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

SECOND CHANCE was an awesome experience service was very cordial and pleasant. We were a table for four at window seating. Food was prepared as expected; now valet parking service nearby. Four of us departed planning to be repeat customers and willing to make referrals to CAPTAIN JACK'S! OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE：Quality of food and service exceeded years ago attempt attendance with help ignored us having us wait in a dark alcove; parking was a frightful choice. We were never called for seating. We left to a restaurant across the street. After several years passing; we decided to try dining there again based upon recommendations of neighbors suggesting we give them a second chance. We are pleased that we did! The Pierson's; Bob Walz; Elaine Ray read more

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

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

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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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

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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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

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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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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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

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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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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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

Always, always excellent food! Service was great, and we were able to get a table with no reservations, and a 5 minute wait. We always enjoy going to Captain Jacks because the patrons are always friendly also. read more

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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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April 2026, We brought 2 friends from out of State to our favorite restaurant for crab legs, Captain Jack's. Boy, were we disappointed in the quality of the crab legs. The crab legs were old, not fresh, and the $160 price is higher than market price. Our waitress rolled her eyes when we ordered a combination of salad dressing. We will not be back. DISAPPOINTED!!! read more

Absolutely horrific the crab legs were a stone cold. The service was as always above and beyond, but we came here for the food. It was awful. I've been coming here for 40 years and the food was absolutely awful. We will never ever come back here again after being served horrible food. read more

Bad experience way overpriced, been coming here for years made reservations for anniversary, requested a booth got placed at a table jammed in the middle of the room and felt like we were rushed to get in and out. What a shame we are locales and were hoping for an enjoyable evening, prime rib and crab legs were good sea bass was over cooked and a very small portion...too bad for us. Felt like there were way too many waiters rushing you. read more

Love Captain Jack's such a nice ambience and great service love the Alaskan king, crab legs, and the crab stuffed mushrooms. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

!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

The best prime rib and crab legs around. Go hungry huge portions. Enjoy dinner in a old school fish restaurant

First off get a generator! Had a reservation at 5:30 and didn't get to eat because the power went out. Really disappointed because it was our anniversary 2/21/2026 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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Captain Jacks was our 3rd choice, and I guess 3 times the charm, as we were not disappointed. We were looking for somewhere with fresh crab for my daughter's birthday, and had been to two restaurants prior to coming to CJ's. All I can say is, WOW! The service, the FOOD, the ambiance, all 5 star. It will be our go from now on when we're looking for the freshest seafood around. It's not the newest establishment, but the old charm and ambiance is a winner in my book. All around this place was excellent, so give it a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

We truly wanted tonight to be a great experience as we just moved into the Harbour. We started with drinks and Apps and an added an extra single shrimp yet they brought a full order. After the server set the two orders down we began to eat. When the waiter finally came back we questioned the two orders and he stated he made a mistake. A few minutes later he came back and picked up the added shrimp and disappeared. We asked why he did this in concern for possibly reserving to other customers and he explained he'd return it to his supplier for credit. Thought this was strange. Bummed out because I wanted to cruise up to the docks and have fun for the next 20 years. read more

Just not the same service or quality it once was. Had to send my steak back because it was cooked well done and I ordered it medium rare, and the waitress said that was what I ordered. It was noisy in the room I was in and could even talk to my wife it was so loud. Took forever to get more bread and we had to ask more than once. Not going back read more

The ambiance & food is excellent and great for reunions The service waa very attentive and efficient 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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The food was excellent just as usual, but the service was more than lacking! With 5 servers waiting on us you'd think it would be outstanding, but it wasn't! The servers were not trained with common etiquette, such a ladies 1st, how to serve food (from the right & pick up from the left! This server had no idea who had what & reached across the table! Even had the wrong food! Cocky, arrogant & I guess we were lucky to get anything! Three of us had Crablegs (200.00) each) 5 people, you'd think you'd be cattered to, not here! When you have to wave at people to get anything, worst service ever! The days of fine dining & manners is over! Three courses & not one was in the right place! What a disappointment! Celebrating a birthday , but we should have stayed home! Never again! read more

I have been here many times with a great experience and ambiance . It turned as of last night"s prime rib being well done and tough. This dinner reminded me of chewing beef jerky. The prime usally cuts with a fork but sawed away with a steak knife. I hope this not a trend for captain Jack's. They did take the order off the bill. I thank you very much for that. My wife had the Blackend Haddock it was great. It just seems the food is expensive for mediocre Quality. I don't do reviews but could't let this one "go". read more

Oh man... Captain Jack's deserves way more than 5-stars -- give them a whole galaxy of stars, fireworks, a parade, and maybe a trophy shaped like a lobster tail. It was THAT good. x 4! From the moment you walk in, you get smacked in the face (in the best possible way) with great vibes, incredible service, and food that makes you question every life decision that DIDN'T include coming here sooner. The staff treats you like royalty, like you just won the Super Bowl and decided to celebrate at the coolest place in town. Friendly, fast, and genuinely happy to make sure you're having an amazing time. And the food? Forget about it. Absolute perfection. Every bite feels like your taste buds hit the lottery. Fresh, flavorful, cooked perfectly -- the kind of meal that makes you talk about it for days like a proud parent bragging about their honor roll kid. Drinks? Dangerous... in the best way. Delicious, smooth, and they keep the fun going. Whether you're going for dinner, drinks, a great night out, or just to feel like you made a genius decision today -- Captain Jack's is THE spot. If I could leave a 20-star review, I would. Actually... let's call it a million-star experience. Can't wait to go back! read more

Food was bland and the crab tasted like pond water. Definitely not worth $400 to feed 2 people. However service was great. read more

Street parking and complimentary Valet parking available. Reservations recommended but not required. Ok for small groups. Nice bar area. I only order Lobster so can't speak on the others items but they all look great Prices are fare. Staff is wonderful. read more

Captain Jack's - Lobster with baked potatoe - Seafood Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Lively place with great crab and ambiance; very dim but nice mood setting. My buddy couldn't read the menu but it's cool they have live music sometimes. read more

Captain Jack's is our go to for birthdays and anniversaries. We love the decor, and location. My favorite is the king crab.. it's market priced so be prepared to pay for quality, and it's a nice large portion. My just usually gets the prime rib/crab which are excellent as well. Awesome variety of cocktails, the bread is so good it's hard to stop, and the blue cheese salad dressing is not to be missed.. as always the service is impeccable, and you want for nothing. read more

Less than mediocre. No taste of the ocean whatsoever. Who puts Parmesan on escargot ? (Genuine question because that didn't taste like them at all) It was hard to eat since there is no taste of the seafood. Got oysters and steamed mussels with clams as well and they had no taste at all. Unfortunately, looks like another tourist trap for "fresh seafood". Doesn't justify the price. We were really excited for this because of so many recommendations and reviews looked nice as well. read more

The food here is amazingly delicious! I have been here several times and every time the food and service is fantastic. We have sat on the side by the water which is super nice and very relaxing. I usually get the crab legs which is what they are known for. Let me tell you they are scrumptious! SO GOOD! I honestly have to say the crab legs taste better than the lobster in my opinion. This is definitely a must visit restaurant! The only reason for the 4 star is because I had called in advance for a reservation and they sat us in a very small table right in the pathway of the servers which really was not cool. We did ask to be moved and they did move us to a much nicer table! read more

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The off menu surf and turf with Prime Rib steak and King Crab is amazing. The prime rib cooked medium is truly of the upmost quality, so tender and flavorful. The king crab is incredibly fresh. It comes with a garden salad and your choice of homemade dressing. You can even get Caesar dressing with it, that is packed with an abundance of parmesan and a nice mild flavor of anchovies. You can upcharge to substitute a baked potato for the rice. They also bring you a side of creamy horseradish that goes great with everything from the steak to the crab to even the potatoes! We were able to share all of that between the 2 of us. But my wife wished for more crab and less steak. With that said, next time my wife would just like a half order of King Crab (which they refer to as a 10oz portion) for herself, or maybe even a full pound, and her own baked potato, plus a salad with ranch. read more

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Dining at Captain Jack's always leaves me happily stuffed; the portions are massive and generous. I love ordering the off-menu surf & turf with prime rib and king crab legs alongside a baked potato; it's rich, indulgent comfort food that never disappoints. The nautical-themed ambiance feels like dining aboard an older, cozy ship. It's beautifully nostalgic and full of character. On the flip side, it's definitely a splurge, and pricing is strict "market rate" so expect to pay premium for that giant crab and cocktails or extras add up quickly. For the quality and the vibe? It's absolutely worth every bite. read more

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