Food was okay, nothing terribly out of this world. We got the Whole Shebang Mild and it was perfect with enough kick. We ordered king crab legs (super rubbery, don't recommend), shrimp, crawfish, mussels, corn+potatoes. They were out of a lot of options but we went very late in the evening. I'd say for the price of the seafood and service it is more on the expensive side. The service however is amazing! From the hostess to the waitress to everyone, super efficient and friendly professional staff! Our waitress was the best and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure our experience was phenomenal. They have sinks open and available for you to wash your hands before diving in. Sadly if the food was fresher and more substantial I would say worth it, but I just really wanted to see what the hype was about. read more

Been coming for over a year and this place never fails me! Our Server Latoya was amazing!

They have great workers! Felt really comfortable quick and easy to get around. Found parking quick too

Great batter and seasoning. Excellent pricing! The white rice is my son's favorite. I can come once a week for this food.

Jordan was the bomb.com she went above and beyond, love the food and service, she tied my cousins bib it was very kind

food tastes amazing!!! i love the boiling crab! had some of the best seafood boil tonight! super nice staff! read more

The Boiling Crab - menu - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

First time having boiling crab here. The food was amazing! We got the shrimp, crab, oyster and crab fries. The food was delicious! The staffs were friendly and helpful as well. The service was excellent. Upon arrival, we were seated immediately, no wait at all. I'll definitely visit again! read more

Let me start by saying this review is a long time coming! After desperate searches for a seafood boil (bag style, like the youtube mukkbang community) that won't break the bank, boiling crab on H St is finally filling the void! I've been longingly staring at that "coming soon" sign that has just been taunting me every time I take a neighborhood stroll and I'm happy to say - this is not a drill, the Boiling Crab is open and well worth the wait. Now for the review: The Vibe - 5 stars here for me. The service was great, and you can tell that the staff are just as excited as you are that the place is up + running! Every one was so nice, constantly making sure we had what we needed. It's a pretty casual place, that even had some screens for watching the game (or in my case, sacrifice your preferred seat so your bf can have a great view of it). Lastly, the rooftop has a great view of H st, and I recommend a table up top! The goods - Yupppp 5/5 here too! We started out with lemon pepper seasoned fries which added a refreshing touch to the rest of the meal. I also snagged a margarita which was balanced great. I ordered 1 LB of crawfish, with the whole shabang sauce (a pleasant combination of the offered sauces), with medium spice. The medium is a great spice level if you like heat as it gives you that without being overbearing - I probably could've gone up one more notch. I also tried the shrimp and crab with mild spice that only has a little kick at the end. Overall, my fav was the crawfish! If you're a fan of seafood boils, you have to hit this place up! read more

The Boiling Crab - 1 LB crawfish and corn - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Our server Jordyn was amazing! Made our visit non forgettable. We visit the Sacramento locations and this was by far a better experience!

The seafood was over cooked and the medium flavor tasted more like spicy then again the spice level was a 7/8. The experience Was different compared to that of crafty crab or hook and reel. Overall the customer service e was great. I will try it again because perhaps the cook had a bad day as it was a bit close to closing. But I will be doing mild..medium had me mouth wide open. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The service was top-notch. Our waiter, was very attentive and made excellent recommendations

Coming from San Diego CA, I have always been a fan of The Boiling Crab... and this new location in Washington DC does not disappoint! I have been wishing,hoping, and waiting for one to open up on the east coast, and I could not contain my excitement when this location was finally announced. The social media team did a tremendous job in promoting the new location. I even got an invite to their Friends and Family event (though I couldn't make it). We decided to celebrated my wife's birthday here on a Thursday afternoon and I was glad the place wasn't as busy as it normally would be for any Boiling Crab location. The staff was very courteous and hospitable. The food, of course, was amazing. The Whole Sha-Bang will always be my preferred order with a pound of shrimp, but I decided to go with the lobster this time around... and I have no regrets. I'll definitely be back for more! read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've always been a big fan of the Boiling Crab wherever I can find the restaurant (except the one bad experience in downtown Sacramento, where they served frozen crawfish). This one in DC didn't disappoint. The take out food was fresh and flavorful (possibly even better dining in). read more

I've been here a few times for take out, Not one complaint. Food is fresh and service was very good. read more

My friends and I have come here once before and service and food was great, however the second time we came tonight was awful. Monday at 5pm, there was a party of 100 that came in the same time as us 5 and ALL of their food was prepared first. We waited almost 2 hours for food and got one 'sorry'. Food was coming out completely wrong and only half our order at a time. So so disorganised. Nothing was taken off bill for the major inconvenience, in fact they tried to charge us extra for heads-off shrimp when it wasn't specified on menu at all, and our waitress kept forgetting things and was not apologetic at all. Such bad service. We understand that it was a large party backing up the kitchen but things should've been way better organised, and every single one of their orders shouldn't have been prioritised over ours. A two hour wait, wrong food and lack of compensation / apology means we'll unfortunately never be coming back here. read more

I looove that they opened a location in dc! I'm from Southern California and grew up on boiling crab as my go to for seafood boil. They definitely have the flavors down and the spice levels down at this location too. For the crawfish I've seen people say the amount is small but I think it's bc the size of the crawfish is large! I order delivery and it's usually always the same quality. I dined in once and the service was good! Definitely recommend read more

This place is so good. Best fried oysters I've tasted. We also got fries, lemon pepper wings, and gumbo. Super!!! Will be back. Our server Toya told us all about the menu options and I can't wait to come back and try the crabby fries. Try this place, you won't be disappointed. read more

See all

I will not be going back. I love my food. However I wasn't expecting the whole uncleaned shrimp. I had to pull off the head and Devin the cooked shrimp rewashed it before I could eat it. It was good but by the time I finished it I didn't want it so I ate it the next day. read more

I was greeted immediately upon entering, the host explained everything I needed to know. Toya came over with great recommendations, and she gave me the best service I had on my trip to DC! A cluster of crab, lb of shrimp, rice, potatoes, corn, sausage and fried calamari without breaking $100?! I'd come back any day! Great environment, fast service and great food without breaking the bank, what more could I ask for! read more

The Boiling Crab holds a special memory for me coming from California. I'm used to long lines and wait times when I was in the West coast. I was ecstatic to find a Boiling Crab in DC with no wait yet the taste and flavors were the same! The restaurant is huge and had 2 levels. If you sit upstairs during winter, it is cooler in temperature. We kept our coats on. The service was polite and attentive. They kept the refills coming and the food orders came out quickly. We ordered half a pound of shrimp with sausage with mild shebang seasoning. We also got mild Cajun fries and fried oysters. The spice levels are advanced so I would caution on trying the mild first if it is your first visit. The whole shebang had chunks of garlic and the boil spice is robust in flavor that I kept dipping anything on the sauce- both the fries and oysters. You can ask for bibs and gloves if you'd like. Highly recommend trying Boiling Crab! read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp whole shebang with sausage link - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

First I want to start off by saying there was no one inside when I went in to pick up my to go order but the place was clean and the staff were very friendly! The person that took my to go order was patient and kind as I had several questions since this was my first time eating here. I'm for MS and we have the boil in the bag places all around town but I wanted to make sure I got what I was wanting. Now to the food! I ordered a half a pound of shrimp and one snow crab cluster / leg and some potatoes. Back home, they usually have a bag with these items but everything I ordered was a la carte which I'm not use to. I ordered mine medium spice, with the whole shebang sauce (that means all three sauces). I LOVED that they had larger pieces of garlic in the mix, but I'm a garlic lover, that might not be everyone's jazz but it's definitely mine! I also appreciated that they cut the larger part of the crab leg where the claw is, since I'm visiting and in a hotel and I don't have the proper tools to complete crack them open. The sauce was delicious with a hint of sweetness, different from what I'm used to down south, but still amazing! I would definitely eat there again! read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp head on and snow crab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

very good service staff is very helpful in giving details about items on menu will definitely be visiting again

Smelled terrible, tasted terrible, and the whole staff had their shirt on backwards. Do not order the fries, wings, or sodas. read more

Okay, I've been to the original ones in California. I can see that the menu and setup is overwhelming. But I want people to love this place as much as mine. This is how I think you should order you stuff: ALWAYS do the whole SHABANG. That's the Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic sauce all together. The delicious works. Choose your spicy level. You gotta add it, even if mild. I always choose crawfish (fresh is better) and shrimp and then add whatever else, especially some sort of crab . But regardless, you gotta add CORN, SAUSAGE, AND POTATOS TO YOUR MIX. I leave the egg out because I don't like egg. BUT YOU MIGHT. Also, be a fatass and get a fried platter. Because their fries are BOMB. Alright guys. Enjoy your visit. I loved mine. read more

One of the best seafood restaurants in the H ST corridor...service is superb. If want to impress your friends out of town. Prices are very reasonable read more

Absolutely terrible customer service and overall employees. Crab and other boiled seafood and seasonings are just okay, maybe warranting 3 stars, but the employees brought it down to a 1. While eating on the patio I actually watched an employee in a Boiling Crab tshirt get in his red Nissan Altima and back into another car on the street and speed away down the back alley. The back alley, right next to their patio, also appears to be the smoking spot for employees, which wafts over to the patio. Terrible addition to h street. read more

Shrimp and corn was horrible . It tasted like they had the shrimp and corn sitting in nasty water for days . It was not fresh at all . Very disappointed with the food . We had been to a BC before and the lobster was not as pictured ever , would not recommend going there . Only good thing was the corona and the fries . We are very sad to not be returning to this location especially since it was one of our faves on Southern California . We did not finish our meal . I hope their food improves for everybody's sakes . read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Let me start by saying that the customer service was AMAZING from the moment we walked in. The hostess even let us know where the bathroom was in case we needed to use it. Aiyana was our waitress and she was extremely attentive, courteous and pleasant. We started with margaritas which were strong and very good! We also had the crab fries (lemon pepper), gumbo, fried catfish and the shabang bang shrimp. When I tell you ALL OF IT WAS AMAZING I'm not lying. Sooooo flavorful. The food came out really fast too! The restaurant was super clean (even the bathroom!) and the playlist was perfect. Great music, great service, great prices and great food! I will definitely come back again and again. read more

The Boiling Crab - Gumbo - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Blue Crab was tasteless. Fried food was better. The wait staff with the exception of the young man who was the hostess ( who had just fractured) had to be called on a lot! We had to ask for everything and they had never heard of Old Bay! Ambiance was poor, I would not recommend. Total waste of money. Dry disappointed. read more

I am a huge boiling crab fan (Northern CA native) and was so happy to hear one would be opening in DC! I came tonight and sadly the experience was simply "fine". I am used to such great service, vibes, and food from the boiling crab and this location didn't seem to deliver. The food was fine, nothing really wrong with it flavor wise; however, it was slightly cold which was concerning (I got a pound of shrimp and rice, both cold). Our table also got crab fries which were very good, snow crab legs that were also cold and lacking in flavor, shabang shrimp which was fine, and lemon pepper wings which were lacking. Overall, I'd like to think this was just a fluke night as I am such a long time boiling crab lover. I also know they recently opened and might be working out the kinks as well. The staff could be a lot nicer as no one checked on us (on a hardly busy Sunday night) and the people who were working all seemed to be in bad moods and annoyed if asked for anything. We had to ask for bibs & forks & refills which typically are automatically offered. I'm hoping to give them a month or so and return to hopefully have a better experience! If that happens I will be sure to update the review. read more

My favorite restaurant has finally come to DC! I ordered 1lb crawfish, sausage, eggs whole shebang medium and cajun fries medium. Everything was delicious and I will probably be here once a week. I had excellent service from Vera and Ryan (Bryan?)! The best thing about this location is that it's so new, it doesn't have the wait times of the California locations yet! read more

See all

Came here on a Sunday night and the restaurant was strangely not as poppin as I'm used to in comparison to other seafood places. Unfortunately they were out of live crawfish, Dungeness crab, fried oysters, catfish, blue crab, and the list went on...It basically felt like everything, so that was a huge disappointment. We ended up just ordering raw oysters and frozen crawfish. Got a pound of shabang, and another bag of Cajun mixed with garlic. The Cajun and garlic was pretty salty so I didn't really enjoy it, and preferred the shabang, though it's nothing to rave about. The biggest disappointment was the oysters. They were sooo tough to detach and not too tasty. Maybe including some lemon wedges would help some? Idk... Regarding service, my friends had to ask the staff for water 3 times, which I think is a bit much, considering the fact that the place wasn't really busy at all. read more

This was my first time at this location I was in town from Los Angeles visiting family here, food was Horrible cold sauce was cold as well my corn was still frozen worst location EVERRRRRR. Once I asked for fresh food took them 45mins to a hour to replace it and still brought out what I did NOT order read more

The service was great everyone was very friendly. Food was fresh, hot and at a fair price for seafood. If was seasoned perfectly. Would highly recommend. read more

The Boiling Crab - Shrimp, corn and potatoes. - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Let me start with $44/lb for crab legs is ridiculous!!! I added shrimp, potato's and corn. When the manager brought the food he explained the food is separate due to the difference in cook time...HA!! My shrimp and potato's were OVERCOOKED, but the corn hard, in the same bag?! My potato's were the size of cheese balls and they were SO overcooked it made mashed potato's at the bottom of the bag. They did give me a new batch, but again overcooked! I had to decapitate the shrimp and clean its butt because head on was the only option. But still no excuse for poopy shrimp!! The crab leg was bland. The sausage was tasty. I've ate, SEVERAL times, at The Boiling Crab in a different state. There's a reason why the whole Sha bang copy cat recipe has millions of views but the sauce I got lacked so much flavor! It was water and hot sauce! Smh!!! I would normally go back because some places have bad days, but I will NOT pay $44/lb for crab legs! Absolutely NO wow factor. Two stars because Rasaan was awesome! They played hip hop music the entire time, ie Wayne, Drake etc, which was a pleasant surprise. read more

See all

Portion was minuscule. Ordered two crab specials. In one bag the crab legs were tiny/ skinny/bits and pieces with no claw. There was only one cluster in each order. I had them to take back one of my orders. WHY IS EVERYTHING THROWN TOGETHER PER ORDER IN ONE BAG???? Remind me of animals that eat out of a trough. WHAT A MESS!. I have not tasted the food yet but when I do I will provide an update. Because of this I will not return even if the food turns out to be good. Management need's training in food presentation and portion size. Customer service was great! read more

Extremely friendly staff greeted me when I arrived. Checked to see if my service dog was indeed a service dog. They had good music playing. They had a few issues : 1) their phone system was down so I wasn't able to place an order for takeout ahead of time. 2) a bit of a wait from arriving to when I was able to place my order. I arrived in peak crawfish season. So they said there'd be sizeable crawfish, which was true. I also chose to add an order of potatoes and sausage to my boil.(3 potatoes and 1 link = 16 pieces of sausage cut up). They said there'd be about a 15- 20 ...took about 20 min to get it. No biggie. My service dog and I went for a walk :) When I got my order they recommended I get the mix of all the seasonings and that was definitely the way to go. Chunks of garlic and lemony goodness. I also chose the xxx spicy. It wasn't xxx spicy for me...but it was spicy! Which rarely happens for me lol Listen y'all .... It's a SHIT TON of food. Three potatoes....whew! A whole link...good golly! And crawfish on crawfish on crawfish. Really well seasoned...messy as hell. Ain't nobody looking sexy eating crawfish. That's why I consider it a solo sport lol I could easily have split this with another person and STILL been stuffed. Give it a go! read more

went here on thursday 8/24 around 6pm. staff was very friendly and all had great attitudes. i do not remember our servers name but she was GREAT ! the food of course was 10/10. we had shrimp, lobster, fried calamari, wings, rice, and fries. Come here if you're looking for a great place! read more

So I when to the boiling crab today . I was so excited to go because of all the reviews on social media. My server Brayan was amazing he gave me great service definitely a 10/10 will be coming back soon. read more

The Boiling Crab - Seafood Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Was looking forward to the blue crab and the unorthodox dining style (out of a plastic bag with your fingers). The Boiling Crab was very clean and the atmosphere was fun. Unfortunately, the place was pretty empty for the dinner hour on a weekend night which should have been a hint. Our waiter was uninformed even though he claimed that he wasn't new. The food was inconsistent. Some was pretty good (the gumbo and the crabby fries). Some was bland or overly spiced (the crab). The corn on the cob had zero flavor. Overall a very average meal. read more