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    Crabs on the Beach

    4.1 (2.8k reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Bars, American
    Closed • 10:30 am - 10:00 pm

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    CRABS ON THE BEACH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Crabs on the Beach

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    Janelle F.

    We'd been at the beach and pier near by most of the day and are looking for a good place to eat where they wouldn't care about our beach attire. We saw signs from the back patio of Crabs staying bathing suits welcome. We quickly saw an outside tiki bar so we went to their outside area. Johnny our bartender was friendly and attentive. He gave us some good drink options and a good menu. We ordered the crab nachos. Everything came out to us quickly. He also gave us a bowl of goldfish crackers to snack on. The nachos portion was huge and we didn't come close to finishing them. They were so good. Our drinks were also good. You can't beat the views. There is also inside seating and bar if you wanted to go inside.

    Filet and crab cake duo with hush puppies and asparagus.
    Ramon F.

    I didn't think I wanted to sit outside, but it was a beautiful night and I don't think they asked, so we were seated outside. Our server seemed very busy when we walked in, so I figured this was going to be the average beach service we're accustomed too. I was wrong, the server quickly wrapped up and made us feel like his biggest priority. I had the crab cake and filet duo and it was one of the best I've ever had. The crab cake was of great quality and they even had a second blue crab claw crab cake next to it that has a different flavor, equally delicious. The filet was also great quality with a nice sauce and a side of asparagus and delicious hush puppies. I can't say enough about the quality, it wasn't expected on the beach. My wife had the founder and said it was also delicious. The kids meal was huge and could've fed two. I'll be back!

    Shelby R.

    What a delightful surprise!, delicious assortment of seafood and American beach favorites!. The service was a highlight for sure. And keep the drinks flowing. With a wonderful selection of adult beverages it's a total vibe. Great place for families or just grabbing a quick drink and snack. 10/10 recommend

    Pound and a half of boiled shrimp with corn potatoes and sausage for under $30 can't beat it and great
    Mendi B.

    Amazing service from Mel. Ask for her when you eat there sweet as could be and knew the menu front and back and her suggestions were perfect. We stayed there to watch a football game so was there for about three hours and she checked on us every time and kept my daughter smiling the whole time. Food was great their crab balls were sooooo good and my daughter loved the sugar rolls they gave us. We also got the boiled shrimp platter which is a pound and a half of shrimp with potatoes corn sausage for under $30 can't beat that. Food comes very quick and hot. The blueberry lemon drops tasted great and we had several and all taste the exact same which I loved. But seriously thanks Mel for the great service

    Gulf Coast Shrimp Boil
    Eddie J.

    This has been a go-to spot for us every time we visit Pensacola Beach! Plenty of seating and typical beach restaurant feel to it! Our servers have always been up to standards. Turn around time is pretty good considering it's busy all the time. I got the Gulf Coast Shrimp Boil! Get it with the Ol' Bay seasoning if you are considering it. It's delicious! I think about this meal once a week! (Sigh)

    Crab Balls
    Brant D.

    Really wished this was a better review , always try to be positive on them and understanding, but we lost a whole day of vacation after going here. I don't take reviews lightly but all three people on our party ate the same appetizer, and then the same dinner from the menu (Crab Cakes) and ALL three of us were extremely sick as soon as we awoken the next day and some awaken during the night with it! Definitely some form of food poisoning, from sweats chills and nausea we all laid in bed sipping Gatorade the next day to recover! Service was great just couldn't give a higher rating after this experience.. the fact we all had the same plate of food and all very sick really narrows it down as we had not ate anything other than snacks on the beach before this ..

    View
    Cliff S.

    Great beach views! Naked yellowfin tuna blackened cooked Paytin wad an attentive server, refilling my drinks when needed. I sat in upper deck in back - an a/c unit at door made horrible noise my entire dinner.

    Lies
    Timmy S.

    They flat out lied. Actually looked forward to an environmentally responsible restaurant in this plastic ridden town and I was truly let down.

    Crab and shrimp boil
    Emily S.

    Delicious, huge portions, outside seating right on the beach. Good service. I will definitely come back!

    Can confirm.
    Tom V.

    You can't miss this place: just look for the huge, red building that pretty much blocks the view. But hey, once you get inside, the windows open up to Pensacola Bay and you get a beautiful look. Crabs on the Beach is very much a party going on. It is fairly loud, there is a lot of swag, and the drinks are huge. If you're feeling saucy, then give the Crabs' Jar O' Rum a look. A mason jar filled with pineapple & orange juice, dark rum, and coconut rum, served over ice and easy to drink. It helps wash down what is run-of-the-mill shrimp and crab, which is not to say that it is low quality, it's just that they could do so much more. Their sushi game has quite a range, both nigiri and sashimi, and is crafted fresh daily. Salmon & yellowfin tuna are featured and the rolls have all kinds of variety. But don't miss the poke bowls featuring tuna, salmon, pickled veggies, and more. The bowls are fresh and sensational, and here's a tip: this might be the best to-go item on the menu, because it's not fried nor hot and the flavors have more time to blend on the way home. Service is good but not great, and seating is plentiful. The view on the second level is pretty spectacular on a sunny day with the calm & shimmering sea laid out before you. Enjoy the view, maybe turn a blind eye to the level of noise, and savor some seafood. *And skip the Crab Nachos. They're overrated and the portion size is obscene, with chip-to-protein ratios that are heavy on the corn side. Lesson learned.

    Caroline B.

    Really blown away by Crabs! It's one of many beach bars on the strip and wasn't expecting anything outstanding but was happily proven wrong. The service was great, happy hour can't be beaten, and drinks were delicious. I loved their frozen key lime drink and love that you can get it in a to go cup for the beach. The oysters were actually so delicious, it was quite unexpected for such a casual spot. Really wish I had time to try the sushi but maybe next time. Love the location, right next to a volleyball court and steps from the beach!

    Perfectly seasoned and delicious low country boil of fresh crab legs, gulf shrimp, corn and sausage!
    Robert M.

    Just what we had hoped for in a beachside fresh seafood restaurant. Long line of both locals and travelers which were quickly seated to our pleasant surprise. Very friendly and attentive staff took care of us. Lovely , fun and exciting views of the ocean. Atmosphere was bright colorfully in seafare decor, open air but cool. Food came quickly, hot and very tasteful. We all loved our selection of steaks, fresh seafood and shrimp pasta. We will make Crabs on the Beach an annual regular event on future trips to Pensacola Florida.

    Shrimp tacos and mango shrimp salad
    Vicky K.

    This is the second time we are visiting the same place. We had such a wonderful visit last time we wanted to come back. We ordered bloody Mary's and frozen margaritas, shrimp taco and mango shrimp salad. Our server was Elijah and he was very attentive and kept checking on us. We sat outside and there was a live performance and also presentation by the chef. We were surrounded by very nice people and we felt like home.

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    Crabs on the Beach Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Crabs on the Beach

    What all is in the she-crab soup?

    Milk/ Cream ,butter , seafood broth and real crab pieces /shreds - she crab is a female crab supposedly sweeter -very rich and comes with a side shot glass of sherry to put on top and stir it in - very tasty just get the cup since it's very rich

    I'm on the waiting list, wjats ? What's my wait time?

    Maybe ask the local staff and not people who've reviewed the place on Yelp but are most likely in another state by now.

    What is best time for party of 12?

    There is no bad time!

    How do I get on the waitlist?

    You have 2 options. You can either go there in person and be put on the waitlist. Or you can use the yelp app and get on the waitlist through the Crabs page. I'm not positive if you have to still check in with the host after going on the waitlist… 

    Any seats available for four at 8:00 pm tonight?

    They don't take reservations. But always plenty of space for walk ups!

    View All 8 Questions

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    Came in last night after a long flight. Food was a solid 6.5/10. Ribeye was incredibly…read moredisappointing and it was plated poorly. Asparagus were soggy and it was laid on a bed of rice that was also soggy. The cook on it was good though, the sauce that made everything super soggy- not so good. Definitely not worth $40. Mahi tacos were delicious. I'm a native Californian and they were comparable to what I'd expect from a shop back home. Chips and salsa as a side is unusual, but they were light and airy. Considering all things, I'd give this place a solid 4 (maybe 3.5 because of the ribeye). Service could have been better- but our waitress was super busy so I'll let that slide. Cheers

    I hate leaving "not great" reviews, but maybe this will save someone else some heartache. We were…read morein town for 5 nights and ate at several spots for dinner. This was the only one that severely disappointed. Seated quickly outside. Not in the restaurant's control, but it was very hot & muggy. No breeze and no fans. Ordered a dozen raw oysters. Waitress forgot them. She brought them after we reminded her. They were half the size of the oysters we got at three other restaurants. For entrée I ordered one of their specialties. Waitress told me it came with two sides. They charged extra for the second side. I'm fully aware of how much these places charge. Was not expecting to sweat through a 'just ok' meal for three for $200... My fault. Next time I'll trust my Yelp reviews.

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    DRIFT - Lamb chops

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    4.1(258 reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    We had an absolutely perfect evening at DRIFT and it was the ideal way to end our vacation in…read morePensacola. From the moment we arrived, Melissa provided some of the best service we've experienced in a long time. She took incredible care of our entire party, including our 6-month-old daughter. As any parent knows, dining out with a baby can sometimes be challenging, but Melissa made us feel completely welcome and comfortable throughout the evening. We enjoyed wine, appetizers, and several entrées, and she was wonderful about accommodating customizations and special requests. What really stood out was how genuinely kind and engaging she was with our baby and she took time to play with her, made her smile and giggle, and truly helped make the night special for our whole family. The food was fantastic, the views are absolutely incredible, and the atmosphere is hard to beat. The outdoor patio and bar area are especially beautiful. After dinner, Melissa helped us relocate outside where we enjoyed more wine and dessert while taking in the view. And whatever you do, don't skip the crème brûlée, it was the perfect ending to an already amazing meal! The entire team was friendly, welcoming, and attentive, and the level of hospitality we experienced was exceptional. Between the delicious food, stunning waterfront setting, and outstanding service from Melissa, this was one of the highlights of our trip. We'll absolutely be back the next time we're in Pensacola. Thank you, Melissa and the DRIFT team, for such a memorable evening!

    I had a lovely experience at Drift…read more The views of the Gulf are beautiful and the decor is classic and coastal. Most patrons wore dressy beach attire - sundresses for ladies and nice shorts or slacks for the guys. Our server was wonderful! He was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable of that menu. The food was good. I had the lamb chops appetizer and peach burrata salad as my main. The chops were overdone, but the flavor was nice, and the asparagus that came with was yummy. I loved the salad and would order it again. The tuna poke appetizer was a toss up. The tuna was delicious, but the crabmeat was so disappointing. It had the consistency and flavor of canned crab. I'm not saying for sure that it was canned, but with all of the fresh options, I just thought I'd get really good crabmeat. My husband had the catch of the day, which I think was sea bass. It was delicious! The fish tasted super fresh and was perfectly seasoned. For dessert we had the chocolate cake. It was so dry - as if it had been frozen or something. Overall, our experience was positive.

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    DRIFT - Drift restaurant

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    We had a great time at The Grand Marlin Pensacola, FL. When we arrived, our table was ready and…read moreright where we wanted to sit. The food and service were excellent. Great place to go. I just wanted to let you know that it seemed like we had several drinks to our server when we only had one each and when the bill came, several items that we DID NOT order was on our bill. The total was almost $500.00 Dollars. Once I noticed and brought it to her attention, she quickly grabbed the bill, crumbled it up and made me suspicious that I just caught her wrongdoing. When the corrected bill came back, it was for $247.00 and it was what we ordered. It looked like she was padding the bill for her benefit. Please check your bill to make sure it is correct before you put your card down.

    This is my third visit to Pensacola, and I fall in love every single time I visit. A colleague…read morerecommended Grand Marlin as a must do so I added it to my list. The restaurant is located right over the water. Parking is right under the building. Take the elevator up to restaurant and check in at the hostess stand. We highly recommend a reservation and they do fill up fast. We had a seat in the outdoor space. It was just a little warm for me, but large plantation fans gave a nice breeze. Like any good foodie, I had my meal selections already picked out prior to my arrival. I love a good calamari, and this was no exception. Crispy, well seasoned, and tender with a little bite of heat. We also ordered the lobster fingers. They are exactly what they sound like strips of tender juicy lobster meat in a light tempura style batter. This was probably the best dish of my entire trip. The grouper piccata was highly recommended by my colleague, so it was my obvious dinner choice. This meal was light and decadent at the same time. The fish was lightly breaded served in a bright rich lemon cream sauce. Crispy capers added a little texture. Wilted spinach rounded out the meal. This was an exceptional dish! We also ordered the filet. The steak was perfectly prepared and served with creamy whipped potatoes. After such a beautiful dinner, we opted to take dinner to go. The key lime pie was also highly recommended and I can confirm this first hand. The coconut macadamia graham cracker crust made this an exceptional dessert.

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    Crabs on the Beach - seafood - Updated October 2026

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