Stopped in here while I was in town for work and had a pretty mixed experience. The atmosphere was nice and it seemed like a good spot to grab seafood, but the service was noticeably slow throughout our visit. It took a while to get drinks and place our order, and we found ourselves waiting more than expected between courses. That said, the food itself had some highlights. The crab was absolutely amazing--fresh, flavorful, and definitely the standout of the meal. We also really enjoyed the shrimp cocktail, which was well-prepared and hit the mark. Unfortunately, the mussels didn't live up to the same standard; they lacked flavor and just weren't our favorite. Overall, it's an okay spot with some strong dishes, but the slow service and inconsistency in the food would make me hesitate before returning. read more

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I went here while on a trip to Albany to see the capitol building. It was nice. I ordered one of the seafood boil combos. It was a delicious mess. It had shrimp, crab legs, beef sausage, potatoes, and a half ear of corn on the cob. It came drenched in sauce, which was messy, but the taste was well worth it. The servers were very friendly, and the food came out in decent amount of time. Not super-fast, but not slow either. The place was also nice and clean. I would definitely go again, if I'm ever in the Abany area again. read more

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Great service. Our waiter was very helpful. The flavor was really good we chose the explosion which is all the seasonings together. We did a one step up from mild. Tiny kick but great flavor. We will go back for sure. Also they have a nice ambiance looks upscale inside. read more

The Boil Shack - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

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First time there. The service was exceptional . The food came out in the customary bag but it wasn't as pictured. There were more fillets than there were sea good. Plus it was lukewarm warm. The place was rather on the noisy side and to our surprise there were many tables either children. read more

Oh Natalia! What have you done to me. I am so so full and still have leftovers to go. I had a combination monstrosity with the explosion sauce of king crab legs, head on shrimps, gigantic Mussels and corn and potato. So so good. Lest not mention the huge house salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. The Boil Shack in Albany is the place for amazing seafood. Great ambiance too. Remember to support your local eateries so we both don't starve.... read more

This place is a 10/10!! Here visiting and me and my family had the seafood boils. We didn't sit down we did take out. But the restaurant was clean. Service was nice. Had a few people in there. I could tell that it gets busy.The sauces we had were buttery garlic and explosion which is a mix of all sauces and they were amazing. Also, my dad had a creole pasta with lobster crawfish and shrimp. It was a spicy Alfredo sauce. It was amazing. Prices were decent! Definitely would eat from here again when we are in town! read more

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I was here on a layover and got half a pound of peeled shrimp along with half of a pound of the little neck clams. It was fresh and delicious with all the flavor sauces, little bit of everything! I took a little bit to come out maybe 15 minutes or so, but it was worth it. Hot fresh and delicious. Also really friendly staff. read more

This was our first time coming in and we absolutely loved it! My boyfriend had 1lb snow crab and absolutely inhaled it, while I had Cajun grilled chicken with a house salad and broccolini which was also incredible! Our only issue (which really isn't serious) was that our waitress wasn't super engaging. We weren't aware there were any specials and we didn't know the chalk board in the back had the market price listings. We only learned about those things because we heard the incredibly cheerful waitress behind us explaining everything down to the automatic gratuity included on your meal! (You should still leave a lil extra though ) Overall great food and will be back! read more

The Boil Shack - Ambiance - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

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Had a great meal as did everyone in my party. Good prices for what you get. It was clean neat and timely for service. Enjoyed the meal and atmosphere as well. read more

i have been eating at the boil shack for many years. i have been satisified for many years. however, today i went to lunch at 12pm and i ordered 2 dungenous crabs for 65.00 to go. when i got home i had only one crab cut in 1/2 a one 1/2 of potato, 1 corn on the cob and a 1/2 of sausage. this is why you should check your food before leaving any establishment. mind you i sat there and ate loaded fries and sweet tai wings. so disappointed. because i work hard for my money. this is not right. who ate the rest of my food? inquiring minds want to know. read more

Where do I start? The place was mostly empty at dinner time on a Thursday night and I don't know if that's a good sign. The staffing was strange: there was a host and some staff, but it seemed like our server ran the entire place: from taking care of the tables, pouring drinks at the bar and cashing people out. She was very good and continually checked on us and filled and offered anything we needed. All meals are brought out on a Robot! Cool. The food was great! Cooked properly and the flavor and spice was just right. It is pricey. I was happy with what we got, but in terms of value, I'm not 100% sold. The portions were good but both of boils were over $70 or $80 each. The pace of the meal was good, too. We never had empty drinks and one course came out after the other. Apps-tower-boils. There are signs on each pillar that said smile you are on camera, which I thought was strange. Perhaps people attempt to dine and dash, especially at this price point. and the a 15% tip was already applied to the bill, which was also strange - for a party of 2. The bathrooms were clean. It looked like they hadn't even been used. Overall, I was glad we tried it, but it most likely will be reserved for special occasions only. or if I win the lottery. read more

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Food was good, atmosphere was good. The way they served the "boil" did not appeal to my husband. Service was quick and attentive. read more

The Boil Shack - Twin lobster tails and king crab legs - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

I'm always on the search for a good lobster roll so I decided to give The Boil Shack a shot. In consideration of the foregoing, I ordered a cup of clam chowder and a lobster roll with curly fries. With that being said, I tried the clam chowder and it was excellent. To explain, it was very flavorful and the clams tasted fresh. In addition, they put a lot of potatoes in it which I enjoy a lot. In the same vein, I tried the lobster roll and curly fries and they were both good. To put into words, the lobster was tender and seasoned nicely. Also, the roll was toasted well and seemed fresh. However, the arugula and green onion were completely unnecessary and didn't add anything. I would say it was a pretty solid lobster roll, but there was some room for improvement. I would also like to mention that the curly fries were tasty. To elaborate, the fries were hot, crispy, and seasoned. I enjoyed them very much. All things considered, The Boil Shack is a good seafood restaurant with good clam chowder and solid lobster rolls. read more

The Boil Shack - New England Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

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The food was good, I had the salmon and broccolini with a side of coleslaw. It was seasoned well and fresh. The service was fast and efficient. It's a nice atmosphere, not too crowded or noisy while I was there. I went on a Sunday afternoon. read more

As a huge fan of seafood, I wanted to give The Boil Shack another shot after an okay experience a few years ago. I am so glad I did! Service and food was spot on and very generous. I came in with my two girlfriends for an early birthday dinner. Our server was super friendly and attentive, and it was really cool to see their robot assistant, bellabot, scurrying around helping bring dishes to tables and singing happy birthday. We started with a few drinks, pretty standard bar drinks with fruity/tropical options. We opted to try the Crab Hush Puppies as an app and they were great! Filled with crab meat and were seasoned very well with a hit of heat. The remoulade sauce was perfect for dipping. My friend also got the clam chowder and it was a little different than normal, less creamy than expected. Of course I came for a boil. They had their spring special, 1 pound of crab, clams and jumbo shrimp with a generous amount of corn, sausage and potatoes. I opted for the buttery garlic sauce with no heat. I prefer my seafood with lighter seasoning because I like for the sweetness to shine in the shellfish. When I say this was enough to share with a few people, WOW. The potion was incredible for $55 and I had to bring half home. The were probably 5 clusters of crab, dozens of shrimp and clams. It would be hard to make this for that price at home. This place is perfect for a glutinous meal of seafood. It was perfect for me as I stated, I freaking love seafood. All the seafood was perfectly cooked too! The crab easily slipped out of the shells, the clams and shrimp were tender and not over cooked or rubbery. The sauce was garlicky and buttery but not overly salted. We could have used a touch more salt on the veggies in the bag but it was great none the less. My friend order the lobster roll and she loved that too. It wasn't a cheap meal but it was absolutely worth the price tag for the food we got. I would definitely go back and I'm so happy I gave it another shot! Go get you a boil! read more

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My husband and I came here for the second time for our birthdays this evening. Tonya was our server, she was the best! Tonya was very fun, outgoing, attentive, and very informative. We highly recommend her as a server. She was great! We will be returning and requesting Tonya in the near future! Food was great, fast and hot. Exactly what we asked for. Drinks were amazing! No complaints. read more

I love this restaurant! Our server was bubbly and attentive it made the whole experience so much more enjoyable- on top of that the food was so delicious and a great portion. read more

Took our granddaughter and her Dad (our son) out for her birthday on Tuesday the 15th of April. The place was about 20% full for our stay of about two hours. Meals are brought out by a Robot that is full of friendly (or snide) remarks as the situation warrants and it also sings Happy Birthday for patrons who are celebrating. We sat at a table for four and I inadvertently kept blocking its path because of my chair location and girth, for which it was humorously vocal, but patient, about me impeding its progress, until I scooched in closer to the table. The food was great but it is very, very pricey. The portions were good but my wife, who loves shellfish with a passion, ordered a customized boil that tips the scales at $179 due to its two lobster tails, two kinds of crab legs, and two kinds of shrimp plus the normal boil sides (not surprisingly, her doggy bag weighed several pounds as at least half the meal was coming home). My son and I each ordered much more reasonably priced salmon and steak dinners respectively and the birthday girl had the Combo Boil #2 (Extra Spicy Hot) with a side of two hard boiled eggs. I also had a Caesar salad that was very generous and quite delicious. We never had empty drinks and our waitress, Shania, was very lovely, friendly, helpful, and attentive. The bathrooms were spotless and well ventilated, though a bit chilly. This was our first time here and overall I was glad we tried it. We will be back, dependent on our nest egg performance in the stock market, which is kind of ironic, as my financial professional's offices are right next door. Go figure . . . read more

This place never disappoints. We try to eat here whenever we're in the area. Rosie the Robot is so polite when bringing the food to your table. The service here is great. Highly recommend . read more

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Amazing seafood, great service, will definitely come back! We got buckets of Snow Crab legs and shrimp, along with a spicy pasta dish. All were excellent. read more

I went into this experience with trepidation based on previous reviews, but after going I'm convinced the other reviews were one offs or extremely biased. I have no idea why anyone would give this restaurant less than four stars. The food was amazing. we got a special seafood boil with all the seasonings and a medium heat. I have to say if you're not used to spicy, the medium heat is definitely enough. And all the spices are excellent. Depending on what you get it is pricey, but it is fresh seafood and it's excellent. Our waitress was amazing and attentive. planning to go back as soon as possible. read more

While passing through to NY, a friend and I stopped to get seafood. This place was okay on a Thursday night. The food is average. The service is average. It didn't feel homey. It felt like a bar and grill pub. A little robot kitty came and served our food...interesting but underwhelming! read more

The Boil Shack - Fried oysters!! Yay - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

This place coukd be great.. but its not. The food is nids at best.. the service was good though! But where they really lost me .. they automatically add 15 percent gratuity to your bill. This wasn't for a party.. jist two people! This actually shouldn't even be legal. So tacky and shame on ownership!!! Also I personally tip well above 15 percent.. but this practice... shameful read more

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Didn't think it was anything special, I had better lobster rolls at Panera bread and Market 32. Appetizer was served burnt. They did take it off the bill I should just stick to a high end restaurant. It's was like a Red lobster corporation feel. The Service was Great. I'm Sorry to say I won't be going back. read more

The Boil Shack - Burnt appetizer. - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

I visited this place on the 7th of December, and luckily I took a picture of my tab. I went with two of my friends, and they did have a few drinks, but I did not order any margaritas, as I was DD. I must've not check the tab fully when paying because I was so caught up with them, but upon looking at my receipt again, I realized I was charged an extra $30, of things I did not order. The server Ashley, added two drinks on my tab, ramen noodles on my tab ( which I did not order) and an extra boiled egg on my tab, which again I did not order. I ordered the 26$ 1/2 snow crab and 1/2 headless shrimp and added muscles on my boil which would be an additional $17, and then my $3 fountain drink. That would bring the total to $46 without gratuity. Definitely disappointed, and seems as if the server was trying to make extra off her night. My tab was the one in the middle, just to be certain. read more

The Boil Shack - Wrongly charged bill. - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

Place is wayyyyyy overpriced and over rated!! It is clean and thats the best thing i can say about it!! The boils are pathetic!! Mushy halfed potatoe and 2 slivers of yuk sausage!!! Forgot our corn and the crab had a strange taste to it....i didnt get any seasoning....so i can tell it wasnt very fresh! They do add a 15% gratuity to your bill!! So save your money and go elsewhere ://// read more

*** this review is for delivery *** - 2 lobster tail for $45 - they don't give that much corn and potato (one ear of corn, 2 potatoes) - lobster was good, fell off the shell - sausage was good - I liked the combination sauce - the garlic butter was really greasy, but I guess that's what happens when u order delivery - 2:45pm delivery time, arrived at 3:15pm read more

No complaints about anything. I loved this place and loved the food I had. It was a messy experience trying to break a lobster but was worth it in the end. I didn't even know Albany had a restaurant like this until recently when I just wanted to eat lobster. After finding this place out I immediately came here with few people and we tried different food. We had shrimp and lobster combo. The corn and potatoes come with it. For seasoning wise, we got explosion sauce with medium heat. It was perfect. It had all the seasoning mixed up together. They provide you an apron and utensils to break and cut the lobster, A bucket to put away the shells. The food was full of flavor. If you can, get some bread on the side and it's perfect. read more

The Boil Shack - Maine Lobster Roll, shrimp, Corn on the Cob, potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

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I always get the fried oyster, rice and head on shrimp with a mix of all the sauces, explosion! Shrimp is always so fresh and never overcooked. Service is pretty good. This is a regular fave. read more

I was surprised to see that there is now a seafood boil restaurant in Albany. I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. I was a bit skeptical since I've experienced some very good spots in SC and GA and I've never really been impressed with seafood spots in upstate NY. The menu is very similar to other boil restaurants I've been to with the exception being they have more appetizer and non-boil items available. The drunken clams stood out as the best of the appetizers we tried. I ordered a boil with king crab claw and shrimp. I substituted the potatoes with extra sausage. The boil was delicious and plentiful, so much so that I had to bring some home because I couldn't finish it all. Needless to say I will be going back again when I'm in town. read more

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We went to the Boil Shack with low expectations. We had heard very mixed reviews. We hoped that after six months of operation any glitches or weaknesses had been addressed. The bottom line? We left pleased with our food and experience and are planning to return. Sunday evening on a long holiday weekend turned out to be a good time for us to show up. There were a couple of parties on the bar side of the restaurant at some high-tops and only about four tables on the dining room side that were occupied. There also appeared to be a preparation for a large birthday celebration for maybe 20 or more based upon the tables and chairs that were being moved together at the front of the dining room. The celebrant was turning either 17 or 71 based upon the two balloons attached to a chair. Our server, Monica, was welcoming and seemed sincere in her greeting and willingness to explain the menu and pricing structure when we responded that this was our first visit. After reviewing a nice assortment of draft beers available, we both settled on a favorite - Ubu Ale ($7 in a mason jar with a handle). While the beer was a bit colder than we prefer, it was likely because those jars were kept frosted. We remedied that on our next round by asking for room temperature glasses and our server was glad to accommodate us. An item that caught my wife's eye among the Appetizers was Loaded Potato Curly Fries ($10) with a white BBQ Sauce. White BBQ sauce? How could that be? Loaded also meant it came with melted cheddar, candied bacon, tomato and green onion pico. The white bbq sauce was served on the side and my wife believed it was made with sour cream. If you Google it you will find it made with mayonnaise. It was very good, but I used it very sparingly as I enjoyed the fries equally without the sauce. While the candied bacon was more like sweetened diced pork belly, it added a nice texture variation to the dish. The serving size was sufficient for a party of four if you didn't want to ruin your appetite for an entrée. Asking our server the difference between Stone Crab Claws, Snow Crab, Blue Crab, and King Crab Legs, she explained that her preference was for the King Crab because there is a lot less cracking that you have to do due to the size of the crab legs. With that in mind, my wife opted for the King Crab Legs Boil with the lemon pepper sauce and a light spice level (market price on this date for 1 lb. was $45). I decided to order the Pan Seared Salmon fillet ($26) with an apple cider bourbon glaze. For my two included sides I chose maple whipped yams and collard greens. We both were brought plastic bibs that our server tied around our necks. A plastic bag lined metal bucket brought to the table also contained napkins, moist wipes, plastic gloves and a standard nut cracker. My wife was thoroughly surprised at how well those plastic gloves held up as she worked her way through cracking all those messy crab legs. And kudos to the staff member that our server sent to our table when my wife said the nut cracker was not large enough for some of the joints and the shells were too soft to crack. This staff member donned a pair of those gloves and showed my wife the technique of using a fork to split the shell. When the menu says the Boil comes with one boiled potato, one piece of corn and two Andouille sausage slices, they are not kidding. One small boiled potato is cut in half, a section of corn on the cob contains nine rows of kernels, and two thin slices of sausage will be found in the mix. My wife was not that excited with her choice of the lemon pepper sauce and decided the next time she'll request "dry" (no sauce). I was very pleased with my salmon dish. The fish was severed medium-rare as requested, the apple cider bourbon glaze was not too sweet, and the blend of flavors was excellent. The maple whipped yams were creamy with a good amount of maple flavor. The collard greens were not anything special, but I'm not an authority on collard greens. My wife has already turned her radar onto their lunch-time Poke menu. We'll be back for that and more Ubu ale. Great piped-in music too. read more

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OMG....thankfully they provided gloves for the boil, because we dove in and didn't want to come up for air. Delicious food, friendly service and a droid that brings your food! Yes...a droid like in Star Wars, but with a cute virtual cat face. I'm ready to go back for more, and I will be back for more! read more

The food is great!!! Seafood always fresh. The service is good. The attendants are welcoming and making sure that all is good with your order. The ambiance is welcoming and NOLA feel. Always like going there. read more

My college student loved his boil and feels this is a four-star place but there were some glitches which keep me from that rating at this point. First of all, they were out of crayfish at 1 pm on a Thursday. That's not okay for a place that advertises itself as Cajun. He ordered the stone crab as a replacement and was quite happy. Spice mix requested was Cajun and heat level Hot. I tasted and it was pleasantly hot, not excessive, making me think Juliet V's order was a mistake. Generous amount of crab and several pieces of andouille, potato and corn. I tried the oyster po' boy with cole slaw and we split a side of Voodoo Shrimp... that's popcorn shrimp with some spicy remoulade for dipping. All were fine. Be aware a boil takes a LONG time to eat so if you get something else you're going to be finished long before the boil-eater. (Is that a thing?) The glitches, other than the lack of their star attraction, were in the bill. We were charged for the crawfish boil as well as the crab boil and charged a dinner price (a couple dollars more) for the shrimp appetizer. I am one of those people who just drops in a credit card if the bill seems reasonable (this did not, obviously) so am a harsh judge of mistakes like this. Both were cheerfully corrected, though, and we are looking forward to returning to try the poke. read more

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Celebrated my birthday here tonight and I would say the ambiance of this establishment is by far amazing. Service was great and food was not bad my husband didn't like his too much because he had to peel his shrimp. I to be honest really enjoyed my food I ordered the crawfish boil. It came with lots of crawfish maybe four potatoes and corn. No sausage in mine as I do not eat meat. My boil was very flavorful but what would've brought it up a notch is some fresh lemon. We also ordered the appetizers voodoo shrimps OMG these were soooo good it's a tad spicy and the dipping sauce it sweet best combo. We also had the crab hush puppies these were also soooo good!! You taste the crab and the corn then with the added dipping sauce sooo good. Prices were decent for the portion size. read more

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I love the boil shack. I have been multiple times and each time the food is fresh and the service is amazing. I highly recommend the boil shack. read more

We had a delicious meal. The servers were very friendly! They were careful to seat us away from others! My favorite was the shrimp boil! read more

The Boil Shack - We both had the seafood boil! It was delicious. The wait time seemed long. However the staff were friendly and the food was delicious - Seafood Near Me - Albany, New York

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Great seafood and the cornbread was fantastic! Service was attentive and friendly. Would always recommend to my friends and anyone looking for a place to go in Albany! read more

We had an absolutely fantastic meal today! We cannot tell you how fantastic our server Kaylie was - not only was she super friendly and accommodating, but you could tell that she sincerely enjoyed what she did and she made our experience absolutely wonderful! Her managers, Billy and Wendy were not there, but we hope that they know what an absolute gem that they have in Kaylie. And the food was delicious too! read more

My friend and I are both travel nurses & enjoy eating great food. The Boil Shack was a nice surprise! We got 2 different entrees. Both were really good and plenty to take home. I just wish there would have been some bread to soak up the broth, but overall great experience! Bartender was nice and the restaurant was beautiful. FYI, the tip is automatically included on the bill. However, another copy doesn't reflect it & you could easily add another 15% or more without realizing it. read more