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    The Boiling Crab

    3.8 (4.3k reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order The Boiling Crab Takeout or Delivery

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    THE BOILING CRAB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Boiling Crab

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    Amanda D.

    Always a good time here! The sauce hits every time--garlicky, buttery, and spicy Seafood tasted fresh and came out quick. Staff was super friendly too. Be ready to get messy but that's part of the experience and WEAR YOUR BIB

    Veerawan T.

    They don't take reservations or have an online waitlist. Expect a 45 min to an hour wait, especially on weekends. Fortunately, we were seated sooner than the quoted time. The restaurant is in a great plaza where you can easily walk to Target or grab matcha while you wait (which is exactly what we did!). Their menu is a bit different from other seafood boil spots. There are no combo options, so you order everything by the pound. Service was quick and friendly. With a group of three, we ordered 2 lbs of shrimp, 1 lb of mussels, and 1 lb of clams with the whole shabang sauce at medium spice. The heat builds as you go, but the flavor was delicious -great kick and super saucy. The fried calamari was nicely cooked and tasty as well. My only wish is that they offered garlic noodles on the menu.

    fried scallop $19
    Jeff H.

    The best seafood boil meal in the bay area is at Boiling Crab. Our favorites are shrimps, whole sha-bang sauce, medium spicy. My preference is 1/2 a pound $9. This time we tried the blue crab which is $25 for 2 crabs. The other stuff were fine. Fried scallops $19, fried calamari rings $12 and fried shrimps $16. That Cajun, garlic butter and lemon pepper on the seafood is what makes it perfect. Service was excellent. Boiling Crab is always a fun place to be because of the lively atmosphere and young staff. Good job guys.

    Fried Calamari  always so fresh w/ their side of cocktail sauce
    Adrina DC T.

    Service is always good & attentive , food is always fresh and you never have to wait long for the food to come to you. Good spot for a date night be prepared to wait 45mins -1hr for seating. Definitely worth the wait

    Momo L.

    I used to love coming to Boiling Crab, but the past two years I've noticed that the quality of their seafood has gone downhill. The last two visits, the shrimp and clams didn't taste very fresh. I'm also not sure why they changed their hot link sausage to a different kind that doesn't taste good. I probably won't be coming back anytime .

    Anthony G.

    On a chill Wednesday, my partner and I decided to get some seafood boil following a blood donation as it is a great way to restore iron. We decided to get some shrimp with added sausage in the medium whole shabang sauce. We also got the fried soft shell crab basket w/ lemon pepper fries. The food was delicious and was of pretty solid value. The only thing that was a little surprising to me was the amount of fries in the basket. I was expecting at least 1.5 to 2 times the amount of fries. It was definitely delicious, but with fries being a relatively cheap accompaniment, I would've thought there would be more. Regardless, food and service were fantastic and it was a great time there.

    Rainier F.

    The OG location of Cajun seafood boils! We use to go here back in the day when there was not that many seafood boil spots around. I remember the wait back then was really bad like 1-2 hours wait. Nowadays the wait is not that bad depending on the time of the day. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon after church. Parking was accessible but can still be crowded. Fortunately we got seated immediately upon arrival. We ordered our usual 2lbs of shrimp, rice, calamari, and Cajun fries. Perfect amount for our family of four. Unfortunately they do not have any garlic noodles which we usually get at other similar Cajun seafood boil spots. Not good but oh well. Everything was delicious. The shrimp with the whole sha-bang sauce was scrumptious with the right kick. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Overall we enjoyed our experience being back at The Boiling Crab. Not sure if we'll be back anytime soon since there are other Cajun seafood spots closer to us and that serve garlic noodles. Nonetheless it was nostalgic to revisit the OG location.

    Dani G.

    This is a super nice restaurant, it has very good customer service and the staff are friendly. I specifically highly Dylan for making our experience even better than it was. The fried options were delicious and the seafood boils were amazing. Would definitely recommend coming here and definitely ask for Dylan if you want an unforgettable experience and some "eye candy" he's a hottie.

    Shrimp and Mussels with sausage, potatoes, and corn
    Anthony S.

    The best Boiling Crab location I've been to! The shrimp was super fresh and sweet, and the corn tasted fresh too. I loved the double fry on the fries.

    Fried Calamari
    Megan J.

    TBC on a Sunday for 4 around 1:30P was about a 20min wait. They utilize Yelp Waitlist which I really like because you get a text when it's your turn for a table. I like this feature because it allows you to wait outside/in your car as the waiting area inside the restaurant is quite small. Service was pretty consistent and our waiter checked up on us a couple of times. S&P, bibs and lemons were given however gloves and forks were upon request during my visit. Calamari-- 2/5. Maybe 15 pieces? Comes with no sauce... then saw on the menu 75c per sauce... usually calamari comes with sauce or at least that's what I'm accustomed to. Next time I know. Some overcooked pieces but seasoning was probably the only highlight. Cajun fries (medium spice)-- 1/5. Fries seasoned very poorly and unevenly.. all it takes is a little shake and toss. Seafood Boil (whole shabang sauce, medium spice)-- 4/5 for flavor, 3/5 for quality. Got some shrimp heads without shrimps, a lot of clam shells without clams but the garlic pieces at the bottom of the bag were definitely a plus and added lots of flavor. $100 for 3lb shrimp, 1lb clams, cajun fries and calamari after tip. It was a while since I've eaten here and I had very high hopes returning but think it's my last time as my experience was very underwhelming.

    Crawfish
    Whitney M.

    Came here for my sons birthday. The staff were very friendly, they checked in and made sure we didn't need anything. The food was delicious!

    Waited over half a hour and got no text food was ready.  Turns out it was ready 20 minutes ago....

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    21 days ago

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    18 days ago

    Me gusta mucho el sabor del camarón junto con toda la combinación de raciones q la componen

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    2 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    1 month ago

    I got take out. Not as saucy as the one at The Plant, but still tasty. Takeout was quick. I enjoyed it.

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    1 year ago

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    14 days ago

    They wait is very badly it's insane to wait 74 to 105 min for a table for 3 people. They need to be better organized

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    2 months ago

    Food and service are great! Love this place and will be back. Place was great for our 2 6 month olds.

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    6 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Great food. Great service. This is one of my favorite places to eat with my family. Whole shabang

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    Page 1 of 109

    The Boiling Crab Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Boiling Crab

    Is there an option to order the seafood to be boiled with plain water only? I don't want any oil/butter/sauce... Thanks!

    Shellfish is boiled in seasoned water - any item can be ordered without sauce!

    Do they devein/ clean their shrimp?

    The shrimp in our seafood boils are served whole and are "peel and eat." If you prefer headless/peeled shrimp, you might enjoy our golden-fried shrimp basket!

    Can I just buy the sauce like garlic medium?

    Sauce is not sold on its own, but an extra side of sauce may be purchased with an entree.

    What are your hours for New Years Eve?

    Dec. 31 hours are 12pm-8pm, resuming regular hours Jan. 1.

    Does this location require or accept reservations?

    TBC does not take reservations, seating is first available. Please note the entire party must be present to be seated.

    Does anyone know what kind of lemonade they use?

    Regular brewed lipton and also with raspberry those are the 2 main onez

    What is the current closing time for weekdays and weekends? Yelp says 10:00 pm and Google map says 9:00 pm. Which is the correct hours?

    Hours are Mon-Fri 3pm-10pm, and Sat-Sun 12pm-10pm.

    Do I need to call for reservations?

    Thanks for asking! TBC does not take reservations, seating is first available.

    Is vacation card required to dine in i went on the 1st and they didnt ask for it but im seeing here on another persons question that now they are is it true?

    This location is not currently requiring proof of vaccination for dine-in, though that may change in the future depending on local mandates.

    Is this location still closed or is it open again?

    Always been open

    Are they allowing dine-in right now?

    Yes, but Vac card is required

    Does anyone know if they are open today 1/1/22?

    Yes...Their open today.!

    Is your phone not working ? i've been trying to call to place an order and no answer

    They are extremely busy there but will pick up when they have a chance from what I've noticed

    What are the hours during Christmas week? Do we need any reservations for 4 people? Thank you!

    TBC does not take reservations. You can check your local TBC's Yelp page for holiday hours and closures. This location will be closed 12/23-12/25.

    Could you make table reservations?

    We’re sorry but we do not take reservations, seating is first come.

    Do you cater for big parties 100-150?

    While we do not offer catering services, we can accommodate large to-go orders for pickup. For more information, please call your local TBC and speak with a manager.

    Are they open for indoor dining yet?

    Yes

    Is this place open to dine in now?

    yes! long wait but worth it!

    Where can I find current menu? Website shows nothing after clicking menu button?

    It works for me at the website https://theboilingcrab.com/ If you are using phone to view after you click menu you might need to tab the cross at top right to close out the… Read more

    What's wrong with the phone order? Can not be connected

    My experience was, you will first get engaged, then I closed and call again it get connected. The next order that I placed recently it got engaged quite a number of time, then end up it get connected again. They open at 3pm, I think might be better… Read more

    View All 42 Questions

    Cajun Bistro 7 - Garlic Noodles

    Cajun Bistro 7

    4.0(619 reviews)
    0.2 miEast San Jose
    $$

    The food here is a 10/5. Seriously, I've been eating crawfish regularly in San Jose for over 20…read moreyears and have never had a sauce like the Sweet California. It's so unique and addicting with a perfect sweetness to it that isn't overwhelming with a slight creaminess and not as savory as most other seafood boils. The crawfish they use is amazing as well, it must be a different kind from most others because the meat is more tender and sweet. I have no problem sucking the claw meat out where as other restaurants I have to dig inside the claw to pull out the meat. Soooo good and I visit as often as I can. Friendly service. They offer other food options as well like Bun Bo Hue, Bun Rieu, etc, but the seafood boil is so good that's all I ever get here. It's also open till 4am!!! Club and seafood boil after?

    cajun bistro is such a bay area classic, and for good reason! i've tried quite a few of their…read moredishes: the garlic noodles, sweet potato fries, fish sauce wings, lemon pepper wings, and of course the seafood boil. of course their seafood boil is the star of the show and the reason i (and assumedly everyone else) keep coming back. i get the 30 lb combo with the spicy sweet california and it's so delicious. it has a kick but there's also a sweetness to it. the seafood is always boiled perfectly and the food comes out pretty fast each time. as for their other dishes, they're pleasant but nothing groundbreaking. their wings are really crispy and light in flavor, and the garlic noodles are on the more creamy side. their service is normally just fine but when i went yesterday, the girl working was so sweet and attentive. highly recommend if you're from the south bay and haven't tried cajun bistro yet, or if you're visiting san jose and looking for places to eat!

    Photos
    Cajun Bistro 7 - Clean & nice decorations 3/31/26

    Clean & nice decorations 3/31/26

    Cajun Bistro 7 - Garlic Noodles

    Garlic Noodles

    Cajun Bistro 7 - Nice decoration 3/31/26

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    Nice decoration 3/31/26

    Bot Chien - Bột Chiên Khoai Môn: Taro Fried Flour Cakes ($14)

    Bot Chien

    4.2(18 reviews)
    1.2 miEast San Jose

    The food was very good we have had this at a few other places in San Jose but this is the most…read morecrispy one we had. The vegetables and the sauce pair really well with it. We tried the original and taro and thought both were very good! If you are looking for like an egg with crispy yumminess i highly recommend. It's located in the little food hall and is very cute with other restraints here! Will definitely come back!

    Can you easily make Bột Chiên at home?…read more Yes with store bought flour cakes. Does it come out bomb? Not if I'm making it! I found Bột Chiên on Yelp trending as a hot and new business. With French and Chinese influences, Bột Chiên is a Viet street food consisting of crispy flour cakes mixed with eggs and served with crack sauce (soy based). Sadly, it doesn't exist in the city (to my knowledge) and the closest thing is at Red Bowl in Daly City. It's alright but not nearly as good as the ones in E Man Jose. Bột Chiên is located inside the Lion Plaza food court towards the back, near the restrooms. M E N U Specialty - Bột Chiên (flour cakes): Regular, taro, and mozzarella. They also have a handful of fried seafood dishes, bò kho (beef stew), bò tái chanh (beef carpaccio), and papaya salad. Free hot tea. Prices include tax. Cash, Zelle, Venmo, and Cash app are accepted. F O O D * Bò Tái Chanh: Viet Beef Carpaccio ($12): https://tinyurl.com/4xwhjd69 Standard - thin, lean cuts of beef topped with crushed peanuts, red onions, and herbs. Comes undressed with lime and side of punchy nước chấm. * Bột Chiên Khoai Môn: Taro Fried Flour Cakes ($14): https://tinyurl.com/mry9yfxx Great contrasting textures - crunchy-chewy taro flour cakes against the soft eggs and fresh crispness of the shredded green papaya. It was delicious with the savory, sweet, and tangy crack sauce and đồ chua (pickled carrot + daikon). To nitpick, I wish the flour cakes were hot (seemed like it was cooked ahead). Like another reviewer, I found it odd that it's topped with croutons instead of fried pork fat, cost saving measure? S E R V I C E Fast and friendly. Order was ready in about 5 minutes. A M B I A N C E OG food court. You come for the food not the vibes. Restroom requires a code. Overall, tasty bột chiên that's def worth a try when in Lion Plaza!

    Photos
    Bot Chien
    Bot Chien - Bot Chien Khoai Mon

    Bot Chien Khoai Mon

    Bot Chien - Cha Ca Chien

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    Cha Ca Chien

    Revopot - Entrance

    Revopot

    4.3(334 reviews)
    0.5 miEast San Jose
    All you can eat
    Full bar

    Not trying to sound weird, but I hate and love the fact I came here 2 weeks in a row…read more It's just convenient for me. Additionally, received the best service this time around. Almost feels like I'm home away from home when I want comfort food. If anyone does plan to come here, I'd say consider giving it a try for sure. Please be sure to ask for Nhi, Andy or Luat. They are currently the best of the best here.

    **3.5 rounding up to 4 stars**…read more I wished they had more tables to accommodate bigger parties but it was interesting sitting bar style in front of the conveyor belt! My only complaint was that it was hard to conversate depending how you're seated. Service was great! Meats came out quickly but I didn't like the limitation where you're only able to order more meat if you only had 1 left but I understand. It was hard to figure out where to put the empty plates and bowls after we were done with it without appearing too messy or inconsiderate of the people around us but us sitting at the end helped. Very simple cuts of meat and options but not bad to just get your pot hot fix in but definitely limiting for meats and sauces. Surprisingly, they had a lot of appetizers I enjoyed like the chicken wings, gyoza, and of course, french fries! But if you're not mindful then you may get full of that vs what you're here for, which is the meat and conveyor belt items lol. The concept and seating is definitely interesting and I felt like I was in Japan. I just wish there were more options.

    Photos
    Revopot
    Revopot
    Revopot

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    Oc Lau Nuong Restaurant

    Oc Lau Nuong Restaurant

    3.9(175 reviews)
    1.4 miEast San Jose
    $$

    It's really been two years since I've last been here and I literally just moved across the way last…read moreyear. I can't believe it's taken me this long to come back. Regardless of the matter and situation, I'm happy to see that they're doing well. I came in super late last night being it the second to last Friday for Lent and was craving seafood. I remembered this spot had a dish of steamed clams in a basil and ginger broth that reminded me of my dad's Filipino version. I came back because I craved it and since I wasn't feeling 100%. This brought me back to life. It was so good and fragrant, which definitely brought me back to my childhood. I decided to also get a few more dishes since I'm acclimating to the Vietnamese culture. The food here is super good and the owner or staff here in general are very nice. I'm going to try to come back often since the price point is worth it in my opinion.

    Rating is based on the Oc and goi ONLY…read more Usually, we'd order four dishes and one gỏi, and that would be enough to keep two people full for the entire day... whether it was from places like Ốc Cây Dừa, Ốc & Lẩu, or even Phở This Way. But using that same approach here, we were still very hungry afterward. Not only are the portions extremely small, but the flavors are inconsistent. The xào me was overly salty, while the rang muối ớt was surprisingly bland. On top of that, the presentation was top notched....... the portions are much smaller than what's shown in the photos, vegetables were stale, and there wasn't even any garlic included, despite it being clearly shown on the menu. The gỏi was okay. Will not return.

    Photos
    Oc Lau Nuong Restaurant
    Oc Lau Nuong Restaurant - Stir fried spicy sate sauce Razor clams (unpleasant because of broken shells and rocks)

    Stir fried spicy sate sauce Razor clams (unpleasant because of broken shells and rocks)

    Oc Lau Nuong Restaurant - Sò Nướng Bơ Tỏi: Grilled Scallops w/ garlic butter, fried garlic, peanuts, fish roe | $17.99

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    Sò Nướng Bơ Tỏi: Grilled Scallops w/ garlic butter, fried garlic, peanuts, fish roe | $17.99

    The Boiling Crab - cajun - Updated May 2026

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