Recently reopened under new ownership. I'm 99% certain that the new owners used to run the now closed Mandala Kitchen on South Lamar. They brought a lot of their old menu with them which is great because I loved their viet food. The banh khot (turmeric pancakes) are still delicious, and their "chef's special" which is a very generous portion of fried fish filets in a tamarind sauce is a phenomenal dish, one that I'd come just to eat. The fish is fried super well and the sauce is incredibly flavorful. Don't sleep on the wings either. Good size, cooked perfectly (crispy and not dry). They're still transitioning from the old juicy claws menu so not everything on the old menu is available yet. But what is available is fantastic. The service is also friendly and kind. They're still clearly working out some kinks at the moment but give them some grace and you'll be rewarded with a really fantastic meal. read more

I invited friends to try Juicy Claws with me, since new ownership had taken it over a while ago, and I was not disappointed. It's past crawfish season, so we didn't do any of the signature boils. But it's a broad menu with Viet/Thai curries, fried rice, pasta, and other special dishes. The turmeric mini-pancakes are phenomenal flavor bomb appetizers that really show off the chef's originality and taste balance, with a bit of crawfish tail, tangy/hot sauce, with a tiny dollop of coconut crema. I also really enjoyed the generous portion of the "Chef's Special", lightly battered and fried fish with vegetables and a pineapple-tamarind sauce. A couple of my friends went with the Cajun fried rice with shrimp and liked it. The server was attentive and responsive and kept things moving. He calls everyone "boss", endearing though trite. The space is big and kept informal by large photos of the dishes. They're located in a low-traffic aging shopping strip, unfortunately, which has gradually slid downhill over the last 20 years until now it is one of the parking lots that gets used for traveling carnivals. Don't let that deter you. This, like Special Noodle in the same strip, is a good place with a twist. read more

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We really enjoyed the shrimp and crab here. We asked for bread, so we could dip it in the sauce - super yummy! The server was so chilled and helpful. We asked him to mix all the sauces into one and he did that for us. We came in late, so there weren't too many people at the restaurant. Ambiance is not very upscale because it was very nice with big pics of food plates and a seafood theme. They also have Thai food and options for your veggies friends too :) read more

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Food amazing!! Service amazing! Pho, seafood boil all soo good! We love Kieu (our waitress/owner) and the environment !!!

My friends and I decided Fat Tuesday to be had here! And we made the right choice. And since it was also Chinese New Year---I couldn't eat shell fish but had an amazing fish and chips. They have military discount and the value of the food was great! Excellent service!!! Spacious and clean space read more

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My girlfriend and I have been coming here for the last few weeks and it is officially our new favorite restaurant. It's a small family owned place with charming service and a staff that shows genuine care and passion for what they do. We always get a seafood boil. Either crab or crawfish or both, and we absolutely love it. It's reasonably priced, and they have a fully stocked bar so we very much enjoy coming here for a seafood boil and day drinking. We ordered takeout from here today and received the biggest crawfish we had ever seen. The quality did not range whatsoever from dining in vs. taking out. We will be back very soon!! read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - The biggest crawfish I've ever seen - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Honestly service is is good But we ordered the Cajun flavor crawfish and honestly it slacked the Cajun flavor Potato's were pretty bland best was the shrimp and it wasn't that much more impressive read more

The food and service could have been better. I didn't really care for crab boil sauce, my boiled eggs were overcooked, it needed some salt to enhance the taste, the temperature of the food wasn't hot enough. I had to ask for a napkin and I wasn't asked if I wanted a beverage. It's dark and not very many people there. read more

The food was fantastic. I got the crawfish fried rice and the portion was huge. My grandpa got the Cajun Garlic shrimp and it was the best thing I've eaten in a while. Both heated up incredibly later. If you like Cajun or Vietnamese food, the hybrid of the two is delightful. read more

First time eating here! We Had no idea this restaurant was open or even existed. It's in the old Jasons Deli location and apparently it's been here for 3 years!!! Party of 2, Saturday evening. We were seated immediately, the restaurant was not busy at all. However, the servers were not that attentive. The Crawfish was tasty and reasonably priced. The shaking beef was really good as well. Overall, we'll definitely be back for live crawfish and to try more off the menu. read more

Fried catfish 4.5/5 Very crispy and flavorful! A decent deal as a small meal for $10. Taking some points off for the tartar sauce, which has a lot of raw onion in it (tasty, but just too much raw onion for me) Fried fish and Cajun fries 4/5 The fries are well seasoned, but not crispy at all. The fish is also good but not quite as good as the catfish in my opinion. Overall 4/5 Very solid fried seafood - well seasoned and tender, and not fishy smelling or tasting at all. I would definitely come back to try their fried oysters and garlic noodles sometime, and their happy hour boats seem like a good deal. However, it's on the pricier end and definitely more of a special occasions place. read more

The quail dish was perfectly seasoned, if you're looking for something sweet, smoky and savory, definitely order this. The snail dish was so buttery and garlicky, also excellent! I enjoyed their raw oysters as well. The crawfish, however, was a bit too salty for my taste and leaned more towards one flavor profile of savory. I wish they could make it just a bit sweeter. The scallion clams were okay, sauce was great but clams were a bit tough. Staff were nice, good service. Very spacious and casual spot. I would definitely want to come back to try their other dishes! read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - Quail - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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They removed my rating. I give this a -1. Half what my friends ordered they were out of and my chicken was so tough I could not chew it. No, just no. read more

You can definitely get real Viet food here, even better, real Viet food that are great with beers (đồ nhậu). This restaurant is so fun and homey at the same time. Parking is easy. We got seated right away and the staff was super quick and helpful to help us choose from their big menu. Will come back here during craw fish season to try their best sellers :) read more

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Amazing food and great service! The ambiance is incredible! I recommend the crawfish fried rice

I came to this location yesterday to place a to-go order as this place had been bookmarked on my Yelp "food to-do" list for ages. When I entered the establishment, I intended to walk to the payment counter to place an order, but the hostess/server asked me to wait at the host stand. When she returned, I advised her I intended to purchase a meal for take-out. I knew what I planned to order prior to coming in, and therefore, I did not request a menu prior to placing the order. Let's get to it! Garlic shrimp pasta Olive oil and garlic really are the start of many wonderful sauces, but in this pasta dish, they actually get a chance to shine. These garlic noodles were simple but tasty. The garlic on this dish was light and not overdone. the shrimp were perfectly cooked, but there were only a few on the dish. For those who like garlic, this dish is worth a try. Cajun Fries What are they? Cajun seasoning is a blend of spices that is commonly used in Cajun cuisine and while there is no standard "recipe" or ratio of ingredients, Cajun seasoning commonly includes a combination of paprika, garlic and onion powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne, black pepper and salt. These fries had most of the key ingredients listed here. However, they were hard. Fries can become hard and hollow if they are undercooked or overcooked. In this case, the fries were overcooked and, as such, were not edible. However, to be fair, most folks don't come to a place called Juicy Claws for fries. Total $23.81 *Thanks to Silverfox and my friend Askia for getting on me to get this review out lickety-split! read more

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Saw a review on their garlic shrimp noodles and they did not disappoint. We also ordered the salt and pepper shrimp and the an egg fried rice. You can get the salt and pepper shrimp de-shelled which makes them easier to eat; I normally get them with the shell on so I was surprised that they were still tender and not over cooked. The egg fried rice was also nice and one of my top fried rice orders in town - well seasoned and with a light hand on the soy sauce. They also have drinks as well. Lunch during the week is not that busy and it looks like they have entertainment on weekend nights. Will probably try their boils next as well. Service is also great here. Very friendly and the food comes out within a reasonable time. read more

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This is such a horrible place for crawfish and Pho First of all, I asked the waiter if they had live crawfish, he promised, I quoted " our crawfish all alive" but it was listed as "frozen crawfish" on the receipt Secondly, the taste of those crawfish was disgusting I asked for garlic butter flavor when they placed the order. Guess what I received few minutes later? Yes, cajin flavored crawfish was already on the table after I came back from restroom. I kindly asked our waiter about the weird spicy taste of our dish and was told "every favor all have a base taste which is cajin" " you asked for garlic butter so they added garlic butter sauce for you" His logic was tighter than those crawfish's shell. Last but not the least, see the size of those crawfish next to the spoon. This is not an authentic Vitamin restaurant either. Their Pho tasted like they put too much bottled lemon juice. The beef broth was sour I gave one star to this place just because I couldn't give them a negative star read more

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Lots to like about this place. It's a cross between Cajun, Vietnamese, and Florida gulf coast seafood. Lots of options to choose from on the menu including boiled seafood bags, noodles, fried rice, grilled and fried seafood. It's quite the menu. The Shrimp Garlic Noodles were very good. Perfectly cooked with tons of garlic flavors. The trio fried seafood combo was mostly good. Fried shrimp and oysters were excellent. Lightly battered and very tasty. The fish was ho hum. They use Tilapia which is quite bland. Would love to see them use a higher quality fish. Service was friendly albeit a little spotty. This might be due to the newness of the place. Dishes come out when ready. Our two main dishes were served 15 mins apart. read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - SEAFOOD COMBO. Shrimp, fish, oyster - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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It was odd to have no music. The staff was friendly. But it could have been a lot cleaner. The fries were good. read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food was not fully cooked. Got food poisoning after I ate there,I had clams, fried squid and Diep fried shrimp.

Found out about this restaurant from a friend and went to try on a whim even though I had no idea what to expect. I've already been 3 times in a month! After the first visit, we were informed of their catering menu and Vietnamese food not on the current menu. We came back to try it! Canh chua, ca kho, beef tendon salad, grilled fish Love love love the canh chua, so full of rich flavors and the ca kho was pretty well seasoned. The beef tendon salad was something I'd write home about also. This is the type of salad I grew up eating with tangy spicy fish sauce dressing. I love it with jellyfish, but was very surprised it worked so well with the beef tendon. From the menu, the sauce with the calamari was excellent and I love the jumbo grilled squid Great place if you like to watch the games on bug screen TVs. Plenty of of parking. They also have a boba drink menu. read more

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Great Service but being from New Orleans the food was below my expectations. The seafood can use more flavor on the actual meat.

We need better seafood choices in the area. I'm so happy that have opened near me!!! They have a great looking menu. I can't wait to try a little bit of everything. read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - Lobster Pasta! - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I absolutely give this place a 10 out of 10! The service is as phenomenal! We were there celebrating my gems 5th birthday and it was an excellent experience. The fried chicken wings for appetizers were very tasteful and well seasoned; my fish and shrimp platter produced a literal party in my mouth! Our waiter bought my gem a piece of cake with a candle and they sang Happy Birthday. I would definitely come again! read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - Fried Seafood Combo with shrimp and Fish & Shrimp Combo - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

The ambiance was open and bright. Although we didn't eat outside today, they have a large and covered outdoor area. We were greeted by a very friendly smile and welcome, our waitress was in a great upbeat mood. She was very helpful when we needed advice on how to eat some of the foods we had never eaten before. Speaking of foods we have not eaten before, they were aplenty. We started with the happy hour dozen oysters (one of the things we have had before) for $18. What a great deal!! Moved onto the snails in Coconut sauce, sweet and savory and a great try for is. We have eaten and love escargot so we figured to try these little guys out instead. They were so yummy that we will now explore more snail options in the future. They had a lot to choose from. We also had the squid appetizer that comes with cooking scissors to easily serve this typically rubbery dish. To our surprise it was actually soft and tasty. We can't wait to come back and try more dishes!! It also looks like they are set up for some live music too, so check the website for entertainment options. Thank you for such an amazing treat, we were so happy to have found this spot. read more

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I had a seafood platter. EVERYTHING was good except the chicken tenders. Grossly overcooked,chewy and tough.Yuck! Shrimp,fish,and tartar sauce was straight slammin'. Finally found tartar sauce that beats my old home restaurant. Now I don't have to bring back tartar sauce from Shreveport. Juicy Claws is very,very good. Just work on the chicken. read more

I've been searching high and low for a place in Austin that has grilled oysters and escargots like in Houston, and almost found it. I went here with my family to check this place out after hearing they specialize in Vietnamese seafood. The host was cheery and recommended us to try out their grilled oysters, topped with green onions and shallots. We decided to go with what he recommended, and also wanted to try their lotus salad and lobster tail garlic butter noodles, and a lb crawfish (not pictured). The grilled oysters were definitely a hit, it had the right approach and sauce was good. Reminded me of Houston's grilled oysters, the lotus salad was also refreshing and seasoned well. It came with a sweet fish sauce dressing, but because it was seasoned quite well, I didn't use it as much. The crawfish and garlic butter lobster tail noodles were unfortunately not a hit. We knew that crawfish is not in season so we mainly ordered it to check out the seasoning. The seasoning was ok and didn't really impress us. The lobster tail garlic was too rich and not in a good way. It was too buttery as you could see in the picture, glistening. Upon two bites, I couldn't finish it. The lobster tail was also over cooked so it was extremely dry and overall the dish was not impressive or left to be desired. Overall, I'd give the place a 3.6, the attempt is there but I wish they had more Vietnamese shellfish options like in Houston. The place does have potential with its space. I feel like with good marketing, changing the vibe up a bit, adding in more Vietnamese street style food, shell fish, it could be a hit. read more

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Really disappointed to write this review. We came when they first opened and really enjoyed the food and service. I remember the owner coming out to talk with us as well. We hadn't visited since then and decided to go back. Came on a Saturday night and it wasn't busy, maybe less than 6 tables. We ordered the garlic shrimp noodles, salt and pepper shrimp, and lemongrass clams. The shrimp in the garlic shrimp noodles was overcooked and way too garlicky. The first time we had it was amazing so was really sad about this. The salt and pepper was a 6/10. Big pieces of shrimp but the seasoning was okay. The lemongrass clams had a decent amount but some clams were sandy and the flavor without the sauce was a little bland. For the price point, we won't be coming back sadly. The service was also slow for not being busy. Our food came out slow between each dish and we had to go up to the counter to pay since no one stopped by to check in. read more

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Even before we got to the door a waitress, Linh, held the door for us because it was raining. Our experience was so pleasant. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. We ask our waitress, Linh, if she had any suggestions and she was so She was especially friendly and attentive though out our lunch. We had the fried soft crab with green sauce which all of us enjoyed so much. The broiled oysters were heavenly. Garlic shrimp surpassed our expectations as well as the Squid dinner and the shrimp with garlic and butter sauce. At the end of our dinner we were pleasantly surprised by the bill. We will certainly be back!! read more

I've been hearing a ton of great things about Juicy Claws so I was excited to stop in for a quick bite! I got a cup of gumbo and an order of the basil mussels. Both were delicious! The gumbo was so flavorful and filled with sausage and shrimp. The mussels were also super tasty and I liked the sauce it came in. Service was friendly and there is a ton of seating inside! read more

The food was good, as I was hoping it would be. And the waitress was nice and very attentive. Loved the lobster garlic noodles read more

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My family and I just visited this restaurant. And wow. The service, quality, flavors, and price were overall score high marks! The owners are from Houston and you could tell the flavors were just on point. We got the grilled squid, chicken wings, fried tofu, grilled oyster, and noodles with shrimp. The grilled oysters were my favorite, check the pictures attached here. Overall highly recommended and wish nothing but the best for this fantastic restaurant. Side note - they have a special catering menu, definitely asked about it. Authentic Vietnamese and Chinese dishes to choose from! read more

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Everything we ordered was delicious. We came on an early Friday night, so it was not as busy--this place serves the type of Viet food and snacks that you have over late night beers and gets busier in the evenings. The food came out without delay, and Nancy, our server was so warm, gracious and wonderful. She made us feel like regulars. The garlic noodles with shrimp was flavorful (maybe a tad on the sweet side) but still addictive. The clear lemongrass broth with my escargot was savory and delicious. I had never had anything like it. But the best dish of the night was the betel leaf wrapped sausages with vermicelli and nuoc cham. Full flavor and well grilled. My daughter ordered the grilled salmon and while that was neither Viet or Cajun, it came out perfectly grilled and flavorful. Cajun fries were hot and fresh. We will be back to try more from their extensive menu. read more

Ok. Let me preface this by my addiction to crispy wings. I have no issue asking for dry rub wings this way. Sometimes good and sometimes pitiful. This place was absolutely the best. Wings were huge, batter was to die for. Have to say these were some of the best I have had. The carrots and celery were fresh and not from some package. The ranch was delicious. The ranch and lemon pet were the bomb. I want to try some wet rubs next time. Half of a great experience is the wait staff! Hallelujah for Phoebe and Janiya. Such amazing ladies. Diverse backgrounds with amazing goals in life. So happy to have met them and driven them crazy. Give this place a try. You won't regret Camille read more

Really nice seafood bar with tons options My husband and I wanted to give a try, we had the special combo (4*4*4*4) with sweet potato fries. Freire calamari was on the appetizer menu. Everything was freshly made and not super salty. read more

Juicy Claws Restaurant - Special seafood combo, my husband and I ordered this chicken strips, catfish, shrimp and oysters, not super salty. - Seafood Near Me - Austin, Texas

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we really wanted to like this place, but was disappointed with the quality of the food. We eat a lot of Vietnamese food and this just didn't live up to our standards. The people are nice, service was decent and it was clean. We just don't think we'll go back. read more

The food and service was fantastic! I especially love their garlic noodles, definitely something I will come back for!

Food was great! I got the Pork Bao Tacos with Lemon Pepper fries and they were great. Service was excellent. Highly recommend to anyone in the area! read more

awesome food and service! The best fried catfish and jumbo shrimp we have ever had! we've been twice now. will be going often! It's close to our church so we will be going often for lunch after church. We highly recommend it. We met the owners. So friendly and asking for advice. The servers were wonderful. We are so happy to find a place to eat catfish and shrimp again! Will invite friends and family. Haven't tried the crab boil yet because we love the fish and shrimp. Almost forgot the cocktail sauce and home made tartar sauce! YUMMY! read more

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