Captain Jack's for the wonderful evening, until next time! read more

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We had the most amazing experience for my 65th birthday on Saturday night! Been coming here since 1982 and it still exceeded expectations! The best restaurant ever. The crab legs are what you want! The food and service in an intimate setting is just what you're looking for. Thank you for over 40 years of great food and memories! Will recommend to everyone I know! It's worth the drive and the price. read more

Captain Jack's has always been a special place for me. I first went in 1968. Yeah, I've been around for a few years. The food is still great except for the price on the King Crab Legs-$159. We had Prime Rib last night and it was as good as it could be. Captain Jack's has a major service problem. Although they didn't seem to be overly busy(some empty tables) the wait in getting served was unacceptable. They seem to use a team approach in the service area. It took them 15 minutes to open the bottle of wine I brought. We had to almost corner a gentleman to open it. We placed our order with our primary waiter. It then took 30 minutes to receive our salad which was very good as usual. We finished our salad and then it took another 20 minutes to receive our entree. We asked about it a person said it was cooking. The prime rib is one the primary items on the menu. Captain Jack's needs to seriously address the service deficiencies that are being exhibited. If the service issue doesn't improve next time I'm afraid I will be going to other good restaurants in the area (one in Seal Beach and another in Costa Mesa). read more

This place is SPOTLESS! Food is incredible and customer service is impeccable! Even the baseboards and window sills are clean!! read more

Captain Jack's - Filet and crab - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Omg this place! So yummy and the service is always sweet and quick. We sat in a booth and was very comfortable. It was also super quiet where we sat. We sat and the server came quickly to take our drink orders right away. We already knew we wanted filet and their amazing crab legs so we went ahead and ordered everything. The dinner came with a baked potato and salad. We were also were served bread that was nice and warm and some butter. Can't seriously wait to return. read more

Captain Jack's - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

This place has been a staple since 1965. I think the first time I was there was about 1984, 21st birthday. I even held a family reunion at this restaurant. The bartender, I believe has been there for forty years. The father Jack Haley, a RENOWNED surfer and his son, a renowned professional basketball player. I remember seeing the son, Jack Haley Jr even working the front desk on some Saturdays. Truly, a remarkable family business and unbelievable food. The prime rib is perfect and are is the crab legs. You can't do anything better if you want a special night out and going to this place. I do recommend Uber... the police in that area are definitely watching people who have had anything to drink and sobriety checkpoints are popular in that area. Enjoy your time there and make reservations. read more

Usually the food and service is exceptional. We eat there several times per month. But this last visit was a fiasco. I always order the same entree. It was not the quality that I've experienced previously. When I complained the manger on Friday night 7-31, he was rude, actually arguing that the food was made correctly. Of course he offered to take it back. But the manner in which he handled it was unprofessional. read more

As soon as I entered this establishment, I was transported to what in my opinion would have been that Regal Beagle from the show Tree's Company Love the place and decoration. Everything was great. Food is fantastic big huge portions, but my only but is that the menu doesn't seem to have pricing on it. They show you a big tablet made out of wood with the menu, that you pass around your table and don't seem to remember it having numbers next to the entrées . Anyways, we ended up paying $200 per person!!!!! Drinks are good not super strong but they were OK . dessert also I have to say just OK except for the Oreo ice cream cake that was really good but the carrot cake or the cheesecake are just so so . Service is amazing. Great staff I will go again as soon as I can save some money to pay $200 plate of food. read more

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This is the first review I have ever written. I have been going to Captain Jacks for 30 years, we are locals and have visited this establishment 3 times in the past year. We have had three bad experiences with the food and service being poor in a row. Last night I ordered the Copper River Salmon and it was over cooked and tasteless. Further the room we were in was unbelievably loud and the waiter could not hear her order and brought a full order of Crab. When we told him that was no what we ordered (she ordered 1 leg and a salald) he told her sorry, we don't do that and he would see if the Chef would take it back? He admitted that he mis-heard her. After he brought her a half order and charged me for a full order, the crab was over cooked and nearly not edible. Any business can have a off night but 3 times in a row? I gave up asked for the check and will never be back. At their prices just go to Ocean 48. read more

Wow! So good! I love everything about it. We took my mom out here for Mother's Day and I'm blown away by the portion sizes. I ordered a Chilean sea bass entree with a baked potato and asparagus. The size of the sea bass was monstrous and so juicy. I don't think I've ever had a fish so smooth, velvety, and melted like butter. The ambiance was on another level too. If you like feeling like you're at Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland or enjoy that "pirate" feel, this is the place for you. The service was great too. It's pretty loud in the restaurant which can kind of be annoying but they were all very patient and kind. I highly recommend this place. read more

If half stars were available I would give this place 4.5 stars! This place probably has the best King Crab Legs in all of OC. My wife and I got the Shrimp Cocktail for an appetizer. The shrimp was nice and juicy but the cocktail sauce was amazing. Like the best cocktail sauce I've ever had. So good my wife said she would buy a bottle if they were selling it. There's the perfect blend of tangy and sweetness to it. As for the entrees. We got the house bread and salad early on (it was good). Here's why I couldn't give it 5 stars. After getting our app, we waited almost an hour until we got our entrees. I was fighting the urge to keep picking at the bread lol. For our entrees my wife got the seafood platter and I got the NY strip with crab legs. The steak was quite good but the crab legs were the best. The shell was already pre cracked. Chunks of crab meat were so flavorful we didn't even need the butter but I love butter. The rice it came with was a bit funky. It was like soy sauce was mixed in. I'm guessing it was Worcestershire sauce. I think something like Rice Pilaf would have worked better. My wife and I both said we plan to come back. But just getting a full plate of crab legs and the shrimp cocktail. Service was very good. read more

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!A Crab-tastrophe at the Market Price! If you're craving crab, I can confirm that the seafood itself was fantastic. The crab I ordered was so good, it nearly made me forget the chaos of the service. Sadly, that's where the praise ends. First off, the staff must have been on a job-hopping adventure, because they kept coming and going like it was a relay race. They were juggling jobs, chatting among themselves, and basically turning my dining experience into a game of "Where's Waldo?"...only Waldo was supposed to be my peaceful dinner, not a rumor mill. To make things even more entertaining, they talked so much I felt like I was in a seafood-themed podcast. Meanwhile, I was trying to enjoy some quality chat time with my date... or at least get a moment to breathe. Interruptions galore! It was less "dining experience" and more "spot the waiter." Now, onto the market price of $160 each for crab? That's higher than my electricity bill! I mean, I love crab, it's my favorite food, but I didn't realize I was dining in a luxury yacht's dining room. For that kind of cash, I expect the ambiance to include a VIP lounge, not a spaghetti factory vibe with extra noise. In cliff-note, the crab was worth every penny, but the atmosphere, overpriced seafood, and the staff's chitchat left me longing for a quiet corner and a more streamlined service. If you're looking for a fun, lively seafood spot with a side of patience and a wallet that can handle the price, go for it. Otherwise, maybe bring your own crab and some earplugs. Rating: 3 out of 5 crabs (but only because the seafood was stellar). read more