The food was absolutely amazing and everything was so much bigger compared to Florida's ! The service was amazing too couldn't be more happier Zandra , duglos was great too especially checking in and seeing how the food was! Duglos Gave my husband princess treatment lmaooo! That ambiance is definitely 100% the vibe and the workspace is very enjoyable along with the environment read more

The Boiling Crab - Snow crabs, boiled eggs, sausage, big potatoes - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

This Boiling Crab is top notch! We absolutely love coming here for a date night. The restaurant is usually pretty busy so joining the waitlist on Yelp is typically the best way to go! Every time we've come here (which I would say has been more than 10 times) the service is great! All the employees are always kind and friendly. To start we like to order a set of Cajun fries and recently the sha-bang shrimp has been our favorite! We order a lb of frozen craw fish, mild, sausage and corn, and the whole sha-bang flavor. Make sure to ask for butter to dip your crawfish in. I like to marinate mine. I'll squeeze lemons in my salt and pepper cup, dip my crawfish in the lemon mix, butter, and marinate it in my bag with the sauce. I've also tried the micheladas here and they are pretty good too! The restaurant is usually lively, whoever is on aux is always playing good music, and they have sports games on the TVs. Love love coming here! read more

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i was just there and our server named mariana salgado was super unprofessional and rude . we were waiting for 30+ minutes trying to get a refill for my drink and another 30 minutes for the tab. she didn't come check up on us not even ONCE. it's so disappointing because i've always had a great experience with all other employees and honestly BOILING CRAB you can do better than having this rude server ..!! such a bad experience, didn't enjoy my food and couldn't even get a picture . all due of an employee who couldn't do her job right . read more

We joined the waitlist via Yelp and arrived just as our table became available. Our party of 3 was promptly seated. We were given the option of physical menus or digital. We opted for the physical menus. Our waitress was Celeste! She was personable, knowledgeable, courteous and attentive! I ordered shrimp, potatoes, sausage and corn. My daughter ordered, crab, potatoes, sausage and corn. For my grandson we ordered chicken tenders and fries. We also ordered calamari as an appetizer. All the food was flavorful, delicious and the temperature was perfect. My grandson accidentally dropped a chicken tender because it was too hot for him. I mentioned to Celeste when she checked on us that he dropped one. She told Kayla whom I assume is a manager. Kayla came over and spoke to us and although it's not something they do regularly, she replaced the chicken tender that fell. The food was excellent and customer service here is awesome! Thx for the Novo nail recommendation too! I'm visiting from Long Beach but, will be back! read more

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Come and get seafood very good food at the San Marcos restaurant I am the 37 customer going to eat here for my 8th time I love you so much The Boiling crab read more

The Boiling Crab - Hi San Marcos 1hr if wait time - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Excellent shrimp and catfish service was quick and food was hot Had the crab also and it was excellent Easy parki read more

Good but the waiting list is a bit to long So if you guys planned your visit Servers are well trained and they can help you with any of your questions read more

The Boiling Crab Came here for seafood and left very satisfied. From the start, the staff were friendly, welcoming, and quick to take care of us. Even during a busy time, service was fast and attentive, and the servers were very enthusiastic and helpful. The seafood was fresh, flavorful, and juicy. The seasoning was bold without being overwhelming, and everything tasted well-prepared. Portions were generous and perfect for sharing, especially if you come with friends or family. The restaurant itself is large, clean, and spacious, so it didn't feel crowded. The atmosphere was lively but still comfortable, making it a fun place to enjoy a casual meal. Parking was another big plus, plenty of space and very easy to find, which is always a bonus. Overall, a solid spot for great seafood, excellent service, and a comfortable dining environment. Would definitely come back. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

I came here for my friend's birthday. I'm not a seafood person so I didn't get crab. So I can't speak on that. They had a very limited menu for someone who doesn't eat crab. The chicken fingers were pretty good all in all. The French fries were rather bland and not that great. The staff was helpful but kind of had an attitude to her too. I got the corn on the cob, which came in a bag with the seasoning of your choice. It was overcooked though. The place has a bunch of tables and booths but still expect a wait. They had sinks outside of the bathroom, which I thought was a good idea for those crab eating peoples. read more

The Boiling Crab - French fries - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Not worth the long wait tbh, but it is the only seafood boil place in the area. I've had better in other places, and better prices. I got two pounds of live crawfish and it took a bit for them to come out. But the crawfish were big and meaty and definitely juicy. I got the whole sha bang as the flavor and it was indeed the whole sha bang, filled with all the flavors. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Food and service never disappoint! It's always busy but you can place yourself on the waitlist which makes it so easy to time it perfectly so you can get there with minimal wait. If you want to walk right in you can go right when they open read more

Service not bad ; even if there is always a long wait! A little pricey but everything else is expensive now read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp;corn on th cob; some sausage - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

First time trying and was not disappointed. Service and ambiance were very nice. Was surprised how busy it was for a Monday night. Everything came out quickly! read more

The Boiling Crab - Birthday feast! - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Honest review, it's OK, it could be better. Server was OK but he went on break right after we ordered and we never saw him again. Nice kid. The lobster was $80. 2 bucks extra for corn. The shrimp I asked for melted butter too and that was $.75 extra, although it came with the lobster. OK. The shrimp was 18-20 bucks, two bucks extra for corn and I don't remember how much it was for sausage. sausage was the best thing out of the whole meal. It's boiled lobster, it was very chewy. The shrimp was very chewy too almost mushy tough. It just wasn't what I expected it to be. Not great, not horrible either. Would we go again as a couple? No. Would we take family there if they wanted to go there and experience it once, sure. It was just disappointing. It wasn't as wonderful as I thought it would be. I think when you order an $80 lobster it should at least come with corn or potatoes. If somebody's ordering a little bit of butter with $140 meal, just give them the butter. The beer was nine dollars. The onion rings were nine dollars. It was just too much for what it was. The place is decorated nice, seemed clean. Pretty loud though. Music is up way too loud. read more

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THE BOILING CRAB, SAN MARCOS. What a fun experience! A mom friend from church invited me out and this was my first time here. We walked in just before 6pm and waited less than 5 minutes before being seated in a cozy booth. The menu can be accessed via QR code or they have a physical menu if requested. We both ordered the basket of fried catfish with lemon pepper fries. It was served with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, extra lemon pepper salt, and ketchup. They will also bring Tabasco sauce and/or packets of Louisiana hot sauce if requested. The batter is the perfect texture and not overly thick at all. I loved the flavors and the way it comes is perfect, no need for the extra lemon pepper salt for me. A napkin dispenser is provided at the table and moist wipes packets near the end of the meal. We had a fairly mess free meal but other patrons had quite different experiences wearing bibs and gloves eating out of plastic bags. I think I'll bring my kids here to enjoy a messy meal one of these days. The place got packed quickly and everyone seemed to be having a great time. Highly recommend checking it out! read more

The Boiling Crab - Fried Catfish Basket with Lemon Pepper Fries - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Wait was very long (per usual) at any of their locations. Staff was amazing and friendly. The food always hits the spot! read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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The wait time was 2 hrs long Friday night. Luckily there is a yelp waitlist online where we can add our names before heading over to the restaurant. No blue crab or live crawfish offered that evening. They ran out of Dungeness crab; however, our waiter came back when it became available again, but we had already decided on snow crab, which I regretted later. Both the crab and shrimp tasted less than fresh. I ordered the medium Whole Sha-Bang and the spice was so overpowering that it masked the freshness of the seafood. What made our dining experience memorable was our waiter. He was very attentive and even tied our bibs for us. The y2k music was on par and kept the vibes going. read more

The Boiling Crab was such a great experience. The excellent customer service started before we even got to the restaurant. We had a couple questions so we called in, and Doug answered the phone. He was super friendly, helpful, and told us to request to be seated in his section. When we got there it did not disappoint. There was a wait, but Doug let us know ahead of time to expect that. Once the food hit the table eating everything was delicious, and we had lovely conversations with both Doug and Ashley. It was so much fun. We'll definitely be back :-) read more

Been here a few times and overall customer service has always been great even though it can get busy on a random weekday. Joining the waitlist on Yelp is a must! Wish it would open earlier than 3pm. I always get 1lb whole shabang medium shrimp with corn and potatoes - so bomb and flavorful. I can usually finish it if I'm pretty hungry. FYI The spice level varies on the batch (sometimes a bit too mild for my taste) but tonight the medium spice was perfect! They don't provide gloves unless you ask - your hands will thank you later lol I always order medium spice cajun fries on the side - the fries are top tier here. A michelada also pairs well with this type of food. Decent prices too Chill & casual ambiance with r&b/hiphop early 2000s music playing on the speakers read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

The food was amazing. The service was great. We love everything about this restaurant. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Obviously a bit pricey but it is seafood. It is delicious and dumping the seafood onto the table is always fun. The staff are nice as well. The crawfish, shrimp, and crab are good options. read more

We visited The Boiling Crab in San Marcos for the first time and had a great experience! We went on a Saturday and arrived about 20 min before opening. There were a couple of groups ahead of us, and luckily there were a few benches outside. Plenty of parking and the restaurant was massive compared to the Mira Mesa location. The staff were welcoming from the moment we walked in. Shoutout to Paolo who was friendly and attentive! Hubby and I ordered the cajun fries, which had great flavor--though I do wish they were tossed a bit more evenly in the seasoning. We also ordered The Whole Shabang (medium spice) with 2 lbs of snow crab legs and crawfish, plus corn, boiled eggs, potatoes, sausage, and a side of rice. Everything was cooked perfectly--the corn was soft and sweet, the sausage had tons of flavor, potatoes were meh, and the spice level was perfect for us. We left uncomfortably full and felt like it was a great value for the price. Only downside is that they charge extra for additional sauces-- which is a bit annoying. But overall, we had a great experience and would definitely come back! read more

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I was just there and their server MARIANA SALGADO was unprofessional! She acted so friendly when we first got there and proceeded to go to the back to let the manager know we had a kids drink cup for my daughter at the table. The manager went and lectured with stupid excuses. After that she never showed up to check on our table at all. She was also laughing in my face before she went to the manager. FORGOT TO MENTION that she lied to the manager saying she had spoke to us abt having the canes kids cup on the table when she did not say anything at all. She made it seem like we were non compliant. read more

The Boiling Crab - Servers name - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

The Hostess was very polite. First time at this location. Our server was awesome. The food was very delicious. read more

The Boiling Crab - 1 pound of shrimp with corn and potatoes mild The whole Shabang! - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Came around opening time and had to wait about 30-40 minutes. Lines build up fast here so make sure to get here early! Or at least sign up on the Yelp Waitlist if you are nearby. For the table, got shrimp, crawfish, lobster, corn and crabber fries: - For the fries, we chose cajun. It was decent but I think the flavor profiles didn't quite line up. I think I'd try a different flavor next time. - Skip the lobster. It ended up being way overcooked and chewy which was a bummer because it was the most expensive item. - Shrimp was the best. Highly recommend. Perfectly cooked. - Crawfish was fresh and tasted great but the size of crawfish was tiny. - Corn. Must get. Sweet and crunchy. - I get everything with whole shebang XXX spice level. Honestly it's not that much more spicy than medium. Wish there was another level higher. As for service. Fast and friendly. What more can you ask for. :) read more

The Boiling Crab - Crabber Fries (Half Order) - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Was told that because our party was small (four people) there would be an hour and 45 minute wait. It went even 75% full?! Nope. That was the first time and last time I will enter their doors. Apparently my family is not good enough. read more

I absolutely love this place. The food is amazing, atmosphere is welcoming and all around a great experience. The service is fast and I've never gotten the wrong thing. read more

Love coming to this restaurant for their seafood boil. My go to - Mussels and shrimp with Rajun Cajun Sauce (not spicy). Wash it down with their margarita. read more

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Food was good. And our server and the rest of the team were great especially coming in with a big party. Went on Monday night and didn't except it to be so busy because called and said there was no wait plus we had a big party so we put our name in the waitlist. Upon arriving, many parties had arrived and left so it looked like they kept seating every party as they go in the waitlist or not. Expecting to be seated right away once our whole party is all present because we already waited more than 30 minutes as is but they kept saying they are waiting for this one table to leave so they can accommodate to our big party. Understandable but the fact they had to wait for that specific area to be cleared, like we have been waiting for a while and they kept seating small parties. read more

Delicious food & amazing service!! We love that we dont have to drive into SD now having it in San Marcos is so convenient

It was my first time at Boiling Crab and it won't be my last. They have a convenient wait list that you can access through Yelp so you can avoid waiting too long at the location, which I advise since this is a very busy location. We joined the waitlist and waited an hour for the text letting us know that our table was ready. They allow 5 minutes of the text being sent before you lose your spot. We were across the street, and because of the traffic lights, we missed the deadline by a minute. The host was super understanding and gave us the next table available. The servers were very friendly and gave us bibs for our meal and recommendations on what to order. They were also very attentive, refiling our drinks without us having to ask, even though the restaurant was very full and busy. The ambiance of this restaurant was very busy and loud and the excitement of having a tasty meal was palpable in the air. We ordered a meal consisting of a Dungeness Crab, a pound of shrimp, clams, potatoes, eggs, and corn, and we had it seasoned the Whole Sha-Bang way (rajun cajun, lemon pepper, & garlic butter), and at a medium spicy level. To say I was in seafood heaven is an understatement! The whole meal was pricey (that crab alone was $90!!!) but everything was delicious! Overall, it was a great experience and I will be returning soon! :) read more

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I wish it was less expensive but they break down everything so you know what to expect, and we loved going here. It's not just a place we can go often. The place is special to me because it is something we did with family that I miss. The food is good, the relaxed nature of it, and the people are all nice. I like the music and it is always a good time. read more

Good as always. The Micheldas hit on a hot summers day!! The vibes were good, the food was amazing, service was okay but only because they were busy. read more

Food is always delicious and service is always quick and attentive. Have to try the lemon pepper wings 10/10

Waited an hr and 10 mins till they texted me and i didn't see it till 16 mins later then texted back asking if i can get a 3 minute extension from the 20 they usually give us. I was only a few mins late and was told to wait another 50 mins for a table. Why mention texting back if my text was ignored. Staff had no empathy and by the negative reviews on here no one seems to care much Update: waited another 1 hr and 20 mins then towards the end of eating my partner and i went to wash our hands, mind you we haven't paid yet so i don't understand why we came back to our table w our leftover food trashed. Waited 2hrs & 30 mins in total to get a table then to be comped $13 off the $50 bill bc they threw our food away. Should have been half the bill but i didn't want to throw a fit while staff showed no genuine remorse for not double checking whether the table was paid off or not. Will def not be coming back read more

Good food and server Sonny was amazing and very attentive! Ordered 1lb shrimp whole shabang mild and extra sauce medium! Basket of tenders and fries lemon pepper ! read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

Always great flavor! Service is always great as well! Definitely recommend the whole shabang medium yummy! read more

First time at The Boiled Crab, not my first Cajun experience as a lived in Nola. The wait time for this place is huge, but using Yelp you can get on the list and arrive when you are almost ready to eat. The menu changes based on availability, so call ahead if you are concerned. The boils are brought out in bags, they provide bibs, gloves and napkins. We ordered the king crab boil, with three potatoes, two corn, and one sausage. We also added the fried shrimp basket and a bowl of gumbo (I just had to try it). The seasoning is great, mild has a kick, medium is like a 7 or 8 out of 10. The king crab was great. They give you a plastic cutting tool, but it works well. The corn, potatoes, and sausage were good, but not necessary after we had the fried shrimp basket that came with French fries. We had the lemon pepper fries and they were great. The gumbo was a bit on the dirty rice side, my critique is kinda unfair due to my exposure to places in New Orleans (check my review). Overall, the amount of food , the quality of the sauces in the boil and the ambience is outstanding. We'll be back again. read more

The Boiling Crab - Gumbo, small portion of rice in the center. - Seafood Near Me - San Marcos, California

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WOW BEST BOIL IN TOWN, I drive over 2hrs to come here. Quick and friendly service and great atmosphere. Staff is always on top of it and it's always worth the drive. read more

The Boiling Crab continues to please, but I do have a not-so-nice thing about them. We have gone to this location several times in the last several months. Although they say they service Dungeness Crab, I think they have had it one time since they've opened that I've experienced. Everything else is good, but I suggest you go somewhere else if Dungeness is on your list. read more