Food is amazing. I've tried other boil restaurants and so far I like surfing crab the most. Also I compared the prices and they have the best deal! Will definitely come back again. read more

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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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

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

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

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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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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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

7 of us celebrated my birthday with a mid-week dinner at the Surfing Crab. It was not busy when we arrived and we were warmly welcomed and promptly seated. We ordered beverages, onion rings and hushpuppies while we decided on our dinner orders. The onion rings were encased in a hard batter and the hushpuppies were far from the best we have had elsewhere; however, that was the only low-point of the evening. Our entrees of crawfish and shrimp with the accompaning sausage, corn and potatoes were fresh and delicious. We received excellent and friendly service from Kayla and she definitely made the evening more enjoyable! This was the first visit for all of us, but I have no doubt that there will be a return visit in the future! 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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Great Service, Food, and Price. The Escondido Surfing Special great deal for the amount of shrimp and crab you get. It's a deal you can't pass up. For drinks I recommend the Lake Hodges. I go here about twice a month and have never had a bad experience with Makeyla as our server. Lastly you know a restaurant serves high quality food if the staff and management bring their family to dine in! read more

Surfing Crab - The Hook's Special - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

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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4th coming back to surfing crab, service is always super fast and very friendly. Brought my friends to try it and they loved it. Everything like the potatoes, corn, and sausage are included in the combo bags which is a plus compared to the other seafood boil restaurants. Tried the Loaded fries GAHDAMN THEY WERE GAS! They definitely fucked! So good. read more

Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

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This place is incredible! Bring the family- try something new- understand it's gonna be expensive but the crab is incredible- you will enjoy the food- you enjoy the experience- and you enjoy the reasonably priced bar- the services as good as you can expect in Escondido- there's a lot of Great decorations- but the best part is the fact that although there's dozens of crab in the bag places- this one somehow stands above! Again, server was kind but a little uncouth- but you don't go to a restaurant like this to be served- you go here to get your hands dirty- enjoying fresh seafood read more

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

They won't serve if you don't tip. The lady says they live off of tips she even went out of her way to make a shirt crying about a tip. lol I think if you need more money maybe you should work someone else. She also said the owner say this was okay! They just kicked me and my family out. We don't feel the need to tip if we always got to wave you down for 10 mins just trying to ask for something! Horrible customer service. ZERO STARS. Do not ask for tips or cry about a tip when your service sucks already!! 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

Decided to try somewhere new and this place did not disappoint. Has a kind of Joes Crab Shack vibe when you walk in but the food is so much better. They provide all the tools you need when eating shellfish to include bibs, gloves and wet wipes if you get messy. It's a little pricey but the food quality is worth it. read more

Surfing Crab - The Ice Ray's Special with an extra pound of Snow Crab Legs. - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

Food is amazing Servers are extremely helpful, especially when it's your first time. And I really enjoy the ambience of the restaurant Me and my family are definitely looking forward to the next time we visit this restaurant. read more

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

Ordered delivery because I was craving a seafood boil. I actually love boiling crab so much that I've been put off from eating seafood anywhere else but surfing crab might just be added to my list. I ordered the Cajun lobster, crab and mussels. Although the sauce wasn't as thick as I'm used to, it was very delicious. I also got fried shrimp which was amazing and it was actually fried the same way they fry it at boiling crab. One thing that surprised me was that potatoes and corn were added without needing to add them onto the order. Overall, this place was freaking delish and its so close and convenient. Definitely worth spending your money here read more

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

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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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

Ambiance is clean, not crowded, different from other crab house i tried. It's not automatic for them to provide bib, gloves and salt/pepper and lime. We have to ask for the bib and gloves, i didn't even ask for the salt/pepper and lime cuz i feel like, im being demanding. Don't get me wrong, the waiters are very nice, it's just that it's not automatic for them to provide those basics. The food is good! It was cooked as I am expecting it, they're all the same garlic butter, cajun spices anyways. I don't think it brings out the taste of lobster in this kind serving, the garlic butter cajun is really just for crabs, shrimps, clams and mussels. We had 2 orders of the Escondido package, 2 clam chowder, 1 side order of sweet potato fries and fried rice for a party of 4. Guess what?..... we were stuffed!!!! It was a lot. Overall, the food and place is good. read more

Surfing Crab - This is what they called "Escondido" package. We ordered 2 of these. - Seafood Near Me - Escondido, California

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Holy moly the seafood here was a perfect highest quality - very fresh and cooked to perfection! The crowds here show it's very popular. Family friendly and lots of big tv screens! I really enjoyed the sausage and potatoes too. The shrimp was very good, snow crabs was delicious. I liked the Dungeness crab too. Server was friendly. Will be back soon read more

The Surfing Crab has no clue on proper cooking and spicing of the green mussels and the crayfish. Waaay too much butter and garlic. No taste here, just dump it on. Bag cooking is a cliche, unless done skillfully. Folks fall for the uniqueness of it. Not me. And most crawdad savvy people know to twist the tail 180 degrees and pull to remove the "poop pipe" before cooking to prevent souring the meat with feces. They don't do that. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants for crab boil for a lot of reasons. We always order the number 2, with double shrimp, and it comes with crab, sausage, potatoes, and corn. The amount of food, size of the items, and taste is pretty consistent each time. The crab legs are pretty good sized and not skimpy legs. The sausage is sliced thin and oval shaped. They have a variety of seasonings you can get, or you can have the surfin special, which is all of them combined. There are different spice levels as well, which is the only complaint I have. The spice levels are never accurate. If you order the mild in one bag and the fire on another, you end up getting basically the same level. The fire is never spicy, except maybe twice that we've gone, and we go a lot. I'm not sure why, maybe it depends on whose in the back, or what time of day you go, but either way we always go with the expectation it won't be very spicy. I can live with that, since I like everything else and it's conveniently located for me, however I do wish they would improve in this area as it's needed. I like that when they bring out your bag, they bring a large circular tray, and will dump it in there for you on request. This is very helpful and so much less mess. They will also bag the leftovers back up to take at the end. They provide a bib, wet nap, tools, while you eat, and you can get gloves upon request. The decor is kind of cheesy, but in a good way. With lots of oversized sea creatures, it makes you feel like your in a seafood joint Owned by Mr. Krabs. It's spacious as well, with a mix of booths and tables. They line the table with paper like any traditional seafood boil place. They do have a bar as well which is pretty well stocked. I have had a few of their drinks and they are fine, nothing that was so good I remember the name though. Overall I highly suggest checking the place out. They also have plenty of other items on the menu besides the boils, for people who might not want that. read more

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The king crab legs are super big. Flavored well. The workers are friendly. They have a drink special everyday. Happy hour from 3-7 beer only. I enjoyed my shrimp. The place is nice and they have a full bar. :) read more

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Dinner was great and the people were very friendly. Would definitely come back. 10/10

We ordered the 3 combo ( 2 orders of shrimp and 1 black mussels ) with snow crab legs with the surfing special sauce. It came with corn, potatoes , sausage and we added hard boiled eggs. We also ordered 2 sides of rice and 1 ramen. These sides just absorbed the saice and it was so good. Everything was delicious. They give you gloves, a bib, wet wipe, shell cracker, and a bucket for your shells. They have daily drink specials and that night was the Bellini. It's a spacious restaurant with a full bar. Our Service was great as our server was very friendly. He had good recommendations for us and didn't steer us wrong. We'll be back! read more

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Amazing food, cocktails, and customer service! This restaurant has become a family favorite. read more

We ordered two snow crab legs combos with old bay and garlic butter seasoning. They were fresh, buttery and delicious! We also had cheese sticks, hushpuppies, clam chowder and stir-fried udon noodles. Cheese sticks and hush poppies were ok but the udon noodles were good, tasted like the ones from an Asian restaurant. read more

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Went here for my son's 26th birthday. Service was great, got started with drinks promptly then gave us time to decide on our order. Large selection of food to choose from which was good as my husband hates seafood so he ordered Asian. Atmosphere was very pleasant, comfortable but not too crowded, a combo of booths and tables. Food arrived promptly with our 2nd round of drinks. Ordered shrimp, crawdads, clams and Dungeness crab by the pound which also came with potatoes and corn. We got the surfing flavor sauce with mild heat and scraped the pan clean with the boiled potatoes it was all so good. Servers were great and very friendly. Prices were good but drinks a bit high. Can't wait to go back again! read more