My boyfriend and I always come here for literally just the shrimp! (and rice of course). It's one of our favorite places to eat whenever we come to Montrose. There's never a wait time when you walk in, you get seated immediately which is awesome. If you like to drink, the do have a bar for you. They have lots of beers, wines and cocktails to choose from. As well as their food menu, lots to choose from. You can eat crab or lobster or chicken or shrimp or fish, you name it. Great customer service from all the workers. It's not just one person who attends to you, it's all of them. Definitely recommend this place to everyone! read more

i often go to cracking crab with my parents and sometimes with my boyfriend. needless to say, they absolutely love it! The fact that we get to do everything hands on is a completely different experience and the food comes out in large abundance's. All the seafood tastes very fresh and the fries are very seasoned which makes the seafood taste even better in a way. I would recommend anyone to come here for a nice dinner with family or with a significant other! read more

Trying to be supportive to our neighborhood restaurants during this time. I placed an order at 10:45 am for 6 pm delivery. Delivery was made right at 6.. yeepy! However, once I unpacked our food.. 1/2 of the order is missing! I called to let them know.. the woman who answered the phone suggested I place another order for the forgotten (but charged) order OR I could just drive and pick the order up! What!? The reason I ordered, paid delivery fee and tipped .. was so I could NOT leave my house! The woman was rude and simply did not care. Last time I order from them.. read more

I called to confirm they were open for pick up on Mother's Day and the young lady said yes and gave us a heads up the turn time was at least an hour. Sure enough our food was ready on time for pickup. The staff was nice and all 11 items of our order was in our bag! We had the shrimp, lobster, crab legs, clam chowder, fish tacos, garlic noodles and fries. Everything cooked to perfection. It was a perfect Mother's Day for the wifey. Thank you Cracking Crab for making this a perfect day! read more

Had a great experience at Crackin Crab. Our server Mark took good care of our party of 6. We had some friends from Brazil visiting who didnt know English but he was patient and helped them through the menu as best as he could. Everyone enjoyed their food and we left happy. Will definitely be back. read more

Love their shrimp!!! My favorite sauce combination is Cajun Medium with Garlic Butter Medium. First time I dined in, felt not welcomed with no service. I had to call and look to get water, napkins, bucket for trash etc. I went with my parents and kids and really felt bad for them. We didn't really enjoyed our meal. But food was great!!! Not the wait staffs not at all. Not At All. Second time we decided to just togo since I didn't want to deal with wait staffs. Togo tastes as good as dine in. It actually tasted better even I did not get my order right. Then Next time when I order Togo I added some request note , what you get to do when you use Yelp Order system, didn't happen. Still love the food. I still love the food I ordered another Togo. I look at the restaurant, it seems like they got new wait staff. I maybe tried to dine in next time. Taste seems little bit different than last few times but still enjoyed our food. Not sure what has changed but it was different. I love their food so keep going. I wish they have little bit nicer service so they have more business. read more

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Best food and customer service is exceptional! Mark is very attentive and served our party of 11 so well! Honestly love this place more than Boiling Crab and happy hour is such a good deal!! read more

We went there last night not knowing what to expect. The place was packed with patrons and we were sat down in less than a minute. They have a great menu, many combo choices and very reasonable prices. We received a good service and a taste of Cajun and Louisiana crab, shrimp, sausage, corn and bacon wrapped shrimp. Highly recommend. read more

Although the shrimp was a little sweet/spicy after I assumed it was just spicy. It was a great experience Chris was really cool and friendly! I really appreciate customer service! Get that man a raise! But seriously thanks for the great service. read more

Cracking Crab - He beat me today! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

The food had no flavor. It was too expensive. The good thing was the service. The waitress was really nice.

OMG!! This place was bangin!! I loved the everything I ate. This spot is a must whenever I'm in this part of LA. Without a doubt!!! BANGIN!

These people robbed me. I walked in at 8:50pm on a weekday to get some shrimp. Saw the menu said $12.99 per pound.. which is steep. I asked to double check and they said yes, that was indeed the price. Little did we know, there was a late night special for $8.99 per pound of shrimp on a sign outside that I saw when walking to my car afterwards. THEY DID NOT TELL ME THERE WAS A SPECIAL WITH FREAKING MINUTES TO SPARE. I could have saved $10... not even save. I should have been charged that amount. They robbed me of $10+ This is why there is no one here. Be freaking genuine and do not try to rip of customers that are unaware. This business is going to go downhill if they keep going like this. NEVER GOING AGAIN. read more

Atmosphere at 6:30p on Friday night we quiet and expected more customers. Menu easy to read. Cole slaw not tasty and heavy on cabbage with little flavor overall. Shrimp good and fun to peal and get fingers dirty. Garlic fries less than average. Good luck. read more

Wow worst seafood I've ever had the lobster texture was like rubber and the legs didn't crack at all they would bend and couldn't get the meat put at all and then the crab was so dry it was sticking to the shell and had a difficult time pulling the meat out of that as well I'm from Hawaii and never ever had experienced this will not recommend this place at all and most definitely will not be coming back read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

This location is the best, I love coming here all the time. The food is always amazing, and the service is quick and friendly! The only sad part is they do not open for lunch Monday- Thursday, besides that everything else is great! read more

My husband and I came here for dinner on Saint Patrick's day. We had a really great dinner. We ordered a pound of king crab legs (everything seasoning), a pound of crawfish (everything seasoning), garlic fries, calamari, and a couple of beers. All the food was really great. The crab legs were so thick and meaty. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The service was also excellent! All of the servers and the busboys were on top of it. We didn't have to wait long for anything and everything was done with a great attitude and smile. Great service goes a long way so keep it up! I'm hoping we will have room to try dessert next time. read more

my friend and I came here for dinner on a sunday night. They weren't really all that busy, but it was 6 pm, ok, maybe the crowd comes in later. We ordered water to start while deciding on what beer or wine we wanted. The drinks came in a to go cup, complete with lid. A quick look around the dining room told me this was standard, they weren't implying that we needed to leave. My friend ordered the salmon which he said was ok at best. I ordered crab legs with the cracking crab seasoning. They were served to me in a bag, no kidding, a bag, no plate, no bowl, just a bag, and without butter. Who serves crab legs without butter??? I had read on the menu earlier that there was a 50 cent charge for extra condiments like ranch or marinara. Sure, I see that, many times in my restaurant people order a buffet of condiments only to never use them. I can see why you would charge for extra. I asked for a side of butter to go with my crab legs, and yes, I was charged. I'm not even sure it was real butter, it didn't taste or look anything like real butter. I had also ordered a side of mac and cheese, it was good, but kind of bland. I was searching for salt and pepper, but noticed it was absent on all the tables. By the time someone came by to ask how everything was, the mac and cheese was gone, and the crab legs were cold. A different server than we had before asked me if I wanted my crab legs to go. I commented that they were already in a bag. Before I could stop her, she whisked my food back to the kitchen to "wrap" it for me. I hate having my food disappear, I'd prefer to wrap it myself, who knows what happens to it once it leaves my sight. This other server said she'd be right back with our left overs and the bill. She brought the check, I paid it and then our original server reappeared and asked how everything was and if we were interested in dessert. No, not really, we're ready to go. I wasn't sure if this was an off night for them, or this was standard. I don't really feel the need to go back, there are other, better places to get crab that come with butter automatically. read more

Food was good. It came out quick and hot! Service on the other hand was lacking.. one instance is when we were eating, we weren't checked on at all. The group sitting behind us was asked a total of 3xs by 3 different workers.. they didn't check on us till we were just about done..so that was pretty pointless. There was a big group that was pretty much done, a couple behind us ans a party waiting to check out.. so they could've taken a step back to check on us after checking on the couple behind us.. read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

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I came home with the ToGo grub unloaded all the bags until i got to the crab legs... How the freak do we eat this animal style off the couch n floor??? Sucking n licking n slurping and letting it brush over your lips and digging n pulling and "Cracking" all those crab leg pieces!!! I'd have prefered to eat in restaurant, however the management knows whats up and short of a heated white towellette, gives you all you need to pull it off at home! Best addition to Honolulu and Montrose! Bon apetit read more

Had dinner here tonight and I was pretty impressed. The place is big and seemed clean. When we first walked in the smell of the seafood was very overwhelming. We sat down and ordered our food and drinks fairly quickly. The waiters were helpful and honest. Since this place has only been open for one day, the waiters made their recommendation based on feedback from other customers which I like. We ended up getting more food than we could eat in a week. Ordered the mussels, crawfish, clams and snow crab legs. We ordered them all spicy with cracking crab seasoning. Don't even bother ordering the crawfish because there is little to nothing to dissect. We loved the crab legs and mussels the most. They were juicy and succulent. The fries and calamari were decent. My only suggestion to this restaurant would be to blast the AC because the heat was unbearable. read more

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RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT PLEASE READ YELP REVIEWS (1-3 Stars) it is very helpful to make necessary changes and adjustments. We went there Fri 08/09/14 about 8:00PM, waiting time was about 30-40 min, this was first Fri since opening and owner/manager said that they never tought that will be this packed. Place is nice and brand new, however this restaurant needs improvements.They were out of lobster, blue crab, dungeness crab and crawfish was very-very small even staff said order something else. Ordered cajun fries, shrimp, snow crab legs and mussels. Cajun fries needed more cajun dressing, sauce we got was Cracking Crab Mix which was very-very OILY(NO FLAVOR) unsalted and garlic was overpowering,i even told manager/owner about this. I am a big fan of Boiling Crab, Hot N Juicy Crawfish Etc..... Service was good, friendly but VERY SLOW since this place was packed they were running around. I think this restaurant has lots of potential and will become a favorite for us (locals) after improvements. RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT PLEASE READ YELP REVIEWS read more

I am SOOOOO SOOOO happy about this new addition to the Montrose Shopping Center! Being a long-time Boiling Crab customer, I couldn't help but compare the two throughout my experience; I was a little hesitant about this place before trying it, but I must say... It certainly gives 'em a run for their money. And it's LOCAL! :-) No cons, all pros in this review! -Delicious and fresh seafood -Great prices! -Clean and brand new restaurant -Wonderful, attentive service -No waiting! (Maybe because they are still new?) Definitely up to BC standards! For newcomers, I'd say average about a pound of food per person, Best bang for your buck is definitely the shrimp! one pound goes a long way! And mix all the seaonings together! Toss in a Corn on the Cob into your bag of flavored goodness and you're all set! Enjoy!! :-) read more

Thank you so much for waiting for us to finish eating. We took a while they didn't rush us. Cajun shrimp is delicious I recommend everyone to get at least a pound. read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Look, we all know this place is trying to be like the Boiling Crab...and I think they did a successful job at being the Boiling Crab....not the Cracking Crab. What do I mean? Well, I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the 2 restaurants. The food (we had the snow crab, shrimp, gumbo, corn and sausage), ambiance and service are really good. The Boiling Crab may have a slight edge on flavor, but if you've ever seen "Coming to America" where there is an argument between McDowell's vs. McDonalds....this couldn't be a better real life example. Cheers! read more

We ordered shrimp, mussels, and clams. One bag seasoned with Lemon Pepper and another separate bag seasoned with Garlic Butter. Requested mild spiciness for both. They were way too spicy AND salty! We also ordered Cajun Fries to go and they were soggy! Disgusting! Not coming back here again. read more

Cracking Crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

Service-NOT good! We've been here a couple times, and we've never had excellent service. The best we've had I'd consider it ok! The waiting staff is always changing, so you get new inexperienced waiters! Once they get your order and bring your food, you probably won't see them again. They won't check up on you unless you flag someone down yourself. They honestly need to step up their game with the service. Their bad service is why we placed our order for pick up the last time we ate from here. Although I hear it's under new management so I'll give dining in the restaurant another try. If nothing has changed, we probably won't ever eat here again! Food-The menu is very simple, nothing intimidating for new people wanting to try it out. The food is tasty. We always come and get some shrimp with the cracking mix, medium in spiciness. I love that the seasoning is thick, not watery, and it sticks to every single shrimp in the bag! Parking-There's a big parking lot in the back that's free. There's also street parking. Overall we like this place because they have good food and it's super convenient for us. Just a 10 min drive! Also, it's never packed so we get seated right away. It's always clean and my husband can watch whatever game is on that day! read more

I was really happy that a seafood cajun would be opening up in Montrose as I am a big fan of Boiing Crab (Alhambra and Santa Ana) and Kicking Crab, and this was my daily walking/jogging route. I went to Kicking Crab last weekend and really enjoyed their plump shrimps. Their mix flavor even had pieces of mango. Excited as I was, I decided to try it out on their 4th day, early evening. I don't know what I was expecting, but I didn't realize how badly they need to fix their kinks. I'm really hoping the owner will read this because I intend on giving them another try. So, what I didn't like about the set-up/experience are the following: 1. Considering there was no line/wait, it took them a long time to get my order. I was seated on the opposite end of where the cashier is, at the bar. It was really slow and I looked numerous time at them to get their attention. I would say 10 minutes or longer after seating, they finally took my order. 2. When I received my order, which took forever also (even the manager/owner apologized), he put the bag in front of me. Then I politely said, "Where's my rice and corn?" He apologized and went to the kitchen. Then, he came back later with corn in the big shrimp bag (without the sauce) and a small covered container. As he was leaving, I asked for utensils, lime, salt/pepper, and my BIB! lol. didn't realize I have to remind him the basic necessities when eating cajun shrimp. He apologized again. 3. The portion size of rice was half of the small cup in came in! I guess the other shrimp places really spoiled me. For $2, I expected a decent size rice portion. I had to order a second scoop because it's just not enough. I'll upload pic later. The next time the owner came, we chatted a bit and he apologized again and then i brought up the rice issue. He agreed. (I ordered a second scoop and he didn't charge.) 4. I'm really glad that the shrimp and the mix flavor, although not as plump as Kicking Crab, were just okay. I was expecting them to be different. Otherwise, what makes them special or unique? Considering the one pound is $11.95 (two dollars more than BC and KC), I was not blown away by their service. I didn't feel like the value for my dollar were maximized, considering other cajun shrimps places where faster, better portioned, and tastier. Overall, I would not recommend Cracking Crab.... until they figure out their kinks. I'd like to see trained staffs serving patrons the next time I return. For now, I'd rather go to Alhambra. I don't mind paying more as long as everything else is working. I understand it's their first week and that's why I'm returning to give them another try. I support business in downtown Montrose. I really wish they can get their act together. Other than this week, I seldom eat in places like these because of the caloric and nutritional value. So if i'm going to eat cajun shrimp, it better be worth worth every dollar. read more

Cracking Crab - $2 rice. Compared to Boiling Crab and Kicking Crab, the portion size is fifty percent less. I guess good if your counting carbs. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Montrose, California

I came across this place as I was browsing through Yelp and bypassed it initially, for I'm the type of person that waits for more reviews to accumulate before I decide to give a restaurant a chance. That was until a friend of mine went and recommended that I try it for myself. The restaurant itself is modern and inviting. The wait wasn't too long compared to The Boiling Crab which is always a PLUS. And the service was very attentive for a fairly new restaurant. Started off by ordering a couple of beers and fried oysters. The oysters were perfectly fried and juicy and came with a side of cajun fries. We then ordered two pounds each of crawfish and shrimp. Both were well seasoned with a good amount of garlic and spices which definitely satisfied my taste buds! Good food and good service. Overall, the experience was great and I'll definitely be coming back in the near future. read more

I thought to myself: finally, cajun seafood other than Boiling Crab that's within a 10 minute drive from where I live. I was so happy and when I went to experience this new joint I wasn't disappointed. Loved the sauces and spiciness level (I generally go for the spicier ones but ended up being a slight mistake when I realized it was a bit spicier than I'd like). I go for the cracking crab mix and it's a great mixture of all the flavors that they offer. I also generally can't ever finish a meal here satisfied without a side of steamed rice to complement the spices that are in the bag with the seafood. Corn, sausages, and potatoes are all very great sides but if you're wary of spending too much I'd go for the sausages and potatoes than adding the corn in. Regardless, the experience is pretty good! Now I must warn that one of my good friends got food poisoning here once, and that may have been due to the fact that some of the prawns/crabs that were served here didn't agree with his stomach. But truth be told, when trying seafood of any kind, you should always be ready to face this kind of risk. Ask for bibs if they don't give you one so you don't stain your clothing. read more

I'm so glad this place opened up. We've always had to head out to Arcadia or Alhambra to get the Cajun Shrimp boil. And while this doesn't quite compare to Boiling Crab it gets the job done and satisfies the craving. I went with my husband and my mom. There was a long list for a table but we were seated quickly. Our waiter was cool and took my foul mouth in stride... someone who can handle me dropping the C-word on them in the first 5 minutes is my kind of human. We ordered the gumbo with rice, a pound of shrimp in Cajun spice, medium spicy, a pound of snow crab legs in garlic butter, medium spicy, 3 orders of corn, and two orders of potatoes. It was the perfect amount of food. The gumbo is good. I wish it was spicier but the flavor is great. The sausage is delish. Next time I go, I'll probably stick to shrimp and skip the crab. It's cheaper, and more filling. Also, I liked both sauces, but next time I'm gonna try their house sauce and kick up the spice from medium to spicy. Now if I could just get the smell of garlic out of my breath and skin! This stuff sticks. read more

I really liked this place and have made it a point to go every single time I came home for break... but the seasoning seems to have changed, drastically. We ordered 2 lbs. of shrimp ($13/pound), one spicy and one medium (both "crackin mix", and the medium seasoning was so salty to the point that it wasn't edible and ended up throwing the whole bag away. The spicy seasoning was actually a tad less salty than the medium seasoning, but was way too salty for us to finish even half a pound between two people. I'm not sure if yesterday was just an anomaly (or are the cooks mad at the management and are trying to send a message?!), but we were so, so disappointed :( read more

The service, and our waitress were fantastic! She was very friendly, cute, and attentive. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing. But our food was terrible. I had the lobster bites. First of all, it really was not made of lobster. The waitress said it's really crawfish. Even though on the menu it's called lobster. I find that pretty cheezy. I know it's deep fried, but it was abnormally greasy. And it had a bad strange aftertaste, and my stomach felt awful the next day. All the food we had seemed overpriced and of poor quality. read more

We love Cracking Crab ever since it opened up Montrose several years ago. We always visit yet I never publish my review on this place. I like the seafood quality here a lot especially the king crab legs. I am huge seafood lover and I LOVT crab and this place doesn't fail to deliver. The prices are decent and it's worth the food. I've tried many other similar places and believe me I end up liking their French fries only. The lobster and the peeled shrimp are also great and I strongly suggest you get the peeled shrimp. As far as the service goes it really varies. Sometimes they are too attentive and sometimes they will forget your beer but it's all cool I am not that picky (jk) as long as I like my king crab legs :) p.s. This place can get busy and you need reservations for larger parties. read more

Boiling crab move over!!!This place is my new favorite restaurant in Montrose with Great food and great service. Pricing was not too bad. Hands down I would rather Wait an hour here to get seated instead of the boiling crab.Great variety of seasonings. read more

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Not really satisfied with the taste of the food we ordered. My 9 yr old son ordered the shrimp basket and the shrimp was ok but the cajun fries we're awful!!!!!!! I ordered 2lbs of shrimp medium hot w/ cracking crab mix and 1lb of the spicy w/ cracking crab mix for me and my wife and the taste was the same no difference. The shrimp was flavorless, It had the taste of boiled water . Plus I honestly don't think they gave us the 3 lb of shrimp that we ordered , It was more like 2lbs all together. The only reason I give this place 2 stars is for the cleanness and there's no wait we walked right in but I honestly rather wait two hours at BOILLING CRAB and get what I pay for which is the flavor and the amount of shrimp which I'm charge for. This is the first and last time I come here !!!!! SMH read more

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If you love crab, this is the place to go. Just order up pounds of it. Comes in a bag loaded with garlic butter and herby goodness (like, a lake of butter). The Snow Crab was so perfect every leg pulled out of the shell in whole pieces. Begging to be dipped into yet more butter and citrus salt cups. Must have add-ons: corn and garlic bread with yet more butter. Not ideal for calorie counting, but sooooo delicious! Can't wait to go back to this place and eat piles of legs straight off the paper-covered tables. read more

Am so glad I've never been to the Boiling Crab - otherwise all I would do is bitch and say that "at least there's not a long wait". That's the only thing I've learned from the negative reviews. Here's my take as someone who's local to this establishment and won't sully it with comparisons to another crab place: - OK, so I miss the Drunken Goat, but hey, to be replaced by a seafood restaurant that's not a sushi place - it's a step in the right direction. - I like the on-point decor and they did a good job with updating the previous restaurant layout. - The menu is straightforward although be prepared the sticker shock when the bill comes. What surprised me is the Deadliest Catch (i.e. very meaty King Crab legs) would be less costly that a smaller, albeit more flavorful cousin, full Dungeness crab. - Speaking of dungeness crab, it reminds me so much of eating with my dad - he's a master at dismanteling the shells and producing perfect pieces of leg meat. Now when it comes to opening up the carapace aka the big shell/hood, I am admittantly a bit squeemish. I asked for assistance and they were more than happy to help me with it - and even cutting up the body meat in a way to easily get to it. My crab was so big, flavorful and full of meat - enough to share with my brother who already polished off his king crab legs. - As far as flavor of their food- this is the apex in wihch the restaurant excels. Their "cracking crab mix - medium spicy" is best. We also ordered a basket of fried shrimp with fries - and by God, those were some of the best fries we've had. I liked the spicy mayo that came with it. The crab comes to your table steaming hot and portions were generous - the king crab legs were so big and meaty! They have a great selection of beers. - The service was good, every need taken care of and/or anticipated. - A few suggestions when visiting here: Make sure to ask for a bucket for the shells. Some tables had them and others didn't. If you have them, bring some non-latex food handler gloves (I have them at home for when I make meatloaf or kneed bread). My hands were swimming in the ones they give you. - it's pricey as good seafood tends to be. We look forward to our next visit - this time we're going to try the crawfish and snow crab legs. Haters be gone - more for us! read more

OMG this place was a joke and a waste of money. It's over 90 degrees outside and they dont turn on the ac the worker said cuz they have high ceilings!! Is this a joke?? They dont have salt and pepper on the table they bring u a pinch of salt and pepper on the side when u order and when I asked for more it was 50 cent charge same with extra salad dressing‍‍ Dont get me wrong I dont care about spending money but $120 for 2 ppl ripe off especially for horrible food!! read more

Boiling Crab is so over rated! Cracking Crab is the best when it comes to seafood!!! Great place to hangout with your friends!!! Servers are all amazing they take good care of you on whatever you need!!! I will keep coming back here read more

Came to cracking crab because my husband couldn't stop talking about it! It's kind of hard to come here having already gone to boiling crab but I gave it a chance anyways. It was great to be seated right away vs waiting 2 hrs and the service was awesome. The waiters are very friendly and attentive, and are constantly asking if we needed anything. The food however just doesn't do it for me. I've had the shrimp with their "Cracking Crab Mix" which is all (3) of their seasoning mixed together. It was good don't get me wrong, but it lacked in flavor in my opinion. I've also had the popcorn lobster which was pretty bland, rubbery and mostly bread. Lastly, I've had their cajun fries. I LOVE me some cajun fries but these were not cajun at all. They were fries with seasoning tossed on them after frying. Again, just disappointing. To each their own when it comes to this type of shrimp dining. If my husband wants to eat here, I eat here, other than that i'm not the biggest fan. read more