Food, vibes, and sausage. I came here not expecting much... boy was I surprised. I was crackin meat left and right and eating as fast as I can. My colleagues were telling me to slow down, but I just couldn't. The crab meat was so tender, and it tickled my throat as it went down. Thank you surfing crab so much for a great time. I will be back. read more

Oh my!!! We hadn't had a good crab boil since we were in Hawaii several years ago and I am glad we stopped by this place in Escondido! We shared a king crab combo with shrimp, potatoes, corn in a butter garlic mild sauce and it was phenomenal!! Truly enjoyed dining here and definitely would return for more! The dining areas are spacious, there's a bar off to the corner end of the restaurant, every table was well maintained and the facility was kept clean especially after each table was done! The staff are friendly and in good spirits it seemed and service by our host was awesome! He kept our drinks flowing and made sure we had everything we need to make our dining experience an excellent one! read more

Love this place, sooooo delicious. We have been coming here since their opening. This time we had the opportunity to meet the owner. He came and served our king crabs. Super friendly, the food is delicious and the best part was they had the World Cup playing. I got to enjoy seeing the Argentina game. read more

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I have been here several times and very pleased each time. The quality and flavors are always top notch. Always pleased with the service and food. If you are looking for a seafood boil don't look any further. Parking is great and staff is friendly. read more

Clean considering everyone eats with their hands! The floor isn't sticky so that a plus plus. Oysters were big and flavorful. Crab had a great taste to it. Prefect about of corn and sausage with the boil Jose was out server and checked on us frequently and was very hospitable. $167 for 2 3 drinks 1 appetizer 1/2 dozen oysters 2 meals Worth it read more

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We celebrated our friend's birthday here. Service was on the slower side. I tried the cajun fries (5/5), calamari (4/5), shrimp (5/5), and Kung Pao Chicken (2/5). They sung happy birthday for our friend and gave him a cheesecake. read more

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The food here is really good. The prices are good. We have been here a few times and get the first option with shrimpnand mussels with the mix of spices. It is always prepared fast and well. read more

Surfing Crab - #1 Shrimp and mussels! - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Good prices good service and good I love this place lol depending on the item sauce consistency varies but I honestly don't mind because everything else makes up for it. read more

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Great spot to grab a crab boil with plenty of different mix and match seafood options that are shareable and you can pick the seasoning/spice. There's a ton of butter so just expect to be in a food coma afterwards. They also have great fried rice which id recommend ordering with the boil. read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

A good casual spot for seafood. Everything we tried tasted fresh, and the seafood boil was pretty good with a nice variety. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and the prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get. Overall, a solid place for a casual seafood meal. read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Greeted when we walked in, servers were very sweet and very attentive. The place is casual but decorated very very nice, totally gives under the sea vibes!! Food didn't take forever and absolutely did not disappoint! read more

Surfing Crab - Daily Special - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

If I can still remember my first bite, you know its GOOD! I was super skeptical at first about this place since I hadn't heard much about it. Upon entering, I already knew the environment would be perfect. Chill, laid back, yet clean and upbeat. They have some really cool crab and sealife decor. Our waitress seemed to be new, she didn't know too much about the menu but was happy to find out and answer all our questions. We order 3lbs snow crab, potatoes, corn, cajun fries, rice, and a Michelada. Omg, the crab was SO fresh and moist!! They added SO much butter and garlic to our tray that you had plenty to dip. The fries were BOMB. Literally the whole meal was amazing and exactly what we hoped for. It was about 180 for everything which is actually cheaper the crabhut or boiling crab and WAY BETTER! I HIGHLY recommend this place if you want a delicious seafood boil! read more

Surfing Crab - Snow crab was PERFECT - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

The moment you walk into Surfing Crab in Escondido, it's exactly what you'd expect from a lively Cajun seafood boil joint--fun, casual vibe with that perfect mix of nautical charm and energetic atmosphere. The place feels welcoming right away, clean, modern, and decked out nicely without being over-the-top. Our server was spot-on from the start--super knowledgeable about the menu, quick with solid recommendations, and just attentive enough without hovering. Service was incredibly fast, which is a huge plus when you're hungry for that fresh seafood fix. We dove right into the boils (you know the drill: everything gets dumped out on the table lined with paper, and you just go to town cracking shells and getting messy--it's part of the fun!). The flavors were absolutely on point--fresh ingredients shining through, and the seasoning was bold and balanced. Word of warning: when they say "spicy," they mean it! The heat builds in the best way, but it's flavorful heat, not just burn-your-mouth-for-no-reason. We loved the combo of sauces (Cajun, garlic butter, etc.--pick your poison), and everything tasted incredibly fresh. The corn on the cob was perfectly cooked--sweet, juicy, and grilled just right. Potatoes, sausage, the whole classic lineup was spot-on. Presentation? It's rustic by nature (no fancy plating here--you're eating straight off the table), but it was done well and felt authentic to the experience. Overall, it was a super enjoyable meal--messy in the best possible way, full of flavor, and left us all stuffed and happy. Prices felt fair for the quality and portion sizes, especially for a group share. We'll definitely be back--maybe next time trying the Escondido Surfing Special or some of the Asian-fusion options on the menu. If you're craving a real seafood boil experience in Escondido, give Surfing Crab a shot. You won't regret it. Highly recommend! read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

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We were pleasantly surprised by the variety on the menu. We had a couple different shrimp dishes and they were delicious! Service could have been better - our waitress left us for a while (a couple times during the visit) and then also forgot to bring one of the items we ordered until we asked about it after everything else was finished already. The vibe was lively and I'm impressed how late they are open. We will go back ! read more

Food was very good, succulent seafood choices. They have many combinations of different seafood and each is priced accordingly. We also liked the cleanliness and relaxed atmosphere of the dining room. Service was great too. We will be back. read more

So many reasons this is our new favorite place to go. Our server was Liam for today (not the first time). Always welcoming and very knowledgeable with the menu. Mini conversations which is always appreciated. Our orders are always accurate as well. The sauce here is amazing! They do not hold back on garlic and thats exactly how I like it! Everyone here is honestly wonderful and we've also met the owner. I give this place a 10/10. Will be back! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for a while now because so many people had recommended it and they did not live up to the hype. It didn't take us long to be seated which was great, but it was mediocre from there on out. We sat at our table for maybe 20 minutes before a waitress finally came over. They were moderately busy and I completely understand being busy, but multiple waiters passed us without a glance. The food didn't take too long and came out hot, but we had to ask for utensils and then wait another 5 minutes for that. The fries were okay, a bit bland but I guess i can't really complain. Prices are average for a seafood boil restaurant. The decorations were super nice and there was definitely lots to look at. Overall we had an okay experience. I would give them another chance on a less busy day. read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

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Wanted to try this restaurant for a while. Stopped by here on our way back from Wild Holidays at the San Diego Safari Park. Came here with my Son and his girlfriend. Myself, my Son and his girlfriend all like Spicy food. My wife doesn't like spicy. So this place is great for everyone to order their own bag with their own spice level. My Son and his girlfriend got the Daily Special. I got the Gentleman's Special. My wife got the Cowboy. All the seafood was pretty good quality. Myself, my Son, and his GF ordered the Fire spice level. One of the bags had very little spicy sauce, so the spice and sauciness varied from bag to bag. All in all I would like to give this place another try and see how the other offerings are. read more

Surfing Crab - Gentleman Special - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Oh my goshhh, this place is so good! I love that it's right by the Escondido mall so it makes it the perfect location for dinner right after shopping. I surprised my best friend for dinner for her birthday & we loved the interior. It looks small from the outside, but don't be deceived, it had corridors of booths and it wrapped around the whole place. The bar sits right in the middle by the entrance, which we were seated by; so the ambiance just felt so comfortable and nice with the booth seats. I'd have to say out of all the seafood broil places I've been to, their cajun fries were the beeeest! When served fresh, it was extremely crispy to my liking and the seasoning was perfect. It was actually a pretty big portion too. We both got the combo deal of snow crab, shrimp, and crawfish that came with corn, potatoes, and sausages. When the server brought us our food, I loved that they asked if it's okay to drop the seafood broil into a tin container for us. Our server checked up on us often to ask if we were doing okay or if we needed water refills, which is refreshing because not a lot of these types of restaurants do that. Food was great, seafood was fresh, sauce was yummy - just a little spicy though even though it was a medium, and the vibes were immaculate. I really loved the drink selection they had here, lots of mixed drinks and fun cocktails. Maybe next time I'll swing by for the bar! read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

We have been wanting to try this place for awhile now but since we don't live in the area anymore it's been hard to make it. Finally last night we were in the area and the surfing crab was open late enough for us to dine in, open till 11pm on Friday night. The decor inside was cool I liked that they had an aquaman life size figure. There is tons of seating inside which is great. Our server was really nice and pretty fast, I didnt catch her name though. We ordered a pound of green mussels with the surfing sauce and a #2 combo pick any three items, I added egg to mine. Always have to have boiled egg in the seafood boil. We also ordered a #3 pick any three items all with the surfing sauce medium. The presentation is great, the food bag comes out in a bag but siting on a huge platter; I liked the look of it. The worker bringing out the order asked if we wanted the food on the platter or just in the bag; we told him on the platter and he lifted the bag, mixed it back and forth for us & put it all on the platter with all of the sauce, making sure no food fell out at all and no sauce splashed everywhere. Excellent display and execution. This was a lot of food, huge portion! I liked how buttery the sauce was, but in my opinion the spice wasn't really there even though I ordered the second hottest level. I'll go the highest level next time I'm there to see if it is in-fact spicy at all. The corn was absolutely delicious, the potatoes were okay, the egg was awesome and the mussels, shrimp & crawfish were great too. They gave us gloves without us having to ask which was nice. They give you a bucket for trash and it's lined with like three bags which is cool so they just pull out the bag and there is already another bag ready to use. I personally really liked this place. The food was not too salty at all and great portions. Overall, great hours and customer service here; they also do military discount too. I highly recommend you try this place out if you're in the area. read more

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I love Surfing Crab! I've been to a couple of other seafood boil spots they're also amazing but I'm glad Escondido has a local spot with great prices! My boyfriend and I love coming here for the portion and price. We like getting the Escondido Special: shrimp, crab legs, lobster, sausage, potatoes, and corn. With their house sauce and for spicy lovers you must get it spicy!!! Amazing. In the photo I provided I went with my family and we got a different boil: Shrimp, crawfish, and mussels. The service is always nice and attentive and overall a got to spot! read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

This was my go-to seafood boil place for a while until the past few visits. The shrimp and crab I received didn't taste as fresh, but I'm hoping those were just off days? The price for the value is great and service is always friendly. And the theming is fun ocean maximalist decor that makes the atmosphere feel immersive. read more

Our new seafood boil favorite! They have a lunch special Monday to Friday from 11:30am to 3pm. Get your hands dirty starting from $21.99 ( pick two choices of seafood half a pound each ) or pick 3 items, 1/2 a pound each for $26.99! It comes with potatoes , sausages and corn ! They also have the best surfing crab loaded fries for only $12!!! It's the best!!!! It's a big portion and They served it with lots of real crabs Highly recommend! read more

I've been here a few times now and always had a great experience! Parking is never an issue and I've always been sat immediately, with or without a reservation. The restaurant is very spacious and has a fun "sea" theme to it. There's bar seating with large tvs, which also makes it a good spot for that "sports bar" vibe. I normally order one of the daily specials. I like the Don Julio special as it comes with a pound of king crab. For the price, it's an amazing deal compared to other places like Boiling Crab. It comes loaded with a huge helping of corn, potatoes and sausage too. I like to get the Surfing Special seasoning, which is a mix of all their seasoning options. For appetizer I've tried the fried calamari that comes with Cajun fries. The calamari was good but the fries were my favorite. Service was friendly, quick and attentive. Surfing Crab is definitely becoming my go-to spot for seafood as the portions are great, price is reasonable and there is rarely a wait! read more

Surfing Crab - Don Julio Special - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

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Went Saturday afternoon, place was 1/3 full. Nice mature waiter. Asked about oysters, "New Jersey" was their origin. Out. of thousands, they were perhaps the worst lowest grade oysters I have ever eaten. Couldn't finish them, didn't want too. Calamari was like having deep fried Unidentified Food Object (UFO). Will not return, good luck guys! read more

As always, the seafood is delicious never dry, Juan ( the owner) is always so kind. All the staff are very kind and attentive. Good lighting and not super crowded. Good vibes! He always gives us garlic butter ( its amazing 100/10 would recommend) Surfing special seasoning. medium spice. read more

Surfing Crab - Don Julio special added 2 lobster tails - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

And there were no crumbs left behind. The hospitality made me feel like I was family. The season and spices; 9/10, seafood itself 10/19. And the fact that it was an actual piece of corn - not a sliver was included along w/ the sausage and potatoes had to be the cherry on top. I ordered takeout and was so happy to have found this gem. Finally, a place in north county that I can add to my favorites. read more

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came here on a weekday and got a seafood boil and some wings and the crab fries! i'm personally not a fan of crab so we got the fries separate but the fries were yummy with the cajun seasoning and the ranch! i got the wings and they were surprisingly really good! read more

What a better way to enjoy Valentine's Day eating seafood boil! I put my name on the one hour wait list since I knew it was holiday, and it was one of the late hour restaurants that were open after doing some shopping at North County Mall. The seafood combos intrigued me the most and was calling my name. What also was intriguing was that they offered Chinese food on the menu, which I was not expecting, but something I wouldn't really order since the intention was for seafood boil. I ordered Combo #2 that includes Snow Crab Legs. Our two choices of seafood were the manila clams and crawfish. The seafood was quite salty, along with the Surfing Special sauce (all the sauce combined). It was very spicy, quite dry, and I would keep my order in the bag as they do for other seafood boil places as it tends to lose heat pretty quickly once dumped on the tray. I did enjoy the meal, however, there were some instances where the experience could have been improved. We were not provided gloves and had to wait a bit for service. I do like the buzzing atmosphere and the restaurant has a large dining space. I do think it's worth another try though, as I got a chance to check out some of their deals posted on the board outside. Not exactly impressed, but perhaps I'll give it another go on a less busy day! read more

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We had a really fun and delicious dinner at Surfing Crab. We are kind of seafood snobs! My husband was raised in New England and his standards are high. We have been to numerous seafood boil restaurants, Surfing Crab did not disappoint. The portions were generous, drinks were cold, and the seafood was cooked and seasoned to perfection. Even though it was a weekend and they were busy, our server was attentive and friendly. The restaurant is clean and it has an entertaining and relaxed atmosphere. Surfing Crab is definitely a great choice for a date night or to go with a large group. read more

Location is easy to find as it is right next to the freeway and North County Fair Mall. There is plenty of parking. We had great service and delicious food. We got shrimp, crab legs, mussels, and crawfish. I forgot to take a picture of the crawfish because I was busy eating. We also ordered steam rice because we are Filipino lol You can get an additional side of sauce for $2.50. The house sauce was garlicky and yummy! The bathrooms and restaurant were clean enough. The prices were comparable to other seafood restaurants like the boiling crab. We left pleasantly satisfied! We will probably come back here again if we are in the area. read more

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Worst service I have ever had. Never going again DO NOT RECOMMEND. Bri was super unprofessional messed up my entire order over and over again some of my order didn't even arrive. I ordered half a pound and every half a pound i ordered she charged as a whole pound and tried to make me seem dumb. Never again. read more

We got seated pretty quickly on a Sunday at 3pm. The restaurant itself has quite the decor inside, love it. Unfortunately, I didn't get her name but the kind lady with the bandana was serving us and she was very kind & attentive. The food was amazing. The amount they give for the price is literally chef's kiss. We ordered the Escondido Surfing Special (flavor seasoning: Surfing Special. Spice level: mild), and the Fried Catfish basket. The seafood broil was very flavorful and had a lot of meat. I really appreciated how they have an actual huge tray for the broil itself so it was much easier to eat from compared to eating from the plastic bag. The Fried Catfish basket had amazing crunchy Cajun fries while the catfish itself was good. The only complaint I had was how oily it was so the breading fell off the catfish. For drinks we were in during happy hour which was $1 off draft beers (kinda weak of a happy hour if you ask me). Could be better. Will probably come here again. read more

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Tried this place out since it was recommended to us from an acquaintance. It's located in the outer rim of the North County mall where all the restaurants are; it's the old Olive Garden. The decor is kind of cheesy, very nautical themed, but clean enough; you can definitely tell this used to be an Olive Garden still. The staff are casual and nice, but nothing over the top for customer service. The food wasn't bad, but not as flavorful as other Cajun seafood boil places. They have pretty good deals for parties of 2, so overall it was decent. Personally, I still prefer Crab Hut or Boiling Crab, but wouldn't mind coming here if I was in the area. read more

I ordered a shrimp boil (no head) with surfing-style seasoning at medium heat. I couldn't resist adding a side of fire sauce for dipping. The order included shrimp, a couple of potatoes, and corn. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the seasoning was excellent, with plenty of garlic adding extra flavor. The fire sauce brought a nice kick of heat. Service was okay, though we had to wave down the staff a few times as they didn't check on us. There's plenty of seating in both the main dining area and the bar, so finding a spot shouldn't be an issue. They also offer daily and happy hour specials, so be sure to check those out! read more

Surfing Crab - 1 lbs shrimp (no head), surfing style, medium heat with a side of fire. - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Food is amazing , I come here every other week ! The daily special and some noodles all the time

By far the best and cheapest place to get a crab boil SD county! We come here all the time and the food has never missed. Typically 3 of us share the #2 combo with 3 items, with the surfing special flavoring. And I know it might seem random but absolutely do not skip on the fried rice, it is the absolute best! It's a big space and never a wait to get in either. read more

Surfing Crab - # 2 Pick Any Three Items and side of fried rice. - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

I finally checked out Surfing Crab, located at the Esco mall! It's in the building formerly occupied by Romano's Macaroni Girl. That was such a beautiful restaurant, I'm glad a new one has opened up here. Surfing Crab is quite an interesting establishment. There are a number of locations in Texas but this is their first and only restaurant so far in California! The menu seems to be a fusion of Cajun seafood boil and Chinese. Sort of "Ca-Asian" if you will. Service was very friendly and welcoming. We even met the older General Manager man who was walking around greeting guests, answering questions, etc. The vibe was fun, clean and modern. Beautifully decorated throughout. Drinks from the full bar seemed to be of very good quality. We tried a few small plates, including hush puppies, pork egg rolls and crab puffs. All very tasty although the crab puffs (cream cheese rangoons) were not served with any dipping sauce. A sweet chili sauce is usually traditional. The hush puppies were very good but oddly served with a side of tarter sauce. The fam and I then shared a generously sized custom boil consisting of no head shrimp, green mussels and a lobster tail. Included corn, taters and sausage, all in a delicious cajun butter bath. I remarked how well everything was cooked. The seafood, veg, etc was all plump, succulent, fresh tasting and not overcooked. The only thing missing was a nice side of garlic bread or a crusty French loaf to sop up some more of that savory butter sauce. read more

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This is a newer restaurant in Escondido and my husband and I decided to go try it out. I'm really glad that we did because the food is absolutely amazing. The one drawback I do have to say, though is that all of their sauces but one for their crab boil is not gluten-free. So basically I had only one option for me to be able to eat there. I do have to say, however, that it was well worth it and delicious. We sat at the bar and the service was great. They have a full bar and are in the building that the old macaroni grill used to be in. read more

Surfing Crab - Table cloth. - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Ordered here at least five times all takeout this year. Decent and I like getting their combo one with medium. They usually won't give you the paper for your table for takeout orders. Decent portions for the price if you get a combo deal. read more