Gao's on Bellaire was amazing!! We stumbled upon this place and was a hidden gem. Highly recommend their Happy Hour beef and lamb kabobs and BBQ oysters. read more

Gao's Crab - BBQ Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been here a couple of times. Every time the service has been good. At this point the are very generous. I order one drink And got another on the house read more

Place was small and the combos were delish. I wanted to do the buffet but it was only for crawfish, which my sons not into. I would definitely come back with my brother so we can do the buffet. Service was good , the waiter was very patient and helpful. read more

Food was BOMB , all you can eat live crawfish and appetizers for only $45 !! Will come back without a doubt read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Crawfish was disgusting almost all of mine were bad and only sausage and crab is good Do Not Go To The Houston One

Great atmosphere and customer service. Drinks were on point, and the crawfish were amazing. I got Combo A.... read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

We came all the way from Dallas. We have been at GAO's several times never disappointed till today. We waited for 45 minutes for the table (understandable) we ordered food and waited another 45 minutes watching other tables that got seated after us god their food. I talked to the tall Asian guy waitress, all he said was "oh all most" I was like ??? What? No going to check it? We need to keep waiting? Guys give yourself a favor Don't waste your time coming in over here.!!! Not recommended this place. read more

Very deceiving. My sister wanted to try this place during her Houston visit. I'll say right off the bat, not impressed. I tried to give a google review and it's paused for suspicious high review alerts which I believe. I don't see how that's possible. First, it took forever to find because the sign for the actual seafood is a small banner. We kept glancing over it. I won't ding the business too much for that, but I will say this deception comes in with advertising. This is not a true seafood AND BBQ spot. The skewers are next door, so you'd have to go to a completely different restaurant. Speaking of food.....there were four of us and the waiter informed us that if one person ordered all you call eat seafood bowl, everyone at the table must order that also. This is where they lost any kind of recommendations from me. So, you don't have all the food that you advertised and then you limit the way my table orders!!! Not again. I can say that the food was plentiful but not delicious. Finally, a person at our table was given their final price. She pulled out a card instead of cash and the price was increased by a few bucks. The waitress said it was for taxes. Now, I know very well that was just a credit card processing fee but was not going to argue with this young lady. The staff should be educated on what customers are being charged for. Again, I wouldn't suggest it. read more

Great food! Love the all you can eat. We had crab crawfish, broccoli, mushroom, shrimp, sausage, and potatoes, great flavor. read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing service and great food! Level 3 spice is perfect! Ken was a great waiter for me and my wife read more

Gao's Crab - Snow crab with shiner bock - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Everything about this place is great. The food is good and the service is excellent. The music is a little loud but not bad. read more

Gao's Crab - Main menu They have other food as well - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great food. Flavors on point, great service!! Nice staff and quick and reliable delivery time read more

Gao's Crab - Great service!!!! Flavors on point! - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

My family and I came we were a table of 7, there was a bit of wait but only one server for the whole restaurant so it made sense. We all ordered, everything came out in a decent timeframe. they forgot one of my cousins order so we ended up sharing. The seafood... was not good. The crawfish was probably cooked from frozen and when you pulled off the head it was grayish/black, every single one. It tasted rubbery and like it was thawed out then heated to serve. The shrimp was very overcooked. The sauce was probably the best thing along with the fried sides. Wouldn't recommend even for the price point. Server Ky was nice and funny but seemed very overwhelmed read more

BEST BOIL IVE EVER HAD!! If you are looking for a seafood place, look no further and head straight here our server was nice and did an amazing job. Will be coming here every time I go to Houston The inside of the restaurant was so cute and they play vibes music. Price was affordable and so worth it. read more

If you're craving all-you-can-eat crawfish, GAO Crab is the spot. The crawfish were fresh, juicy, and perfectly seasoned -- not too salty, not too bland, just the right kick of spice. The butter garlic and house special flavors were absolutely addictive. The service was quick and friendly, and they kept the trays coming without hesitation. The sides and extras (like shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes) were just as satisfying. Clean environment, fun vibe, and great value for the price. read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food was great and Raine was the best server ever! I recommend checking this place out

On November 15th in Houston, I dined at this establishment with a friend at 4 PM. We ordered a seafood bowl containing snow crab, sausage, corn, potatoes, eggs, and a sauce. I also added lobster as an additional item, which I consumed alone (they claimed to cook it separately). Less than eight hours after the meal (having eaten nothing else afterward), I began experiencing severe food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and intense abdominal pain. Initially, I thought it would pass, but I ended up projectile vomiting throughout the night. By the next day, my condition worsened to the point that I had to seek emergency medical care at HCA Houston Medical Center. I have attached my medical records and documentation of my ER visit as proof. I reached out to the restaurant with my lawyer, providing a screenshot of my payment, a photo as proof of dining, and my medical records detailing my symptoms. Despite this, they have refused to take responsibility or offer any compensation. This was a horrible experience, both in terms of food safety and customer service. I strongly urge others to be cautious when dining here. read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I keep seeing mixed reviews on if the menu is AYCE, so I will say that when we visited in May 2024, it was AYCE. A waitress/waiter will accompany you with an iPad and go around the table with each person to build your order. There was plenty of seafood to pick from. I will say that I wish that their sides were part of the AYCE too. However, for the price you pay and the amount of food you get, it's absolutely worth it! For three people doing AYCE including tip, we only paid about $45 each! The size and quality of the seafood was very good compared to most seafood places we've been to. I was thoroughly impressed. Would DEFINITELY come back! I want to bring my parents here just for the seafood! read more

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The food and the service is a 10/10!! Try the margaritas!! my go to for seafood! always an amazing experience read more

Good food !!wonderful ambient food really nice come here. I love the music choice and it's cold and nice. read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Let me just say... this place understood the assignment. From the moment I walked in, the vibe was immaculate--welcoming staff, chill music, and an atmosphere that makes you wanna stay way past dessert. Now let's talk food, aka the reason my taste buds are now writing thank-you notes. Every bite was a love letter to my stomach. The boil was pure magic--like, how did they make comfort food feel gourmet?! The flavors were balanced, fresh, and somehow nostalgic and new at the same time. I don't know what kind of culinary wizardry is happening in that kitchen, but I'm here for it. And the service? 10/10. Attentive without hovering, friendly without being fake. I left full, happy, and already plotting my next visit. If you're even thinking about eating somewhere else--don't. Just go here. Trust me. Your mouth will thank you. read more

This was the Best Seafood Boil I have ever had! My husband is not a fan of seafood, especially seafood boils, but he finished the whole snow crab by himself! I was shocked! We grabbed the Combo A, which is a snow crab with shrimps, a sausage, a potato, and egg. We seasoned it with spicy lemon pepper and it was perfect! MY mouth is watering as I type this. I cannot wait to go back! read more

Fast wait time. Friendly welcoming staff. The food is served very hot and yummy. The strawberry lemonade is freshly made to order and delicious. The ambiance is great , perfect lightening and music. Jeremiah was my server and he was very attentive and kind. read more

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As of 3/21/23 the AYCE option is $40/person and Blue Crab is not available (we were told that the szn is over). Without the Blue Crab, the AYCE price seems steep. Regardless, we made best of the situation and stuffed our faces to the best of our ability anyway. We stuck to the Jumbo Shrimp, Black Muscles, Sausage, Corn, Clams, Turkey Neck, Baby Squid, Fish and Shrimp Balls with the House Cajun Flavor, Spicy. The sauce and the seafood were perfect together; it satisfied my party's craving for delicious, SPICY cajun food. My only critique is that the sauce could use less oil. There was a thick layer of red oil with every bowl that was served. Service is not good here. We had to flag down a server every time we needed something. Which was disappointing considering we were watching the servers dick around behind the bar. Overall, I really enjoyed the food minus the oil. Also, based on other reviews the mild here is still pretty spicy... so if you can't handle spice I'd avoid this place all together LOL. The price is pretty expensive seeing as they don't have the full menu and you won't get good service here. Just good food. read more

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This spot is super popular and delicious! Highly recommended! Vibe is super nice! We spent a great time with friends here! read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Service is amazing. The guy was very attentive and quick on service. His knowledge is good on what is in the menu. They're very fast. The flavors were good. Nothing spectacular. The place is a bit small but we got seated very quickly. Not too packed. We did the AYCE for $45. The interior was a little dark. I didn't like it too much. Good for what it is. I love how the seafood was piping hot. I gave it 4 stars because of the service. read more

Holy, crabs! I waited since September to try 老高手抓海鲜 Gao's Crab. Because of inflation and decreased supply of fresh crawfish toward the end of last season, I had to wait. I finally stopped by to checkout the hypes on the social media. I really wanted to try the All U can Eat seafood in order to bring a crowd to indulge in the seafood segment in Houston Chinatown. Other than those typical imported stuff to the restaurant fish tank, there are food from the nearby waters. That's what excited me to sample the local crawfish and shrimps. This time, I starved myself until 3 pm. I walked in around 3:15. The goal was to consume whatever I could in 120 minutes. This year's price is $40, unlimited food and unlimited soda. I'm not a soda person, water was good enough for me to wash down the heat. Waitress was really patient with me as I asked so many questions. Yes, you can split the check to each person. No takeout and no share from the AYCE person. You can get $12 per pound if there are leftovers. So, to note that the crawfish is never a selection on this AYCE menu. You cannot get different flavors in one round but you can get different flavor in different rounds. My first round was jumbo shrimps, turkey neck and fish balls with lemon pepper and mild spicy. It was really garlicky and with a hint of spiciness. I overindulged the food. I hope no one was taking a picture of my face. My second round was frozen clams, black mussels and corn with 13 spices and mild spicy. The peppercorn oil was naturally spicy and numbing. Savory is well balanced in this bowl. I just don't like using my hand to scoop out the food in the hot oil. I asked for chopsticks. This sauce was a little too oily and salty for me. Ok. I'll deal with my doctor later. During my course of rounds, I saw my neighboring tables got humongous bowl of seafood. That was a rare scene in Chinatown. The restaurant filled up pretty quick with all kinds of clientele. The music was piping hot. So does the seasoned seafood bowls. The dessert bar sitting the corner caught my attention. That was a treat to cool down my senses. I was pretty full by then. read more

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Server was nice. Food was good, a little spicy for me but flavor was really good. Even though the crawfish wasn't in season, it still had some big pieces in there! Music was lively. Good vibes. read more

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Love this place first time here and will definitely come back ! Great customer service 10 out of 10 read more

Gao's seafood seasoning is addicting!!! the mussels were really good. They also have a great deal on their beer pitcher as well

Great place! Super friendly staff. $45 all you can eat. It's pretty good price for everything on the menu. read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Taste and ambience was immaculate! Service was fast. I recommended the wagyu skewers. This was the second time coming and it was just as good as last time read more

If you are reading this review, do yourself a favor and just go and visit. We arrived late afternoon on a Saturday and the place slowly started to fill up. They have an all you can eat menu option. They also have combos which we tried to allow us to taste more seafood. I also appreciated that because we didn't want potatoes or eggs we were able to try another side so we tried the shrimp and the fish balls. To be honest I couldn't tell the difference between the two but they were good. We selected a combo of crawfish and a combo with mussels, shrimp and snow crab clusters. The snow crab still had a noticeable butter taste even with the Cajun seasoning. The staff was wonderful. They made sure we had enough gloves to get us through our meal. The atmosphere is nice -really enjoyed the mix of pop music combined with CCTV classic shows and movies on the screen. The star of the show was the strawberry lemonade. It was so good we ordered some to-go! For spice level we chose 4 which was just one more than what they said was medium and it packed a punch of you consistently dip in the sauce. read more

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Pros: Great places for boil seafood. The cajun spice hit the spot for me but too spicy for other folks in my party. A bit pricey but I didn't feel I overpaid. Lastly, I love the music they play, hip hop. Cons: The price. Forget fries and onion rings. The service can be better but I had no complaint read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Boil with Cajun sauce - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

If your restaurant closes at midnight just say that! My sister and I decided to try GAO's after sussing them out on Yelp! And discussing them, for like two weeks. We showed up at 12:05 on a Saturday night. We walked in and waited at the "please don't seat yourself" sign, as the girls behind the register looked at us in bewilderment. After about 15seconds too long of awkward staring, we left, with no greeting or acknowledgment from the staff. If we aren't supposed to seat ourselves, where is your host? Who is doing your greeting? Needless to say, we walked right back out the door. After a few minutes of contemplating in the car and talking to some other guests who had pulled up in the parking lot, we decided to take our chances. We were informed once we re-entered and walked directly up to the cash desk, that the kitchen closed at 12:30 and that they were only doing to go orders from that point on. We ordered our food and took a seat to wait for it. While trying to make our orders, we were informed that in order to get a lobster or lobster tail, you have to make an order by 8 o'clock so that they can go and get the lobster from the market , and since it was 12 AM lobster was completely off of the menu. Also, the girls that worked there had no clue which type of scallops they offered, sea vs bay . Granted, not everyone who works in food service is as passionate about food as I am, but the "hosts" were completely unwilling to even find out the information from the kitchen staff, as opposed to just offering a shoulder shrug and an IDK. My sister and I took seats at the multitude of open tables, because there was only one other customer group dining in at the moment.( red flag) my sister toon the opportunity to peruse Yelp! for any other option that would potentially give us a better customer service, and the ability to dine in. She found another option, and tried to cancel our order because we really wanted to dine in. The staff was very quick to reassure us that the food had already been dropped that it would be very inconvenient for them to cancel, and that they were willing to allow us to dine in because we were desiring to cancel. Overall the food was mediocre in seasoning, tasting more like lemon pepper than anything else, the customer service was bad, the hours were ambiguous, and I don't think I would return. The joy of late night spots, is that you get to enjoy them late night. If you advertise that you close at 1 am, but you stop seating guests at midnight, a FULL HOUR before close, and your kitchen closes at 12;30, yall really close at 12:30, and start treating your customers as inconviences at 12. Overall the food wasn't TRASH, but with the hoops I had to jump threw to get it, and the fact I wasnt overwhelmed with juicy seafood goodness, I don't think I'll be returning. Unless I have a crab leg emergency at 11:58 pm on any given day. Edit: they DO NOT devein their shrimp read more

Gao's Crab - Combo A with Cajun butter seasoning, mild spice - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Worst wings I've ever received or ever seen in my life. Crab is good though. Won't be back but here's a picture of these midget baby wings read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

FOOD AND SERVICE 10/10!!! So yummy and will definitely recommend! There was no wait time and food came at a reasonable time! read more

Gao's Crab - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great flavor and always steaming hot !! I love this place but I'd like better alcoholic drinks options and seating is very small and close to others. But other than that super good !! read more

Great pricing for combos. Didn't try the AYCE option since we came too late but that seemed like a great way to try lots of different things as well. read more

This is our 2nd time trying Gao's Crab. I'm not sure if this will delete my original review, but I just had to say something about our wonderful server. She was very attentive and sweet. She also spoke Spanish which felt welcoming to my MIL. We would go again just for her and the price of the drinks. I am the odd one out of my group so I got wings with my order instead of seafood. They were a little...over fried, but the parts I was able to eat were very good. If they ever do a wing boil, I would definitely order it lol. Good seasoning. A male server was off to the side laughing with a friend. There was no harm done until he gave our beer away to the wrong table because he was distracted. Our actual server solved the issue but it did kind of feel weird that she seemed to be handling all of the work. If nothing else, I hope she gets the recognition she deserves. Overall, not an awful experience. The actual boil, seafood or no, seems to continuously speak for itself in the end. Very good. Still no refills or paper plates offered. I'm not even sure refills are possible at this point especially since they are canned drinks, but I'd say the experience was decent enough to come back. read more

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