Plaza parking available, but it fills up quickly Restaurant isn't super huge so try to get there right when it opens, even on weekday for dinner, was filling up when close to closing! Garlic noodles are delicious, must order whenever I'm here Got their Combo Deal and was plentiful for 2 persons Can't wait to be back! read more

Claw Shack - Garlic Noodles - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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This was my go-to seafood boil spot for the past five years. I'd always recommend this place to friends because it was consistently one of the better seafood boil spots in SJ. After today's visit, though... I finally understand why the second location closed. Ordered: Shackie's Sauce (Hot) Shrimp & Mussels Combo Snow Crab Clusters Garlic Noodles Garlic Fries The seafood boil was nowhere near the quality it used to be. The corn tasted old, the shrimp and snow crab didn't taste fresh, and the snow crab clusters had barely any meat. By the time I cracked everything open, it felt like there was more shell than seafood. The mussel shells even had barnacles on them, which I've never seen here before. It made the seafood feel like it hadn't been cleaned as well as it should have. The garlic fries were crispy, but that's it. It was weird--I could see the garlic and was literally eating it, yet there was no garlic flavor. The garlic noodles used to be one of my favorite items because they were bold and packed with garlic. Now they've definitely toned the flavor down, and they're just not the same anymore. It's honestly disappointing because this place used to be one of my favorite seafood spots. The food quality has clearly declined while the prices have continued to go up. I hope they can get back to what made this place so good, but based on today's experience, I can't recommend it anymore. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

My first time at Claw Shack. I got 1 pound of crawfish and 1 pound of clams, shackie, hot. The crawfish there were frozen, but HUGE! I enjoyed the sizing of them. But wasn't too big on the flavor. Might be a tab bit too sweet for me? Idk sorry guys, don't hate me! I will go back for sure to try a different sauce. Any recommendations of what you other Yelpers like from there? Overall, service was great! Staff was cool. Thanks Yall! read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

We went right when they opened on a Sunday and it wasn't too packed. The service was good and the food came out pretty fast. It was easy to find parking. In my opinion, the crawfish and seafood here doesn't taste different compared to other spots in San Jose. I go only when I want to satisfy a craving since it's nearby. It's the go-to to always get garlic noodles along with the seafood boil read more

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It's so great to have this place close to my house especially when I'm craving for seafood. The head on shrimp medium spice is great with rice. It is a bit spicy for my bf but it's a good compromise for the both of us. The corn was also good. Service is ok. And there ample of seating with ship/beach vibes. There are some TVs so can't wait to eat seafood and watch a game. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

I went when they were just opening for the day and it seemed like the staff was not very attentive. They have a wide selection of flavors to choose from but the flavor that I got was too sweet for my liking. I might have chose the wrong flavor so I would like to go back and try a different one with a saltier profile. Their seafood was great quality though. Fresh clams and snappy shrimp. I would say it's also on the pricier side. read more

Cute rustic interior, shrimp bag was super yummy and the potatoes, mm mm mm chefs kiss on top, the seasonings were delicious! I've not heard many people yap about this place but it's so good! They give you cute little bibs too so you don't get messy! Very nice services as well! read more

Claw Shack - Shrimp! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

I haven't had seafood boil so my cravings for this were overdue. We came on a weekday and it was not crowded at all. We got the combo with shabang and shackies sauce. Definitely recommend the shabang. Cajun fries (5/5); This a must get every time I get seafood boil. It was crispy and flavorful. Shrimp (5/5): It was meaty and so worth the value. Crawfish (4/5): Not very sweet but still good. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

It's still a hidden gem in my book!! definitely worth the wait!! service is great! The food is so flavorful! I would definitely come back for it the Shambalang ! The shackie is great too, but it's more sweeter. I tend to get confused when I get here I want to get. But if you want more savory. Then get the shambalang !! They now have a cute patio outside, which is very cute!! read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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Great flavors fresh seafood and garlic noodles were tasty. Shambalang sauce is the way to go for the tangy flavor. Get combo upgrade if you buy 2 lbs or more read more

Came here with some friends for a tasty seafood boil. Everything was soo good, great sauce flavors. Very nice interior decor, and good/friendly customer service read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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My family and I love us some Claw Shack. Whenever there is a craving for crawfish, THIS is the place to be... The establishment isn't super big but with the patio seating, this joint can easily handle parties- big & small. I can always come here knowing I will be seated fairly quickly. Perfect for me because I'm not about that hour+ wait kinda life. Staples for our visits: *LIVE Crawfish Seafood Boil *Shrimp WITH HEAD Seafood Boil *Chicken Wings *Garlic Noodles *Regular Fries My top two fave house blend sauces are SHACKIE'S & SHAMBALANG in medium heat for my fam, hot for me. Food: The boils itself is always on point. Flavors are spot on each and every time while the protein is cooked to perfection. The chicken wings are SUPERB!!! Extra crunchy on the outside but not dried out on the inside. The crisp outer skin handles the sauce coating very well and doesn't go soggy as time goes on. Lastly, the garlic noodles is the only dish that can be a hit or miss depending on the day. While I would prefer my noodles to have a bit of a chewy bit to it, there have been plenty of times where this garlicky goodness has been delivered very wet & containing mushy noodles. I continue to religiously order due to my daughter's love for noodles and I live for those moments when the chef comes through such a plate of perfection. My only complaint for our most recent visit is the bad slices of lemon that clearly should have been tossed out & NOT served to guests. I attempted to use the limes anyhow and was met with a yucky, bitter, & altered taste. I couldn't power through with that regardless of how much I love lemon/lime with my boils. 4 stars altogether but they get some extra points because Claw Shack be playing all my damn jamz!!! AND!! With the staff singing out loud, you kinda get a dinner and a show. Lmao. read more

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Claw shack always hits the spot! Service is quick, seafood is fresh and tasty. Pretty small restaurant but there is a hand wash station outside the bathrooms after getting your hands dirty in that shackies's sauce. The combo is the way to go! read more

Claw Shack - 1 lb shrimp, 1 lb crawfish, 1 lb mussel combo - shackies sauce medium - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Parking can get crowded otherwise a really solid place for crawfish. If you get 2lbs+ you can turn it into a combo. I did wish they gave more gloves or a trash bag. They do have outdoor seating as well so on a nice day sitting outside is nice. The shackies seasoning is tangy and spicy. read more

Claw Shack - 3lbs crawfish w/ shackies seasoning medium spice. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Tried Claw Shack out since Boiling Crab's wait was so long and our typical go to spot was closed and I really enjoyed it! They have an awesome combo deal where you can get corn, potatoes, and sausage for $6 more if you order two or more pounds. Sauce was delicious and not too salty, they're pretty generous with it too. Garlic fries and Cajun fries were so bomb, really crispy and had a nice fluffy inside. The garlic noodles were def a highlight too! Casual and smaller restaurant but they have some outdoor patio seating. Service was super fast, we had a flight to catch and we were in and out in less than an hour. Will def be back! read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

This is our go to spot for seafood boils. Recently we came on a Tuesday night. Was greeted and served immediately. We enjoyed: Garlic noodles 2lb headless shrimp combo in shambalang Lobster tail with bread roll in shackies Chicken fritters and fries I love the garlicky shackies sauce. The shambalang is flavorful too with garlic and lemon slices. Garlic noodles have great flavor. Chicken fritters or wings are a great choice for non seafood eaters. Nice decor and cozy spot with outdoor patio seating. read more

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Long overdue review. Came here for dinner on a Friday during fall of 2024. Parking wasn't a problem at the North Valley Plaza that night. This restaurant was comparably smaller than a Boiling Crab but we got seated right away. The atmosphere was as staple as can be with restrooms equally devoid of interesting points. We ordered the DF Seafood Sampler (shrimp, calamari, fish filled with shrimp crackers and tartar/cocktail sauce combo), 1lb Shrimp with Garlicky Sauce and no heat, Garlic Fries and Garlic Noodles. Yes, a lot of garlic seasoned dishes because Gilroy (garlic capital of the world) was just a drive away. We downed our food with Peach Soju and Hard Apple Cider. Food was good and reasonably priced. Service was pure business. I'd say this is a decent spot away from busy SJ areas when hankering for shrimp and crab boil. read more

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We are usually in the Berryessa Lundy area quite a bit since we have family that live in the area. Even though we are huge Cajun seafood boil fans, surprisingly we have not ate at Claw Shack yet. To celebrate my mom's early Mother's Day, we finally ate at Claw Shack recently on a Friday night. The restaurant is located in an older plaza close to the Berryessa Flea Market. Parking is accessible in the medium size plaza parking lot. It can definitely be a challenge when it is peak hours though. The restaurant is small but they do use the patio area which works quite well for large parties. Our daughter arrived early that night to put her name down for the waiting list so fortunately we were able to sit down immediately in the patio once upon arrival. We ordered 4lbs of shrimps, corn, sausages, rice, fries, and garlic noodles. It was good amount of food for our family and my parents. Everything was delicious. The shrimp with the shackie sauce was so scrumptious. Probably my favorite seafood boil sauce out of all the local Cajun seafood boil spots. The staff was accommodating and efficient. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Claw Shack. My mom enjoyed her food a lot so I'll definitely bring my parents back. read more

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Came here one evening for dinner and ordered the garlic noodles, and also got 1lb of head on shrimp with some sausage and 1 potato, with the shambalang medium spice boil. The shrimp was good, the sauce had a nice salty lemony garlicy flavor. The medium spicy wasn't spicy enough for me, but it was a good start to figure out their spice level. The ingredients in the boil were good. I was happy that they had gloves and aprons. The garlic noodles were a tad bit bland but with the boil sauce it was fine. Overall, good meal and will come back when they have fresh crawfish as well. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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A small spot with limited indoor seating, but they have outdoor dining area that makes up for it. Seafood boil combo was on point. It included corn, sausage and potatoes. The Shambalang sauce is a must, it was really garlicky and had excellent flavor. The seafood was fresh but I would skip the gumbo next time though, it lacked flavor and was watery. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Where do I even begin..... As a crawfish connoisseur, this is BY FAR the absolute worst crawfish spot I have ever had and I'm not usually picky with crawfish. You have to screw up HARD for me to hate it this much and hate is a strong word. First off, we got the garlic noodles which was highly recommended amongst all users and it was very disappointing. I selected the extra garlic option and the flavor was just not there at all. I expected it to be more saucy and flavorful but it was just super dry and flavorless. As for the crawfish, WHICH we ordered 3 pounds of btw, was just disgusting. The shell, the "sauce", the freshness of the crawfish, all of it was horrible. There were some crawfish whose shell cracked so easily due to it being so overcooked. The meat was rubbery instead of springy and moist. It was so dry that it was getting hard to eat and I've never wanted to see the bottom of a crawfish boil bag faster. We got the garlic butter sauce and you'd assume a rich, decadent, flavorful sauce but it was just sauce less. Completely. With some dry pieces of browned garlic? I hate to be this harsh to a place but if you're gonna charge this high for what I assume is "fresh" crawfish, I'd rather starve. read more

The sharky sauce is my fav. Sweet tangy and spicy, perfect combo. 1 pound isnt enough yet 2 pound is too much. Verdict, always round up to 2 pounds. Food takes a while but your server will bring out beverages quickly. Restaurant got a sink outside of the restroom so hand washing can be done conveniently read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

Long over due review for this place. My boyfriend and I love it here. We've brought friends and family can vouch that this place is delicious! Our family typically prefers this place over boiling crab because of all the additional apps like their garlic noodles. Their garlic noodles are my favorite in the bay and always a mandatory order! Space is limited though, so our family of 5 always gets sat outside and it gets a little chilly out there at night but nothing extra spicy shrimp can't fix. We also love that there is a sink located outside the bathroom to wash up without having to wait for someone to finish up. read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

As someone from the south and very used to Vietnamese style flavored crawfish, this place is a gem. I drive over an hour just to get my crawfish fix here. I've tried other places in the area, they're just not as good. Super chill place, small, but they do have some tables that will fit 6 people. It's located in the north valley plaza, parking isn't that difficult to find! 10000000000/10 love going here read more

Claw Shack - Found what each sauce is supposed to be, finally - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

This place has turned into garbage. Which is exactly where my meal ended up because of the bad quality. It was my favorite spot, but after the terrible attitude, bad service, lack of flavor in the garlic noodle and shambalaya sauce I'm done. I ended up going to Cajun Crackin' after. I had it before, but preferred claw shack around Berryessa Cajun Crackin' is way better, not out of frustration, but flavor. I only took a few bites of claw shacks offering before I was like hell no, don't eat this shit. Literally tasted like crap. Garlic noodles aren not fresh, noodles were old...hard even after sautéed no flavor of garlic detected even though you can see a it. Old ass ingredients and seafood with bad service. INEDIBLE. $40 wasted. Go somewhere else. read more

My all-time favorite spot for seafood boil! I keep coming back because the shrimp is always big, never mushy, and the sauce is consistently delicious. I prefer the Shackie sauce with crawfish and a side of rice. The Shackie sauce is thicker and more flavorful compared to the Shambalang, which is lighter. The garlic noodles are also a must! - Soft, chow mein-style perfection. I love coming here for dates or with friends. The area has a nice, cozy vibe, parking is easy, and it's perfect for dinner. The service is great too, they're always quick to refill waters. read more

Claw Shack - Crawfish shackie and garlic noodles - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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Today, I'm in the South Bay Area. I felt like doing some Louisiana style Seafood boil today. I'm here at Claw Shack off Berryessa Rd. in the evening. And yeah, I did say I got some personal history with Louisiana, I happen to go school with Hurricane Katrina evacuees 20 years ago. So I like, appreciate, enjoy, and know everything about Southern Cajun cuisine. I finally got my Bag of 1 pound of Manila Clams, 1 pound of Green Lip Mussels, and Lobster Tail with Bread Roll included. The Seafood was fresh. The Garlicky House Blend Spicy Sauce was Smack. I went and dipped the Bread Roll into the Sauce, and it was so good, that was the move. And I can't forget about my Cup of Lychee Jelly Green Tea, so refreshing. I was thinking this was going to be a 3.8-4.3 stars, this could be a 4.4 stars on a good day, but I give this 4.3/4.4 stars out of 5 stars. I'm satisfied. read more

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Celebrated my daughter's birthday here for a quick dinner. No wait when we came and there are tables still unoccupied. Within a few minutes, the place got full! The place was clean and Maybe it's dinner time. We ordered the shrimp with sausage (and whatever comes with it) by the pound and will need to pair with garlic noodles. The portion was enough for the three of us. I would definitely come back! read more

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Came here twice in less then a month span so you know it is good! The most recent trip my fam and I got the combo with 1lb head on shrimp, 1 lb clams with their shambalang sauce (spicy). We also got a lb of snow crab legs and 1 lb of crawfish w their house sauce, garlic noodles and garlic fries. We love going here because they have the patio for our dog to come join us, and they are really quick with their service. Less than 10 mins to start getting food. The shambalang sauce was so yummy and garlicy. We got spicy but didn't think it was spicy at all so next time we are going to go up a level. The house sauce was a bit underwhelming, it was indeed as thin as the description says. We just got another thing of the shambalang and dipped the other seafood in there LOL. Overall it's a great time here. read more

My go to spot, I've tried other places and it has too much oil not enough flavor but this seafood boil restaurant is packed with flavor especially the shackies sauce read more

It's been a long time since I had Cajun style shrimp and I missed all of it -- the messiness, the plastic bibs and disposable gloves; the finger-licking yumminess of it all. We came with a big group of girls and determined that females eat about 1/2 lb each (disregard if you have hungry teenagers or college-aged folks), and men generally eat about a lb of protein each. It's been sooo long since I've had this type of food because one of my kids hates shrimp (How?? Why??), so we stopped really eating seafood as often. We got 1 lb of mild headless shrimp and clams and 2 lbs medium shrimp with Shackie's seasoning and medium spiciness. If you have at least 2 lbs, you can order a combo for $6 more, which comes with sausage and corn). We also ordered garlic noodles and Cajun fries; both were delicious and paired well with all the seafood. I didn't try the clams but I preferred the medium level of spices, which gave it a nice kick without being overpowering. You can't taste the spice with the mild level. We had a "forehead slap" moment when we spent 15 minutes complaining that the menu didn't offer descriptions of the seasonings before realizing they were taped to the size of the napkin box. So if you find yourself wondering whether to get Shackie's or Shambalang and (understandably) don't know what that means ... check the napkin box!! So yummy and good for a group. I'll be back! read more

We got head off shrimp with shackies sauce spicy. The "spicy level" was comparable to medium level at other seafood restaurants, so not that spicy. The quality of shrimp was fresh and the sauce was good but did have the sweetness to it which didn't mix well with the limes provided (not lemon). We also got the garlic noodles which were so bland that we didn't even finish them which we usually devour at kickin crab. If you're looking for somewhere with sauce comparable to boiling crab, this is not it but was good. The service was friendly and fast. read more

Claw Shack - Shrimp head off - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

We ordered the seafood sampler, clam chowder, and two pounds of crawfish with two flavors at medium spicy (Shackie's and Shambalang). The staff was very friendly and explained their two popular sauces and the flavor profile to us. The clam chowder was rich and creamy, maybe even a bit buttery, the clam was also pretty tender. (4/5) The seafood sampler was pretty standard, came with tarter sauce and cocktail sauce. The batter was really crispy but didn't give it much flavor most of the flavors came from the two sauce. The cocktail sauce was good, it is on the sweeter side with a hint of horseradish, which was a nice touch (3.5/5). The tarter sauce was pretty standard, just tasted like mayo and a little hint of lemon juice and relish. The crawfish was cooked well. Better than some places I been to, where it was over cooked and a bit mushy. Both flavors were pretty decent, but I wished they added a bit more sauce. (3/5) read more

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It's a family favorite seafood boil restaurant. Their sauces are great and the corn is sweet and chewy which is how I like it. The shrimp and crawfish are big. They also have a separate handwashing station outside the restrooms which I thought was quite convenient. No one wants to go into restroom just to wash hands. Personally, I rather not so I appreciate this separate station. read more

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Claw Shack is located in a small strip mall next to X Tea. Parking can be challenging during peak hours. Inside and outside patio seating available. The service is pretty friendly and attentive. Shrimp Gumbo: fresh, home-style soup with deep brown roux and onions, bell peppers, okra, chicken, smoked sausages, and shrimp (3/5). I was hoping for a richer, thicker gumbo. It was ok. Garlic Noodles (4/5). Very flavorful. Potent garlicky with a bite of black pepper. Fried Fish Fillets (with fries): deep-fried hand breaded, funeral corn flour fish fillets with a house Special blend of cajun spices served with crispy and crunchy seasoned fries and tarter sauce (4/5). read more

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Claw Shack is STILL my favorite place for seafood boil! I've been going here for the past 10 years and they STAY consistent compared to other restaurants in the Bay. I always get shrimp, crawfish, or clams + shackies medium sauce and add $6 to make it a combo! Shackies is the best sauce IMO but I still have to try shambalang sauce! They also put a decent amount of sauce compared to other places! I also LOVE the garlic noodles here because you can actually taste the garlic. It's also on the sweeter side. The service is always the best here as well! I'll definitely be back when I'm craving seafood boil! read more

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My friends recommended this spot for dinner before we went to TopGolf and I was happy to go since I haven't had seafood boil in many many years! We got there at 7:30pm and put ourselves on the waitlist for a table of 5. We waited for about 10 minutes to get a table and I was happy they were able to seat us even though they close at 8. Service was prompt and efficient for a packed restaurant 30 minutes before closing. We ordered the 2 pound combo with head-on shrimp which added on 2 corn, 2 potatoes, and a sausage. We chose the shambalang sauce with hot spice level. The other side of the table ordered a 2 pound combo of headless shrimp and the hot shackies sauce. We also added on 2 orders of garlic noodles to go with the seafood. Everything came out fast and piping hot, and the bibs and gloves came in handy when it came time to dig in. I really liked the head-on shrimp with the shambalang sauce, and the hot level wasn't very spicy, next time I think our table would go for the extra hot level. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and they were large and juicy. I liked having a side of lime juice to dip my shrimp into along with the shambalang sauce. The corn was cooked super well too, it was so sweet and juicy. Garlic noodles were yummy too, but I wish the noodles had a bouncier and chewier texture. My boyfriend ordered a bread roll, this was forgettable, completely bland and dry. The sausage and potatoes weren't my fave but they came with the combo. I felt like the prices weren't too bad either and this definitely scratched the seafood boil itch. I would come back if I was in the area! read more

Claw Shack - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Jose, California

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I was ordering combo of shrimp clams and crawfish, corn clams crawfish are not fresh at all. How can I recommend to my friends to stop by. Please to go order seafood need to be fresh otherwise easy to get foods poison read more

Since moving to the South Bay from New Orleans, I've been on the hunt for the seafood boil spot that reminds me the most of NOLA (my fave out there is Big EZ), and this is the place!! Like most seafood boil spots in CA, claw shack does Asian/cajun fusion style seafood, which is exactly what I was looking for. My go-to order is a pound of crawfish with the shambalang sauce, corn, and a side of garlic fries with extra garlic. - crawfish - usually frozen during the times I've ordered which is fine. The crawfish are a good size and don't taste overly frozen. Not mushy and have a nice bounce/chew while also not being too dry. - shambalang sauce - sooooo good. Perfect mix of savory and tangy with a hint of acidity. This sauce is what reminds me of Big EZ back in NOLA. So flavorful! - garlic fries - also soooo good, and another South Bay dupe for my fave seafood boil garlic fries in NOLA haha. The fries are so crispy yet also so perfectly seasoned. I like to save the sauce after I finish up my crawfish and dip my fries in them--this elevates the garlic fry experience so much. The restaurant itself is a bit small, but wait times usually aren't bad. A lot of times I'll skip that too and just order to-go online or through their app. Still tastes the same even after the drive home! read more

I used to love Claw Shack, but the past few times I've eaten here have been disappointing. I always get the shrimp with shambalang medium - the shrimp is no longer fresh and the sauce is on the oily side. I prefer and expect firm shrimp in my seafood boil, not shrimp with a soft/mushy texture. The sauce is still flavorful, but doesn't stick well to the seafood. Otherwise, the service is great and I love the cozy feel of the restaurant, but I think I would rather eat at one of the other seafood boil places in the South Bay (Cajun Crackin, Cajun Bistro 7, Capt Loui) for better quality seafood. read more