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The Drunken Crab

4.2 (801 reviews)
Open • 3:30 pm - 9:30 PM

Order The Drunken Crab Takeout or Delivery

The Drunken Crab Photos

THE DRUNKEN CRAB ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Classy
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials

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Fish and chips + Jumbo Shrimp
Christian C.

I got the fish and chips and it was very good. The quantity was great, 4 fish sticks. I did order a side of sausage which was not as good to me. The sauce was very tomatoey compared to boiling crab which is more buttery, Cajun, and garlicky. Service was great, pretty nice guy.

Jocelyn G.

Came here while vacationing with the Mrs. Ordered a seafood boil with crabs, mussels and shrimp. Food came out hot. I enjoyed a cider while I was there. I don't think that they have any hard liquor. My server had a great personality. I enjoyed my boil, although I wish the sauce was a little bit thicker like in used to. However, the flavor and mild spice level was good. My wife ate her share the next day and liked it. She also enjoyed the spice level.

Fish and chips
Cecilia O.

Great customer service. The fresh fish and chips were amazing. It was enough for two. We got dollar oysters for happy hour, so arrive early and you will definitely get amazing service. Miles was a delight, very attentive. Everything we asked for he did in a very kind and friendly manner, but most importantly, very fast.

Iryna N.

Great Food, Terrible Service The food was flavorful and interesting, but the service was awful. The teenage staff seemed disinterested, slow, and more focused on chatting and judging customers than doing their jobs. We had to repeatedly ask for water, food, and the bill. To top it off, we overheard servers mocking other diners, and we received judgmental looks for sharing a single plate. Location is great, atmosphere is regular, nothing special. it is the main street in Santa Barbara. I'd love to enjoy the food again, but not at this location. The staff ruined the experience.

Mia H.

I went here for my partners birthday. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I was not let down. We got two pounds of shrimp and one pound of crab legs. Rice and fries also a must! The workers were very nice and I liked how they sprayed down the booths before bringing in a new party. Would recommend if I was in SB and craving seafood boil. They do have a 15% service fee and a charge for eating at the restaurant. I understand they have to do this since cleaning up can be tough... so not a problem there (especially for dinner). But just to keep in mind!

Fried Shrimp and Cajun Fries
Fancy G.

I love seafood boil. I saw this place in Downtown Santa Barbara and decided to give it a try. It's right at the entrance so you don't get all the ambience that's right at the heart. I still tried it. Service was a 10 all staff was so friendly and attentive to your needs. It wasn't crowded just very chill. The seafood boil could have had more sason (flavor) to it. It was pretty bland compared to many other places I have tried. However the fried shrimp and fries were perfect!

What an amazing spot to eat!! The food was delicious and the service was top tier!! Emilio thank you for goin above and beyond for us and truly caring about ur customers. I do appreciate you. Glad we were able to get a laugh together.

Beer tower

We came here with our bachelorette group and it did not disappoint!!! The service was amazing, our server was very kind, and quick, the food was phenomenal, and the beer tower was the cherry on top! I would recommend this place to anyone. They even had some great options that were not seafood and the kids menu was a great too! 10/10 RECOMMEND

Beet tower !

We came here on a bachelorette trip and had the BEST time! The staff surprised us with a free beer tower which was such a fun and thoughtful touch. We all got the crab bags and everything was so flavorful, fresh, and messy in the best way. The corn chowder was seriously amazing too!! definitely a must order. Great food, great service, and such a fun vibe for a group night out. We'll definitely be back!

Patty ready to eat

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2 days ago

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

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2 days ago

I went to the one in Santa Barbara and it was delicious . I'm going to have to check out this location soon.

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2 months ago

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1 year ago

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Emilio R.

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6 months ago

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Emilio R.

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7 months ago

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Emilio R.

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10 months ago

Fish and shrimp had too much breading. Fries were hot. Service was pleasant. The ambience was a bit shabby.

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Emilio R.

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7 months ago

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Emilio R.

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

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2 years ago

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Damien R.

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2 years ago

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Damien R.

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1 year ago

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Damien R.

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6 months ago

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Emilio R.

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1 year ago

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Damien R.

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11 months ago

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Emilio R.

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7 months ago

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3 months ago

Best seafood boil and micheladas in town! Staff is super friendly and always on point! Mac, Paul, and Taiga are the best!

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6 months ago

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Emilio R.

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7 months ago

Staff was super helpful. There was a mistake on my order via DoorDash but Emilio got that fixed in no time. Very professional.

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Emilio R.

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6 months ago

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Emilio R.

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7 months ago

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8 months ago

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Emilio R.

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8 months ago

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Emilio R.

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8 months ago

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Emilio R.

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8 months ago

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Emilio R.

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Emilio R.

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8 months ago

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2 years ago

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4 months ago

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8 months ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Greta service great food and welcoming vibe I highly recommended with this or other locations.

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Emilio R.

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Page 1 of 21

The Drunken Crab Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Drunken Crab

Are you dog friendly?

Yes!

What's their happy hour deal?

Tues - Fri 4-6pm $1 oysters and $5 pints Sat - Sun 12-4pm $1 oysters and $18.95 bottomless mimosas

Are there heaters on the patio(s)? TIA

At this time we do not have heaters on our back patio. The front patio has heaters.

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Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Lobster Pasta

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company

4.0(3.3k reviews)
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Amazing food and service! If you want a truly local small restaurant feeling that provides some of…read morethe best seafood made, this is the place!!!

We decided to hop on the Amtrak into Santa Barbara one day with absolutely NO game plan. Sometimes…read morethose are the best kinds of adventures, right?! We figured we'd stroll down the pier, take in the views, and see where the day took us. We hit the end of the pier and we noticed some seriously delicious-looking seafood plates coming out of this little window. And then the SMELL hit us. Oh my goodness! We couldn't resist! Next thing you know, we had plopped ourselves down at a picnic table, ready to get our seafood fix. LET THE GAMES BEGIN! WHAT WE SWALLOWED: *FRIED CALAMARI: This is our go-to fried seafood dish, and it did NOT disappoint! They offer a variety of fried seafood, but the kids only had eyes for the calamari. LOL! Perfectly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and not the least bit rubbery or chewy. Just delicious, flavorful bites of fried goodness. *GARLIC OYSTERS: THESE. RIGHT. HERE. These were the reason we stopped in the first place! We caught a whiff of something absolutely heavenly while walking by and had to ask what it was. Turns out it was the garlic oysters, and you better believe we ordered ourselves a plate! That garlicky goodness was everything we hoped it would be and MORE. SO worth stopping for! *LOBSTER ROLL: Oh, be still my seafood-loving heart! I ordered this on our second visit after realizing that, as much as I'd LOVE to devour an entire rock crab by myself, my stomach just wasn't up for the challenge. LOL! So I went with the lobster roll, and WOW. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Every bite was pure lobster goodness, and I was one happy camper. I would order this again in a HEARTBEAT! *ROCK CRAB: If I could eat this whole thing by myself, trust me, I WOULD! But realistically, it's the perfect dish to share. Sweet, tender crab meat with that buttery goodness that just melts in your mouth. A little messy? Sure. Worth every bit of effort getting that delicious meat out? ABSOLUTELY! *ONION RINGS: Because apparently all that seafood wasn't enough, we had to throw in some onion rings! LOL! And these were some of the CRISPIEST onion rings we've had. Crunchy, golden, and downright addicting. The perfect side to round out our seafood feast! *CIOPPINO: My pops ordered this on our first visit, and let me tell you, he wasn't sharing with ANYONE! LOL! That's how good it was. When we came back the second time and he ordered it again, we gave him such a hard time about not sharing that he finally let us have a taste. And now I know WHY he was hoarding it! The broth was absolutely ON POINT, rich, flavorful, and teeming with delicious seafood. Even my daughter, who's pretty picky about which seafood she'll eat, couldn't resist dipping the bread into that amazing broth. That alone says a LOT! Santa Barbara Shellfish Company has officially become one of our FAVORITE stops whenever we're in town! There's just something about sitting at a picnic table on the pier, digging into some seriously delicious seafood, and enjoying those gorgeous Santa Barbara views. No fancy frills needed when the food is THIS good! Between those heavenly garlic oysters, my pops' apparently top-secret cioppino, and that lobster roll I could happily eat EVERY SINGLE DAY, this place has won us over. If you're craving fresh, delicious seafood with a side of ocean views, this is definitely the spot! And yes, I'll be dreaming about that lobster roll until our next visit. LOL!

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Clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl

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The Palace Grill - Crawfish Pasta Lafitte

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4.3(1.8k reviews)
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Where do I even start with some many positives. For starters the service was amazing. Our waiter…read morechecked on us multiple times ontop of being friendly and in a good mood. It seemed like they really enjoy what they do. We never needed to ask for water because they made sure our cups were always full. The place would make people think it's touristy because of the decor but it's just decorated very mardi gras themed. I liked it though, it was endearing. PLUS they did a sing along with all the customers. It seems like one of those last remaining places that a kid would go to and then remember it fondly in the future. And the food was really good! Except I ordered some kind of chicken dish with a garlic and wine "sauce" that I do not recommend. I forgot the name of it, but later when i asked what was in it the server said it was a "holindase Cajun sauce". Which would explain why I didn't like it.i hate holindase sauce lol but maybe other people will enjoy it. All in all 5 out of 5!

This place was spectacular! I came here for my birthday and am so glad I did because this is a…read moreplace I'd come back time and time again. The ambience was lively, the service staff were warm, and the food was amazing. One of my favorite things they offered as starters were their assortment of mini muffins (banana nut, rosemary, cheese etc). They were so good! The staff was nice enough to give me some to take home at the end of our meal. As we were enjoying the muffins, there was point in the evening where the staff all came together and sang "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. It felt special and was nice hearing everyone sing along. We eventually ordered a jambalaya pasta dish and fish with vegetables dish. Needless to say, the pasta was out of this world. It was creamy, savory, and perfectly balanced in flavor. I'd come back just for that pasta dish alone, and that says a lot as I am not a huge pasta lover. Since it was my birthday, they surprised me with an ice cream dessert with chocolate writing on the plate. I was most impressed with the quality of chocolate they used for the writing. It was not Hershey's syrup one would assume, they went an extra step and used high quality thick chocolate that they melted to write my birthday greeting in cursive. Thankfully my name is long so I could eat more chocolate lol. By the end of the meal, I left the Palace with a feeling of nostalgia and mild sadness because I had to leave. That's when I knew I experienced something special. I can't wait to go back!

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The Palace Grill - Jambalaya Sauce Piquante

Jambalaya Sauce Piquante

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Kanaloa Seafood - Half and Half (Salmon and Tuna) Poke Bowl

Kanaloa Seafood

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Kanaloa Seafood is an amazing, certified green business. Offering both indoor and outdoor seating,…read morethis little place packs a big punch of healthy and delicious seafood; both dishes to eat there or to go, as well as fresh fish by the pound to take home and prepare on your own! This is my second time here and they have consistently served terrific food. Poke bowls are fantastic, and their seafood tacos are incredible; full of flavor and generous portions of fish. Salads are tasty and healthy. There is a very small parking lot for this place, but overall, I highly recommend going out of your way to try this place My new favorite is the Korean Salmon tacos... soooo gooood.

We were looking for seafood and found Kanaloa Seafood thanks to Yelp! It's tucked across the street…read morefrom the mall, next door to Light House Coffee. Santa Barbara was having a heat wave and there did not seem to be AC indoors, so we sat outside. It's counter service, so you order at the counter and take your number to a table. My husband got a decent yuzu salmon poke bowl, which came with cucumber, jicama and avocado with your choice of base (white rice, brown rice or mixed greens). I ordered the Korean salmon tacos (2 for $15) topped with pickled cucumber slaw, kimchi aioli and a tasty sweet and spicy chili sauce. I wish there was a third taco, because I was still a little hungry afterwards. A little on the pricey side but a super chill place to eat.

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Kanaloa Seafood - So many wonderful fresh options! This nice fella recommended the grouper which was divine!

So many wonderful fresh options! This nice fella recommended the grouper which was divine!

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4.2(34 reviews)
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When you consider the coastal casual elegance of the Santa Barbara resort and restaurant scene this…read moreplace would probably rank more as a hole in the wall. Coming in from the sidewalk where it's a beautiful 80 degree sunny day - it's dark inside. But don't be mistaken it's not dank and cruddy. It's clean, chill, and the Mexican Corridos music is vibing. It's a simple local spot. Literally 13 tables in the restaurant. It's fast casual - walk in, order at the counter, take a number, have a seat and they'll deliver food to your table. I ordered ta bowl of the Mixta Ceviche - it's a huge portion. It really is a shareable, probably best serves 4 people. It was fresh, the seafood was NOT fishy or chewy. And as far as I could tell of the other dishes that other customers were having at neighboring tables, their other entrees looked really good too. Great place, recommend!!

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The Drunken Crab - cajun - Updated October 2026

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