Located in the Marina Shopping Plaza. I've been going to this plaza for 10+ years and never knew there was a seafood boil here. It doesn't seem to get very crowded and we had no wait for a party of 4 on a weekday evening. They offer AYCE and per pound. We opted for AYCE ($35/person) and it was definitely worth it. There's a 90 min time limit, but they weren't strict at all. There are some restrictions on the type of seafood you can get (no crab), but I typically only eat mussels and clams so it was fine for me. You can also add in sides like sausage, corn, & potatoes. As part of the AYCE option, you can order appetizers like sweet potato fries, garlic noodles, and Cajun corn ribs (my favorite). The staff are friendly and attentive. They let us order past the 90 minute time limit and the food came out decently quick. Will be back! read more

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Came here during a work trip. Saw the ayce seafood boil. How can I say no to that? Anyway, my coworker and I walked in at about 5pm on a Wednesday and it was dead. We saw to people there and they greeted us when we came in. Seemed like it was a mom and daughter. They were very nice. They sat us down and gave us the menu and how the ayce works. I am not sure how to rate the food. The selection of seafood that you can pick was nice. Clams, mussels, shrimp and crawfish were the seafood picks you can do. Potatoes, sausage, corn were the free add on that you can do. I do not eat crawfish, which was also a seafood pick, so I can't review that. Everything was good. The shrimp was hit and miss, depending on the piece. They were peel and eat, but some shrimps were mushy meaning those shrimps were old. It was tolerable. Nothing that I haven't had before. I'll let it go for the price point they offer. The clam and mussels were good. As expected. The sausage, corn and potatoes were good as well. The place was pretty legit. The fried shrimp and fried chicken wings were amazing! Freshly fried, they were juicy and steaming on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Although the place was dead (it was a Wednesday after all), we did see a lot of people come in and pick up food to-go. Not sure if they were customers or drivers picking up for Doordash/Uber Eats. All in all, I would definitely come back to this place. read more

Been craving some good seafood boil and really did not want to drive to boiling crab and Lobster Chef is so close to our house so we decided to try this place out. They open at 4, we got there around 6 and were seated right away. Not full in there but a couple of tables seated already. The place was clean. There's an all you can eat option but we decided to just each order our individual bag. I ordered a lb of shrimp with some corn and sausages in a mix of all the sauces similar to the whole sha-bang. All the shrimp is deveined!!! The sauce was good but a bit on the salty side which I think would've been fine if you had it with some rice or potatoes. We also ordered garlic noodles and the Cajun fries which were both good but I think next time I'm good with just the shrimp and Cajun fries. 10/10 would come back. read more

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Lobster Chef is where we go for AYCE seafood boil. Unlike some other AYCE places where food sits in heating trays and guest will have to fight for popular dishes, at Lobster Chef guests can order whatever they want and asks for more and they will cook to order. This ensures that the ingredients are fresh and cooked to taste. I also like that they have a long list of appetizers and sides that are included in the AYCE. read more

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We were a party of 4 at 6pm on a Saturday night. 3 other parties were there already. Unassuming place for a seafood boil. The lovely owner sat us and took our order. She was very helpful in letting us know about the combo specials, the AYCE option, and her personal recommended choice(s) for seafood. I ordered a pound of clams ~$22/lb, all three sauces combined (garlic butter, Cajun sauce, lemon pepper), mild, with sausages and potatoes. Table had Cajun fries (x2) and garlic noodles (only 2 people ate this) to share. We all had bibs and gloves. The food came and she brought us salt and pepper and lemons. We even asked for a side of the medium spicy sauce to try and she brought it over. Overall very attentive service. The food was delicious. I couldn't get enough. I wish I had ordered some rice to eat with/finish the sauce. It could get a bit too savory and salty, but I was practically drinking the sauce by itself. Also got a modelo to wash it all down. Perfect meal. I was sweating like a pig from the spicy level (lol) and she brought over some napkins. read more

Came here with my boyfriend when we were driving to Daly City. We were in the mood for seafood boil and this place did not disappoint! We got one of their combo that had the 2 lobster tails, clams, crawfish, mussels, and shrimp in their house sauce and in medium spice. We didn't really taste the spice so I recommend maybe getting it spicier if you love your spice. Everything and even the lobster tail was cooked perfectly! We also got a side of garlic noodles and Cajun fries since it's always a must! Fries were crispy and the garlic noodles were garlic-y! Service was good, checked up on us and refilled our waters. The place is a bit small and kinda hidden in a plaza. Overall, we liked this place! Looks like a family business so there's more to love on that! read more

Lobster Chef - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

Boiling Crab tasted bitter overall, and even though I ordered the butter garlic Cajun mix, I couldn't taste any butter or garlic at all. The flavor was disappointing, and I don't think I'll come back. read more

Lobster Chef - Boiling crab - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

My boyfriends mom told us about this place and I just had to try it! It's AYCE seafood boil and it was only $45 per person! I got a pound of shrimp, mussels and clams. I also chose the garlic butter sauce. For sides I got the corn and potatos. We thought the seasoning of the sauce wasn't to strong. It tasted a little bland to us. But I mean for that price and it's AYCE?? can't really complain! read more

Lobster Chef - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

I came here a few years ago and was left underwhelmed because of the price point to flavor and experience, but they've recently introduced an all you can eat menu that's a very reasonable price ($35-40 depending on the day). It's typically empty, unfortunately for them, as it's hidden in a quiet Asian plaza, and I don't think too many people in this area are into this type of cuisine. However, they do fill a niche since there aren't many seafood boils in the peninsula. Their all you can eat menu has a ton of fried appetizer options, half off drinks, and staple sides are included! There is an extra charge for lobster and crab. They also have a la carte menu and specials. I love how you can just pull their bib on instead of tying it yourself! You are also provided gloves for handling. I think you have to request limes and seasoning if you want them, but I didn't care. - Fried Calamari Has rings and tentacles, but a little rubbery and tough, and came with cocktail sauce. - Cajun Fried Shrimp This is an interesting menu item, as it's their shrimp with no head, but peeled and tossed with Cajun spices - like a dry version of the shrimp seafood boil. - Cajun Chicken Bites Dried out popcorn chicken with more breading than meat. - Cajun Fries Very good as they come out very hot, nicely fried and crisp, with a soft interior. They are seasoned very well, perhaps above average on sodium. - Cajun Corn Ribs Literally corn ribs tossed in Cajun spices and fried! The juices seemed to have escaped the kernels, so it was more of a textural thing. - Seafood Entrees Their seafood is pretty good, especially the shrimp with head, which are plump and fresh. The shrimp no head is extra large headless shrimp, though not as big as the head-on, but easier to peel. The mussels and clams were good; clams were marginally better because I had a couple weird mussels, and the crawfish were just okay as some weren't juicy not too big, and were from frozen. - Sauce I tried each of them individually and they were good! They have a couple nearby competitors, and I currently prefer Lobster Chef's sauce. They don't overload you with sauce, but it's covered just enough. And, they're generous with each bag, as they let me try the different sauces in separate bags. I'm willing to patronize more just because of their attempt to accommodate what I want. The garlic butter is very smooth, mild, and refreshing if you want a lighter experience. The lemon pepper is a good balance of fresh lemon and pepper while being savory; I was surprised at where the taste came from since I thought I would only taste overly acidic lemon peel and pepper - maybe a nice broth was created from the mixture of lemon, pepper, and the natural juices from the seafood? Their Cajun sauce is a very reliable Cajun sauce - just what you'd expect, with balanced flavors of spices, garlic, butter, sweetness, and saltiness. We got medium spice and it wasn't harsh at all - just a mild lingering heat. - Sides They are previously frozen, but adequate for your needs. Their garlic noodles are just spaghetti noodles lightly tossed with garlic, a bit of cheese, and not much else. I'd skip, as they were kind of bland. The Cajun sausage was like a good mild hot sausage with a light snap. The Hawaiian bread was King's Hawaiian rolls, just toasted on the spot, which was actually good for soaking up all the sauce in our tummies. Overall, the employees were very nice, the food was prepared quickly and well made, and you get a 10% discount via receipt if you come again within two weeks! read more

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I've only ever ordered from DoorDash from here so that's what this review is based on. The food is great, I love getting clams here and additional add ons like corn and potatoes. However I really wish they would combine all the sauces like other Cajun spots. I don't just want Cajun on my clams, I'd love garlic butter and lemon pepper and salt as well. I usually order the add ons with a different seasoning and then put them altogether for a good flavor combination. read more

First time eating here, and the food was delicious. They have several menu options, and it was hard to choose just one. The service was great. Will definitely go back again. read more

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First off the service was good and they were fast to seat us. There were only 2 workers and they were constantly super busy. We started with the Cajun fries (not pictured). The fries were pretty good. For the meal, we decided to share garlic noodles and combo c3 which included shrimp, crawfish, mussels or clams, corn, potato, sausage. I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the food. Starting with the sauce - we got spice level medium. It was extremely salty and grainy. The shrimp was just ok. The mussels were extremely large and I didn't enjoy those very much. I think there's definitely some room to improve here. Unfortunately it didn't really fix my craving for a seafood boil. read more

Lobster Chef - Combo C3 - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

We arrived to an empty restaurant on a Sunday afternoon. Immediately greeted by the cook and our server was nice and helpful. Appetizers were ok, they looked like something you'd get at a carnival. Seafood was lacking juices and flavors, I wish they would have atleast left the juice in the bag but it came dry. This place is not what it used to be but it's still an OK seafood spot. read more

Lobster Chef - All-you-can-eat Seafood boil w garlic noodles - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

I was leaving out of the sf airport and this restaurant caught my attention because of the location and because it was a sea boil type... we called to see if they take reservations and they do but the lady said it wasn't busy so she will sit us right away. Once we arrived the place is located in a big shopping center lots of parking. And no one was at the restaurant... the red was nice and clean and the lady was very friendly and had great service... I order a pound of Crawfish with corn and a side of rice . The mild flavor has a nice quick to it and the flavors were really good... the food did take a while to come out but when it came out it was nice and fresh and hot. I recommend this place really tasty food and the sea food was fresh taste read more

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Located in a semi older plaza, there was ample parking when we arrived for dinner. Ambiance is quiet, place looks a bit run down and we were the only people dining the entirety of our meal. We ordered 2lbs of shrimp, seasoned with cajun + garlic butter, added sausage and corn for 2 people.. and of course a side of rice. Food came out quickly. Shrimp were all decently sized and cooked well. The sauce felt like it was missing something acidic? It came out kind of flat but with the help of the entire plate of lemons, it was good. We ordered the sausage add-on and it only came with 4 pieces. Service was ok. - we walked in, server immediately asks "for here or to-go?" Not the most inviting but it's not a big deal. - we never got our waters refilled the whole meal - we never got more napkins unless asking despite the server staring at us most if not the entirety of our meal lol This place is decent but it doesn't have a WOW factor. If I was nearby, I'd come again but I think I prefer other Cajun boil places more. read more

Lobster Chef - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

Best Shrimp boil in San Mateo! Hidden Jem in San Mateo ! The ice cream was good too ! We will be back!

ordered a combo with garlic rice and it was amazing! seafood wasn't overcooked and tasted delicious. we ordered takeout and they even included table cover and bibs. read more

We've tried this place twice and both times we ordered shrimp with head (mix garlic butter and cajun, "you'll be sorry" spice level) with cajun fries. For reference, I usually order XXX at boiling crab. The 'you'll be sorry' spice is really spicy but the sauce overall is too salty and a bit grainy? The first time we ordered, we actually added butter to it at home and it tasted a lot better so that'd probably be my recommendation for next time. Probably also need to downgrade to hot level because my boyfriend couldn't handle the spice . Cajun fries were okay. We didn't devour them like we usually do with fries. read more

The service was great but the food for the price was not worth it. Spent over 200 and got less than other boil places

Great place to enjoy fresh crawfish, clams, mussels and lobster. Great service and a fun place to eat. read more

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Service? 5 stars. Food? 3 stars. This is definitely no boiling crab no kickin crab. .:: Food ::. Shrimp with Garlic Butter $20.95/lb no head: I like that they give different options of with head/no head/peeled which obviously are at different price point. A good amount of shrimp that were plump but could use more garlic tbh. A bit flavorless. Garlic Noodles $6.95: Noodles were a bit clumpy could also use more garlic and more flavors, it was a bit bland. They provide bibs & limes, but I had to ask for salt/pepper containers .:: Service/ Ambiance/ Parking ::. Our waiter was super sweet, super nice, very attentive and I would give them 5 stars for the service. When we came on a weekday at around 5:30pm, it was empty and just us the entire time we dined there. Food came in a timely manner since it was just us the whole time. The place took over Creme Brewlee. Nothing changed much interior design wise. Looks like same tables tbh. Parking was easy, entire parking lot. .:: COVID Protocols ::. -QR code for menu , contactless -disposable plates/utensils -paper receipt, not contactless -staff wore masks read more

Lobster Chef - Left: shrimp no head with garlic butter $20.95 Right: Garlic Noodles $6.95 - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

recently held my daughters graduation party here and it was the perfect venue for a large group of people. we had trays of seafood boil and appetizers that the guest loved. they also let us decorate prior. definitely recommend to book for parties and events. read more

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If you're craving Boiling Crab but the long drive down to San Jose just doesn't make sense to you then Lobster Chef is the way to go. My boyfriend and I went here pre-Covid so I'm not sure how their safety measures are, but I remember they had all the supplies (gloves, napkins, sauce) along the wall for the customer to get themselves. I remember getting an order of their cajun fries, shrimp, and clams. The idea is the same at Boiling Crab, giant sheet of paper on the table and you just go ham on the food. Flavor wise - pretty good, although I think B.C.'s flavors were more solid, but this place is a good option if you're nearby. Only complaint I had was there was a family seated near the front door (inside) that had their dog with them. I'm a dog lover myself, but not inside any food establishments. read more

I think 2 stars for this place is very generous and this is mostly due to the service being okay (the place was also empty so that could be a factor) and because I'm trying to adjust the score for the surrounding area. We had the king crab combo and was not fresh, it was stringy and very salty. Probably was not even cooked to order since everything came lukewarm. read more

What happen, Lobster Chef? We had such a great experience when you just opened your door 2 years ago. The Garlic Mix with You'll be Sorry heat was watery, un flavorful and disappointing. But, the biggest let down was the Lobster Chowder ($9.95). We had to return the first cup because we could not find any pieces of lobster. The waiter was very helpful. He tried to rectify the problem and gave us another cup. $9.95 got us lots of broth, pieces of potatoes, and 4 bits of lobster. DO NOT ORDER! read more

Lobster Chef - Lobster Chowder. This is overpriced, bland cup of soup. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love this place ...prawns are huge and fresh and the lobster special on point . I just wish my grandson was here to enjoy the delicious seafood as much as I enjoyed. Service was impeccable.thank you Michael I'm handicapped due to neuropathy so it's difficult to come with any great frequency but anxious for next visit read more

Freshness of the craw fish is questionable. Simple lunch for 2 cost $100. Sauce is good and cajun spiced! Shrimp and Clam are in line.

The food is great and has excellent service. The owner is very nice and super attentive. I highly recommend the Cajun sauce. It has the right amount of heat and pairs well with the rice! read more

I went to Lobster Chef for the first time. I was not disappointed. The food was delicious. The owner was very nice and attentive too.

Person who's serving me greet me with a smile which is good! Chai latte is really good! The fried chicken is really tasty and crispy love it.! read more

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Casual crab boil style eating. Close to home. No frills just bags of shrimp in classic garlic sauce so you can get messy

This place is the bomb. I've been here twice with friends, and both times have hit the spot for Cajun boil. I've tried the following: - Clam chowder: Super yummy. Lots of clams and a rich, creamy broth. - Lobster chowder: Tasty, but not as good as the clam chowder. - Shrimp (peeled) + clams with Cajun + garlic butter sauce: Definitely go for the combined sauce - it's amazing. The seafood is also well cooked and meaty. Outstanding. - Sides combo: Pairs really well with the seafood. The onions drenched in the sauce is delicious. Both times I've gone, the place has really been empty so I'm hoping they get more togo orders and can pull through. read more

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10/10 would not recommend. Yes, the shrimp was plump & the mixed sauce (garlic butter and Cajun medium level spice) was good too. Crab was okay, and clams were mediocre and a lot of them weren't even open. The Cajun fries were good, and the clam chowder wasn't bad. They don't serve alcohol, only non-alcohol beverages which I found strange. Our overall dinner experience was subpar, and I will not be returning. The service/vibe we got here was something you'd expect from a fast food restaurant (you don't expect much) but actually it's worse because you're actually paying a $120+ tab. You can either order through the QR code or at the counter. I noticed a lot of people ordered takeout/must've called in which is what we wish we did (I'll get into this shortly). Firstly, we tried waving down the staff member at least three times and I'm convinced he tried to ignore us because must've wanted us to just place the order through the QR code. There was only one other party there besides us, he could clearly see us. I literally had to go up to him to ask a question regarding the menu on the mobile version. Secondly, when we asked for water, he asked us if "from the sink is okay?" or if we would want water bottles. I asked him how much for the water bottles and he said "uhmm $1.75." To me, that just sounds ridiculous considering the price of the food and the fact that it's a sit down restaurant. Why would we have to pay for water??? We ended up ordering lemonade instead but it tasted so weird and had an odd aftertaste. They literally skimp out on everything here and you might as well do take out. Thirdly, when the food finally came out, we literally had to ask for every. single. thing. including: - napkins - lemon - pepper - salt These are basic things you bring out with the food. We weren't happy about our experience here at all, and would definitely not dine in again. If you're willing to drive a little further south, I would suggest claw shack or kicking crab in San Jose for better service, quality, and ambiance. read more

The hubby and I love this place! It's still kind of a quiet spot, a hidden gem :) yummy, fresh, well-cooked seafood and the Cajun sauce is so delish! Their sides are perfect compliments to everything :) The service is outstanding. They are the nicest people in the world! read more

Lobster Chef - Happy customer! Peeled Cajun shrimp, corn, rice, and Cajun fries for us this lovely Wednesday evening :) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

BUSSIN! this seafood was so the customer service i recommend! def come check this place out. Coming back for sure read more

Lobster Chef - Medium cajun sauce - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

We went for a Birthday celebration and the food was amazing!!! We got the C1 and C2 combos (one with medium Cajan and the other with garlic butter). Both sauces were so delicious and the mussels are amazing! The customer service was amazing as well, biggest highlight of the visit! read more

Lobster Chef - The aftermath - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ordered plate special Cajun wraps Plate special comes with shrimp, mussels, corn, sausage and garlic noodles within $20. The wraps taste juicy and fresh. It tastes different from popular restaurants like boiling crab but it's not less than it. Will come back for the wraps! read more

Lobster Chef - Plate special - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My fiancé and I wanted to celebrate our anniversary with a takeout meal (I'm still not ready for dine in service) and we decided to do something really romantic - eating with bibs, gloves and a provided placemat. Anywhoooo, craving Cajun seafood and this place opened up down the street. We tried ordering ahead on their website but it's down. We were able to pay via google for ASAP but any future time errored the system out. Also I know they're using the Square platform but gotta say it really sucks. Moving on, we got the C-3 choice combo with a side order of garlic noodles. Noodles were garlicky but tbh not super memorable. The combo had 1lb of mussels (or clams-your choice), crawfish, shrimp, and a sausage in it. You can choose how spicy you want the broth and they'll offer a plastic tablecloth for your to-go order, alongside a bib and plastic gloves. Gotta keep it classy yo. Seafood was a bit chewy and overcooked but that can be expected with to-go orders. Otherwise everything was good. Overall we have a habit of going to the same 5 places so it was nice to mix it up. read more

Lobster Chef - Garlic noodles - Cajun/Creole Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Closest you can get to Boiling Crab in my opinion! I've tried (almost) everything: Kickin' Crab, Claw Shack, Crawdaddy, C Food Crush, etc. However, my go-to when I don't want to go all the way to SJ for Boiling Crab is Lobster Chef. It was super easy to order online for takeout but they've now re-opened for indoor dining as well. If you dine in, everything is done through a mobile menu and you pay after you order as well. We liked this because it's convenient and there's also less interaction with servers (because covid..right). We've tried their shrimp, clams, sausage, fries, snow crab legs, and garlic noodles over the past few months. We always get either the Cajun Mild or Medium paired with the Garlic Butter sauce and I swearrr it almost tastes like Boiling Crab except a little less garlic-y and the sauce isn't as thick. I dislike sauces that have any sweetness whatsoever and I'm happy to report that the sauce at Lobster Chef is not sweet! Their garlic noodles are just ok and their fries are good if you prefer thicker cut fries. They also have a variety of other fried foods like cajun chicken bites, calamari, and even tofu! Also, their shrimps are HUGE. Lobster Chef is a solid choice for a Cajun seafood boil, highly recommend! read more

Food was good not mind blowing but still good! It just needs a bit of kick in flavor in the noodles but everyone was nice there and food is fast read more