Absolutely excellent!!! From the calamari appetizer to the Fisherman's Chowder (white) we were in heaven. I had thought that a prior chef John was the best, but Adrian gave him a lesson in flavor!! The restaurant was crowded and most seemed just as enthusiastic as us. 5 stars is a disservice Thank you Adrian and it most be comforting to know that you have such a talented support staff.... John D. Corona
(5)
Tina P.
First timer And loved it! The bf and I Ordered the house pan roast and the broiled oyster. Very Delish and fresh oyster. The pan roast was amazing.. Big chucks of seafood in there. Good service. Def will be coming back.
(5)
Mimi N.
I been here a few times. Food is good but today service was beyond horrible! Came here at 7:30 with a party of 4. Place our orders in at 8pm and didn't get our food for over an hour! The whole time not even one waiter came by to let us know our food was going to take a while. My friend literally had to yell for someone to come. What really made me mad was I didn't understand how 20 (yes I counted) other people got served before me when my party was there first. One of my friend got tired of waiting so he actually left. I felt bad cause he went out of his way to come try this place. When we finally got our food I felt that they rush on our orders so the quality of the food wasn't good. My pan roast wasn't hot enough where I can still feel crunches from my garlic for not being cooked all the way. Overall I had to togo my food and take it home to re-cook it again. Again I been here before and the food has always been good but if the service isn't good I don't think I'll come back. Eating out isn't all about the food but the whole experience while dining. Such a disappointing experience tonight.
(1)
Kathy T.
Drove all the way down to Chino hIll to try this new place for birthday dinner. There were only 2 waitress working that day and it was busy but not to the point that they can't clear the table so we can be seated. We had to tell them that there seat available do you mine seating us first. Drinks never came we had to flag her down. Food: Mussel/Clams- tasty yummy, clams and mussel was very fresh Clam chowder- it was bit on the salty side Jambalay- it was okay i tasted better House Pan Roast- this taste like tomato soup from vons Fresh Oyster- fresh and delicious I would give it 3 stars but the services at this place suck. Very inexperience server. The only help we had was from the chef who was preparing our food. I had to request him to clear my dishes as it was stacking up. I think the tips should go to the chef not these two waitress that was working on Tuesday night. Don't think i will be back..
(2)
Erin T.
Whenever I'm in the area it's my go-to spot, even when the weather is hot! I always order the House Pan Roast... Each ingredient component makes the whole dish amazing! The oysters are not bad either especially the Rockefeller! I've also had the crab cakes which are great as well!
(5)
Kristina B.
Absolutely love this place! I came here after a friend had told me about it. Living in Vegas, this place had a lot to live up to (Palace Station Oyster Bar) and did it with ease. The house pan roast was full of flavor. Very rich and creamy, the way it's supposed to be! The ambience is nice. I wish they had more tables to sit at. The bar is comfortable. However, it's hard to talk to people if you go in a larger group and you're stuck sitting at the bar. The chefs were very friendly and accommodating. My boyfriend has an allergy to shrimp and they subbed his shrimp for more lobster without an extra fee.
(5)
Fabby H.
I have to say for starters there crab cakes are delish!! For my main dish my fav is the house pan roast the flavors are amazing, I tried the shrimp Diablo but I still preferred the house pan roast. I recommend to order a extra side of rice to go with the house pan roast its yummy!! And go for spicy 1-10 I got 7 and I felt it could be spicier it gives it a good kick!
(4)
Herman A.
This place has gone way downhill over the years ever since Chef Ritter parted ways with them. First it's the taste and the quality of the food going down, and then the chefs there basically scoring a failing grade every time we go, and now they're shrunk their portions as well to barely enough to feed an average adult male. That basically marked the very last time I'll be going there. I've been very supportive for local restaurants over the years and I've been very excited to tell people about this place. Really come to think of it, of all places they opened this one in Chino Hills. There were days where we had to wait for an hour to get seated and we were still more than happy to go. But two incidents from my last 2 visits basically sealed the deal for us. First one was a couple months ago when I went with two of my friends. Nothing's wrong up until we're getting our food... which almost never ever came. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy that day, but man... it took them over 1.5 hours to get our entries. We're really not difficult people to please, and we don't have exceedingly high expectations. But 1.5 hours for on a week night and what we ordered was nothing out of the ordinary? And the funny thing is we were not alone, as we noticed several tables of patrons all sitting there patiently waiting for their food that really almost never came. The flavor... well, let's just say it wasn't as good as it was. Second incident was a couple weeks ago when I went with my wife for lunch. Well, the chef was busy getting our food ready this time and apparently it came too quick 'cause he immediately jetted for his break and dashed out the door after sending the orders our ways. It's all good except our food wasn't fully cooked... The lobsters in our plates were still translucent. What's with the seafood restaurants in the area really why can't we just get appropriate food safe for consumption? I'm not sure how this can happen, either the chef really didn't even care, or he just dropped frozen lobsters into the steam kettles and it barely defrosted. Either way I don't care anymore 'cause they lost my business. For those who might be interested, Chef Ritter, the original chef here has opened up his own restaurant in OC. I'd rather drive a little further to get appropriate food.
(2)
Christopher J.
Came here on a Thursday evening around 6:30pm and it was completely empty, no customers at all except us which we found very strange. Not one customer walked in during the entire hour we dined. All good, we weren't complaining. House Pan Roast and Cajun Calamari were both delicious. Order the House Pan Roast if you're first time here, trust. I made the mistake of ordering the shrimp scampi and it was not good because it was like soup and very watery so the pasta didn't have much flavor. Cajun Calamari was meaty and very good. Blue shell oysters were micro, such a waste of $. I'd definitely come back again for the Cajun calamari and house pan roast.
(4)
Eddie C.
It's a bit pricey averaging $20 per entree but its best new Orleans gumbo , jambalaya around the area hands down.
(5)
Lyly T.
Yum yum! My sister introduced me to the Boiler after we went to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas. Boy was I happy to hear that I didn't have to drive to Vegas for this amazing food. The food is basically the same. From what I hear, the owner of the Boiler used to work for Oyster Bar and then left and started his own chain. I recommend you sit at the bar area and watch them cook. You'll be amazed at how fast steam cooks. Favorites at the Boiler: Fisherman's Clam Chowder - New England or Manhattan style chowder (I like the New England) loaded with calamari, shrimp, crab, clams, mussels and white fish. Oh my...it's heavenly. This is a must and great as a leftover too! House Pan Roast (add sausage. It brings it to a whole new level)- Tomato cream based sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams. Served with jasmine rice. If you don't like tomato, don't order this. Very tomato-y. Gumbo (add blue crab to it) is supposedly amazing according to my sister. I have not tried it yet. All the servings are HUGE. My friends and I recently went and we shared 4 orders among 5 of us and had leftovers too. If you want an appetizer, the bacon wrapped shrimp is to die for. So yummy. Do not order the Calamari. It's very chewy. My only complaint is the server is a bit slow with calculating the check. We separated everything for her already and told her what to charge on each card but she still decided to calculate everything on her own and it was still wrong. It probably took us over 10 minutes to pay our bill because she was confused.
(5)
Steven F.
This place was delicious! It is in a corner in some huge plaza that doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic, guess it's because there is a toys r us and lowes here. The restaurant isn't that big and you can either sit at a table or on the bar, the bar area is set up like a U shapped, and inside that U are some chefs cooking up stuff for you. My friends suggested the House Pan Roast, which I believe it was shrimp, clams, crab, and lobster served with jasmine rice in sort of a soupy thick base. I went on yelp to look up what I thought looked good, and I went with the Cioppino which was a soup that had crab meat, calamari, shrimp, mussels, clams, and fish served with linguini. You get to choose how spicy you want them to make it from a scale of 1 to 10, since the waitress informed me that the Cioppino already has spices added into it, I went with a level 5 spicy...which probably equated to a 7 according to her? But ya it was pretty spicy, but really good. The soup color is redish orange, tasted tomatoe-like, it had a lemon in it, and the citrus from it helped and worked well with the spiciness. The animal creatures inside the broth were also really good, the crab meat was in a shell, cut for you, but you know its legit. Also got a chance to try out some of that Pan Roast my friends ordered, one of them ordered just straight up crab pan roast, and they add a ton of crab meat. The roast is very rich and creamy. We also ordered a dozen oysters, they have 3 different region oysters, but we just went with the half shelled oysters, I forgot the region, they were pretty fresh. Great service, and free bread.
For the money I spent, I would have rather have just gone to Lucille's, which is right next door. Food is good, but not worth the dinner price. Go for lunch. I got -dozen blue oysters: 3/5 -gumbo: 5/5 -jambalaya: 4/5 -house pan roast: 5/5 Again, the food was great, but only worth lunch prices.
(3)
Goofyjj L.
Nice staff, good food. I went expecting a similar experience from my visit of Palace Station's Oyster Bar in Vegas. Overall, it was very good. I got house pan roast, level 7 - but it wasn't as spicy as the ones I get from Palace Station pan roast level 7. I think I will try 8 or 9 next time. Again, very good and at least there's no wait like you would normally expect at Palace Station Oyster Bar in LV.
(4)
Victoria B.
So I decided to go again and give them another chance. It was a rainy day and this place hit the spot.
(4)
Cherry L.
Mr took me here for Valentine's day. We got there around 230 to beat the dinner crowd. Got seated at the bar because the tables were reserved. I've got to say, they have really improved since the last time I came here, which was years ago. The house pan roast had a generous amount of seafood in it. We ordered a 7 for spice level again and there was actually a kick. Mr ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp which were juicy and tender. The drizzle of maple added a nice touch to the dish.. perfectly balanced flavor of salty and sweet.
(4)
Ayami H.
My clam linguini had too much crunch... Sand? :( Only reason for the lack of one star... Don't think I'll be ordering anything with clam in it. Atmosphere is great. I love the fact that I get to watch them make soup!!! Price is high but it makes sense to make everything visual... it's kind of like a dinner and a show. If they brought me soup from a kitchen and expected me to pay $18 for it... I probably would not be a happy camper no matter how good the soup is... Ordered: Bacon wrapped shrimp - if you love Bacon and love shrimp.. this is a must!!! clam linguni... with sand. :( House pot roast - VERY very very good!!!!
(4)
Kelly M.
I'm going to preface this entire review with the following statement: I HATE giving one star to any establishment. Now that I have made Elite status, I pride myself in being fair in my reviews of restaurants. However, here was my experience tonight: I called in ahead of time, as it says on Yelp that The Boiler accepts reservations. They do not accept reservations. I call in and I'm told they don't take reservations on weekends but we should come in because there is no wait. Fast forward 20 minutes later and we arrive. The wait was a half an hour, which is totally fair for a Friday night. They take our name and tell us to sit at the bar where we can order drinks and appetizers. So we go to the bar. The bar is not staffed and there is a lady behind the bar in casual clothes rinsing out the beer bottles. We keep looking around hoping someone will come will come over because we want to order drinks and appetizers. Ten minutes later a staff member walks over and asks us for our order. Immediately to our right, there is a black couple that is completely ignored. They were there way before us and it was fair that they be served first. My boyfriend stepped in and asked the staff member to help them first. Then we place our order for a Heineken beer and the Calamari. The calamari came out relatively quickly and was fresh. However, it was thicker strips of calamari but they didn't have any kind of exceptional flavor. We finish our appetizer and half my beer and start looking around. I had noticed there were three people sitting at the huge counter area and there were several empty tables when we came in. Also, there were three couples waiting in the lobby when we got there. Now, and this got me really upset, large groups had been walking in and being seated. Thirty minutes had passed and I walked up to the hostess station. I noticed some names had times of arrival and some did not. When I asked why big groups were being seated before us, I got the response, "they called in." Then, I saw her cross parties off on the list before and after us. That made me twitch a little bit. Okay, so now you can call in?! Then, I began to notice the details. All the people seated before us were very clearly of Asian decent. Everyone was being seated and acknowledged that were Asian. My boyfriend is clearly Hispanic and I am clearly Caucasian. So here we are, us and the black couple, not being seated. The staff had a VERY apathetic attitude about seating people before us. When I started to get visibly angry, they offered us a two person table in the middle of the walk way... but wait, we had to wait another 15 minutes?! What is going on around here? After having already waited 30 minutes, and not wanting to wait another 15-20, I finally made the decision that it was time to get out of the Boiler. I asked for the bill and it was approximately $15.00 for calamari and one bottle of Heineken. What a waste of money. Please, fellow Yelpers, notice that I do NOT give out bad ratings if I can help it. This place has AWFUL service and absolutely no restaurant (despite their food being well reviewed) is worth being treated poorly. My boyfriend and I were treated poorly because of race and I am not taking that statement lightly. This place is a shoddy operation that gets good reviews of Yelp because their food is most likely good. But it does not make it OK to treat your patrons poorly. Completely avoid this restaurant if you are in the Chino HIlls area. There are a lot of chain and non chain establishments that will treat you much better and will be worth your time.
(1)
Denise R.
This is the perfect place to go if you want an interesting seafood meal. The House Pan Roast was excellent and unlike anything I have ever eaten before. The best way to describe it is a rich seafood soup/stew. The broth is thicker like a stew and filled with all kinds of seafood. I got a level 5 heat, next time I might get a 3, and I like spicy food. If you get it to spicy it takes away from the richness of the broth. It comes piping hot to the table, so let it cool off a little. The Cajun fries were well done and I would definitely order them again. The bacon wrapped shrimp, while they were good, I probably would not order again, the execution could have been a little better. My only beef was that the kids seats were set using plastic wear. My kids did not like. I understand the silverware is more grown-up sized, but when you are paying a good amount for the food, the plastic wear is a turn off. Invest in some silverware for the kids. The service was ok, could be better.
(4)
Sybil C.
The best in the area, great Cajun food, great service. Real treasure for the area! I tried mimosa for drink and gumbo, they rate their spice, I chose 6, 7 could be too hot. You can order 1 too, not too hot.
(5)
Oodra W.
First time here at this Chino Hills location. I went to their sister restaurant in Las Vegas Palace station before, I think it's just called Oyster Bar there, but it's the same owner who started it up! Can't always go to Vega (or can I..), but here I am finally getting to try the Boiler! You can choose to sit at the bar or booth. It isn't a very large place and the hostess said the wait can be up to 1-1.5 hours on a busy day. We went on Friday evening for 7 pm and it was only about a 20 minute for a table. Not bad. I got the House Pan Roast cause that's what everyone's been raving about! I had to get it and Oh-Em-Gee, it was like heaven the moment the delicious broth touched my tongue. So much flavors, so many sea food delicacies in it. I am not a huge fan of spicy food, I normally order mild for most things. So my level of spiciness is a 4, which I thought was a perfect amount that doesn't overpower any of the flavors. If you're a small Asian girl like me, or you don't usually eat huge portions, I ate half of mine and took the other other half to-go. Review on quality as left overs? IT'S STILL FKN DELICIOUS!! The rice soaked up some of the soup after a night in the fridge, but after a quick trip to the microwave, it tasted as good as it ever did. It might have been better cause now I can make out what's actually in it. Like the lobster, clams, crab meat, shrimp. Top notch
(5)
Nadia N.
-Lots of parking -the service was exceptional -it closes early unfortunately -house pan roast is fantastic! -gumbo is also tasty -not a huge fan of the bouillabaisse -clam chowder and soft shell crab is cooked to perfection -my main gripe is that somethin
(5)
Alan A.
House Pan Roast is a must. You have the option of the level of Hotness from a scale 1-10.
(4)
Wendy V.
Omg this place is good. I even wake up dreaming of it. I had the House Pan Roast. My top fave..even though I haven't tried anything else. My friends had their chowder and jambalaya, both I've tried. Suppppper good. But jambalaya tasted a bit bland after my dish. Coming back for more!
(5)
Rebecca H.
My dear friend swears by this place! In fact he told me this was his number one date place- so make sure to give me some points for hooking ya'll up with this info! Cajun food cooked right in front of you with your choice of how much heat you wanted. We arrived around 8:30, and the kitchen closes at 8:30! So we were literally the only one there...It was okay though because it seemed as though my friend closed down the restaurant just for the 3 of us- another extra touch for you boys out there trying to romance your ladies! Regardless the food was exceptional for Seafood lovers, this is a place that put a cajun twist on your yummies. I promised from the look of my girlfriends eyes..she was in love! I liked that they were able to make me a veggie gumbo for me..which was essentially pasta with marinara sauce and some veggies but it was still pretty good. in the end we walked out of there happy and full!
(4)
JJ Y.
i was a little disappointed about this place.... Food was just ok, I think the sauce is the best part if my meal. It is rich and full of flavor, but for the price it costs, I think that I can get more seafood or at least bigger pieces. The piece of crab was so small, I had to go fishing inside my bowl for it. I guess I went there for an experience but I dont think that it was memorable enough for me to return in the future.
(3)
Alexis U.
Great service! Must try the bacon wrapped shrimp as a starter. FYI everything is extra soupy, but still delicious.
(5)
Yang Q.
If you've ever had Ritter's in Santa Ana or Oyster Bar in Vegas, The Boiler is based off the same steam kettle cooking style, though I actually like The Boiler a little better than Ritter's. Though they don't take reservations, our party of 4 showed up on a Friday night and was seated right away. The 4 of us all ordered different dishes so we could try a bit of everything. The fisherman's chowder may seem expensive, but its comes as a large bowl loaded with crab, shrimp, fish, clams, mussels, etc. The house pan roast is well seasoned and makes a great dip for the complimentary bread after you finish the small ball of rice that comes with the dish. If you like tomato sauce, I'd definitely recommend the pan roast, and if you like your food spicy, I suggest getting at least a 5 because my level 4 wasn't spicy at all. The jambalaya was also very good (better than the one at Ritter's, imo) and spicier than the pan roast. The shrimp scampi was good but nothing special, but if you're not a fan of red sauce it's one of the only options you have. Prices may seem a little steep at $17-20 an entree, but portions are big enough that you're likely to have enough leftovers for a second meal so it all evens out in the end.
(4)
Auds S.
Love , love, love, love this place. All the food is good! Fisherman's chowder! Hmm the House Pan Roast!! Chowder yummo. The staff is friendly and on top of things. Thanks for the great food.
(5)
Kurtis C.
After my somewhat miserable jambalaya attempt, my taste buds yearned for the real deal made by someone who knew what they were doing. Instead of a pot of burnt rice at the bottom and mushy globs of rice on a plate, I had a nice big bowl of jambalaya that was very peppery and flavorful. The rice was steamed just right and there was plenty of andouille sausage, shrimp, and chicken. I thought I was happy and content, but I was WRONG. I tried a couple bites of the pan roast and it was the best thing to happen to my taste buds in awhile. I wish I didn't try it because I felt like I cheated on my favorite cajun dish and couldn't stop kicking myself for not ordering the pan roast instead. I am definitely coming back. If you're like me and enjoy making your food hurt so good, go off the scale and order an 11/10 for the spice level. It sounds bad, but it'll just add a cute little kick to your meal.
(5)
Vicky T.
I LOVE THE BOILER! My boyfriend and I came here a little after they opened. Our waitress was very attentive and sweet. We ordered some fries on the side and it was a huge portion! For our entree, we shared the dinner size gumbo. She then asked how spicy we wanted it. We were going to go for a 7 but since I don't like my food too spicy, she recommended that we go according to my preference and they could give us the seasoning later on so that my boyfriend can make his more spicy to his liking. It was SO GOOD. I was kinda bummed that this huge bowl of gumbo only came with a small size of rice though! ASIAN HERE. But other than the small quantity of rice, I really love this place. Would definitely come back and recommend to all my friends.
(4)
haaims c.
I absolutely love this place and everything about it! SERVICE: on point and intimate. sometimes i wish this place was bigger, but then again i don't because then i wouldn't get the quality time with my cook who makes the meal for me right then and there in front of me in the kettle pan FOOD: pan roast is UHHHH-MAZING! if you like a lot of flavor this is the place to be. they also customize the spice to your preference which is always a billion times better.
(5)
Juliet Rachel C.
Shanon Y. and I wanted to try this place after our amazing visit to Ritter's SKC in OC! Chef RItter used to work at the Boiler and I believe he played a vital role in starting the business, as well. In comparison, I would still prefer Ritter's because it's newer and Chef Ritter himself actually works there, but admittedly, The Boiler is still pretty damn LEGIT. The wait to get seated was about 10-15 mins. Shan and I came for dinner on Labor Day. GET THE PAN ROAST!! I will be ordering that from now on after sampling Shanon's dish (she ordered the Clam Pan Roast). I was curious about the Gumbo, so decided to order that. It was definitely good, but not nearly as delicious as the Pan Roast! My seafood Gumbo had a gravy like taste and the consistency of a thick stew. On a spiciness level of 1 through 10, I asked for 4, but it wasn't spicy AT ALL; not in the least bit. If anything, I would have wanted more flavor! However, the seafood was really good and the dish was tasty. It just could have been even better. Shanon's dish was....amazing! Taste was comparable to the Pan Roast at Ritter's SKC!! The portion sizes at The Boiler are a bit smaller than Ritter's, but the overall prices are a bit cheaper too. Heard this place has good lunch specials and happy hour until 6pm, so I def need to check it out again soon! Service was GREAT! Our waitress's name was Destiny and she did a spectacular job. She was so sweet and so efficient!
(4)
Jenny S.
STEAM BOILED SEAFOOD!! so if you enjoy chowder or gumbo-like meals, then this is the place for you!! it's a bit pricey for dinner so I'd suggest coming for lunch! ---complimentary bread: nothing special ---cajun calamari: not bad, but a VERY SMALL appetizer portion ---HOUSE PAN ROAST: a thick flavorful tomato-y stew/chowder chock full of seafood & a scoop of jasmine rice!! MMmmm love that you can choose your level of spiciness 1-10... 7 was just right, but I think 8 would have been good too! ---New England Chowder entree: YUMMY, love the flavor of their clam chowder! ---jambalaya: i'd probably skip this dish & stick w/ the soupy dishes! food took longer than I expected, but maybe I was eager since you can see the chefs cooking the food on the other side of the counter!
(4)
Geoffrey O.
*unlimited *food is delicious *service is awesome *watching good being made is entertainment *food is delicious :are my 5 stars to why this place is awesome! if you ever watchthe food network, you like food being made and this is the place to watch jambalaya, pan roast or diablo plates be made.
(5)
Kevin C.
Lobster pan roast. Do I need to say more. Very tasty n reasonable. A must try if u are in the area. U will b back
Had the New England clam chowder, definitely recommend. Also had a Shrimp BoBoy, which was tasty. Service was very informative and friendly. The tables were small. There are tvs to watch sports also. Great lunchtime specials. Want to go back to try the Gumbo next time!
(4)
Kevin L.
This was my 2nd time trying this type of creole food, and I thought it was pretty good. In all fairness, I think it was good, but I wasn't that hungry so it didn't really appeal to my tastebuds. Service was good, but not super attentive. Pricing isn't bad for the portions. We ordered 1 and can definitely fill up two people. Just need to order more rice. Not the best probably out there, but not bad.
This place is Great! food was awesome...i really like that they have the counter seating so you can see the food cooking. I am a fan and shall be returning. a MUST
I was seriously going to take a day trip to the palace station for a panroast this weekend, but I learned that this place existed just in the nick of time! :) The house panroast is pretty legit, I'd say 80% comparable. The obvious to my palette differences vs palace station are: * + trinity, an onion/bellpepper compote....meh * + clam bits...didn't go super well with the texture of the other seafood * a little more tart * shrimp and lobster not cooked as deliciously * way less shrimp, lobster, crab While it is not quite as drool-worthy as the combo panroast, it is still quite yummy. Would definitely come back (and would skip the crab cake appetizer) Note: I'm all for presentation, but my chef totally cleaned the inside of everyone's bowls (including mine) with a rag that he used to clean EVERYTHING including the countertop...and he literally kept the rag by his side on his sweaty shoulder/neck. Fucking barf in my mouth.
(4)
Chris H.
If you want to have some jambalaya then this is a good place to go. The prices are a little more than other places but the taste is good. I can't say anything more or less other than you need to have the Cajun frys
(4)
Liz A.
Did a phone order to go for dinner and it was ridiculous that I spent $25 for a house pan roast to get a size of a lunch portion and only 3 shrimp when I asked for only shrimp and crab extra shrimp. I didn't receive any bread with my to go and she forgot to put the pasta I ordered on the side so I had to go back in to get it. Seems like they're getting stingy with the amount they give. Not worth the price not returning.
(1)
Debbie O.
It's hard to mess up tomato and seafood, so I was excited to try this place. The flavor was pretty good I must say, but towards the end, it got a little heavy. We got the House Pan Roast, which is a tomato seafood stew. The texture reminds me of curry, and you definitely need rice or bread to pair with it. They give you a huge bowl, so you can definitely share. First off, they didn't give me enough rice. One scoop of rice is not enough for a huge bowl of stew. We ended going through four baskets of bread (complimentary), which is great, I love bread, but for $20, I wish they gave us more rice! I felt like I was drinking curry towards the end! I love that they have a wide range of spiciness (1-10). We got 5, which already had a good kick to it. Also, I know everything's made from seafood broth with fresh seafood, but I didn't find too much chunks of seafood in my pan roast! Yes, several juicy shrimp, but couldn't find anything else... we got the regular one too so what happened to the crab, lobster, and clams? Lastly, we came on a Tuesday night and there were only five other customers in the whole restaurant. There were at least 5 people working at the restaurant, so I was wondering why it took us a whole five minutes to flag down someone to refill our waters. Two servers were just hanging out behind the bar doing everything but paying attention to us. Also, I realized why they were rushing us to order so quickly in the beginning. They close at 8:30 on Tuesdays, and it takes forever for the food to be prepared. I don't mind that the food takes a while, but they pretty much turned off all the lights before we got our check. OK, we can take a hint, but a little passive aggressive wouldn't you say? Overall, I would come back if I'm craving it because the flavors are there, and I don't want to drive to the beach to get food like this. But there is quite a bit of room for improvement.
My husband drug me here kicking and screaming. I am not a huge fan of fish or it's smell but I do love creole! I do eat fish but only certain kinds at certain places. If you are like me....you are safe. We got the clam chowder and it was the best I've had. We got the pan roast and that has shrimp, lobster, crab, and clams. I was super nervous but I am a risk taker! It was all great but I'll probably just get the just lobster next time because it was awesome! I read a review that this wasn't enough food for the average male but we are not small people, we shared, and we couldn't finish it! Sit at the bar. It's fun and it's better than looking out the window at a parking lot!
(4)
Cindy W.
Ever since my friend had introduced this place to me, I had cravings for it at least once a month. First time there, I tried the clam chowder and my goodness is was no ordinary chowder, it had hearty ingredients with real seafood in them. It was what all clam chowder should taste like. Second time I went, I got the pan roast and in was heavenly. I had asked to serve the rice on the side so it made me look real Asian. It was good and portion was plentiful, I was able to take the leftover enough for a lunch meal. Overall the experiences were great and the food were Yum! I would definitely come back over and over. Recommend for: soul food, family, friends, social, casual, laid-back, single eater ok.
(5)
Kim T.
Went to adopt my new dog and decided to check out yelp for lunch and found this beauty. As I've stated before, I love me some cajun food and the concept behind this place sounded cool enough to give it a try. Bacon wrapped shrimp - we ordered this based on the waitress's recommendation and although it was ok, I felt like I ate this before on sample Sundays at Costco. The bacon was nice and crunchy but I believe the whole shrimp was deep fried making it slightly overcooked. However I did enjoy the squirt of pepper jack cheese in the middle. Gumbo - If you like gumbo, this isn't a bad one to order. Filled with meats it had a nice smokey taste to it. The House Pan Roast - This is what the place is known for and with good reason. I ordered it at spicy level 6 and it was pretty subtle so I think I could have kicked it up a notch. However the flavors were all there. Alone, it may appear to be too thick but when mixed with the pasta (I substituted the rice for linguini) it melded really well as the linguini soaked up the flavorful sauce. They definitely didn't skimp on the seafood either and I really appreciated all the crab in there. It almost felt like Poseidon got mad at some of his subjects and kicked them out to the Boiler. All in all I thought it was really enjoyable and if we were closer I would definitely visit more often
(4)
Jennifer H.
MMMMM I want more just thinking about it! If you're craving seafood and cajun food and you also happen to love butter, COME HERE!!! The food and service can be a little slow here, BUT it's so worth it. The house pan roast is what I always order and it never disappoints. I can't get myself to try any other items on the menu because it's that good! The house pan roast has an assortment of seafood (shrimp, lobster, etc) in a creamy cajun tomato base sauce that is served with white rice. The price is pretty hefty for dinner ($20), but it's also big enough to share with two people!
(4)
Chrissy M.
Found out about this place last night, and since The Oyster Bar in Vegas is one of my favorite spots... I HAD to try it!!! Omg.... House pan roast is the way to go!!! Lauren was very attentive! Never an empty drink ! And our chef Tony did an amazing job ... Nice chatting... Thank you both for the amazing meal and experience !!! Will be back!!!
(5)
K B.
The Good... N.E. clam chowder is excellent The ettoufee was really good Lobster pan roast was good Portion sizes are good, can be shared The Bad... Crab cakes were lukewarm at best Child's chicken nuggets over cooked Shrimp scampi w/linguine is floating in too much thin liquid so noodles don't have much flavor The Ugly... Often runs out of food items on the menu All in all, I would go back for the chowder and ettoufee and may try gumbo next.
(4)
Michaela G.
My husband was craving gumbo so I quickly accessed Yelp and found The Boiler. I've never had house pan roast but based on the reviews I thought I would give it a shot. We also ordered the chicken gumbo. We ordered both to go and the service was good. OMG, both were so delish! We are totally hooked. Can't wait to go back! Seriously, this place is a must try if you're in the neighborhood.
(5)
Rick H.
My wife and I have been going to The Boiler for years now and it is fantastic. We drive 45min. to get there. The food is great and the service is great. The only disappointment is the constant turnover with the cooks. We were made to feel special when the cooks see us and greeted us from behind the bar to the front door and could always remember what we ordered. The waitresses still remember us and greet us like friends. But the cooks don't know us from anyone else. I thought that having an open cooking area, we were encouraged to interact with the cooks and enjoy the experience. It used to be entertaining to watch. No more. Now you might as well put the cooks back in the kitchen. When you put them front and center, they have to show some charisma and flash, entertain us! No personalities anymore. It used to be fun to sit at the bar but now we just ask for a table. But still, the food is great and we continue to go back often. Get the cooks to come alive again.
(4)
Ed P.
Horrible service with arrogant hostesses/waitresses!! Came here for lunch on a weekday, and apparently we could see that they're not busy and there were tables availabe, but our hostess still made us wait 20+ min. We got fed up and walked out and went to the BJ'S next door. And what a difference in service we got at BJ'S. We will never return to this place! They have to make a change to all their incompetent personnel working there. I usually don't do reviews, but this place just got me started... There was also another time we came here with our baby. Obviously my kid could not eat restaurant food, so we brought her baby food. The owner came to us and told us no outside food allowed and requested us to discard them. The only reason we returned to this restaurant was because of the food. But now I'd rather drive a little further for better service where I feel my money is well spent. If they keep up with their poor ridiculous service, I'm hoping this place close down soon, as they do not deserve to be in business!! I would have given them a 0 Star if I could do so in yelp!
(1)
Jen T.
I've lived in Chino Hills for 2.5 years and I finally tried it! Our order: Calamari: So-so. I was expecting small, round bite-sized pieces. These pieces were looked like mozzarella sticks. House Pan Roast: Good. You can have it spicy from 1-10. We got a 3 and it had enough kick to it. Shrimp Scampi: Shrimp was tough and overall bland. Nothing spectacular that made me feel a want to come back.
(2)
Noor H.
Awesome place, great food, if you like spice get higher than a 7 for sure. Good service, friendly staff. You can see the chef cook the food right in front of you. All the seafood is moist, fresh and delicious.
(4)
Jeanie L.
House pan roast was my favorite soup! I loved the tomato flavor and the seasoning was really good. I loved dipping the complementary bread into my soup, better than eating it with rice. Calamari was OK..not great, it came in big thick strips (similar to chicken strips) but the flavor of the batter was not savory..it just tasted really off. Plus, I like my calamari in thinner strips anyway. The cajun fries came out pipin' hot, loved it and it was sprinkled with that cajun seasoning (yum yum). It's a bit pricey here for their soups and appetizers, but it was overall a very filling meal. Great service (but a bit slow with getting tables ready).
(4)
Chris C.
I went here for the same reason many people did, to try to recreate the experience I had at the infamous Oyster Bar in Vegas. In short, close but not quite. I pretty much ordered exactly what I ordered at the Vegas Oyster Bar: Pan roast and clam chowder. I will be comparing this meal to the Vegas counterpart. Pan roast: The seafood seemed a bit overcooked and it seemed like they had the temperature on the kettles set at max to get this dish to me as soon as possible. The rice was not as fluffy, it felt like the different between the Boiler and Oyster Bar is like the difference between Uncle Bens and chinese rice cooked in a zojirushi cooker (if you dont know what I mean, dont worry about it). Overall it was very good, but loses just slightly to the Vegas version Clam chowder: This was absolutely terrible. It came out room temperature and clumpy, like how clam chowder looks when its poured out of a can and not heated or stirred. Obviously this version is infinitely inferior to the Vegas version. In fact it was inferior to a can of clam chowder and a microwave. Avoid like the plague. Anyways the main point of this review is really the pan roast. Its good, a bit expensive, but should tide you over until the next Vegas trip.
Came here the other night to celebrate my dad's birthday and i must say it was delicious. We came on a Sunday night and there was a wait for a table but not for bar seating. since it was my dad's birthday we wanted to sit in a table and we waited 45+ minutes, to my disappointment there was a very rude table that would not leave even after they paid the check and were done eating. This has nothing to do with the establishment but i just wanted to note how annoying this table was, they were done eating before we sat down and still did not leave until we left (mainly because the restaurant was closing). The food and service was good. We got the pan roast, gumbo, oysters, sweet potato fries, and clam chowder. We also ordered the bouillabaisse but it never came, i knocked out a star because of this because my dad was really excited to get this but it never came and since it was near closing and they already cleaned the kitchen we did not make them cook it for us in the end. My dad was a bit disappointed about this but because he is awesome he did not make a scene. I will definitely come back again but i felt we should have received some sort of compensation for the long wait due to rude customers and for them literally forgetting the most important part dish of our meal. Overall, it was delicious and i would come back!
(4)
Rolando M.
Overall, the boiler is a great place to go if you have never experienced cajun southern style food. Its very flavorful and spicy! Yummy! The best of course is the house pan roast! A medley of seafood in a spicy tomato bisque soup served with jasmine rice. Every bite is great. The jambalaya was good, but it could have used more spices. I would have given this place five stars, but the service is lacking. No fault to the two waitresses, they were waaaay under staffed. Two waitresses waiting the whole restaurant, they were frantic and apologetic. I hope the owner hires more, because customer service goes out the window when there are only two waitresses who are seating people, taking orders, serving the food, busing the tables, etc. My hats go out to those two tonight, they were working their butts off and the dinner rush just started when we left.
(4)
Heidy D.
The food is very colorful but it needs salt.. Another downfall, the owner needs no I must say "he must" hire a 3rd or 4th girl/ guy to help out with waitressing. I felt bad for the 2 girls working because they had to host, serve both sides (tables and bar) and stay on top of everything which at the end it reflected their service because they had little or no time to check on us. We has to keep asking for things such as bread:(
(3)
Amber M.
This was my first time here and I loved it. We sat at the bar, so we could watch them cook all the food and it was great. I loved watching the chefs make everything right in front of us. I got the Gumbo and it was pretty good and a HUGE portion! There was lots of flavor and I like that you can choose the heat level, too. I was so full and took the rest to go and had a full second meal from it!! The service was great. They are very friendly and attentive. I would come back here the next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Avery S.
This place is a bit of a hit or miss for me. From what my boyfriend and I got: Bread was just bread. Calamari was great. He got the ettouffe which I thought was great! I got the scampi which I felt was very mediocre and not worth the price which was almost $20. The shrimp was a little tough. The best part of my scampi was the oily broth... I would recommend trying this place, but if you're looking to be blown away I wouldn't chance that here. Oh and funny enough the service is also hit and miss. Our waitress was ok, but there was another waitress who was very engaging and laughing it up with her guests. I wished we'd gotten her lol.
(3)
Shari M.
FINALLY!! This spot has been bookmarked since I started yelp (2009) and I finally shoed my face here a few weeks ago. Showed up with the parentals and we almost went H.A.M.... almost. Shrimp cocktail and crab cakes for appetizers. Not much to say about shrimp cocktail. You've had one, you've had them all right? Cajun crab cakes were really good though. They weren't round and were crunchy, not like typical crab cakes, but I still found them delish. I ordered the house pan roast and it was the bomb. Spice level at a 5. My dad ordered the chicken gumbo. Spice level at a 10, the highest. To be honest the 10 wasn't even spicy. I thought trying his I'd have to down water QUICK but nuh uhn. It seems the level only brings out more flavor. The bowls are really deep and dont be fooled, there's a bunch of rice at the bottom, not just the scoop you see. Our waitress was great. Explained the menu, let us take our time, just all around super nice. Can't wait to come back!
(5)
Christina L.
"I know I've asked you this before, but have you been to The Oyster Bar in Vegas?" I am glad I finally accompanied my friend to The Boiler so he will stop asking me this. Why did this restaurant end up in Chino Hills? I have no idea but that is precisely the reason it has taken me nearly a year to make it out to this place. Someone recently pointed out to me that I might have a seafood problem. I apparently like it too much. Considering my previous two meals in the week were seafood-laden, I don't think I can put forth much of a response. If you're not big on seafood, you'll likely find the menu becomes rather limiting. You can seldom go wrong with littleneck clams. My friend felt they were a little gritty and sandy. I always love a good lemony, buttery white wine sauce. I just wish there was some bread to soak it up with. When I try a place for the first time, I like to try the dish they are most known for. Although I am not a big tomato-based sauce fan, I ordered the house pan roast. This is my first time experience steam kettle cooking and I found the broth rich, creamy, and flavorful. My friend ordered the cioppino and although both dishes looked similar (almost everything is served in big white bowls that are set on a square plate), the cioppino was definitely too boozy for me. Seems like Chef Jimmy had a heavy hand with the brandy but my friend liked it just fine. My dish came with Jasmine rice but my friend had me substitute it with linguine which was not a problem. I highly advise you wait for a seat at the U-shaped bar if possible. Not only can you view your food being prepped and cooked but your food also arrives in front of you in a timely fashion-- moments after it is cooked. If you sit at the tables, your food may suffer by sitting at the counter (there isn't actually a window). Chef Jimmy's awesome. Not only is he personable and friendly, we also saw him help out the waitstaff by wiping down then setting tables and delivering food to the tables. Although I haven't been to the Vegas location, I can see why patrons might prefer that space. The addition of the tables surrounding the U-shaped bar is what really hurts the service. I'm not sure whether waitresses have stations or if there is simply bad communication but the service is inefficient. The waitresses also perform double duty without a hostess so be prepared for a wait even if there are empty tables.
(4)
John T.
The PANROAST is completely to die for...this was one of the first restaurants I had gone to since my return from teaching abroad. My girlfriend and I had ordered the oysters and it was delicious. I was hesistant of ordering the oysters because I am not a big fan of the texture or the taste, but this had completely blew me away. I loved each and every bite. The sauces were definitely on point. The wait was not as long as we expected and the chef was extremly nice and answered all our curious questions on how to make this delicious Panroast. The restaurant is really small though. As a result you're going to have to almost always wait outside, for sometimes up to an hour even, but luckily we came in on a saturday afternoon and we waited no longer than 10 mins. I will definitely come back here soon and order sweet potato frieds and chicken gumbo. On my next visit, I will order another Panroast to go and eat it for lunch because it is that GOOD!
(5)
Lynn N.
I've never ever ever ever... eaten at The Boiler before... but I must tell you... once the HOUSE PAN ROAST came.... I couldn't stop telling my friend how GOOD the food was. I swear I told her at least 10 times while we were eating!! Every single bite I took was heaven!!!!!!!!! There's nothing else to order here except for the PAN ROAST. seriously! BY THE WAY... if you're going to order a Pan Roast here or whatever... SHARE IT. The portions are really big so it might be too much for you if you try to finish it all by yourself. :) You want to be able to enjoy your food... and leaving the Boiler wanting more, not over stuffing yourself and having to take home left overs. :P
(5)
Mat S.
Outstanding! Amazing seafood. Rarely do I give four stars though The Boiler easily earned it. I had the opportunity to try the Fishersman's Chowder and Etouffee, both of which I will have to order in the future. I struggled though ultimately settled on the House Pan Roast (w/sausage added per patrons suggestion) at spice level 10 and was greatly surprised. Excellent flavors constantly emerging and not overly spicy. I would love to see this place on the water (S.B. SLO, Ventura). Looking forward to next time. Thank you for a delicious experience!
(4)
Zubeidah P.
Very tasty food. My fave is the clam pan roast. However, my experiences have been tainted by the sight of non-stop running water at the counter. Every single time. I have never seen that faucet turned off. It's like, come on now. We're in a drought. Pls be mindful and turn off the faucet. There is absolutely no reason to leave the water running the whole day. Just makes me wonder when a business is not mindful of others or the environment. One star down for that.
(4)
Luan C.
The Boiler serves Cajun style food according to my girlfriend. The owner of this restaurant owns two locations, one of them is in Vegas and the other one is in Chino Hills. The Chino Hills restaurant is located in a fairly new plaza with plenty of parking. I had no trouble parking near the entrance of the restaurant during the dinner rush. The design of the restaurant is of good taste and male friendly. If you are on a date with a girl, then there are tables all around the restaurant where you can sit and chat in a warm and relaxing atmosphere. If you are with your guy friends and want to watch a game, there is a big island in the middle of the restaurants where you can do so instead of staring into each others' eyes. The food here is definitely good, I had the House Pan Roast and it surely lived up to the hype. The thick flavorful soup mixed with the rice really brought a great amount of flavor to each bite.The soup base has a hint of tomato sauce but its nothing like the kind of tomato sauce that you know of. I highly recommend that you try the house pan roast LUNCH IS SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN DINNER! BY ABOUT 10 BUCKS!
(4)
Chris C.
Before, you disagree with me and wonder why I didn't rate at least 4 stars for this review, please understand that it's not necessarily because of the food. It has more to do with the service, the ownership, and what's happened since the birth of the Boiler. But, we'll get to that in a little bit. First, to understand where I'm coming from, let's do a background check on the Boiler. The proprietor of this restaurant makes a deal with Chef Ritter (formerly an Executive Chef that served for 26 years at the Palace Station's popular Oyster Bar in Las Vegas) to bring his style of cooking to SoCal. Things start boiling in 2009 and the place soars. I've been coming here around the time of inception and am rather pleased by the ambiance, service, and quality of the food. Move foward to 2011 and I hear news that Chef Ritter is no longer with the business. I'm sure it has to do with some disagreement with management and when it comes to these things, money is somehow always involved. Second, most people will agree that the food is fantastic and to that extent, I concur. For starters, the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and the New England Clam Chowder is mighty tasty. For the entrees, the Fisherman's Chowder, Chicken Gumbo, Jambalaya, and the variety of Pan Roasts are still better than average. Only, the food now lacks that "kick" or "zing" that made the flavor stand out. Switching your spicy level between 1 and 10, isn't going to help you my friend. As Chef Ritter left, a part of him left, including the original receipe. Third, I start to notice subtle differences that maybe current patrons aren't aware of. How about we start with the longer wait for your table? Next, the shortage of waiters during crunch time. In my last visit, the staff gets younger and lacks the experience to know when to check back at tables and how to coordinate efficiency in the restaurant. One worker just stands behind the register while the other scrambles back and forth. Then, my food takes longer to prepare since I only see one cook behind the U shaped bar and it feels more like a one man operation. Also, the paper menus at your table are now encased in plastic sleeves and are now being reused. There used to be at least 2 kinds of toasted bread, but now it looks like day old rolls that just came out of a bag. I'm not even going to get started with the prices, which were costly to begin with, but now are outrageous. The bottom line, ownership is cutting corners to maintain profits and is slowly chopping down the very essence of why this eatery was so great to begin with. Putting in a bar and serving some beers isn't going to make it any less obvious. Sometimes, you have to look at the overall big picture. Why? Because all the little things on the side, add up to ONE big thing. Which is to look beyond the Steam Kettle Cooking and notice that things have changed and will never be the same again.
(3)
Tina M.
I am extremely disappointed in my experience here on a Sunday for a late lunch. There were 6 of us and 6 of the seats at the bar were reserved and there weren't any tables large enough for us. I didn't mind waiting but what I didn't like was that the hostess told us it would be a few minutes. We ended up waiting 40 minutes and for this entire time, no one working there ever acknowledged that we were still waiting. The house pan roast was delicious as always. I had asked for sausage but didn't get it (which is fine) but then was charged for it and when I told the waitress she acted like I was trying to get the sausage for free and didn't want to pay $3 extra. Why would I waste time trying to get $3 taken off my bill? It's probably going to be awhile until I come back here, if ever. I'm sorry I had such a negative experience here, I actually liked the food!
(2)
Susan L.
When we walked in there was no host to greet us. The place wasn't busy and was seated in about two minutes. The waitress came with the menu and the menu was somewhat simple. She brought bread while we were still deciding. They had some Cajun spiced bread chips that were getting addicting. The food took about fifteen minutes. Ordered bouillabaisse and bf ordered the house pan roast. We both ordered spice level of 4 we weren't sure how spicy. My bfs dish the pan roast was creamy and savory and very addicting flavor! Love his dish! My bouillabaisse was good but I thought it was kinda peppery and overpowering the dish. I ate it with the free bread and dipped it into the soup. The seafood was a good a good amount but the shrimp was overcooked. Service was okay... Need to work on promptness and be aware of customers waiting.
(4)
Sue B.
3.5 stars Food was great, comparable to the Oyster Bar in Vegas Yet Oyster Bar is noticeably creamier and comes out piping hot.. Still, very nice to have this available within driving distance for any pan roast cravings My only gripe?? The service was horrible!! ATTN: any manager or owner of this place You need new waitresses! I felt like I was on restaurant stakeout. It was not busy this afternoon, several open tables, so there was NO excuse for such horrible service. The chef placed completed bowls and called for the waitresses to come deliver them. This specific waitress (Tina) literally took 20 mins to acknowledge the chef, and in front of paying guests undermined him, gave him a snappy attitude and basically raised her voice and rolled her eyes... I was shocked!!! She was too busy dancing around and singing to Rihanna in the background. The chef (white guy with braces) had to get out from where he was cooking and deliver the food himself due to the incompetent wait staff! Every little thing we asked Tina for, she forgot or it took her 15 mins to get out .. From ketchup, to a refill, to our to-go food! I hate to see how this place functions with these air headed girls when it's actually busy!! Come for the food, NOT for the service! Ahem: Tina the waitress!! (Service in this case doesn't entail the chef: the only hard working person here that deserves the recognition)
(3)
Tatiana M.
Nothing like to be an eye witness of your food being made. I ordered the Bouillabaisse cause I love lobster but the smell of the house's bowl was delicious!! I had the Jasmine rice and in was full and satisfied. If you want to spend less come on weekdays for the lunch portions / prices. I'm a foodie so heck to that, I'll have the dinner portion and pay the price.
(5)
Lala R.
Delicious cuisine!!! I loved my crawfish etoufee and the oysters on the half she'll were superb. The deduction of 1 star was for the lacking and inattentive service from waitress. Will be back to try lunch specials!
(4)
Tracie S.
We first tried this place a few months ago when I was suffering from pan roast withdrawal. My first time having pan roast was at Oyster Bar from Palace Station Casino in Vegas and I've been in love ever since. I had seen The Boiler for quite some time now, but had been hesitant to try since I was afraid it would suck...but now im kicking myself for not going sooner! The first time, I ordered the Gumbo while my BF ordered the House Pan Roast, spice level 5. I was pleasantly surprised at how much i liked it. I think the portions at Oyster Bar is bigger, but it's still more than enough for one person and I always have leftovers. I actually liked the gumbo here better cuz it was less salty. The Pan Roast didn't seem as thick or creamy as Oyster Bar..but still equally delicious and all the flavor was still there. We've also tried the jambalaya with spice level 5 the last time we went and my BF liked it. Although, i think i would tone down the heat for that since it's already packed with spices..i think a 3-4 for the spice level on the jambalaya is sufficient while 5 for the pan roast is just right for me. We've been coming back here ever since to satisfy my pan roast cravings. I love the fact that it's so close to me so now I can eat it anytime instead of only when I visit Vegas again.
(4)
Pearl J.
I found this place on YELP as I was craving Cioppino and did a search on it for places locally...the first thing that came up was the Boiler. Started reading the reviews and they made mention of Seafood Pan Roast. Then my mind shifted to the Oyster Bar in Vegas. So, I did more reading and explored the menu, then realized that Vegas just got closer. Had to try it, so we went for dinner that very night. Tried the Seafood Pan Roast and it was delicious. Came very close to the one they serve at the Oyster Bar, except for I wish they put a little more seafood in it. Not that it was scarce, but the Oyster Bar kind of set the expectation high. But, I totally recommend that you get it! The hubby got the gumbo, good but not something you need to try there in your first few visits. The rest of the menu looks promising...jambalaya, bouillabaisse, etoufee, chowders, and of course cioppino. I will try that one day! Make sure to sit at the bar. They have their cooking apparatus there where they cook in front of you, just like at good old Oyster Bar.
(4)
Tiffany N.
Friend took me here for a late birthday lunch. We arrived at 11:30am, when the restaurant opens, and we were the only ones there. This was surprising to me because the last time I tried to come here for dinner they had a 2 hour wait and said people make reservations in advance. My friend and I had the house pan roast. I had to prep myself before coming here the day before and googled what pan roast is. I'd say it's between a soup and a stew. Almost an Asian curry consistency but creole? We watched the owner cook our pan roast in front of us in the kettles. I'd say there is a good amount of seafood in the pan roast, but I'd like some more rice with my order. It's probably the Asian in me. I want to come back someday to try their clam chowder. Let's go!
(4)
The Snack Lady S.
I originally went to this place almost 4 years ago and based upon that review, I figured they could only get better right?........ Wrong! We went here for lunch today to celebrate my cousin's birthday. They had our table ready it was a total of 11 of us. They also had a large party of 10 behind us and the first thing the hostess says to us once we're sat " We only have 10 kettles so if you don't want to wait an extra 20 min for your food be sure you put your orders in before the other large party" That was noted but due to fact we hadn't made any decisions as of yet we browsed the menu. I ordered a kids meal for my child which didn't come with a drink.....over $8 for a kids meal & drink is a clear ripoff. I ordered the chicken sandwich which didn't come with any sides for $9, it was good lots of garlic so if you don't like garlic you might not want to order this, by the way its on the lunch menu so you'll have to ask them for it. The reason for the low rating is for the service and timing of the food. We finally got ready to place our orders mostly sandwiches with soup, a couple of salads and 2 kettle dishes. It took more than 30 min just to get the sandwiches and then another 15 for cups of soup....the salads came last which we didn't understand why those should've been out first. Our server was bit unorganized and aloof to the whole situation. Our food came at all different times and we had to ask for refills. Now the party of 10 behind us had no issues, not sure if that was due to their server or the fact that we were the only non-Asians in the restaurant. I'm not trying to play the race card but it is what it is..... She suggested splitting the bill 3 ways since we inquired about separate checks.....unfortunately she didn't even understand how to do that. Fortunately for her the gratuity was required otherwise she would have got what she worked for, which was very minimal. I was a server myself so I understand being slammed and busy and having to juggle tables. This wasn't the case, everyone isn't cut out to wait tables. After 2 1/2 hours here that's the most time they'll ever get from me. The food was decent but in my opinion the service was horrible and no matter how good the food is if everything is not 100% I won't be back. side note... the young man that's cooking with the kettles was organized and efficient, he seemed to have it all together.
(1)
Jess S.
This place is delicious but pretty pricey! The pan roast is delicious as well as some of their appetizers. The clam chowder is amazing, and fully packed with clams. The oysters are also good, but pricey (close to $20 for dozen). The bacon wrapped shrimp is yummy too as well as their cajun fries. The jambalaya is recommended too! Too many recommendations.
(4)
Kyle W.
Food was nice and warm, spicy scale from 1 to 10. and I got 10, thinking should be ok, however, I got my stomach butterflying, really, this is not a joke.. waitresses are really nice and welcome.....
(4)
Susana T.
My second time here and the cooking is consistent which is a plus since it's not always the same one doing the cooking. Love this place with my kids since I love Creole seafood. The calamari is to die for, the batter cover is thin and crispy while the calamari is tender and juicy.
(4)
Audrey D.
The Boiler is a good place to have steam kettle cooking style food if you're in the area but it's definitely not the best I've had. For one, I can think of one place I rate higher, that is the Oyster Bar in Vegas. Honestly, coming to this place after being to Oyster Bar a couple times just makes me appreciate OB even more. So, I'm going to be harsh on this review despite all others. Service was alright besides the fact that our server kept "popping in" between my boyfriend and I without us noticing she was there. Kind of creepy. Anyway, she wasn't too bad. The cooks at the bar were focused on rolling out the bowls quickly and were not conversational like at OB. We had not ordered any appetizers because we know the entrees were going to be plentiful. My bf had the House Pan Roast with shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams which the soup base was creamier than what we are used to. I ordered the Etouffee with shrimp and crawfish. It was pretty close to how an Etouffee should taste like; definitely not too creamy. Ironically, the seafood weren't as fresh as we expected it to be. OB always has fresh seafood and they're out in the middle of the desert! Which makes me wonder how this joint can't provide fresh seafood when they charge similar prices to that of OB. Both soups at a 5 and 7 heat scale weren't as spicy as the number sounds; I'd say they were at least a scale lower. Each of the entrees came with steamed rice but the rice seemed overcooked to me, sticky and mushy. I personally like Oyster Bar in Vegas better so keep in mind, OB has fresher seafood, open 24hr and 21+. Don't be bringing in your kids there, but at The Boiler you can cause they've got a kids menu too.
(3)
Frank L.
Place is kinda small and it fills up quick so id suggest to try not comin in durin peak hrs... Im definitely a fan o this place. They got a great variety o options to keep you comin back. My personal favorites are the Shrimp Diablo and House Pan Roast but Id also suggest the Etoufee and the Bouillabaisse jus cuz im more o a fan o the red sauce. If you prefer white sauce then id go wit the cilantro chicken w/ sausage... The sauce is pretty thick and it goes really well wit the bread they give you so you can use it as dip. The portions are really good. More than likely id save youd be able to save your entree for lunch the next day...however id prolly avoid the appetizers as i feel theyre over priced...if u really feel like spendin money tho i really liked the bacon wrapped shrimp but I think u only get like 4 shrimp...not filling but pretty good. I always find myself comin back when im in socal cuz there really isnt any place like this in the pomona/chino hills area. Also its variety will ensure that u feel like ur tryin sumthin new the next time!
(4)
Adriana P.
This place is in the same shopping center where there is a Lucille BBQ, BJ, Souplantation and my FAVORITE shabu shabu. My experience here was OKAY.....the service was ok....our waitress was good. Extremely nice. Let me tell what I got......I got the Shrimp Scampi: the flavor of the broth was ok, i had to add more lemon and i even used the butter that they give you for you bread.....the shrimp was way over cooked. My friend got theyre Shrimp Pan Roast: once again she had to add lemon and the shrimp was way too over cooked. I dont think ill be going to this place for Cajun....im just going to stick with my place in santa ana (Ritters)
(3)
Jennifer S.
Oops... I checked in to the wrong location. But, that's okay, review is in the right place! We started going to The Boiler when it first opened. I fell in love with it right off because the food was delicious. I don't get there too often and it had been a while when we went last night. It's kind of a different type of a restaurant. There is a regular bar, but you sit at the dining bar. Sort of like a sushi bar, except they cook your food in front of you in steam cooker pans, powered by a boiler in the back... hence the name. Of course there are also regular tables - a few - and once the novelty wore off, we usually choose to sit at a table. So, the truth is that it is usually kinda slow to get your food, but I don't mind because the food is outstanding. There are a couple of people who cook the food in the pans, but I think just the nature of the way the food is cooked is what takes a while for the meals to be ready/served. When you're seated, they bring bread, which we noticed they only brought sliced white bread where before there were a couple kinds of breads. For drinks they have beer and wine and they carry some good beers like Stone, etc. The waitresses are friendly but not the most attentive. Last night, though, once we were seated our server took pretty good care of us. One thing I didn't like is that the menus were pretty raggedy. I think they need to print new ones! They used to have fresh newly printed ones and now they have been placed in plastic covers and reused. I have a serious problem. I always order the same thing. The House Pan Roast is freaking delicious. It's got shrimp, lobster, crab and clams in a sweet tomato sauce that you can choose your spice level for. It is served with jasmine rice. This thing is just so yummy that I never order anything else. Although, I have ALSO gotten the clam chowder which is really good, too. They do have other Pan Roasts as well, that are only a single seafood item, but the one with all four items is the best. Seriously. My parents are more adventurous. They have tried several of the dishes and tend to go for the jambalaya that has seafood and sausage with rice. Also the Shrimp Diablo is good, but it comes with noodles instead and the rice here is really good. The menu is not extensive, but it's a cajun/seafood focused menu and most dishes you select your spice level from 1-10. Overall, the food here is fresh, super flavorful and interesting. It's a little pricey, $20 for the meal I eat, but of course it's chock full of seafood. I feel like it's really worth the prices. The only area that could use improvement is the speed of service, being seated and then getting your food after ordering - if that improves, I think I'd go 5 stars here. But the staff is very friendly and we talked to the chef quite a bit when they first opened and he was really friendly, but haven't seen him for a while. If you haven't tried The Boiler and you like seafood, this is a must try. I highly recommend. I just wish they would expand to Escondido! heh
(4)
Alex G.
Haven't been to this place in a long time but when we lived in Chino Hills I considered it one of the best restaurants around. Especially since it's one of the non franchises places in town. It's mostly an unique take on gumbo. It's tiny inside so you can expect a wait for a table. If you're by yourself or with 1 other maybe you'll have better luck bellying up to the bar with the steam pressure cookers. The food is awesome. It's fresh vibrant and hearty. Best part is they allow you to choose the amount of heat you want with your meal from a 1-10 scale. I'm a bit of a weenie so I usually go a 4 or 5.
(4)
Emily L.
Food was okay but their service was horrible. We been keep asking our water and drinks for over 20 mins. But no one came to help us. Those 2 waitress just stay in the cashier all the times. We need ask the chef help us to take away our dirty bowls and dishes. It's not worth for us to drive that long distance to eat there, I am really sure we will never come back here again.
(2)
Victor M.
I had to give it a five... Only thing missing is the show girls and beats the wait from the oyster bar. Chef was friendly and had a great attitude. Cool place... Will be back again!
(5)
Monica D.
The food was very delicious just be careful what number you tell them when they ask you how spicy you want you meal to be. I told our waitress 6 and my chicken jambalaya almost burnt my mouth off! I would recommend anyone to give this place a try! Our waitress was very attentive and made sure we were well taken care of!
(5)
Diana L.
Dear Owner(s), Okay, I tried. I reallyREALLY tried. I wanted to love this place. I waited until I've been here 5 times over the course of a year or so before deciding it's time to review. I kept thinking, "one more chance, just one more". Let me just start with this: You have something magical here. The food, the concept, the setup with the kettle cook bar where customers can see the chefs cook...at this moment, you are one of the very very few restaurants that will actually entice people to come to Chino Hills... But something is not working here. The main culprit? A PROBLEM WITH STAFFING - you either do not have enough wait staff, are not properly training your wait staff, OR you are simply hiring SUCKY wait staff. All of this leads: 1) Inconsistent/Bad Customer Service The first 4 times I've been here, the waitresses had attitude problems. They were difficult to flag down, and when we finally succeeded in getting their attention they had such an attitude problem. We actually caught her rolling her eyes at us. That is a BIG FAT NO - you DO NOT do that to your customers...My sister caught that, and she promises to never come back... :( Only one time was our waitress nice and checked in on us. Unfortunately 1 out of 5 times means overall there is bad customer service here... 2) Problems with the Food Overall, flavor of the food is tasty but for there seems to be a HUGE rate of mistakes. Every time I've been here, there has been something wrong with our orders: The jasmine rice is too mushy. There is too little rice. They forgot to put the rice on the side as requested. When it comes to spice level, you have a 50% chance of getting the wrong level. One time I came and I ordered a spicy level 8 but for some reason my cousin's lvl 5 was spicier than mine. Another time my husband ordered spicy level 1, but the damn thing came out spicier than mine! When my hubby tried to re-order something else that was non-spicy, it came out uber bland. When you're paying $17+ for a single dish, you want to feel satisfied. After this, hubby said he will never come back... :( I'm willing to give another chance, BUT I am starting to run out of people who will go with me... :(
(2)
Eva G.
Shrimp Diablo.. Fried Calamari.. Fresh Oyster.. the 3 trusty combination.. can never go wrong with it..
(4)
Smitcha B.
After driving 60+ miles one way from LA to play on a nice golf course in the Inland Empire, The Boiler was a nice treat. One of my favorite go to places in Las Vegas is the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station Hotel. That was when my friend's first introduced me to the whole steam kettle Cajun cooking. Some time later we got wind that such a place existed in Southern California. Rumors started circling amongst my buddies that a worker from the Oyster Bar branched off and opened up his own place in Chino Hills. We still don't know the real story or if The Boiler has any ties to the Oyster Bar at all even though the concept, menu, and taste are almost identical. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to try out the food at The Boiler. They have some weird closing hours similar to traditional Japanese restaurants. Check their website or call ahead or you may end up knocking on a locked door. I believe Tuesdays they don't serve lunch period, Mon-Wed & Friday they are closed between the hours of 2:30-5pm, and on weekends they are opened open to close without a gap in between. They also have happy hour, as well as beer and wine. We walked in a little after 2pm on a Monday. The place was nearly empty and the waitress didn't seem too thrilled that we came in right before they were about to close. Yes, I know the golden rule that when a restaurant is about to close, you should try your best to not walk in and sit down. As customers we are entitled to walk in a minute before the closing times but it's generally frowned upon. Besides, I worked in a restaurant for many years back in the day so I know that sucky feeling. Plus, I've been looking forward to this meal for a while. It's not that often that I find myself in this neck of the woods. However, our waitress lightened up after we chatted a little bit and she figured out that we weren't going to be those typical slow patrons. We were there to do work and gtfo. We were seated at the main bar and although the menu is extensive and everything looks enticing, we were able to pick out our food right away. We chose what we would normally get in Vegas. What I appreciated seeing on the menu was that they had a "lunch" time portion. That meant less food but at a cheaper price. I ordered the lunch gumbo, spicy level 5 (medium) while the homie ordered the lunch house seafood pan roast, spicy level 7. The dishes were about $12-13 each. Personally, both dishes were just as good as what we experienced in Vegas. Full of strong and intense New Orleans inspired flavors, a good amount of seafood, and the scoop of rice will ensure that your belly is satisfied by the end of the meal. If you enjoy a nice tang/sour taste then I'd say go with the pan roast. Reminds me of an upgraded and thicker version of tomato soup. The gumbo is on the richer side but you'll find yourself licking the bottom of the bowl. Both weren't too spicy to me at all. If I wasn't curious about some of the other items on the menu for future visits, I would happily order these again. There's plenty for everyone off their menu although the majority of dishes lean on the seafood side. Watching the chef make the food from the steam kettle is pretty cool and I really do believe that the food tastes better made this way versus the conventional stove and pot style. You may opt out to sit at the bar so you can witness the magic happen right before your eyes. Definitely worth the stop and will be thinking about this place every time I'm in the area. A perfect meal after a long and tiring day at work or in our case, after 4.5 hours of hacking up a golf course.
(4)
Corey M.
Omg! This place is delicious! I ordered the sweet potato fries and the chicken gumbo. The fries were delicious and had a light coating of brown sugar. My chicken gumbo was perfect. It had a scoop of jasmine rice in the middle. The flavor was exactly how gumbo was supposed to taste. Plus, the service was great! Will definitely return for more great food!
(5)
Tina W.
I truly loved this place. I ordered the house pan. First time coming here and it was something different for me to try. Small size restaurant so the service they gave was exceptional. Bill came out cheap Nothing better than that.
(5)
Peter P.
If you haven't been to Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, you're really missing out. Luckily, we have The Boiler in Chino Hills which is essentially the same thing with many more menu options. The head chef actually used to work at the Oyster Bar before going solo. Sadly, The Boiler is still a far drive from me since I live in south Orange County, however, I hear they are planning on opening another location in Irvine by the end of 2012! Can't hardly wait!!! As far as the food goes... it's excellent. Do yourself a favor and order the HOUSE PAN ROAST. It's a spicy tomato cream based Creole soup with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams served with Jasmine rice. It's very rich, hearty, extremely flavorful and loaded with seafood. If you want it even heartier, consider adding andouille sausage or okra. You can get the spice level from 1-10. I like mine medium, but if you have a death wish, you can also request a ghost chili hot sauce. If you didn't know, the ghost chili is one of the hottest chili peppers known to man. So good luck with that. For appetizers, go with the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp or the Oysters on a Half Shell. I was disappointed with the Cajun Crab Cakes and was not digging the apples inside. The Oysters Rockefeller were just decent, but I would try other things before getting them again. Yes, it's kind of expensive at around $20 a bowl for the Pan Roast, but it really is delicious and there aren't many places that I know of where you can get steam kettle cooking. I think the portions at Oyster Bar are slightly bigger and have a little more seafood, but it's also a little more expensive... and it's all the way in Vegas. So until I go back to Vegas, The Boiler does a great job at satisfying my cravings. 4.5 Stars
(4)
Christine N.
We were craving some type of Boiling Crab flavors and came here on a whim. They offer fresh baked bread yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… while we waited and brought out our order of Sesaoned Cajun fries yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… . For the main course, we got their Etouffe level 4 spicy yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… and Shrimp scampi level 6 yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… . Both were very flavorful and delicious! I also thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the food bar to watch the chefs cook the customer meals! It was kind of like watching from Hell's Kitchen stand point. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Pretty awesome!
(5)
Karen W.
I'm not a complainer at ALL and I usually love this place but this chef JOE HENRY is a fuckin douche bag!!! I came to treat my family out to dinner to celebrate my new job and my stepmom getting her drivers permit and what was supposed to be a day of happiness and celebration ended up being a total disaster. First off it took forever to get our order (even though it was a weekday and wasn't packed) we patiently waited, then when we finally got our orders (all at separate times, so we couldnt even really eat together) My dad and brother's gumbo was wayyyyyyy too salty. My dad was really hungry so he just finished his. My brother tried to bare through it but half way through he just couldn't take it being sooo salty. When we asked the waitress if we could get something else she said she would see what she could do. (The waitress and servers were really nice) Then Joe comes out with the two dishes in his hands and says unfortunately he can't do anything about it because it was almost done. I kindly explained to him my stepmom and my order was fine just the 2 gumbos were salty. My dad finished his and didnt want another order but I was afraid my brother was still hungry and unhappy. We decided to just go with another dish but because Joe was so rude and didn't try to give any type of customer service, we decided to just cancel the order. I asked if we could get some kind of discount being that my family was unhappy, and they give me a receipt with $1.76 discounted marked as "salty 10%" do the math, dummy! The gumbos came out to $17.55 each how the fuck does that even add up?! And plus, the $1.76 discount was just a slap in the face!!! Might as well not have put anything at all!!! I paid for it and had a talk with Joe in the end letting him know how unacceptable that was, and that we are NEVER coming back here again. I have plenty of friends that I will spread the word to... The WU family gives Joe Henry a big "FUCK YOU" for ruining our experience and a special moment in life.... ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
J T.
Delicious! Had the house pan roast and it definitely rivals the Palace Station pan roast in Las Vegas and they are not stingy with the amount of seafood they give! Also tried the cioppino and dare I say it's better than South Pointe in Las Vegas. They offer a heat scale of 1 to 10. I got a 6 and it wasn't very spicy....next time will try an 8.
(4)
David G.
Gumbo was good-the base was thicker than we've had before. Shrimp scampi with linguine was great and you can choose hotness and add and take things out to make it just who you like it! Happy hour til 6pm so they have great oyster shooters for $3(2).
(4)
Cherie T.
i can't believe I didn't write a review for The Boiler!! The last time I went was early last year and till this day I can still remember the taste and smell of the House Pan Roast. It is THAT delicious! i was lucky to get a seat at the kitchen u-shape bar area. I got to watch the chef prepare all the food and the aroma of the cajun spices was making me salivate as I watch each dish getting cooked. I ordered the House Pan Roast (medium spicy) -- the first bite i took i was already in dancing ..it was so good. The stew was thick and flavorful and to eat it w/ the rice was just MMMmmmm! I'm so glad they gave out breads. The bread is also very good w/ the House Pan Roast if you are done eating w/ the rice. I cannot wait to go back and order the House Pan Roast again. The Boiler, will you open one in San Diego??? you guys will be a HIT!!
(4)
Melissa H.
My husband and I shared the house pan roast...substituted sausage for the clams! Outstanding..! Next time we will try the clam chowder one as this looked really good as well. Be careful with the spice!
(4)
Sean M.
My wife and I have been coming here since they opened. Cool little neighborhood restaurant. We have always had good service and great food. Our favorite is the house pan roast. It has nice big shrimp, scallops and chunks of crab. The sauce rocks and the bread is just right to soak up all the goodness as you eat. Be thoughtful on the heat scale... I like hot and usually hit in the 6 range on a scale of 1-10. I went too high one time and my nose ran and head sweat the whole time. The cioppino is very good too. I would recommend the calamari appetizer. It is nice thick strips of calamari cooked lightly crisp on the outside and to tender perfection on the inside. Make sure to ask about their bottled beer selection too. I seem to get a good new brew every time is always friendly. The bar is the best spot in the house. You can talk to your chef as he makes your dinner. Two thumbs up great place
I'm one of the biggest fans of Palace Station's Oyster Bar in Vegas, so when I heard about this place, naturally I wanted to check it out. We started off our Vegas trip by eating at the Oyster Bar, so it was only fitting that we ended the trip by eating at The Boiler on the way back home. The set up at the bar and the steamer equipment is practically identical to the Oyster Bar, only newer and cleaner. I like how the restaurant has lots of open lighting, with a decent amount of additional tables around the bar. My wife and I shared a big bowl of Fisherman's clam chowder, along with a side of calamari and fries. Both of the sides are pretty standard there, so I'll focus on the chowder, which had a few flaws in my opinion. I thought there was a bit too much filler in the chowder, like celery, and the flavor seemed too "pasty" and milky. Of course, New England chowder has cream, but there was also something about the chowder that tasted off. The seafood inside was tender, most plenty of small sized shrimp, clams, calamari, and some fish. There could've been more crab in there, for sure. Whereas most good chowders incorporate all of the flavors together, I felt that the chowder here wasn't quite as fully developed. The dudes working the steamers were cool and the service was friendly as well, so a nice vibe inside the restaurant. Since I'm a seafood lover and if I ever get the itch for some hearty seafood soups without the 3.5 hour drive to Vegas, I'll know where to go.
(3)
Lisa C.
Too little ingredients inside the House Pan Roast. Not worth the value. A lot of available tables and still let customers waiting at the entrance area due to only 3 waitresses serving.
(3)
Mums P.
very disappointed with the Broiler. The service was horrible and not even a manager on the site. It took almost an hour to order and the apitiser the crab cakes were mushy. they got my order wrong twice . The cook took about 3 mims to cook it and it tasted like water. when I informed the staff of this as we left the food on the table uneaten they tried charging me for the lousy uneaten food. I ended up having to pay for the mushy crab cakes and ice teas $16 and almost 2 hrs of my time. Can't believe they charged me for crap like. chef Ramsey would of closed the place down. from reading yelp i think folks don't know what good food is any more, to bad.
(1)
Ben L.
Good food but very bad customer services Employee didn't wash their hands after using the restroom
(1)
Meek E.
Taste - N/A This review won't have anything on the actual food, because due to the following, I didn't get to it. Experience - 1 We went in on a Friday, to be expected, there'd be a wait. We were greeted by a half frantic looking man who took our reservation down (for 2), asked for our preferred seating (bar or table, we chose whichever came first), and told us it'd be 15 minute wait. We sat down, watching the staff and customers that were already seated to eat. My date has been a server at restaurants before, and noticed some red flags about how the place was run. 1. Chefs were coming out of the back kitchen to hand servers food. Due to poor staffing, the servers available couldn't keep up with the kitchen. Who knows how long the food was sitting and how long orders were being backed up for that to happen. 2. No one to clean up. Whether you have servers or bussers to clean tables, no one was doing it. There were a few tables and spots on the bar that could've been available for the next guests, but they weren't getting cleared. 3. Servers were difficult to flag down. A few times, customers would ask for drink refills, etc, and couldn't get a server to actually stop for them. 4. A bar with one bartender/server. I feel bad for her. Not only did she have a full bar to wait on, but she had to make the drinks for the rest of the place. Girl couldn't keep up. Wasn't at the bar half the time because she had to take orders from customers in her area. We waited for 40 minutes until we decided to call it quits. Especially after we heard the frantic man tell a mother with 2 kids that it would be a 20 minute wait for them... each. I hope she caught that.... Environment - 3 There's a bar, an eating bar where it looks like you get to see some cooks at work, and a few tables. It's a decent size, some mood lighting, and though I thought it to be more geared towards adults, there were a ton of families. Price - N/A I wouldn't mind paying for it, if I knew it was worth it... hence why I even decided to try and eat here. Location - 4 There's a lot of parking, you might have a little walk if you get there during peak hours, but it's located right off the 71.
(1)
Dave R.
I absolutely love this place. I came here two days ago and have come back a second already. The food is perfectly prepared, the cooks, especially Arthur, are very warm and hospitable. The wait staff is awesome and takes care of you hand and foot. I have had the House Pan Roast, the Fisherman Chowder, and the bacon wrapped shrimp. Each was just absolutely delicious. I am so happy I found this place, I highly recommend it and it has now become one of my favorites and I will definitely be back for more.
(5)
Jason F.
Great spice, great portion, great service. I always get the House Pan Roast with extra sausage and love the flavor of it with rice. It's gumbo meats curry meats yummy yummy in my tummy. I'm not 100% this place is jam packed all the time, but when I went it was pretty dead. It could be of course the location being Chino Hills and other eateries around it? Who knows.
(4)
MC R.
The house pan roast is EXCELLENT, very reminiscent of Palace Station in Las Vegas. Get a side of crispy calamari and you are good to go!
(5)
Peter C.
Worst service ever for our party of 4 last week, not only unfriendly and SLOW service, our water never got refilled until we asked 2 times, the food also sucks, way too expansive for the portion we got, and didn't even taste fresh. Pam Roast was way too bland and tasteless, like a can of tomoto soup. I heard the original chef left after dispute with management and has opened a new place in Santa Ana, called Ritters Steam Kettle Cooking, just Yelp it and u will see the nice reviews, we will go try it out this weekend for sure
(1)
Juliette L.
This location just isn't as good as the one in Las Vegas. I've been here multiple times and I usually order a pan roast. And it's always saltier than necessary! I'll have leftovers and I won't even feel like taking it to-go (and I /always/ take food to-go if there's any left). *sigh* Oysters Rockefeller were sub-par as well. Oysters didn't taste fresh. Hum. maybe I'll pay another visit soon and see if anything has changed.
(3)
JEN C.
Been here a few times and have almost always sat at the high stools. The food never disappoints but the service does (especially on our last visit which was a week ago). Be prepared for a wait if you get here during peak hours! We always start off with the calamari..thick cuts of calamari lightly breaded and served with cocktail sauce and fresh horseradish. Yummy! Doesn't taste oily at all like most places that serve calamari. The boyfriend and I learned that an order of pan roast is more than shareable between two people. We just ask for an extra scoop of rice. I like how we can chose our own spice levels; 8-9 is perfect if you like spicy but still want to enjoy the meal. We always leave satisfied with our meals. Service was pretty horrible on our last visit. We were promptly seated right before the rush started. The waitresses took forever to take our order and some water. We did not get bread until we got our appetizer. It was so hard to get their attention because they were too busy talking at the bar area with their backs turned. They even left some tables orders sitting at the counter in front of us for 10+ minutes while the cook kept calling out the number to let them know that the tables food was ready. The cooks are usually very engaging and talkative.
(4)
Elzen P.
Comparing this joint with Ritters in Santa Ana. Not comparable. Jambalaya was bland.
(2)
Luby H.
Came here for a family dinner of 16, and wow, they fit us in immediately considering the size of this restaurant isn't exactly for big parties, I applause them for their efficiency. What's great about the Boiler was that the food wasn't as salty as other cajun/southern food is, but still has that great blend of spices. Appetizer: Raw Oysters: Fresh and delicious, I can really eat this all day! I can't believe how some people find this slimy and disgusting. What is there not to love about raw oysters? Although this wasn't as fresh as the ones by ocean piers, it was as good as the ones at boiling crab! YUM! Crab Cakes: Don't really recommend. It wasn't hot, and just not very memorable. Something was missing in this dish.. Main Course: House Pan Roast (with noodles instead of rice): I HIGHLY recommend the noodles instead of rice, especially if you were looking to order jambalaya also. You can also order rice on the side since you get a good amount of sauce left over. Jambalaya: We ordered a level 2 spicy level, and it was not even slightly spicy. I did ask for extra spices on the side and you can mix this in yourself if others at your table aren't as fond of spiciness, but it just doesn't taste the same. I think if we ordered this at 6 or 7 spicy level, I would have liked it a lot more, but still delicious! Overall, a great place for cajun food, but the interior design wouldn't have you guessing that it served southern food. It looked more like a Japanese food or shabu shabu bar if anything. Food was yummy though! Would come back again!
(4)
Eileen L.
A solid, no frills, brightly lit cajun restaurant hidden in a deserted part of Chino Hills. For those who cannot stand spice, have no fear! Each entree is adjusted in spice level from 1(or maybe 0?) - 10... One of my friends ordered the mildest... so 0/1, another braved the 10...but she did not look defeated by it at all. I had the Etoufee, with a level 3 spice. The stew was really creamy and smooth, with a slight kick to it. The seafood in my order were fresh and bursting with flavor. At the end of the meal, I shamelessly brought my friend's leftover House Pan Roast to go. She only consumed half the order, and the leftovers were more than sufficient for a meal. Frankly, I could not tell the difference in taste between the House Pan Roast and the Etoufee. Both roasts were served with fluffy jasmine rice, and the ingredients seemed practically the same. The portion size was a bit skimpy for the price. If I'm back, I'll have to take advantage of the lunch specials.
(4)
Arnold W.
Omg! The house pan roast is magical!!! I've never had anything like it. I'm not sure how to really describe it, but it's kind of like a seafood-type beef stew and gumbo hybrid in one. It comes with tons of seafood in it. The flavor is so intense. I ordered a 4 on the spiciness scale and it was just about the right amount of kick. It's so super rich and buttery. It goes so well with the rice and also the bread. I can't stop thinking about it and wanting more. However, it's too buttery to eat too often.
(5)
Karen M.
Likes: bouillabaise, gumbo was kinda spicy, cajun calamari yum, the big bowls the food is served in, the place set up that looks like you're sitting in a kitchen (I like watching people cook), plus everything is cooked in steam kettles Dislikes: waiting for the food to come out was slow, on the pricier side, also the free bread they gave was only ok.
(3)
Amy L.
The Boiler is one of those places I'd want to eat at if I knew I was going to die in a week. Here is my take on the dishes I've tried here: Soft Shell Crab - bomb! lightly crisped and meaty. love the sauce. flavorful appetizer but light. Oysters - I'm pretty sure I never opt for the blue point ones. Everything else I've had though has been really good. Small and not pungent. Sweet and creamy flavors. They know how to pick them! House Salad - such a great start to the meal if you don't want the starters. It's light and refreshing. that lemon vinaigrette is amazing. Cioppino - very filling because they give you a lot of the linguini. the "soup" isn't as flavorful as their other dishes but it's loaded with seafood. It's definitely lighter than the rest because the "soup" isn't as thick. House Pan Roast - TO DIE FOR! it's like a creamy tomato base loaded with chunks of fish, lobster, scallop?, large shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari. You may think that scoop of jasmine rice is really small but I've never been able to finish the entire dish. It's amazing as leftovers. The rice doesn't get fat or soggy because the sauce is just way too thick to absorb haha AMAZING China Mist Iced Tea - refreshing! and very interesting. Doesn't really go as well with the dishes as a soda would, though. Parking lot is shared with many other stores and restaurants but there's always parking. It gets really packed during the night especially over the weekend so you should call for reservations. Restaurant is clean and neat. The bar never seems to have anyone there. I think they should convert it to more dining seats. Love the staff especially the cooks. The game is always on. Love this place!
(5)
Emily K.
Amazing food! If you like boiling crab you'll like the food here. And I'm almost sad saying that because this restaurant is about a million times better than the food at boiling crab. The wait is a bit long so just watch the games on tv or have a beer or two cause it's well worth the wait. The portions are large so you might want to share or take it home. I've got my leftovers from tonight in the fridge =) I ordered the House Pan Roast and it was amazing. Sit at the bar if you can. It's really fun watching them make the food.
(5)
Jen L.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! Here's why: 1) Such an unique and interesting concept. They use a steam system to cook your food. If you sit at the bar you can watch them make your food. They mix everything in the pot and serve it to you right there. This place is super clean and nice inside. 2) Great service. Good prices. 3) Nice menu selection. Great appetizers. I love the calamari, crab cakes and the clam chowder is a MUST! Tastes so hearty and fresh. 4) I recommend the House Pan Roast. WOW!! One of the top things I've ever tasted EVER! Portions are huge so bring friends and share and taste everything! The Jambalaya isn't so bad either! If you like sausage you have the option of adding it in! Also you have the choice of picking your spiciness level! I live in Orange County and I drive all the way out here just to eat this... that says it all!!!!!
(5)
Alisa C.
I have been to this restaurant for so many times.. Their pan roast is sooooooo good.. I their bacon shirmp is a must try too and Cajun fries is very good too.. I also order their crab cake & oyster omg cannot wait to come back again!!! Miss their pan roast bowl soo much.. Oh please order a large one cause u will be nonstop eating
(4)
Danielle A.
The bacon wrapped shrimp are the best appetizers with the mac 'n cheese (gouda) bites coming in 2nd. The calameri was meaty and plenty of pieces for 3 people to share. The New England clam chowder had lots of clam no skimping here. Came here on a Saturday afternoon around 5pm-ish pretty dead. Kobe sausage just regular sausage with honey mustard sauce. The crab cakes were dry. We were seated quick & the service was great. The server was very friendly. Background music good.
(4)
Dan P.
My first time here I ordered all the wrong items. After reading a friends review, I went back and got 2 must have dishes: 1) House Pan Roast 10/10 - One of the best dishes I've eaten in a long time. Rich, spicy (optional) and just simply delicious. 2) Ciopinno 9/10 - Not the best I've ever had (Sotto Mare in SF), but it was damn good. Service was great as usual and the prices were a little high but well worth it for the quality of food. I highly recommend this place!
(5)
Bruce M.
I wasn't very impressed when I walked through the door and wasn't greeted or seated shortly thereafter when all you see are empty tables however the food was decent a little change of pace not your ordinary chain food nice to try once every 3 or 4 years would recommend
(3)
Olivia T.
My, oh my. Pan roast. Pan. Roast. I originally wanted to try this super delicious dish in Vegas this past weekend, but wasn't able to bring a party of 13 to a tiny counter at Palace Station... Luckily, I heard about this place called, "The Boiler", which supposedly had the same concept. Naturally, I knew I HAD to try it immediately when we got home from Vegas. Here's my breakdown of what went down: 1. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp - I don't even like bacon, and I thought this was pretty good. The downfall is that this thing was quite salty. 2. Sweet Potato Fries - will not order again. I thought the bacon shrimp was salty.... but this dish........... I couldn't even eat more than two fries. It was buried in salt. 3. Gumbo - Okay. Wouldn't order it again... 4. Jambalaya - again, okay. Wouldn't order again. 5. House Pan Roast - wow. Love at first bite. The brilliant combination of tangy tomato sauce, cream, butter, and seafood is full of flavor. I'm coming back to this restaurant regularly for sure... just for this dish alone. The service was whatever. The people didn't seem like they wanted to be there. Then again, I guess working on Labor Day can be a drag. It's amazing what a simple smile can do for your patrons... that's the first step you might want to consider taking if you want to improve your service at all. Even the cook couldn't crack a smile during the experience of having us watch our food being cooked. If it wasn't for the lukewarm mediocre service, I would've rated this establishment with a solid 5-star rating. However, like many other avid Yelpers, your rating shall be lowered due to your lukewarm mannerisms. I would've rated this place with a 3.5 because everything except for the pan roast was just okay. I rounded it up to 4 stars (not 3) because it's mathematically correct to round up if the final verdict is 3.5 stars.
(4)
Adam H.
Food not worth the wait. Several times it's 20 minutes and the place is empty. Simply forget about pickup unless you can wait an hour to eat. Not saying food isn't tasty, just takes too long to enjoy. Go on a Tuesday afternoon where the wait is only 15 minutes.
(1)
Wendy Q.
The clam chowder was wonderful. We shared a bowl with a po boy sandwich for lunch (under $10). The sandwich was good - that's all. We shared calamari that was over cooked and too thick for my taste. We also shared crab cakes(2 small ones) which were just not good. Too much lemon and very sponge like in texture. The jasmine green iced tea was really good, but I had to ask for a glass of ice because there were only a few cubes in my glass. The bread was good and fresh and free. Service was decent granted there were only about a dozen diners at the time. Entire bill was $37 for the two of us for lunch. I likely won't return unless I'm in the mood for soup alone.
(2)
Dave M.
I came in a few days ago and it turns out that my favorite chef is gone. She left without me trying her food one last time!!!!!!!! I asked for my second favorite chef and it turns out that he is gone as well! I decided to give the kid at the bar a try but it was very disappointing. I give him two stars for effort but lost the other 3 in the lack of flavor in the food. The only way ill ever be back is if Carmen or Kris are cooking other then that I am sadden to say that a regular has been lost.
(2)
Anthony T.
Love this place!! Haven't been here for 3 years now and the food is great as ever!!!!
(5)
tiffany c.
So different from 99% of food places in the IE. I am so happy we found, and came here. The food was delicious and the service was friendly. I would recommend and be coming back again.
(4)
Ryan T.
I came here because I was very interested in steam kettle cooking, which I have never tried before. The setting was very upscale and sophisticated. I like the open bar seating where you can watch the chefs at work. Apps consisted of fried calamari, bacon wrapped shrimp, and oysters on the half shell. Fried calamari was fresh and tender, not one hint of rubbery text. Bacon wrapped shrimp were large and suculent, delicious. Oysters were fresh and also quite large. I ordered the House Pan Roast which seemed like a first timer favorite, it did not disappoint, large chunks of lobster, shrimp, and crawfish. She ordered the Shrimp Diablo, lots of big shrimp and good flavor. I finished my dish off with a glass of draft Monkey Fist IPA, very hoppy, more so than Stone IPA, I like it. This is a unique dining experience and we will definitely be coming back for more.
(5)
John P.
I approach gumbo with great skepticism as I learned to make it from someone who lived in New Orleans. This is pretty damned good. It's a little fancy pants in terms of setting, but don't let that
(5)
Sandy T.
hands down my favorite restaurant in the 909 area. Pan Roast is delicious. The first time you get it you'll be like..."this is pretty good". Then later on that day you'll be thinking about how good it was and wondering the next time you will go again. Rockefeller oysters are delicious and so are their raw oysters, I always have a tough time choosing. Fried calamari pieces are huge and delicious! I was not a fan of their gumbo. Service here is ok. They hire young girls as servers and sometimes when my water glass is empty I can see them chatting in the corner by the bar. It's the only reason why I did not give this place 5 stars.
(4)
Jenn C.
Really...it's 3.5 stars My friend and I FINALLY got to check this place out for dinner after attempting a few times, do remember the Broiler closes early [830pm] The location of the restaurant is in a relatively new plaza, tucked away in a corner but it provides a lot of parking so you should have no trouble with that. You can have the option of sitting at the counter or at a table, which we chose to do. For dinner, we chose: * Cajun Crab Cakes [2]: they brought it out fresh and hot, which is perfect for me. It's delicious in flavor and you can smear it with the sauce that they served with it. The sauce has a little kick it in but I wish they served a little more because we literally licked the entire plate clean. It is definitely one of the best crab cakes I've had so far. * Crab Pan Roast: My friend chose level 7 for spiciness and wow...was it good. The flavors exploded in your mouth but the only downside is, they don't serve enough rice. People were definitely not kidding when they said choose any pan roast, you will not regret it. My friend cleaned his entire plate and I don't recall him ever doing that. * Cioppino: I chose a level 10 spiciness and it was spicy. There's definitely a kick when you eat it but I love how saucy and soupy the dish was. The portions for the two entrees were super super super generous. The bowl might not look like it contained a lot but careful, it is quite deceiving. I really enjoyed the food here but what disappointed me was the service. The timing from the appetizer to entree took a ridiculous amount of time, we were seriously contemplating on ordering another appetizer just so we can fill some of our hunger. Our server said she will bring out some bread upon serving our entrees which we never received, so we had to flag down another server for our bread to go with our heavy sauces. All in all, food was absolutely bomb but I would highly recommend teh management to improve the servers' level of service. I will definitely come back again, if I was in the area.
(3)
Mel B.
The boiler is a great place to get some authentic New Orleans Cajun seafood! I've been to New Orleans and have to say this place is just as good. Everything on the menu is Awesome, the only complaints? The price. A bit pricy. I totally recommend you eat here!
(5)
Keny T.
This place is pretty good. I would have given it 4 stars if I didn't sit at the bar. When you sit at the bar, you can see how unsanitary some of the chefs are. When they were cleaning the pot next to where my food was being cooked, I couldn't help but notice the amounts of dirty water being splashed into my pot from the dirty pot. The service is pretty lackluster as well. Aside from that, the food is actually very good and tasty. I would actually go back, but I won't make the mistake of sitting at the bar again. I guess it's ok if I don't see whats splashing into my food.
(3)
Kadi P.
Be sure to try the crab cakes! They are delish! I loved everything I tried.
(4)
Anne W.
My favorite restaurant. Great service and tasty! The pan roast is the best. I recently had the pan roast at the Kickin' Crab in Chino Hills and it didn't compare to The Boiler!
(5)
Viki W.
We ordered the Cioppino and Linguini with Clams, both are flavorful and delicious. And our waitress was very attentive and super friendly. Definitely will came back again!
(4)
Rei-Na J.
I decided to give them another shot and this time around, the food gods listened to my wish. I ordered crab cakes as an appetizer and the chicken and cilantro sausage for lunch and.... hallelujah!!! Finally found some dishes on their menu that hit the taste spot! My eldest son ordered the clam chowder and can I get amen? It was very well done and much better than expected. Allright, you've got me back.
(3)
Lancelot L.
The worst oyster I have ever had!!!! So disgusting! Never taking any oyster at that restaurant! The service was also terrible. The manager did not want to solve the problem at all.
(1)
JJLove C.
Just got my to go order shirmp scampi pasta home and while eating it I found a piece of white paper inside my soup ............
(1)
Stephen C.
OMG.. yummy! If you've been to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station casino in Vegas --then you'll know this stuff is legit! Slow-cooked Cajun stews fueled by your own individual steam-kettle, this place is legend-wait 20 minutes for it-ary awesome! They offer everything from Etouffees, Pan Roasts and Bouillabaisse to Fisherman's Chowder, Gumbos and Jambalaya. Choose your own spicy level (1-10 max) and side of habanero to power up even more -- use with caution. I love my food spicy so I chose to go with a tomato-based Bouillabaisse with a spicy level 8 and 1 habanero. This was enough to make me sweat like a nervous tobacco executive at a Senate hearing but well worth it. I had to wait awhile as there are only 10 steam-kettle cookers -- so be sure to order as soon as possible so you can be in the queue! Service was great and friendly. Only nit was it can be quite a wait for the food and the price for a bowl of this lovely stew is not cheap (about $20). Highly recommend -- I loved it so much I ordered a Fisherman's Chowder (clam chowder with mixed seafood -- New England or Manhattan style) to take for the road. I got this spicy level 8 with 2 habaneros! Dinner tomorrow... mmm mmmm. We shall see if I can live to Yelp another day.
(4)
Dev M.
The Crab Cake appetizers were delicious, the beer was tasty (had an Old Chub and White Rascal), and every entree I've tried has been amazing (Bouillabaisse and House Pan Chicken Roast so far). The restaurant has seats at the counter, so you can talk with the chef and watch him/her cook your food. He/she will also help you customize your order, so you get exactly what you're looking for. Will be back. Highly recommended.
(5)
Brian P.
Geezus... Food is good but I can feel my facial hairs growing while waiting for my dishes to arrive. Dare I say, it's worth it and Chef Whoever (I don't see former OB Chef Ritter there as much..or anymore). Pan Roast is definitely my favorite. The sauce will make you smile! It's got that buttery feel to it, while retaining quite a lot of kicks from the herbs, spices. Very creamy tomato sauce along with the pleasantly noticeable essence of seafood. Service is consistently great, and the bread they give you while you're waiting is fluffy fresh! Except for the crunchy bread, I can't put a name to it.
(4)
Johnny W.
My friend came here for a birthday event and while she was there she suggested that I should definitely come here to try this place. It's not close by at all and in fact it's way out of the way. Any how listening to her suggestion, I decided to come out this way for dinner. Took a friend here to try this place since she lives close by. I made reservations for 2 but ended up going early and was seated right away. We beat the dinner rush which was a good thing. Right when we finished eating there was a long wait. It's not the biggest restaurant so the wait can take a bit. Doesn't help that the food is cooked in steam kettles so it takes longer. We started with a New England clam chowder and a order of the Cajun Crab Cakes. The clam chowder was really good. I ordered the bowl to share and when I was done with this I was pretty full. For Entrees we ordered the Cioppino and the House Pan Roast. Cioppino with level 8 spicy, and House Pan Roast with level 6. I can't take spicy and both of it was pretty spicy. I think next time I will go with 3 or 4. It was bearable but I had to drink my whole glass of ice tea with a few spoon full. My friend really liked the Cioppino over the House Pan Roast. I personally liked both. It had similar flavors but the House Pan had a thicker tomato taste to it. Definitely a unique place to come and eat and if you sit at the counter you get to watch them cook your food. I would come here again just for the Clam Chowder that's how good it was and the drive here is close to an hour from where I live.
(4)
Charlie N.
Love this place! Yes pan roast is good and the clam chowder. I also enjoyed the wrapped shrimp. look forward to coming here again.
(5)
Hong H.
Food is amazing! Great portions and they are not cheap with the seafood they put in. Definitely very busy on the weekends be prepared to wait. Very worth the wait though.
(5)
Jay Z.
Avoided this place because we thought it was expensive, but finally tried it with the bf one Sunday night when we couldn't decide where to eat. It was fairly busy for an early Sunday dinner, but got greeted by friendly staff and got sat right away. Free bread! Bf ordered the cioppino he was craving for. I ordered the gumbo (spice level 3, based on waitress' recommendation). Bf enjoyed his dish, as did I mine, but the gumbo sure was spicy and plentiful! We look forward to coming back during lunch for the specials!
(4)
Julia I.
Love eating here. My favorite is the Cilantro Chicken with Sausage. The calamari appetizer is another favorite. Prices are reasonable. Have never had an issue with waiting too long to be seated or getting our food. Service is always great!
(5)
Yuki H.
Far. all the way out in Egypt literally. NO WHERE CLOSE TO WHAT OYSYER BAR + RITTERS OFFERS WHEN IT COMES TO THE PAN ROAST. Service was slow. Water wasn't served till I was halfway into the Pan Roast I ordered. AND I didn't even finish it. That tells you how their Pan Roast was. Not to mention that when I left the restaurant I got a ticket for crossing a double yellow by a sheriff who parked in the center divider with his lights off at night so that he can ticket every patron. Nice setup. Yeah overall bad experience with or without the ticket.
Awesome food! And even better service! Sitting at the bar was a blast. I got to talk to the chef and learn what he was cooking. He was super friendly. Told me exactly what was going into my meal! Even my 9 and 10 year old loved the food, they had an awesome kids menu. And our waitress was amazing as well! Had so much fun here with my family and we will definitely be back.
(5)
Allana E.
The wait is a bit long, but if you sit at the bar and watch them cook, it's quite interesting to see the procedures. I always order the House Pan Roast since it has a variety of seafood. I once ordered a spice level 6 when I first tried it, and I didn't really get to enjoy the ingredients because it was too spicy. I usually get level 3 or 4 to have an even blend of flavor. The food is quite heavy on the stomach, but it is definitely delicious!
(5)
Dallas M.
Always great food. Period. Now the bad things, one service is always around a 2 star. Although their food, if you're into cajon/creole, is amazing. So I am willing to endure the pretty bad service for the food. Secondly, the side bread they serve is just awful. It's only good to cool off the tongue if you order an 8 on their spicy scale. Maybe that's what it is. If not, terrible. It is a bit on the pricy side. The wife always gets the house pan roast, she LOVES it. I'm a chicken gumbo. AMAZING.
(4)
Julia L.
A buddy of ours has been stuck in Bakersfield working/drilling for the black gold underground. He had a weekend off recently & was saying he hadn't had good KBBQ, Sushi or Eye-taliano in awhile. Between hemming & hawing, checking out suggestions on Yelp between Alhambra & Arcadia, he text me back saying, "Hey, what about The Boiler? The one just like Oyster Bar @ Palace Station in LV, NV." I paused for all of 2 seconds to get Qwerty board ready to say, "OKAY~!" 2 minutes later, as I looked on the Mapping on Yelp...it said it was 31 miles away from me. WHAT??? So I had to double check & Mapquest this place and only got a confirmation. Really? This better be JUST LIKE Vegas or BETTER! So we head out on an early May Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Took us about an hour using a longer route on the 60 fwy (10 fwy had 2 accidents). We walked in without reservation 'cos we called, no reservations after 4 p.m. Walk-ins only. We only had one group of 5 in front of us. All counter seats & tables were full. Wait was about 10-15 minutes which isn't bad. I just got back from Vegas this past weekend & the Oyster Bar at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 21st was over an hour wait! Current Menu as of May 2012 (they used the old menu flipped backwards as a place mat - smart! Save the Planet!): yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… We got seated & ordered some OYSTER ROCKEFELLAR. Tasty goodness with crispy crumbed topping and nicely baked spinach/oyster/cream mix. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Then the boys each had a cup of NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER & MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER. I only got a few spoonfuls of the white New England chowder. It was okay. Nice thick creaminess but didn't have that strong of a seafood/clam flavoring...almost as if someone forgot to add some clam juice for the banging taste. I ordered the CAESAR SALAD with light dressing - fresh romaine hearts - gave me the ruffage that I was looking for. Taste was standard, no amazing slices of anchovies, just a typical caesar. Then we ordered 2 HOUSE PAN ROAST & 1 GUMBO. Pan Roast - yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Gumbo - yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… This is where I was sorely disappointed and only can reiterate many other Yelper's reviews. My normal Combo pan roast (as in Vegas' Oyster Bar) is a creamy delish concoction of shrimp, crab, clams & lobster. The level 6 here for the House pan roast was okay. Not as spicy as Vegas but I'm sure it depends on the heaviness of the hand of the chef so we went the safe route. I found only 3 shrimps & 1 langoustine sized (1-1/2" long?) lobster piece and some small pieces of shredded crab meat but no clam at all. That was it in the entire bowl. I basically drank a bowl of tomato cream soup with rice, 1 shrimp & 1 itty bitty lobster piece as I gave boy toy 2 of the 3 shrimps. This cost me $19.55 for an order. The gumbo I believe had 4 shrimps in it's concoction of shrimp, okra, crab, white fish, clams & andouille sausage. Again, skimping on the seafood for $17.55 an order for dinner. Okay, so then I started to calculate that we just spent over $100 for items that barely had any seafood in it. I drove over 60 miles in this time of murderous gas prices (since I get about 18-21 miles/gallon and getting Costco's regular unleaded at $4.23/gallon...I spent about $15 on gas on top of the food) AND we took 2 cars so I don't know what my buddy gets as mileage but just assume times 2 equals $30 for gas...I about cried. The food is okay. The service is friendly. The parking lot is HUGE as it's adjacent to all these other outdoor stores in a big strip mall like place. It's just located in BFC (Butt Effn' Chi... you know what I mean). Will I come back here? Only if I happen to need to be in Chino Hills again which is highly unlikely. Plus, I just got back from Vegas and the Oyster Bar was similar in price but was chock full of seafood & tasty spicy flavor - I just don't see the need to get a copy when I can get the real deal...with a side of Pai Gow & Wheel of Fortune to boot.
It's Valentine's Day weekend, yes, but this review encompasses all my previous visits here. Never felt the urge to rate this place before until tonight because of how maddening the inefficiency of this restaurant's wait staff is. The wait is always absurd because the wait staff here can't seem to figure out that they need to clear open tables for people. Even so, the service here is always overall very slow (yes, even when it's empty!) usually because the food is cooked to order (which is perfectly excusable) so I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you have nothing else planned after. The food is decent enough that I ignored the ridiculous wait time estimation by the hostess, who happened to also be the bartender, bus girl, and waitress (see what's wrong here?), of 1 1/2 hours. A decently not-so popular restaurant with empty tables on a busy night, ample space, and hungry puerile waiting to be seated has no excuse. In the 2 hours we've been here already, two two-seater takes at this restaurant have yet to be filled. The hostess told me when we got here that they were waiting to be cleaned. On Valentine's Day! Plenty of couples in the waiting area Ms. Hostess. Friendly as the staff is, I can't excuse that. Back to the food. Not recommended if you're on a diet because everything is super caloric deliciousness. If you want vegetables of any kind, you may as well turn around and leave. I recommend the cioppino, any of the pan roast options, jambalaya, and other varieties of seafood dishes. The first dish I ever had here was the linguine with clams in red sauce with a level 7 on spicy. It definitely made me want to come back. I've mellowed out on desire to come back since then because of the wait, but the food gets me back in the end since there are few places that serve seafood and Cajun pastas as well as The Boiler. The Manhattan clan chowder is decent, but I prefer the clam chowder when I feel like indulging. Best part of the food at this restaurant is that you get to pick how spicy you want it on a scale from 1-10. I usually go with 8 as a spicy lover myself so I don't eat too slowly when I'm with others. They do serve a variety oysters, mussels, and clams for those interested. Can't quite get on board with their use of fennel though. Thankfully, it's a use small enough not to deter me, but when I encounter them they go right into my napkin. It is quite pricy to eat here however. Much more worth it during lunch, but pricy enough to make you look nice on a date. Atmosphere is great for a date or nice outing with a friend. The open kitchen definitely adds the best touch. Space could be used more efficiently for table space, but I don't think the staff could handle it. Location is a bit hard to find, but head towards the Babies R' Us and you should see it on the way in from the traffic light outside the plaza on the right. The Gist: Great for a date out special occasion, but don't be surprised by how much you have to wait even if the place is empty.
(3)
HourLy L.
I came here because I was craving pan roast and wanted to try it here. Although it was good, I prefer it from a different place. Yay: -Pan roast: this is a must try for anyone who hasn't. Although theirs is a little more on the sour or tart side, it's still really good. I added sausage and pasta to it and it made it so much better. -Bar: they have a bar you can grab drinks or appetizers while you wait. Other: -Calamari: I liked the flavors but felt the strips were too big. Nay: -Gumbo: I'm just not a fan. Don't try eating this after you eat the pan roast, it causes the gumbo to have a weird taste and doesn't mix well so take caution if you're sharing.
(4)
Sennett L.
So after our annual vegas trip and trying Oyster bar in palace station for the first time, I started craving the pan roast about a week later. So i started searching for a similar meal in my area. I found the Boiler on yelp and was excited to see good reviews. So my gf and I decided to come on a sunday after church and was sort of perplexed to find the restaurant almost empty. It was around 3pm i think, so I wasn't expecting it to be packed, but there were maybe 2-3 tables and maybe 3-4 people at the bar total. Either way, we sat down and noticed their happy hour and ordered up some beer, fries, oysters, and a house pan roast. I was a bit disappointed by the beer selection but whatever. The cajun fries were delicious. I love fries, especially seasoned fries, and these were spicy which i love as well. The oysters were good, not as fresh as Oyster bar in vegas but still good. The rockefeller oysters were baked and came out piping hot but delicious. We enjoyed the Happy hour deals for a pair of oysters and a discounted price. Finally, the house pan roast. We ordered it at spiciness level 8. That was slightly disappointing as it was not spicy at all (for me). However, the flavor profile of the pan roast was pretty close to Oyster bar, it just had less seafood which i expected based on the yelp reviews. Anyways, Everything was pretty good, service was good, food was good. I did go again a few weeks ago and it was actually better this time. We ordered the combo pan roast with sausage this time and it was better and had more seafood.
(4)
Gloria C.
Horrible hostess. Management, you should observe her on a busy night. Hire the guy from Mystery Diners.
(1)
Mike C.
Gonna go against the grain here and give this place three stars. Came here on a Saturday night around 8:30p and there was no wait, which surprised me considering all the rant and rave about this place. We were promptly seated, so that was nice. Sat down for barely 3 minutes and the waitress already tried to take my order! I told her to give me a few minutes as it was my first time here. She came back after another quick few minutes.. Lol. Almost as if to say hurry and order, so we can cater to the long lines that would be forming soon. Anyways we got the house pan roast and the chicken jambalaya while munching on the free bread. Pan roast came and was expecting a mouth full of goodness, but it wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped. I felt that it was too buttery and salty for my taste. Tried the chicken jambalaya and I actually enjoyed that a lot more. Coming from la, the drive is about 35 minutes. Considering the drive, prices of their entrees, and the mediocre service, I'd probably pass on this place next time.
(3)
Richard C.
Should be 35% off the price. Blue point oysters were tasteless, I will never try again. House salad is acceptable, no surprise. Gumbo, is not exactly gumbo, it is a weird Jasmine rice soup with doubtable taste. Lobster is acceptable. But I have to say, the service is good and all the waitress are lovely.
(2)
Andrus S.
Great taste and filling, there just needs to be more meat in dishes ( I would pay extra). There is a similar place in Vegas at the Orleans, this location tastes much better. I recommend this place to any person whom enjoys spicy dishes.
(4)
Will Y.
This review is for folks who are on the fence to try this restaurant, this is not for folks who enjoy a hearty bowl of tomato soup for $20 or more. At least, that's how my wife and I feel after our first and last trip to this joint. $50 later, we had a cup of clam chowder (yum) and left with two large leftover containers of their so-called signature pan roast dish, which I think is a great marketing scheme for a large bowl of tomato soup mixed with some fine chops of seafood bits. Only if we knew better , we could have ordered just one bowl of their "signature" dish and shared as something between stew and soup...No, even that is a silly idea. We should have spent our hard-earned money elsewhere. And there are just too many fine dining places where we could enjoy our Friday night dinner. Lesson learnt. If you still think all these 5-star reviews can't be wrong, I'd suggest to try it for lunch, at least it's a smaller ding to your wallet.
(3)
Charles Y.
Perhaps because I wasn't in a drunken stupor at 4AM from a night of partying in vegas, the House Pan Roast didn't rise to my level of experience and expectation set by the original Oyster Bar. With no affiliation to "The Oyster Bar" in the Palace Station in Las Vegas, The Boiler does well in the Cajun concept but just didn't "hit the spot" and I unfairly attribute that to being sober, haha. Realistically, I didn't have high expectations going into the boiler, however the House Pan Roast was delicious and VERY meaty. CHECK out the uploaded Photo. Good Job Boiler for not skimping out on the seafood!! The Jasmine Rice was a bit dry and clumpy though. If this is your first experience at the Boiler, make sure you sit at the bar. It'll give you the opportunity to participate in the dining experience (less the slot machine and smoke experience you'd get from The Oyster Bar in vegas)....and ignore the amount of butter used =)
(4)
Kate M.
Thought we would try this place out because we never have before and we are always looking for new go to restaurants. Unfortunately our experience was not the best. The place is very small, and very uncomfortable. The food was very mediocre, especially for the price. And our service was not much better. We were very disappointed and will not be back. We will stick to our other favorite restaurants in Chino Hills. This place should realize they have a lot of competition.
It's not really my style of food but very much my hubby's style of food. Nonetheless, I'm giving it a fair rating based on someone who does love this type of cuisine. My hubby fell in love with pan roast after having it at Oyster Bar in Vegas. Yes, it's another Vegas comparison. He's been there twice (I've been there once), the most recent being in May. He can't stop raving about Oyster Bar, so how happy do you think he was when he discovered The Boiler after we just moved to Chino Hills? We ordered (for 4 people): Dozen Oysters on Half Shell House Pan Roast Seafood Gumbo Ciopinno The oysters were ginormous...not that great. I wouldn't order it again. The entrees, however, were pretty excellent. The hubby was thoroughly pleased with the pan roast here. I thought the gumbo was my least favorite of the 3 (albeit still very good). However, when I had the leftovers the next day, it was SO good that I didn't share with my hubby. My hubby will definitely go back, and I wouldn't mind either.
(4)
Stephanie S.
Our new fav spot! The New England seafood chowder is so yummy to the last drop:*) I give it *****
(5)
Tony T.
I been to this restaurant. The food was good. So why the horrible review? I was there with my family on a Tuesday night when there was only one other table. My two year old niece was crying and my brother carried her outside. When he came back in the freaking Chinese owner had the nerve to tell him to leave and should stay out side if the baby cry's again. It's a two year old kid do you think we want that to happen. After that I was so mad I ask for the bill and left. He realize what he said when he saw our reaction. I rather take my family to Las Vegas at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station Hotel than go there and eat.
(1)
Jennifer C.
My friends and I dub this place, the best restaurant in the 909 because quite frankly, it is. I have been here on weekends and week days for dinner and there is usually not a wait. But one time I was here and it was packed, that has not happened since. It is a quaint little restaurant with table seating and bar seating. I always get the house pan roast. It is a thick seafood broth with a tomato base. They don't give you very much rice, which is unfortunate, but they give you unlimited french bread that can be used to be dipped into the broth. The bread soaks it all up and it is amazing. I also enjoy the happy hour, I believe it is from 4-6:30 PM, I believe even on weekends, but I am not 100% sure. I have had the sausage, it is not that great in my opinion, I wouldn't use my money on that dish. My go to happy hour items are the 2 oysters on the half shell for $3 and the clam chowder! The must get here is the house pan roast!
(5)
Linda C.
so I am comparing them to the boiler room /oyster bar in Vegas....They do not have Alaskan clam chowder.. :( and their spice levels run a notch lower than the Vegas location. maybe they aren't related... but in hopes for something similar, i was disappointed. If I'm in the area, I'd be willing to go again bc a slightly disappointing Las Vegas Oyster Bar is better than no oyster bar... ( and this is ONLY if I am in the area.... ) LV oyster bar link : yelp.com/biz/oyster-bar-…
(3)
Winnie K.
Finally I got a chance to come here because I looooove palace station's oyster bar and this is the next best alternative. The gumbo was no disappointment. The oysters were just ok. They could've shucked them a little cleaner. The bouillabaisse was lacking something, just ok. It just couldn't compare to palace stations bouillabaisse.
(3)
Adam B.
I can't believe I've not reviewed The Boiler before. I really like this place, good food. I've been here many times from the month it opened to years after, never a bad meal. A bit pricey but it is small and different from most restaurants.
(5)
Alyssa K.
Good food & service. Was disappointed with the bread today--smaller in size & different in taste. House pan roast was as good as usual although my mom wishes they would make it spicier (and she ordered spice level 8 out of 10!).
(4)
Jason B.
First, thank you Yelpers again for getting my hopes up again. F'ers, can't get it right to save there life. They were out of everything, REALLY! Get a better purchasing manger, I understand the seafood a little but the french fries, come on. The crab cakes look promising but sadly they were to cold inside and taste like they were frozen at one time and a little favor free. Some advise get the cheapest pan roast you can because even thought it has a good flavor it doesn't matter what they put in it it all taste the same. The best thing on the menu is the Clam Chowder and Ettoufee. If you are going for the seafood you will be disappointed, but if you are going for the roasts, chowder, and ettoufee then you should be okay. It's not a place for kids, very limited menu for the littles.
(3)
Jess B.
Saw this place after eating at Ichikawa and thought I should give it a shot one day since the place looked extremely crowded on a weekend night. The service is a bit slow but they are really friendly. I came on a weekend for dinner (there was a wait) and another weekend for lunch (place was pretty empty). Both instances the service was slow. Hence the missing star. Short staff? I did see a "now hiring" flyer posted on their door. The food, the food! I love me some Cajun food and this definitely hits the spot. It's a bit pricey because it contains seafood. I've tried the following: -Oysters -Gumbo -Etouffe -Bouillabaise I reccommend it all. But if I were to choose one (and money was not an issue), hands down it would be the Bouillabaise! Portions are shareable too since they give you free bread. I've had the cajun fries and they're nothing special...probably wouldn't order it again. If I'm going to intake fried starchy foods, it better me damn good ya know what I'm sayin'!? I'd suggest coming during lunch because it's not as crowded and they have lunch prices (almost 1/2 off the dinner price).
(4)
Rachel G.
OH EM GEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even think of the correct words to describe this wonderful little piece of food heaven in chino hills! Hahahha the environment and decor is so cute and southern! I love the street lamps! Always had a secret obsession with those things! Hahah the staff is upbeat, friendly, and make your dining experience over-the-top memorable! And now the food... I'M IN UTTER SHOCK AT HOW AMAZING THEIR FOOD IS! I got the House Pan Roast and my boyf got the Cilantro Chicken! The pan roast tasted like tomato bisque with seafood! How can you not be in loveee ?!?!? Hahahha the cilantro chicken had a sour kick perfect for anyone itchinh for that pucker face! Hahahha the food is just phenomenal! If my boyf gives it a 10/10 then you know you have a winner on your hands because he's a picky booty! Only downfall.. expect to wait a while for the food to come out! We had to wait at least 15 mins for our food, but I know it wasn't the hunger talking when I say the wait is sooooo worth it! :D
(5)
Mike P.
Yeah if I could just mention the prices... They range from $10.00-$16.00 during lunch, and $15.00-$23.00 The online menu didn't list the prices! :) Enjoy your meals! :)
(5)
Evelin L.
Food is great ! service no that good :-( the cooks are nice but the waitress are pretty useless.
(2)
Kamia K.
Love love love this place! Found it on Yelp. Had so many stars and great reviews, that I had to try it. I visited on my 11year old sons birthday. The place is small and quiet. No fancy at all. But the service was awesome! What's better is the food was amazing!! I had the Cioppino and my son had the Gumbo. What's cool is you have 10 different levels of hot. You get to select how spicy you want it. Perfect! Stop in if you're in the Chino area.
(5)
Lizza M.
Liars Liars Liars .. We callled 20 mins before we plan to arrive to ask how long the wait is and they said no wait , its been slow. So we get there in 30 mins, they tell us it's going to be 20-45 mins for a table for 3. So we sat outside at the bench and in 10 mins, they called my name. As I was walking in, big parties were also going in. I checked in at the front said my name and the hostess response said 3 for counter? No, I asked for a table for 3. So hostess said it was NOT ready. 30 mins passed, then another 20 mins (which is now an hour passed since we got there) passed so my hubby checked with the hostess and she said there are another 1 big party and a 4 party waiting before us. My hubs looked livid coming out of the restaurant and said that it looks like it will be another 30 to 45 because other big parties who were sat before us haven't even gotten their food and there are no other tables available. I was pist for being lied to.. I can understand being off 5 -10 mins from the estimated time but 30 + mins is just an indication of poorly trained hostesses, incompetency or just liars to keep customers around. Needless to say, we left without eating and went somewhere else. I don't even think I'll consider this place again in the future. I don't need to dine in a restaurant where service us poor and just gives false pretenses.
(1)
Allison S.
We made The Boiler our destination stop Friday night. I called earlier but they said they don't take reservations. We got there at around 7 p.m. and were told it was a 30 minute wait. We sat down 30 minutes later and ordered the Cajun fries, the bouillabaisse, the jambalaya, and the house pan roast. The fries came out quickly, but the rest took around 45 minutes. No joke. The best one was the pan roast, which had good flavor but had a strange curry-like consistency. The jambalaya was okay but I honestly think I like Cheesecake Factory's better, and the bouillabaisse was not good. The soup didn't have enough flavor for me. Everyone was very nice, friendly, and professional, but I can't justify the 45 minute wait for our food, and more importantly, the food itself. It's not worth the drive for us coming from Rowland Heights and I'm convinced there must be better Cajun food out there!
(3)
Jonah O.
This is my 6th restaurant in my quest for the best New England Clam Chowder. A tip from a Yelper follower pal of mine led me to this place. The Boiler is the first complete "Steam Kettle Cooking" concept in Southern California from what I understand. Serving variety of "Southern Favorites", with Cajun dishes such as Gumbo, Jambalaya & Creole dishes like Pan Roast, Bouillabaisse, as well as, other great dishes like Cioppino, and Shrimp Diablo! They cook our signature entrees, with unique jacketed steam kettles individually, right in front of the guests, at a bar style counter seating. I had the New England clam chowder and I could tell there was some love put into the making of the dish. I could taste the freshness of the clams and the good blend of flavors in the chowder. The thickness was good but, it needed to be pushed just a bit more in the overall "clam" flavor. It was there but it needed some more. Other items look good to try, but I came for the clam chowder only, so I give them a "B -"
(4)
Kevin B.
Been here numerous times but first time in a larger group, 9 people. Been waiting near 45 minutes for our order. Writing this review while we're waiting...waiting...waiting. Waitress isn't even apologetic and just keeps saying 'it'll be another 10 minutes'.
(2)
Chris D.
Just wasn't my cup of tea. However, try their House Pan Roast. It is the most popular item. You can definitely taste the robust flavors, and it's a unique way of presenting the food. They have a shabu shabu set up where they cook it right in front of you, and you get to choose the level of spice you want. We came for dinner right when they opened, but the place gets busy quickly so I do suggest coming in early to avoid a wait.
(3)
Jowel G.
All about the House Pan Roast! Creamy tomato base with shrimps, lobster, crab and clams with a scoop of rice. Love it! I had a level 3 of spice - just enough of a kick for me :) crab cakes and soft shell crab to start - great choice. Food comes out piping hot and fresh. Friendly staff and the restaurant overall is clean. The best part is I have enough leftovers of the pan roast for lunch!
(4)
Julie M.
The food here is so yummy. Had the pan roast and oh boy was it good, an abundance of yummy mixed large chunks of seafood in a mixture of creamy sauce with a hint of tomato sauce broth that is eaten with rice mmm mmm..calamari was good but nothing spectacular, jambalaya was also cooked to perfection. pan roast was definitely the highlight. Only draw back to this restaurant is the drive...I hope they open one in Pasadena or LA soon
(5)
Tony L.
This place always are short on stuff and the stuff has the worst attitude ever. Came in and stand in the front for 10 minutes with waitress going by about 10 times toy ignoring you. You could at least get the name down. The food here is good but if you have time to wait and deal with upset waitress, then this is the place to go.
(1)
Mohamad K.
When I first saw this on Yelp I was really excited to get there for the first time. Because just by looking through the photos I saw they had this jumbo sized clam chowder entree. I am a huge fan of any clam chowder dish! When I first got there it was very hard to find. There were no light indication on their company sign for it to be visible at night (when I went). Once I entered the establishment I was greeted and sat my self at the bar. The excitement was just hyping up, because I get to see my meal being prepared. As soon as I got the menu, I was shocked at their prices being overpriced for a big bowl of soup. I assumed it was due to their seafood ingredients but I carried on in ordering the Fisherman's Catch (New England style). Once I received my bowl the portion size for the price of $21 (with tax) was an utter joke. The amount of seafood was moderate than expected for the price paid. I basically paid for an overpriced bowl of clam chowder. Not to mention one/two of my clams in the bowl was undercooked and the calamari was overcooked. Never going there again, but I might give them another shot to try their jambalaya.
(2)
Jenny A.
The food is tasty but I really can't give this place more than 3 stars after my recent experience. They have a serious bug problem. Little flies attracted to the table and food. Unfortunately, my nephew couldn't eat his food after it being bombarded by little flies which were crawling on his plate. It ruined the whole experience of eating, and all I kept thinking is packing up my dish so I can eat it away from the flies. The waitress took off our salad but the bill was a 100+ which I don't mind paying if imdidnt have to fight with 10+ bugs flying around. really couldn't believe how bad the bug problem was, it ruined my lunch. disappointed. Food 3.5 star Service 2.5 star Ambience -3stars
(3)
Sun M.
Mmmmm... less creamier than the oyster bar in vegas but still worth the drive. We tried the house special and the lunch special w. shrimp poboy w. Clam chowder. Clam chowder was super buttery. I would drive out there for the pan roast fix again.
(4)
Leticia E.
Have been here before and enjoyed the food...tonight didn't get a chance to even get seated. We were initially told it would be a 10-15 minute wait, but after 30 minutes we left without being seated. There were plenty of seats available, but were told about 4 times that the servers were "very overwhelmed. Maybe they need to hire more servers? Just a thought!
(1)
Chris C.
Yep, it's still 5 stars. Pan roast, still yummy as ever. But maybe they deserve a 6th... why? BACON...... WRAPPED...... SHRIMP What is it? Well, they describe it as deep-fried molasses-dipped shrimp, wrapped in bacon, and stuffed with pepper jack cheese........Give me a sec... let me wipe the drool off my keyboarfsxgfchgvhjbjknkmoiuyuop knpitdfsaASDFCFVHGVFGDFSDZASasszxdcvyrderq2345r678Â90-oooklkmm,. Okay. We're good. It was so o__o and oh my goddddd it was like :O and then I was like :D I can't even put it into words. I took one bite, not expecting much, and it completely FLOORED me. My gf saw the look on my face and started laughing at me. I told her to shut up and try it... and she gave me the exact same stupid look ( a combination of :O and o_o). The juiciness from the shrimp, the crispiness and saltiness from the bacon, coupled with the subtle sweetness from the molasses and the texture from the cheese..... ughhhhhhhh..... it all comes together perfectly. It's a match made in heaven. It's TOO good. We are not worthy. Seriously, that thing is god-like. Hands down, one of the best dishes I have EVER tasted. NOT ENOUGH STARS IN THE UNIVERSE TO RATE THIS THING.
(5)
Victoria F.
Had the chicken cilantro and it was uber oily and had a good kick. Had a 5 out of 10. Sis in law had Shrimp scampi and she said the shrimp was just put in n not seasoned and bland. the bf had Seafood bouillabaiase and said the shrimp didnt taste fresh. The service was uber slow and we saw a family leave due to the wait. The place was under staffed and not really professional. One of the waitress was saying something to the cook over the counter but loud enough for everyone in the place to hear and doing some odd gestures. . I've heard about this place and was told I need to try it, would I go back.. Hmm that's still up in the air.
(3)
Alan W.
Good, but I think the oyster bar in Vegas is better. I heard about this place because my friend told me its the same as the oyster bar in vegas. They have the same cooking method and the menu is very similar. I got the House Pan Roast. I forgot how much butter they use in it, definitely not a place if your on a diet, but I love the food! I wish the pan roast had more seafood and substance to it? Maybe because i came during lunch and got the lunch menu size? Felt like tons of sauce not as much meat, thats about my only gripe. Still tasted delicious. The price is a little cheaper than The Oyster Bar in Vegas, but I'd rather pay a little more meatyness. There is a large bar to be seated at as well as maybe 7-8 tables around the restaurant. Servers were nice, and the cooks made and effort to chat with people if your at the bar. Overall 4/5 stars, I'll try dinner portions next time!
(4)
Sean R.
This place never lets me down. Food is always good. With food this good, it is very satisfying. Give the happy hour menu a try. None of it disappoints.
(5)
K J.
This place is good if your familiar with the oyster bar in vegas its similar style of cooking and dishes I get the pan roast with everything in it. only downside is they took away the only base that didn't have shell fish an everything has a shellfish base so for those allergic the most you can order here is bread and water I think the dressing on the Cesar salad even had something clam base per the chef. 3 1/2 stars would be appropriate because the food here is good just not good they don't have at least 1 hot entree that isn't shellfish base.
(3)
Cindy W.
Bad dining experience ! 3 sets of people got their entrees before us, even though we were seated before them. Had to wait for 1hr+, for something that can definitely be cooked within 20 min. One of families who came after us, even paid their bill before we got our order...
(1)
Pam H.
We love this place!! It is goooooodddddd!! I love sitting at the "bar" and watching the chefs cook our food in the steam kettles. It is really neat to see them making this yummy food over steam. So good!Get the "house special". Never disappoints. The shrimp appetizer and clam chowders are amazing. I cannot even tel you how great this place is! Try it!! The portion sizes are very generous. I haven't had take out from here yet, but we have friends that have. They love it! Some food isn't as good when it is to go, but they love it. They even did a big group order for New Years Eve! I'm telling you, go here. It's awesome!
(5)
Jessica S.
Came here the other night for dinner. There was a relatively short wait on a Saturday night around 7:15. We waited about 10 minutes for 2 seats at the counter. Ordered the crabcakes for an appetizer and the house pan roast and jambalaya for entrees. They forgot about our crabcakes so it took quite a while. Thankfully we had some bread to munch on while we waited. The crabcakes finally came, we had been waiting about 20 minutes or so, but they were pretty good and had a good amount of actual crab meat inside. And as usual, the pan roast and jambalaya was delicious. I noticed that when we got our bill, we didn't have to pay for the iced tea(probably to compensate for forgetting our appetizer), which was nice. Love the food and would definitely go back.
(4)
Tara M.
The boyfriend and I decided to try this place on a whim, we were extremely happy with every aspect of the experience. We put our name on the list and we were offered 2 bar seats, not usually ideal but we went for it. If you have the option of sitting at the bar, DO IT, it made for a unique and altogether awesome date night. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, which we enjoyed. Chris ordered the Shrimp Diablo, I ordered the Gumbo we both loved our food. What was more awesome than eating the tasty food, watching Chris the cook move like a whirling dervish preparing dishes with care, accuracy & speed. What made this a five star restaurant? Creme Brule (as recommended by Chris the cook), it is the best Brule I have had in years, the texture and flavor were spot on. We will be back . Also kudos to the wait staff, they were polite & friendly, even with as busy as the restaurant was.
(5)
Tiler F.
Their portion sizes are good. The Cajun taste was not really there to me. But really not to bad
(3)
Justin N.
Came here on a Saturday afternoon around 11:30 and the place was pretty empty. There were more people sitting at tables than the bar. Our waitress was attentive and new the menu well. We ordered a dozen oysters, crab cakes and pan roasts. So I really only have the Oyster Bar in Vegas to compare this place to, and its not as good. The seafood did not seem fresh (The oysters were fresh though) and perhaps the portions were not as I would have liked to pay for? Unless I'm really craving a pan roast and don't want to do the Vegas drive, this is a nice option to have.
(3)
Tammy L.
So I found out about The Boiler because of Yelp and a few recommendations from my friends.The rave reviews made it so I had to check this place out! The food here is delicious. We started off with a cup of clam chowder each. I love the chowder as it was thick, rich, hearty, and absolutely creamy. I thought it was well seasoned and had the perfect ratio of vegetables to clam to cream. They are generous with the clams and the clams were so tender and good! I got the jambalaya. The jambalaya was once again really well seasoned and very hearty. Had tons of meat and rice and the portions were well worth the money. I barely finished it. My boyfriend got the pan roast house special at level 7 and it was perfect. The shrimp, crab and lobster meat was amazing. For a price of almost $20, it is worth it because the portion is great and they put a lot of lobster and large shrimp in it. This comes with jasmine rice and boy was it cooked nicely. We then shared bacon wrapped shrimp for $10. Kill me because I dont like bacon, but MAN this is amazing! I didnt even taste the bacon. The shrimp and cheese went so well together and it was delicious! What I like most about the food here other than the robust flavors and obvious quality of ingredients, is the fact that you can choose how spicy you want your food to be with a the range of 10 being the hottest and 1 being girrrlllll you aint down! We got 7 on both entrees, and was a good balance of heat and flavor. The only downside to the restaurant as you may already know if you have been reading other reviews is the service. Our server was good, but was not great. As someone with quite an extensive history in the food service industry, I felt the waitstaff was a bit untrained, nervous, and shy. She was young, so granted she could be new to the restaurant and to working in general, I still feel that she could have been more friendly, attentive, and informed. I mean it was just the two of us. The restaurant was pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon. It was just me, my boyfriend, and two families next to us. This is a perfect example of how a restaurant can not solely thrive based on food alone and needs to be paired with great service. There is a bar on the side of the room, again, no one was there. Well durr durr, its only 2pm haha. Oh and parking is shared with the plaza so its not that hard to find parking.
(5)
Kim N.
I don't have to wait almost 2 hours in vegas for this food anymore?! Thank goodness. Came here on a Friday night with a group of 4. The wait time was a little less than 30 minutes. Ordered oysters, bomb. I ordered the house pan roast level 15, everyone thought I was crazy, but it wasn't even that spicy. It was delicious! Although it was as good as vegas in flavor. The portion was smaller (but thw price was couple dollars cheaper than vegas) and the ingredients in vegas were big. I got big pieces of chicken etc and here it was more shredded. Overall vegas is better but this place is still really good with less wait time! The chiefs here are really nice too. They had time to chat with us instead of being too crazy and rushing.
(4)
Guy L.
Went to this place Saturday night. I was a lil skeptical about driving to Chino Hills for some good food but what the heck. I have to say that it is pretty damn good! If you go, try the House Pan Roast. If you like calamari and like it tender, that's a sure bet as well. I read some of the previous reviews and there were complaints about slow service. Just order a beer ( White Rascal), an appetizer ( calamari), and chill....;) Ok location.......great food! Five stars!
(5)
Jay Y.
OH MY F'n GOSH!! Chef Mike Ritter -- you sir, are a magician. Day 1: The Gumbo #5 Day 2: The Lobster Pan Roast #5 The Boiler one day after another. It was an insane weekend with an overload of rich spicy food. The Gumbo is, without a doubt, the BEST that I have ever had West of the Mississippi. There is so much going on in the gumbo and the taste is so bold and spot-on -- it's hard to describe. It's just GOOD!! The spiciness rating varies depends on how spicy you like it. Personally, I like a LITTLE kick to mine.. so I opted for a #5 which is a medium spice which is perfect in my opinion. It's a flavorful spiciness where the heat from the spice doesn't over-power the flavor, which is perfect for me. The gumbo is semi-thick, semi-chunky, with a WHOLE lot of life in it. It's basically like a home-cooked gumbo.. you just have to try it!! The Lobster Pan Roast is another treat for the taste buds. You can taste the lobster, but it's not over-powering. It doesn't morbidly taste or smell fishy or lobster-y in anyway, but you can taste the lobster in a complimenting way. The Lobster Pan Roast is more of a tangy/zesty chowder of sorts that has chunks of various ingredients which is just oh-so-tasty. I'd have to admit that the Pan Roast is a little more rich than the Gumbo and I probably wouldn't order the Pan Roast as often for this particular reason, but make no mistake -- it's definitely drool-factor 100 to the millionth power!! The Cajun Calamari is a delicious appetizer. I kind of wish there was a slightly more cajun spice to the calamari, but all-in-all it was still very good calamari. The cocktail sauce with the horseradish was what made the calamari really stake it's claim in me. They usually have oysters served in various forms, but unfortunately -- due to weather and the BP oil spill in the Gulf -- oysters were not available during both of my visits. It was a sad day, but I also figured that oysters would have been the end of me if I were able to get oysters with all the other great foods surrounding me at the time. It's ok, there's always next time!! I will definitely be back to try more new things some time soon!! The staff is SUPER friendly and SUPER accommodating. Chef Mike Ritter is also super friendly -- he conversed and joked with us all night long, while cooking our food in front of us, and made our experience that much more enjoyable. Overall, an amazing experience with great people and great food!! I couldn't ask for more!!
(5)
Jennifer J.
I prefer the Vegas location. The pan roast here was not as creamy...but the food was prepared faster. Service was great.
I cannot stand jasmine rice. OK, I have to get that out of the way first thing because the jasmine rice is the reason for why I won't order the pan roast. Although, to be fair, I don't find the soupy sauce in the pan roast to be as orgasm-inducing as everyone else seems to think. It's certainly not bad but at the end of the day it's just a fairly decent chunky, creamy seafood soup. What I go for here is the Fisherman's Chowder which is clam chowder with other yummy seafood delectables added to it such as mussels, shrimp, crab, calamari, and fish. The clam chowder is pretty great to begin with but when you add all the other stuff it turns into heaven-in-a-bowl. But not quite as heaven-in-a-bowl as the Alaskan Chowder at the Oyster Bar. As with most cases, the original is the best. Service here is just whatever and the wait for your food will be looooong unless you are the only party there. Even with these negatives I would go here more if it was closer since it's the only place I know that has chowder like this.
(4)
ray d.
I love it. I can't wait to go back. House pan roast is it!
(5)
Rick V.
Okay, so after I read a bunch of reviews about this place, I decided to check it out. Since everyone seems to rave about the House Pan Roast, I decided to try it. All I can say is, HOLY FU@%ING BAJEEZERS!!! Seriously, it is utterly ORGASMIC!!! Every time I took a bite, I gave out this subtle euphoric moan.... A manly moan, of course.... But I'm getting ahead of myself. At first, the server asked me how spicy I wanted it, from 1-10. I love spicy food, so naturally I asked for a 10, since places like these are never really THAT spicy. And sure enough, it was pretty weak in terms of spiciness, but the dish itself was so fu@%ing delicious!! So I decided to go back again about a month later. Since I absolutely loved the House Pan Roast, I decided to get it again. This time I told my server that the previous time, I got a level 10 and it was pretty weak. This time she said, "Do you want a 12?" I said, "How about a 15?" She said okay. And then she said these magic words, "Would you like habaneros added to it?" Of course, I replied with, "Hell yes!" And I must admit, the level 15 House Pan Roast with the added Habaneros was truly to die for. I had finally nailed it. THIS WAS NOW THE MOST ORGASMIC FOOD EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!! It was perfectly spicy and still so damn good and flavorful. It has these juicy fat shrimp in there along with crab, lobster and clams. If you don't know what it is, it's sort of like a tomato bisque soup, with a ball of rice in the middle. If you LOVE spicy food, get it between level 10-15 and ask for habaneros on the side. You will love it. I'm not a creature of habit, so I've ordered a few other items, like the Etoufee, Jambalaya, and chicken gumbo, and they're great too! Not as orgasmic, but still really good. For first timers, get the House Pan Roast, you can't go wrong.
(5)
Alain F.
My wife and I came here for the first time last Tuesday evening and we were very pleased. We arrived and were cheerfully greeted and promptly seated. We took advantage of their Happy Hour specials and ordered a couple of house Pinot Grigios, Crab Cakes and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. All were delicious. For the main course my wife ordered the Gumbo and I ordered the Pan Roast. Both were well executed and available cooked to your level of spiciness. There was however something lacking in the seasonings as other Yelpers have noted. As the servings are large, we had some to take home. The next day, we added a blend of Cajun spices we keep on hand and that was the cat's meow! I would have given a 5 star rating if not for this lack of proper seasoning. We will be back but next time, we're bringing our seasoning to supplement theirs.
(4)
Joey S.
Cajun crab cakes oh my goodness. Clam chowder new england style Mmmm... House pan roast delicious @ heat #7. Will try heat #8 next time for a little more kick. Cilantro chicken and sausage wow! It's like a Cajun albondigas with linguine. Great new spot for me. Bacon wrapped shrimp oh,baby. Location not easy to find due to lack of illuminated sign. Must try place for those of us who love flavor.
(5)
Nat S.
Each bowl you order is cooked in a double boiler kettle thingy and costs around $18+/bowl for seafood and like....$14 for non-seafood if I remember right. Each comes with a scoop of rice but not nearly enough I think(maybe the asian in me speaking). I tried the Oyster Bar at Palace station in Las Vegas at 5am super smashed after clubbing and was amazed at how f*cking amazing the pan roast was so it is my only comparison to The Boiler. My memory of Oyster Bar is obviously a bit hazy but I think it was better than The Boiler. I'm still giving this place 5 stars because it was f*cking delicious either way. I ordered and shared the House Pan Roast, Etouffe, Bouillabaisse, and Gumbo. Each bowl comes with a scoop of rice except the Bouillabaisse. My favorites were the House Pan Roast and Bouillabaisse. My least favorite was the Etouffe because it was too rich and dark for me. I've never had a Etouffe in my life before this though so I have no comparison. The Pan Roast tastes like....I dunno...I guess a bunch of seafood in a very creamy tomato bisque or an indian tikka masala. The Bouillabaisses' tomato-base is so bright and brothy compared to the thick and creamy Pan roast. I tried to make my own Pan Roast at home and failed miserably so I'm glad I don't have to go to Las Vegas to get my fix. Saw a couple people say how the service was shitty but ours wasn't bad and we came about 30 minutes before they shut down the kitchen. We did have to flag them down after we got our food since they were cleaning up though but it's clean up time so I can't really fault them too much for it because I'd want to get my shit done to go home too. Tip: If you only came to try the Pan Roast I feel like the entree is totally big enough for 2 people to split a bowl and be fine. Especially if you ask(pay?) for more rice.
(5)
Angie W.
I am a huge fan of the steamer pots of seafood, especially the ones in Vegas! ;) ;) With that being said, I am so excited to announce I give my stamp of approval! I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed because there are few foods out there that compare with my fave restaurant. We stopped by for a late lunch and it wasn't packed so we got to sit at the counter to watch our food being made. The chef was pretty cool and talked to us about the restaurant and how it came to be. My fave will always be the lobster pan roast... mmmmmmm it is just so creamy and flavorful with big chunks of lobster floating around in the tomato bisquey sauce. It's heaven on earth! Dipping the bread in makes it a great meal. The restaurant is pretty big with a large counter area and many tables in the dining room. The service was a little slow, maybe because they were tired from the lunch rush, but we had to keep asking for refills of drinks and bread. This restaurant is tucked away and located in a plaza with other anchor restaurants and isn't as noticeable. I only saw it because of the sign on the main street and we had to look for it in the plaza. I'm glad I don't have to go all the way to Vegas to get my lobster pan roast on!
(4)
HEIDI S.
This place is great! We love the House pan roast... btw - add Sausage... FANTASTIC!
(5)
Chon T.
steam kettle cooking? apparently its the new thing...and it's awesome. ive been to both Ritter's in Costa Mesa and here, and tried the house pan roast at both places. Similar dishes, though at the Boiler its slightly saltier, IMO. The jambalaya is decent as well. Overall, Im not too impressed but I do like this place. Definitely will return whenever I'm in Chino HIlls.
(3)
Vicki I.
Yummy, warm, deliciousness!!!! Don't be intimidated by the heat...can be avoided if that's not your taste buds. But for me and the hubby...perfect to make it caliente as much as we want.
(5)
Terence N.
My friend took me here for lunch and the food will satisfy your hunger craving. The oysters are plump and fresh! I decided to try the pan roast, which is their most popular dish. The tomato sauce is really good, not too heavy on the cream, good tomato flavor, seasoned perfect. They give you plenty of seafood and rice. A dinner portion is HUGE, bad idea ordering it for lunch. Overall, a satisfying cajun seafood spot. Get the pan roast if you want seafood and tomato cream sauce...its really delicious!
(4)
Phil G.
I was close to giving this place a 4 however I felt that the price was a bit high. The food was tasty and served hot. But just on the pricey side. If your looking steam kettle cooking this could be your place.
(3)
Karen C.
Vegas location is waaaay better. I just didnt taste the 'umph" in the pan roast. I thought the chef here was being alil too exact and proportional with the measured ingredients at this location.. The waitresses and chef assistant were nice peoples with not too shabby service but I definitely l the oysterbar at the palace station.
(3)
Allison C.
Almost went to Manila Bay Seafood Boiler (or some such title) by mistake- its in the next plaza over; but thankfully we realized our error and made our way over to the real Boiler and so happy! I'm really not a seafood person, but my bf is and at our friend's recommendation we decided to come by and try out the House Pan Roast. It's amazing- the tomato base and the creaminess, and the totally un-fishy seafood bits made me fall in love.(It kind of occurred to me that it was like a wonderful and imaginative cross between an etoufee and a masala. Maybe, just musing). And the complimentary bread and the cajun fries really did make my evening. I felt like I hadn't had good food in so long and here is what I had been waiting for. Will definitely be back and probably next time I won't want to share even though portion size is totally for sharing. Easy parking out front; service is not the most attentive but its a small place and you can always flag a person down; at least three TVs in the place with the NBA playoffs on when we went; and two bar like areas- one might be for waiting, and the other seating and you can watch where the magic happens in their steam kettles!
(5)
Daena H.
I was a little hessitant about going due to the numerous report of bad service. I was pleasantly surprised to have such great service. All of the waitresses were very attentive and accomodating...I must have lucked out and got the "Nice" crew. The wait was worth it. We hung out at the bar, ordered beer and fried calamari and cajun fries to hold us over. The aroma of the food was killing us slowly. We finally sat down at the counter to watch the cook prep our food. What's not to order...OYSTERS...ooohhhhhhhhhhh...they were very NOT fresh...almost ruined the experience for me. The steam clams were yummy...so was the clam chowder, just the right consistency. The HOUSE Pan Roast was amazing...our spice level 8 was the perfect kick. Creole style ciopini was different, but I prefer mine the original "SF" way (The cajun spice didn't do it justice). Their gumbo was good as well, next time, I will order the rice on the side, not in the bowl. Over all, it was a very pleasant visit and was worth the drive and the wait. Would definitely come back for another feast.
(4)
John L.
is it me or are they serving less and less rice portion for their house/lobster pans?! knowing they have smaller rice portion, I've ordered an extra rice for my to-go just to find out the extra rice is about a mouthful of rice and I ended up cooking another cup of rice just to have enough for my $18+ dollar order. news flash for a restaurant owned by Chinese, don't cheap out on rice!!!
(3)
Elle S.
I was in Chino Hills for work, and thanks to Yelp, decided to check this place out. We actually ended up eating here two days in a row because the food was so good! I'm originally from New Orleans and thought this food was actually authentic...quality and flavor that you'd definitely find at some of the best restaurants in New Orleans. I had the jambalaya and the house pan roast. Both were delicious, but the pan roast was my favorite! I also liked that you could pick your spice level (from 1 - 10). The dinner portion was very generous, and I left full and with leftovers. We sat up at the bar and watched them cook in the steam kettles, which was neat to see. The customer service was awesome -- both the wait staff and the cooks were super friendly on both occasions. I would love to see a place like this in San Diego!!
(5)
Jessica W.
The food is good the service is horrible. I go there all the time and the service is getting consistently worse. The food is not that great to lack customer service. When I called to explain the bad service a woman answered the phone, when I asked to speak with a manager she basically said no and I can talk to her or no one at all. She said the managers are the owners and they do not have time for complaints. It's a shame because at one time it was a great place to go.
(1)
lilian l.
I need to rant. Apologies in advance. I love the oyster bar at the palace station...other than occasional long waits, never had a problem. So when this opened, I was thrilled! I live in SG so its still a bit of a drive but figured it would be worth it. This morning was my 3rd time here. There were a few minor problems last 2 times but i figured hey...maybe theyre new and needed to get the hang of things. We were the first customers of the day and ordered a House Pan Roast spice level 3 and a jambalaya level 8 to go. The chef was nice enough to throw in extra free rice. Got home and immediately dug into the food. I always order 3 and never had a problem. This time i had 2 bites and had to drink a whole large glass of water. Now, i really can't eat spicy so to be fair, i had the bf test it. He said its the way he likes it...which is super spicy=/ my throats burning, kinda swelling and i have a house pan roast that smells great but i cant touch. I waited a long time for this and looks like ill be waiting til my next vegas trip to satisfy this craving. Last time, they mixed up orders...messed up spice level...and i had tiny measly lobster in my pan roast. Sorry Chino Hills Boiler...i really wanted to be a regular but for the price, not worth the mistakes.
(2)
Marcia S.
Discovered the Boiler on Yelp, so the bf and I thought we'd check it out. It was an interesting type of cuisine that was new to me. Everything looked so good and I couldn't decide! I ordered the House Pan Roast, and bf ordered the Linguini and Clams with White Wine sauce. You can choose the level of spiciness, so I choose 4 and my bf 5. However, my bf's food burned more like a 9. There were pepper flakes filling up his bowl and I felt bad because he looked uncomfortable eating it. Mine however, was perfect. The house pan roast was creamy and had lobster, clams, and other seafood. The portions were pretty big. Our waitress was friendly, and brought us a free sample of clam chowder that was very hearty and flavorful. We started with seasoned calamari and that was yummy as well. Its a nice venue, where the food is kettle cooked in the middle of the room where you can see it, and sit at the circular bar if you like. They have a separate bar on the side too, and big screen tvs for you to enjoy games. Next time I'd like to try lunch, as dinner will run you more than 20.00 pp. Try it out, the food is good!
(4)
Eddie P.
Food and service was great! Me and my family come here a lot and have never been disappointed my favorite this is their clam chowder.
(4)
Japen G.
Amazing Seafood Gumbo!!! Thank you yelpers for pointing out the way to this place! We came on a saturday just in time for their happy hour which highlighted a few appetizers on the cheap. I decided I wanted something to warm me up and curious about their New England Clam Chowder and boy was it reminiscent of the one I had while I was in Boston. It was delicious. I will keep this short. Ordered the Seafood Gumbo and when our server was explaining what was involved in the preparation of their gumbo, including a 4-5 hour stock, I was drooling. When my dish was served, the smell the emanated was amazing. You can smell all the spices and the seafood that it had and it was delicious. It had real crab meat shredded, pealed shrimp, clams and a heaping of rice. I decided to take it easy and went with number 3 for spiciness and I was very happy. In the future I think I can take it up to maybe a 5 but that will be pushing it for me. The dish had so much flavor that you can actually take apart. The texture was thick but it didn't feel heavy like it was made out of cream. That would be their pan roast. Service was a little more on the slow side. Seeing how they prepare using the steam kettle, it does take some time to prepare their dishes. But it was definitely worth the wait.
(5)
Christina K.
Sat at the wraparound bar to watch the food steam and the cooks doing their thing. Started with Calamari then had the house pan roast dish. The calamari was great. Big chunks that taste fresh. Not rubbery. Batter had a lot of flavor. They rate the house pan spiciness as a range from 1-10. We got a 6 and it was not spicy enough. I'd go for 8-10. The sauce was good with large pieces of shrimp. Comes with a nice heap of rice on it. More than enough in one order to share between 2-3 people. Dessert of the day: vanilla bean creme brulee. Not my favorite sweet in general. The ones I have enjoyed had a crispy, THIN layer of sugar topping. This one was a little too thick. The creamy inside filling was damn tasty though. Service: Top notch. The hostess was really friendly and attentive. She even checked on us throughout our meal. I guess an overlap of duties, but it worked. Parking: Large private lot. Would I come back? Sure. Would I go out of my way to come back out of a craving? Probably not. Also, not a ton of seating inside, so if it's prime dining time...you may have to wait for a table. A-OK!
(3)
Storm M.
Very nice atmosphere, very relaxing. The food is very good except the gumbo. I am used to gumbo taking hours to cook so what do you expect in 10 minutes? The gumbo was 17.99 and not worth it all all! However, my husband had the Jambalaya and he LOVED it and it was good! Actually everything we ordered was good except the gumbo.
(3)
Shelly L.
I went on a Monday evening. There were not that many people which was fine, no wait! Had the happy hour calamari and pan roast. The calamari was like biting into a cheesestick. Nice thick portions of squid with just enough batter crunch. The pan roast was ok. I thought it was too rich after a few bites on its own. It had a good amount of shrimp and lobster. The rice that accompanied it was so small. An extra bowl costs over $1.50. Thats outrageous! Not sure if Id go back for the price is not worth the food.
(4)
Melody P.
PURE AMAZINGNESS!!! Appetizer: Calamari- It was well spiced and breaded well. It was slighty crunchy and tender in the inside! The cocktail sauce was ok. It was good, but I had better! Oyster: Its was very clean and 100% fresh and of course is either you like it or not!! In mycase I LOVED IT! Soup: CLAM CHOWDER!! OMG... BOMB.COM!! Fresh clam, creamy, and very well flavored, and dip your bread in there.. I seriously closed my eyes for a good minute and I let that chowder adsorb the flavor all over my mouth, every each mm of my palate and tongue.. IT was that good! Main Entree: FOA( 1st Of All) I love the fact that you get to choose your own spiciness from 1-10! We got a number 8 for our Jambalaya and House Pan Roast! OF COURSE.. it had a good spicy flavor in it, but not enough for me.. Next time round I would go to a #10, where the next day my "CULO" will be burning in flame!! THAT'S MY kind of spiciness.. NO PAIN, NO GAIN!!! HOUSE PAN ROAST WAS ADDICTEDLY AMAZING and yes "addictedly is not a word, but serious good stuff! JAMBALAYA was good too, good flavor and everything. ( I make better tho' lol) no joke :)) Either one you wont be disapointed, but def. get the HOUESE PAN ROAST! DESSERT: CREME BRULEE: GET IT and its amazing!! CREAMY, you can see the vanilla seed every bite, just the right type of sweetness and it has a good consistency creamy to it. If you love cajun/creole food with limitless amazing flavor! Check it out! Also, the two entree is good enough for 4 people! That's dinner wise, lunch wise, idk if they are much less serving because of prices wise, but I would ask! Lunch orders are only available during the weekdays, unfortunately!
(5)
Christianne F.
I prefer to come here during lunch time, when portions are smaller and prices are lower. I always order the house pan roast: served in a bowl with yummy flavor and a dollop of rice. For some of their dishes you can decide the level of spiciness (1-10, 10 being the hottest). I usually order a 7 and that kind of gets my ears ringing from all the heat - but i like it! Their dishes actually contain a good amount of the seafood it says it does on their menu. Their new clam chowder is loaded with pieces of clam and crab; you're not digging for a piece of seafood meatiness. Waitress is attentive and theres no line during lunch (until 230 pm on weekdays). Ill have to come back and try other dishes.
(4)
Roc N Ro L.
Waited 2 hours! And then they told us no more pan roast! What the hell...
(1)
Lauren L.
House Pan was rich n good. I love spice and level 6 wasn't spicy. So if u can hit it up ask for 8 or 10! I finished all myself which is the first time I don't share. A testament to how good it is. I wish they had more seafood in there. I but into bits of seafood but wish it wasn't so much like baby food texture. Just a few more chunks of seafood will make the stars up to 5! Overall great food. A bit Pricey at 13.99 for one person serving.
(4)
Chris P.
Terrible initial presentation. Hostess did not write name down on list and subsequently ended up waiting an hour of the hour and forty five minutes it was going to take. First impression go a long way. Otherwise service was pleasant and food very good
(2)
Eddie C.
Chino Hills is maturing with improved restaurants and larger variety of food selections. Starting with the service, they are enthusiastic when you enter and smile each time they check on you. It's not a big place, so they insure to have plenty which is appreciated. Starting with the Soups, the "signature" is the clam chowder, and its rich and thick which I appreciate, but others might prefer to have less consistency. I prefer the chipotle fish chowder because its filled with shrimp, cod, clams in a spicy red soup and you can select the degree of heat with a scale between 1 and 10, and I think 8 is just right. The entrees, I've had are the Bouillabaisse, which is filled with lobster, shrimp, crab and mussels which is hard to compare to n'awlins french soup, but it's very close. The Cioppino which is a staple of San Fran is good and I think this could be served over a bed of rice instead of linguini so you can dunk your bread. The Jambalaya is spicy and I'd prefer to go up to a 9, only because this dish commands "heat" and ask for extra sausage because it is homemade. But the "signature" dish is the Pan Roast House which is a creamy tomato base creole sauce with all the seafood fixins'. This is a dish you can easily crave and come back for more because this is a unique style of cooking with steam versus boiling, basting, broiling, etc. Several other recommended dishes is the Shrimp Diablo and Linguini with Clams, but again, I substituted the linguini for a bed of rice. Price wise, it's a bit on the high side for seafood, however, for the experience, ambiance and food, it's worth it.
(4)
Diana L.
First time here and I'm a fan. I tried the shrimp scampi with fettucini. I sat at the bar so I was able to see the chefs in action. I liked how I was able to control the spice level. I got 7 out of 10 stars for spice and it was perfect. Not too spicy where I couldn't taste the flavor and not too plain where I wish it was spicy. I also tried the oysters Rockefeller as an appetizer and they were bomb! Wish this place was out in Dena! Next time I want to try the jambalaya!
(5)
Rachna K.
Came here o a Friday night, had some wait time, however there was only two of us, so we were seated quite fast . However if your a with a larger group, may take a while. The restaurant itself war very cute, and definitely clean, always a plus. It was my first time at a cajan style place, but wow was I impressed. Absolutely delicious. We started out with the cajan crab cakes, which came with this spicy creamy sauce. We also order the jambalaya, which was my first time having it. They have a spice rating 1-10, we ordered about a 5, but could definitely bump it to a 6/7. Dish was very creamy and flavorful, also very filling. We both shared one dish, and still had some to take home. Over all absolutist delicious, and excited to try the other items. Favorite part, try and get seated at the bar, then you can see them make it in. Was pretty awsome :)
(4)
Bryant S.
Delicious pan roast and the prices are fair. Staff was friendly and be prepared for a wait if you show up during peak hours. No reservations on weekends.
(4)
Trisha H.
**order house pan roast (good to share with another person) and clam chowder. ** house pan roast sauce is boiling crab's hot older brother minus the msg taste. it freaking tastes so fresh with crab bits, sausage, shrimp.... clam chowder: premium stuff
(4)
Bryan Y.
This place is a hidden gem in Chino Hills. It's located in a huge plaza right next to Lucille's. The place is smaller than I imagined it to be. When I first walk in, I thought this place had two bars. The bigger "bar" was actually a cooking area where you can sit and watch the chef cook your meal! I got the jambalaya and my gf got the house pan roast. You can adjust your spice level here, so being highly tolerant of spices, I up mine to 10. My gf kept it at a mild 5. The portions were big. My jambalaya was really flavorful, with a great combination of andouille sausages and chicken. My gf's house pan roast had assorted varieties of seafood and had a bisque-like taste and consistency to it. For the appetizer, we got the crab cakes, which were really well made, flaky, and all around delicious.
(5)
Alysia L.
Pretty darn good, we will be back. Crab cakes were good so was the crab pan roast. My husband really likes the gumbo, and he's a hard sell on gumbo and jambalaya so that's sayin something. Highly recommend.
(4)
Lakshmi M.
I love this restaurant! I can't believe I just discovered this place a month ago! It's a gem in chino hills among all the big franchise restaurants and chains. Truly unique and great service. I've never seen or been to a restaurant like it. They serve Cajun cuisine and make the food in steam kettles in front of you. I've only had the house pan roast and it's amazing! So yummy!
(5)
Brandy B.
Omg, what a restaurant! The food here is amazing! Full of flavor, not shy on portion sizes, spice level to your liking. Steamer cook top right in front of you at the bar. The atmosphere is nice mild, cozy and modern with low lights. The location is decent not much around so parking is good, even on a Saturday night. I most defiantly will be back!
(5)
Pauline M.
I was thinking boiling crab, boiling shrimp, crab bake, etc. FALSE! This is not another boiling crab knockoff. Pan roast is the name of the game. Pan roast consists of a mix of seafood cooked in a delicious creamy tomato based sauce, and spiced from level 1-10. I went with a 6 and could have had more. It's almost like a jambalaya, except the rice is on the bottom. There is a plethora of seafood in the mix and the sauce is addictive, very salty but very crack infused. But if you want Jambalaya, fear not! They have that on the menu as well, though it wasn't as good as the pan roast in my opinion. The oysters on a half shell are also very fresh and tasty. The clam chowder is also very good. If you've had Pan roast at the oyster bar in Las Vegas, this is exactly the same thing.
(4)
Wen H.
Very Creamy - not advised if lactose intolerant! Don't go when busy or if there's a wait or just be prepared with some animal crackers or something
(3)
Mike B.
Don't order takeout. We were quoted 20-30 minutes. Got there at 35 minutes and they hadn't started making our food. We walked out. Food is great but as others mentioned service is spotty. When you walk in, if the place is half full, leave or you will be frustrated. For people that figured out the hard part (making good food), they are equally as poor at the easier part (service). They need to get rid of the alcohol bar to create room for more tables. I hope they read these comments and take steps to fix or they won't last.
(2)
Christine W.
I've been to the one in Vegas which is A LOT better. I heard from the chefs there that the person who opened this one actually used to work at the one in Vegas. Because my family and I absolutely loved the oyster bar at the one in Vegas, we decided to try this one out since it's much closer to home. They have lunch specials and we figured we wanted to go during lunch since it's cheaper in case we didn't like it and since everyone is busy during the weekdays, we made a date to eat there on a Sunday. We sat at the bar because that's what you really should do when you go to the boiler. They will cook your food in front of you and it's just an overall better experience if you do. Overall, I'd say the service was a 1.5/2 out of 5. The server liked to abruptly interrupt us and it was very hard to get her attention. Most of the time, she was busy conversing with another customer who was by herself and showing the server pictures on her phone. It took a good 10 minutes to flag her down to make our orders. Also, when we sat down, she gave us a regular menu which had the pricing for lunch and dinner. When we got our bill, we noticed that we were charged for dinner so we asked about it and she told us that on weekends, there's only dinner pricing no matter what time you go. I told her that I didn't know that and that I had called earlier asking if they had a lunch special and they had assured me that they did. She looked at me with an irritated expression, walked away, and came back with a menu. She then pointed at the top and said, "if you look here, it tells you that we don't serve lunch on weekends." Well, sorry if I had assumed the menu you gave me included the lunch special because we were not given the REAL lunch special menu. Of course, she did nothing about this and didn't even seem apologetic for the mix-up. The 2 star is not just for the service. The food just wasn't up to par. I ordered the same dish at the one in Vegas here, the Shrimp Scampi/Shrimp Diablo, and the shrimps that they gave me in Vegas were delicious and huge. The ones here tasted like they had been overcooked and put to the side then cooked again. The pasta and sauce were okay but if the seafood's no good then what's the point of coming here, right? However, I have to say that the oyster's were GREAT. If you like oysters, order a dozen bluepoint oysters. You won't be disappointed. But overall, I'd say you're better off going somewhere else for seafood and gumbo or stopping by the one in Vegas the next time you go to Sin City. It's located at Palace Station, a local casino/hotel off the strip and every night they have a line for the oyster bar but it's definitely worth the wait.
(2)
Melissa H.
I had the pan roast with a 6 heat/spice level and although I had to wipe the sweat off my brow from time to time, it was delectable and worth the effort. Definitely a must try in my opinion. :-)
(4)
Tan T.
The food here is amazing and unique. The house pan roast is the best but all of the entrees are delicious. This place is small so there can be a wait on a weekend night. Entrees are pricey $20+ but we'll worth it. Their lunch prices are a more reasonable for essentially the same amount of food. Just be careful because they have changed their daytime hours many times and there was more than one occasion that I arrived to see they were closed or having a staff meeting.
(5)
Luis R.
You have to try the bouillabaisse and the steamed clams... All I can say is awesome! We will definitely be back SOON to try something different...
(5)
Brandon C.
This place is a complete rip off. Twenty dollars is way too much for a bowl of soup unless you are eating some pretty rare ingredients, which The Boiler is not serving. Had I not been invited there by someone else for a special occasion, I would have walked out after looking the menu over. But I stayed and ate a mediocre bowl of $20 soup and hated every spoonful. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem paying good money for good food. The problem with this place is that there was nothing about the experience that justified the price. First, it's in the corner of a strip-mall-looking-thing that screams no class. Most of the seating is bar style seating meant to showcase the stupid silver bowls that seem like an attempt to charge what they do for the soup, but this make conversations difficult with larger parties. I didn't actually want soup, but that's the way everything comes, in soup. When my dish arrived (don't remember the name because I'm never going back) the price made me anticipate a flavorful bowl of soup with a rich broth and intricate flavor from all of the ingredients. Instead, I got something that was only a little better than canned soup.
(1)
Paul M.
Excellent!! Best sweet tea! Authentic French Cajun. Chef Joe is a hoot and puts on a great show...he should appear on TV!!
(5)
Charles C.
This place is the bomb. Its unique to me, I only know two places that have this type of food. Here in Chino and the other is like in Las Vegas palace station hotel. I had the House pan roast w/ sausage. It was awesome. I can't do spicy but they ask you the level you would like between 1-10. I want to try everything on the menu but the house pan roast to me is to good to pass. Service is decent, I experienced where the waitress either went on break or left. We ended up waiting for a while for check and refills. I appreciate the chefs there. They must work hard cause each time I been there its the same chiefs and always same superior taste. Only negative thing about this place is its in Chino, so depending the time you go you might hit traffic from hell, but usually after my first bite I forget about that.
(5)
Michelle M.
Came here on a Rainy Sunday around 3pm so it wasnt crowded at all. I am sure you will be reading other yelp reviews on this place so Im going to make it short and simple. We had a dozen half shell oysters.... eh it was okay had better Clam chowder was good Bouillabaisse was not that good. So you ask what was good that I give a four star rating???? Hello??!!! Its a must try HOUSE PAN ROAST and nothing more. I usually go to the spot in Palace Station in Vegas, that would be the #1 spot for the house pan roast but this place is my 2nd choice and closer than vegas too. So why did I knock off one star? SERVICE! 3 young teens just standing around chit chatting and as we were waiting for food talking about how much the previous family just tipped etc. Ummmm please if you are reading this maybe keep it to yourselves. Besides that The house pan roast is the way to go here and is a MUST TRY
(4)
Brittany K.
This place is so unique, fun and delicious. We had the sweet potato fries, New England clam chowder, chicken gumbo and house pan roast. Everything was very tasty and filling. Portions are pretty large and prices are pretty high so we'd probably only go back once in a while. Overall great experience and a great splurge!
(4)
Richard P.
If you like Oyster Bar in Vegas you'll love The Boiler. My friends and I always look forward to Vegas trips so that we can get our Pan Roast Fix. Other than Vegas, The Boiler is the next closest place to get it! Parking: Parking is easy. Located in a large shopping plaza, there is plenty of parking. Service: The service is great. We were quickly seated with no wait (about 12 pm on Saturday). Servers were attentive and quickly refilled our drinks. The entire time we were there my soda was never empty. Food: PAN ROAST!!!! Seriously so good. Filled with plenty of delicious seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab, etc). Made to order, at the spice level you want! The only thing is that I wish they added more rice. Overall delicious meal. The Boiler offers great food and service, It is a little far from me, but it's definitely a lot closer than driving to Vegas, If you like Pan Roast definitely check this place out. It's worth it. I can't wait til my next visit.
(5)
Rich T.
If you haven't been to this place. You gotta try it. I go to the Oyster Bar in Vegas at Palace Station and this place is run by an ex-chef from there. Get the Pan Roast and prepare for your life to be changed forever.
This place is pretty legit... You get what you pay for. Lunch portions are small compared to dinner portions. The price also corresponds to the size as well. I love the house pan roast and recommend it to any newcomer. Pretty much the whole menu is great and it's pretty hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. I wish I could eat here everyday but I would break my wallet and get super fat if I did. The service is great here as well. Just thinking of this review is making my mouth water :)
(4)
Nancy N.
No reservations on the weekends so we had quite a bit of a longgg wait. (About 2 hours) Small restaurant, not ideal for big parties. Cajun Fries: too much seasoning, a bit salty Calamari: thick cut, lightly breaded served with a cocktail sauce and horseradish. nothing special Cioppino: thick tomato based soup served over linguini with lots of seafood but I've had better. Etoufee: The crawfish flavor definitely stands out the most in the dish. PAN ROAST: The deal breaker, the best dish of the night! Thick tomato cream sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster and clams. Each bite was filled with seafood so you know they don't skip on it and def and sausage to the dish. Didn't care for the jasmine rice but instead dipped the sauce with bread. You can choose how spicy you want it from a level of 1 to 10. I went with a level 6, just a bit of a kick, comparable to Boiling Crab medium level. Everyone else got a level 8, but I couldn't take the heat. Now i'm craving the pan roast!
(4)
Annie L.
First off... their food is awesome..reasons why my family drove 3 cars from alhambra to come to this place to eat lunch for my birthday. But really?? I was there for 35 mins then ur server comes and tell me ur boiler went out and it takes an hour to get it back up? Ok... so do I get anything for my troubles to compensate me coming here for nothing?? Maybe even have your manager come and apologize?? Oh what? Managers not even present at the facility? Comon... thats very unprofessional... could we at least get a free appetizer or something? Nothing... then the servers went inside and hid in the kitchen for 10 mins after you told me the bad news? Did not expect this kinda service from this place.. very disappointed at the moment and on my birthday.
(1)
Khoa T.
Randomly came here for dinner to catch up with a friend. I'm not really familiar with the Chino Hills area, so it was a little hard to find the restaurant in the dark. Friend and I ordered the gumbo, which was pretty good with the rice and the free bread. The gumbo sort of reminded me of eating Japanese curry (the kinda grainy consistency of the gumbo eaten with the white rice). They give you a fair amount of seafood (shrimp, crab, fish) and sausage too, so it's a pretty good deal? It's cheaper for lunch though, so I'd recommend coming in then.
(3)
Wendy C.
I went there on a Monday afternoon, and only a few other guests were present. I was greeted and seated (there's a counter where you can watch the chef cook the food, or you can sit at the regular tables; the bar area wasn't open at the time) promptly. From the seafood appetizers to soups/ salads and, of course, the entrees, the menu offers a variety of choices. I got the house pan roast, which, according to the chef, is the most popular item because it contains a little bit of all the seafood items (lobster, clam, shrimp, crab, and trinity) for just a dollar more ($12.95) than the individual seafood pan roasts. You can choose a spiciness level from 1-10. As a reference point, 6 tasted just a bit stronger than mild. With all the entrees, you get a scoop of jasmine rice, which they make pretty well. Additionally, you get bread and butter in the beginning, but don't eat too much of that, or else a light eater will be too full to finish the entire entree (it looks like a bowl of soup!). Sitting at the counter allows you to watch the chef cook what you order, and it's so fun! He will make conversation with you, and, if you ask questions about the food or its origins, he will didactically answer you. It was amazing. He gave another group a mini-lesson about the background of Creole food. Go figure. The food itself was SO GOOD. Genius, like I said. Hot and delicious--and made in under 10 minutes. It wasn't too sweet or too salty, and the spiciness is up to you. At one point, I also heard the chef tell another customer that the oysters came in fresh from Louisiana today. SAY WHAT? Again, amazing.
(5)
Alina M.
CAREFUL: The Boiler does not do any by-the-pound "boiling" that you may expect at The Boiling Crab or other similar joints. CAREFUL AGAIN: This place has widely different prices for lunch and dinner...like, dinner is almost twice the price which lands some dishes above the $20 mark. Don't know how the lunch portions look, but I do know that I can't afford this place too often for dinner. (Even though I wish I could, since some of the items knock it out of the park). On the price issue, it seems like one of the only items that has the same price throughout the day is the cajun salmon salad--GET IT! Oh my god, for twelve bucks, you get a huge filet, perfectly blackened and steaming hot on top of some seasoned cold greens. It is seriously a perfect salad. And while you're waiting for the salad, order the bacon-wrapped shrimp. The applewood-smoked bacon they use is superb and while I'd venture to say that it actually overpowers the huge shrimp, please ask me if I care. I don't. That is one great appetizer to get your mouth wet. Gumbo--not a fan. Not enough variety in sausages, the okra didn't seem properly sauteed and there was no file to be found. I know, I know, sometimes with gumbo, you can do either/or in terms of okra or file for thickening but I just always found that file lends that distinctive Cajun earthy note. How do I know? Best friend's daddy takes out his 48 quart pot a few times a year and churns out some gumbo to die for. I know it's unfair to compare Mr. Stewart's gumbo of love to anybody else's but I consider myself a slick gumbo tester who knows her stuff :))) I loved the shrimp pan roast that my boyfriend got and with which he was a little disappointed but his lack of enthusiasm came about because he didn't expect a stew. Don't make that same mistake, Boiler diners--a shrimp pan roast is a thick stew and not a "roast" per se. He expected a paella-like dish, which this is not. The flavor, though, is superb: curry notes are sharp and the thick tomato cream is delectable. As a matter of fact, we switched up our entrees and I forfeited my gumbo for his pan roast. Great decision. The service, by the way, is on point and super-friendly. Would love to come back again, but once again, not at dinner prices.
(4)
Mark P.
I've been to the boiler 3 times now. Each experience has been basically the same. The food I would rate 4+ stars. Fresh ingredients, well seasoned and cooked right in front of you. The calamari appetizer is very good and is served with a seafood cocktail and horseradish sauce. The Gumbo was rich and very tasty as was the Cilantro Chicken with Sausage. The Jambalaya was a bit dry and the Shrimp overcooked. This is basically because the Shrimp is cooked at the same time as the chicken and sausage. In addition they put the rice (par-boiled) in the pot after the dish is almost completed without adding any extra liquid. This results in the dish ending up dry (too much rice/not enough liquid). However, the Jambalaya was still flavorful but just a bit dry. The real problem is the service (2.5 stars.) The wait staff doesn't know what is in the dishes, and disappear into the back for extended periods. The appetizers are brought out by separate staff (other than your waitress.) All of this adds to a feeling of neglect or lack of care about the customers. I don't expect someone to hover over me while I'm eating, but having one of the wait staff in the dining area to make sure that new customers are greeted and existing customers have what they need would definitely improve the dining experience.
(3)
Michelle L.
Love this place! And will go back again!! My fav dishes are house pan roast, shrimp scampi and their canjub fries!
(4)
terrison k.
finally check this place out for my birthday with my ohana back in February. Totally forgot this place existed and was super stoked to try it out. The Combination Pan Roast and Clam Chowder was pretty bomb . com but I felt that eating all the food together was kind of too much mushy/salty/flavorful and I easily got over it after 4-5 bites. I needed to take a sip of my nieces coke to help refresh my taste buds or wish I had some plain white rice to eat the dishes with or something that wasn't salty/mushy going into my mouth the whole time. I later saw that from another yelp review that I could of ordered plain noodles to be mix in or on the side with the dishes vs rice but my waitress did not let me know about that available option although I told her it was my first time. So I guess it's both our faults? Oh well... FYI, my waitress was very nice and friendly. I let her know that it was my birthday towards the end of the meal and she brought out a small creme brulee w/ whip cream on top for me which was pretty awesome of her and help cheered me up at the end of the meal but overall their service as a whole is pretty average if not below average since it is so slow! Guess the owners don't wanna waste the money to add a few more servers on the floor during prime dinner time....expect to wait =( quick recap: we ordered 2 orders of the Combination Pan Roast - very good and now I understand why yelpers love this dish. Definitely would order this again to go. Clam Chowder: LOVED it! probably one of the best if not the best chowder I've had. Much better than SF pier. Gumbo: salty, flavorful but kind of grimey-like/ woodish tasting? haha it's not as bad as this sounds but it was a forgettable dish for me.......first gumbo I ever had so didn't really know what to expect. Jambalaya: good flavors, wish their was slightly more sausage in it but overall too mushy for my taste buds. raw oysters: clean and decent. Don't remember what kind of oysters they were Calamari: big big big disappointment! I saw pictures of fresh looking calamari from the photos section that had the different types of squid pieces and tentacles *my fave. but instead was served calamari that look like mozzarella cheese sticks! My nieces gobbled them up but if I knew ahead of time that I was getting this and not what I saw in the pictures I most definitely would of choose something else to try from the appetizers menu. I believe that's all we ordered but yeah we had a bunch of left overs. Their potion sized for the main entrees is more than enough to split between 2-3 people easily. I would only come back to sit at the bar to see my food made and eat the Chowder and house pan roast. IMO this place is over hype but plenty of people still come I believe so good for them.
(3)
Cat B.
1 bowl of clam chowder + 2 dinners = $55 Sucks, sucks, sucks. Clam chowder is incredibly standard. Meh. I ordered the cioppino, the bf ordered the bouillabaisse. The cioppino was served over linguine. Um... what? This doesn't make any sense. Not only was it strange, but the linguine were so overcooked, they were like dead, pasty, worms floating in my cioppino. No, really, these things were so overcooked, it was disgusting. But then I found out why: there was no difference in flavor between the bouillabaisse and the cioppino, so they probably did it to make it SEEM different. They obviously use the same base for both soups. They both taste like Campbells Tomato Soup in a can, with about 10 cups of oregano. And the best part is making sure you dont choke on any fish-shell shards that are floating around. We found about 10 pieces, per bowl, of small, sharp, hard pieces of shells that we almost choked on. SO, aside from over cooked noodles, nasty broth, and death bullets, we were left with a $55 bill. Never again.
(2)
Charlette W.
House Roast excellent. Atmosphere casual and could be taken up a notch if they wanted to. Servers knowledgeable BUT more detail should be placed on anticipating the needs of the customer ie napkins, condiments etc. Husband says 3.5 for gumbo when you're used to gumbo its hard to come to the level of down home.
(4)
Melissa N.
I'm not a very big fan of soup entrees, but I seriously LOVE it here! The Boiler is located in pretty much the middle of nowhere...I mean how many people actually live in Chino, plus it smells like manure! I wish there was a closer location but its fine, I'm willing to drive 30 minutes for the Pan Roast here. The restaurant is clean, modern, with a red/blue lit up bar area and a couple of flatscreens to watch the game. Its pretty small and maximum capacity is 65 people. We had a party of 8 and it was pretty empty on Thursday night but still had to wait 20 minutes for a big enough table to clear up so we could sit together. Ordered: Crab Pan Roast: BOMB. Crab meat in every spoonful and we got level 6 which I thought was just right in the level of spicyness. It was spicy but not overly spicy where it takes over the flavor of the pan roast. Creamy and a bit salty but was delicious with the Jasmine rice. The portion is huge! Its enough for two I feel like. Everyone had leftovers and took it home. Calamari was good, crispy and hot! Creme Brulee was delicious and perfectly caramelized on top. It was definitely worth the wait and the drive, coming back as soon as I can hehe :)
(5)
Alexis B.
I've been dying to come here for so long and I've finally made it! I would have given this place a solid 5 BUT the service is F'd up. I swear every time I go to dinner with The VT, we have THEE worse luck in service, even at the movies( movie didn't start for 30minutes ) So we walk in, the waitress, lets us know she'll be right there in a minute , while were just standing there, she's punching in all this shit on the screen and a minute goes by, and two minutes, and three minutes and then she just walks away im like WTF, what the funk is going on here!?!?!? The other waitress comes up and asks if we've been helped , UM NO, if we were, we would have been sat by now! I do however want to sit at the food bar next time, looks fun. So the ditzy chick comes back and asks for our drink orders, he got a diet coke and me unsweetened tea. We also asked for two cups of clam chowder. HOLYSHIT, did that take forever to come out, literally 15minutes for soup!!!!!!! Now that shit isn't getting kettle cooked, so there shouldn't be any excuse not to have that out within 5 minutes, I mean come on you just sift the damn soup in a cup, how hard is that. She blamed them in the back, talking about she sent in the ticket, just do it yourself girl , haven't you heard of team work!!! OK, so we finally get the soup and that was some of the best clam chowder I ever had!!!!! It was so good and hearty and lots of clams. I hate places that give you clam chowder with more potato than clams. That kept us happy for awhile. FINALLY the main event, I ordered the gumbo at a spice level of 6 , he ordered the cioppino at a 7. My gumbo was very flavorful and had great spice, I think next time, I'll do a 4 on that. This had a lot of meat and just perfect MMMMM I had so much leftover. His cioppino had LOTS of seafood and he tore that up! Like nothing leftover. The servings are huge . Some people complained about the food being bland here in their reviews, thats because they probably didn't have the black dude cookin their food LOL JK :D I was tooooo full for dessert. I will be back ASAP and will be taking my family. Pssss We need this in OC!!!!
(4)
Stephen G.
Every thing is great! This is our 4th visit. I've tried something different each time and they have all been great.
(5)
michelle y.
Disclaimer: food is a 3. Service a 1. I will reupdate after I actually get to eat but since I'm waiting (still) I will start. Ordered takeout at 6:15. They told me it would be 30-40 min. I got there in 30 and they said I was early. Not bothered I sat at the bar to wait. I proceeded to wait for 35 MIN!!! Never once was I checked on, offered a drink, a glass of wine or a beer or anything. Partched I pulled a water out of my bag and drank. Still no one thought to ask if I would like something. 10 more min the server came to say it would be ANOTHER 10 MIN!!!! Because they could only allow 2 kettles for to go orders. I asked if that ment half our food would be cold. She just giggled. 25 min later we finally got our food packaged up. I checked the order and sure enough, our apps ( soft shell crab, char grilles oysters and crab cakes) were cold. I figured the crab cakes and oysters we coul reheat at home but I asked for the soft shell crab to be remade. Finally, 147 minutes after we ordered, I was able to leave. This place was by no means slammed busy and we only ordered 4 dishes. I cannot believe this is how an owner would want an establishment run. I had to ask for the extra lemons that I ordered and they never included the bread that they give when you dine in. Now for the food: Oysters: yum!!! I had to stick them under the broiler but they were pretty tasty. No Dragos but solid. Soft Shell Crab: probably better piping hot but still good once we got home. Wish it was a little crispier but chopped into good pieces. No sauce which I would have liked to have. Crab Cakes: 2 per order and pretty small. They looked so weird. Like they were coated in cornmeal. But they were pretty good. Had crab and something like a hushpuppy filling? Needed more lemon and sauce. We got a teeny tiny plastic ramekin of remoulade. Jambalaya: average. It didn't taste like "been sitting on the stove all day" jambalaya. In fact I had some rice that wasn't even dirty. But it was filling and had good spice level. Note: we got everything at a 7 and I found it to e e ought for a bite and a runny nose but not a sweat. Perfect heat. House Roast: by far my favorite thing. Big pieces of seafood that weren't fishy and the sauce was Awesome!!! Kind of like a tikka masala. Rice was good, nice presentation but I would have liked extra rice. Cilantro Chicken and Lobster Diablo: pasta on both was just ok and the sauce was oily and separated. Lobster was decent, sausage was good but the chicken tasted like it came from the microwave. Bland, bland, bland. Overall, for the experience we had the food would have had to be EPIC to bring me back and it just wasn't. They need to seriously ramp up the customer service.
(2)
Sean S.
Expect a long wait for a seat and for your food. Even though we came for a late weekday lunch, we still waited some time before we got our food. There were 3-4 couples at the bar, 2-3 tables of 4, and only 1 cook and 1 maybe 2 servers. Luckily for me, I don't mind waiting for this food, since I'm not in the area that often. The only dish I will probably order from now on is the House Pan Roast. It's so flavorful....I can't see myself trying anything else for looong time.
(4)
Bill R.
Visited in the early evening on Saturday (about 4pm). Crowd was fairly dense, but they seated us at the bar right away (no arguments from me!). Bypassed my usual Pan Roast this night, as I was in the mood for Gumbo. Now, my Wife and I are not pepper junkies, so I usually go with heat level of 2 or 3 and she stays down at a 1. Gumbo was great, the envy of anything I've had outside of Louisiana. Got a second order of rice, as one is not enough for that big bowl. Drinks were kept constantly filled. Complementary bread kept coming, even though its just a generic loaf. What I wouldn't give for a hot, crusty, artisan style loaf to scoop up the gumbo with!! Someone just reminded me I've said this before, but its still true!!! (I'm always tempted to stop at Panera/Corner Bakery/etc and bring it in with me...hey some restaurants let people do that with wine!! Charge me a corkage fee and bring forth the butter!) Service was great, given the crowd, and any delays were filled with watching the chef make the various dishes! Everything he made looked and smelled great. All in all, a good night and I will go back.
(4)
Elaine N.
My partner described the House Pot Roast as throwing rice into a Boiling Crab bag. I like to describe it as a better version to Tikka Masala. Let's begin by saying how much I I LOVE Indian food. I love their food for the abundant amount of spices to create a flavorful dish. For anyone who loves Indian food, I can bet that their favorite dish is the Tikka Masala. If I am correct, then you will definitely love The Boiler's House Pot Roast. It is another version of Tikka Masala... but (I'm so sorry to say this) better than Tikka Masala... It had a nicer blend of the spices than Indian food, only because sometime Indian dishes can have a bit of an overload on their number of spices. You can definitely taste the lobster that seeped into the rice. I had about 5-6 jumbo shrimps which were delicious, and the fish was a nice touch. I think it would've been a little better if they added sausages to it. My partner in crime, who also loved that dish, described it as rice put into the bag at Boiling Crab. I disagreed because I do not like Boiling Crab at all... but for those who love Boiling Crab, you can be the judge yourself. He also got the Cippiono. We both thought that it did not go well with the pasta. Cippiono are not supposed to go with pasta! However, the sauce was really good and so were the seafood. The sauce had a sour and sharp wine taste to it -- like a marsala (like the Marsala Chicken pasta at Cheesecake Factory). We also got the calamari, bacon wrapped shrimp, and oyster Rockefeller from the Happy Hour menu. I only enjoyed the calamari, which was very thick and lightly fried. It wasn't chewy and was very tender to the touch. I do not like bacon, so I have no other comment on that starter. The oyster Rockefeller was not as amazing as it appeared on the menu. I would have enjoyed the raw half oyster more. I would come again for lunch but not dinner because the price is a bit too much -- especially if my partner believes that it can be easily replicated by adding some rice into a bag at Boiling Crab. It would definitely save me the drive, considering how far and out of the way I had to make for a visit.
(4)
Cathy L.
It's open again!! If you've always wanted to try this place, now's the time because they have a BOGO promo. It's located in The Commons plaza so there's plenty of parking. The restaurant is super clean and pretty spacious. The staff is very polite and the chef even came to our table to greet us and ask how our meal was. The novelty of steam kettle cooking right at the counter was enjoyable. All the pan roast dishes pretty much taste the same. The ingredients are chopped up so no need to worry about shells (except for shrimp tails). I think the pan roast dishes are very similar to a lobster bisque...creamy tomato soup with seafood flavor. The bowls are quite large but I wouldn't except anything less as the price is not so cheap. I would have liked more rice though (note: I'm a rice lover so I always want more rice). The spice level goes from 1-10...I got a 4 and it was very manageable. When deciding on a spice level, remember you can always add but you can't take out. I also ordered the cajun calamari...strips of thick calamari in light breading with a side of spicy cocktail sauce (yum).
(4)
Kali R.
The food is excellent. Be ready to wait if you you go during dinner hours. The place is small but cozy.
(5)
Josie K.
not like this place needs anymore 4 or 5 star reviews...but anyways first off, ive never been to any kinda place like this. a cajun/seafood place where they 'steam kettle' your meal for you! saturday night was PACKED. all tables pretty much full. my bf and i were lucky to grab a spot at the open kitchen seating area :) if you're here with a couple friends or just someone else, i'd recommend you to sit at the open kitchen area just so you can watch your chef cook your meal for you. nothing better than getting hungry and watch someone make a delicious meal that youre about to scarf down :) we ordered the fried calamari for appetizer and it was amazing. soo tender and juicy! and not too deep fried. if i remember correctly, our chef told us that they dont use the tentacles, thats why the pieces are so large and tender. for myself I ordered the House pan Roast. the House pan roast pretty much includes all the seafood options: lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, fish. it comes in a tomato/cream based sauce and a big dollop of jasmine rice on top. i liked my dish far more than i liked my bf's. partly because i loved the creamy sauce and the fact that my dish comes with all my seafood peeled/out of the shell (except for shrimp). i ordered mine with level 5 spiciness and thought it was just perfect. my bf got the cioppino, which was basically the same thing as mine except it came w/ linguini and his base was soup, not a tomato/cream texture. like i said above, my dish comes w/ all the seafood out of the shell. if you order the cioppino the crab, lobster, and clams are still in the shell (fyi for all you lazy people out there). my bf got the level 7 spiciness and said that was pretty spicy already. i would stray from 8 and 9 unless you want a burning mouth overall, i loved my experience here. our chef was chill, service was good, and food was amazing. HUGE portions also. i would seriously consider sharing next time i go but knowng my bf, he wouldn't want to share. im surprised he isn't like 300 lbs by now!
(4)
Jonathan Y.
You walk inside an aesthetically clean and crisp room with a small bar against the length of one wall, and a large, rectangular bar that juts out from the back kitchen. Imagine a sushi bar, except instead of rows of sashimi you have a series of brass bowls lined up atop broilers. You can opt to sit at your own table, but if you sit at the bar you'll get to watch and hobnob with the chef, watch him stir that shrimp in, whip up some magic sauce, add in loads of garlic. In fact, if you ask him to double up that garlic he'll do it gladly and the subsequent smell will make you groan and die. This is eating gumbo and jambalaya in a modern, American setting. It may not be out of your N'awlin grandmother's black cast iron pot, but it's still pretty damn good. That combo roast was amazing...the sauce tasted like your standard vodka sauce with crack added in. An unexpected gem in Chino Hills that I will be sure to come back to.
(4)
Lady A.
My husband & I ate here for the first time & we thought it was great! I do think Oyster Bar in Vegas is better but this is definitely a great second option compared to the long drive to Vegas. Ritters opened not too long ago & it a very close comparison.
(4)
Lai T.
If not for the poor service, I would be a fan of this restaurant. Despite the fact that the House Pan Roast is indeed pretty amazing, I never came back after my initial visit because our service the night we came was THAT BAD. In fact, the server completely left off my bf's order. When I requested to speak to a manager, she was empathetic but the damage was already done. If they had been super busy-I would have been more forgiving, but there were less than 10 patrons in the restaurant that night and we made up 3 of them. I did appreciate the manager's attempt to quickly make my bf his dinner-so 1 star for that. However, then it just left me wondering, why did our food take so long to make?
(2)
Angela A.
The boiler is GOOD! I love cajun food - I don't eat it too often and I have yet to experience it in New Orleans. There was a group of us so they didn't seat us at the bar where all the kettle pots were - was wondering what that was all about. We got the gumbo, the shrimp pan roast , Bouillabaisse, shrimp scampi, and the cilantro chicken with sausage. It was all delicious but the flavor was a little too rich and buttery, and it was a little too expensive for me to want to go back for more.
(4)
Josh K.
Good solid cajun type food in the middle of the burbs. Lots of sauce and pasta which is always a plus in my book. Seafood is fairly fresh and service is nice. I agree with everyone that the pan roast is pretty great. I had the shrimp diavolo which was nice and spicy. I asked them to dial it up to a '10' on the spicy meter because I had a cold and wanted to run my sinuses, and they obliged! The only negative thing, and a large one at that, is that the management or ownership here believe in some quack purified water thing called Pi Water. All the drinking water and all the water used for cooking is Pi Water according to their menu. Might explain why everything is probably a dollar or two more expensive than I assumed it would be. chem1.com/CQ/piwaterbunk… Supporting quacks isn't something I like to think about when enjoying a nice dinner, so that brings my solid 4 star review to a 3.
(3)
J R.
This place is good. Sitting at the food bar is the best you get to watch stuff get cooked and the cooks are usually friendly. The food is great, a little more expensive then regular but its worth it to me. The only thing stoping me from giving it 5 stars is the beer selection is kinda weak and I've been here many times and went somewhere else because the wait was too long.
(4)
Eli G.
Diving 50 miles each way for lunch is not something I do that often and when I do, the end result better be damn good. I had been hearing a lot of hype for the Boiler from a few friends and we finally set a date to make the long journey to try it. Once out in the desolate desert of Chino Hills, we found ourselves in a large shopping plaza filled with raised trucks and desert rats. Despite there being a birthday party taking up 75% of the seats, we snagged a table after a 20 minute wait. We ended up ordering a half dozen oysters and bacon wrapped shrimp to share, the wife got the pan roast, and I got the gumbo. Not that much longer our food started to show up, oysters first: yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Meh, the oysters were large and without much natural sweetness. Far too watered down tasting for me. Next were the heavily spiced bacon wrapped shrimp. Although the shrimp were overcooked, the bacon added enough fattiness and saltiness to make it enjoyable. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… My gumbo was good but not great. Lots of stuff happening on a pile of rice, but none of the flavors popped as much as I would have hoped. The portion was large and I had lots of leftovers. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… And lastly, the main hype; the pan roast. It was truly very good, but not 100 mile round trip good. The sauce was rich and creamy and I didn't even care about the proteins floating around in it. My wife started to get made when I abandoned my gumbo and tried taking over her pan roast. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… One thing that did shock us all was that lunch prices are only good M-F, our fault for not reading the fine print, but the $6 price hike made the trip even less worth it. Sure I'd pay $13 for this anytime, but making that close to $20, in Chino, c'mon. Overall, it was A-Okay.
(3)
Kym H.
Hey guys been awhile but I thought I should update my review on this place. At first glance I loved it because I didn't have to go ALL THE WAY TO VEGAS for Bouillabaise. This place is not bad, don't get me wrong as I have mentioned before the bouillabaise is still hands down better than Vegas. But here are a few things that kind of lost a star or two on it's way: I noticed that the portions are smaller. I dare to say I can eat two bowls of this stuff. Oysters are tasteless. I don't know if they cut it and run it through water for good measure but I don't taste oyster, I taste water down gooeyness. Pan Roast .....where do I start, it was a tad sweeter than how I normally like it but overall it's a must try when you're here. Now if I'm rating on the bouillabaise alone I give this place a whole 5 stars. But OVERALL experience compared to the original in Las Vegas, it's only a 3. I even considered giving it an extra star for location but that would be against my belief of the YELP STAR SYSTEM.
(3)
N. Danny S.
Finally, I don't have to drive all the way to Las Vegas to get a good pan roast! The staff here is very friendly, Chef Ritter is a great guy and easy to talk to. He comes straight from Las Vegas where he used to dish the pan roast at Palace Station where I used to have to go to satisfy my fix. The food is great here. The pan roast I thought was a little more seafooody than I remember, but its still good. I suggest getting the rice on the side instead of in the pan roast. The clam chowder is to die for, get the biggest bowl possible!! This place also has happy hour and lunch sized/priced portions. Will come back here again!
(4)
Mel M.
Delicious food. I ordered the house pan roast BUT I was hoping for more seafood... there wasn't much but a lot of tomato sauce and a lot of rice
(3)
Justin P.
The House Pan Roast is delicious! It's a little pricey but the quality of food is worth the cost.
(5)
Fiona T.
I LOVED sitting at the bar and being able to watch the chefs create my amazing meal right in front of me! This made dinner a lot of fun, I even took some pictures for Instagram. :) Needless to say, I really enjoyed the ambiance. It is casual, but not a hole in the wall. The restaurant is rather well lit, one of the first things I noticed because it felt so bright, and I noticed immediately how clean the restaurant is! We waited about 20 minutes for seats at the bar, it was well worth the wait. There is a wet bar available while you wait, limited selections, but the wait staff was very friendly and patient in letting us try out some of the different beers on tap before ordering. I ordered the gumbo, not realizing that the House Pan Roast is the most popular item on the menu. It wasn't a bad choice, but since it was my first time at The Boiler, I would have liked to try what they're best known for. I'll ask for recommendations next time. Their entire staff is very friendly! The wait staff will make recommendations (including making sure that you're not ordering something too spicy!) and the chefs are willing to chat while they work. The service level is phenomenal! There were a couple of instances where it took a little bit of effort to get the waitress's attention during a spike in busyness, but otherwise, I was very happy with how I was treated while in the restaurant. Next time I will try their most popular dish. If you have never been before I highly recommend asking the staff for suggestions. The orange wheat beer was super yummy (sorry, I forget what brew it was!).
(4)
Richard Y.
Went today for the first time. Friends are always raving about how great it is, so wanted to check it out myself. And they were correct. First of all, we got the calamari. By itself it felt like an entree, so good. Fat pieces of calamari, so tender, and the breading was fantastic. Then came our main dish, the house roast. Definitely big enough to share. I made the mistake of getting extra rice cause they do provide bread. Could have dip bread in my left over sauce, but will take now of it next time. Came out full and happy. Definitely going to be coming back. Sit at the counter cause it is just fun to watch your food cook.
(5)
Mina H.
Pan roast here is the nice twin to the pan roast the Oyster Bar (The evil twin) in Vegas. Occasionally I need the pan roast fix...The Boiler will do the job but it's just not the same. It's too easy. The Oyster bar will allow you time to work up your appetite, get frustrated, and form a pure hate for the people seated before you...The Boiler doesn't do it for me. Unless I'm in the area...I probably won't be making a trip out here to eat it. Plus...its very salty
(3)
Linda M.
Got here at 12:15pm on a Saturday. The hostess had just seated a big group before us, and a big group came in after us. We ordered our food at around 12:30pm and didn't get our food until 1:40pm. It kind of is understandable with all the big groups, but an hour is a friggin' long time to wait for food. There were many apologies from the waitress and the chef working. There were also many promises: "Your food will be coming soon," "Your food is coming in about five minutes." Those promises started after we had been waiting 30 minutes already, and we heard that "food in five minutes" promise every few minutes for another half an hour. Not that I was looking for a free appetizer or to be comp'd but some gesture would have been nice. I hate inaccurate predictions of time; I'd rather you not say anything at all and then apologize when the food comes; or just not lie about how long it is going to take. In terms of the food, since I had been here previously and tried the house pan, I thought I would try something new. I ordered the gumbo. One word: SALTY. That gumbo was completely oversalted; the most salty entree I've had from any restaurant in a long time. $17.55 for this salty gumbo; I feel ripped off. I normally would have sent it back, but I didn't want my dining companions to have to wait another hour, so I ate about 1/4 of it. Suffice to say, my relationship with The Boiler is over. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. And if, by chance, you decide to try this place anyway, know that on weekends they hella mark up the prices; the weekend prices are not worth it. At least check it out on a weekday so you can save yourself a good 5ish bucks per entree. You'll still be full with the slightly smaller portion unless you eat mammoth amounts of food.
(2)
Christine S.
The service is really bad. We came in asked for table for 10. (At that time this restaurant was so empty) The host said they don't have, and have to split us to different places. We accepted but they said we will still be charged big party fee even we're not sitting together. We felt it is not reasonable! If you would like to introduce it to your friends...got to think carefully...they just want to add fees on you. It was so disappointed. They ruined our day.
(1)
John Edrick A.
Yes! House pan roast!!
(5)
Sinae K.
YUM! I ate dinner here today, and I totally agree with other reviewers about how awesome this place is :). This was my first time eating here, and I'm really glad my friend recommended i try the house pan roast --- because it was delicious! My friend got the shrimp diablo (to avoid ordering two of the same things), and although that was tasty as well, I really think the pan roast was the better choice. (O, fyi the portions are pretty big here.. and I'm definitely not complaining).. I didn't know (or expect?) this type of restaurant to be located in chino hills~ Haha. The food was great, and the staff were very attentive and friendly. Will be coming back!
(5)
Betty C.
So I have lunch hear with my sister on a rainy monday. We walk in, the place is fairly small, seats 65, and there are maybe 4 people seated already. As there's only two of us, they'd like us to sit at one of those small tables that are for two people. But seeing has how the place is nearly empty, we ask if we can sit at a larger table. This sends the waitress into a confused tizzy and when she asks the owner (?) if it's alright, he begrudgingly says yes after saying he'd prefer not to because it gets busy. As a personal note: had he said no, I would have walked out of there and gone to BJ's where the service is always nice. But the servers are nice, we ordered the house pan and the ciggorino(?). I notice no beef dishes or vegetarian. Primarily a seafood house. Sliced french bread with butter pats were served. I wish they toasted the bread or heated it up. One slice felt like maybe they microwaved for 10 secs? It was slightly warm but not really. But it was still good bread. Very soft and tasty. The house pan was very tomato-ey. It was like tomato bisque with pieces of seafood drowning with a little cream added. Tasty with the bread, but a bit acidic. Probably from all of the tomatoes. The Ciggorino was seafood in white wine on fettuchini. My sister said it was a bit bland, but I imagined that would be the way it tasted. We both ordered it 8/10 spicy, but it wasn't very spicy. If you really like spicy food like we do, turn up the heat and ask for an 9 or 10. The food was good, from all of the other reviews I expect as much. I was full, but for $12.95 it's a bit pricey. It was okay to try once, but the menu was very limited and I was surprised there were no vegetarian options. 4/6 of the salads offered had meat in them, and the house salad was simple salad of lettuce, tomatoe, red onion and avocado. But it was $6.95 for a side salad. I understand tomatoes are expensive, but that seems a bit excessive.
(4)
Brooke S.
My husband and I both really enjoyed this place for dinner. While the menu is mostly seafood, there are several good non-fishy options. Service was excellent. Setting was good. We sat at the bar surrounding the cook station, which was fun to watch. It is a little pricey, but you get good-sized portions. We both took home leftovers. They aren't lying about the spice, so make sure you consider carefully when they ask you how hot you want it. Great kick and great flavors!
(4)
Jessica C.
House pan roast is all you need to know about this place. Just think a spiced creamy tomato soup with seafood and rice. DROOOOOOOOOL. The place gets busy for dinner so come early.
(4)
Vanessa L.
love this place, pretty pricey for dinner time so I would love to come back here for their lunch special. i love their house pan roast, its a MUST TRY! :] the bacon wrapped shrimp was pretty good but I would love to try other appetizers one day. hehehe
(4)
Brian C.
"PLEASE Brian PLEASE! Write a review about this place because 4.5 stars on 142 reviews simply isn't convincing enough for me to try this place!" Ok. Fine. Meet Chef Ritter, head chef at The Boiler, former chef at Palace Station in Las Vegas. A former chef in Las Vegas, Chef Ritter is definitely a pro at making you happy. If this is your first time at The Boiler (it probably is, Chino Hills isn't exactly a tourist capital of California), be sure to let Chef Ritter know. He'll hook you up with a sample of his chowder, which I would easily order a full serving of if everything else on the menu weren't so damn good. If you don't like spicy food, don't feel bad. Pain is a natural sensory response by your brain to get you to STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. But when you leave The Boiler wondering why your mild meal wasn't half as enjoyable as those of your masochistic friends, you'll know why. However, if you are one of these masochistic friends, then you've come to the right place because Chef Ritter is about to make you sweat. Jambalaya - Jambalaya is one of my favorite foods. I took one glance at the menu, and my mind was made up. The waitress asked me how much pain I wanted (1-10), and I said 8, not wanting to kill myself. I could've taken a little more heat (I think I'll try a 9 next time), but an 8 was more than enough to make me sweat like a piglet. Easily the best jambalaya I've ever had (5 stars). Pan roast - The pan roast seems to be the favorite here at The Boiler. I'm not the biggest fan of bisque, which I guess makes me an exception and not the norm. If you love all seafood indiscriminately, order the pan roast house. If you don't, choose whichever seafood you'd like to be swimming in your creamy, creamy bisque (4 stars). Gumbo - You know what gumbo is. Order it. It is amazing. If you don't know what gumbo is, shame on you. Order it. It is amazing (5 stars). Bouillabaisse - I'll be honest, I had no idea what bouillabaisse was before I came here. Shame on me. It is a tomato leek based broth with lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, cod, and mussels. Salty. Spicy. Unlimited warm french bread for dipping. Perfection (5 stars). Cajun calamari - I'm taking the time and effort to mention a side dish because it is that good. I've never had calamari with quite so much...calamari. Cocktail sauce and horseradish for dipping. Wow (5 stars). Convinced yet?
(5)
Richard G.
Two words - seafood gumbo. Yep. Get it. It'll be the best move you'll make at this place. Unless of course you wanna treat yoself to some of their amazing desserts. Because if you do, then make another good move and go get you some of their pumpkin cheesecake. What I enjoyed about this place, besides the outstanding seafood gumbo was their friendly service. There was a bit of a misunderstanding regarding my drink order and after receiving a drink that I didn't ask for, the waitress told me not to worry and that it was on the house. Now that's how you do it. I'm glad to know that there's some amazing gumbo, jumbalaya and southern style seafood meals within 20 minutes of my house. The Boiler's that spot man. I'm all about it.
(5)
MIchelle I.
My husband and I have only been here for dinner. Their dinner portions are huge and more than enough for you to share. They also have happy hour specials during the beginning of their dinner hours. I would recommend their house pan roast if you enjoy seafood and the calamari appetizer.
(4)
Elizabeth S.
I just knew that this place was going to get a 5-star review. I knew it the minute I walked in the place and took a whiff of whatever Chef Ritter was concocting behind the boilers. I just knew !!! 5 star Gumbo 5 star House pan roast 5 star Calamari 5 star Bacon wrapped shrimp deep fried in molasses with some molasses on the side I got the Gumbo (which was FANTASTIC) but my friend's House Pan Roast was even better. That will definitely be my first choice next time and you bet your behind there will be a next time. Also, you can order your level of spiciness. I got 6 which I thought was pretty good, just added a nice kick to my gumbo. My friend ordered a 10 for his and was blowing snot out of his nose every 30 seconds. The choice is yours. Prices are a bit hefty ($16.95 for the gumbo and $18.95 for the pan roast I believe) but oh-SO SO SO worth it. 5 freaking stars.
(5)
Jon N.
Cliff Notes - Eat bread: yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Get the Pan Roast: yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Leave happy. ==== Very clean and service orientated restaurant. We came here on a Saturday but there was plenty of seating. There was enough people there to fill out the place so it didn't feel too empty but you had enough personal space so that you had some elbow room. Service is top notch and friendly. Always had our waters refilled and the waitress asked several times if we'd like moar bread. Yes please. I like how there are purse hooks for people who opt to sit at the bar. I'd never use it but I like attention to detail like that. The Boiler's Score - 95 Points
(5)
Li C.
The Pan Roast is a lot like the Oyster Bar at palaces station, but not as good. If palace station is a 10, this is an 8. The taste is good, the price is about the same, but the portion is 25% less. Take-Out even less. This is what bothers me the most. I like big portions, especially if your paying $20 for it, your portions should be the same or more than the place your trying to be like. I wouldn't eat here again.
(2)
Tony L.
Best place in SoCal for Gumbo. Always fresh Oysters and their house pan roast is nothing less than spectacular. Been coming here since they first opened up a few years back. I original Head Chef was the creator of the menu at the oyster bar in Vegas. Decor is very ambient with it's dim lighting and neon bar. Service is great and if you get the chance sit at the bar and chat it up with the chef. Wish this place was closer to me. I'd be there on a weekly basis.
(5)
Edric H.
went here again.. the food has improved and the pan roast is awesome now. i got a spicy level of 6, but i should've got like an 8 at least probably. the jambalaya tastes good after it's a day old and the liquids soak into the rice. it's too watery when it's fresh. maybe they should premake a pot or something. i'm knocking off a star because of very slow service, especially when you sit in the right back corner... it's very difficult to get server's attention. oh yeah, order an extra scoop of rice for the pan roast, or else you're going to be left with a whole lot of sauce and nothing else.
(4)
Janel L.
Although the food is mostly consistent at 4 stars, the service has much to be desired. We were a large party, here by request of my friend who wanted to eat this one last time before moving over seas. This was not our first visit. We have been here half a dozen times. However, we sat at the bar and were not demanding. On our visit here tonight, service was not only slow, but our meals arrived without the rice they came with. On a busy Saturday night dinner hour, the staff should be more prepared. It's not that they forgot the rice, rather they had none cooked available to serve. Once the rice did come 20 minutes later, it was crunchy and undercooked, like pop rocks. Also, one of the rice bowls had hair in it, which after eating a few bites, it was brought to the attention of the wait staff. Their response, "would you like another?" Um... No thanks! In my experience, when things are substandard such as this, they aren't just brushed off as nothing. Two in our party had ordered Shrimp Scampi (one with pasta and the other with rice due to gluten free reasons). When she received her dish, which was to be a 2 level spiciness, it was mixed up with the other with rice and was actually a 5 level spiciness. Rather than send these dishes back, we just made due with what we had. The final insult and proof of their utter disorganization, bringing the bill with no pen to sign it. I hope the owners read these reviews and get their act together. We used to enjoy this place. I saw another review posted a few minutes ago, people that must have dined at the same time as us and they gave a similar poor review.
(2)
Nicole A.
I absolutely love this place. Service and chit chat with the chef is a pleasure over some good food.
(5)
Peter H.
Drove about 30 mins to come check this place out with a couple of friends, everyone tried a different dish and I'm glad i picked the house pan roast w/ sausage, it was the best one there =) They cook everything with steam to keep a constant cooking temperature, keeps the food moist and no burnt food =) House pan roast- rich in flavor, smooth and delicious. I add in sausages for more meat and i think they should of just put the sausages in their original menu, makes it takes so much better. Clam Chowder- probably not what you want to come here for especially if your going to drive a bit to get here. It's not the best clam chowder out there but it's still pretty good, thick sauce, not too salty. Jambalaya- Good spice, creamy, goes well with some extra pasta added on to it. The price is one thing that turns me off about the place. The food IS good but i don't know if a gumbo style tomato basil is worth $20. Sure it has seafood in it and that's what's pricey but i don't know if i'll come out of my way to come here for a $20 soup w/ rice. For first timers i highly suggest going to try it out. Going for the second time is completely up to you.
(4)
Albert W.
The only place I know of that serve this style of cooking. I found it to be very interesting (the whole steaming kettle cooking). I had the house pan and I really liked it. The soup? (curry) was thick and full of flavor. A bit on the spicy side but I like it that way. Will have to go back to try the other stuff. BTW, the service was excellent.
(4)
Tina L.
Been here twice in the last month. My first 1 Star Review.. First time. I came here with my sisters and friends, we were seated immediately. It was not busy at all on a Sunday evening. I am a HUGE fan of the Oyster Bar in Vegas so I heard they opened one identical here in Chino Hills. We ordered the Fisherman's Chowder, House Pan Roast (spicy 7) and Chicken Ceaser Salad. It literally took 20-25 minutes for the first entree to come out which can be a big deal for some people but I understand quality takes time. I look around me n people have bread at their table. Where's ours? We waited, I always give to servers a chance to have it snap in their minds they forgot something. Couldn't wait anymore! Asked for bread. Theres 5 of us n she gave us 1 basket w/ like 4 pieces...uh..... really? Onto the food. The chowder came out first n we all dug in. It was delicious! We scarfed it down. The House Pan Roast comes out next and we dug into that one, it was very yummy! We were all sharing so it was fine but I realized, if we all ordered our own, the time apart from each entree was a really long time means some of us would of been halfway or done with our food before another person's comes out. I couldnt really compare which entree i liked more because we finished one before the other. So waiting for 20-25 minutes for the chowder and another 15 minutes for the pan roast, which means the pan roast took about 40 minutes to make, thats a LONG TIME. As we're finishing up our House Pan Roast, we noticed the salad never came out. At this point I was a little annoyed and we sat there for like another 30 minutes waiting for it. IT NEVER CAME! It was time to go, we ask for the check and notified the server that we never got our salad so plz make sure it doesn't get on the bill. She says "ok". WHAT? no apology?! the food was satisfying so we left happy but the service was just horrible. It wasn't even busy but I knew I would return because the food is good and maybe the server was having a bad day. Second time. My friend was craving Jambalaya n wanted to find a good place so I wanted to take him here. I wanted to go during lunch because it is MUCH cheaper but I have a limited time for lunch on a weekday due to work. From my 1st experience on the wait for the food, I decided to call early and order so by the time I get there it will be ready. I call to let the girl know I wanted to eat there and the girl tells me the system is down n for me to hold on. I tried to tell her its only two entrees and just write it down so when the system gets back up she can just enter it. She kept cutting me off n putting me on hold so I waited. She picks up the phone n says the system is on now n is ready. I order the House Pan Roast and Jambalaya. She says it will be done in 15 minutes. WHOA really? I work about 35 minutes away so I rushed my friend to go, I end up getting there in 45 minutes. When we get there I mention my name n the server tells me that it just finished n she's packing up my food. Just finished? I'm like 30 minutes later than you quoted. Wait, your packing up my food? She thought I wanted it to go so I had to tell her I wanted to eat there. I wasn't upset at all at this point, just really excited to feed my friend. She literally plops the togo box in front of me and leaves me. WHAT THE F&^*?! My friend and I are sitting here opening up these to-go boxes and eating out of these plastic containers. I ask another person if I can have it transferred into a normal bowl. He doesn't take it to the back and do it, just brings out two bowls and does it right in front of me. The bowl is super cold so it chilled my food in minutes, it was hot steaming one minute and tasted like cold wet dog food the next. As we're eating my friend wanted an extra side of rice. We tell another server n he ends up telling our server to get it for us. IT NEVER CAME! My friend had to yell over the bar n ask the chef to get us a bowl of rice. Now we are full on food we didn't even enjoy because it was so cold, especially waiting for the rice. We ask for the bill n he asked us what we ordered that their system was down n didn't get inputted. The girl clearly told me on the phone it was back up. WHATEVR I tell him what we ordered n he reminds me I also got a side of rice. You remember to charge me for the side of rice but not give it to me? Then he tries to charge me for the dinner price because he saw the size of my bowl. They poured my to-go lunch portion into a dinner bowl so he assumed I ordered the dinner portion. REALLY?! I don't know if I'll ever return here. I hyped up this restaurant and the food so much to my friend who really wanted good jambalaya. I just looked like a fool in the end. The food is good if you have a good chef that day. It is a hit or miss. I ordered a 7 spicy for my food my 1st visit, this time I ordered an 8 and it was less spicy than my 1st visit. UGH, the food is good but the service is that bad where I cant enjoy it
(1)
Ernest Y.
Stopped by on a friday night and it was extremely busy(as expected). We couldn't make reservations whatsoever so we had to wait a good 30 mins to be seated. There seems to be a lot of hype going around this place but I wasn't that impress with what they had to offer me. We got the bouillabaisse, jambalaya, and the house pan roast. The thing that really bugged me about after waiting 30 mins to get seated was that we have to wait another 45 minutesish for our food to be served. I thought the bouillabaisse was the worst one out of the three as my brother can make me a better pot of bouillabaisse(no lie.) I mean the taste was not terrible it's just I find paying $20 for a big bowl of soup to be a big ripoff but I'll give them credit for having fresh seafood in the bouillabaisse as that was the highlight of the soup. Jambalaya was pretty good...not really a big fan of jambalaya but I thought this jambalaya was pretty tasty. Big shrimps to go along with it as well but still didn't really blew my mind away. The house pan roast was pretty delicious. It really reminded me of Indian food(butter chicken). A big scoop of rice on top of the delicious pan roast I could probably eat that with rice all day long because it was really good BUT to wait 45 mins kinda threw me for a loop as I can just go get Indian food(even though I know the Boiler is cajun style) but it's fairly cheaper. My recommendations is to only get the house pan roast with at least level 5 spice because the 2 and 3 we got for the bouillabaisse and the jambalaya didn't satisfied me but that's our fault. Regardless if you live close by, I would say give it a try because I find it interesting and cool to see them cook in front of you with the "boiler" and stuff. It's cool to at least try it once BUT my recommendation is to come super early if you don't want to go through the wait + more waiting.
(3)
Terrance N.
The boiler does not disappoint. I love the oyster bar at Palace Station so I was excited to try this place. The house pan roast is the star here. It's so rich and tasty. The portions are good enough for two. So glad I can get a piece of Vegas locally.
(5)
Spot N.
To start we had calamari appetizer and french fries. Both delicious. Our main courses were Chiopino and House Pan Roast. Chiopino was 7 heat; the house pan roast was 5. Both heat levels were good and tasty, not over bearing but simply tasty. This was our first experience with this style of restaurant. Our waitress was extremely helpful and took time to recommend dishes. We sat at the bar directly in front of one of the chefs. He was also friendly and answered a bunch of our questions about the food. Food was excellent. We did not experience a wait to be seated but the employees told us it gets very busy. I definitely recommend this place and we will return.
(5)
Laurie M.
My man and I went during the week and though we live rather close we had yet to try out the place. The staff was very gracious and on top of every need and often checked on us, I'm sure a non weekend night was the reason but none the less I love a good wait staff. The reviews are mixed and seem to be closely compared to the Vegas location. Since I have not been to the other location I can not compare but the entries we had were quite tasty and we look forward to going back on a chilly day, seems to be the perfect meal for a day like that.
(5)
Jenny L.
WHAT DON'T I LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE? I come all the way from Anaheim (about a 40-45 min drive) to come and eat here. My friends and i crave for this place, i love it so much i talked to the owner & suggested he open up a location closer to us b/c he has our number one support! I loooveeee the HOUSE PAN ROAST which comes with shrimp, clams, crawfish, crab and lobster in a creamy tomato sauce. Its soooo savory and YUMMY. I don't care much for the rice it comes with so i opt for linguine noodles instead AND i order another side of noodles to dump into my bowl. I swear, b/c there is so much tomato cream sauce - adding extra noodles will give you leftovers for lunch the next day and tastes even better as leftovers! I share one dinner size with my bf and still have leftovers, one bowl is plentiful for 2-3 people. I am a pansy when it comes to spice so i can handle a 7 there. Calamari is so tender and juicy, it has the texture of chicken tenders (LOL) Clam Chowder is chunky and oh so delicious, prob the best i have ever had Creme Brulee is to die for. Perfect consistency and flavor. Nom. It gets very crowded on the weekends so expect to wait anywhere from 45 min to 1 hour. Lunch time is much calmer, as least on the days that i have been. YOU GOT TO TRY THIS PLACE. I LOOOOOVE IT, highly recommend. I only get the House Pan Roast, i have tried the other dishes but nothing impresses me as much as the Pan Roast. ENJOY =)
(5)
Gavin C.
We used to LOVE this place. I mean my wife would have crazy mad cravings for their food. Before this last visit, they had the best gumbo I've ever had. Well, tonight we had a fairly disappointing experience. The service was fine. The gumbo that we loved so much was not. It tasted burnt and wasn't nearly as thick as before. It's as if they skimped out on the crab and other good ingredients. The chef tried to explain it by saying that 1. the burnt flavor was from them using file (pronounced fee lay) and that 2. the recipe is changed seasonally based on the humidity (to explain the watery-ness). I'm not a chef by any means, but I do know what I like and don't like. We did not like the dish and it was in comparison to about 5 other times we did like it (and when they had a different Chef, James). Unfortunately, my wife ate half of the dish, since we were starving. We didn't take it home, like we normally would have, and they only offered a 10% discount for that. I appreciated the gesture, but when you are paying $20 a dish, 10% is only $2 (they only gave the discount on the gumbo). It's a shame, since it looks like we will be going elsewhere now for cajun food. Oh yeah, $20 for the fisherman's chowder is a rip-off. TL;DR - Food was great, they changed chefs, now gumbo sucks.
(2)
Tuwie N.
Wish this place was closer! House Pan Roast is clearly everyone's favorite, so we had to try it. We sat next to a nice couple who said they have been going to this restaurant for a while, and have never ordered anything but the House Pan Roast, LOL! It's creamy, decadent, and does quite a good job impressing the bejeeezus out of your taste buds. A generous amount of seafood makes it extra special. We also tried the bouillabaisse and oysters. Everything was delicious and flavorful beyond belief. Sitting at the counter was fun, the chefs are cooking right front of you, and they are really fun and upbeat. Lunch portions were perfect! Can't wait to try the other dishes.
(5)
Eleana C.
I've never gone to Palace Station in Las Vegas so this is the only pan roast I've ever known. Picked up some of the house pan roast for the Boyfriend's dinner while he was at work in Ontario. It was absolutely delicious! Heat level 6 for him and heat level 1 for me. I'm a total wuss. Hopefully we can go to the restaurant next time to take advantage of their other dishes. If you order take ou be sure to get the rice on the side so it doesn't get a soggy during transport. If the service hadn't been what it was, I would have given this place five stars. I went in to a half-full restaurant and was told my order would take about 15 minutes - I even asked twice just to be sure. I ended up waiting over 35 minutes for my order to be ready, which really pissed me the hell off since the Boyfriend had a set time to take dinner AND the restaurant was only half full. The order even sat there for awhile while the waitresses told each other to get it ready. I saw one waitress tell another one to prepare the order, only to have that waitress look around, turn in a circle and then go ask a table for their drink order. Then she walked over and looked at the order and then just walked away. They apologized but at that point, I was just too pissed off to care - and they didn't even bother offering to comp me anything even though I was clearly upset.
(4)
Jarrod M.
Cook and wait staff were excellent with a great sense of humor. Without a doubt, will visit again for the food and staff.
(5)
Brian C.
Just came by for lunch. The service is kind of slow. It took a good 15 minutes for them to clear out a table and seat us. Please note that more than half the tables were empty. I didn't know why they had insisted to use the only table that was dirty. Furthermore the food came out pretty slowly, we had already finished our side of fries by the time our Jambalaya's came out, which was decent. The Jambalaya was very spicy, and I like my food spicy. :D I got the 8/10 because my girl wanted to try some, or else I would've gotten a 10/10 on their spice scale. But good thing I didn't their 8/10 had me sweating bullets. It too bad they don't add more seafood. The jambalaya comes with 2 shrimps (i know this because my friend got the same number in his dish), chicken, and some sausages. My girl got the Gumbo, which I thought was just ok. The okra was a little overpowering. But that's just me. i just don't like the slimy texture, even though its supposedly good for you. Might come back to try their Pan Roast or try it at their other location in Vegas.
(3)
J B.
Great service - happened to show up at happy hour. The good news - a small selection of beer on draft. Too bad the appetizer jalepeno poppers tasted of raw flour breading. Pan roast was good as the rice portion was not too big.
(3)
Tony G.
If you like seafood and/or southern cooking you have to visit this place. The bacon wrapped shrimp is always a must.
(4)
Kimberly N.
My husband and I came here last night for dinner with some friends of ours and ordered the House Pan Roast and I must say it was delicious. The portion is plenty to share between two people, there was a nice crowd on a Thursday night and waitress was attentive and kind. I will definitely be making another visit here for dinner!
(5)
Ethan N.
I love Southern food, and I particularly love gumbos, bouillabaisse, and other tasty soup concoctions that populate these menus. This place specializes in these dishes and does them justice. My go to dish is the Chicken Gumbo. The chicken is moist and flavorful and the dish is piled with okra. It's got andouille sausage as well, and getting them in your spoon is like finding little nuggets of joy as you eat. The House Pan Roast is also a favorite that my lady usually gets. The tomato based broth is incredibly rich and delicious. It comes with a variety of seafood in it, each protein treated well. We have tried the oysters here and they are fresh and delicious. I can say without a doubt that this restaurant really respects its seafood and serves up some tasty, tasty eats. Some things to know about the food though ... this stuff is spicy. You can tell them from 1-10 how spicy you want it and I would err on the mild side because they can add more spice if you want it. I LOVE spicy food, I routinely eat Hunan and Szechuan cuisine with natives from that area. A 7/10 is about as high as I get here while still feeling comfortable. You've been warned. The other thing is that these dishes are REALLY rich. I prefer the chicken gumbo partly because the base isn't creamy and dense. I really try to eat healthy as much as possible, and it's tricky to find dishes here that don't hit the waistline. Some people feel the place is a bit pricey. I see where they are coming from, but you get GREAT food and the seafood is always excellent. You'll likely have leftovers unless you're ravenously hungry. I think that mitigates the price a bit. One issue that we have run into a couple of times recently is the service. Most recently we went on a Thursday night and ran into a wall of incompetence. The host was a gentlemen oddly enough wearing cargo shorts and a Nike t-shirt who seemed like he had no clue how to be a host. There were four parties ahead of us sitting down ... but there were seven tables and a third of the seats around the cooking stations open. Flummoxed by this we asked him politely why people weren't being seated and whether we could be seated at an open two person table. HOST: Ummm, I'm just ... I'm trying to figure out how to seat everyone. Well, we waited 20 minutes. We sat at the bar and stared in complete confusion at the empty tables that weren't being filled by the increasingly impatient parties. We asked again if we could be seated at the two person table that had been open since we had arrived. HOST: Uh, no. We need that one. [Walks off] It was at this time that we were considering leaving, when a waitress seemed to step up and seat us ... at that table we had inquired about twice ... wow. This isn't like smashing a square peg into a round hole dude, a four person party fits at a four person table and a two person party fits at a two person table. It's ... not hard. The rest of the service that night was also pretty lousy. The whole restaurant was disorganized, slow, and not particularly polite. It was a huge step down from what we were used to. We will go again, the food is that good after all. Hopefully we won't have a repeat experience and I'll be able to update my review to reflect that.
(4)
Eve C.
5 stars for: **Love New England clam chowder and Clam linguine with white wine sauce! Spicy level from 0 to 10. 3 is just nice for ppl who eat spicy food. **friendly, funny n attentive servers. ;) Minus 1 star for: Fried calamari is so so. Calamari isnt chewy, overall dish is wet, not crunchy. Gumbo, fisherman chowder Soup base is slighty heavy in taste for dinner :)
(4)
Laurence L.
The stuff here is AMAZING. I had the Cioppino and wow, I cannot emphasize how good it was. Tender, flavorful chunks of tomato mixed with clams, lobster legs, shrimp - amazing goodness. Service here is okay. I came in with a friend and at first, there was no one at the front to service us and the guys behind the counter didn't see us, so it was kinda like, "Eh...what the..?" But then a guy quickly came out from the the back (which I later found out was where the restroom was) and seated us. Service wise, the waitress working was pretty friendly and the chef cooking behind the counter asked us how we liked the food. I guess we just came in at a random moment (restroom break, anyone?) so it doesn't take away from our experience here. Speaking of experience, the concept of The Boiler is similar to teppanyaki, where your food is prepared before your very eyes. Here, it's just a chef putting the ingredients together into a pot and boiling it in front of you. Not too high on the "wow" scale, but still beats not knowing how your food was prepared behind big kitchen doors. The food is really great, and I highly recommend the Cioppino. If you love marinara sauce or anything tomato related (bonus if you're a seafood lover too, like myself) - the Cioppino will rock your world. The chef told us the Pan Roast House is the most popular dish, so I'm definitely checking that out next time. I also really want to try the Jambalaya (I was going to order it, but because it was Saturday, they only served dinner portions, hence my friend and I just decided to split the Cioppino). Price wise, this place definitely runs up at least $20 for any of the entree orders, so I don't know about those who are on a really tight budget because $20 is kinda a lot for one meal. So just a heads up. Anyways, I really recommend this place!
(5)
Vivian H.
I forgot to update this review but this is for a follow up visit after the incident with the tables. I was contacted by the manager who apologized and offered to rectify the situation with an offer of complimentary dessert on my next visit. I appreciated his gesture and had gone back to the restaurant to give it another shot in a short time. There were no issues with the service and the food was still great. I didn't even bring up the free dessert but I did order the creme brulee and happily paid for the delicious dessert.
(4)
Ai Cherie C.
HELLO JACKSON! Your review is on my site. And I created this yelp account for you guys. I LOVE THE BOILER
(5)
Jan Y.
bomb dot com. yum. love everything. the food, the service, the way they cook/clean their pans right thurr! such a fun and delish place! pls note, their spicy levels differ from their sister restaurant, oyster bar, in vegas. in vegas, a 7 will spice your tongue right out of your mouth. in CH, a 7 is perfect. you can always request the 'hot sauce' be served on the side. delish.
(4)
Yoomi C.
great service with very friendly staff, nice and hearty food that's packed with flavor. It's a ton of food so get your extra belly ready. Tasty soft shell crab and fresh oysters too. YAY!
(4)
Ann C.
Kettle Cooked Seafood Food is good but I feel a bit pricey. The dinner pricing is around $15-$25 for an entree. Lunch is cheaper and they have an awesome Happy Hour. Everything comes in a bowl which means they are "soupy" in everything they serve. Gumbo, Jambalaya, Chicken and Sausage w/ noodle soup, House Pan Roast (which is like a chowder) etc. House Pan Roast: in a creamy tomato based chowder (heavy in the cream) with bits of crab meat, lobster, shrimp and clams VERY DELICIOUS! They were not shy about the portions of crab and lobster which I appreciated very much. Linguini w/ Clam white sauce: it looked sort of like soup there were a lot of white wine butter sauce in the bowl but it too was yummy. I'd say go there for a special occasion but too expensive for my budget these days. Next time I'll hit up the happy hour =) Staff were attentive and nice. Place was crowded. Sit at the bar if you want to be entertained, the chef cooks in steam kettles in front of you!
(4)
Olivia G.
I love this place! The chef cook your food in front of you. The house pan roast is some goodness and it's my favorite and a dozen oysters too. BTW It's originally from Vegas, "The Oyster Bar" in Palace Station.
(4)
Adee H.
Been here a few times and it's always great :) The pan roast lobster and dessert are a must!
(4)
William P.
We've been here a number of times since the first month this place opened, but not recently, as we've been hunting down food trucks. When we first started going, the place tended to be empty, but tonight it was hopping. It was a first for us to have to wait for seating, which in a way was very cool, because it indicates that the place is going to be with us for a long time. We were recognized when we arrived, due to our history there. You can eat at a bar, which overlooks the cooking station. The cooking is done in an unusual way, with intensely hot pots that are bathed in a constant flow of superheated water from a boiler in the back, and so things cook very quickly. Their dishes are from a variety of cultures, though primarily Cajun. You can specify how spicy you'd like your food, as well. I love this place, and hope you will, too.
(5)
Nicole R.
The food here IS amazing. Love sitting at the counter talking to the chefs and watching them cook. Everyone is friendly. Restaurant is clean.
(5)
Lulu T.
I've only lived in Chino Hills for six months, but thanks to Yelp I stumbled upon this great little restaurant, I never would have found it otherwise! I had the House Pan Roast every ones raving about and it was delicious!! I wasn't sure about the spice level so I played it safe with a "5" it was the perfect amount of spice for me (I can be a bit of a wimp, when it comes to spiciness) My daughter had the clam chowder and for only $3.95 it was as steal!! This is a very friendly place, you sit around the bar and can watch him boil your meal right in front of you, so much fun, and tasty too!!
(4)
Joey L.
Why did it take me a year to find this place? Maybe it's because I'm a creature of habit and stick to what I know and head to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station when I'm craving Cajun/Creole cuisine. Or maybe it is because it's located in no man's land. As I entered this fine establishment, I was greeted by Chef Ritter, the original chef of the Oyster Bar. I took a seat at the bar and had my mind set on starting off with Calamari for an appetizer and for the main dish the Bouillabaisse. As I watched the Chef worked his magic making my Bouillabaisse, he educated me on the art of Steam Kettle cooking. The Kettle uses high pressure steam to heat the kettle which prevents the seafood from ever over cooking. I was very impressed that he uses Pi water in his soup. So the billion dollar question is ....Is the food here better than the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station? -Chef Ritter vs Chef JJ & Bob - (Even). Chef Ritter is extremely hilarious and got jokes for days. He is really down to earth and truly believe in taking care of his customers. -Cajun Calamari - (Even) The Calamari came out looking like steak fries with Cajun seasoning. It was good and delicious! - Bouillabaisse w/ Linguine at Spice Level 7 - As I dig in my Bouillabaisse, I was blown away by all the rich flavors, spices and seafood. I did notice the portion was smaller and had less seafood compared to the Oyster Bar. I would have to say the Bouillabaisse is slightly better at the Oyster Bar. - Service - (Even) The staff were extremely friendly and attentive. - Decor - (Boiler) There are plenty of bar stool seats and tables. They also got flat screen TVs to catch the latest sporting events. I would say it was a very tough decision, but nothing beats the Bouillabaisse at the Oyster Bar. Don't get me wrong the soup is similar but it is more of a preference. I will still come here if I need a quick fix of Cajun cooking. The Chef did let me know he is opening another Boiler restaurant in Costa Mesa near Southcoast Plaza by April of 2011. Woohoo! I will be counting the days until you make down here to OC.
(4)
A F.
My friend had been wanting to try this place out for awhile now so I took her last weekend when she came to visit. We came around 2pm on a Sunday, and the wait was still 45 minutes. She ordered the pan roast and I had the gumbo. The pan roast soup was really thick, not like the one in Vegas. Even though she ordered hers pretty spicy (heat level 8), it barely had a kick. It tasted ok though. The gumbo was very watery and didn't have enough seafood for $17/bowl. Being from New Orleans, I've had some damn good gumbo and theirs just didn't live up to anything I've had. The service was good though so I'll probably be back to try the clam chowder but definitely will not order the gumbo again.
(3)
Kurtis P.
The House Pan Roast is what it's all about here. I do miss Ritter, as we all do, but the chiefs now are doing a good job. The mix isn't quite as creamy as Ritter's was, but it's still very flavorful. Highly recommend the calamari appetizer too. The only reason I'm giving this place a 4 is their wait staff are still slow. They're improving each time we go though. I think it's a under staffing issue. Only 2 waiters on the floor on Sunday.
(4)
Michelle T.
I had really high hopes for this place based on the reviews and sadly, it didn't live up to it. The food was alright, some things better than others but it was the service that really brought this place down. Our waitress was nice enough but just not there enough. When she brought out our bread and appetizer she didn't bring any plates to eat it on, so we basically had to use our paper place mat. I left my empty coke on the edge of the table for about 15 min. and not once did anyone ask if I wanted a refill, that's probably because no one stopped by to ask if everything was alright. After we were done eating we waited about 20 min. until we saw our waitress again in which she apologized for being MIA but that she was on her break!! I understand you need a break but at least assign another waitress to fill in for you!! Alright, now on to the food. My bf and I started with the combo cocktail, this was 1 crab legs halved, 3 big shrimp, and 4 oysters. This came with cocktail sauce and a dijon mayonnaise sauce. The only thing I liked on this plate was the shrimp, they were pretty big and tasted fresh. The crab you could tell had been frozed, it was really watery, I couldn't eat it. The oysters which I was really excited for were the worst tasting oysters I had ever had. The first one I ate just tasted awful, I almost spit it out. I thought maybe it was just an off one but the second one was just as bad. I was really scared that I was gonna end up sick from them because they did not taste right at all. It's only been about 12 hours since I ate them so if you don't hear from me in the next couple days you'll know why! We also shared a bowl of clam chowder and the house pan roast. These dishes were really good. The clam chowder was nice and creamy and had a different taste I think from the different herbs, very delicious especially with the bread they give you. The pan roast was also excellent. I ordered mine at spicy level 5 and found it pretty mild so if you like spicy you might want to kick it up a notch. This bowl was huge and very filling due to the rice in it. It was very flavorful and also nice and creamy. There were about 3 big shrimp in it and I think some crawfish, I didn't notice any crab, lobster, or clams in it though like the menu stated so that was a bit disappointing considering it was almost a $20 dish. I did enjoy the flavor however if I ordered a roast again it would probably just be the shrimp one since it's cheaper and that's pretty much all you get anyhow. Overall the food is decent and it's a great concept, very different but I probably won't be returning based on the poor service.
(3)
A C.
Great food, but very expensive!
(4)
Winky L.
After a long day in this cold weather i was looking forward to the Boiler....i live in SGB Valley and is willing to drive down to Chino hills just to try it out after seeing all the 5star review from Yelp....I gotta say MAN i shouldn't have trust it! Order: Pan Roast - 5 out of a 10! (basically i can make this myself...tomato bisque + Some Shrimp n seafood) Hubby got: Gumbo - 1 out of a 10.... (Tasteless...BLAND......n is $17 for this *Beep**) My hubby loves gumbo...we always order gumbo at the local crawfish joint...n i gotta say this is a waste of $$ here!! i tried his gumbo and realized why he has that look on his face... if you are willing to pay $20/a person for a bowl of soup....n few seafood def try this place....but don't have high expectation....
(1)
Teresa N.
The Broiler. Every time I hear these words, I feel like I just hit jackpot on slots. I was first introduced of this restaurant, or bar, in Las Vegas. I was sad to leave this place knowing it would be awhile before I come back. However, when I returned home, a friend told me there was another location in Chino Hills. YES! I always order the house pan roast. It's a spicy tomato cream based Creole sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams. How can this go wrong? You can mix jasmine rice with Creole sauce, or substitute the rice for pasta. It's amazing! The sauce is rich with a hint of Southern influence. Go to The Broiler and you will be pleasantly surprised.
(4)
Quentin M.
Second time here...bacon-wrapped shrimp...amazing...Fisherman's Chowder...Freakin' Amazing...service a lot better than last time...no complaints...went there Saturday night around 730pm
(5)
Jenn A.
OMG EAT HERE. It will blow your mind! I had the pan roast and asked for it pretty hot (I love spicy) and I finished the whole thing. I'm 5'4" 120lbs and I gobbled it right up! You should have seen my boyfriend's face. Ridiculously good. Hands down, best Cajun food I have ever had.
(5)
Jeff C.
Now Featuring the Palace Station Oyster Bar in Chino Hills!!! I was turned onto the Oyster Bar in Palace Station by one of my MBA friends several years ago and have introduced many of my SoCal friends to amazing food at the Vegas 15 seat oyster bar. I'm so happy The Boiler opened up in Southern California. No more frantic drives to Vegas for a Pan Roast craving. Ritter, one of the best chefs from the Oyster Bar, has open this restaurant in Chino Hills for all of us to enjoy. The Pan Roast is only an hour drive away. The restaurant is only 9 weeks old however the Cajun flavors are 14+ years in the making. The food is exactly the same as Vegas: AMAZING. Being a new restaurant, the operations are a bit bumpy. The chefs are on the ball. The food is worth the wait and you need to overlook the issues with the servers. The servers are a bit lost but they are trying. My server, some white dude, messed up more than one order with customers around me. Food Amazing: House Pan Roast Hotness Level 6 - Awesome Clam Chowder - Awesome Seafood Chipotle Chowder - Awesome I wanted to try the oysters however they did not have any at the time. :( Definitely try it out!!!! For all you Oyster Bar lovers in SoCal only 1 hour drive or less depending on where you live. Good luck Ritter with this endeavor.
(4)
Maggie N.
HOUSE PAN ROAST = DELICIOUS!!!! I'm salivating just thinking about it! The big chunks of lobster in it was so juicy and fresh. It was something very different than what I've had before. We tried most of the items on the menu, everything was average, but the house pan roast (spice level 8) definitely stole the show! P.S. DO NOT ORDER HOUSE OYSTERS, which is made with a peanut butter, bacon, and tomato sauce; tastes only as good as it sounds =/.
(4)
Eric S.
We went here after I read a review from a friend which sparked my interest. For appetizers we had the soft shell crab which was good. My wife ordered another one since she liked it. I don't eat soft shell crab very often so I really don't have anything to compare it to. We also ordered the Cajun calamari. These were strips instead of the usual round cuts and legs. They were very good and perfectly cooked. For dinner I had the Gumbo with a spice level of 8 out of 10. It also was very good. The andouilli sausage had a nice smokey flavor. There were bits of crab meat and several good sized shrimp as well. Next time I would choose level 10. My tongue was warm with a slight tingle but I did not get the full body warmth feeling from the 8. The spice did not interfere with the flavor. My wife had the House Pan Roast with a level 2 spice. Although it was good I thought that is was too close to a Campbell's Tomato Soup flavor. For desert we had a vanilla creme brulee. It was good, but I have had much better. The kids had spaghetti and marinara sauce which was cooked fresh in the boiler pots. My 2 year old had chicken nuggets and french fries. She ate them all so they must have been ok. She is getting picky lately. I have not had this style of food before. I found it enjoyable. I would defiantly come back again.
(4)
S B.
Hum... change of staff/chef.
(2)
Rolo S.
looka herre da Hou Pan Roas be my favorite ya herd me. (my Nawlins accent) It seems like its too rich and youd get tired of it but thats just not the case here. Before i knew it i was staring and a empty bowl wondering where it went. A 7 on the spicy scale was not too hot, the Anchor Steam beer paired up real nice.
(5)
Ben E.
I came here based on the recommendation from a couple at the Oyster Bar in Vegas. They told me that the chef left and started a new restaurant called, The Boiler. It was definitely a trek, but I went. I ordered the Crab Pan Roast, similar to my regular at the Oyster Bar. It was superb. The flavors were rich, the right amount of spice (I asked for medium), and it was true to its cajun roots. I recommend this place if you ever have the hankering for jambalaya or the likes. Though I like the Oyster Bar's version better, this doesn't take away from the unique flavors that this cuisine presents. Come, but come hungry. The servings are huge!
(4)
Brandon E.
GreAt! Our appetizer was calamari which was prepared in steak strips. It was fresh bite full of calamari that I have not tried before but I certainly will again. Then there was the Calm Chowder. This was the best I ever had, and I've tried a fair amount up from San Diego to San Francisco. The herbs, clams, potatoes, etc was a perfect blend. Our main dishes were the 'Pan Roast' with all kinds of fresh seafood and the Gumbo. These were both amazing creations! Even the desert (a pecan tart) was a perfect way to end out evening and enjoy the rest of our food coma! There be more to come since we're going back next week...
(5)
Ray C.
Summary: The service is beyond TERRIBLE and cannot makeup for food that is pretty good. I have been to The Boiler 3 or 4 times. Each time I go, I go with the hope that the previous experience was an exception, not the rule. They are pretty consistent, unfortunately. I just went tonight, Valentine's Day. My conviction is so strong that I came home and immediately started to write this. My feeling is that the management/ownership is clueless as to what entails service. It is almost amateurish. It is beyond belief. Several specific examples this evening: 1. To start we requested a party of 5, and were placed on a table with only 4 seats. With 3 children, it may seem forgivable to forget a seat for a child. After 10 minutes, we had to ask for a seat. 2. There was a Valentine's special, and we requested to see the Valentine's Menu. The waitress ran off, and never came back with the menu. 3. We waited for bread, and it never came. Other tables had bread. Probably after 30 minutes, we asked, and it finally arrived. 4. We finally ordered, and asked for the spicy sauce on the side, but when the main entree arrived, the sauce was not on the side. We didn't even bother to ask because there was little chance because the waitresses were running around like chickens without heads. 5. We were without drinks from the start; they didn't even ask what we wanted to drink while we were ordering, and had to ask for water several times before getting it. My daughter asked several times during the dinner, "Why is it taking so long to get our water?" 6. We realized that we did not have enough forks. By this time my wife was fed up and just got up and walked to another table to pick up some forks. 7. We finally got our check, and were waiting to pay our bill. It took forever for them to come, so my wife had to get up and walk over to the front to pay it. It would seem obvious for them to apologize when we got up to pay for the bill, but they have no clue. The issues seem pretty obvious. There is a lack of professional management. There is a void in leadership. They are understaffed. There were 3 people waiting on a busy restaurant. The waitress (or manager?) was running around answering the phone, swiping credit cards, and the two other waitresses were running around very busy and no one seemed to be assigned to us. This is a consistent problem with the poor service. It pretty much ruined our dinner and could not even come close to making up for food that is pretty decent. I was with my wife, and we new what to expect. I feel so sorry for someone on a date trying to impress someone. I cannot think of any restaurant that I have been to with such terrible service! As my astute 9 year old said this evening without prompting "The service sucks. Please don't ever take us to The Boiler." And she doesn't even complain that much! My only hope is that the ownership will figure it out, and improve the service. Until then, I will AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!
(1)
Sandy S.
This is one of the very first restaurants we tried since moving to Chino Hills. The food is fun and delicious and entertaining because they cook in front of you @ the bar area. The service is friendly and the serving is generous! Everything smells great and we've pretty much tried everything on the entree menu and my favorite is the cioppino! The house pan roast, which seems to be everyone's favorite, is very good too but can be overwhelming after a few bites. The hours have gotten a little confusing.... but will go back again.
(4)
Sandy S.
Came here around dinner time with my boyfriend. We split the house pan roast and ordered it at a 7/10 spice level. We also ordered the soft shell crab appetizer. The soft shell crab was fresh and tasted good, nothing spectacular but still tasty. It was deep friend in a light layer of tempura batter, good texture. Squeezed a little lemon on it and salt. The house pan roast was amazing - I love creole/southern flavoring and spicy food. I would describe it was mixed seafood (shrimp, clams, lobster, crab) in a creamy, spicy, tomato bisque. Thick consistency like curry. MMM...comforting, filling, flavorful. Comes out steaming hot. They have a spice level of 1-10 and I think 7 is great for my preference. I'm Thai and am used to very spicy cuisine but people vary so much on their preferences so no suggestions there! At first I thought the price was a little steep at $20ish for the house pan roast entree but when I really think about it the amount of seafood they give you is very fair and working in a restaurant myself I can appreciate how pricey seafood can get. Service was average-good. Catered to us well, no complaints. Would definitely go back again. Actually, we're considering going back again tonight :)
(4)
Michael C.
Great clam chowder everything is very tasty .. But to enjoy the full experience you have to sit at the bar and watch them make your soup ..if you sit at the tables you probably won't think it's a 5 stars
(5)
Mike D.
Interesting place, the food is Creole style and they give you a choice on the "Spicy Scale." I thought I ate hot food, a 5 was good for me. Been there several times and love the Gumbo,
(3)
Jason L.
So I HAD to come here after going to Oyster Bar. I heard a former employee of Oyster Bar opened up this place. Well, it's all true and it's actually pretty decent. But I will admit i like Oyster Bar better. Something just tastes different. I'm not sure what but its something. Anyways it took me over an hour to come here and I will say I will probably come back sometime. Im not sure when but sometime I will. It's quite a drive though. Service is excellent by the way!
(4)
Dorothy L.
As if this place couldn't get any better... Last week when I was there (Sunday afternoon), they were offering happy hour!! My Anchor Steam draft beer was $3! They also had appetizers on the HH menu, but we already ordered our hearty meals. I will be prepared next time - a 3 mile run before The Boiler, so there's no excuse not to get tasty beer, creole sausage appetizer, AND bouillabaisse!!
(5)
David T.
I had the jabalaya and my wife had the house pan roast. I thought both dishes were excellent. We ended our meal with a very good creme brulee. Service was great and the owner/chef visted our table a couple of times to see how we were doing. I thought the prices were fair and the portion size was good for sharing. Can't wait to go back when they're able to sell alcohol.
(5)
T M.
Best on a cold night.
(4)
Sparky P.
The Boiler is made by a Las Vegas Chef, and it shows. When you walk in, you notice that there are two bars, one for your standard brews, another for the preparation of delicious seafood. If you get lucky and snag a seat at the bar, you can see your food prepared in various little boilers while you chat with your chefs. The food here is filled with some intense flavors. The Jambalaya is very heavy in cloves and may surprise people. The Chioppinno is pretty good. Their main thing is the Pan Roast. It's basically rice covered in creamy tomato sauce and liberally filled with your choice of seafoods. I would advise ordering a variety of things, asking for plates and sharing. Eating an entire Pan roast is too greasy, eating all the jambalaya is too clovey, but if you get to share, it's great! You get a choice of spicy from 1-10, if you like spicy, I'd try a a 5-6 once you get up to 7+ it starts requiring a stomach of iron. ____________________________ NOTE TO LARGE GROUPS: -One group of 30 people that came in right before us. If you have a huge group of more than 8 please consider the way the food is cooked, the staff, and restaurant size before deciding to eat here. If you are a group of 30 people, please consider the fact that others have to wait for tables to become available, and then wait another hour for their food to be prepared and served after all of your food is served. Also please take into consideration the look of sheer exhaustion I saw on the smiling and friendly, but never the less exhausted chefs after cooking up a storm for that group.
(5)
Felipe O.
Came here last night based on my coworkers splendid time here weeks ago. I went with the House Seafood Pan Roast which was what many of you previews reviewers suggested. It definitely hit the spot and it was a perfect choice for these cold nights we're having. I only ordered it at a hot level of 5 and since I don't handle spicy foods too well and I thought this was spicy enough so beware! lol. We ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp which yet again proved that anything wrapped in bacon is destined for greatness! But if you're on a budget i'd skip it since it was price for 5 pieces. The calamari appetizer we ordered was good but nothing special. A couple of us also ordered the clam chowder which was scrumptious! It had a potato looking texture to it but I have to hand it to em ' I will get this again next time. Overall it was a fun fresh new place we found to dine the service was helpful and polite so I'm definitely coming back to try more on the menu!
(5)
Tom W.
Pros: Excellent Cajun Cuisine Nice Ambiance Draft Beers and Wine Friendly Service Plenty of Parking Cons: Can take a bit to get food if they're busy
(4)
Nathan F.
Amazing! I've gone twice now and am probably going again tonight. The flavors are incredible and the portion is perfect. Definately get the House Pan.
(5)
Asmita J.
i love the idea of this place....definitely one of the more unique restaurants in chino hills. it might be a lilllllll hyped up, but don't get me wrong, that sh&* was GOOOOOOD. i got the pan roast (obvs, because of all you yelpers), and couldn't have made a better choice. the soup/chowder was creamy, delicious and SPICAY (way more spicier than anticipated). i got mine at a 9, though i might go with a 7-8 next time to really taste the flavor. another plus -- its incredibly filling. i had it for two meals, and was STUFFED both times. (edit -- if you eat like a horse, you might be able to finish it...and for that, major props) okay so the downside... umm, a little pricey? yes. i ended up paying $30 for 2 shared appetizers (calamari and soft shell crab -- they were good, but skimpy on portions), and a house pan roast. AND i only got about 3 shrimp in my entire dish. considering i can get about a pound of big, juicy shrimp at boiling crab, i don't think this place is worth its price. and for that, it gets 4 stars.
(4)
Jacqueline N.
AAAAH-MAAAAY-ZZZZING~! That's all I can say... ...Well... not realy, I have more to add to that... I can't wait for them to open up in Irvine as I was told by the chef. The Pan Roast House is phenomenal... beats any lobster bisque or whatever else you've had that's similar... the sauce is creamy and yet not too overbearing... melts in your mouth almost and the seafood is very fresh... if they say there's lobster in your dish, you best believe there's going to lobster in your dish, not some langostino fake lobster or crawfish looking type of thing... dip the bread in this and omg... so heavenly! The shrimp po'boy sandwhich is very delicious too, they have this in their lunch menu and its the right price for just the right portion, this comes with a cup of clam chowder that I hear is the best in town. Jambalaya... what can I say... every bite had a spicy, flavorful kick to it .I loved it. You can get it as spicy as you'd like but just don't overdue it as you want to still be able to taste all the spices and flavors! Oh, and the Cajun Calamari... yum yum! My bf who HATES calamari tried this and genuinely LOVED IT! I can finally eat calamari again! lol. Prices are very reasonable. The plates may look small in the pictures but dont let that fool you, the bowls are deep. LOL. Oh, and I like the decor too, the chef cooks the special dishes right in the middle of the restaurant! So Chef Ramsy-like! :)
(5)
pranav m.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS !!! I'm so glad i found this place . I ride all the way from the SFV to eat here atleast twice a month. The House pan roast is to die for . If you like it spicy get the 8 or 9 on the scale. Took my parents here and my mom is a veggie . They made her the veggie pan roast with pasta and she loved it. My dad wanted to take some home and then go back after 2 days for more. We always go to the oyster bar in vegas at the palace station but i hate to wait for a seat.....this place has lots of room and no wait. Great ambiance , good selection of draft and bottled beer , lots of parking and great service .
(5)
Sharon C.
I give it a 4 on account of the oysters. They were really really plump oysters. Never seen anything like it! The chef gave us a sample of their clam chowder. It was quite tasty, even though I'm not big on clam chowders. With everything on their menu, I don't think I'll be ordering the clam chowder but at least I know it's good. We then got the pan roast and the gumbo. The gumbo really wasn't anything special. I didn't really care for it but the pan roast was really really good. I will definitely be getting that next time. It was very flavourful and creamy. The lobster bits were very tender and I like them the best. I could've done without the other seafood in there. Sitting at the bar is the best way to go. You get to watch everything cook in those cool steam contraptions they've got. The chef said he'll be opening another Boiler in Irvine toward the end of the year. I can't wait!
(4)
Esther M.
yummy but prices are steep for casual dining
(4)
Judy H.
5 starts strictly for the fact that there's nothing else like it. oh, great food and service don't hurt either. i first heard about the boiler last year after eating at the oyster bar in vegas. seafood soup? and spicy seafood soup? two of my favorite things! i also love watching food being cooked right in front of me, so sit at the counter if you can. 4 of us arrived on a saturday for an early dinner (6pm) so luckily, there was no wait. a hot bowl of yummy deliciousness is just what we needed after a long day of snowboarding. since we arrived 10 minutes prior to the end of happy hour, we also splurged and ordered the fried calamari and sausages. yum! having already tried the pan roast in vegas (a creamy spicy soup with rice), i went for the cioppino and loved it. a variety of fresh seafood over linguini in soup. i chose level 3 (out of 10) on the spicy radar which had just the right kick. (i've lost my ability to eat really spicy at my old age. *tear*) all the seafood was cooked to perfection. i also tasted my friend's bouillabaisse (also a 3) which was similar, but no noodles. i'd totally order that next time. i didn't try the gumbo because my friend ordered a 5 and i was afraid my tummy couldn't handle it. the fact that he was sweatin' bullets scared me too, but he said it was delicious. i was lucky enough to even taste the clam chowder, which was different than any other clam chowder i've had. there's a spice in it i just couldn't pinpoint. it was good and not too clam-y. eating at the counter also allows you to talk to the chef, Ritter. he's a super nice guy and knows his food. he manages to handle all 12 steam pots at once to serve the entire restaurant and their take-out orders (which there were plenty of). they also have a bar and flat screens with the game on. it's seafood people, so it's not gonna be cheap. if they weren't so far away, i'd come back more often. (p.s., Irvine peeps, they're coming to you next....)
(5)
Christian C.
The food at the boiler is definitely something worth trying and a pretty unique find around the area. When I went we had the house pan roast, chicken gumbo, regular gumbo, cajun fries, and the steamed clams. The pan roast really is pretty much as good as everyone else says, an awesome blend of fish veggies and seafood. The gumbos were both good as well, although I might opt to try a little spicier next time (the spiciness scale is still a bit confusing for me). The cajun fries to start were really nice, light, crispy and perfectly seasoned. The steamed clams were pretty good, but the sauce that they were served with is what made for an amazing dipping sauce for the endless bread (which you will definitely want to make sure you get quite a few orders of to sop up your food) The service was pretty friendly, the waitress was somewhat attentive, and the chef made small talk with us even though we weren't at the counter. The only gripe i have here is the wait... I came in expecting a wait because of what I've heard about the place, but this wait was agonizingly long. It was a good 20 to 30 minutes before our food showed up, and it was consistently this slow for other tables as well, even though there were probably only 3 or 4 tables waiting for food. Other than this, a definite must try for anyone in the area. If you have time that is.
(4)
Linda P.
First time here. I was a little hesitant because of some of the other reviews, but I thought what the heck I would like to be the judge myself. Well my conclusion, Awesome, the food was great and the service was also nice, we sat at the bar where you can see your food being cooked in these little steam pots. James Brown was our cook, and he did an excellent job!! He was also very helpful in answering all our questions about the preparation. We ordered the House Pan Roast and it was delicious, we also ordered oysters on the half shell which were very fresh and yummy and bacon wrapped shrimp. So there you go. I think you should give The Boiler a try. P.S. I also had the Creme Brule : ) !!
(4)
Shibby D.
So a coworker told me to check out The Boiler in Chino Hills a few weeks ago and like a fool I just let it go. She finally pulled me into the place and it is so wonderful I'm bringing my fiance back this week! Now keep in mind that Mother's Day isn't the best day to go our reviewing places. Just about every restaurant and cafe are slammed with reservations and lines out the door. We barged into The Boiler and happened to land at the counter in front of Chef Ritter. The dude was wearing a NAMM baseball cap and being a musician I struck up a conversation. Ritter not only is the Chef and Proprietor of the establishment but he is an accomplished musician who dabbled in the industry for many years. As we talked about music he prepared our meals in front of us in the steam boilers spread out behind the counter. How can something so simple taste so amazing? Well he explained how he worked in Vegas with the same kind of stations and perfected the recipes then brought it down for us here in California. We had the chicken gumbo and shrimp pan roast. ABSOLUTELY amazing! In my opinion, they need to knock down a few walls and expand out. Make a reservation if you have time and get your self down to The Boiler in Chino Hills.
(5)
Joanne W.
This place is not in the most exciting location in Chino Hills, but it's definitely worth a visit. However do be prepared to wait, as there are not that many tables/seats. We waited for about 45 mins to 1 hour, partly because we had a toddler and couldn't sit at the bar. Their House Pan Roast is REALLY good. The creamy tomato sauce is very delicious and full of flavor. The lobsters, oh my, the lobsters were the tenderest I've ever eaten. It really has the melt in your mouth texture to it. It must have something to do with the steam kettle way of cooking. I think next time I would order the Lobster Pan Roast. It comes with rice or pasta. I got rice, but someone mentioned that the pasta complimented the meal well. The Jambalaya was just okay. It was pretty spicy, but the other flavors were a bit weird. I'm very looking forward to trying the Bouillabaisse and the Cioppino. I just wish the place was bigger, as I'm an impatient diner.
(4)
Alen L.
The breakdown: Lobster Pan Roast: 5/5 House Gumbo: 4.5/5 Jambalaya: 4/5 My Food Rating = A Ambience: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Clean: 5/5 My Experience Rating: A Location: 4.5/5 Parking: 5/5 Wait: 5/5 My Convenience Rating: A Pros: - Steam Kettle Cooking just like the Oyster Bar in Palace Station Hotel in Las Vegas, right here in Southern California, minus the wait. - Unlike Oyster Bar, you do not need to be 21+ to be served. - Everything on the menu is tasty, you can't go wrong. - Ample parking spaces. - Ample seating. - Great service. - LCD TV's and a small bar to watch the game. - Non-Smoking Cons: - Prices are about as high as it is in Las Vegas, but well worth it. Tip: Sit at the bar and watch the food being cooked in the steam pots. Tip: Go with 5 on the spicy for most items, especially the Jambalaya. Tip: Portions are generous here. Tip: Chef Ritter speaks and understands a bit of Mandarin Chinese. He took a trip to Taiwan recently and loved the food and everything about it, and so he started taking lessons in Chinese. Bottom Line: If you've tried Oyster Bar in Palace Station in Las Vegas, you won't be disappointed by The Boiler SKC in Chino Hills. Chef Ritter is former Chef at Oyster Bar. His recipe seemed a little bit different from what I remembered at Oyster Bar, it has a bit more kick to it with the spices. The same hearty and seafood taste still remains. I will definitely be back again to satisfy my on-going cravings for good Cajun food.
(5)
Kim B.
My friend recommended this place and they always know all the good places to eat so of course we were like wow chino hills, we're there! i was expecting it to be typical american style cajun which is in pasta and rice usually bland and not much flavor without more salt and pepper but everything was really flavorful and i love places that allow you to rate the spicy level. awesome! the clams were yum, shrimp diablo was good but we shouldve gotten it a bit spicier, the house special pan roast....omg soooo good. spicy level was 8. Not outrageous spicy. perfect! service is really great! and the vibe is bar type restaurant but yet very casual and cozy. i am definitely going back there asap!
(5)
J W.
I give the food a solid 3.5 stars, 0.5 more for the owner's modesty and sincerity. :) A bunch of us went during their anniversary weekend and ordered all their star items off of the menu. The clam chowder was tasty, different from the traditional chowder due to the additional herb, just a little salty to my taste. I think if you can handle a little bit of spicy, then you should order 5 and up, otherwise it will not make too much of a difference. The house pan roast, crab pan roast were delicious if you are not watching your waist line :D The bouillabaisse was pretty good as well although not authentic, my friend 'complained' that a couple seafood ingredients weren't the most fresh. But she admitted that it was not bad overall. Cioppino didn't thrill us. The gumbo was also yummy, gosh, I love okras. :P The portion was huge! We also wanted to get oysters but were afraid of the gulf oil spill contamination :P Service was a little slow but friendly. We thought the decor could be a more 'rusty' to match the southern cuisine... way too neat IMHO. The chef was pretty busy yet still dropped by our table to say hi, I thought that was nice. The Boiler is not cheap, but definitely worth a try :)
(4)
Natalie T.
Oh this place was so delicious!! I came here unexpectedly with the boyfriend! I've been wanting to go here since I've stumbled upon this place on yelp looking for great cajun food! I got the House Pan Roast... omg so good!! I was sad because prior to coming here, I did eat a little bit (Jack in the Box tacos ~~ I was at work!) so then I wasn't able to eat as much as I would have liked to! But with this dish, I got a 7 for level of spiciness, the boyfriend thought it was perfect, but I think I might go for an 8 next time! It's a great creamy tomato sauce with lots of seafood! Also, I got a bowl of the clam chowder since I just have to try it everywhere I go, but it was good! I loved how they put rosemary in it! What a great touch of unexpected yumminess! The boyfriend got the chicken jambalaya since he's not much of a seafood fan but it was also very delicious! Spicy level was at 7 and it had great flavors! It wasn't mushy and too overpowered with tomato sauce! I would definitely come back here again but next time on an empty stomach!
(5)
Richard C.
My girlfriend and I came here on a Friday night for dinner expecting great things, but were a bit disappointed especially after reading so many great reviews. I guess for me the pan roast taste becomes to consistent after a while. Like another reviewer said, its like a thick tomato soup with seafood and rice. Nothing special in my opinion. Pros -Clam Chowder was definitely excellent. -The server was very nice Cons -Bread sucked -Cajun Calamari was more like soggy thick calamari rectangle blocks -Their definition of spicy is not very spicy at all. I ordered a 7 and my girlfriend ordered a 3 on the pan roast. Hers had more of a sweet taste, while mine was mildly spicy
Nirvana. I haven't been this excited about a meal in a long time! Tried the house pan roast at level 10 and I will be back to try every other item on the menu as frequently as possible. The name threw me off a little bit. The pan roast is a mix of seafood that you can customize cooked in a tomato cream rue and spiced to your liking with a scoop of jasmine rice in the middle. I love spicy so I went all in with level ten. It actually wasnt that hot at all. Maybe they held back a bit, but whatever the game plan was it was perfect. Head chef Chris was very engaged and his commentary enhanced my appreciation of the food. The sauce is amazing and addicting, and the seafood was delicious and plentiful. Nice big chunks of lobster. The crisp IPA was a perfect compliment to the savory and peppery tomato cream rue. Sat at the bar where you get to watch everything prepared in front of you. The steam pots and plumbing are very eye catching and everything appears very high quality. Can't wait to try the jambalaya and gumbo. Really can't wait for the Irvine location to open.
Amazing pan roast. The owner is friendly, staff is attentive, and the food is delicious. 5 stars is an understatement.
(5)
Chris H.
I'd rate this joint with a million stars for the awesome food! I've had to hold myself back from visiting every week for fear that I will get toooo used to it. The Pan Roast is my new favorite as my initial dish here was the cioppino. The cioppino was pretty good, but the pan roast tends to provide some much needed relief for comfort food. I'm still trying to figure out the best time to go for dinner and not wait so long, but since the food is so delish, I guess you have to wait with the rest of 'em. Regarding the service, there is some room for improvement as the servers tend to forget a few things when it gets busy. This is a keeper in my treasure chest of restaurant finds.
(5)
Marian B.
I normally don't drive out 30-45min just to get food but a friend said that he wanted to take me and my bf to this place. He said he would always go to the Vegas location and wanted to check this place out. So we ventured out from Irvine to Chino Hills. About an hour later (damn traffic! GRR!!!!) we arrive and I'm thinking "This better be worth the trip coz I am starving!" (Don't come in between a hungry female and her food). My first impression was that the entire plaza looked empty and dead! Looking through the windows of The Boiler and it didn't look full at all. I was beginning to have doubts. Anyways we walked in and sat at the bar. We were greeted by Chef Ritter and he was extremely friendly. He claimed he had the best clam chowder even better than at SF Fisherman's Wharf clam chowder (which is very good). So, I had to see for myself. He was right! The clam chowder was thick and creamy with a lot of seasoning and fresh clams and potatoes. It tasted so good I ordered another bowl and that's all I had for dinner. =) The other two in my group ordered the House Pan Roast with mixed seafood. That was extremely good! The flavors and spice mixed with the seafood and rice was amazing. Overall, I really like this place. Great chef, great food. I love the different way the cook the food in those steel cylinder containers (Is that a boiler is???). I like that they have that bar area. I don't know if I'll go there too often though because it's a far and long drive esp in traffic. It's a shame the plaza isn't doing to well. This is a great place that needs more people to come try their food. Chef Ritter - Please, please, PLEASE open a location in Irvine!!!
(4)
Geo T.
Tried this place since several of my friends recommended it. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was filled by maybe 5 or 6 groups. The server took our order and gave us bread to munch on as we waited. We both ordered the pan roast and it came out relatively fast. I got a 7 from a 1-10 level of spicy and my girlfriend got a 5. Honestly think people who like spicy foods should get an 8 or 9 since it was not that spicy for me. The food was DELICIOUS. It was a little strong on the spices so if you're into bland foods this place is definitely not for you. Only reason this place got a 3 star instead of 4 was the service. There were two servers at the time and they took turns taking care of our table. One was nice and polite although a little quiet, but at least she smiled from time to time. The other server honestly looked like she had a five foot pole up her... well you know. She had the grumpiest looking face and I was honestly a little intimidated to request a refill of bread or water from her. So in conclusion food is A-OK, service was meh~. Would recommend the food to others and if you're into heavily seasoned but delicious food you definitely need to try this place.
(3)
Irene C.
Pan roast, calamari, and jambalaya!!! Last time I tried to be adventurous and asked for a very spicy jambalaya... would definitely not do that again. Okay fine so I wouldn't order the calamari again but I do enjoy the pan roast. Am I the only one who thinks it tastes like chicken tikka masala?
(4)
Randa J.
My friend introduced me to the one in Las Vegas at the Palace Station about 5 years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. And now they opened one in Chino Hills?!? Like, what are the chances of something like that happening. It must have been my positive and wishful thinking coming to fruition. I guess that stuff really does work. Keep wishing, people! Clam Chowder: LOVED This is the best clam chowder I've ever had. Sorry San Fran, but The Boiler has one up on you. Combination Pan Roast: LOVED If there is only one thing you should get here, this dish is it. Don't get anything else... just get this. It has everything! So packed with flavor and warm goodness. I love. Oyster Shooters: LOVED Pretty fresh and yummy. The portions are pretty large, so I would share a Clam Chowder and Pan Roast with the hubs. It would be the perfect amount for 2, in my opinion. The food here is uber delicious, but heavy, and very rich. I can't eat here every day or every week, but it's definitely an indulgent and delicious treat when I do. Mmmm... mouth is a watering thinking about it.
(5)
Isabella L.
My sister found it on Yelp and she said she wanted to try it for her birthday. So we did.The reviews on Yelp allowed me to have high expectations for this place. Our first impression was that it was a nice looking place. The bar did not seem well stocked, but I liked what they had on tap. Out of the everything we ordered, the only thing decent was the Arrogant Bastard we had on tap. CAJUN CALAMARI It was just little slivers of meat. It wasn't the kind of calamari you would expect at this "highly rated" restaurant. It looked like the ones that came in the box. They were soggy, no crunch whatsoever. So far the best calamari I have had is at Michael's in Rowland Heights. OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL They claim to serve Blue Point Oysters. The oysters that we were served were certainly not Blue Point. The meat was swollen with water, it seemed like they were just injected with salt water. To someone who has never eaten oysters, they would be happy because they're getting so much meat. What they didn't know was that it was awfully bland. There was no taste. Blue Point oysters are sweet. The only good thing about their oysters, a previous yelper mentioned was that they shuck them well. I'll give you that. But for $16.95 for a dozen I'd rather go to the place I usually go for oysters. That would be the Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos. APPETIZER COMBO The combo is something they have only during Happy Hour. It came with 2 spring rolls, 3 bacon wrapped shrimp, and one sausage. The spring rolls were not spring rolls, they were vegetarian egg rolls. It just tasted like an undercooked filo dough with oil soaked cabbage. The bacon wrapped shrimp was served with dijon mustard was literally tasted like Honeybaked ham. We went with the Louisiana sausage which was overcooked and overseasoned. STEAMED MUSSELS My mother loves the steamed mussels at Fish Company, so when she saw this on the menu along with the description she was all for it. When the waitress brought it to her, she found hair in it. Later when they took it back to the kitchen and remade it, she took a sip of the broth, which is supposed to be an exquisite reduction of the sweet juice from the mussels, white wine, sherry, shallots, and a few other spices. This was beyond the blandest soup ever. It just tasted like water with a hit of garlic and oil. My mom was so dissapointed, now we know to only trust the Original Fish Company. HOUSE SALAD The salad was romaine lettuce, red NOT PURPLE onions, and avacados with a lemon vinaigrette. It was a huge helping of lettuce, but they were cut so big we had to cut the lettuce into smaller pieces. It had literally 5 cubes of avacado. The vinaigrette was not appealing, the olive oil was the good kind, but it was not balanced with the lemon and the vinegar. So for a dressing, there was only lemon juice. NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER My sister loves clam chowder, and this one was just alright. The cream based was way to thick and there were too many potatoes it almost seemed like cubed potatoes with gravy. PAN ROAST HOUSE This is supposed to be the most requested item on the menu. One reason I believe is what the Yelpers say. When I first saw the Pan Roasted House, in my mind flashed a pan with olive oil and shallots and some garlic browning along with the fresh seafood all PAN SEARED and then placed along the jasmine rice. Really what it is tomato soup with seafood. If you look at the kitchen in the center and watch them cook it. They take a scoop from the cream base pot and another from the tomato base pot and stir, add some olive oil and add the precooked seafood mix. THAT'S IT. They ask you for how spicy you want it, We got a 9 and it tasted like chunky Campbell's tomato condensed soup. My brother asked if they can make it hotter and the chef said oh I'll create a sauce that will take it up notch. He made the sauce, we tried it. It was not that spicy. Salsa is spicier than that. If we were going to compare to the scoville units of a pepper. The 9 that he made for us would be a belle pepper. And that extra sauce with that kick would be the equivalent to a jalepeno. This place was a disappointment, and we will not be returning.
(1)
Rex M.
When I first heard about this place from a friend with whom we were having dinner with at the Water Grill (yes Katomi), it sounded like a meat-fest type of place. Imagine my surprise. The free bread and fried tortilla chips were decent on their own. If you order the Pan Roast House dish, it compliments it very very well. That dish is a thick seafood sauce with noodles. Perfect for dipping bread in. Mmmmm. The dish I ended up ordering was the Cilantro Chicken and Sausage. You get your selection of spicy levels ranging from 1-10. I ordered a 7 and it wasn't nearly as hot as I thought. If I had to grade it, it would be less spicy as 7 dabs of Tabasco in a bowl of regular chicken soup. The chicken and sausage chunks were actually small bits so don't expect large pieces the size of quarters in diameter. More like half of the size of a penny. The soup base was decently flavorful (7/10). The service was very friendly and nice. That was a nice plus. Overall I'd give my dish a 6.5 out of 10 rating. Not too bad but a bit bland. I gave this 4 stars actually because of the Pan Roast House dish that my gf and my friends ordered. If you like a thick and chunky seafood sauce with Jasmine rice, then that would be the dish. I think it's their signature dish. The meal portion is actually fairly generous. Definitely worth going to especially on a cold and rainy night...
(4)
Chris S.
Pan roasted dishes are delicious. The portion is right (not huge but not too little). Was nice to see large chunks of lobster in my dish :). Flavor was great. I didn't care too much for jambalaya (not sure I spelled that right). Was really too salty for my taste. Gave it 4 stars cuz of the flavor, authenticity, and had good service.
(4)
Drew C.
Fourth time here and the service this time around was bad. Been in the service industry for 15 years and I can say this was very unattentive in regards to the greeting to the placement of food ordering . Now I'm not saying the food is not great cuz it totally is . But you goto a restaurant for the overall experience .
(1)
Katie W.
My fiance love, love, loves Cajun food, so when he found about this place it was a must-try for him. I'm not as partial to the flavorings, mostly because I don't really care for fish entrees other than shrimp, but I decided to give it a try this evening because I saw they had a shrimp po' boy on their menu and I dig a good po' boy! Sadly, once there, I found out that it is only on their LUNCH menu and we were there for dinner, so I was left to find something else in the seas of fish soups and oysters on the half shell swimming through their menu. We started with the bacon wrapped shrimp app. It was the best thing we had there. 5 hearty sized shrimp with cheese inside and thick cut bacon wrapped around. However, apparently they serve it with some fancy dipping sauce that we did not get on our's (and didn't know it was supposed to come with until about 20 mins. ago...JIP!!!). Still mourning the loss of my po' boy that never was, I decided on the jambalaya and my fiance was dying to try the gumbo. My jambalaya was better...everything I order is always better than what he orders...you'd think he'd learn to follow suit after 8 years!!! They "spice" their food on a scale of 1-10 and you're asked what you'd like. I got a 4 on the jambalaya because I was afraid, but after having it I'd def. bump it to a 5 or 6 if I got it again. The flavors were good, but I think for $17 they could have given more meat in it. 3 shrimps on top and a smattering of chicken and sausage...the sausage was so good that I was sad I barely got any. I felt like I was just eating red rice. So, that's my complaint. My fiance's thoughts on the gumbo was that it was "good, but didn't blow me away." He prefers the less-authentic, creamy, heart attack in a bowl gumbo of Disneyland. He would choose something different and probably not order it again. I thought it was a bit expensive for the ammt. of "real" food you got. The majority of their dishes are rice and $17 rice is a bit steep to me. Easily fixed problem if they were a little less stingy on the meat that goes with the rice. The ambiance of the place is pretty cool. I like how you can see all the steamer bowl things out in the open with the cooks. You can sit around them kinda like Bennihana's. I read a lot of reviews saying the service was terrible, but we had a great server...however, it was pretty dead when we went, I could see the service potentially being a problem I suppose. Their iced tea is really good as well which is good since their draft beer selection is terrible! Coors, Bud, Urine...it's all the same to me! Where's the Blue Moon and Shocktop!? My overall feeling is this: if my fiance wanted to go back, I'd go with him, but I, personally probably wouldn't ever suggest it again...I would perhaps like to go for lunch for my ever elusive po' boy.
(3)
Ilya K.
The House Pan Roast is totally awesome! I love this place. That's what I always get when I come here. At a spicy level 8-10 depending on when my GF wants to share some with me. She's a total weakling when it comes to spice. They also have other items that's not listed on the menu so make sure you ask the chef or the servers about them. The new chef, Chris, is great too. Ever since he started working there, I've enjoyed the restaurant a lot more. My GF usually gets their clam chowder. She seems to love it. She also enjoys the raw oysters there which I won't touch with a 10ft. pole. I recently brought a group of friends here cause I keep raving about the place. Two of them were Indians who love their spicy curry dishes. And they thoroughly enjoyed their orders here too. Extra SPICY and just like curry with a Cajun twist!!!
(5)
Sinclair T.
It was Monday. It was cold. It was rainy. And I was in the mood for some hearty soup action. Me and the family went to this restaurant. I read the reviews and I pass by this place alot when going to Baby's R Us so the curiosity was definitely there. I was afraid that it wasn't a kid friendly place but surprisingly enough it was and I have a 1 year old. Decor looks like a hip bar type setting and tables were not bolted to the ground so it makes for arranging your tables to accommodate a big group. On to the food.... We ordered steamed clams and it was very tasty. The sauce they came in was very good. I was debating on drinking it straight up but I didn't. Next time will be a different story. They served bread which tasted awesome with the Pan Roast & Gumbo my wife ordered. The Pan Roast rocks. I got a 3# for spiciness but realized I should have gotten a 5 for more of a kick. Shrimp,crab and Lobstering. I first look I thought ... "what this bowl of stew/soup is not going to fill me up". Needless to say it did fill me up and I had leftovers for the next day and yes it still tasted awesome the next day. My wife's gumbo tasted great as well. She couldn't finish it as well but happily ate it the next day. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Hanna H.
Our foodie group came here to try this place out and we drove 40 minutes out from SB area but I think it was worth the drive to try the yummy steam kettle southern cooking. There were 10 of us so I tried a little bit of everyone's and most of us thought the best dish was the Pan House Roast. The tomato based sauce is AMAZING. Salmon salad - get it hot, good light salad to go with the heavier gumbos Chicken gumbo - good flavors, had some peppers in it gave it a kick Chipotle chicken - I really liked the linguini and the sauce that went with it You can choose the spiciness from 1-10 with the average heat being a 5. I got a 6 and that was just a little bit TOO hot for my taste. I must have drank 4 full glasses of water. My friend who is Korean got the 10 because most American places don't make things as hot as Korean restaurants but dude, she was owned. The place had to give her extra broth to dilute it down afterwards. Some of us tried a few bites and turned BRIGHT RED and that started was the catalyst for the sweat parade. The restaurant itself is very clean and has a regular bar and some cool beers on tap (nautical nut). The coolest part was the bar where you can watch them cook each dish in an individual steam kettle in front of you. The service was great and everyone was SUPER friendly, even cracking jokes with us and stuff. Two flatscreens had the Lakers game on too so that was a nice bonus. I would recommend to anyone who loves seafood and good Cajun cooking.
(4)
Don S.
FOOD: My wife: C+, Me: C. We both ordered the Pan Roast which the chef recommended - for our taste, we feel it is only so so. Later in the evening after we left, my wife got a terrible upset stomach - was it from The Boiler? She feels yes it was. WE WILL NOT RETURN. We sat at the bar (food bar) and the chef talked with us which was nice, and he told us he came from Las Vegas to Southern California. We got there Wednesday eve at 5 pm when it opened - it had only 5 other customers by the time we left at 6:30 pm. CLAM CHOWDER - the chef gave us a free sample - it was also only average - I have had much better at chain restaurants. PRICE: Pan Roast - $20 range. SERVICE: B good. The waitress was very helpful and nice. PARKING: Loads of parking.
(3)
Josh And Jenn H.
Went here on a Saturday night expecting to wait like an hour, but we got in in 15 minutes. We were a little disappointed to have to sit at the bar but when we got there we loved it. The bar is circular and easy to see the rest of your party. Plus, you get to interact with your cook and watch them make your yummy dishes. Try to get chef Tony!! Okay lets get down to business: House Pan Roast- as many yelpers have already claimed the house pan roast is delicious. Clam Chowder- full of flavors!!! Must try! Diablo Shrimp- Great if you like shrimp and a more tomato based sauce. Raw Oysters- They are fatty and plump! Cajun Fries- spicy and crispy! Overall a little pricy but worth it, remember you don't have to finish it all in one sitting, take it home!!! FYI: My wife and I eat a lot of spicy Viet and Thai food and we had a spice level of 6/10. We found it mild and probably would have been comfortable with about an 8 or 9. They can go pass 10 if you want.
(5)
Samantha G.
Interesting concept, but I'm not that impressed with it, plus it seemed a little expensive to me. As a disclaimer, I should also probably note that seafood isn't one of my favorite types of cuisines. Some of my friends are crazy over this place and they say the one in Vegas is even better, but to me, it's just seafood, sauce, and rice/noodles. It tastes good, but it's nothing I'd have cravings for. Bottom Line: Give it a try just to see what the buzz is about. Maybe you'll be hooked too and you'll spend your whole paycheck eating here, or you won't and you'll just be about around $20.
(3)
Jimmy T.
Awesome Pan Roast! Who needs to go to Vegas? Well a good place and enjoyed the service and food.
(5)
Kyle Y.
Food: 5 Ambiance: 4 Service: 3 Food: If you like Cajun spices and seafood you will definitely like this place. I always get the House Pan Roast 7. 7 being the spicy factor (from 1 to 10). They do have other entrees on the menu such as gumbo, jambalaya and chiopino but if its your first time I strongly recommend that you try one of the Pan Roasts. Ambiance: Large bar style seating puts you right in the mix of the action. In many instances you will be sitting right in front of the chef cooking your food. Serice: The Chefs at the bar are friendly and hospitable. Waiting staff is average.
(4)
Andrew J.
be prepared to wait. it's not a bad thing because to cook everything fresh right in front of you. we waited for about half an hour. they offer you the degree of spiciness 1 through 10 when they take your order. I chose 8 but it wasn't hot enough for me since I like things spicy I asked them to make it 10.
(4)
Debbie A.
been here twice and tried the house pan roast. SOOO GOOOD!!! ive never had steam kettle cooking but i am a fan! plc can get packed and no reservations (boo!) so expect to wait if you go during peak times. if you catch a show at the pomona fox theatre, do yourself a favor and go here for dinner before. steves creole can suck it, this creole food rocks!!
OMG, the food here is outstanding! After reading yelp comments my bf and I went here and we were in heaven from the time we sat down at the boiler bar. First off, for the ladies they provide a hook on the partition that is in front of your knees for your purse. LOVED IT! Then they brought us some bread/crackers that looked boring, but tasted delicious. I ordered the shrimp Diablo at a spice 5 of 10 rating, my bf the house pan roast at a 3. We enjoyed watching our food being cooked, but enjoyed eating it more. Yum! I absolutely hate bell peppers, so it was lucky I got the Diablo, it had none. If I ever order something other than the diablo here, the chef said I can make a special request, but if it says trinity I would not get onions as well as the peppers, they are already mixed together. After dinner, our server mentioned hey had creme brulee. It was one of the best creme brulee's I have had. It turns out, the chef/owner makes it from scratch from his own recipe! No wonder it is better then I have ever had anywhere! I can't wait to go back! (we went back a couple weeks back, OMG just as good as the first time and we got to talk with the owner/chef, what a great guy!)
(5)
Jennifer S.
Wonderful clam chowder! I would go there just for a bowl of chowder. It's a nice fresh place to eat. The ambiance is unique as you're able to watch them cook your food in front of you. Servings are big, so be prepared to take some home or share with a friend (unless you're into huge portions). They let you choose exactly how spicy you'd like your food from a scale of 1-10. The chefs love to make conversation with those who sit at the bar where they cook the food. They're interesting individuals and keep the evening interesting.
(4)
Choy L.
A good friend of mine finally took me here for dinner last night after hearing him rave about it for the better part of a month.. Upon entering the place, you quickly realize you're in for a dining experience. whether it be a good one or bad we shall see.. First off, you are greeted by the bar area wherein they serve Arrogant Bastard (I'm liking this place already!) Then we were seated at this other bar area where they prepare and cook your meal in front of you. (always a fun thing) makes you feel you're eating in the kitchen! The head chef comes over to us and after my friend tells him its my first time here, proceeds to explain to me how everything is cooked with steam, and how asking him if he's a "laker fan" will result in snot in your food.. (kidding about that last part.. its actually a ghost pepper and you'll provide your own snot.. ) The food arrives, and for tonight we chose a classic favorite of mine, Ciopino. and their house pan roast. The Ciopino was a little different than what i'm used to but delicious still. the pan roast on the other hand was absolutely scrumptious! definitely try this one when you come here. all that cheesy goodness will surely make you forget you're in Chino. LOL.. I definitely recommend this place. nice gastropub feel, arrogant bastard on tap, and yummy food. The one thing that kept me from giving that 5th star is that the servers were a bit slow in getting us pretty much anything, hopefully it's an isolated case of having an "off night". I will certainly give the broiler a second, third and nth chance..
(4)
Melinda A.
There's definitely a lot of hype around this place, but in my opinion it just didn't meet up. We had a young, female server who was very nice. However, when she was trying to make recommendations for us to order, she didn't exactly help. All she kept saying was "Oh yeah, this is good. Yeah, this one is really good too. Oh, yes that one is good." I think she just went down the whole entire menu stating that everything was "good". Anyways, I thanked her and we ordered: 1. Oysters Rockefeller (half dozen)- This dish was really good. There wasn't a disgusting seafood flavor that I get with a lot of other oysters. The crispiness on the top really complimented the creamy hollandaise sauce. 2. Caesar's Salad + Clam Chowder Combination- The Caesar's Salad is just your typical salad. I thought it was really salty for some reason. Also, the clam chowder was super salty as well. We couldn't even finish half of it. 3. House Pan Roast- My grandpa really liked this. He got a spice level 5 and he said it wasn't as salty as the other ones. There was a ton of seafood in it and he finished it until the last drop. 4. Fisherman's Chowder- This dish was literally loaded with a ton of seafood. It had a seafoody taste to it and got very heavy. My brother got it at a spice level 4 and he thought it was okay. He said he'd like it at a spice level 3 next time though. 5. Chicken and Sausage Pan Roast (rice on side)- I think they should give more rice because this dish was really salty. It was thick and creamy. I got it at a spice level 8 and it was enough to make my nose runny. Btw, this isn't on the menu and I specially requested for them to change the seafood to meat. I think they overcharged me though! 6. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp- The bacon outside was just the perfect about of crunch and the shrimp wasn't lacking in any meat. Overall, I think this restaurant is a little too salty for my palette. I think you could get some of the items here better at Souplantation. My grandpa loved it, since he's a seafood lover. The others didn't enjoy it at all. I don't think we would come out of our way to visit this restaurant again. We probably have to though because my grandpa loved it to death. It was a new experience and if you're around the area you should give it a try.
(3)
Jean K.
my favorite single meal of... pretty much all time. seafood-y, spicy, brothy. gotta have crab pan roast
(5)
Helen C.
I'm still a fan. Still loved the CRAB PAN ROAST! Came here for my husband's birthday and he ordered the shrimp diablo. It was bleh... he practically ate all my pan roast... Trust me.. order the pan roast! We also had the calamari.. It was ok... One thing I noticed that the butter was room temp.... and I loved it... Can't wait to come back!
(4)
Robert E.
We have been here several times and now that one of the owners has left it has gone to sh***. The service was horrible and our server even argued with a few of us. They forgot to give us bread and drinks. They were busy and very short staffed. We will think twice about going back. A birthday dinner should have been better!!! Sad they had a good thing going.
(1)
Nico G.
I love this place! I came here for the 2nd time a couple of weeks ago. Some friends took me here for my birthday. I had the pan roast both times and enjoyed it verymuch both times. I also got the bacon wrapped shrimp, which are really good as well. Definitely give this place a try, it beats any of the chain restaurants if your looking for Cajun or sea food food!!!
(4)
bruce H.
AMERICAN HOT POT complete different and unnecessarily complicated but good none the less. Eat here fast because its probably gonna go out of business because of the crappy location. To the owners, move to the mall down the street there is a place called RA sushi buy it out and put your store there. re: RA SUSHI. If I were Japanese would protest your restaurant daily for the abomination that they put fish and rice through in the name of sushi. PROS Great friendly service Portions are large Great in cold weather CONS Located in a brand new deserted shoping complex next to a LOWES and Babies R' Us (gross). Nothing else to do around unless you have a baby or need to buy lumber. The place is clean and brand new. They cook the food right in front of you in mini steam kettles. (Why this is done i have no idea) Steam imparts nothing but heat to the dish. All the sauces are preprepared and portions are pre cut. Imagine a SUBWAY except the food was good. Bread were warm and fresh. Rice was not mushy. Stews were tasty. We had the house roast which is a cream, butter, tomato sauce based seafood stew with rice, and the jambalaya with rice. Spicy levels are to your choosing 5 is pretty good 7 a little too spicy for me. Flavors were bright and rich and the seafood was well cooked. if you are a fan of chowders and stews than this will hit the spot. The place is much better than any of the chains in the area. What i would change is serve rice on the side and maybe add more meat choices or give us control of the steam kettles hahahahahaha... Definitely will be back to try the other flavors..... When the weather starts to get cold this is a great choice fro dinner.
(4)
Marie N.
After reading all the rave reviews about the Oyster Bar in Vegas, I was pretty bummed out not knowing when my next visit to vegas would be; so that I can try out thier famous pan roasts.. Surprisingly enough, I found that the founders of the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, opened a restaraunt right in the heart of home, and served the exact same food! I was so ecstatic to try it out that I rushed my bf home from work so that we could check out some good ole' cajun food! We decided to sit at the bar, so that we can see our food being prepared right before our eyes..The food was cooked in a kettle steamer, so that they could all be cooked evenly..I chose the pan roast which consisted of a spicy tomatoe cream sauce with lobster,oyster,crab,shrimp sitting on a bed of rice..My bf had the jambalaya..Both dishes were AMAZING! They were so hearty and filling; that it would be something great to eat on a cold winter's day..We also had a dozen of thier Blue Point half shell oysters, and every succulent slurp was like butter running down my mouth, lols! Some people who came into the restaurant left, because they dont have a liqour license yet..I was like are you serious? You're gonna leave just because you can't have alochol with your food? What a bunch of alcoholics!!! Well, they missed out on some bomb-ass food! Sucks for them =(.. Be sure to check this place out..Its in a pretty new plaza, so I heard that business is still pretty slow for them, but its a must try! Trust meee!!! =)
(5)
Ryan F.
My Recommendations: Any Pan Roast - Ask for linguine instead of the jasmine rice! You will leave more satisfied that you had experienced an excellent pasta dish. Seafood Gumbo - Best I've been able to discover in Southern California. Clam Chowder - Rich and creamy. Get a small serving! Cioppino - Out of this world. Get only a level 5 spiciness. 7+ and you will regret it!
(5)
Lisa n.
If you've been to vegas and ate at any of the oyster bar. This place is better and closer if you're located in socal. My favorite place to go to after coming back from snowboarding from Big Bear. Food: Their calamari was good, nothing too special. Maybe it's because I'm not a calamari fan, but overall it was pretty decent. The bacon wrapped shrimp tasted fried instead of baked, i'm not quite sure but it was delicious especially with the sauce they drizzle over it. My must have appetizer when I come here is a cup of their new england clam chowder. mMm the best clam chowder I've tasted so far. I tend to always come here on Sunday night so it's happy hour time for appetizer and drinks. I recommend all the new-comers to try the HOUSE PAN ROAST first. Tastes like a creamy spicy tomato roux and It has white fish, shrimps lobsters, and clams (i believe). They serve it over rice, but I prefer pasta instead. The spice level is from 1-10 with 1 being mild. I choose 7 for everything because 5 isn't really a medium. For those returning who'd like to try something different. Their gumbo isn't the best gumbo I've tasted, but probably the best gumbo you'll get around southern california Go light on the spice level on this one because this one does have a lot of pepper in it to begin with. My cousin had the etoufee and he's absolutely in love with it. Instead of the tomato creamy flavor it's more of a spicy seafood roux and contains shrimp, sausage, and crawfish served with rice. Decor: It has a nice feel to it. It's like a modern look to it. But the best seats are the counter seats. The bathrooms are a bit small, but the restaurant itself isn't too big. I would say they could probably seat 65 people. There's a second bar for drinks, but their drink selections aren't that big. Service: It's an interactive type restaurant if you sit at the counter. The chefs are funny especially Chris. The waitresses are on top of their game. If it gets busy they might not check up on you as often, but if you ask any of the waitresses for anything they won't hesitate to get it for you. Overall, friendly staff makes a better experience. The food does take a bit of time to cook. So if you're starving and want food to come out in a few seconds, this place isn't the right place for you. Compared to Oyster Bar in Vegas. The flavors aren't as bold (in a good way). The wait isn't ridiculous, but you might have to wait like 30 minutes if you're caught in the rushes. The staff in Vegas are a bit more interactive with the customer, but they're dealing with 16 customers instead of 65.
(5)
Sam C.
The dining room has mostly bar seating around a very clean open kitchen and a couple of small tables along the windows. There was only one large table, so this is not a place for large groups. The calamari and fried soft shell crab was delicious and fried to perfection. Their batter was fluffy and crispy, but not too hard. Ordered a couple of their main entrees to share: Bouillabaisse, Gumbo, Pan Roast House , Linguini with Clams . The Linguini with Clams was delicious, but also had a spicy Cajun kick to it. For the rest of the entrees, they were mostly seafoods in a creamy broth with rice. The waitress will ask you what spicy level you'd like for each entree (between 1 and 10). We ordered the same level for all dishes but some of them came out more spicy than the others. Of all the entrees, I enjoyed the Pan Roast House and Bouillabaisse most, because the Gumbo was a bit too salty.
(4)
Herm G.
The bowl will mislead you to think it's a small portion. But at the end of the meal...you will be full. Mostly seafood stuff...with minimal non-seafood dishes.
(4)
Dan M.
I tried The Boiler for the first time last night. I was at Lowe's picking some things up and decided to try them out with a to-go order. I'd noticed The Boiler before while I was in the area, but didn't know what type of food they served. When I looked them up on Yelp and saw that they served cajun/creole food I was in! I had the house pan roast, which is a spicy tomato based sauce with trinity, shrimp, lobster, clams, and rice. They ask you how spicy you want it, from 1-10 when you order. I opted for 5, and let me tell you, the food was pretty spicy. The pan roast was delicious, and I'll definitely be heading back soon with the family. The service was very good, and all of the employees were very friendly.
(5)
Vivian L.
Sit at counter bar and see the cooker cooks ur meal. I think it's fun and I had awesome experience here. The food is great too. Must try.
(5)
Dan L.
Seriously, when I first saw this place, I wasn't expecting much. The name sort of threw me off, but holy cats! Once I got in and sat down, this place changed my life! My buddy Nathan took my wife and I there, and my wallet will never forgive him, we've gone there 3 times already and are taking some friends there tonight! Suggestions? The House Pan Roast is the bomb dot com! The other thing that impressed me was the level of service and attention to detail ... the staff is wonderful, attentive (but not hovering) and very friendly ... feels like you are over at a friends house for dinner. I cannot recommend this place enough ... oh, and make sure you get the creme brulee for dessert. This place is totally worth every penny and you will not leave hungry!
(5)
Faye P.
Amazing food. Share though, they're totally cool with it. I can see how if each person got a meal it'd be spendy but the portions are gigantic. Sit at the bar. They remember you every time. Fantastic management. Try everything. You can't go wrong!
(5)
May C.
No one mentioned the extended long wait! Although I expected the wait for a table on a Saturday night, I didn't quite expect the long wait for our food to be prepared. It took pretty much an hour for our food to come to the table after ordering. I had House Pan Roast and my hubby had Gumbo. I'm not a fan of tomato-based dishes, but I have to say Pan Roast rocks. Even though I will say the Pan Roast may worth the wait, I won't come back to the Boiler on a weekend night. Hence, the 3 stars...
(3)
C W.
There is normally always a wait here. My favorites are the jambalya and pan roast. Kinda pricey but always get good service. Well priced for the amount and quality of the seafood.
(4)
Ria P.
LOVE this place! The pan roasts are amazing...I made the mistake of ordering my Gumbo really spicy and I wasn't able to enjoy it. The management is great and the staff is really friendly. I love the appetizer sampler that they have during happy hour..their sausages are amazing. It's kind of pricey but its worth it every now and then. If you like spicy, this is a good place to go. It's never too crowded. Try going during happy hour..they have great deals. It may not look like a lot of food at first but I never finish it! Great place.
(4)
John G.
Wandered into this place one night, it's in a lonely location across the parking lot from Lucille's in Chino, was pleasantly surprised with the results. The setting is cool if you can get a seat at the bar where they actually make the food, you can chat with the chef and sometimes get a taste of something you didn't order but might want to next time. I usually (always) get the house pan roast because the flavor is amazing, and some of the other things I tried just seemed lacking. You can choose a spice level from 0-10, so all pallets are welcome. The one drawback I've had is that they never seem to have the sauce to make the Oysters Rockefeller, and I've been here several times, don't know what that's about. I also heard that recently the owner/chef who inspired the whole restaurant has left the company and is somewhere else, so I'm not sure what the current situation is, but any monkey with a recipe can probably duplicate most of the dishes so I'd still check it out
(4)
Maria B.
Have returned here many times since my first review and have fallen in love with the crab pan roast (without trinity, spice level 3). My husband is hooked on the Bouillabaisse (spice level 5). The flavors are fantastic and the chefs and staff are all so nice. Have even been lucky in grabbing a table rather than bar seating when we get there early enough. Excellent food and especially perfect on a cold day.
(4)
Steve C.
i heard about this place when i was waiting in line for the oyster bar in vegas. it's basically the same thing but just not as good. doesn't mean you shouldn't try this place out. it's definitely worth a try. if you have had the oyster bar before then this would satisfy your fix without having to drive all the way to vegas. pan roasts are solid. i personally recommend the lobster one. add some andouille and it's just great. everything here is almost as good as the oyster bar. service is actually better as they have more wait staff. i recommend the lobster pan roast because i don't really care for the shrimp. it's overcooked and chewy each time i've had it. never had this issue at the oyster bar. etouffee is decent. new orleans does it better (obviously) but this is good enough. clam chowder here is decent. probably one of the better ones i've had outside of san francisco. this place is definitely worth a try. i try to go when i can. It's about 30 minutes away but it's worth the drive. you will get a meal that will give you that nice warm feeling inside after you're done.
(4)
Jen T.
My brother brought me here after being a huge fan of the pan roast house in Vegas and we love this place sooo much my cousin and I went back the next day. The chef And owner was talking to us and they were really friendly. I've only had the Pan roast but I don't think I want to try anything else it's so good...
(5)
Sal P.
This place is awesome!! There is no other place like it. The flavor is rich and amazing. Try the House Pan Roast and the clam chowder soup.
(5)
suzee h.
I love this place! It is so yummy :) I only went there once, but I can't wait to go back to my hometown when semester is over! I don't remember what I ordered, it is something with shrimps and linguine? So sorry that I can't remember the name of what I ordered! But it was so delicious. I love the soup, there is a big flavor that is hard to describe. Also, it's creamy that I just want to drink it! :) This place serves warm bread and you can dunk those pieces of bread into this soup :) Next time, I am ordering House Pan Roast! My boyfriend ordered it and it was so GOOD! Although, it has the level of spiciness. I am not a fan of spicy food. I ordered the number one, but my order is still spicy! Still, I really enjoyed my meal. The service is really great :) The waitress checked up on us often to make sure if we are satisfied with our food. Try to sit on the bar and watch the chef cooking front of you! :)
(5)
Crystal L.
I wanted to check this place out due to all the reviews on yelp. Went on a Friday night and surprisingly there was no wait. My bf and I sat at the counter and we could see there was a lot going on. We ordered the house pan roast which was amazing and the soft shell crab and bacon wrapped shrimp as appetizers. Appetizers were nothing special and actually quite "tiny". Skip them. I rate only three stars because the service was not the greatest. They gave my pan roast to the couple next to us by accident and didn't even bother to apologize to me. Rather they apologized to the couple they gave it too and offered to make them a new one. So I was stuck having to wait longer for my food while my bf's food was sitting in front of us getting cold. Plus there is a lot of screaming back and forth going on with the staff. Our waitress looked like she hated her job.
(3)
Wendy Y.
This is absolutely over rated, they have ran out of oysters on a saturday 7pm reservations, how can that be? The pan roast and the gumbo was way over priced. This is almost the same feeling as the the oyster bar at palace station. However, palace station is way better than this!!!
(2)
Shelley C.
Must try is the shrimp diablo! If you can take spicy hot, then this is the place to go.
(4)
Richard B.
Enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a small and enjoyable restaurant. I arrived with a group of 5 people. While this place is not large it is able to accomadate groups. During the time that we were waiting for the table we enjoyed a couple of the beers they had on tap. The hostess kept us updated on our table as it took a little longer then expected due to the amount of people eating there that night. Once we had our table the wait staff was attentive and answered our questions regarding the menu with detail. These servers know the menu. Our appetizer arrived and we enjoyed a simple dish of Cajun Fries. The portion was generous, especially for the price. When our food arrived it was large enough portions to enjoy but not feel hungry if you finished it. Needless to say we all took left overs home. the flavor was balanced and very enjoyable. Our next visit will be seated at the bar so we can watch them cook our food when we order it. I definitely will visit this palce many times over if the service and food stays to this level. It was worth every dollar spent.
(4)
Mo F.
I went here last night.... Reading such great reviews from the follow Yelpers I had high expectations. I have never been to the oyster bar so I really had nothing to compare it to - other then previous experiences with Creole/Cajun foods and my numerous trips to Louisiana. We ordered the Pan Roast, Jambalaya, and my daughter had the chicken nuggets. I like it spicy so I went with the Pan Roast at "8". I did not think it was very spicy. However, I do think the spice factor depends on the dish. The Jambalaya was a "4" and my group thought that was very spicy. So guess it depends. I rated the overall score a 3 because I was shocked about the "Soup" theme and I thought the food was a Creole/Asian Fusion more then Creole/Cajun. Overall, I still think the food was good. The next time I return I will have my mind in the right frame "Creole/Cajun Fusion - Soup Theme" I am sure I will go back and rate higher the next time. Pro's - Local - Food was good "but remember SOUP is the theme for many dishes" - Food very rich and flavorful - Great place for groups Con's - Not kid friendly. My recommendation DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILDREN. - In the PAN Roast I think the steam sometime takes away the texture and flavor of some of the seafood. At times I was not able to determine what I was eating other then the SHRIMP because all the rest of the seafood just kinda melted away in your mouth with a steamed flavor and no real texture. - Long waits and no reservations.
(3)
Aaron F.
Definately has the potential of 5 stars. It is obvious that they listen to us yelpers. Their ingredient portion has been increased significantly, and there is no longer and AC problem. They also give 10% to yelpers. The clam chowder was absolutely amazing, its one of the best I've had. Go for the cup though, coz we shared a bowl and we still couldnt finish it. The pan roast is very delicious and very addicting too. I'll be coming back again pretty soon. Cause I'm craving for it already! And yes a lil bit more rice wouldnt help, as well as a few more TV's, and a more efficient staff, this place would be perfect!!!
(4)
Sing T.
Went here to eat with the wife and some friends. This cajun place is pretty good. Had the House Pan Roast. The Pan Roast was like a gumbo type dish that has shrimp, lobster, crabs and creol spices and a scoop of rice. It was very delicious and it was made right in front of us. The service was pretty good. Everyone was very nice and it was kind of neat to talk to the chef and make small talk with them. They even let us sample what a 13 scale spiciness taste like. Would go back again to try the other different foods they have. It is a lot better than some cajun food i had in the past.
(4)
ANGIE R.
Eh, it was just okay. My friends raved about it so much we made the drive to IE to try it out. Not sure if it was because the change of owner or not, I was not impressed. I got the pan roast which was heavy and salty...and not much seafood. The serving size was large, I could barely eat half of it. Hubby got the gumbo which he liked it okay, but I didn't. The service wasn't attentive, I had to wave my arms a few times to get some attention (like getting the bill!). I don't think I'll return again.
(3)
Sophia H.
So I finally had a chance to try out the food at the Boiler last night with two other couples. We started off with oysters on the half shell and calamari, which were both exceptional. The clam chowder was good and tasty, but a bit too thick (gravy-like). However, the highlight of our dinner was definitely the house pan roast. My friend suggested we add sausage to the roast, which was a fabulous idea. I feel the pan roast was very comparable to the Palace Station Oyster Bar. I brought leftovers home and I can't wait to eat the roast for lunch. :) Furthermore, the staff was also very friendly and attentive. This is a new restaurant and some of their staff are still in training, so you just have to be patient with them for now until they work out all the kinks of a new restaurant. But rest assure that the food is definitely worth the wait. It's always a nice personal touch when you get the General Manager (Jackson) and Executive Chef (Ritter) visiting our table and making sure we're satisfied...which we were! I definitely recommend this to everyone who enjoys cajun/creole cuisine. It's very rare to find this type of cuisine in SoCal, so I"m glad we found out about The Boiler. We're hoping they expand closer to Irvine/Newport area. In the meantime, we're already looking forward to our next visit.
(5)
M L.
Let me first start with the fact that I love their food here. It's delicious, hearty, and worth the money. BUT I had to write a review based on the service today. We were a party of six, and were seated right away and given the lunch menu. We ordered our appetizers, we were served rather quickly, then ate our appetizers...during which time our waitress never came back for our food orders. We ordered from the lunch and regular menu, and the waitress came back and told us that she had "lost track of time" and the lunch menu was no longer served. It ended even before the time of our arrival! Needless to say, I was really disappointed with our experience here today.
(3)
Mustafa J.
Yuuuuum. This place is amazing! They have a very casual dinning room with two "bars." One is the traditional bar with social lubricants and the other is actually where the kettles which cook your food are. We came for lunch and the waiter asked if we wanted to sit at the bar. It was empty and to me "sitting at the bar" is what you do when you cant get a table or are going to enjoy a few drinks. I declined his offer... I wish I hadn't. Next time I am sitting at the bar! The chicken gumbo was delicious and hearty! Full of flavor and just the right spice level (5 of 10). I might get bold next time and try the level 8! The jumbalaya(sp?) was great. Forgot that fellow yelpers had recommended the Pan Roast... oh well, a great excuse to go back! A great change of pace from the other restaurants in the area. The location worries me, I hope they get enough exposure!
(4)
Chris B.
Cajun fries must try (different take on what normally fries would be).. Had there jalapeno poppers which had the thickest and crunchiest batter I ever had (pure awesome). I ordered the "gumbo" which included HUGE pieces of shrimp, fish, sausage, okra and other shiznits I don't know about. Full robust flavor, wonderful aromatics and everything u would want @ a really really good bayou restaurant except its in Chino Hills. NO 5 stars cigar because... Service really really I mean really slow. I suggest go during lunch time (before 3 pm) because come dinner time, the prices jump like $5 or 6 dollars.. on the flip side, if you get there between 4-6 (dinner time) Happy hour and get your brewski (bottle) for $2.50..
(4)
Leda T.
I had only heard of this place after been to oyster bar of palace station in Vegas. I love the combination pan roast there and had to try first hand if the pan roast from the boiler would be the same or even attempt to come close. I ordered the house pan roast, which is a creamy seafood bisque that contains shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams and I must admit it was just as good as the combination pan roast from oyster bar in Vegas! I actually don't recall the pan roast at oyster bar having clams in it, but I could be mistaken. And I personally think that the pan roast from the boiler is meatier! The chef here did a great job! As for the venue itself half of the place is a bar counter and the other half is regular seating area; so for large parties where you want to all sit together I would advise you to call ahead of time for reservations. Also they close at 9pm but kitchen stops taking orders by 830 so just keep this in mind if you are planning for a late dinner. Although I still absolutely love oyster bar I am so happy to know that I can easily satisfy my pan roast craving without having to travel all the way to Vegas!
(4)
Bridget P.
The unique method of cooking the meal is the reason to sit at the bar. We have been there 3 times in three weeks. The menu is Cajun Creole and you tell them the level of spice that you want. We want to bring many more friends with to keep this caliber restaurant here in the Inland Empire!
(5)
Laura M.
The oysters were great. The service, not so much. We tried to order Cajun fries when we went around noon. The blonde waitress said they "sold out", yet a few people came in a little after us and someone magically ended up with some Cajun fries. Hmmmm. Guy behind the bar was nice, waitress seemed careless and slow. Gumbo was okay. Shrimp Diablo tasted like a can of tomato sauce. Not sure if I would come back.
(3)
Chad R.
Food is great, staff is great, atmosphere is great! Love sitting at the bar and chatting with the cooks. They all have amazing personalities..... A must!
(5)
Kay K.
I'm glad their food didn't disappoint since I read some of the bad reviews from yelp before heading there. Tired the clam chowder and it was amazing. It's obvious that they had upped the seafood portion in their pan roast, and it was very delicious. It has the potential to earn my solid 5 stars. Here's why they only got 3 from me so far: The oysters on half shelves were GROSS, they were soggy and tasteless. I agree with some of you on the stingy portion of rice. If I'm paying almost $20 for the pan roast, there should be enough rice to pair with the deliciousness. The waitress was really sweet, but extremely slow and unfocused. It took her 3 trips to pack up my leftovers, and at one point she didn't know whether she had tossed my food by mistake. All of which took nearly 15min, when I would've been out the door if she simply brought me the containers. They need to either train their wait staff better to finish one task before starting on another, or simply hire more people. And please, get fresh oysters for the love of food!
(3)
Brian T.
When my wife and I first saw this place, we were not sure what "steam kettle cooking" was. We were thinking "The Boiler" was like Irish or English boiled food - yuck. Well we were very wrong. We picked up a menu the other day, and saw the theme of Cajun/Creole cooking. We decided to try it on a Saturday night, and we were very pleased. The wait staff and manager were very friendly and helpful. Making suggestions, asking where we heard about them (we did tell them we read some good reviews on Yelp, they seem to read it too). My wife had the clam chowder and I had the chipotle fish chowder. I tried the clam chowder and it was amazing. The clams were nice and tender, not rubbery like you sometimes get. The flavor was rich and creamy, and not filled with potatoes - but a good rich soup. If you like spicy the chipotle fish chowder is very good as well (although next time I think I'll go for the clam chowder). We then had come of the Cajun calamari, also very good, not too spicy, but a nice peppery crust on it. For dinner I had the jambalaya and my wife had the house pan roast. The jambalaya was excellent, nice smoky andoulie sausage, juicy shrimp, and a tasty sauce. I was very happy. It does come out quite hot, so be careful. My wife really enjoyed the pan roast, I wasn't crazy about the sauce, but tomato cream sauces aren't my thing. She very much enjoyed it. We left very satisfied and very full. (maybe the Cajun calamari was a little too much). The good thing is that we have leftovers for lunch today! Don't let the name fool you it is definitely worth a visit.
(5)
P L.
Been here twice now and tried the following: house pan roast - like everyone says, excellent. level 5 is spicy enough without overpowering the seafood flavor. this really fills you up because the bowl is pretty deep and the soup is very rich (probably lots of butter in it). boullabaise - also very good, in a lighter soup base than the pan roast. clam pasta - very good - lots of clam flavor. Their appetizers were mildly disappointing: raw oysters - not very fresh. maybe it was an off night but I won't be trying this again. soft shell crab - ok taste but tiny portion a combo appetizer plate - i think it had sausage and bacon wrapped something - I can't remember exactly what it had because the taste was so bland. I haven't tried their cajun calamari yet, but so far I am not impressed with their appetizers, but the main dishes are such winners that I'm still giving 5 stars. Can't wait to go back. I wish the owner would open a location in Rancho Cucamonga rather than Irvine. Everyone neglects the inland empire!
(5)
K L.
The food was authentic but the price did not justify. My Wife and I had the clam chowder, seafood raw plate and the house pot. We had water to drink and it cost $50. The chowder was very salty that we have to add water into it. The seafood plate was flesh with clams, gulf coast oysters, shrimps and crab legs but it cost $18 with just two of each items. The only seafood you can find in the house pot was shrimps... which does not match the descriptions of lobsters, crabs...etc. I can definitely make the house pot at home with simple trinity (carrot, onions and green pepper) with tomato base and cream... so I really don't think I will go back again.
(3)
helen s.
After looking at all these great reviews from yelp, i had to go and check it out myself and had a great experience. My friend and i met up for dinner and were greeted by a really friendly hostess and immediately seated. Our waitress (also very friendly) took our drink orders and gave us some recommendations on what to order. We decided to go with a Clam Chowder (bowl) and a House Pan Roast (spicy level 10) because we could probably split it and be satisfied. She started us out with some bread & butter as we waited for our food. WOW, the food was really good! The clam chowder was full of flavor, thick, and creamy! YUM. The House Pan Roast had a bit of a spicy kick to it but not too much to take away from the flavor. I've never had anything like this before so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but trust me, it was GOOD!. During our dinner, the chef/owner comes out to greet us and see how our dinner was. He is so nice and talked to us about how he moved over from the Oyster Bar in Vegas. He also mentioned that the dessert was Creme Brulee... Right when he mentioned this, I knew I had to order that so we did and wiped that dessert clean. Next time, I will be back because I am eager to try other stuff on the menu!
(5)
Bruce C.
Our first visit last night. Ambiance:Comfortable clean, friendly atmosphere. The owner and the servers all seemed intent on ensuring a good time. Sit at the bar if you can - your meal is prepared right before you. Food: We've been to New Orleans on several occasions. The Jambalaya and Gumbo were as good as any we've had. Spice to 4-5 was enough. Quantity was ample. Apparently, according to the couple next to us, he Pan Roasts are the star of the show. Next time. The owner (wisely) provided a sample of Clam Chowder which was excellent. I will order a full bowl the next time. I really want this restaurant to succeed but it needs to be in a better location. That shopping center is not well traveled.
(5)
Miharu N.
MUST GO!! If you are like me don't like American food, you MUST try The Boiler. It will totally change your mind!! Being in the U.S. for more than 15 years and I am still not used to those plain, greasy, and fatty American food. 2 weeks ago my husband and I got a chance to come to The Boiler with my relatives, who know I don't do American food well (or shall we say, I don't eat American food). We ordered the clam chowder, calamari sandwich, pan roast house (spicy #5), chicken jambalaya (spicy #7), and something else. OMG!! I love the clam chowder and the pan roast house!! The clam chowder is a bit salty but you can find a lot of clams in the soup (A Plus). The pan roast house, how should I say, is just so wonderful!! There were 5 of us and we were all fighting for it. Ritter was so nice. We had a great time chatting with him and of course we got a sample of clam chowder even though we ordered 2 big bowl size. :) We don't live that close to Chino Hills (2 hours driving) but we are going back to The Boiler for dinner tonight!! Calamari, clam chowder, and pan roast house, here we come!! *^__^*
(5)
Julie S.
This place was great. You walk in and it's very clean, modern and welcoming. Me and my bf sat at the bar and watched the Chef prepare all the meals. You get warm break and crackers at the beginning- you may want to ask for more bread to dip it in your sauce. I ordered the house roast which really did remind me of New Orleans. The waitress asks how spicy you want the food on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the hottest) and so I got the 5 which was perfect. It had a kick but wasn't too hot. I had SO much seafood in my meal and it was just a perfect blend of pasta and seafood. My sauce was thicker and a pinkish color- delicious. My boyfriend got the clams with linguini. He also had plenty of clams and pasta in a more clear broth vs a thick sauce like mine. He got his food very spicy (7 out of 10) and really enjoyed his meal. This place was very authentic and had an awesome vibe. The reason I didnt give it a 5 was because they only had 1 waitress so it was pretty hard to get her attention or any refills on drinks- otherwise, this place is a winner!
(4)
James S.
Great place to try something new. The restaurant is very quaint with a great atmosphere for being in a brand new shopping center. The service was wonderful and the entire staff made us feel welcome. It took me a moment to get over the fact that they haven't yet received their liquor license. "Any day now" is what we were told. We started with 2 dozen oysters on a half shell, which were very fresh tasting and yummy. Next, I had the recommended House Pan Roast which was definitely a taste I've never experienced. Very rich and flavorful. During the first half of the bowl, I was thinking that I'd be back once a week. Towards the end of the bowl, the sauce's flavor was a little strong for me to finish. 2 others in our group of 7 had the same, 3 had the jambalaya, and my wife had the linguine with clams. Everyone, but one in the group agreed that the entrees were delicious at first but were a little too rich to finish. The one exception sponged the remains of his House Pan Roast with the last piece of bread. I'm pretty sure he could have finished another serving. After dinner, we enjoyed great conversation and even better creme brulee. The owner/chef came out to greet us and explained that his desserts are all hand made from scratch. The best creme brulee I've ever had. Perfect. Even with the absence of alcohol, we stayed another 20 minutes just talking and enjoying the atmosphere. I highly recommend this place. Although I mentioned that the sauce is rich, it's probably perfect when accompanied with a few beers. Oh yeah, if you like spicy, choose 10 on the spice chart. A 10 was promised to cause a runny nose and constant sweating, but seemed rather mild for a group of Asians. It had a kick that crept slowly, but definitely not like the red sauce at King Taco.
(4)
Gail H.
Great food and great service.
(5)
Stanley L.
Probably the best gumbo I've had(besides my dad's) if you come here it's a must try. Be sure to get there early, call ahead, or...be prepared to wait around 2 hours before you can get a table
(5)
Vivian M.
Went here the other day and it's only gotten better! ^_^ I'm so glad business is hoppin'. House Pan Roast was perfect! Gumbo was perfect! Oysters were delicious! Happy hour is cool with cheap appetizers! I love being able to try something new, especially when it doesn't cost a fortune, just in case I don't like it. ^_~ They were all good, two different kinds of sausage with neat dipping sauces, and the calamari was made from crazy 1" thick Humbolt squid! I don't know if Chef Ritter went out to catch it himself or not, but it was SUPER fresh! :d The waitresses need to step up their game. Maybe they need to stop worrying about who's table is who's and concentrate on checking on their customers. Good thing great food always overshadows mediocre service in my book! ^_^
(5)
Laura H.
This place is fun, good environment and wonderful food! I tried the bacon wrapped shrimp (I don't even like bacon) and it was amazing. I ordered the jambayla and it was sooo good! I am a big creole fan and have been looking around for good places to eat but all have failed. The boiler definitely met my expectations! I will be going back on a monthly basis now! Thank you for the great food and the great conversation (with owner/chef)!
(5)
Jamshed K.
Amazing!! The Pan Roast is excellent and so are the oysters...I wouldnt pay the $1 more for the 'better' oysters. The calamari is good but not great. Great service and A+ experience :)
(5)
Karthika M.
My husband and I tried the food last night, and we loved it. I had the House Pan Roast with a spiciness level of 6. I'm not faint of heart when it comes to spicy food, but this was very hot for me. I will go for a 5 or 4 next time. My husband had the Chicken Caesar Salad and a bowl of Clam Chowder. The Pan Roast was flavorful and full of yumminess and the clam chowder was one of the best I've ever tasted. It sounds like this restaurant did listen to yelpers as I did not feel they skimped on the amount of seafood or rice in the Pan Roast. The food we had was very rich. If you are watching your calorie intake, I estimate that the Pan Roast has about 11,000 calories in it. LOL. It was oh so delicious, but I wish it was less expensive and came in a smaller portion. I could not finish it and paid dearly for it later, if you catch my drift! We had the creme brulee for dessert, which was also very good. The main reason this place did not get 5 stars was that the owner of the restaurant was running around the place trying to attend to everyone even though there was a full wait staff. He was very nice and clearly cared that we enjoyed our meal, but he was making us nervous with all the scurrying and checking up on us when we already had a waitress who was doing a fine job. I noticed that he was mopping the floor and asking the wait staff if they needed help. This was distracting, especially since the restaurant is fairly small. Perhaps this was because of other negative reviews I've seen here about the wait staff, but the only thing more annoying than an inattentive waiter is one who asks if everything is OK every 5 minutes. Delegate and trust your wait staff! I would recommend this restaurant and look forward to trying other items on the menu.
(4)
Deirdra W.
The clam chowder is excellent.... Call by phone to beat the wait!
(5)
Arleene A.
Second time here...though our first time here we ordered to go so I was a little skeptical of coming here and dining in..due to all the low reviews. But, my boyfriend LOVES Cajun food so we gave it a shot anyways! OMG! I have to say that we've been missing out on there great food!!!!. JUST Amazing. Super delicious. WE ordered the Blue point oysters and they were super tasty...fresh and had such a delicious flavor. If you like oysters I'd definitely try these. The bacon wrapped shrimp were super yummy and they just melted in your mouth...nicely cooked...and flavor was off the charts...you will NOT be disappointment. (my boyfriend swallowed them up so fast I only ate two.) hahaha. For our main dishes I ordered the House pan roast at a 3 spiciness and he ordered the gumbo at an 8 spiciness. My pan roast was very delicious. All the ingredients were fresh and they had such good flavor...my little taste buds were so happy. The tomato sauce they made it with was spectacular. It came with rice and it was enough for my portion of food. You can order it with pasta instead if you like. I had no complaints. Just writing this review is making me want some for dinner again. My boyfriend had the gumbo and he was sooo stuffed. He likes his food super hot so maybe next time he will try a 10 spiciness. Real authentic gumbo aside from homemade it was very pleasing. My daughter had real breast chicken nuggets with fries and she tore them up (2 1/2 year old ) My bill was not too bad prices are well worth the amazing food. I read online many reviews about there service...but I had NO PROBLEMS with their service. Everyone we encountered was very nice and pleasing...had smiles on their faces all the time. It was half full i'd say of customers... And to add we went right before closing time...and they didnt rush us or anything...my waitress was very accommodating and was very helpful in describing the different options we had. Very nice and polite....WOULD RECOMMEND. Management must of heard all of your comments about the service because we had a great time. We will definitely come way more often. Two thumbs UP! If you are looking for some good Cajun food this is the place to come!
(5)
Iris J.
Good stuff, large servings
(4)
Kay W.
Mmm mmm mmmm, Cajun food done right! I have been to New Orleans and didn't taste anything remotely as delicious as the boiler! Explosive rich flavors, generous portion, and wonderful service, it is definitely one of a kind. Some faves include the pan roast of course, the chicken and sausage pasta, bouillabaisse, all very delicious!
(5)
roger l.
Just when you think you have found a place to eat regularly(I have spent at least $400 at this place...), you realize the chef is gone... Which is quite ok if food is the same... BUT NO, food isn't the same. I am loyal to good food, and I am disappointed with the new raised price yet downgraded flavor... Call me spoiled, but I would like to know where chef ritter went so I can get the pan roast again... And yea, unless they can get the old recipe... I don't think I will be back anymore.
(1)
George U.
You know, it's hard to find Lousianna cooking in California, especially Southern California. I can understand why it's hard. With the weather being the way it is, it's hard to get excited for soup. In a hot summer's day, who wants soup? Though I say this, if the Boiler is around, I'd want soup. I'd want gumbo. I'd want bouillabaisse. My friend from Sacramento was working in Riverside during the week and I called her up to see if she was free. Good thing she was since I've been wanting to try this restaurant out for a while. I first heard of it from a friend who told me, "The same guys who opened the Oyster Bar in LV are the same guys who opened the Boiler in Chino Hills." That got me excited. So I phoned up the restaurant to make reservations and Chris was the person helping me out. I asked him if the Oyster Bar and the Boiler were related, in which Chris replied, "Similar concept, but ours is more original." Pretty confident, which is what I like. (Note, I do not know if Chris is the owner, but he sure seemed like it). When I first arrived, place wasn't empty, but it wasn't packed either. I went on a Thursday night (6/30/2011), so the weather had the cool summer air. Sat down and looked at everything. Pretty nice. Decor was nice with dark wood, metal and brick. Place could easily be converted into a shabu. Though I just described the place as nice and used characterization that would make it seem elegant, there are some things about the restaurant that seems not so elegant, in which I mean, normal or cheap. The tables and chairs are standard. The menu is on the dinner mat. Napkin is paper. The food is pretty damn good. My friend wanted the calamari, which was fine. Nothing to rave or complain about. Next thing that came out was our entrees. She ordered the gumbo and I ordered the bouillabaisse. I'm not going to describe the gumbo because most people knows what that is and because I didn't have it, but the bouillabaisse was DELICIOUS. I ordered it spicy (on a scale of 1-10, I ordered an 8, which was just right - I love spice). Here's how the bouillabaisse is described on their menu: "A French-style tomato leek based soup with saffron, fennel, and Pernod. Featuring lobster, shrimp, crab, clams, cod, and mussels." Here's how I would describe it: Fusion frenzy of French-American New Orleans craziness. Most people know I have a prediliction for French food, but this wasn't "French." This was Awesome Americaness. This restaurant did not disappointment my mouth. I had a great time eating all the seafood, even if I am rather far from the ocean. Service was okay. Maybe our waitress wasn't as experienced since forgot a few things and killed our table's conversation more than enough. Now, this is me being nitpicky. She didn't bring out the bread plates. There was a second waitress behind her who remembered and brought them out. The conversation killing came when she would come in and ask us how we're doing. Now most good servers I've encountered would just do things that would not interrupt the flow of conversation, such as refilling drinks, taking away plates, etc. Everytime she came in and interrupted us, I wanted to throw a piece of bread at her forehead since it took a while to get the conversation flowing again. I complain about this, but the other server understood my friend and I were having a conversation, so she was cognizant of what to do and it was nice that Chris (mentioned above) came out and spoke with us with the restaurant's plan to move to Irvine or Costa Mesa (their original wanted location). If they do end up opening another store in Irvine or Costa Mesa, dog gone it, I will be there waiting to eat their scrumptous food.
(4)
Lawrence P.
It's not often that you randomly try a restaurant that completely surprises you with pleasant service and awesome food. one of my coworkers told me about this place and how good the food was. not knowing what I was in for, I decided to visit the place with my partner after we got out of the office on Thursday. when we got to the restaurant I noticed it was packed, but I was fairly pleased to find that we were greeted right away and seated within a minute of stepping through the doors. we ordered the calamari to start with; it wasn't bad. nicely cooked, great presentation and an awesome dipping sauce with a heaping dollop of horseradish (yum). for entree my partner ordered the bouillabaisse and I chose the pan roast house; we both got medium heat (5). perhaps my perception of medium heat is different than others but I was expecting it to pack a little more punch. or perhaps the fact that i was ordering a cream based dish is the fact that the heat was dampened. still, the food was absolutely amazing. the bouillabaisse was jam packed with seafood, all cooked just right; it's refreshing to be able to order seafood at a restaurant where they don't horribly overcook the dish and serve you a bowl full of rubbish. the base for the bouillabaisse was clean and flavorful. this however, was nothing compare to the culinary orgasm that was the pan roast house. the creaminess of the base perfectly complimented the smorgasbord of shrimp, crab, lobster and clams. what's even better was the fact that the shrimp were huge -- the chunks of crab and lobster were also quite substantial. to say this dish is hearty would be and understatement. further adding to the awesomeness of the dish was the sweet aroma of the jasmine rice. one of my other coworkers whom I suggested to try this place also fell in love with the pan roast and likened it to "a creole version of seafood curry on rice." in regards to the service, everybody was extremely nice. the service itself was a little sporadic but definitely didn't take away from the experience as a whole. both chefs are warm and inviting and because the way the food is cooked in front of you, it makes you feel like you're apart of the process; it's like going to a friends house and chatting with them in the kitchen while you watch them prepare dinner. overall, an amazing experience. this is a place I will definitely visit on a regular basis. I've already got a few people hooked on the place and I'll bet this becomes a staple in chino hills simply due to word of mouth. I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu -- though I don't know if I'll be able to pass up the pan roast.
(5)
Dave R.
Went to this place and in the end, we were not disappointed. The lunch crowd was busy and the place was hopping. We sat at the cooking bar and I will say that the cooks standing 3 feet in front of us could have been friendly, but nope. They did not say one single word at all. In fact they looked very much not happy to be there. The waitress however was very kind and friendly. The Jambalaya was awesome and had a ton of flavor! I will return, so the cooks had better be happy next time......
(4)
Jessica C.
Absolutely amazing. I fell in love with this food at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station in Las Vegas, and was desperate to find a place closer to home. The Boiler totally measures up, and the style of food is incredibly unique and hard to find. I recommend the house pan roast, as everyone does, but I order it with pasta rather than rice. Also, the New England clam chowder is amazing, even if you hate the stuff anywhere else but here, as I do. I completely understand the complaints posted about the wait staff, as service here is certainly lacking, but the food is so phenomenal, I find it difficult to care. My husband and I drive up at least twice a month from Los Angeles, and it always feels worth the trip!
(5)
Kevin K.
First visit to the boiler tonight with the family. I read good reviews and bad reviews. The most important review is the one you conceive after your meal. I say it was a good meal. I would say we all enjoyed our dinner. Got there pretty early for a friday night, so we got seated right away. had the calimari to start which was quite tasty. Ordered the manhatten claim chowder for my mom and the claim wasen't prepared as well as it could've. But then, i guess what can you expect from a so-so priced dinner. Other than the not so great soup, the house pan roast were very good, with a good mixture of seafood. The hotness of spice can be mis-leading, depending on what you're eating. my sister got shrimp diavalo at a rating of 6 in spice, while i got my pan roast at 6. But her 6 was definitely hotter.. But overall, i would say it was a good meal for the price range. Good food for a decent price.. $90 for 3 I would give the boiler a 3.5 star. I'd like to say, I got add'l feedback as to the discrepancy in the spiciness, from my above note. apparently the pan roast will yield a less spiciness than another dish, due to the add'l ingredients that goes in the pan roast (such as the cream) this would mitigate the spiciness. So keep in mind, a spicy level of 6 in pan roast can yield a less spiciness than a spicy level 6 in another dish. fyi! Best advise, order with a lower level of spiciness and add on spiciness if you need it!
(4)
Morris C.
I randomly yelp'ed this and I have to say I was impressed by the venue and the new type of gumbo-styled food that I've never tried before. I shared the clam chowder in bowl size and we ordered the Pan Roast, which is basically a medley of seafoods coming out in a tomato and Creole sauce. We were able to get free refills on the bread (which complemented soups/gumbo quite well). The waitress was very, very nice and the Chef came out to greet us. I have to admit this establishment is really nice, but the location is not good. If possible, I would recommend relocating to The Shoppes at Chino Hills unless CBRE is going to bring in some good retail business in that huge empty parking lot. I would highly recommend trying it out, at least once!
(4)
kelly r.
yaaaay, the boiler is open!!!!! but, it's just not the same..guess i gotta go back to vegas. . .
(1)
Raymond L.
Ok finally headed to The Boiler with total of 8 people.We opted to sit at the bar. We had a great time! We ordered The Rockefeller Oyster, Bacon Shrimp Wrap, Chicken Gumbo, Jambalya, and Pan Roast. Everything was excepted. Excellent food. So good we ended up getting another rounds of Pan Roast but much more spicier, Fisherman Chowder and the raw oyster. Service was excellent, chef was very entertaining. Would come here again!
(5)
Anthony B.
When this place first opened, wow were we impressed. Flavors and smells were wonderful. And the also had some really good staples, Red Beans and Rice, Andouille sausages very tasty and well cooked, tons of heat and spicy flavor. Which have been removed from the menu. In there place Manhattan Clam chowder, and Oysters Rockefeller not sure they are that Cajun. Last I checked Manhattan was in New York. And the Rockefeller's were in New York also. As for the front of house: Before the shut down the hostess/ waitstaff was on the ball and gave us many options where we could sit. If we wanted the bar, kettle bar or we could wait for a table. And a wore uniform. Now you have some very unprofessional looking "staff" coming to your table and seating you, in street clothes. Asking you something and your not sure why. OH I GET IT YOU WORK HERE. This happened because you only had two servers on. Before you had people know what they were doing and if I was to ask them if we could sit at the bar they would know the answer. Now not so lucky. Before shutdown waitstaff attentive and made sure food came out on time and in a timely manner. And our glass would never go empty. Also very fun and helpful. Now you have line cooks coming out with one order of Cajun Calamari ( still good, for now) when you ordered two. And 5-7 minutes later the second order comes. Timing? or pass window management? Food: Before: Flavors and smells were wonderful. Tassssste was out of this world. Jambalaya and Gumbo were at a 5 to start off with, you could add more and were asked. I usually went up to a 7. My fiancee loves spicy food she would have Cilantro Chicken with Sausage and she would pick and 8. Woooooooww that was hot. Now: Walking in could not smell anything, I went for the Jambalaya and asked for it to be an 8 and of course my Fiancee Cilantro Chicken with Sausage 8 also. Both lacked any flavor, spice or heat. Before: Thanks for great food, service, and all around dinning experience. Now: Sorry but I will not be returning, and I have told everyone I told and taken to this place was great. NOT TO GO ANYMORE!!!!!!! Lost Customer
(2)
Elizabeth C.
Good food and great service. What more can you ask for? Hmm... Maybe go easy on the butter.
(5)
Jeanelle J.
I celebrated a friend's bday party there a few weeks ago...and overall...I truly enjoyed my food and experience there. Like most other people...I decided to order the pan roast....the flavors here do remind me of my trip to New Orleans earlier in the year. As for the rice portion...I know a lot of reviewers wanted more rice...I thought the serving size was adequate...too much rice would have drowned out my pan roast. I also had the raw oysters and they didnt seem fishy too me...I truly enjoyed them as well. The service there...excellent. The wait staff were all truly attentive...we never had to ask for anything. The chef/owner was very kind, welcoming, and accomodating. I think however he seemed a little flustered at times even though there were not too many people there...I say trust and depend on your wait staff because they do an excellent job. Like what other yelpers stated...it is in a pretty new but dead shopping center. I hope others will come and support the businesses here so that we can all come back for more of their delicious food. My only other suggestion would be perhaps to serve the bread warm....sourdough would also be a great addition to the bread basket which I think would go well with the pan roast! Can't wait to come back for more. Great job Chef Ritter.
(4)
Peggy L.
The food alone is a solid 5. The service and management, a 1, easily. I've visited 4 times, despite vowing each time never to return because the service is excruciatingly slow, spotty, and amateurish, only to be lured back by that indescribable taste... do they use MSG? I don't know, but their food is addicting... it's like comfort food on crack. And probably just as expensive comparatively. We did family style with a big group once, so I've tried nearly all the entrees on the menu, the pan roast, jambalaya, etouffe, etc. which run from $18-24, and they all come served looking like a thick soup or as my son eloquently put it, throw up (sorry for the unappetizing image), but looks are so deceiving, and you will forget this as soon as you take a bite. Other reviewers have said that one order is good for 2 but it's better to order a variety and share. The service- just as bad as the food is good. I've only sat at the tables so I don't know what the bar experience is like, although it always looks like the cooks are happy to interact with the customers. The staff try their best to be friendly and accommodating, but it's like they've been lobotomized in the logistic region of their brain. When it gets really busy, sometimes there'll be up to 10 patrons waiting, and there will still be empty tables. During two separate visits, we asked for a table when the restaurant was half empty. It still took them 15 minutes to seat us both times. Each of the four visits, it took the server 10 minutes just to visit our table for the first time. If you dine in at the restaurant- as soon as your server gets to you, order EVERYTHING at once... utensils, napkins, appetizer, entrees, drinks, water, bread, dessert, take out containers, the CHECK, for goodness sakes, because there is a good chance you will never see them again, except when you need to physically get up and hunt them down for the stuff that you tried to order all at once. The restaurant is small... why I need to get up to get my own fork, or take over my own check to the register is beyond me. Food always tops service for me which is why it's booted up a 3 instead of lowered to a 2, but I think TAKE OUT is the way to go.
(3)
Moe T.
This place is very unique and serves spectacular food. If you love seafood you will love The Boiler. Their sauces are so flavorful and their seafood is very fresh. I only wish they had more options on their menu that don't have some form of wine or rum cooked in because I can't stand it but for people who don't care about that this place is really great. I can't tell you how authentic it is as I've never been to Louisiana myself but if this is what you get down on the bayou then I'm taking a trip out to Bourbon Street.
(5)
Peej L.
As everyone stated the house pan dish is very tasty. The calarmari was a great way to start the dinner. Ordered 2 dinner for 3 adults and had leftovers. The bill has the recommended tip calculated for the customer but the calculation is that of the total which includes tax. They need to redo that program in their register. It's 15-20% of food bill not the tax too.
(3)
Angela W.
I've been here a couple of times and just never got around to writing a review. I really like the gumbo and the Bouillabaisse. I ordered the Shrimp Pan Roast yesterday but it was a bit too tomatoe-y and my 6 didn't taste very spicy but it was ok. I would prefer the House Pan Roast instead. The cook even gave us a bowl of clam chowder since my friend was there the first time! AWESOME! GOOD CHOWDER!
(4)
Chester K.
So I found out about The Boiler because of Yelp and thanks to Yelp have found a really good Louisiana style seafood restaurant close to home. The rave reviews made it so I had to check this place out! Onto the review... The food here is delicious. We started off with a cup of clam chowder each. I personally LOVED the chowder as it was thick, rich, hearty, and absolutely delicious. The gf thought it was a bit on the saltier side and wasn't a fan of how thick it was. I thought it was well seasoned and had the perfect ratio of vegetables to clam to cream. OOh and the clams were so tender and good! The little lady and I shared a jambalaya and Linguine with Clams (white). The jambalaya was once again really well seasoned and very hearty. Had tons of meat and rice and the portions were well worth the money. The Linguine had a lot of those tender clams in it, but I felt next to the clam chowder and jambalaya was a bit on the bland side. This may be due to the amount of liquid the dish had. Kind of reminded me of a sort of Italian ramen. * On a side note, I found a small hair in the Linguine right as I was about to take a bite. GRANTED, it could have been mine, but I wasn't going to take the chance. I told the owner(?) and he took care of the issue with grace and class. I had a new Linguine in about 8 minutes and I was thoroughly impressed by this. What I like most about the food here other than the robust flavors and obvious quality of ingredients, is the fact that you can choose how spicy you want your food to be. As Korean-Americans, me and the woman love spicy food! We got 7 on both entrees, and was a good balance of heat and flavor. The only downside to the restaurant as you may already know if you have been reading other reviews is the service. Our server was good, but was not great. As someone with quite an extensive history in the food service industry, I felt the waitstaff was a bit untrained, scared?, nervous, and shy. She was young, so granted she could be new to the restaurant and to working in general, I still feel that she could have been more friendly, attentive, and informed. We did come in simultaneously with a party of 8 and as she was the only server at the time, I felt she handled it well. I feel the service did not quite match the standard set by the food. The restaurant did seem a bit empty, even though it was roughly 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. This is a perfect example of how a restaurant can not solely thrive based on food alone and needs to be paired with great service. Advertising may help, but being that the business is fairly new, may not yet be in their budget so I encourage everyone to patron this local Chino Hills establishment. The Boiler has absolutely delicious food and am sure will have better service as the restaurant continues to grow so it can be around when the clam chowder cravings hit. I truly hope this restaurant does well as I personally respect the tremendous amount of time, effort, planning, and financial risk it takes for someone to try their hand in this cutthroat restaurant industry! * When this restaurant gets their liquor license I feel the food paired with great accompanying wines would further enhance the dining experience. *** EDIT *** They have wines! just not cocktails yet, so ask about the wine selection.
(4)
alan s.
Ok, we made a return trip to have the great food the serve. I've gotta say that we were so much happier with the wait staff. They were great, and the Chef cooking is always a treat! kinda like dinner and a show?? hahahaha, and the place was packed on a Wednesday night. 2 thumbs up this time! Thanks guys!! P.S. GET THE HOUSE PAN ROAST!!!!!
(4)
B B.
I live in Chino Hills and frequent the Lowes in the new plaza and drove by this place all the time. I always blew it off, seemed like a typical strip mall place. Then it got my curiosity up one day and I went in to look around and picked up a menu. I went back and had the most incredible dish, the Pan Roast Lobster. Off of the charts. I had it over linguini instead of rice. I literally woke up thinking about it. Once I find a food I like I always order the same thing. When I went back...the next day, I got the same thing and my wife got the Cioppino which then presented a dilemma after I tried some of hers, now I can't decided which I like better. Appetizers are awesome, salads are awesome, there isn't anything there that isn't. If this place had a better location and more exposure you would never get in. I've traveled the US and Western Europe, ate at great restaurants all over. Been to the Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati which is always one of my favorites, eaten in New Orleans and countless places in 43 different states. This place is my favorite and it is only 3 miles away. Thank you guys for opening your restaurant so close to me.
(5)
Jason F.
Learned about the Boiler here on Yelp.com . We were looking for a new seafood restaurant in the Ontario area and found this one. We started with the bacon wrapped shrimp for an appetizer which were perfect. Crispy bacon and perfectly cooked shrimp. My wife and I both ordered the House Pan Broil and let me tell you it was AMAZING! I ordered mine with a spice level of 7 and my wife ordered hers with a spice level of 5 and it was perfect. The clam chowder has got to be the best I have ever had. It is seasoned with rosemary and saffron and gives it a unique taste that is out of this world. Overall the food was incredible, the price was extremely reasonable, the staff was excellent and we had a great time. We will definitely be coming back!
(5)
Patty H.
My husband & I absolutely LOVE this place and dine here often. Not only is the food incredible, but the chefs (Tony, Chris, Jimmy) and staff are friendly and eager to please. We have tried many things on the menu, but our absolute favorites are the Bouillebasse, House Pan Roast and Fisherman's Soup (White Clam Chowder soup on steroids). The appetizers are also great (e.g. Cajun Calamari, Blue Point Oysters, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp). I would definitely recommend hitting the restaurant at Happy Hour so that you can take advantage of the discounts and sit at the Bar so that you can watch the varied preparations. We LOVE it here and plan to return OFTEN!!!!
(5)
Kellea F.
Been here several times now, and we still like it. We like it even more now that they have happy hour since they have clam chowder and their calamari on the menu. The clam chowder is really good, and the happy hour portions are filling. The oysters, which are also on their happy hour menu, taste fresh. Good service, too. From their regular menu, we love the pan roast.
(4)
d p.
we've been here 3 times in the past 5 weeks! everything is delicious! my fave is the house pan roast and my husband loves the jambalaya. beware when they ask you your spice level. (1-10) first time i ordered a 6 and it was pretty spicy. then i over heard the server suggest to another table to start low and you can always add more but you can't take it out. now i order a 3 or 4. the staff is friendly and the place is nice and clean. note: they close at 9 but stop seating at 8:30
(4)
Amm F.
This place is very very tasty. I have been there 3 times and I'm sure I will go back again really soon. I have had the gumbo, pan roast, clam chowder, the chipotle fish chowder and the calamari. The pan roast is the best and the clam chowder is one of the best I've ever had. The lobster in the pan roast is so fresh and delicious. The calamari wasn't actual rings of calamari.. it was those sticks they fry up.. so -1 for that.. but they have chopped up garlic in the sauce, so +1 for that! The gumbo was tasty.. but still prefer the pan roast. The chef was super nice and introduced themselves each time we were there. The wait staff also very friendly. The spicy levels... 1-10... I ordered an 8 and could have easily gone for higher. It's not that hot.. but then again, I eat very very spicy food :) Will be back to try the seafood cocktail and the jambalaya! Only thing I have to complain about is the price.. it's not cheap. For two, we have always walked out with a $40+ tab. But the amt they give is huge! You can't finish a pan roast or a gumbo by yourself, esp if you have had a cup of chowder! Oh, the chipotle chowder is also super tasty! But it's not a cream type soup.
(5)
Amanda L.
I've always wanted to try some authentic cajun/creole food & I'm so glad I found the Boiler! Everything is as tasty as it appears and it's not too far from where I live.Prices are fair esp for the portion you get. Oh and the CLAM CHOWDER IS TO DIE FOR. Yum!
(5)
Kevin L.
house pan roast ( spice level 10. ) that's all i have to say!!!!!
(5)
Erick A.
House Pan Roast!
(5)
Christine T.
I am at the boiler now making a review on my I -pad cool huh! Not as cool as this place. I had the salmon salad and I have never had salmon dinner this good. We also had the shrimp cocktail and the bacon wrapped shrimp they were fantastic . My husband is a fussy eater and he already wanting to come back here .
Came here again, and it didn't disappoint!!! The food was amazing, the service was great and the chef even came out and chatted with us about the food!!! Brought some friends this time and they are hooked! This place is a keeper!!!
(5)
Dan C.
It's not too often that we stray from our usual restaurants in our lineup but we decided to spice it up a little and check out The Boiler. I wanted to give this place a try since it got so many great reviews from Yelpers. Even before we walked in me and the wifey already had a game plan in what to try out. The place was very clean and had a welcoming vibe to it which is always a plus as a first time goer. After being seated, I knew already that I would try the jambalaya and my partner in crime would get the house pan roast. I did remember reading that you can choose how hot you wanted your food so I had a 9 on my jambalaya and 7 for the house pan roast. Oh and forgot to mention that their Clam Chowder was top notch and very filling. I couldn't help but keep eating it throughout the evening. Regarding our main course, the jambalaya was muy caliente which is how I liked it. It had the right amount of spices and meat that makes you tear up a little. lol The pan roast house did not dissapoint at all which was expected coming from all the reviews we've read. The shrimp on both the jambalaya and pan roast were delicious. I think being that it was our first time, we took the safe route and ordered conservatively. I will have to try their calamari and oysters next time around. Overall we felt that it was a successful outing and will bring more people with us so we can test out the rest of their menu. So if you're in the mood to spice up your evening and try something different, then this is the place to go!
(4)
Jeremy T.
With a very innovative style of cooking, the setup of The Boiler is pretty unique. There is an oval-shaped bar in the middle of the restaurant where the kitchen is, and where people can sit and conversate with the chefs while watching their food cook! I won't say much else, but they use pressurized steam to make food edible. Come down and check out how! I had the Cioppino the first time I came, and the Bouillabaisse the second. They were both for dinner, which was about $7-8 more than lunch. I thought the food was great! They had a hotness scale of 1-10 for some of the entrees, so you could choose the amount of (spicy-ness?) you want in the food. They also served bread, which I devoured. I also had the Pan Roast House, and it was absurdly good! Bottomline: Eat in, especially for lunch!
(5)
Frank K.
it's good stuff. would be perfect on a cool day...well really on any day it would be good. i had their blue point gulf oysters to start. these were probably some of the fattest oysters ive ever had. really tasty. mmm i ordered their specialty, which is the pan roast. this is more like a soup/stew with a scoop of rice in it. The lobster in it was damn good. mmm like the others have said, when you sit at the bar, you get to better experience the cooking and get to chat with the chef/owner. he's a really nice guy, very welcoming and accommodating. when we chatted he mentioned that he plans on opening a location in Irvine sometime soon. bleh....ok this review is boring. whatever. i have a stomach ache right now from some damn oily stuff i ate last night :(
(4)
Jimmy K.
Service was attentive and prompt. We went with a group of 5. Four of us enjoyed it thoroughly while one of us had the runs all night long from the spicy soup. I'm just glad it wasn't me.
(4)
Daniel K.
get the house pan roast. hands down best dish. i ordered spice level 5, which was perfect, not too spicy (so you can still taste the fresh seafood). Sat at the counter...the service was a little slow, but the chef cooking our food was friendly, and the servers were friendly. i would suggest to get some better, and hotter, bread...and don't serve freezing cold butter with it. regardless, the food makes up for everything. get 2 scoops of rice with the House Pan Roast, it's a better ratio of rice to gumbo. the seafood was very fresh and flavorful. there are so many different flavors in the gumbo that the dish doesn't get monotonous. the price is a little steep (dinner ~$20), but for the amount of food, and the flavor, i'd come back. totally worth it for me.
(5)
Mindy R.
Delicious! Chino Hills really needed a restaurant like this, in a town inundated with bland, cookie-cutter, chain concepts. The husband and I drove from Orange County to try the Boiler for lunch, and we were definitely impressed. We sat at the bar around the steam kettles and really enjoyed being able to interact with Chef Ritter. He was super friendly, and he really puts a lot of love into his food. The husband had the house pan roast at a spicy level 10 and I enjoyed the jambalaya spiced to a level 6. We both enjoy spicy food and really liked that we could choose how hot we wanted our entrees. His pan roast had a delicious, creamy sauce and was filled with a very generous amount of fresh seafood. My jambalaya had just enough of a peppery kick and was filled with okra, andouille sausage, chicken and shrimp. The portions were HUGE and we both left full, and with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. The prices were also right, and we feel as though we got an amazing value for our money. Please go! Enjoy the Chef's company and delicious, authentic, New Orleans cuisine. You won't regret it!
(5)
Zoot V.
Great food! Yes. Pan Roast! Great concept. But the temp was freezing. And service was slow.
(4)
Linda F.
Just ate here again for lunch last week and it was another pleasant dining experience. They have fewer staff for lunch and I noticed when we got in the door that there wasn't a host/hostess. Instead we were greeted by the owner/head chef was was cooking at the counter. We were able to sit at the counter today and engaged in some nice conversation with the owner as well. The food here was great just as last time, but what really impressed me was how humble the owner is. Not only was he cooking up a storm, greeting and chatting with this customers, but he even went out and grabbed tables and set them up for a larger party (when he easily could've just made one of his staff do it for him, but since he had a little time, he did it himself)... I always appreciate people who are humble and aren't too proud to lend a hand... He was really friendly and took the time to talk with each of his customers. He told us how he's planning to open up another branch probably in Irvine in the next year or so, and then going overseas to Shanghai & Taipei. We really enjoyed our meal and I would recommend it even more now then before... We'll definitely be coming back here the next time we're craving pan-roast again. :)
(5)
Leo C.
Ate here a several of weeks ago with SO, Its hard finding decent Nawleans food closeby. There was a place in upland that I frequented but closed suddenly. This place will suffice. Bar wasn't open yet for business, no worries. It was still hot outside and an Ice tea hit the spot. Service was excellent our server answered all our questions ( we had many) , no sweat. The Owner came by and introduced himself, the friendliness of the staff is genuine. As for the food, I had the Jambalaya and she had the Pan Fried. Ive only had Jambalya once on my only visit to New Orleans. the standard was set then, but then again, I was having Jambalaya for the first time at the source. The Jam here was good, ingredients tasted fresh. It had a more earthy taste to it than the one I tried in NO, but still good nonetheless. The Pan Fried was a party in my mouth. That sauce is to die for, I wished I had that instead. My only thing was they were skimpy on the meat. I don't blame them considering they opened up during a recession. When we go back, Ill be having a pan fried. Oh yes, the oysters were very good as well. The owner told us he has them sent from Louisiana.
(4)
R S.
Stopped by with my gf yesterday. Got bouillabaisse, shrimp diablo, oysters, and calamari. All of them were extremely good. Owner is very pleasant. Will go there again! Go check it out, you'll love it.
(5)
Candice O.
I ordered the house pan roast sans clams and it was awesome! So was the Cajun calamari (the fresh grated horseradish in the cocktail sauce was a perfect touch!). I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)
Sean J.
I personally like this place better than the Vegas counter part. I think its more meaty here when compared to the vegas one (less soupy!) . However as much I love this place another reason why I come here to eat often is becuase they have Arrogant Bastard on Tap! so its a win win!
(4)
John L.
Great food great concept service was slow but the food made up for it a bit on the pricey side $100 for three of us with only two beers.
(5)
Linaka N.
Food was Yummy! service was very attentive. The chef came out to ask how the food tasted. Definitely will come back here. Must try their pan roast house! delicious! get a side of noodles with it!
(5)
Sandra A.
Good lord they do amazing things here. Evil amazing things.
(5)
Robert V.
I eat here about once a week...Great food , great service, and super great prices.....this is a must try if you haven't yet. Chef Ritter is the man when it comes to steam kettle cooking.....give them a try!!!!!!!!!!
(5)
Andy C.
I have had dinner with a couple friends at this place on the past weekend. The chief used to be cooking at Palace Station in Las Vegas. Now, he has his own shop and I am so glad he brings the same taste back to California!!!
(4)
J T.
Food was great! Service was good, a little quaint spot so call ahead.
(4)
Valerie S.
I guess if I were to really look only at the bad stuff, I wouldn't give this place any stars at all. Nevertheless, I like to believe the best in people and in their restaurants; goodness knows it's hella hard to run one! They just reopened this past Monday after being closed for 3 weeks - administrative problems, as I was informed. Anyway, why would Boiler merit no stars? - The long wait: My family and I arrived at 8:15 and there was a big crowd of people waiting. Popular restaurant - totally understand. So we waited patiently and were seated an hour later. Our waitress took our orders pretty quickly, we obviously studied the menu beforehand and knew what we wanted...and we waited some more. Another hour and fifteen minutes go by and still no entrees. - Service: I used to serve, so I completely understand being really busy. However, my iced tea was not offered to be refilled (until after I lost my patience), our plate of finished appetizer oyster shells sat in front of me for about 10 minutes and was not bussed until I put it to the side of the counter. Server didn't notice the empty bread basket until we asked her to bring some more, then didn't notice again when it was empty 10 minutes later (we were hungry when we arrived, didn't sit down til 1hr later and were patiently waiting another 80min for our food.. we were STARVING) How did they redeem some of the stars? - I "politely" flipped out seeing people seated after us get their gumbo, bouillabaisse, pan roast, etc. and the manager was genuinely apologetic. He ended up comp-ing our meal because he knew that we had literally been waiting then sitting and waiting for almost 3 hours. I don't like to make people feel bad and I don't like to make a scene, but goodness i had to say *something*. - The food was tasty: Rockefeller Oysters - YUM Bouillabaisse - Now, I don't know how Louisiana bouilabaisse is supposed to be - I imagined something more French-style since well, it says it's a "French-style" soup, so I was kind of surprised. It wasn't what I had expected at all, however, the ingredients were so fresh and it was very well prepared. Chicken Gumbo - I prefer Disneyland's New Orleans Gumbo for texture. The ingredients and the after taste is quite wonderful. Shrimp Diablo - spicy level 7 - Didn't taste too spicy, but dayam, the prawns, that kinda won me over. The linguini was fantastic - not overcooked or too al dente Cioppino - I didn't try this, but my dad said it was waaaay to sour for his taste. He did, however, appreciate the freshness of all the seafood items. So...if you're looking for some super fresh seafood in soup form, this is definitely a fantastic place. I'm hesitant as to whether or not I'll be back. Everyone deserves a second chance though, no?
(2)
Grishnakov S.
My favorite place in Chino Hills!!! Love the pan roast...just like the one in Vegas, except cheaper!!! Perfectly balanced ingredients of creamy tomato sauce, spices, crab, lobster, clams and shrimp with a scoop of rice. Service was awesome and Chef Ritter came out to greet everybody in the end! Nothing like steam kettled cajun cooking on a cold winter's night! I will definitely be back again...and if I had the money, I would be back everyday!
(5)
Papa S.
Went to the boiler in vegas first, and fell in love with their food. Oysters are huge and fresh. The gumbo and jambalaya is great. Isnt the same feeling of the one in vegas, but the food is nearly the same. Def go here for some gumbo or jambalaya.
(4)
Jeff D.
Very cool concept pasta bar. Chef was very friendly and the waitress was on the ball even though it got crowded. Good food, fun experience, perfect for a date, nice meal, or meeting
(5)
heather l.
ok...so i still love the food so 4-5 stars for that....service...terrible...see below i would rate service a 2 that night...overall food...a 3-4....and my pan roast still gets a 5..... we'll start with food..b/c i think food is more important: calamari - 2 star....there was no flavor, bland, really chewy....it's definitely average or below average....for a place that has great flavors....i'm kind of shocked that this came out of the same kitchen pan roast house - i got the same thing as last time b/c it's sooooooo yummy...i upped the spicyness level to 9.....i think i'm good at 9 or maybe even 8.....i think this dish is amazingly delicious and i can't wait to have it again.... jambalaya - my guy on this one....it was tasty....but i still love the pan roast more......too many bell peppers for my taste.....maybe i'll give this one a shot next time..and modify it a little bit cioppino - his mom got this one.....i think all the flavors sunk down to the bottom of the bowl...and i took a few bites at the top....it was pretty bland....this is a really light kind of pasta dish....i'm not a fan...b/c i like it when the sauce sticks to the pasta....it doesn't seem like it went together cilantro chicken w/ sausage - his dad got this...i can't even really remember the flavors...but i remember that i did like it better than the cioppino.... creme brulee - sugar was too burnt at the top...not the best creme brulee i've had...i tried it b/c i read other yelp reviews that raved about how delicious it was..... service: we took my guy's dad out here for his birthday....i called ahead to make a reservation just in case it was busy.....i made sure to tell them it was his BIRTHDAY over the phone....and there was no acknowledgement when we arrived we were sat immediately at a table for 4...it seemed like young asian girls, were the only people running the place....the girls dressed in skinny jeans, t-shirt, and hair was sloppily pulled back....like it's the newest hairstyle not to brush your hair before pulling it back....the head chef/owner wasn't present either.... it took a long time for us to order our food because our server wasn't really present....we just sat and waited, and waited, and waited some more to order anything....we finally ordered, and we finally got our food...and our server barely checked on us or filled up our waters btw...tea selection is terrible..and crazy expensive for some hot water and a tea bag...wtf....no way should it cost the same as a soda...next time...we're bringing our own tea bags.... i was pretty sure they didn't remember the birthday thing...so i got up..walked to one of the servers to pretend that i was asking about the bathroom...asked "do you do anything for birthdays?"....and she replied "yes".....the OTHER server....brought out a creme brulee to our table and just said...."CREME BRULEE???"...and we were all confused like...huh? we didn't order it....but i was like...."well....it's his birthday" (pointing to my guy's dad)....and she's like.."oh...ok..here you go..happy birthday"....wtf?!??!?!? SOOOO UNPROFESSIONAL......later...our regular server came up and said happy birthday...... so....sure..they smiled the whole time....but it was just totally unprofessional...i was kind of embarrassed for the boiler to have these two girls representing them....they seemed really spaced out and their mind was just going "la di da" the whole night it was quite an irritating experience..i hope they either train these girls and make them shape up...or fire them and hire a more mature and professional serving staff...
(4)
Giao T.
Great-tasting food, friendly staff and good service. We were the first ones in for lunch the other day and within 20 minutes, the place was packed. We ordered the lunch specials Po Boy sandwiches with Calamari & Clam Chowder along with a bowl of Cilantro Chicken w/Sausage. At a spicy level of 5, it was still spicy, but manageable. Very good with a lot of flavor. We'll have to try the Bouillabaisse, Shimp Diablo and Linguini with Clams next time since reading all the reviews and the pictures from the menu. A definite "coming back" and a recommended restaurant to check out!
(4)
AR R.
OK so here is the deal..great food but I had bad customer service. The waitress forgot a member of my dinners party entree. After we all received our meals, we had to wait an additional 30 minutes for his meal. By the time he received the meal, the group was about finished. They still charged us full price, and tried to validate their mistake making several excuses blaming it on the new waitress. There was no type of accommodation for their mistake. Yes, it was the waitresses fault, but as a restaurant there should be a shared responsibility and liability for errors. After the debate with several people, we payed full price for their mistake. I wished I had never went. And none of us will return for that reason.
(2)
Vincent C.
Their pan roast is very delicious. Will come back if I'm around the area.
(4)
Matt M.
The Boiler was a place I've driven past for a few years without thinking to try. My bad! This place is off the hinges. It's a one-off dining experience in the best possible way. The piped in live steam at each station allows you to see your food being prepared in a clean and professional manner, rather akin to Louisiana teppan. I recommend the house pan roast. Everything looks good, and I can vouch for the oysters ( Blue Point on all of my visits so far ) but the pan roast is rather unique. Service is solid- prompt and friendly.
(4)
jimmy r.
Where to begin.....I found this place using yelp and read some reviews about the experiences. There is too much hype on this place. With that said, the portions are too small for the price paid. The food is delicious but its missing the wow factor. We waited on a table for about 15 minutes which wasn't bad for a Sunday afternoon. Everyone is friendly and it looks like a well organized restaurant. My rating goes like this.food 1 star,cleanliness 1 star,service o stars. Location 1 star, price 0 stars, overall experience 0 stars. Total of three stars being a bit harsh because I hate getting up to ask for things and I got up like four times. Price and service were a miss so it took that last star for overall experience. The question is would I come back again; no! Just because its too far. And I pass up numerous restaurants on the way here that need my tating.
(3)
FoodEate R.
First time I came here, it was just okay. This time around, I'd have to say it was on par with the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station. The House Pan Roast was bombdiggity, ate every last bite or scoop should I say. This time it was a different cook from the last time I came, so Im going to assume that was the main reason for it. I refrained from giving it 5 stars mainly because depending on who's cooking the food, I feel like that will determine the experience you'll get with the pan roast or any other dish for that matter. Only 40 mins from LA, whenever I have cravings for some Pan Roast, this is the spot I'll be venturing to. Sure beats the hell outta driving all the way to Vegas for it. I'm glad I was nudged to give this place a 2nd try because based on my first visit, I probably wouldn't have been coming back.
(4)
Nick C.
I ate here again about a month ago, the original chef is now gone... Food was not as good and the service was rather poor.
(2)
Loucid I.
Okay my first experience/rating wasn't that great but since there's been nothing but positive reviews ever since it opened I gave it another chance today. I ordered a dozen oysters on a half shell, shrimp diablo, and chicken & sausage linguini. Everything was great, portions turned out decent so I'm in love with this place! There isn't many seafood places in the area and this one really helps feed that craving. The chef once again came to our table to ask how our experience was and we gave him the thumbs up. I suppose in regards to my last rating, just order different things and I'm sure you'll find something that you'll like. Some things were smaller portions last time but overall was great!
(4)
Charles L.
The food was delicious just like the Oyster Bar but I think the Oyster Bar was slightly better because the pan roast was just a little bit better in taste and I also think they give you a little more food there. But nonetheless, it was still very delicious...to bad it is in Chino Hills cause having to drive the 91 to get there really sucks.
(5)
Maureen F.
I got my spicy, seafood fix satisfied all in one go. Tasty deliciousness.
(4)
Darlene C.
This restaurant is excellent! My husband and I went here for the first time last weekend and we can't wait to go back. For appetizers, we had the cajun calamari. Perfect texture and flavor! Dipping sauce was delicious. For my main course, I took the yelpers' advice and ordered the house pan roast. Spice level 3 was just right for me. The flavors were perfect and the seafood was fresh. My husband ordered the gumbo. I had a taste of it and I loved the smoky flavor. For dessert, we had creme brulee....yum! Excellent texture. We definitely will be back.
(5)
Ai C.
A little gem here in Chino Hills! I love this place! This Small Cajun restaurant is homey at best, you can sit in the bar and watch the chefs cook your meal in their steam kettles. The service is phenomenal and the food is Heaven in a bowl. Appetizers are great, the calamari is okay- not my favorite item in their menu but the bacon wrapped shrimp is awesome and the oysters are nice and clean. Their clam chowder is good, a must have when you eat here. Almost everything in their menu is amazing but everyone's favorite here is the House Pan roast- It's seems like every time we come here, this is what the majority eats. Their Jambalaya is amazing too! The Cioppino is also good. You can pick the spice level on how hot and spicy you want them (0 being not spicy at all to 10 being burn your tongue good) They serve wine and beer- which are even better during their happy hour ($3 for wine, $2 beer). Their desserts are good too, a must order is the Creme Brulee. So come check it out and you definitely won't be disappointed. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants here in Chino Hills!
(5)
KeNina P.
Its from the chef that worked at palace station oyster bar and the pan roasts remind us exactly of the palace station but the place is cleaner and when we went no wait so thats cool too. They also have a happy hour on some select apps and beer.
(4)
M B.
The food was awesome and delicious but they were seriously under staffed when we went in. There were only 2 servers handling everything in a fully packed restaurant. I actually felt bad for them trying to keep up with all of the customers. I would've rated it 5 stars if I didn't have to wait 1.5 hrs to get seated. But the food was so GOOD that I almost didn't mind the wait...it was definitely worth it.
(4)
Elle R.
I came here with my husband and another couple about a month or two ago and we all loved it! I was scared at first because of the bad reviews on yelp, the very first time I went. I had their Seafood Linguine with white sauce and it was one of the best seafood linguine I've ever had! It was linguine and yummy soup in one. I had to slurp up all the soup from the bowl (not joking) :) (when we went, the bar wasn't open yet ... boo~)
(5)
Kuong Y.
Their shrimp po boy here is awesome. We came here during lunch time and got seated by their friendly staff. He recommended the shrimp po boy and the house pan roast. You can't go wrong either one
(5)
Ami D.
This place is amazing! I absolutely love the house pan roast and the food is a great change of pace. servers were really nice too. Down with the 3 stars and below haters! :)
(5)
V C.
If you come here you must: Sit at the stool bar where Chef Ritter cooks right in front of you! What I love about the open bar/seating concept is how personable you can get with the Chef. Now how often do you really get to meet the chef first-hand at other restaurants?? Chef Ritter made our dinner experience superb! I love how he highly believes that customer service is #1 and he proved it the whole time! He kindly let us sample their clam chowder, which is out of this world. Not your standard or typical Souplantation or canned chowder--!! I am convinced that next time I come here, I am definitely going to eat this as my starter!! All the while , our server was attentive.. always asking if we wanted more bread, and kept refilling our drinks before the glasses were empty!! For the main course, we ordered the house favorite, the HOUSE PAN ROAST! It's a very rich, creamy-tomato based creole seasoned dish which was generously mixed in with an array of seafood from shrimp, to lobster.. you name it, it was in there and it was freakin' delicious! There was a heaping scoop of Jasmine rice in the middle as well. The spice level we got was a level 5, which was perfect! Just enough spice to feel the heat, but not overwhelming. This actually reminded us of an Indian dish called Tikka Masala, but with seafood.. However, it doesn't taste like Tikka Masala at all!! It's a rich, creole based creamy-tomato dish. Now I see why it's a house favorite!! I'd have to agree. We also ordered the Ciopinno, a seafood linguini in a tomato-onion sauce. No, it's not marinara sauce, not even close to that. It's more of a soup/stew base with chunky tomatoes with onions and other seasonings. Bottomline,. .. IT was TASTY! The flavor is totally different from the creamy-tomato based Pan Roast. Chef Ritter told us a story about Bobbly Flay having a food show-down with a Northern California restaurant famous for their Ciopinno, and apparently The Boiler's Ciopinno is better than that restaurant up north!! It was soooooooooo goooooooooooooooooood!!! Oh and if you like white wine, try their Pinot Grigio. I had a glass and it complimented the food quite well!! ;-) We couldn't even finish the food!! Which means, I didn't have enough room for dessert.! It's too bad, I heard their creme brulee is worth trying! I'll make some room next time =) Chef Ritter = A+ Customer Service= A+ Food= A+ Oh and on another note, if you ever talk to Chef Ritter, he's not only a Chef, but a musician too!!! That's pretty darn awesome!
(4)
Elizabeth R.
I never go out to eat in a restaurant alone. I'm always paranoid that people are looking at me and wondering why I don't have any friends... But... I've been craving the Pan Roast for weeks, so I braved the stigma of solo dining to enjoy the savory tomato cream sauce and the plump shrimp. Honestly, the sauce is so good I could just eat that over rice or pasta without any of the seafood options. This was my fifth visit. The food has always been stellar, but my biggest problem in the past was the service. The waitresses were cute but inattentive. This time was different. She checked in on me at regular intervals and my glass was never empty. Maybe she felt sorry for me because I was alone?!? It is a little pricey, but it's well worth it. It's been four days now, and I'm already craving the Pan Roast again.
(5)
Joe R.
service was poor, food was so so...
(3)
joyce c.
All I can say is yum yum! I read about this place on Yelp and saw all the good reviews. I am happy to say that all of those good reviews are true! I am really picky about clam chowder and this place has perfected it! Very very good. I also had the House pan roast, now, it's important to mention that one bowl of this stuff is enough for 2 people, and it is soo good. It had nice soft chunks of lobster and decent sized shrimp in addition to the crab, clams, and jasmine rice. I highly recommend it! AND...dun dun duuuunnn....there was no sand in the clams! yeeeaaahhh!!!! I hate hate hate taking a bite of anything with clams in it and getting a serving of sand with your food. BLEH! Not here, not one granule to speak of. Very nice! The owner greeted us as we came in and chatted with us a bit. He's super friendly and it's rare that you see an owner who takes the time out to not only chat with his guests, but serve us as well. So all in all, great place, great food, great atmosphere, a tad bit on the pricey side, but well worth the price ^_^
(5)
david p.
Buyer beware: Place isn't cheap, for the price you would think service would be great. First time there server forget main dishes after appetizers came out, it took over 1hr for them to fix mistake. They ruined our movie plans. But gave discount and desert, so we gave place 2nd chance. The second time place over charged us when we already spent $200, glad we looked over bill and caught it, but then they acted as if it was no big deal. NOT COOL! Every time wanting a drink refill server had to be found and waved down after bringing out wrong appetizers. Place could be great all in all if it had experienced staff for the prices being charged. End of it all "bottom line is" Good food bad service, place isn't big so you would think the team would be on their A~GAME! I'm sure if any of staff were to be paying the prices The Broiler charges and getting the same bad experience it would be upsetting. I never have problems paying high prices and eating at nice places if it's worth it. You do the math and look at the Many places your able to spend money on and weigh it out if the juice is worth the squeeze. I say- NO
(2)
Candace M.
The food is delicious! I grew up eating creole food, and this hit the spot. The portions are big (can make 2-3 meals out of a dish). I definitely recommend.
(4)
Scott F.
There seems to be a consensus on whether people like or dislike this establishment. I, for one, definitely fall among the former and will be bringing friends and family to partake in what I consider to be one of the better Cajun/Creole eateries in Southern California. It is true that the portions COULD be a little larger with some of the dishes but considering the quality of the food and the fact that this is not McDonald's where super-sizing is not required, I think the price and quantity is very reasonable. We went for our anniversary and we both started off with a cup of very good New England clam chowder. Ever since moving to Southern California, I have been hard pressed in finding a decent bowl...my search has ended. The wife had the Shrimp Scampi, which was quite good with that lemony white wine sauce. My dish of Jambalaya would not disappoint at all and the flavor says it all! The place is a little small but I think that adds to the atmosphere and keeps the loudness to a minimum. All in all, a very pleasant and memorable meal!
(5)
Michele S.
I had no idea what steam kettle cooking was, and assumed that it would be like Shabu Shabu or fondue. I finally gave in, and I am so glad that I did! I left the restaurant completely full, yet I was trying to figure out when I could come back! The Chipotle Fish Chowder is AMAZING, and I had the linguini with clams spiced up to a 7. This meal was beyond perfect. If you sit at the bar you can watch them prepare everything with so much care. Chef Ritter really puts his heart into every dish, and is such a gracious host. I tried it last week and have already been back again. Do yourself a favor and try it!!!! You will be hooked.
(5)
Ed R.
This is my absolutely favorite hometown restaurant! If you like spice and incredible flavors, this is the place. If you can't handle the hot stuff, you can go for "0" heat. Owner is very personable too!
(5)
B. F.
I went here for lunch today with some coworkers not knowing what kind of cuisine The Boiler served. Much to our surprise, It was Cajun/Creole. The food there was great. We had the Cajun Calamari, which was good, not great. I had the Gumbo (seafood) and my friends got Cilantro Chicken with Sausage and the Chicken Gumbo. They enjoyed their dishes. You can pick the level of spiciness and we all got our dishes spicy. The Gumbo was delish and the price was decent. It rivals the gumbo I've had in New Orleans and might quite possibly surpass most places. I would definitely go there again and try some other dishes. I hope this place stays open because there weren't many people there at all. Support your local eatery and go here instead of Lucille's, BJ's Pizzeria, and Corner Bakery. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Chelsea Y.
Great food and great service! Tried the House Pan Roast and Crab Pan Roast, both were delicious! I was almost uncomfortably full because it was so good that I couldn't stop eating it. My boyfriend never eats leftovers, but he killed my Crab Pan Roast the next day. It's more pricey than I usually pay on a casual night out with my boyfriend, but totally worth it. The place was pretty empty when we got there so we didn't have to wait at all. We were seated right under a fan so we were pretty cold, but didn't want to complain because it wasn't that big of a deal. The waitress noticed and without even having to ask they turned the fan off for us. She checked on us several times throughout our meal and even the guy standing behind the bar area asked how we were doing. Overall the staff was very attentive and personable.
(5)
Dat N.
This review is for those who go to the Oyster Bar in LV. Won't repeat what last reviewer said about owner/chef which is true. The good news: * much closer than LV * taste just as good * chef is the original * no wait * take out available * more stools (24 vs 18) * more steam kettles (10 vs 6). Bad news: * smaller portion * less seafood in the pan roast * smaller oysters and clams * did not have enough oysters to fulfill our 2 doz. order * no liquor license * some menu items not available * the pasta was undercooked
(4)
Alex B.
Every time I'm in Vegas we eat at the Oyster Bar in Palace Station. Found out the original chef now works at The Boiler in Chino Hills....the food is amazing. Gumbo, pan roast, bouillabase (sp ??) amazing..... i love it........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)
Nathan N.
Took my dad here today for Father's Day. It was amazing! The service was a bit slow, but thats understandable with them being open for such a short time. The manager, owner and chef all met us and talked to us by name the entire meal. The meal was so rich! I had the chicken gumbo and my dad had the roast pan house. Both were outstanding. I cannot wait to go back!
(5)
Tom R.
OK it goes like this . If you don't like this food, you dropped your tongue in the parking lot. We enjoyed the Cajun Calamari for starters. The word PERFECTION comes up a little short. It was by far the best I have ever had. Then we moved on to the Gumbo, I ordered it at a heat level of 5. Thank god I didn't say 6, kinda hot. But the flavor was certainly a 10. With ample portions I brought some home for lunch the next day and it was almost as good as it was fresh. I am going back for another round soon, what the hell am I saying? I am going back tonight!
(5)
foze e.
It's just a great place to come eat, relax, and see the cooking how they cook "STEAM" your order my wife and Love it. We will go back and take some of are friends.
(5)
Wendy W.
IF YOU LIKE SEAFOOD AND RICH FLAVORS, YOU WILL LOVE THIS PLACE! Great food, great service. Casual and relaxing atmosphere. I live about 10min away from the restaurant plaza. For many months I drove by wondering about this place. Once, I even stopped to look at the menu posted on the window. But I never tried the restaurant because 1) The name of the restaurant is so vague. The menu had French, Italian, seafood, chicken, pasta, and rice. I couldn't tell what kind of food it serves. 2) I could never see the inside of the restaurant because of the tinted windows. I couldn't see the popularity of the place. From outside, the place seemed pretty dead. In general, the first impression was super uninviting. I even thought the place would soon eventually go out of business because of its poor name and unwelcoming vibe. BUT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS TO STEP INSIDE AND I WAS HOOKED. I went on a Friday night. The place was bustling. The inside resembles a Shabu Shabu restaurant, with a long U-shape seating bar at the center. The place serves Louisiana cuisine. What that means is lots of seafood, creamy rich thick stew/soup (which you can decide the level of spiciness) over jasmine rice or pasta. The place does steam kettle cooking. What that means is the food is steamed in a semi-floating metal pot, not on a stove or fire, that is hooked onto and supported by 2 metal-pipe looking vessels. The chefs cook the entrees at the U-shape bar. So if you sit there, you could see how they prepare steam kettle cooking. I have been uninspired by all the food I have been eating. So I am very glad to have finally tried and fall for this restaurant. The food at the restaurant is really delicious. Heavy, bold, and complex flavors in a good way. The service is very friendly. I am so happy now that I have a place in the area where I am proud to bring people to eat when they are visiting. P.S. the same menu is offered for both lunch and dinner. But luch entrees are about $5 cheaper than dinner entrees. So it might be more affordable to try the place at lunch time instead.
(4)
Pam M.
wow. Jambalaya was sooo good. It was expensive for the portion. I'm a girl with a big appetite so if I'm gonna throw down some cash, I wanna leave rubbing my belly and 5 pounds heavier. They don't have a kids menu, that sucks. But cute place, great food.
(4)
Al C.
Read on yelp that the Oyster Bar in Vegas has a cousin here in Chino Hills. When I told the hottie she said we had to go. Got the oysters on a half shell for appetizer and I was surprised as to how plump and juicy they were. Great start! Then we moved on to a Caesar salad (just okay) and the Clam Chowder (very tasty). Then came our pan roast. It is similar to the one in Vegas but I think the Vegas pan roast is a bit sweeter and a bit creamier. That said it was excellent. I give them big props for putting so much juicy crab in my pan roast. The host was very nice and attentive. Kept filling up our drinks. Service kinda slow though. All in all a very comparable experience to Vegas.
(4)
jimmy j.
I went to this place for dinner tonight with my brother. It was located at a random spot, but it was pretty easy to find. The place was clean and nice. The bathroom was clean and has 2 stalls. There were a couple of TVs on the wall. The food tasted good and something new. So, that is a plus. (= They also serve you breads! (for FREE!) YUHM YUHM YUHMMMM. Overall, this place was good and a bit above average. I recommend this place for a family who is hungry and craving for something new!
(4)
Tracy K.
This is the best/most unique restaurant in the entire IE. The seafood is fresh and the portions are big. You will leave full and content. We got the Chippino and the Pan roast. Both are good I liked the Chippino better bc it felt liek there were bigger pieces of fresh seafood and it wasn't as heavy. But if looking for a filling thick flavorful dish get the pan roast. I look how the chef cooks right in font of you with the steamer method. He's also super nice, very easy to talk to and passionate about his food. He even gave us a little sample of his clam chowder just so we could try more of his recipes. We need more places like this in the IE. NON CHAIN delicious fresh food.
(5)
Michael K.
Food was good. The Clam Chowder was very good but after eating a bowl, i had no more room for much else. Portions were great. Price was good for what you get. Overall if you are very very hungry, then this is a great place to go.
(4)
Art C.
Our server suggested their best dish " Pan Roast House". After getting my order, the taste was pretty good. But I was expecting a seafood meal.......... What I got was a bowl of soup. $19 for a bowl of soup with very little sea food in it is just a little too pricey for my taste. On a Plus, service was good. Will i eat there again??? No!
(2)
Risha P.
just amazing!
(5)
Daniel L.
Since my girl friend cant eat meat on fridays we decided to look for a place with seafood... man i was happy i came across The Boiler. I had the Jambalaya which was really good but a bit heavy for lunch and my gf got the diablo shrimp which was also good but I have to say what stood out the most was the clam chowder. The clam chowder was flavorful and not like other restaurants same generic clam chower. I can't wait to eat here again but for dinner, the steamed mussels and clams look amazing as well
(5)
Daniel K.
a great local gem. but to echo several other reviewers below, i'm afraid if this place doesn't take off soon, we won't be able to enjoy their scrumptuous pan roast for much longer. went a few nights ago (tue? wed?) with a friend of mine after hearing great things about it from another friend. it was literally dead empty. all the employees were at the bar watching the tv and chatting with each other. as soon as we were seated at the bar, the chef - chef ritter, a very friendly fellow - came out and chatted with us. he gave us a complimentary bowl of clam chowder which was bomb diggitty. off to main dish. i ordered the house pan roast medium spicy (level 5?) and my friend ordered the gumbo (same spicy level). so they have these steam kettle boilers right in front of you at the bar. and they "cook" your food right there before your eyes. i say "cook" cuz although they bring out the ingredients, majority of the savory part of the dish is pre-prepared. they just put the premade pan roast soup or gumbo into the kettle with the other raw ingredients (assorted seafood - clam, oyster, chopped lobster tail, crab claws, and whole shrimp) and let them boil. anyways, when it was done, it's poured into these cool white bowls which apparently keep your food piping hot for a very long time. anyways they both came with a scooping of rice, and i gotta say, oh man both were piping hot bowls of yummy goodness. seriously it was sooooooo good. and as for the portion, i thought it was great. but then i guess one's perfect portion's another's one-bite-munch portion. for us 30+ yr oldies it was just the perfect portion. anyways, i'mma try to take as many ppl as possible to this place. and all youS should do too!!!!
(4)
Paul I.
All reviews are accurate. Not as great as Oyster Bar but pretty close. The Pan Roast is not as rich as I tried it in Oyster Bar but flavor is just as good. The staff are friendly but pretty in-experience still. This location is just around the corner from where I live (less than 10 minutes drive). I will be a regular to The Boiler.
(4)
Stephanie P.
#146 Totally a fan of this place. When the boyfriend first heard about The Boiler, I was actually pretty skeptical. To be honest, I'm not big on Chino Hills establishments - don't ask me why because I have no idea. But, once we walked inside, I knew we were in for a real treat. I'm smitten with their interior decor because it's classy yet casual and decent cooking stations are rarely found outside of a Benihana, but they've got them! We ordered the House Pan Roast and the Diablo, both at a spiciness level of 8. The chefs were super friendly, chatting us up and asking everybody where they were from. I was so giddy watching them put together our entrees because everything was so organized. Everything in that kitchen is set up purposefully so as not to hassle the chefs in terms of tracking down ingredients. After a short wait, we were ready to chow down and OMG so so yummy! I was ecstatic that they're spicy levels were potently accurate and everything was packed with flavor since they'd been simmering in their respective broths/sauces for a while. My mouth was burning by the time we finished up our food but my stomach was more than satisfied. Promise me you'll give this place a shot - you will NOT regret it. Oh oh, and full bar!
(5)
Mike K.
Their combo pan roast is awesome! I highly recommend it! Also, I found a recipe for the pan roast at panroastrecipe.com which I got and it is as close as you can get to the real thing if you want to make it at home.
(5)
Gabriel C.
HORRIBLE SERVICE but not the fault of the employees. The owner needs to stop being cheap and hire a hostess and more bussers so the waiters can do their job as servers. The great food is over shadowed by the frustration of having to wait unreasonably long. What a shame I would love to eat their more often.
(2)
Shelley C.
My husband took me the first time on our 9th anniversity this year. The food is really delicious here, however, it's just alittle bit pricey. My kids love their shrimp scampi and their seafood is really fresh. Will definately go back though.
(4)
Rebecca S.
We traveled all the way from Simi Valley to Chino Hills just to try out this restaurant and we were definitely not disappointed. The food is as good as Vegas if not better. For appetizer, we ordered some really good raw oysters. We also tried the pan roast (#9 spiciness) and Jambalaya (#7 spiciness) and they both turned out really good. I'd go a little less spicy on the Jambalaya next time though. Their creme brulee is a must-try. Service was great and I can't wait to go there again. I just hope they can open up one closer to me.
(5)
nadia f.
So is it closed for good? or temporary?
(4)
B S.
The House Pan roast is one of a kind (unless you're at the Oyster Bar in Vegas). This place is 100% worth the drive!
(5)
Steve M.
If you've ever been to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas after an all nighter of drinking and gambling, then you know exactly how good this place is. Ritter was the head chef over there and created the amazingness that is the House Pan Roast, and decided to bring that glory about 4 hours closer to us in opening The Boiler in Chino Hills. There's something for everyone here, even if you aren't into seafood. Though I would suggest all first timers have the Pan Roast before trying anything else. One taste and you'll be hooked!
(5)
Michelle D.
this place is most delicious! so far, i have ate here twice & plan 2 come back. i have only tried the the chowder & the pan roast which is very delicious & different. make sure u know how spicy u want it bc there is a scale! i really love seafood & this place & the service is wonderful. they take care of their customers & the chef even makes sure we are taken care of! the only reason why i didnt give 5 stars is the price. i wish the prices wasnt so high (its like $12 bucks for pan roast) but its worth it! :)
(4)
Dex S.
yummy flavors, friendly & efficient staff, still delicious if you heat it up later. i was in chino hills for a wedding this past weekend and the family i was staying with in chino hills recommended this place. we made a reservation at 12:30pm for lunch because they said it usually gets really crowded. however, when we got there the place was pretty empty. i guess we got lucky because this place is freaking delicious. also, they had a banner outside with a "2 entrees for the price of one with purchase of 2 drinks" promotion. we took full advantage of this and pretty much paid about $12/person! for a party of seven (5 guys + 2 girls) we ordered "oysters on the half shell" (a dozen) as our appetizer and the "house pan roast" (6 orders, the girls split one) as our entree. as we waited for our food, they gave us free sliced french bread and butter (always a plus)! the oysters were presented nicely and tasted fresh. nothing out of the ordinary there, which is good. the house pan roast is a decent sized bowl of tomatoey soup with crab, shrimp, lobster, clams, and some other stuff. you can order it with rice or linguine and they let you choose spice levels between 1-10. i ordered mine with noodles and a spice level of 8. it was GLORIOUS! the level 8 spice was not even spicy at all! you could taste just a HINT of it and that's what made it so good. it didn't overpower the food at all, it enhanced it! i finished all my noodles and was pretty full, but i had a lot of soup left. so i asked for a box to take it home. i put the leftover soup in the fridge, attended the wedding, and went out for drinks afterwards. on the way back home, i stopped by albertsons and bought a loaf of french bread. got back to the house and heated up the soup. dipped the french bread in the soup and it was just as good as i remembered (if not better due to my intoxication). AMAZING! i heard there's also a boiler in vegas. i'll be sure to go the next time i'm there. boiler in chino hills, you get my stamp of approval! :)
(5)
suzanna m.
the crab pan roast is greater than the one in Las Vegas Oyster bar. Yeh...we don't have to drive that long way to LV for the same food anymore. Besides, the oyster is so fresh in the Boiler. Make sure try the raw one, you can feel the freshness. Also, don't forget the dessert too. My kid is just 8 years old, she still liked the bread and pasta there. The owner told me that even kid can sit on the bar top table to enjoy the food, we will try it next time.
(5)
Henry E.
I love this place. I try to stop by whenever I'm in the area and I've never been disappointed. So far I've tried the gumbo, bouillabaisse, pan roast oyster, shucked oysters, and the clam chowder. Everything is great, but the gumbo is awesome. Granted I've never been to Louisiana to try gumbo there, but I can't imagine it could get any better. The chowder? Best. Chowder. Ever. The service is great, attentive, but not intrusive.
(5)
Elton W.
This place is really good! We were very pleased to find something so unique in Chino Hills (the land of chain restaurants that is void of culture and fine dining). This is a N'awlins style restaurant, with amazing flavors and fresh seafood. I got the Pan Roast -- really fantastic. Good and spicy, creamy sauce. It's not cheap, but it's worth it. If I were going to nitpick, I'd wish for a bit less sauce, as it seemed to be slightly overpowering the seafood, but all in all, it was excellent. The service is very attentive (since it is a new restaurant), and the owner/staff clearly want to succeed.
(5)
Tommy C.
The cioppino is awesome at the boiler. It was a hard decision between that and their house pan roast. The chefs are great, very courteous, friendly and informative.
(5)
Spencer H.
This place is super tasty and delicious, but it does take a little while before you get your order. What? Why would you want to rush something like this? Now, I can tell you that there is a reason why you should want to wait. The food is another level of great and the breads they serve you while you wait is nice and soft, crispy crust and chewy... um, bread area. =/ I had the chicken jambalaya and in a word, it was "yummo." Now that I have confirmed my ticket to Hell, let me explain why this was so good. The okra was cooked perfectly and the spiciness should never be too much (since they do ask you on a scale of 1-10 how spicy you want it). The food itself is served in a nice, simple, ginormous bowl and it is chock full of Andouille sausage and generous portions of juicy, tender chicken.
(4)
Jeff T.
If I had not tried Oyster Bar in Vegas, I would give this place a 4 star for its food. But comparing to the same restaurant that they had in Vegas. I think this restaurant has a lot to improve. The appetizers: Bacon wrapped shrimp was over-priced and salty. I would not even feed this to my dog. Also, the bread. Can someone ask them why is their bread always so cold and stale? Their food isn't that cheap. So is it really hard to serve a bread hot and fresh? Main course: I recommend the house pan roast for any 1st timers. The tomato-based creamy broth mixed with chicken, sausage, and variation of seafood definitely makes this a signature dish for the restaurant. I also tried the jambalaya and gumbo. Let me tell you my friends, stay away from the gumbo. The broth was a mixture of sour and bitterness. Not a fan of this dish.
(3)
Vince I.
Sitting here on a Saturday afternoon and waiting and waiting for our food now for about 45 minutes. On top of that when we inquired about more bread we were told that they were low on bread so they only gave each table one basket. I am just sitting here drafting this review ... Zzzz service is soooo slow. Had I known It would take this long I would have ordered 24 hours ago. Was going to give 2 stars but now it's been over an hour. Would go to zero if I could due to the wait.
The Boiler is a very unique experience. Steam kettle cooking is fascinating to watch so definitely sit at the counter. You get to see how the chef cooks and if it's not too busy, he'll joke around and chat with you. The negative to sitting at the counter if you've got more than two people, it's a bit hard to hold a conversation with each other. House Pan Roast - Spice level 3 - I'm not a big spicy person so I opted for a 3. Looking back, this dish is definitely more tasty with more spice. Next time I'll have to tough it up. It had lots of seafood in it. Great with noodles. Clam Chowder - I got this to go for my mom. It's super thick and creamy. Very strong herby flavor. The food is a bit pricey but it's definitely worth trying. I wasn't crazy about the taste the night of but it was delicious as leftovers! Overall, a very friendly fun place.
(4)
Angelie D.
The Boiler is a great place to experience some really good Cajun food. What I love about this place is that I can't really compare it to another place. It's in a category all by itself. I've been here twice and I wanted to wait a bit before I reviewed this place to see whether they can be consistent. So here it goes: Oysters: Raw, huge, cocktail sauce, horseradish, and lemon - too amazing. FRESH FRESH and FRESH! Clam Chowder - rich, creamy, clammy? (but in a very good way), and chunky. In my top five of Best Clam Chowder EVER! Gumbo - Level 5 - in most places this is just a little above mild. 5 is HOT enough for me. I felt like a panzy, but it didn't matter, the food was so good. Jambalaya- great balance of sausage, seafood, rice, and spicy tomato sauce. This is one of their spicier dishes. It already comes at a 5 and you can only go higher! AHHH! =) House Pan Roast - My favorite dish since I've visited. The tomato base is so scrumptious alone that it doesn't really need anything else. BUT you also get an array of clam, oysters, crab, and lobster to get the seafood taste in every bite. I really want this place to stay open. Right now being in the center of Chino Hills, I believe they can do a lot better with a better location. After talking to the owner, it seems like they are doing just fine. The owner is really cool and has a lot of stories to tell you about his life and his career. This only made my visit more memorable. I love great service, great food, and great memories!
(4)
Hap N.
I absolutely love this place. Whenever I'm craving for some raw oysters or some gumbo (I'm a big fan of okras!), I go here. They have other southern food too but I've only eaten their gumbo the five times I've been here. They have great service; ask and you shall receive! I've always requested more of something that they put in my food, and they always give it to me without extra charge :) Their raw oysters are really big and fresh. I've tried raw oysters at Boiling Crab, taste like sh*t, I'm sorry. I don't like my oysters tasting like they've been dead for a few hours, nor do I like my oysters having that weird fishy taste. I don't even think fishy taste is the description for it. But regardless, The Boiler has the best oysters away from the coast. The bread and butter they give you when you sit down is really good too. If this place wasn't 30+ miles away from where I live, I'd go here once a week.
(5)
minna t.
When I first starting Yelping, my hubby specifically asked "Please don't yelp the Oyster Bar (in Vegas), I don't want the wait to get longer." The Oyster Bar only has 18 seats and a wait of 30 minutes or longer. So I finally made it out to Chino Hills and no longer will I wait at the Oyster Bar! We started off with oysters on a half shell. Then the owner came by and had us taste the clam chowder, yummy! I had my usual the Combo Pan Roast and not only did it taste the same, it was even better! Much more rich and flavorful! Hubby had the linguine & clams (white) and that was also very good. There were more clams than linguine! Overall, the food and service was great! We got to talking with the owner who mentioned that the original location was supposed to be at Diamond Jamboree in Irvine! It's good for me that they're now in Chino Hills cause my belly would grow twice as big if it were 5 minutes from my house!
(4)
Cynthia Y.
Amazing food! This is one of my favorite places. Too bad they're so far away. Came here for dinner with the boyfriend before Eminem's concert. We walked in at around 5 and the place was pretty empty. It was a pretty hot day though, I would say like 100 degrees. We sat down at the bar. The head chef (never got his name) was super nice! He asked if it was our first time & we said yes, he brought us out a cup of clam chowder to try. It was so delicious!! Yummm my boyfriend isn't really big on seafood but he enjoyed it. We ordered the happy hour appetizer sampler. I ordered the House Pan roast and the boyfriend ordered the cioppino. We got our sampler which had bacon wrapped shrimp, spring rolls, and sausages (we ordered the loiusiana sausage). All 3 appetizers were delicious! yummmmmm While we enjoyed our appetizer, the chef started to prepare our entrees using the kettle, it was fun to watch. our food was ready once we finished our sampler. My house pan roase was delicious! it comes with jasmine rice. words cant describe how good the pan roast is. i dont know how to explain it but i guess you can say it's like curry, cajun style..full of spices and fresh seafood. i think its worth every penny. simply delicious! i really want more... My boyfriend really liked his cioppino. it's pasta with really spicy seafood. i dont really like spicy so it was a bit too spicy for me but it was tasty. my boyfriend said the sauce was perfect, the spice was perfect, and the seafood was really fresh. he kept saying it was realllly good =) so me and boyfriend really enjoyed this place. i cant wait to come back soon =D must try!
(5)
Pamela A.
I LOVE The Boiler!!! Again, happy that we've finally got some great places to eat in the little town of Chino Hills. I will say this, if you're looking for phenomenal service, you're not going to get it here but the conversation you may have with the Chefs and the food kept me coming back. My boyfriend and I tried this place several months ago as an experiment. I passed by it all the time on my way to Yogurtland so I said why not? Since then, we have returned several times and I have introduced many friends to the place. In just a few months, I have seen the amount of customers grow significantly and I couldn't be happier for the chef/owner! The concept behind steam kettle cooking was explained to us on our first visit by the chef himself. He's a very nice gentleman and when given the opportunity, will conversate and interact with his customers as much as possible. His crew of waitresses are nice as heck but I'll be honest, they can definitely be more efficient and attentive. It almost feels as if they're constantly short-staffed but the place doesn't even have that many tables. That's a puzzle I still haven't figured out but like I said, the food has me going back over and over again. I have tried their House Pan Roast ($18.95), Cioppino ($16.95), Combo Cocktail ($11), and Cajun Calimari ($8.95). My boyfriend has tried their Gumbo ($15.95). My favorite has to be the House Pan Roast, level 10 spicy please!!! The first time I went there, I chose a level 6 and it was not spicy as all. The chef ended up making me a side of spice to add to my taste - awesome! I would say for the weak-tongued, start around a 5-6 and you can always add more spice. The Cioppino was very light, not like the heavier flavor of the House Pan Roast. Still very good, but I preferred the creaminess of the Pan Roast. Their combo cocktail was ok, not the best bang for your buck. Their calamari was nicely breaded and they use full pieces, which I enjoyed. Definitely worth a try, the Boiler hits the spot on those cold, winter nights and lets not forget the leftover soup makes a great dipping sauce for bread, which is usually my lunch the next day!
(4)
Natalie S.
Drove here to meet up with friends an hour before they closed. My friend always tells me how packed it is and how its very hard to get a table, so we were surprised to see it fairly calm. There was a wait for a table and with it being so late we opted for the bartop. Which turned out to be better since we got to see the food being made, quite entertaining. Ordered a glass of wine and some beer, also started with a half dozen order of blue point oysters and some Bacon wrapped shrimp. The shrimp was spectacular!!! Plump shrimp with mozzarella cheese with perfectly cooked bacon wrapped around it. Most bacon wrapped items are disappointing when the bacon is usually undercooked but this item is a must try. Their oysters were just ok I don't really know how blue point oysters can taste different from place to place but they did. Also for starters ordered the new england clam chowder and the manhattan clam chowder both did not disappoint, in fact one of the best new england clam chowders I've ever tried. For dinner I ordered the linguine and clams with the white wine sauce, my guests ordered the bouillabiasse, the cilantro chicken with sausage, and also the jambalaya for each guests we were asked which level of spice we would like. Every dish was very flavorful and even thought the dishes are a bit pricey the portions are huge! Definetly worth a trip to check it out.
(4)
Danny C.
So freakin good! I came here for lunch after a long night of drinking and I honestly wasn't in the mood for any food, but after the first bite I destroyed the rest of my meal. I would definitely come back if I get the chance.
(5)
Oanh N.
Came here today to see what the hype was all about. Overall... it was good however I thought the food was too rich for me but the service was just wonderful. Food: 3 Service: 5 Overall: 4 Food: Pan Roast House: super flavory and rich! I got the spice level 7 and it had a nice kick however I was able to distinguish the powder chili very clearly so I think if the spice level was lower then the whole meal would be more well balanced. Jambalaya: hearty and flavory. It was good but I didn't think it was fabulous. Clam chowder: like the others it had a full body taste. It was more rich and creamy than milky. I've had better and I prefer it to be more milky. It had a good amount of clams in it. Portions: very very generous. I ate only half and my bf ate about 2/3 of it and he can eat a lot! Service: It's a major plus when you're being served with a genuine smile and they want to make sure you're enjoying your meal. Cost: 1 cup of soup and 2 entrees with tax and tip: under $45 total.
(4)
Allen L.
Great food and oyster. My favor dish Cilantro chicken with sausage. make sure you make reservation first, or you wait go 30min to get a table
(5)
Angelica K.
So the weather was finally cold enough to be "soup weather" and the first place i thought of was here. The food was good but not worth the price, maybe if it came with a side or something it would make it worth it? If you go in hungry like i did, you will not have any left overs, and i was still a little hungry :( We personal will not be back, it just cost way to much for what you get.
(3)
Mymy L.
A lot of my friends have been raving about The Boiler and its infamous pan roast for several months now. Seeking to understand what all the hype was about, we decided to make the trek out to Chino Hills - and indeed it was a trek (as is everywhere outside of Orange County for me). As a forewarning, let me advise all of you who are unfamiliar with the area to NOT use google maps. It led us in the wrong direction and we were driving in circles for a good 20 minutes in panic mode since it was running close to 9pm. Follow the directions provided on their website instead. When we finally made it to the correct location, we were seated at the island that is in the center of the restaurant, directly in front of the chef which gave us a great view of the preparation and cooking. The staff here is so refreshingly welcoming, even though we arrived fairly close to closing time. We had the opportunity to chat with Chef Ritter and he was very engaging - you can tell that he takes pride in the food he serves. For starters, we ordered oysters on the half shell. Good but not great. I'm not sure if it was because they were fairly large oysters but they just weren't very tasty to me and I love oysters. I suspect the oysters at the Oyster Bar in Vegas are much better. Upon my friend's recommendation, we ordered the pan roast with sausage. This dish is positively superb! I love most everything that is tomato-y and the pan roast fits the bill. It is creamy, rich and loaded with clams, crab, shrimp and lobster. We ordered this at a spice level of 6 and it had the right amount of kick without overpowering the overall taste of the dish. Other items that we ordered: Clam chowder - I personally thought was absolutely delicious. It is quite creamy and thick but that's actually how I prefer my clam chowder. And they don't scrimp on the clams either. Gumbo - tasty and loaded with okra, shrimp, sausage, crab, clams and rice. Jambalaya - also loaded with shrimp, sausage and chicken. My friends ordered this at a spice level of 7 which was a bit too spicy for my taste. I'm not a huge fan of jambalaya but my friends seemed to enjoy it and I'm sure I would have too if the spices didn't numb my taste buds (yes, I'm a spice wuss). The servings here are quite substantial so bring a friend or two to share any of the above entrees. We had to take home half of our pan roast and it took quite an effort to finish the gumbo. The Boiler is definitely a great place if you're looking for hearty Cajun comfort food at its best. Price per person: $20 - 30.
(4)
Fawn D.
house pan roast - the best!
(5)
Joel P.
Just went to the Boiler after it was recommended by my boss. I read a lot of reviews before I decided to check this place out so let me make mine to the point . Service as many noted does suck. Expect to wait forever regardless of how busy it is. Cant complain about the food, but some reviews blow it out of proportion IMHO. People said the House Pan roast was so great...orgasmic even. Its tomato soup with bits of seafood so shredded you cant tell whats what. And 3 shrimp. It tastes ok though , just not something to relish over. Id say give it a try...just dont set your hopes too high and you wont be disappointed
(3)
Trina J.
Just had dinner there. Food was amazing!! Make sure you get Joe as your chef he is superb at what he does. Teh servers are supper friendly and nice. Went there with a friend we split two appetizers and an entree. We were stuffed,, well not to stuffed to split dessert. Never a big fan of creme brule but theirs was AWESOME!! Awesome service, food and people.
(5)
Ashley W.
YUMM! I absolutely love The Boiler. It really is a tasty and unique place that always has me craving for more. It might be a bit on the pricey side, but honestly, what do you expect when your bowl is loaded with seafood??? You can even sit at the bar and watch as they make your food in their special steam kettles. I'd rather come to this place than going to the boiling crab for some sort of cajun food any day. My absolute favorite dish is the HOUSE PAN ROAST. AHHH DELICIOUS. The sauce is creamy, loaded with seafood(shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams), and with the right spice level (I usually get a 5-6), it's like an explosion of deliciousness in your mouth. It normally comes with rice, but you can make it pasta instead, which I like a whole lot better. If you don't like shrimp or one of the things they put in the house pan roast, there are other pan roasts that come with just clam or just crab and etc. This place even has happy hour which gives delicious appetizers for cheap! Every bowl is pretty big and good for sharing. Most of the time, even if I do share, I still have leftovers. If you don't want to try the pan roast, I'd say that the shrimp diablo and the Cioppino are pretty delicious too. If you haven't come in and tried the food at the boiler yet, you definitely should. It'll knock your socks off!
(5)
Da C.
They must've changed management or owner got stingy. The food still tasted practically the same but they gave less of everything yet charged the same. You would really tell with the clam chowder bowls. Service here is always really slow. This used to be my pan roast craving satisfaction place but now I might just actually make the drive to Vegas. At least then ill be completely satisfied instead of somewhat satisfied.
(3)
Jennifer A.
Well of course I had to check The Boiler out because I don't think I've ever seen a restaurant get more buzz in Chino Hills! I came here for lunch with my boyfriend and my grandma. Admittedly, I didn't pick the best day to come because I was just getting over a bout of food poisoning and was lacking my usual voracious appetite. However, it was pretty much the only day that I would be able to make it for the lunch specials. So I bravely soldiered on and ordered the House Pan Roast. Why is it called a pan roast? It's clearly not roasted or even cooked in a pan. Either way, it was mighty delicious. It definitely hit the spot on that chilly day. I ordered a spice level of 3 and it was spicy, but not mouth numbingly so. The thick tomato cream soup was loaded with all sorts of seafood as well as a scoop of rice. My boyfriend had a level 6 chicken gumbo (after he chickened out of a level 8) and it was definitely spiiiicy! My grandma had the clam chowder which I really enjoyed and tasted like rosemary. As I said, I wasn't very hungry and probably took 2/3 of it home, which my mom gobbled up. The serving size is pretty big but even at lunch time it is about $12. There are other (cheaper) lunch specials including clam chowder and a po' boy for about $8. Dinner prices bring you closer to $20/person. And unfortunately, there is no lunch menu on the weekends. Service was a bit on the slow side considering the place wasn't very full, maybe it was just an off day. A good place to check out if you like seafood and it's cold out!
(4)
Q O.
Our party of 7 were seated promptly. We were all excited to try out the many offerings of The Boiler based on Yelp reviews. We placed our order, got our appetizers, everything was looking and tasting good. Then our main dishes came, but only 6 out of 7 of us got our food. We asked every server that walked passed us about the last main dish. Each and every one said, "I'm sorry, I'll go check it right now." Then each one would walk back to our table to say "They're making it at the moment." Finally, after 10 minutes we see a server carry a bowl towards our table, but she stops at the table before us and says "chicken gumbo?" That was exactly the dish that our 7th person ordered. That table came after us but got that dish before us? So we called the head server over, "Hi, can you please check on our chicken gumbo? We just heard the other server bringing it to the other table." We heard the two servers talking and then the head server comes over, "I'm so sorry, but the other server accidentally brought your order to the other table. I'm getting them to make your order right now." As time was ticking (30 - 40 minutes), the rest of us were full and ready to pack up our leftovers. I then asked one of the servers, "May I speak to the manager please." She then says, "The manager is really busy at the moment. He knows and understands the situation. He will be over as soon as possible." Needless to say, the manager never came. The food finally did, but by then we were all over it. I don't own a restaurant nor do I manage one, but overall every profession has to do with customer service. Issue one is the mix up of our order and lack of urgency to rectify it and two is that a manager didn't feel that customer satisfaction is of importance. The easiest fix would be to instantly make our dish, but one after another we watched as other tables/customers' orders were completed. Sure we got that dish removed from our bill, but we weren't asking for a free meal. We wanted to be heard and know that our concerns are of importance to a manager. Overall, 3 stars are mainly for the food. We really don't blame the servers for the mix up as it could happen, but it's the lack of attention from management. This was such a disappointment as we liked the food, but it's not enough to promote an establishment that doesn't care about the thoughts/feedback of its patrons or the community that it serves. We'd rather support a business that cares about the quality of every aspect of their organization.
(3)
Richard F.
We had a family night out here last night. Grandma, our two year old and one year old. It was a fairly kid friendly environment. I had the house pan roast (spicy level 6) my wife the Cioppino (spice level 1 as she was sharing with our two year old) and grandma had the Etoufee (spice level 3) We all enjoyed our food very much. I would probably choose a spice level 4 or 5 next time as the heat tends to build with the meal. The service was great and we will definitely be going back. To quote my wife 'New favorite'.
(4)
Amina K.
The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the house pan roast at a spiciness of 8. The length of time it takes to get the food on the other hand was a bit long. It took about 30 minutes to get our dinner.
(4)
Andrew L.
this place is pretty bomb. I don't normally review but this is one place I would recommend. Although dinner is a lot more expensive than lunch. Anyways, I don't want to write an essay.... just try it. I got the house pan roast GOOOOOOD
(4)
Elliot K.
my friends recommended me to go to this place so we went to eat here today. It's located in a big private lot so there's plenty of parking. The restaurant inside is very spacious and the lighting/decor are very nice. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. She frequently came by to check if everything was ok for us. Now what i really like about this place is that you can watch the cooks actually cook the food right in front of you. If you come here you HAVE to sit at the counter so you can see everything. It's really interesting to see how they cook your food. The cooks like to talk to you while you eat to see if you're enjoying your meal and they're really chill. Really down to earth and pretty funny too. All the staff are extremely good people. So we got the house pan, jambalaya, gumbo, clam chowder, and the desert for that day which was pumpkin torte or something. My favorite out of all these would probably be the jambalaya. Its REALLY good. LOTS of flavor and definitely one of the best i've had. Pretty pricy though. Each meal is around $15-20 during dinner. However the cooks aren't stingy with the portions. I almost ate myself into a food coma. Their bowls are pretty big and the shrimp that they put in the jambalaya were big. The food is cooked fresh right in front of you and you can see the effort that the cooks put into making your food. For that this place is outstanding. You definitely get your money's worth in the quality and taste of the food. Because of the prices however i wont be coming back here frequently, but i will definitely come back in the future. This is one of the go to places if you're ever around chino hills.
(5)
Michelle E.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant! I love the House Pan Roast and Jambalaya. I do a spice level 12 for the pan roast and a 10 for the jambalaya. It is even better the next day since there is always enough for day two. My husband usually gets his meals at a spice level 5. The staff is fabulous! We always sit at the bar so we can watch the action. Also, they had a great promotion for their anniversary; buy a $50 gift card and they added $10 to it so we bought $100 worth and got $120. Can't wait for another promo!
(5)
John S.
Food and service was very good during my last visit. If you are look for a similar experience to the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, this place is definitely worth a try, I recommend the House Pan Roast!
(5)
Kathreen A.
This place is amazing! Found this place bc of yelp actually and I'm so happy I did! Tried the crab cakes which were a good starter and then my friend and I also got the house pan roast. It's a definite must. At first I couldn't understand why everyone was raving about it but now I see why.
(5)
Ada Y.
can not believe how good this place is!!!! we will for sure b coming back :)
(5)
Al R.
Over priced and over rated.
(3)
Yelp C.
Delicious! Love the calamari, pan roast and clam chowder.
(4)
Gina H.
Update: sorry it took so long to update. A lot has changed in the last few years since my first review. The service still could be better, but the food makes up for it. House pan roast is a must have!!! 4 out of 10 please :)
We had the house pan roast n the fisherman's chowder n they were both delicious...The portion is big n I will definitely come back again on a cold rainy day :)
(4)
Juan G.
The best calm chowder in the West coast!! Thick and creamy with lots of tasty clams and herbs. Its better than some chowders that I've tasted in Boston or in the New England area. And I just had a sample of this chowder because Chef Ritter (I think that's his name) was very cool and just handed me a free sample as I waited for my order to be done. My 1st time here and I believe I am going to have to adjust my 4 stars to 5 once I come back and try more of their menu. I had the calamari as a starter. Very tender and tasty but don't expect the rings and tentacles. Here its cut into a large French Fry shapes covered in a well seasoned non-spicy breading. Just watch out for the shaved horseradish that they place in the red dipping sauce. I mistakenly ate the whole thing and it really opened up my sinuses. Ordered the Gumbo. It comes out piping hot with a ball of white rice on top with a spice level of 8 (they ask you how spicy you want it 0 thru 10). Once the temperature cooled the flavors really started to fuse together and it became this incredible comfort in a bowl. The spice level 8 was just enough to make me cry a little and really open up my taste buds. I'll absolutely come back and I highly recommend it. But the only con would be that it might be a bit pricey to frequently visit this place.
(4)
Samantha O.
Why does this place have 4 stars!?!? PEOPLE HAVE YOU NEVER HAD GOOD SEAFOOD!?!! Came down from Monterey to spend the weekend with mom. We were in search of good oysters Rockefeller and this place came up as #1 on yelp. So we decided to try this place for lunch. We ordered the Cajun calamari and the oysters rockafeller. Calamari came out first, it wasn't too bad but it definitely wasn't even close to having any cajun flavor. It was your typical breaded and fried calamari strips. The oysters rockafeller was something completely different than the type I'm familiar with. We were served lukewarm oysters that had a brushing of some white cream that I guess was suppose to be hollandaise sauce. On top of the oysters was a thick bed of pankko bread crumbs. There was no spinach, no real hollandaise sauce, and the pankko crumbs had no flavor. It was an awful combination just chewy oysters with breadcrumbs. Talk about no flavor. YUCK! They did have good bread.
(1)
Brenda G.
On occasion I would take a drive to Vegas to visit the Oyster Bar. So when this place opened, I was really excited. The first couple visits were good, food was great and service ok. I guess now the original chef who was there for the opening is gone. So let me fast forward to last night... We get there and it's about an hour wait, that's ok since all our party was willing to wait. After being there for about 40 min, I walk to the bar and want to order a beer. The man behind the counter gets beers for another group waiting to place an order. He then comes to us and orders ours. After he takes my order, he goes back to the other group and asks if they want to keep tab open. He then leaves the bar area goes sets up some tables, goes to the front desk, comes back 15 minutes later and gets my beer. Really?? He doesn't know how to pour beer, I have never seen anyone scoop beer foam out with a spoon! Really?? What are you doing back there if you don't know how to pour beer!!!! When our table was ready, he tells my husband he needs to close his bar tab, we were not given the option of an open tab!! Sorry to say but are we the wrong nationality? This place left a lot to be desired and I do not see myself returning in a long time. They definitely need better management.
(1)
YelpStalkingIsSoPitifulLol S.
Love Love Love This Place! Just don't like the hrs that are so limited and weird...
(4)
Elizabeth S.
My friend recommended this place and I decided to check it out. Took my dad with me and being an Asian dad, he's very skeptical of trying new non-Asian restaurants. We ordered the infamous House Pan Roast and the Clam Chowder Entree. I was surprised to see that my dad devoured his House Pan Roast. He loved it! This says a lot about their food. My dad hardly ever likes non-Asian restaurants. I guess it hit the spot. I had some of it and I must admit, it was pretty damn good. Better than my Clam Chowder Entree. The clam chowder entree was good but not as good as the House Pan Roast. Next time, I'm going to get it! Also, they ask you if you want the House Pan Roast mild, medium, or spicy to customize it! If you like spicy like I do, get it spicy. We ordered medium and it had a little kick but it was weak stuff compared to spicy asian food that we're used to.
(4)
anna n.
On my recent trip to Vegas, I was introduced to Pan Roast at the Oyster Bar and ever since I came back, I can not stop thinking about how good it was. I was hoping to find something like it in So Cal. So when one of my friends told me there was a place in Chino Hills that served it, I was dying to go give it a try. Finally the opportunity came: my bf, a few friends and I made the drive out to Chino Hills Wednesday night to try it and I must say it was well worth the drive. Everything from the food, the service and the freindly chefs was great What we ordered: Pan Roast: My fave dish..cajun tomatoe-y sauce with clams, shrimp, lobster, crab and jasmine rice. Loved it, my palatte and tummy was definitely satisfied :0). Clam Chowder: Perfection....it was definitely better than the clam chowders you get at Fisherman Wharf in SF. It was rich, creamy and had lots of clams, just the way I like it :) Jambalaya: Superb!!! We ordered a 7 on the spiciness scale and it was pretty spicy. My friends tried a little bit of it and it was too spicy for them so if you dont eat spicy, I say stick with the 5 which is the lowest spiciness they can go to on the Jambalaya. Gumbo: My friends ordered this and I was able to give it a try. This dish was alright but I have never been a big fan of Gumbo. Blue Point Oysters: Fresh and taste wonderful. This was definitely comparable to the one in Vegas without the long wait which is always a plus in my book. And apparently Chef Ritter use to work at the one in Vegas so it had to be as good if not better right? So glad to have a place in So Cal to go to for Pan roast so I dont have to wait for trips to Vegas to fullfill my cravings. But it would be great though if you open one somewhere in OC, hint, hint :)
(5)
Vi T.
Overall: Nice place, the decor looks modern and classy, but the place has a casual ambiance. Come here if you are a TOMATO LOVER like me! Food: I shared a PAN HOUSE ROAST (signature dish) and I have to admit, I ate it 2 weeks ago and I'm still craving it today! I love the creamy tomato base consistency that this soup offers. It's really awesome that you can pick the spiciness of this dish as well rating from 1-10. We got a 5 because we were afraid that the spice would drown out the flavor of the soup, but after I taste a 7 (which one of my friend ordered), the flavor was definitely not lost. Next time, I'm getting a 7 or 8, but that's just my preference! We also got a side of noodles for my friends because let's just admit, eating the soup alone (which is a good amount) will probably be sickening to many people. However, I love it without the noodles. I heard the Bouillabaisse was also good, which is something I might check out next time. +EDIT: I came back here again and got the Clam Pan Roast for a CHEAPER price 13 dollars, and it was still delicious. I liked it more than the House Pan Roast because of 2 reason (price and more taste). I like the clam one more because I could taste the clams, where the House Pan Roast has 'supposedly' so many seafood in the soup base (crab, shrimp, clam and lobster maybe etc), but I can't seem to taste it. I rather get the clam because it's more bang for your buck! I got an 8 and it wasn't too spicy, but it had enough kick ;} It was so yummy~ I got some bread to dip with it as well. You can also get a side of noodles for a few dollars! Service: The waitresses were really nice and they helped my group with suggestions for picking our dinner entree. The chef even came out to ask how our food was going, which was really nice of him. Environment: Dimmed environment, but very modernized.
(4)
Jonathan T.
If i could give this place more than 5 stars, i would, this is hands down the best plate of food i have ever tried in my entire life...it really was that good... i went for my anniversary with my wife, we had the oyster rockafeller, house pan roast, gumbo and for desert the creme brule, i ordered the pan roast and my wife ordered the gumbo...the pan roast was just incredible, rich, creamy, had a ton of sea food in it, i did not want that bowl of soup to end, i chose spice level 3, it had just enough heat but it was not overpowering...my wifes gumbo was good but nothing compares to the pan roast, the gumbo was about a 4. creme brule had a nice crust on top, had to crack it with a spoon, custard had vanilla bean with a hint of orange zest. the second time i went there, ordered the clam chowder, it was pretty incredible, cheap too, about 5 bucks or so during lunch time, worth every penny. all in all these reviews are telling the truth, ill never forget that first bite of the pan roast, the clam chowder was a close 2nd, had a ton of clams and gumbo was not bad at all. one thing i will say, i went twice during lunch and once during dinner, portions are the same but dinner is like 7 or 8 bucks more per plate so if you have a choice, come during lunch! i still havent felt this way about a meal at any other place and it was worth every penny.
(5)
Edward L.
Decent decor but the service is mediocre. Can't speak for all the waitstaff but our waitress was unfriendly and impatient. Tried the house pan roast the crab cakes. Honestly the pan roast tasted like a seafood version of chicken tiki masala, with a creole kick to it. Worth a try but I don't know if I'll be going back anytime soon. The crab cakes were decent enough, but again nothing to write home about.
(3)
Ann S.
OMG this place is sooooooooooo good!! Myb son and I went here last night for dinner. We had the New England clam chowder, Bacon wrapped shrimp (TO DIE FOR!!) the house Pan Roast & the Shrimp pan roast. They give enormous portions of the roasts & its too much to eat, you will definately have to take it home. My son NEVER leaves leftovers. You must come to this place you will not be disappointed.
(5)
Trevor G.
Amazing food with high class flavor. Great atmosphere cool deco. Definitely a diamond in the rough!
(5)
Jackie B.
I love this little gem in a town of chains. The menu has a lot of variety and you choose spece level 1-10. I really liked the jambalaya. Drinks are wine and beer. If you are looking for a casual spot for 15-20 per person for food, this is a good bet. They have their food down to a science, and though it's not fine dining, it's a local joint with great grub! Read more Los Angeles Reviews as well as shopping/fashion, dog rescue and party planning on my blog- rescuelashelters.wordpre…
(4)
Tim N.
SOLID FOUR STARS! SUPER GOOD FOOD. I'm from O.C. and we make this drive often. CAUSE ITS WORTH IT. House Pan Roast, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Clam Chowder, Oysters, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Shrimp Cocktail, - ALL VERY GOOD. I don't know what they can do to push them to the 5 Star bracket, but man they're really close... EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS AND TASTY. Worth the drive...
(4)
Bonnie Y.
i LOVE this place! and they have liquor license now so GO! first, they have more than two types of bread - which is good! bread was warm and butter was tasty.... we got cajun calamaris for appetizers which was delicious... gumbo (at a spiciness level of 10) was AWESOME... i took a couple bites from my friend's and i LOVED it! i ordered the pan roast with just a spiciness of 6 - which was wrong, i LOVE spicy and this dish probably would taste better if it's even spicer... i'd recommend whoever wants to try it to go for 8.. the best dish i think from the night was the cioppino... not too heavy, and lots of seafood!!! we had leftover so i heat them up the next day, it's even better! i'll definitely go back to try other dishes on the menu... price, i agree that it's more towards the pricy side... though the portion is big... (but rice is too little - again agree with other yelper) that couple people could share the dishes... but still... the price might be an issue to keep people form coming back.... oysters and clam... we ordered both to try.... i like the oysters... but my friend said it tasted awful, not fresh, and very 'fishy'..... i am not an expert when it comes to oysters so i'd take her words for it... it certainly LOOK good though (see pic)... the clams.... i can hardly SEE it.... it's so small that i don't even know when i was eating besides the lemon juice and cocktail sauce.... would go back again... potential to be a 5 star place! :)
(4)
Aaron S.
I really was surprised by what I ate. I love Creole food. I love, love, love Creole food. The flavor is what I CRAVE! I had their specialty thing whatever it is.. House Pan Roast. The best thing. It is really f*ing good. The place is TINY though! Cmon! the lady had the Chiopino(sp) and she didn't like it--to her defense my house pan roastwas significantly better than hers. Appetizers weren't memorable (soft shelled crab) but still tasty nontheless. Worth going here if you're in the area!
Just because we got here 25 min prior to closing doesn't mean we should be blatantly ignored. It was clear they did not want more work to do and were all ready to go home. 10 minutes waiting and no server for drinks, etc is unacceptable when you aren't busy. Took my business elsewhere. Can't review the food when they don't serve it to you.
(1)
Ivy D.
Too bad this place is all the way in Chino Hills. I'd frequent this place much more often if it was closer to home. Anyhow, seafood and spicy are right up my alley, so this place was perfect. The clam chowder is the best I've ever had. I've also had the Bouillabaisse and the House Pan Roast, both at spicy level 8 and both were delicious. The pan roast is a bit creamier and richer, so I'd go with Bouillabaisse if you want something a bit lighter. I've also had the calamari, which is not typical. I'm not sure how I feel about the calamari, but it wasn't bad. Staff is also great and the Chef is so friendly and personable. Can't wait until they start expanding to more "happening" areas.
(5)
Vanessa L.
Oh, pan roast, the very essence of my being. During my last trip to Vegas, my girlfriends and I ate at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station. We were so moved by our experience that I vowed not to yelp that place (it would be our little secret). But this location opened up not-so-secretly and it's a helluva lot closer than Vegas so we HAD to try it out. We all ordered the house pan roast (varying degrees of spiciness - I think I'm going to try getting 6 next time because 7 is a bit spicy enough distract you from the pan roast taste) except for my boyfriend who got the chicken gumbo (even though I tried to talk him out of it and told him to get the pan roast - he tried mine and LOVED it). It is just as amazing as the Vegas location except for the following: in Vegas, the crab meat and shrimp tasted fresher. But I still can't complain because the pan roast totally hit the spot and made me a happy camper. We had a great discussion with the owner who told us about his history at the Oyster Bar in Vegas and the future expansion plans for The Boiler. I can't wait to come back, I don't care if it's all the way in Chino Hills, it's still closer than Vegas!
(5)
Carlo B.
Something happened over there since I last visited. Smaller portions and Clam Chowder was so bad I left it half full. Too bad, not going back anymore.
(2)
Jenny C.
With the storm heading to SoCal, there's no way better preparation than a warm bowl of Pan Roast at The Boiler. Soup for lunch? I'm no sissy eater. I love beef on all occasions but this place pleasantly surprises you. The Boiler specializes in soulful southern comfort soups. I've had their Jambalaya, Pan Roast, and Clam Chowder so far. The Jambalaya has a CRAZY Chuck Norris kick that will have you reaching for the bread even at a level 5 (you get to rank your spice from 1 to Habanero). The Pan Roast is a f'in Ninja that'll sneak attack you after the initial contact. Its addictive. Tomato cream-based. Sweet. Packed with seafood. It sounds a lot simpler than the taste. I turned down the signature dish for the Jambalaya my first go, but I came back shortly after tasting my friend's. It's pretty tasty, though I will admit it's not something I can eat a lot of (too creamy and hearty for me). The clam chowder is pretty good though. Hearty. Savory. Comforting. Each bowl is packed with serious seafood and flavor. The owner is super friendly and personally thanks every customer on his way out. It's just a cool place to have a low key, friendly meal at. Its the Cheers of the soup world.
(4)
Caroline N.
This place was a waste of calories, gas, and money. Now I'm not a food critic and usually am pretty lenient when it comes to eating out, but I am over-the-top angry with this establishment. Actually, I am boiling, hence the restaurant's name. Everything went wrong while stepping into this place. For one, the customer service was below the notch, and two, not worth $15 for ANY dish. I don't know what's going on with the owner, charging the heck out of these poor customers. I know the economy is bad, but that's no excuse. Spent over 2 hours waiting and 15 minutes eating, and that is saying something. We waited 45 minutes just to be seated to the point I was so angry that I had to ask the waitress how much longer. To my surprise, there was a table sitting there the whole entire time. No apologies? $50 bucks for 2 people? F that, use part of that money for your tips. I'm not going to put in any extra money for something that rips.
(1)
Matthew K.
My previous review nearly two years ago was five stars and I still love this place. The food definitely is still at that five star level. Unfortunately, the service has brought my overall experience with The Boiler down to a four. Fortunately, this can easily be corrected with some proper management. Below will explain . . . My wife and I went just this last Saturday during the peek hours, so we expected the wait . . . nearly 45 minutes. What was a little shocking was that only half of the dining room had seats filled. Granted, there was a large party of roughly 12 people. One of the waitresses later explained to me that when they have a large party it takes up all of their kettles, and thus brings the kitchen to a stand still. This is understandable. But that does not mean couples cannot be seated all together while the kitchen is making the larger party's meals. Instead, the hostess made about five couple (including my wife and I) wait, and wait, until all at once all of the parties were sat. What this means is that even after the larger party's meals were made, the kitchen was now backed up with five different couples having orders all at once. The hostess could have staggered the seating so there would be less stress on the kitchen. The result of this failure was that now we had to wait nearly an hour while seated to get our meals. While the hour wait to get our meals we then noticed the waitress was tending to bus her own tables while the busboy seemed to just go around and collect plates. Later the busboy took his break at the bar and eat in front of everyone, while everyone was waiting on their meals. This breaks a simple rule that employees should not take meal breaks in the presence of the customers. It appeared there was no managerial presence in the dining room. The issue with the way the hostess sat tables and the busboy's break could have been easily corrected with the presence of a manager. I am sure over time this will get corrected, and as previously mentioned, the food is still great.
(4)
Anna D.
Best Creole dishes I've ever had. My BFF and her hubby took us out there tonight for my birthday, and we had a blast! The oysters were fresh, and the House Pan Roast was most flavorful. I opted to have it "spicy" free, but that didn't do anything to change the flavors of the lobster, clams, shrimp, and crab. Everything was excellent. We're definitely going there again.
(5)
Ray T.
Interesting place. If you haven't tried Cajun style food definitely put this one on your list. Get the pan roast and bouillabaisse.
(4)
Kerry W.
Wow!! Second times a charm. Totally different experience. Bacon wrapped shrimp and the house pan roast were both very good. They offer spice control upfront With the 0-10 scale. It's a fun place cause the cooking machines are right in front of you and everyone is so friendly.
(4)
Tina L.
The house pan roast is good. It has a strong tomato taste. I like the clam chowder and it is super creamy and taste good.
(4)
Herbie H.
This place is seriously amazing! Who'd have thought there was good food in the IE! Ha! I had take out twice...Jambalaya and Chicken Gumbo...both incredible! I came here on a Friday night for dinner, and we had: -Bacon Wrapped Shrimp -New England Clam Chowder -House Pan Roast -Creme Brulee The bacon wrapped shrimp were delicious. The shrimp had perfect texture, and the filling and bacon wrap was just perfect! The clam chowder was one of the best I've had in a very long time. Hearty and creamy, with the perfect proportion of clams and potato. The House Pan Roast was awesome! Asked for an extra order of rice, and two of us shared this flavorful and tasty meal! The creme brulee was a great ending to the meal. Silky and smooth...with a delicious and different brulee! The perfectly crisp topping had lemon zest throughout to give it a refreshing kick. Soooo good! We had great service and Chef Chris, Jimmy, and the rest of the gang definitely made us feel at home. Worth checking out for anyone that loves seafood!
(5)
Joyce L.
Highly recommend you dine here. Casual and amazing food. You won't be disappointed! The Pan Roast is delicious, as is the gumbo, I understand they stand in line 2 hours in Vegas and drive from the OC. Soon to open in Irvine. For those on a diet they have a great salmon salad. Clam chowder and soft shell crab are also yummy! Sit at the bar and watch them cook....
(5)
Stephanie K.
Anytime I'm in the mood for some spicy seafood from the South this is where I go. It's close to home and love that everything is made fresh. I've tried quite a few of the dishes on the menu, but my favorite is the linguini with clams. The portions are quite generous. The only thing I wish they would change is the size of the tables. Even for 2 people it's a bit small.
(4)
Andizzle N.
We came for lunch on a weekday and it was a little busy as it was lunchtime. We sat there for a while and we had to ask for bread. We ordered oysters, which took over 30 minutes for us to get them. Our clam chowder took over 45 minutes. A hour into it, we were wondering why our food was taking so long. We realized that people that came after us already got their food. We asked the waitress what was going on and she went to ask the chef and she replied that he's going to make it right now. The chef came out to apologize and said that he was making the orders in order and that our ticket was last. He was very sincere. We weren't upset at the fact that it took a long time for our food to come out but because other patrons that came after us got their food first. It means that somebody dropped the ball. So either there was a system issue or our waitress put in the food late. Whatever the case was, we got up and left because it just wasn't right. We were the only ones in there without our entrees and all the kettles were empty or being cleaned. The chef was very sincere and apologized and invited us back. He took care of our appetizers. It wasn't his fault. But we were so upset we couldn't eat anymore, so we left. The only apology we receive was from the chef. The waitress never apologized for how long it was taking or bothered to find out why it was taking so long until we asked her. Jackson, please fix the customer service issues!!!!
(2)
susan l.
finally got a chance to eat here for lunch what i ate: - etoufee: nice flavor. i went for spiciness level of 5/10. it had enough heat to make it interesting, but not so spicy that i couldnt keep eating it. the crawfish/shrimp were tender. it was nice, but honestly unremarkable. - ckn gumbo: also nice deep flavor. my friend got it 6/10. but, not a fan of okra. - house pan roast: the winning dish i think. very similar to the etoufee but with tomato flavor that kicked it way up. the acidity of tomato really rounded out the flavor and it made me wish i had order this rather than the etoufee. pros: - service: super polite and attentive. - food: lots of great cajun/creole cooking. im interested in coming back for some oysters - portion size: it came out in a bowl and i thought, what? this is it? but it was like the bowl was never ending. i sat there trying to finish, but i couldnt. i barely got halfway and i had to call it quits. cons: - slow cooked? it took a long time for our food to come out. the staff seemed to sense our restlessness and kept offering us more bread. no more CHO, i want my etoufee! - price: this place isnt cheap. lunch made the price reasonable. i think i would balk at paying so much for dinner... but i guess okay since portions make it two meals in one kind of deal. would i come again? hmm... though nothing was bad, i duno how much id be craving this kind of food. plus its a bit out of the way for me.
(3)
Andrew K.
After having tried the Oyster Bar in Vegas, my attempt to vicariously relive the experience in Chino Hills was quite a disappointment. No warm sourdough rolls. Instead, you're relegated to room temp french bread as thin as deli meat. Cotton balls are denser. Strike 1. Combo pan roast (steam kettle cooked tomato-bisque based dish which includes lobster, crab meat + shrimp) comes with 3 shrimp. WITH shell-tail attached. Ridiculous. In Vegas, you definitely get more shrimp without the shell-tail and can devour with reckless abandon. Strike 2. I was happy to discover the rice in the combo pan roast was as my friend Fred said, akin to an iceberg. Very prophetic that guy. 1/4 floating on top while 3/4's lurks just below the surface...only to discover the rice below remained calcified and uncooked. Unacceptable. Strike 3. C'mon! A chinese guy owns/runs the place! Uncooked rice??? Deportation/Ejection. To staff's credit, spice level of 10 was just right. Enough to get the sweat beads on the nose going. Seating was prompt, about a 5 minute wait for 3 on a Friday night. Ample parking. FYI, lunch prices are about the same price as Vegas but at least $5-7 more during dinner. Fortunately, I was with good company and would actually go back.
(3)
Jesse W.
I think this place is one of Chino Hills hidden treasurers! It's too bad the name doesn't tell you much about the fact that they have awesome Creole/ Cajun food because I think more people would go in if they knew the type of food. Anyway, the cooks are fun and they sometimes they give you a taste of a dish they are preparing. It's great to have your food cooked right in front of you! You got to try this place . . . you're going to love it!
(5)
Peggy Y.
This place is absolutely amazing! The BF finally took me after he raved about it forever. I love how they provide a parking lot, and offered bar/table seating. It was a Saturday evening and we got so lucky that we got the bar seating in less than 20 mins. (My Bf says bar seating is a better experience for new guests because they cook the food in front of you and it SMELLS great). He's definately right, throughout our meal our chefs were entertaining us and shares experience and asks how our dishes were. I definately appreciated that he wasn't annoyed I asked a million questions. I think it would be even more awesome if they have outdoor seating with heat lamps for winter time, but that's just my little suggestion. This place has great ambiance, not too over the stop and they have flat screens on the wall so I can catch my baseball games, always a plus! A very mixed crowd which I love. As for our meal, we ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp as app. Sounds fatty but actaully a quite interesting combination, and just the right portion. Shrimps were big and crunchy- not soggy, you know that's a good quality shrimp. They also had a light sauce on top of it- so legit. The Bf got the House Pan Roast which was THE MOST DELICIOUS THING I HAVE EVER EATEN. The sauce is creamy and very STRONG tasting with plenty of mixed seafood inside. We substituted it with pasta instead of rice, my bf actually got this before as a mistake but it's one of those pleasant mistake, it's even better with pasta!! I got the Jambalaya and it was still great, the sauce was a bit thicker than the pan roast, and when it's mixed with rice it gets EVEN thicker and so I ended up trading with my bf and never wanted to give back his dish. Prices were a bit pricey for what it is, and I definately recommend this for dinner and not lunch because it is quite heavy in terms of portion and taste, but whatever floats your boat. I know I went home with a huge smile and had tons of leftovers for lunch. Of course my bf had to order the Lemon Creme Burle at the end, LOVED it. You have to try this place. It's overwhelming delicious- you just want to keep smiling and keep eating while holding your boyfriend/girlfriend's hand. I wish I can have this in my wedding banquet menu..yeah, I'm THAT serious.
(5)
Beth H.
My daughter and I went to this restaurant about two months ago. She had read some positive reviews on Yelp and wanted to try it out. I had the shrimp diablo and my mouth has been watering for more ever since. I thought the atmosphere was casual but for more for adults.
(5)
Hunger E.
NOTORIETY: None FOOD: Etoufee ($16.55 before tax): The etoufee was amazing. The soup base was creamy w/ the right savoriness. OVERALL: Tasty food but the wait & the waitstaff weren't very good. RECOMMENDATION: Etoufee TIPS: 1. Anticipate a long wait. Plan accordingly. 2. Sit on the counter so you can watch them cook right in front of you. NOTES: 1. If you purchase an entree, they'll ask you how spicy you want it (Scale 1-10). 2. They offer free slices of bread w/ your meal.
(5)
Justine H.
Yeahhhhh... not so much. My boyfriend and I decided to try this place because I was desperately craving a spicy, flavorful dish. So when The Boiler popped up on Yelp, we read the description, and saw how close it was to home, we were quick to decide this is where we wanted to go. We were excited to see that there was a menu posted right by the door since we are always skeptical/nervous of trying new places with the fear of leaving dissatisfied. But the menu, chock full of seafood dishes, looked phenomenal and seemed to be EXACTLY what we were looking for. Despite the prices looking to be a tad pricey, we were excited to walk in. We were seated immediately and our server greeted us, very cheerful, constantly with a smile on her face (literally, my boyfriend found it kind of creepy. lol.) She was very helpful after I had let her know it was our first time visiting. She informed us that the most popular dish was the House Pan Roast. I always try to avoid ordering the same thing as my boyfriend so we can try different things, but this sounded like a dish I just could not miss out on. We both substituted the rice with the pasta. My boyfriend went with a Level 5 and I went with a Level 8 seeing as how I LOVE spicy food. Originally, I had wanted to go with a 9, but our server recommended the 8 letting me know the 9 would be very spicy. We also ordered the bacon-wrapped shrimp, which arrived quickly. They were absolutely DELICIOUS! I WILL return for these!!! While we waited for our food, I hopped back on Yelp to see what Yelpers were saying about the dish I had ordered. I was extremely excited to see that I did not see a single bad review on it! But as the wait for our food grew longer, I grew hungrier and a tad grouchier. It took us an entire HOUR to receive our food! Once it arrived and we took a taste, we were quick to realize that it was nothing special at all. Our pasta and seafood were drowning in what seemed to be a saucy soup. There was just SO much of it (the saucy soup). The only real seafood you could taste were the shrimp because they were big. The rest of the seafood seemed to be shaved up and almost not there. You could feel the texture of the crab/lobster/clams in your mouth, but definitely could NOT taste the flavor because it was completely masked in the saucy soup. If you like tomato soup, you may be a bigger fan of the dish, but I just thought it was a little excessive seeing as how it comes in a huge bowl. I found there to be not enough content. I expected better, especially after the amazing reviews and LONG wait time. A light at the end of the tunnel, however, was the creme brulee. I always have a hard time finding a place where I can get it, but now I know one. However, it was simply mediocre. Our server was very attentive constantly asking us if we wanted more bread, and our drinks never went empty, but the check came out to $60 for an AWESOME appetizer, 2 unfinished entrees, and a decent dessert. Maybe one day, I'll muster up the courage to try one of their other entrees, but as of right now, the bacon-wrapped shrimp is the only thing I know I will be extremely pleased with.
(2)
J L.
love the vegas place (read either the owner used to work there or they opened up this one..who knows)...been wanting to try so came here on a sunday night. wait was about 20-25 minutes. prob b/c it seemed there was a large group that took up the bar area (assuming cause they all left around the same time ha) otherwise our wait would've been shorter. but anyways..... this is what we ordered: cajun fries: spicy but okay for me. i'd probably try some other appetizers before coming back to these. clam chowder: nice hearty bowl. lots of clams. good. i'd get it again. oysters: blue point oysters. cost like $3 more than the usual price of a half dozen. not too sweet but tasted fresh. i'd get it again. pan roast: recommended it seems by every yelper so add me to the list that recommend it. i'd also recommend adding sausages to it too. it's big enough i think for 2 people and that's a good thing cause it costs like $20. staff was super nice. our waitress was cheryl i believe. really friendly and would check up on us regularly. she was running back and forth like crazy but was always nice and smiling. rest of staff was nice too. i'll be coming back to this place for sure!
(5)
Jo C.
They seriously need more waiters especially on the weekends. The service was HORRIBLE! we waited almost an hour for our food. It was DIFFICULT to ask waitress for any service, like refilling water or bread. They even took forever to give us a check too. I think their service has gone worse and worse. The first time i ate there, the service was excellent. The food is not cheap there but the service is SLOW. Dont go if you are super hungry.
(2)
Heath C.
Delicious cajun inspired restaurant. I ordered the House Pan Roast and loved. I like that you could see the guys making your dish. The service could be better, the location is easy to miss and it's a bit pricy but the food is outstanding and worth the visit.
(4)
Eugene N.
Love this place! My friends and I always consider coming out here, because it's a little far for us being in Chino Hills, a total treat. It's basically the same thing as the every popular Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas, but just way closer for Californians. I always get the same thing... Pan Roast, because it's hard to get anything else, it's delicious! The place also has excellent customer service. I can't rave about this place enough, if you're in Chino Hills, you have to stop by the Boiler!
(5)
Ella M.
I got the House Pan Roast and it was so great. I can't wait to come back. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
(5)
Rebecca W.
Absolutely delicious. My friend brought me here when I visited Chino Hills area and I was thoroughly impressed. The atmosphere is fun, the chef prepares your dish right in front of you with little individual boilers for each dish; he literally prepares 10 people's orders at a time! We ordered the house pan roast and the lime cilantro chicken. Both were amazing, great spices and flavors that combine perfectly. It's one of those things where a couple weeks later, your taste buds are itching to get it again. I've heard the jambalaya and gumbo are amazing so I'll definitely be going back to try those!
(5)
Jonathan C.
WOW! I really don't know where to begin. The food, the service, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. New England Clam Chowder I started my meal with the New England Clam Chowder. I don't think I've had a better Clam Chowder that that cup of chowder. I've been to Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran., and I have to say that this chowder was just as good, if not better. It was thick, rich, great texture, and full of flavors. The clams were fresh and overall the chowder was absolutely amazing. Oysters on the Half Shell You wouldn't think that you could get fresh Oysters in Chino Hills, but these were one of the most fresh oysters I've had. They were perfectly shucked. Usually, when I order oysters on a half shell, they are sloppily shucked and bits of the shell end up in the oyster. Not at the Boiler. Everything was very professionally done, including the shucking. Pan Roast The intense flavors and the spice made the Pan Roast a symphony of flavors in my mouth. It was an absolute master piece. The sauce was rich, and the rice was perfectly cooked. The portion was huge! I do have a warning for first timers, when you are asked for how spicy you want your meal, anything above a 6 (in my opinion) is pretty hot. I had my Pan Roast at an 8 and I was sweating. Nevertheless, even though it was spicy, it did not overbear the flavor of the Pan Roast. I highly recommend it! The Atmosphere From the outside, it just looks like another one of those store front restaurants but once you come in, it is a relatively classy place. The design and lay out of the restaurant was very intentional. In the middle of the restaurant is an island kitchen surrounded by counters which customers can sit and watch the chefs prepare the meal. This gives the restaurant a very open/transparent feeling about it. The design was very welcoming and personable. I noticed that under the counter there were hooks intentionally place at each seat. This is so customers can hang their purses, bags or even jackets. Very well thought out. I can not say enough about the Boiler. The food was great, the service was great, the atmosphere was great, the chef's were professional! Highest recommendations. *** I have to also mention that I noticed the owner went around to each table and asked them about their meal. He was genuinely interested in our experience. I really appreciated that.
(5)
Aaron J H.
What a unique experience for me. I sat at the bar to see what all this was about. And it was fun to see the different technique of this pot cooking. Very tasty dish. I ordered the House pan Roast. the House pan roast pretty much includes all the seafood options: lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, fish. it comes in a tomato/cream based sauce and a big dollop of jasmine rice on top. & ordered mine with level 5 spiciness and thought it was just perfect. The Lead Chef was on duty. He was great to talk with and discuss his and the business.
(4)
Matthew F.
MAN! this is the spot!!! The bacon wrapped scrimps were the bomb! If you love gumbo like I do, you gotta try it here. Gotta warn you their spice levels is HOT!! I love me some spicy food but god damn, a level 4 of spice comes off like a 6 or 7. must haves: bacon wrapped shrimp, house pan roasts, and jambalaya BOMB!!
House pan roast BOMB, I like it at about a 6 but i can go all the way to 10. So if your craving the oyster bar at the palace station but cant make the trip, get your fix here its pretty good!
(5)
Thao N.
loved! I got what everyone else suggested which is the House Pan Roast. Super delicious and super bad for you. The BF was able to get it a non seafood version of it thats not shown on the menu so for you non seafood lovers...ask for that!
(4)
henry h.
The Boiler is a nice little cajun restaurant located in a big shopping center in Chino Hills. Where's Chino Hills? Exactly....only locals and Yelpers are probably going to find this place. My girlfriend and I came for a late lunch. The place is relatively small and has a cooking bar where they prepare your main entrees in front of you (if you sit at the cooking bar) with a steam kettle. The chef is very friendly and does an excellent job. All entrees are cooked to order and will take a little bit of time. My guess is this time will be longer when the place is busy. My girlfriend got the house pan roast which is a creamy tomato base dish filled with seafood and served with a scoop of jasmine rice. It was savory with some sweetness and when you add the heat it is a perfect marriage of flavors. I got the chicken gumbo which was also delicious. Spicy but not over the top. While I have never been to New Orleans or tried many cajun restaurants, I do think this place is really good. The flavors are bold and the proteins are cooked perfectly. A thing to note is you get pick your spiciness level from 1 -10. 1 is no pain and I like it boring to 10 which is I'm sweating bullets while farting fire later. Service is good. Parking is excellent since it is in a big shopping center. If you ever find yourself in Chino Hills give the Boiler a try. Enjoy!
The Boiler takes their idea from the famous Oyster Bar at Palace Station but adds their own twist to it. I had the half dozen oysters and soft shell crab for appetizers and the house special roast for the entree. Compared to the Oyster Bar in Vegas, the appetizers and oysters were a great deal better in flavor and presentation. As for the pan roast, the cream of tomato broth doesn't out-perform the one in Vegas. It was good nonetheless, but the difference was noticeable. The environment here is probably more lively and entertaining than Vegas because the chef actually engages with others dining at the bar. It is very clean as well, which is always impressive because it's hard to find great-tasting food that's coupled with a spotless restaurant. For those who live in Orange County, the good news is that they'll be opening a franchise in Irvine in about 8 months! Hooray!
(4)
Deb L.
Really love the Pan Roast!!! I love the bold flavor, and it definitely is the perfect meal if you're looking for something with a savory umph! My kids both like the Clam Linguini, which is also very delicious. I have to say it is a little pricey, especially at dinner (on average $20), but the portion (though it looks small), is extremely filling. I try to go at lunch nowadays since the lunch prices are about half the price of the dinner-on weekdays only. Though the lunch portions are smaller, it still gets me full, AND I bring home leftovers :)
(5)
Jason K.
Service sucked a$$. They were somewhat busy, but not packed. Food took long and the waitress was nowhere to be seen. 15 minutes fly by - no waitress hitting the 30 minute mark -no waitress ...if we knew it was going to take long and the waitress was never coming back, we would have ordered a bunch of beers and some more appeeeees Food finally arrives and a minute later the waitress comes with... "How's everything?" She must not have realized how pissed we were with the smug look on our faces. this place is small... where was she hiding? Oh... and the 10% discount ($5) by the manager was an insult. Did not increase customer satisfaction. The Boiler has lost several customers for life.
(1)
robert c.
This place is pretty good, but basically just get the house pan roast. The other stuff is not as good.
(4)
Joanne M.
Pan roast is the ish.
(5)
Brenda T.
My honey took me here for a special dinner and it was good. Not great, not awesome, just good. Terribly expensive though. We ordered the King Crab cocktail to start. When it arrived, we were very disappointed. The dish was 3 legs total, cut in half resulting in 6 pieces. These were the smallest king crab halves that I have ever seen. They looked more like snow crab. My honey ordered the House Pan Roast. She says she liked it. I ordered the Etoufee. I was disappointed that both dishes only had 4 pieces of shrimp each. Once we ate the shrimp, left behind was about 2 cups of roux and rice. The service was adequate. The cook was friendly and talkative but the server was not attentive. I had to ask for a beverage refill, ask for the check and flag her down to take the bill. I don't believe I'd go again mainly because of the expense. It was surprisingly expensive.
(3)
Lynda P.
Found this place thru yelp. I was kinda iffy about this place because of the two polar reviews. On one hand there were yelpers who absolutely love this place, and on the other they didn't like it so much. But, since I love cajun, and there aren't that many cajun places around OC, I thought it was worth a shot especially I've always wanted to try the infamous Oyster Bar in Vegas. Got there around 8ish on a Sat night, and it wasn't packed. Tried the top two dishes recommended by yelpers and the chef there. The bread- not hot and toasty like I would have liked. Cold and dry. blehh Clam Chowder- good and thick texture. Don't know if I went there on the wrong night, but it was way too salty for me! I felt my blood pressure went up the roof for me. I've tried many great places with clam chowder so I have good standard of comparison. (The Bay area and Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos- Even Walt's Wharf in Seal beach (which is pretty good but not great is a lot better than The Boiler! :( I was very disappointed because we ordered a big bowl! House Pan Roast- Got the No. 4 spice level. Wasn't really spicey at all. Good flavor, but too soupy, and tomato-ey for me. If I ever go back I would ask for the rice on the side, or else the rice would be drowned in the soup. Also, it was rather too pricey for a dish where I felt there were not enough of seafood. The size of the deep bowl also felt overwhelming after awhile even though we shared between the two of us. It was just a tad way too much of tomato-like soup for me. We couldn't even finish it-- even though I forced myself to. Overall, very disappointed. The service and staff was very nice and friendly. If it wasn't for the friendly staff I would have probably given this place 2 stars. I don't know if I would drive all the way from OC here for the food again. It would have to be awhile from now and if I'm ever in the area then I might give it another shot.
(3)
Y d.
Awesome! A solid cajun place nearby. The bacon wrapped shrimp while sounding so generic is actually very good, worthy even in a fine dining setting. The house pan roast is great although it remind me more of Indian Tika Masala than cajun. The etouffe was also good. i can't wait to try the gumbo and jambalaya.
(4)
Naomi A.
CHEF RITTER!! OH WHERE OH WHERE HAVE YOU GONE????? I went back to The Boiler today and its just not the same without you! The bouillabaisse at best was OK, but I truly miss your tomato base broth. My boyfriend got the clam chower and it was watery! I am so sad you are gone.... If anyone finds out where Chef Ritter is working please let me know. I am not going back to The Boiler in Chino Hills anymore.... If anyone ate there before it closed dont go back, you will be disappointed. AND.. the make matters worse the prices went UP (and the prices were already high) Even though the food has gone downhill the service was very good. The waiter was attentive and the current head chef, Chris, is very nice and accommodating. If you did not try the Boiler before it closed perhaps you may try this place, but for all us Chef Ritter fans I implore you to stay home because I assure you will be disappointed.
(2)
Joana L.
So here's my deal: was the food good? Yes. Would I drive out here to dine here again (I'm not a local to this place)? No. I ate the linguine and clams happily, and I sampled the jambalaya. The food was satisfying, but it lacked authenticity for me. I feel like I've had those quality of food in most creole chain restaurants before. And for what we got, it was overpriced. I think this place would be great for a casual lunch -- the servers and staff sure made it feel like a casual place, as in, they were clowning around all night. Usually, that's fine for me, but the pricing lead me to believe that this place would be slightly more refined.
(3)
Kim B.
This is my favorite place to eat in Chino Hills. Ever since Chef Ritter left, the taste has changed a little bit, but it doesn't mean it still isn't good! I always order the house pan roast. It comes choc-ful of seafood cuts--shrimp, lobster, scallops (I think?), etc. The soup base is amazing. I love dipping bread, eating it with rice, whatever's available. I recommend coming here on a rainy day because it really hits home :)
(4)
Mark N Phoebe G.
The food here is extremely flavorful and high quality. Also a unique dining experience. Shrimp diablo, calamari, fries, and Jambalaya were all fantastic. Only issues are that it's small inside and a little pricey.
(5)
Mike A.
The food here is amazing. I used to be one of the cooks here for a while. Every dish here is good. It all depends on what you feel like eating. For appetizers the Bacon Wrap Shrimp and Oyster Rockefellers i definitely recommend. For the entrees i personally think the Jambalaya, House Pan Roast and Gumbo are the top 3. For dessert i would recommend the Creme Brulee and Bread Pudding. They also have great happy hour specials M-F 5pm-6:30pm
(5)
M C.
So the boiling equipment they use are suppose to cook the food to perfection right? Well, sad to say, my shrimp was overcooked. That in and of itself, destroyed the whole dish. The sauce was good, but a bit on the heavy side, and they gave 1 scoop of rice in all that sauce. I guess that's how this type of food is suppose to be? Also got the calamari... there were about 6 pieces.. and it was $6+ Wasn't the best calamari either. Sorry Boiler, sadly, I will not be coming back.
(2)
Jillian B.
It's all about the HOUSE PAN ROAST! Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside especially if you order it at level 8 spiciness! The house pan roast is a creamy tomato soup with 4 different types of seafood and is served with a scoop of rice. You can control how spicy you like it. 8 is not that bad for spicy food lovers. Each time I've visited, I've always had the rice, but next time i want to try the house pan roast with noodles. The food is a bit pricy, but so worth it. The portion is huge, however, and can easily be shared. The calamari is alright. Nothing too special. The service at the Boiler is always off. The servers need to get on top of their game. The chefs are nice though. Not a restaurant I would eat at every week, but this is a favorite in my book.
(4)
Eddy T.
I normally don't write reviews because I'm too lazy, but since I'm hopped up on allergy meds and it's nearly 3:41 in the morning, why not? I wish I would've written a review for the Boiler a long time ago. Back then, I would have given the place 5 stars. I remember the first dish I had there was the Bouillabaisse, which was phenomenal, and came back the next day to try the House Pan Roast and Jambalaya. Both were terrific! I went there so much that Chef Ritter started to call me by name. Unfortunately, I moved and stopped coming in for awhile. Now that I'm back home, I'm dismayed to see that this place has gone down the crapper. Although the food is still edible compared to most of the stuff restaurants serve in Chino Hills, it's just not good. It's not offensive, but it's not good either. For example, my beloved House Pan Roast tastes like canned tomato bisque! Also, the service is terrible. We waited forever to get our drinks and the bread was cold and felt kind of damp. Now, I must point out that we had this petite brunette for our server. This lady was very kind and apologetic because of the slow service, which I actually didn't mind. She wasn't the problem because I can see that she was scrambling to get everybody what they wanted. It was busy. What can you do? It was the other waitress that I saw standing around doing squat that irritated me. This kind of pissed me off because I'm pretty sure our waitress took the flak for the other one's laziness and that's just not fair. I think being a waiter is tough as it is. You don't need to have coworkers that'll give you the shaft during rush hour. Anyways, I hope the Boiler returns to it's former graces because it had a great concept. Too bad the food quality and professionalism of the wait staff isn't there anymore.
(2)
Jackk Y.
Is a 3.75 Stars for me... Boiler is a nice and different place to have that's not found often, very good experience if you never had stem kettle cajun cooking. I went there when they first open(before they even had there liquor license) and been back every so often and I found they do take yelp comments and try to improve and cater in making things better. As for the meals that I've tried most are pretty tasty and full of favors. And can change base on the hotness level you choose. Things I have and liked are Pan Roast, Jambalaya, oyster, gumbo, clam chowder, cioppino. One thing I missed was the baby calamari rings that they used to have instead of the calamari steaks now, also some better warm bread could be good too.
(4)
Lisa W.
House Pan Roast. Look no further.
(5)
Jay L.
I honestly cant get enough of this place, and I'm grateful my friend exposed me to it. At first, I didnt really find it appealing to head to a cajun restaurant thinking it was going to be like every other "boiling crab" type joint. Boy was I misinformed, or just plain ignorant. Whenever I visit here I usually get the etoufee, which is one of my favorite dishes in Cajun cuisine. I remember making it back in culinary school, and have fallen in love with the flavors and textures ever since. It's almost like a porridge, but with intense flavors. The crawfish, and shrimp mixed with the veggies in the velvety roux based sauce always hits the spot. Will not look for another place to find Cajun food, this is it right here!
(5)
Teak L.
Final Thought: Good food, poor Logistics Prologue: I was introduced to this place by my friend BH. He was raving about it a couple times and mentioned how the concept of the restaurant was conceived with a former chef at the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas. I have yet to check the Oyster Bar out, but this place has been was a nice alternative. Pro: Simple, tasty menu, nice modern restaurant decor, awesome U-shaped bar with the stainless steel steamer units in front of the guests to show them the food they are getting, probably one of the cool concepts about this restaurant is you see what's going into your food. Steamed Oysters - If you are a shellfish fan, these bad boys would make you swoon. Light, fresh and delicious Bacon wrapped shrimp - 5 little morsels of tasty crustaceans fried perfectly and wrapped in everyone's favorite piece of pork. Comes with a nice tangy dipping sauce. Cajun Calamari - crispy whole breaded squid strips, almost french fries-like. Seasoned very well and served with a cocktail and horseradish dipping sauce, an awesome beginning to any meal. New England Clam Chowder - they make it fresh in front of you, super hot, and superb flavor, probably one of the best this side of the coast. Lobster Diablo - spicy tomato sauce, various herbs all steamed and slow cooking tender golden lobster nuggets of joy and for some additional mouth feel, some linguine to finish you off. House Pan Roast - creamy tomato saucy, holy trinity, and the whole kitten caboodle of seafood, lobster, crab, shrimp all perfectly cooked and served with jasmine rice, this is a whole lot of yum. Con: Patrons beware, if you plan of having a party greater than 4, expect a wait, if you plan on having dinner on a friday or saturday night, be warned, there will be a gigantic wait. My first experience here was nice, as our wait for a table was 30 minutes and our food came relatively fast. But my most recent visit, we got to the place at 7 on a saturday night, there was already a crowd waiting for large tables, and we got seated ahead of them all, got our food order in within 10 minutes, and 1 hour later our entrees come. If you order an appetizer, it would help, if you get an appetizer with some soup, it would be highly recommended. Sadly the last experience, service was bad, didn't get checked on, our drinks weren't refilled until we requested, and it seemed like many of the other guests were tended to more than we did. When my friend approached the manager/owner about this, all the guy had was apologies and excuses of sick staff members. If she's is sick, send her home, try to accommodate all the guests and try to get their food out as soon as possible, don't stand in front of the bar and joke with one of yours chefs, people see this and professionalism is still key. Epilogue: if you want a nice meal, avoid the aforementioned times for food and patronize this place at other times. Keep in mind some patience, you may need it.
(3)
Randy T.
If this is what Cajun food is supposed to taste like, then this is Cajun Heaven. I've been here three times and each time have left happy and full. WARNING: If you can't handle spicy food, better order a 1. Their scale is from 1 to 10 but one cook said they've gone to 15. The first time I went I had the Jambalaya. I thought to myself, "how spicy could this be", so I got a 9. The Jambalaya was soooo good but soooo hot, spice wise. The chef recommended I add another scoop of rice to soak up the spices, didn't work. It was too hot that I could only finish half and that was after I was sweating like I just came from the gym. Even after having it for leftovers the next day, it was STILL spicy, but maybe a level 8 by then. The second time I went I got the Pan Roast since it was highly recommended by other Yelpers. Once you try this you will become an addict. If I could afford to eat here frequently, I would ask for double servings of the shrimp and lobster meat. The broth makes a perfect dipping sauce for the bread. Learning from my mistake the first time, I ordered a 7 instead. Did it work? A little bit, but still got me sweating. The third time I went, I got the Shrimp Pan Roast. Just as good as the original Pan Roast, just wish there was more shrimp. So learning from the last time, I ordered a 5 and it was perfect! They have other dishes that sound good but after having the Pan Roast it's hard to want to try anything else. Each time the wifey and I ordered the Clam Chowder. One of the best clam chowder's I've had. Rich and full of flavor. The prices are pretty pricey but I would say it's worth it. The chefs are friendly. Sit at the "bar" and watch how they cook the food, pretty neat setup. Now if only they could have groupons for this place. Definitely one of my fav spots now.
(5)
Joy S.
First of all.. the service was TERRIBLE! We got there at around 12 for lunch. Only 2 other tables were occupied, but our waitress was nowhere to be found. Food took a long time to be served. Everything was REALLY salty and thick. Way too expensive
(2)
Suzanne L.
All the praise for the House Pan Roast is no joke. This stuff is great. Using a tomato cream sauce base, this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. The Pan Roast, as well as all the other entrees on the menu, is prepared using steam kettle cooking. It was served in a huge bowl, piping hot, and with a large scoop of rice in the center of it. LOVE. The sauce had a generous amount of seafood in it. Shrimp, crab, etc. I personally enjoyed the bits of crab and/or lobster that melted into the warm creamy sauce more than the chunks of seafood. Yummmm. We decided to order the Bouillabaisse along with the Pan Roast and share the two. I thought the Bouillabaisse was decent, but a bit too salty for my taste. It was basically a lot of kettle cooked seafood served in a thin tomato based soup. After tasting a richer, creamier Pan Roast with RICE, we had to order an extra bowl of rice for the Bouillabaisse to "fill it out". If that makes any sense. Though a good choice, the Pan Roast was definitely the favorite of the night. The food here is not inexpensive, but reasonable considering the amount of seafood you will find in your dishes. Besides, you MUST go just to try that Pan Roast. It will warm your soul on these chilly nights. As will the passable selection of beer. Oh yes, i forgot to mention the delicious bacon wrapped shrimp appetizer. It was delicious and I don't even like bacon! It was very good dipped in that dijon mustardy sauce in the middle. However, it only comes with 5 skramp and not really worth the $9, IMO. I'd rather spend double that for say... another bowl of PAN ROAST!!! Go try it, now. Kthxbai
(5)
Rachel T.
First time here with the diva "ATG".....was not disappointed. This place is the spot....The bread basket was great, the green tea was great but the stars of this place are the appetizers and entrees are the stars. Fresh food and a lot of it. Started with the bacon wrapped shrimp oh so delicious. Then soft shell crab wow....I cannot wait to go back. My dish was the chicken gumbo and I had the 2 seasoning and it opened up my nose big time. There are very generous with portions and the service was on point. Refills and napkins without asking. Oh did I mention dessert ? Yes this was our ...oops...my pig out day and the chocolate cake was to die for. One thing in passing the chef so friendly and he knew his stuff.
(5)
Maggie C.
What a great restaurant. I am not a fan of soup but I am salivating just thinking about this place. This place specializes in steam kettle cooking. They cook the food in front of you using the cute kettle...fresh and delicious. I ordered one of the best sellers: Pan Roast House. Pan Roast House: A spicy cream based Creole sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster and clams served with Jasmine rice. I can't really describe the taste of my soup. It's like being kissed by a creamy sauce that's perfectly spicy, sweet and salty. I think it's a little spicy too. My soup had generous amount of chunky seafoods. Perfect combo with my Coke. My server was very patient. She went back more than 3 times before I was ready to order. Adding this to my favorite restaurants list. 4 .5 stars!! The Boiler is yummylicious!!
(4)
M. P.
I have been a HUGE fan of the " Oyster Bar" at the palace station in las Vegas. When I realized this place had one of the chefs from Vegas I jumped at the chance to go. This place is incredible. My favorite is the crab pan roast. Also the clam chowder is the best chowder I have ever eaten. You have to try this place.
(5)
Bridget W.
This was once my favorite place to go for a lunch. I don't know what it is, but there is something about this cuisine. Also, don't listen to the haters about "bad service." There is always something you have to try for yourself in the right way at the right time. 1. I have been coming here since Ritter first started this joint (gone now). I am a regular and I always come at a not-so-busy time. I also sometimes make convo with the staff and cooks. Familiarity really opens them up. Sit at the bar if you're alone or a party of 2-3. 2. Dinner prices are much more expensive and I don't feel that the portions are that much bigger, so I stick with lunch. IMO 3. The best things to eat are the gumbo, new england clam chowder, maybe the pan roast or etoufee depending on your tastes. Everything is also a bit better if you're willing to have medium spice level at least. The shrimp po-boy is also not bad, but I myself and NOT a fan of the calamari. The linguini also seemed alright, but I haven't had it in a while (from the current cooks). EDIT: I received a message from one of the owners, asking me to edit my review and take Ritter out of my review. I must add this. I don't give any thought or money for your drama. I have stopped going to this establishment for over a year because every time someone learns to cook well, they leave. They get replaced by someone mediocre who has to learn from the bottom. I do not care who did what to whom. I care about eating well, decent service and a good convo about the food.
(2)
Leslie D.
Wow yelpers love this place and there is so many reviews for a chino hills place.. I think my expectations were too high coz yea i was disappointed. Yes the pan roast was very delicious and there was quite a spread of it but it's a 19 dollar soup so that's a bit much and i didn't find much lobster or other elements in it. I would definitely order this again someday but maybe less spicy at a 4 instead. The calamari was ok and i didn't like the horseradish in the sauce. I did love the bread although the bread is something i can find any other place. My husbands dish - the boulbaisse - was pretty blah and it was more expensive than the pan roast. Maybe the spiciness (5) was too much.. Chef Ritter seemed nice but he didn't greet us and we purposely sat at the bar based on the yelper reviews. He talked mainly about football with the other customers... and no one really made us feel welcome since this our first visit. The one cool thing about sitting at the bar is watching them "kettle cooking" and gives us an idea how they make their dishes. Now i would have given 2 stars but their pan roast is delicous but this is a place i can't frequent. I find better food at asian places were i spend a lot less and like it more. If they can offer the lunch prices during the weekends i will definitely go here more.
(3)
Jane O H.
One of my close friends introduced me to this place....and for this reason alone we will be friends forever... My first experience was actually at their flagship location in Las Vegas and I loved it so much that I couldn't wait for Vegas to come around again, so I moseyed on over to the Boiler to see if it fared up to the original, and surely it did! The Boiler is known for its steam kettle cooking, where each order is prepared through individual steam kettles, so if you sit at the bar you can actually watch them as they prepare your dish. I've sampled most of the dishes on their menu and nothing compares to their house pan roast. Once you determine the level of spiciness you want (I personally like spicy so I always get a level 7 or 8), the steam kettles is filled with loads of fresh seafood....lobster, clams, shrimp, crab meat, and their secret trinity mix and spices until a bubbling point has been reached. Then the hearty savory goodness is dumped from the kettle and straight into your bowl and served with your choice of jasmine rice or linguini. Since their portions are so generous, I always request my linguini on the side, so just in case I'm starting to get full...I can leave aside those useless space hogging carbs and finish it like a soup. One thing to keep in mind though, this place is not quick and its not cheap....with all that perfection in bowl comes at a wait and price... My mouth is watering just thinking about that pan roast now...
(5)
Mike P.
This place is awesome. My favorite dish is the House Pan Roast and the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp appetizer is very good. I always get a spice level of 5 for the pan roast, you can always add more after it's served. I tried an 8 once and it was a little to hot for my taste. The atmosphere is very laid back but very nice as well. Sit at the kettle bar so you can watch the chief prepare your food.
(5)
Jen C.
I came here with my family during the weekend for lunch. We ordered the Cajun Fries as an appetizer. I thought this was the best dish out of all of the dishes. It was seasoned perfectly and it wasn't that spicy. Bread was served with our meals too. It was ok just because the bread was kind of cold. I was able to try quite a few of the dishes: New England Clam Chowder: I've been to Boston and tried the chowder there. This is obviously not as good. The chowder was too thick and chunky. I would say it was ok. Manhattan Chowder: This is a tomato based soup so I prefer this soup over the New England Clam Chowder. This was a very flavorful tomato soup. I wouldn't mind having this one again. House Pan Roast: Since a lot of people ordered this, my family and I ordered 2 of these. I thought it had too much tomato paste in it. This is a good dish if you like tomato paste based dishes. The seafood in the dish was ok. They give 3 big pieces of shrimp in it as well. Chicken Gumbo: This dish was ok. There was a lot of andouille sausage in mine which was a little too much. The dish was very flavorful. I actually like this one more than the House Pan Roast. The service was fine. When we walked in, there was only one waiter and one waitress. There was no hostess or anyone to seat people. The waiter or the waitress were the ones who were seating people. The bar was empty but my mom doesn't like to sit on high chairs so we had to wait for a table. There was only one table open after waiting for 15 minutes because the other tables were taken by a large party. Our waitress was nice. She indicated that for the House Pan Roast and the Chicken Gumbo, we could have a range from 1 to 10 for how spicy you want it. We ordered the House Pan Roast a 5 and a 7 and Chicken Gumbo a 4. My sister who likes it really spicy thought it wasn't spicy at all with a 7. The waitress said we could add more spice if it wasn't too spicy so my sister requested for it to be spicier. It turns out its spices and not spicy. They gave us a little dish that had a bunch of spices in it. Even though each of our dishes was a bit spicy, it wasn't spicy hot. So the waitress gave a small container of the powdered Ghost Pepper. My sister loves it that hot so she put some in her dish. Anyway, the waitress was ok. It sucks that they only had 2 people waiting all the tables. I don't know if I'll come here again. Maybe for their soup and fries. The dishes are a bit expensive. Note: Come during the weekdays for lunch. It's the cheapest. Except on Tuesdays because they're closed during lunch on Tuesdays. Weekends are expensive for lunch because it's the same as the dinner price.
(3)
Tiquet W.
I've been here once - introduced by a friend to try it. I ordered the Crab Pan Roast and it comes standard with rice unless you request for noodles as substitute. The flavor was exceptional, I had the guy who made it rank their level of spiciness from 1 mild to 10 hottest. I chose 9 and it was hot but not to the point that I loose my taste buds. The Pan Roast was thick and creamy full of flavor. I could not help but dip my french bread over and over this creamy sauce. Overall, I think if you like cajun and seafood, it unique presentation of how the guy cooks and prepare your meal right in front (I sat at the bar) and the portion is big. My take is A for the item I had. B for its location and it's set in nowhere land. and C for its pricey nature, even for the lunch menu. The reason I gave it a 3 stars is because of the inconsistency of their business hours. I brought a friend who was visiting from L.A. over just the other day and the place was closed. Not too happy about it.
(3)
Patty L.
I've been seeing this restaurant in the plaza since it opened and was always curious about it. So two nights ago I decided to just go and give it a try with my BF. The service is very attentive and nice. We sat at the bar and ordered directly with the chef. My BF ordered the Jambalaya at a spicyness of 9. It was not soupy or watery at all, so I don't know what those previous reviews were all about. My BF really liked it, and I was munching on it as well. I was having him spread the jambalaya on pieces of bread for me so we could share. The 9 spicy level was perfect for my BF but it was borderline mouth-on-fire for me cause I'm a big wimp! I ordered the Chipotle Fish Chowder and half a dozen of the house oysters. Both were pretty good. The raw oysters were cold, crisp, juicy and briny tasting. Just the way I like them. The chowder had a great smoky chipotle flavor. A gal-pal who came with us just ordered the clam chowder since she wasn't too hungry and she said that was good too. Thick and hearty. This place would be really great during the winter to come and eat. I also had the Creme Brulee which was yummy. I'm not sure if they get that from somewhere else or if it's made in-house. But it was still good. During our meal, we also watched the chefs make other people's orders at the bar. The ingredients they used all smelled so good! Next time, we'll for sure give one of the pan roasts a try! Oh yeah, and I got the 10% off for mentioning Yelp! YAY!
(4)
Michael T.
Just something else to add. I had a chance to stop by here again this past weekend and tried some of their oysters. I'm not a huge oyster fan, maybe once in awhile but these really hit the spot. You could tell that they were really fresh and the sauce was just a right amount of kick! Definitely a hit.
(5)
K K.
Fresh seafood! Great, modern atmosphere! Good and friendly management styles. Kids are welcome at this establishment which is a great bonus for families that love seafood. Only downside is the limited wine selection.
(4)
Leesa B.
It doesn't task as good as Vegas but it hits the spot when you have the craving.
(4)
Risey H.
You know what. This place is delicious! The first time I was introduced to this place was from my friends. I was so pleasantly surprised that I couldn't stop talking about it. Now that I move to the westside the chance of me getting to this is less and less but this would be a great soup for a cold winter night or just about every day. Is it that good especially with friends and family.
(5)
John S.
We drove far to come to this place. Foods was excellent...tried the routine Pan Roast House and few weeks ago had the Bouillabraisse. All the entries are good. We ordered peanut butter oyster - hmmm...go try something else (soft-shell crab was much better!). The spicy foods were spicy! Try 2-4 level of spiciness before jumping to 7-8-9 level. We been back several times.
(4)
T.S. A.
the staff here are unbeliveably attentive and friendly. the food is awesome! i would recommend the gumbo and the pan roast. i have been here a few times and everyone i take here gets hooked. selections are extremely flavorful and you get a good size portion for your money.
(5)
Eva V.
My husband and I have been here on several occasions and absolutely love it! The food is AMAZING. I have tried several entrees and each was yummy, but the pan roast is simply to die for. The service is wonderful. Try sitting at the counter for a unique experience. It allows greater interaction with the chef, who is a delight to speak with. All in all, the service and food make this restaurant a real treat to dine at. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a meal that is far above the typical, mundane choices out there. Delicious!
(5)
James G.
The Boiler is the Chronic! The food is just like the Palace Station in Vegas and around the same price. The only thing that the Palace Station has that the Boiler doesn't is the smell of cigarettes (I so love the smell of Marlboro 100's while I eat). My wife and I shared the Pan Fry, which was pretty damn good and the Chipotle Chowder. The Chowder was really good but it needed more veggies and fish. It seems like they skimmed a little and gave us mostly broth. Never the less, it was still a great soup. One last thing, since I know the guys at the Boiler take the time to read the comments I'd like to throw in my two cents. Don't take peoples comments too personal and try not to come off so dickish in your responses. Most of the people have nothing but praise towards your food. So keep up the good work and I'll be enjoying your food hopefully soon.
(5)
J C.
I live in the area and always wanted to check this place out. Came here for lunch on a Friday and ordered the a lunch combo and a lunch pasta dish. It took FOREVER to get our food and there was a total of 8 people in the restaurant which included the 2 of us. My sandwich came out first and 10 min later the pasta dish and then I had to ask where my chowder was that came with my sandwich combo! One person was eating while the other one watched. I couldn't believe that even the waitress didn't find this strange and and follow up on the status of our order. It seems the guy behind the bar was doing all the steaming. He forgot about making my soup and wasn't even multi tasking while cooking the food. He was basically cooking one meal at a time and taking his sweet ol time....so how does it work if you have more than one order and more than one table?!?! The 1 star is for the horrible service. The food was decent but the horrible service ruined the lunch. I swear it took more than 30-40 min to get our food. I would look for the waitress but she was never to be found and just seemed to avoid the table completely.. I don't know how people are supposed to make it back to work when it takes that long and the place wasn't even busy.
(1)
Joe G.
Wow what a place!! Stopped by for lunch after Yelp reviews and wow this place is great. I thought the only place to get food like this was Vegas, well i was wrong. I met Ritter chef/partner and he explained to me that he ran the oyster bar at the Palace Station and moved over my way to start the Broiler. Well I am glad he came. I had the Gumbo and a cup of clam chowder and it was fantastic. After a couple of spoons of this goodness, I call my girl to let her know the good news! We will be back for sure!!! Oysters on the half shell next!!! Great job!!
(5)
david c.
It was my friends birthday and 7 of us looked around for a new place to try. We did research and decided to come here. We will be repeat customers. Service - Excellent (the bread and drinks were never empty) Food We all got 2 dozen oysters and they loved it. Three of us got the Pan Roast (one house and 2 lobster). My wife (who is picky about sauces) loved it. She doesn't eat spicy food so a 1 was perfect in spice. I got the jambalaya and definitely was very pleased. I got a 10 on the spice out of 10 and it was just right. Didn't make my nose run or eyes water.. since I eat spicy stuff daily. But it was just right. If you don't want it too spicy you can ask for a 8 and ask them to make you a 10 sauce on the side. There was a linguine and clam and that was great too. Drinks - They are waiting for their license to finalize (hopefully soon) but wish I had a beer with the spicy food. Dessert - We all had some Creme Brule and it was great. Not the frozen stuff. Everyone loved it. Price - a bit on the pricey price considering the amount of the seafood in the Pot Roast. Once in a while its okay, not a daily dinner or lunch. The owner went to everyone's table and was very pleasant. Great place !!!! I would go back again.
(5)
Andy N.
I really don't see what the fuss about this place is. I came here with my family and we had the steamed clams and calamari for starters. First of all the portions were extremely small and they were both pricey. It was 15.95 for about 10 clams with very little meat inside and I believe 8.95 for the calamari. The clams were good but nothing special and the calamari was probably the worst I've ever had. For our main courses, we ordered the house pan roast, Bouillabaisse, gumbo, and jambalaya. The tastiest thing there was the Bouillabaisse but with the 20.95 price tag, it just doesn't seem worth it. We ordered it with medium spice (5) but it seemed like it was an (8) so my dad had to order the clam chowder instead. That was probably the only good thing at this place. The house pan roast gets very consistent so after a few bites you're going to want to eat something else. I would not recommend this place for a family dinner. Pros Clam Chowder Cons Small portions Very pricey
(2)
S k.
Pleasant surprise, I got response back from The Boiler and it was them taking responsibility for the mishap! That raises my rating back to what I was originally going to give them, a 4/5 stars. Glad to know there are people that don't shy away from responsibility that still exist!
(4)
JOHN F.
I've eaten twice and both times I was impressed with the food and service. the owner is very personable and the atmosphere very relaxed. I would recommend this place to anyon looking for seafood that's not commercial. The spices and seasonings will leave your taste buds craving for more. Just wish they had a larger selection of beer, aside from that. it's awesome.
(4)
Leo C.
Heard about the spot through my wifey. Ordered the house oysters, calamari, and their I.P.A. The calamari was really good. Great texture and very flavorful. Their house oysters are off the hook. With a hint of peanut butter and bacon, this was different from anything I've tried as far as oysters are concern. For the main course, ordered their Gumbo. The best I've had this side of SoCal. Bread was dry and cold, but will defintely slide though again to conquer the menu.
(4)
Alice C.
First time there yesterday..the location may seem in the middle of no where but hey..the food and service was great...maybe because I went on a weekday for dinner. I ordered the Linguini with clams with white sauce and it was delicious..their bowl of soup is pretty big and would have to share. I would definitely go again.
(5)
Tien S.
on a lazy sunday afternoon a friend convinced me to take her to chino hills to try out this cajun style restaurant. she swore the food was good as the original branch in Las Vegas had a 3-4 hour wait time to be served. I have to say I was pretty impressed for it even though it is a bit out of the way for food, but I guess going there once in awhile is not so bad. I had the House Pan Roast and House Oysters (Bacon, Peanut Butter, and Tomato Sauce). Now the House Pan Roast is what I'm going to gauge most of the mood in the joint. Now I love oysters and I read the description fully knowing they were adding peanut butter and bacon lol. It seemed like an interesting dish that I had to try. Wasn't as tasty as I thought and couldn't even taste the bacon, but the House Pan Roast made it all better. Chino Hills though gets pretty hot so better dress comfortably when going out that way if you're not from the area. Plenty of parking as it seems like the plaza is not too busy just yet.
(5)
aryam g.
This place is surprisingly good. At first I was skeptical about eating what looks like soup to me since I'm not a big fan of soup but it is nothing like that... its just goodness in a bowl. I got the pan roast and clam chowder...both delicious. Their calamari and bacon wrapped shrimp are great too. To top it off if you sit at the bar in the middle you can watch your food be prepared in front of you. Very nicely decorated too.
(5)
R. E. L.
This place is great. I don't eat a whole lot of Cajun food, but after eating at the Boiler recently with my family, I hope to do so a lot more often. I got the chowder and the gumbo. The seafood chowder is quite possibly the best chowder I've ever had. Yes the other reviewers are correct - it is that good. I ordered my gumbo at a spiciness level 6 which was perfect for me. It made me sweat a bit, but it wasn't uncomfortably spicy. The gumbo had quite a bit of rice in it, and the rice tasted very fresh. My father got the pan roast which was good, but a little too heavy for my tastes. For comparison, the closest thing to the pan roast is Tikka Masala, an Indian curry made with cream. I ordered a creme brulee for dessert, which was awesome. The only problem with The Boiler is that it's a bit hard to find. It's in an uncrowded shopping center not far from the 71. The other downside, of course, is that there's only one location and it's kinda far, so I don't eat here as often as I'd like to. The service was great and the food was quick. Chef Ritter came out and asked us how our food was. Although I was more than happy with my evening before he talked to us, he really made the evening exceptional. This is clearly a man who cares a lot about good customer service. The restaurant was far from full since we were there on a weeknight, so it was pretty quiet. The ambiance is great, and it feels the way a proper Southern restaurant should feel. There's an open kitchen and you can see how freshly made each item is. After my heavy dinner, I was very pleased, ready to come back and try some of the different items. This restaurant is not intended for people looking for a quick, light meal or for the faint-hearted. Come very hungry and this restaurant will take you and your stomach straight to the happy place.
(5)
buchi b.
Hot Chowder, Fresh Oysters, Amazing Pan Roast...Five Stars on top of the friendly service and top notch Chefs. Thanks for the great food and atmosphere.
(5)
Vincent A.
This place has great tasting dishes. I really enjoyed their shrimp scampi and shrimp diablo. Their utensils and plateware were impressive. I like how you can choose your spiciness level of your dish. Wish they had more seating, because when it's busy, you might have to wait. I'd suggest calling ahead of time and making reservations.
(4)
Rob D.
The food is great! Went with my family and tried multiple dished. Everything we had was amazing! If you like seafood this is your place. The Jumbalaya is my favorite, and they make a great clam chower. I like how you can get just about every dish on a spice level of 1-10. (I got a ten it was pretty hot, not off the charts, but the flavor of the spices is perfect!) I will definitely be back!
(5)
Lynne C.
Since my BF reads Yelp and takes me on all his "foodie" runs I figure that I might as well throw my 2 cents into the ring. Today he took me the The Boiler in Chino Hills. I had no idea as what to expect and went into the experience with my mind completely open. We started out with the Cajun calamari. I have in the past eaten calamari that was similar to rubber and this one was not one of those! It was cooked perfectly and the sauce that was served with it was yummy. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have appetizer plates. This may seem nit picky but it's the little touches in life that go a long way. For our main course I ordered the Pan Roast House. Once the food arrived (this is not fast food and real cooking does take a bit more time) and I had my first taste, my taste buds were in heaven! Talk about big rich flavor! With every bite I was trying to taste each and every flavor and determine what exactly I was tasting in each bite. The only disappointment that I faced was that the shrimp was a bit overcooked. Please believe me that was a small issue in the big flavor involved with the food! My BF ordered the Pan Roast Crab. He too commented on the big flavor. He however did desire a bit of salt to add to his plate (which was not available on the table). All in all, I would say that I really enjoyed the food and am looking forward to going back and tasting the steamed clams, clam chowder and the Cioppino as well as revisiting the Pan Roast once again. I would fully recommend this to all. If however if you as I have not tasted Cajun creole cooking to go into this experience with an open mind an palate. I am giving this a 4 instead of a 5 because I need to experience more of the flavors....
(4)
Sarah H.
The food is awesome for a cloudy day or a cold night. I can't imagine eating here in the summer time. I love spicy food but i was glad i didn't order above a 3 on a scale of 10. My companions both asked for 0 and still thought the food was spicy. You have to know what you're getting into if you come here. If you love cajun food, this is a good choice. The only problem is the long wait. The place was fairly empty for lunch but the food took forever. I wasn't bothered by it because i wasn't in a hurry and the staff was friendly.
(4)
Albert V.
Delicious! This place is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. You can choose your spice level between 1 and 10. My wife loved her food but it was a bit too spicy for her. The chef overheard and offered to make her a new one without her asking. Great food, equally as good service. A must try!
(5)
Rachel T.
services really bad... we waited 15 minutes for seating...15 minutes for ordering food... 20 minutes for appetizers and then another 20 minutes for the entrees (restaurant is not even full~~~) I think their food are overpriced.. won't even bother to try one more time BTW... we saw at least 8 ppl sit down and then walked away
(2)
Jess T.
I LOVE YOU x 10000000000!!!! Sooooooooo good!!! I LOVE YOU OYSTERS AND CLAM CHOWDER!! So far, I've tried their Gumbo, House Pan Roast, Jambalaya, and Bouillbaise and EVERYTHING besdies their Gumbo IS ABSOLUTELY YUMMY!! My friend said the gumbo was really good but i'm thinking maybe i'm not a gumbo person. The last time I went, I ate the Bouillbaise with pasta and FELL IN LOVE!! Gonna go back again tonight!!! yay!!!
(5)
Agie A.
Both me & my hubby love this place! The food is delicious and the service is spectacular. We have been here many times, that includes when it first originally opened and after the recent reopening and we have always left satisfied, full of excellent food and with smiles on our faces. I will say it is a little pricey for our pockets but the food..the entire dining experience is definitely worth it for us when we can afford it. So, you better believe that I pinch pennies whenever I can to fit The Boiler into our budget! Its amazing seafood dishes, so the price is fit for what you get. Also, there portions are sometimes even big enough for 2, but the only problem is my husband and I have our different favorites. I wish he would come over to the HOUSE PAN ROAST spicy & leave the lobster pan roast non spicy behind. Don't get me wrong lobster pan roast is delicious too, but I just love the variety of seafood you get in the house. Worth the $... You won't be disappointed with the flavors and the friendliness of this place!
(5)
Kathryn L.
I decided to give this place another try, but since the service is soooo bad, we decided on take out. We had the Pan Roast and were once again disappointed, the current chefs do not compare to the last chef, and the food is nothing like it used to be. If any of you were able to taste Chef Ritter's version of Pan Roast, you would know what I am talking about. I would not go here again.
(2)
Brian T.
Had the House Pan Roast. Was simply amazing. Not as spicy as other raters have commented. But food was great. My wife and I will be returning for sure.
(5)
Hayley P.
This is by far the worst restaurant I have ever been to. I get it that it was the first week they were open, but the service (or lack thereof) we received was beyond ridiculous. Here is how our evening went down: We made reservations for three people for 7:30. We did not get seated until 8:00. (The place was maybe half full...) We noticed that everyone had drinks, but no one had any food. A bad sign from the start. Waited 15 minutes for someone to come take our order. We asked if the chef could make one of our dishes without butter, due to dietary restrictions, and our server said she would check. She was gone for 15 more minutes. We saw her walking around and asked if she was going to finish taking our order and she said (in a snarky tone) "Uh the chef is thinking!" And we said..."Thinking about what? We just don't want butter on our meal." Here is where it gets really good: I put my hand on my head and spaced out while she was chatting with my family, because I was tired and we had been there for an hour without any food, and the waitress looks at me and says: "You know I'm not that stupid. I'm not that stupid I see you sitting there rolling your eyes at me and shaking your head. I'm not stupid." And I looked up, and all of us at the table were in shock. I hadn't spoken a word to her and I was in my own world...We looked at eachother and the only response I could muster up was "Um.....I think we should leave." And so we did. We should've spoken to the manager, but we were so baffled by this girl's outburst that we were all in a daze. No one has ever spoken to me like that before. I legitimately think we may have been on candid camera because the situation was so incredibly ridiculous. We weren't...but I like to think that we were as an explanation for the ridiculousness that ensued at the boiler. Bottom line: This place sucks. I'm sure they will be out of business by the time you finish reading this. It earned one star for giving me a great story to tell my friends.
(1)
Bonnevie G.
Been twice. Great dishes, flavorful seasonings. Spiciness ranges from 1-5, personally 1 already had a kick to it. Service excellent. Seafood was fresh. The blackened salmon salad a little salty for me.
(4)
Katar I.
Ok I read the other reviews... and I actually just came here today... and to be honest, I enjoyed my experience and got to talk to the chef and owner. I mean, it seems they are still trying to develop their restaraunt and you can tell. It was slow and we came for lunch and teh manager greeted us and he looked a bit awkward greeting us but I'm asian, my dad is the same way too... so whatever. He encouraged us to to sit on the line and watch the cooks make our meals. They use a specially designed steam kettle to cook the food, and you watch them make your food, so you know whats going in and out of your meal or if its sanitary or not. Service was very quick so I was surprised to read the earlier reviews. I ordered a half dozen oysters on the half shell... they were good oysters. Thats also something I liked, the appetizer menu. Most restaurants you go to have nothing but fried food on their appetizer menu, and The boiler actually has a very great selection of seafood. Its a nice change for the people of Chino hills with all the Chilis and applebee clones out there... I ordered the Pan roast House... it was a tomato cream lie soup with shrimp, crab and lobster. and they offer a spice level from 1-10... I chose 8... pretty good, I could do a 10 I think... They serve it with a scoop of rice...It was delicious. My mother got the gumbo, and my dad got the clam pan roast. My father is a picky eater and he enjoyed it, so thats a big deal. But going into the meal, you can tell this place was still trying to find their ball bearings, like most new restaurants. So I guess I'm yelping on a learning curve. Later into our meal we started talking to the chef and owner... these are all original recipes that the chef created, in fact its the first in this type of restaurant california. He started creating this style of cooing in vegas and brought it here. Its still a small menu with a limited selection... no liquor license yet, but something about talking to the chef and manager I enjoyed... their passion. These guys really have a passion for what they are doing... all the staff is taking part in creating this restaurant. One of the cooks told me about some new recipes they are going to bringing into the restaurant. Some Po'boy sandwiches and Pecan pies... I'm definately a fan now of this place and hopes it does well... I had a great foodie experience talking to the owners and head chef, It made the meal even better... When this place becomes more than just a gumbo and soup place, its gonna be out of sight....
(5)
Mason D.
The food is very tasty and great....it's a little bit on the expensive side but huge portion
(4)
Joyce E.
Since it was our first time at the restaurant, even with great reviews, we opted to be conservative with our orders. What's worse than ordering a ton of bad food? So decided to share the House Pan Roast and half dozen oysters. Loved the Pan Roast! We had spicy level 5 which had a good kick but level 6 or 7 would have been perfect. I had to stop my husband from licking the bowl. This is one of those dishes I can see myself craving for every now and then especially on cold winter nights. I cannot say the same for the oysters as they tasted bland. We will definitely be back soon!
(4)
Darlene E.
My husband and I went to this place for dinner and I was a little disappointed with my experience. As you walk in to the brightly lit facility (not good if you are looking for an intimate dining experience), you decide if you want to sit at a table, the "steam bar" or the regular bar. We chose the "steam bar" hoping that we would get to see something interesting, however the only thing that happened was us struggle to get our plate of food from the guy behind the counter since they have to reach across all the pots to hand you your order. It was the servers 2nd or 3rd day and she seemed a little nervous (understandable). So we didn't really put too much thought into the average service. The rest of the staff seemed to just be standing around or pretending to wipe already clean tables. The owner or manager was sitting in the corner on his laptop, which I would have either preferred him to be dressed more professionally or sit away from the dining areas and do his work in a back office. The bread was very boring and not what I expected from a place that has chowders and gumbos. We were brought a small basket of dry french bread and pita crisps? I would imagine some warm french or sourdough would be more fitting with the menu. The food is decent. I had the clam chowder since I figured that would be a good judge of the food. It was ok, not a standard clam chowder because it was kind of greenish from whatever spice they use, had a lot of potato and few clams, not too salty, but not very flavorful either. My husband had a shrimp diablo dish (basically shrimp and pasta). It was better than the clam chowder and was around $16 or $18. Other dishes seem to be $20+ It seems like they still have some kinks to work out although they have been open for a while now. Personally, I think it is a little overpriced for the service and dining environment. It's kind of like they haven't decided to make it a nicer restaurant or more of a quick dining place. I would like to see it stay, but changed should be made. It seems like they listen to yelpers so here is my opinion: 1. make it more warm and inviting: dim the lights, add some tablecloths, add something to the alcohol bar area (full bottles, not empty)-either decor or additional bottles, get real menus 2. the bread should be warm and delicious-you are serving comfort foods and the bread should go with the menu. 3. the steam bar was akward. Try to have the crew prepare the food and have the server bring it to the customer or something. As a customer you want a dining experience, you don't want to have to struggle to reach your plate. I can't see paying over $20.00 per plate for this type of dining experience. The restaurant can be great, it just needs to make some adjustments. They do not have the best location so they need to do what they can to get customers and stay in business. With the fall and winter seasons approaching, I really hope they can improve because I would love to make this one of my regular places. I will try it again in a few weeks to see if anything has improved...GOOD LUCK :-)
(3)
pancakegirl l.
friendly service and ok food, the concept sounded interesting but food was just ok, nothing special to me. the pan roast that everyone raves about just tasted like creamy tomato sauce...
(3)
Yelp A.
SORRY TO SAY TO ALL THE OTHER BAD REVIEWS... BUT EACH TIME I HAVE WENT HERE IT IS THE BEST EXPERIENCE.... As soon as we walk in we are greeted, this is exactly like the Oyster Station at the Palace Station in Vegas!!! Plus you can get it spicier than a 10!!! We sit at the bar where they make the Gumbo right in front of you... super uber delicious =)
(5)
Mae W.
My cousin had been telling me about how good the Pan Roast was that he had in Vegas @ Oyster Bar...I had no idea what it was exactly, and we happened to learn that "The Boiler" serves it! So we went, and we learned that the guy who created the successful recipes for Oyster Bar, (Ritter), is the guy who's cooking your food at "The Boiler". I had my doubts, not a big fan of tomato based foods or oysters for that matter. But after trying it (and returning many times afterwards to eat some more,) I'm hooked! Its heavenly delicious! I recommend the House Pan Roast and for an appetizer try the House Oyster. It's broiled, with tomato sauce, peanut butter and bacon. Sounds kinda scary--but it totally WORKS! Ritter is a genius and knows how to cook his food. Aside from that, the environment is very intimate, and all the staff are friendly and accommodating. If you sit at the "bar" you can watch Ritter and his team make the foods you order and he can tell you all about it. Really great food, can't emphasise enough. (The clam chowder is delicious as well).
(5)
Elizabeth S.
If you love Gumbo, this is the place! My boyfriend has been to the Palace Station's Oyster Bar and has been wanting to take me there...but when he heard about this place opening up, he didn't hesitate to take me along. I was stuck choosing between the Jambalaya or the Gumbo. I went for the Gumbo last minute and I was VERY happy with it! I started the heat off with a 5, which wasn't bad at all. I think I'll start with a 6 next time. It wasn't too soupy like some places and it had the perfect amount of andouille sausage, okra and seafood. The rice gave it the right texture and I ate the whole bowl! It was the best food experience I've had in a long time. My boyfriend ordered the Bouillabaisse which he's been addicted to ever since he tried it at the Oyster Bar. My son had the Linguini Alfredo with Chicken. I'm not a fan of Oysters, but I tried it. Too fishy for me. :) Overall, I am recommending this place to all my friends! It's a must try!
(5)
edward t.
Let me start off by saying that the people that gave this place negative reviews are trippin. This place is SERIOUS. Best clam chowder I've ever had and I live in SF! I've never heard of pan roast, but it's basically a tomato cream base with a bunch of seafood, multiplied by fucking awesome. We also ordered the jambalaya which was also amazing. The only thing that was a disappointment was the pecan pie dessert. It was too sweet and the crust was gritty. The service was also great!
(5)
Nancy J.
I love yelp! If not for my fellow yelpers, there are many wonderful eateries I would never have tried. So, on a cold and stormy day in Diamond Bar we finally make it over The Boiler. Wow, we were not disappointed. Had the spicy fish chowder with all theses wonderful pieces of shrimp, fish, clams, pork vegetables and potatoes in a tomatoey broth. Very hearty--a meal in itself. My friend had the salmon salad which he really enjoyed and I ordered the house pan roast at spice level 6. It was delish. However next time I will order a spice level 9 or 10 as I could barely taste any heat (spice wise). Temperature-wise everything came out burn your tongue hot which is exactly how I like my food! The pan roast was very rich--probably overextended my calorie count for at least a week LOL but definitely worth it--loaded with seafood and the amount of rice served was perfect. FYI-- no lunch menu on weekends so you pay the dinner price at lunch but the serving size is also huge. Took more than half of the pan roast home. --This is a great find and the perfect place to eat on a cold rainy day. Check it out yelpers--we want this place to make it!
(5)
Bob C.
My wife and I were just recently at this restaurant. First time for us. Didn't even know that one existed in Vegas. We had the Oyster Plate. They recommended a dozen instead of the half which were what we were going to order. They did not disappoint. I'm glad we ordered the dozen! The oyster were huge and fresh. We then had the Pan Roast and the Linguine and Clam. Both were good. Portions were good. We just wished we would have ordered our food more spicy. On the scale of 1 - 10, both my wife and I ordered 4 to test the spice. Should have ordered an 8 for the kick!
(5)
Michelle P.
My husband and I took our 4 month old to this restaurant on a Saturday evening. We had been told by friends that it was great and they recommended that we give it a try. We showed up at 6pm, discovered that they were not baby-friendly at all (no slings, frowned upon the use of a stroller, no changing tables). The wait staff suggested we sit at the bar and place our child's carseat on a small portion of the bar in the corner - near the steam kettle! Not safe at all! I didn't feel comfortable with it, and neither did the chef behind the bar. After a very nice couple volunteered to move to the bar so we could sit at a small table in the corner, we were "allowed" to go get our stroller so we didn't have to leave his carseat on the floor. We finally put in our order around 6:20, but our food did not arrive until almost 7pm. The waitress actually came to our table around 6:45 and said "I'm just about to put your order in... did you want the gumbo or jambalaya?" Just before the food arrived, I decided it would be a good idea to change our son. I had to take him out to our car to change him since I could not find any changing tables in the bathroom. It was very cold that evening and he was shivering!! Once our food finally arrived, it was good, but now we didn't have any drinks left and it took our waitress almost 5-10 minutes to bring refills (and she forgot my water). Now our son was itching to get out of the carseat and get home and have some dinner himself. We had not planned on the outing to take so long. We were able to get all the food to go, they gave us extra bread, and we had dinner at home. The food was great, but the restaurant experience was terrible. Next time we try somewhere new, I'll call and ask about their child accommodations first. FYI - we had the gumbo (level 7) and the jambalaya (level 10). The gumbo was the best. If we ever go back, I'll get the gumbo, level 10, for sure.
(2)
Diana T.
I came here for a quick lunch with my friend on our way back from Corona. We barely made it before their mid day close, 10 minutes before closing. The waitress was very nice and friendly, and didnt try to rush us out of the resturant at all. We were the only ones in the resturant haha. The place is small, simple and clean. We started with a half dozen of oysters. The oysters were alright. I've had better. Parts of the oyster were stuck to the shell. I don't like that. I don't like rice dishes and almost never ever order anything that has rice in it. I like noodles lol! But my friend suggested that I must try their House Special Pan roast. And so I did order that, with the level of spiciness from 1-10, an 8! The Pan Roast is actually really good!! The waiter brought me extra spice just in case I wanted my dish to be a little spicier. 8 was just right! I'd say it's around the spiciness of Asian Sarachia, or maybe just a tad bit spicier. The seafood inside the pan roast was cooked perfectly. The sauce was just prefect! Not too wet, but not too dry. This place is kind of far if you are coming from the San Gabriel area, but if I am ever around the area or passing by again, I'd definitely come back to this resturant! My friend told me him and his girlfriend likes this place so much, they actually drive out here pretty often just for it haha
(4)
Miss J.
Not a bad establishment. This is what we ordered as a group of 6: - Pan Roast - Clam Chowder - Jambalaya And we shared... The cook said it was going to be very large but he kind of hyped it up for us... I expected it to be as huge as the place in Las Vegas *the Pan roast place inside the *OysterBar* but I was a little let down. However, the people in our group tried this for the first time and enjoyed it a lot....so I guess this is a great place to eat Pan Roast if that's your first time.
(3)
Genesis A.
Ok so after being here a few times it's safe to say that they don't always make you wait forever. Plus the staff is always friendly and go the extra mile to make u feel comfortable and accommodate you. So far I've tried the calamari, the new England clam chowder, the gumbo and the house pan roast. My favorite was the house pan roast. The calamari is awesome. The gumbo was good I eat it again but not my favorite. This is a place everyone should try once
(5)
Kim S.
The house pan roast was really good, almost as good as The Oyster Bar! They also had Abita Purple Haze which was a plus for me! Lunch is cheaper than dinner and I'm sure less crowed. There was no wait time on a Saturday at noon and we had 12 people. However, we were split into two tables so that kinda sucked. I didn't give 5 stars because it took forever to get out food. Half our party was finished eating before we even got our food. We also had to remind the waitress two different times that we had ordered oysters. Either way I totally recommend you try it out!
(4)
Jackie T.
After reading the caption on a photo of the pan roast saying that it was , " life changing", I decided to just try this place out. I came here on a Sunday afternoon expecting it to be crowded since there were minimal seating inside but it wasn't busy at all. I was really excited to try the pan roast and seeing that it was priced at $20 ( $15 on weekdays during lunch) I had high expectations. Sadly, it wasn't life changing. It sort of tasted like the creole version of the Indian dish butter chicken. Just replace the chicken with seafood. For $20, I expected it to be packed with seafood. All I got was 4 shrimps, a small strip of crab leg, small chunk of fish, and some tiny calamari pieces. The rice that was served ontop was undercooked. I had a couple of crunchy rice grains in my $20 pan roast. Totally ruined the dish. Bread came out as well but it was stale and dry. It seemed like they just warmed it up in the microwave to make it seem hot. Fried calamari wasn't too bad but the breading kept falling off. Our waitress although was nice, was in a rush to serve tables so she was left out of breath every time she came to our table. It started to get crowded a little after 12 and they seemed understaffed with 2 waitresses and one chef. The place was lacking AC so the more crowded it got, the hotter it got as well. I guess if you're feeling adventurous, then stop by but do it during the lunch time on a weekday so it's not so pricey.
(2)
Tammy W.
2 words: Seafood heaven! They have a variety of oysters, seafood, and soups. The restaurant itself is pretty small. They have a kettle bar area to sit or table seating. The also have a separate bar on the other side of the room. It's fairly quiet and calm. Now onto the food! They give you complimentary bread & butter. Clam chowder: they have a cup or bowl option. The soup is SO GOOD! it's really fresh and they have lots of clams in it! Really creamy and rich. Oysters: they have 3 or 4 kinds of oysters. I've tried the Louisiana and the blue point oysters. The Louisiana oysters are bigger than the blue point ones. But either way they're both tasty. Sweet potato fries/Cajun fries; both good choices. Crispy and soft. Cajun is a little spicy though and has more seasoning. Pan roast: there's about 3-4 pan roast options. We chose the house pan roast which essentially comes with all the different types of seafood, sausage, etc. REALLY GOOD. MUST GET! Overall this place is really good and you can't go wrong with anything. 4 stars because it's a little pricey :( $20 for pan roast... But I always seem to come back. Must try all the dishes! :P
(4)
Kay N.
Food was AMAZING. The best thing here is the house pan roast. I tried the pan roast in another place but wasn't as good as here. It was soooo delicious!!! The bacon wrap shrimp, skinny fries, and clams was all really good. The gumbo was okay. The food is a little heavy but I will keep u back for the house pan roast.
(5)
Nancy T.
It's time I finally update my review for this place and rightfully so! Back when I first tried The Boiler many years ago, I didn't have the appreciation that I have for seafood today. That, plus I definitely tried some of the wrong things, such as the clam chowder, which was not my favorite! Well, fast forward to today...and I of course know better nowadays and stuck to the more popular items this time around. As an appetizer, my hubby and I shared the soft shell crab, which was super delectable. So simple, subtle, and had a nice light battering that brightened up beautifully when sprinkled with fresh squeezed lemon juice. For my entree, I ordered the house pan roast, which was amaaaazing. So hearty, creamy, buttery, rich and savory. I seriously could eat this all day long. I would say the pan roast here is very similar to Ritters, except The Boiler's version is less tomato-ey and has a stronger seafood taste. The portion size seems a bit smaller, but the quality is way better and the chunks of seafood are much bigger! Best of all, the service is like a MILLION times better than Ritter's. Our waitress was superb attentive, always making sure our bread basket and drinks were refilled. She brought out anything we requested (more napkins, lemons, etc.) in a timely manner and did it all with a friendly attitude! I will UNDOUBTEDLY be back! I'm so glad I decided to give this place a shot again because this is THE place to come if you want some high quality pan roast! I'm dreaming about that stuff riiiight now...
(5)
Tila T.
The Boiler is still tasty, but it seems they got kinda cheap with the seafood. I hardly had any recognizable seafood in my pan roast :( What used to be obvious chunks of lobster and crab is now just one small piece of lobster tail (probably about the size of a quarter) and minced crab. It still comes with 3 decently sized shrimp. At about $19.99 per pan roast, The Boiler is well priced compared to it's competition (Ritters, Kettlebar, Oyster Bar). It's just not the same as it used to be.
(3)
Joy M.
If you're a crazy sweaty mess (like me) this shouldn't be your place of choice during the hotter seasons. Very hot up in this hizz-ouse because of the obvious = boiling steamed pot things. To be quite honest, I enjoyed Ritter's more so you might say that I am a little biased! Two visits down and I've come to the 3 stars. For my first visit, I came in a group of people so we couldn't all fit at the bar. All of our food came at the same time and you bet it was HOT! I ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was flavorful, but nothing special. My husband and I ended up ordering a side of crab and I got some small pieces of crab cartilage in my meat. This was totally understandable, so not blaming them. I'm just advising others to proceed with caution when chowing down! The second time I came, I ordered Pan Roast. I thought it was better than the Bouillabaisse, but it wasn't amazing enough for me to have cravings for it again. The portion of crab is kind of small compared to Ritter's (Or I went on an off day because I felt like it was skimpish). Since we had some left over, my husband took his portion home. I was told that it tastes better the day after, which it did. The flavors were a little stronger, but i wasn't enough for me to have that desire to want more right away. Our servers were very nice during both occasions so, top notch customer service!
(3)
Jerome W.
I came here for lunch with my family on Sunday and I am familiar with this concept since I love the Kettlebar in Anaheim. There's ample parking outside and the restaurant is pretty spacious with bar seating in the middle. Note, they don't offer lunch portions or prices on the weekends, which I can understand since it can get busy. Everyone orders the pan roast, but I opted for something a bit less creamy and got the Bouillabaisse, which is more like a stew. It doesn't come with rice like the pan roast and it's more soupy. If this is your first time, I would opt for the pan roast since that's a must for a first-timer. As you eat it, it just gets better and better. I really liked the flavor and the level5 spiciness was perfect for my delicate palate. =) The one thing I really didn't like was that it took 1 HOUR to get our food. They're obviously understaffed with it comes to servers since it look forever for us to get anything including drinks, more bread, etc.. No updates or any type of acknowledgement from our server. It just left a bad taste in my mouth and probably will not be back.
(2)
Joe E.
We ordered the seafood pan roast and it was delicious! We also ordered the shrimp pan roast, but it wasn't as packed with meat as the seafood version. I highly recommend the seafood pan roast. All the pan roasts come with the delicious tomato bisque base that is so creamy and delectable. This place is a must try.
(4)
Samantha C.
An hour wait on Saturday night in Chino?! But more surprisingly, there's Cajun food in Chino?! Complimentary Bread yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Cajun Fries - If they were normal fries, 5/5. Great fries! But these definitely did not taste like cajun fries. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… House Pot Roast - You can choose your spice level from 1-10. I opt for the weak 2, because in my defense I was sick. It would have tasted better if it was spicier though. It had good flavor, but it was a standard pot roast. This was priced at 20 dollars, which is a bit steep. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Jambalaya - I don't really care for jambalaya, but this one was decent enough for me to like it. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Also when I got my drink, there was something black inside. Not clean. It would be 4 stars, but my wallet was screaming a little so I had to dock it down.
(3)
Vincent T.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. We were greeted and seated right away. We were happy to see that there was no line after reading the reviews for this place. After a couple of minutes, we decided to order the fried calamari, a bowl of clam chowder, and house pan roast. The calamari pieces were fairly sized and pretty good. The clam chowder was a little on the saltier end. A short while later we were served our house pan roast which I was most excited for. However, after trying it, I was not amazed. It lacked seafood and the stew was very liquid-y. Also their rice portions were significantly smaller than Ritters. I would only come back if I was really craving pan roast and didn't want to drive to Anaheim or OC for Kettlebar or Ritters.
(3)
Eva I.
Finally made it here after years of it being on my bookmark list. We made it a trip to eat here on our way to Omills, and it did not disappoint! There was no wait (and also no lunch special prices, sadly) when we came on Saturday. We opted to sit at the counter and got to see all the pan roast, gumbo, chowder, etc being made in the steam kettles. Definitely a fun view if you are enjoying steam kettle cooking for the first time. We didn't want to over stuff ourselves (as much as we wanted to), so we shared the steamed clams and house pan roast with added sausage. It was just the right amount of food and left us very satisfyingly full. Both dishes were bowl licking good literally. We had three baskets of bread altogether to clean off every last drop of the creamy, rich, flavorful sauce goodness. I'd choose Boiler over Ritters for its cheaper price and Boiler over Oyster Bar for its closer location. A monthly visit to Boiler sounds just about right. Will be trying the Manhattan style fisherman's chowder next!
(5)
Tanya N.
Good Pan Roast! I love this place! After trying out Ritter's in Orange county, I was recommended by a friend to give this place a try because she said it was comparable to that one famous restaurant in Vegas AND its within driving distance to where I am at! If you have not tried pan roast, it's similar to a creamy tomato soup with chunks of meat or seafood in them and you eat it with white rice. It slightly resembles curry but without turmeric and with southern flavors. I absolutely love it here! The portions are a little too big for me so I had to pack some to go. Let me tell you, the leftover was just as good the next morning! Highly recommended!
(5)
Tammy N.
It's more like 3.5 stars. I always get the pan roast combo. Always delicious, but not always consistent in portion. This last time I went, there were only 2 pieces of lobster in my order. Normally there's a little more so that was a bit disappointing. I tried the etouffee finally and I didn't care much for it. The server said that it is a thicker, richer sauce than the panroast, but it was about the same or if anything not as thick. It tasted okay enough to keep eating, but I don't think I'd order that again. The fried mac'n'cheese bites are good as well as the cajun fries which I feel you can't go wrong with. I like this place because it's close to home. The cooks are friendly to talk to. The servers are always nice, but don't come by and check on us enough. Do get: pan roast combo, oysters, cajun fries, and mac'n'cheese bites. They also have refreshing unsweetened passion tea.
(4)
Karen L.
I absolutely love this place! I just wish it was closer to home then I'd eat this more often. I always opt for the House Pan Roast (spicy level 10 and added 1/2 a habenaro). The crab cakes and gumbo are really worth a try here too! Oysters are good but pretty typical. I honestly like The Boiler better than Ritter's in the OC because it's just packs so much more flavor and punch!
(5)
Jackson Y.
This was the first place I had tried pan roast. Before this place, I had never heard of it. The JY fam invited me out here to try. Honestly, I thought it was not all that at first. But I didn't leave a review, because I had nothing to compare it to. Now that I've had a few pan roasts under my belt and revisited this place....here's what I thought. THE PAN ROAST..... Didn't see it on the menu the second time, but the first time I was here. i got the chicken and sausage pan roast, it wasn't good. Good thing it's no longer there. Second time around finally got the house pan roast and it was quite good. Wasn't the best pan roast I've ever had, but it was close. It was missing that "Je ne sais quoi." Had ordered a level 8 out of 10 on the spice scale. So it was nice and spicy. The shrimp was cooked perfectly. I was really scared to get over cooked shrimp. Props to the cooks for not overcooking them. The house pan roast was about $20 or so. I guess it's a fair price for what it is, but I felt like the amount of seafood isn't as much as other places I've tried. Asked for extra rice. Good to share with two. APPS..... Other recommendation would be the cajun fries. It's full of spice and flavor. And only $3. You can't lose with this appetizer. I would skip on the softshell crab. Kinda pricey and I didn't think it was to die for. However the fried calamari is quite good. Tastes just as good as it looks. Establishments with craft beers are usually a win. It's very easy to be a fan of this place. Good food, craft beer, and they got a few TV around the bar area so you don't miss the game. Seats are limited; I think they only seat about 65 people or so. But the 2 times I've been here for dinner, there wasn't much of a wait. Always good service, and it's conveniently located half a mile from the freeway. It may be a bit hard to find, it's right off of Chino Hills Parkway.
(4)
Courtney H.
So this place is pretty small surprisingly just a bar and a few tables. Upon arrival the hostess said it would be about a 30 to 40 minutes for a table or bar seating which was fine. We waited about maybe 20 minutes and we were seated at the bar. Our waitress was friendly and immediately took our drink orders. The menu is pretty simple which I like. I ordered the Jambalaya with a spice of level of 6. The food is cooked directly in front of you if you are seated at the bar. I really like being able to observe the cooks making different dishes and what not. The cooks were even really nice and interacting with customers. My dish was served and I couldn't wait to dive in. It was so good, however I wish I would've chosen a spice level higher than 6. The cook asked me if it was spicy enough I said it wasn't so he hands me a cayenne and ghost pepper mix. OMG it was amazing. Overall the food and customer service was great! I will definitely visit again.
(5)
Tony Y.
I believe this place came before Ritter's, and is similar to Ritter's overall. But the jambalaya i can say confidently is better at the Boiler. The spicy scale is 1-10 and i went with an 8 and it was tasty with a little bit of the sweats. just like ritters, one plate by itself should be enough for two meals, but if you're really hungry, it'll be enough for one. overall the jamabalya had big pieces of chicken, andoulille and about 6 big pieces of shrimp. the bread is tasty, and definitely a trap to get too full on. overall the pricing was the same, which makes sense and the quality is great, definitely a great alternative in the ie
(4)
Kevin B.
Yummy! First time trying the Boiler and was totally satisfied! House pan roast seems to be the go to item here. I didn't like the shredded seafood items in the stew however. Not to say the seafood tasted poorly but larger chunks make for better visuals and satisfaction. 6/10 was not too spicy in my opinion. My party ordered some golf oysters and those tasted pretty fresh. I'm more of the west coast oyster type so I'd much prefer those next time. Service was prompt and the food came out rather quick.
(4)
jay r.
Having eaten many many gumbos, cioppinos, bouillebaises and prepared/eaten many roux-based dishes I was disappointed by this place. Even further, it is a little insulting to anyone who pays upwards of $20/person to go to a place where food is supposed to be cooked for you. It's not that I expect every place that claims to be cajun/creole to transport me to Louisiana. It's that this place just slops various pre-made mixes into pans and warms them up. If you think this is an exaggeration, sit at the counter and watch. We sat at the counter where there is a line of those gas jet-fired pots like you see at the Grand Central Oyster bar. A fellow in a hat spooned various pre-made glop from steel inserts from a fridge behind him, into the gas fired pans. We all raised our eyebrows at each other sort of shocked. I was embarrassed as my out-of-town dad was with us. The glop dissolved into a bubbling gravy and he plopped a small bowlful of different kinds of pre-mixed seafood into six of these things and it was abundantly clear that nothing was made to order! Just premade, premixed everything. The 2 stars are for the excellent fries. We tried to order a dozen bluepoints, but they were out (on a Saturday night) then had the lobster pan roast, the house panroast, gumbo and some fries. Later, we ordered a bottle of wine to try to cut through the coating of goo on our palates. No luck. The panroasts and the gumbo were both floury-tasting gravies the consistency of thick porridge obviously heavily enriched with a grease-base to make it dissolve somewhat as it warmed in the pan. It was as if the someone mistook roux (a thickening for something) for the dish itself. All of the dishes stuck to the (absurdly oversized) spoons like very thick pudding. The spice mix overpowered the flavor of the seafood and the gravy coated your mouth so nothing came through but the spice mix. A waste of crab, fish, shrimp, the (singular) clam--everything in the dishes that might have been good. And just to be sure I asked the guy spooning the glop what each was and he just ticked off the various different-sounding dishes on the menu. But they were all just pre-made and really slopped (they're almost doughy looking) into the pans. I asked him (it was a Saturday night) about the preparations of each...like, what's a pan roast exactly? And he was stumped and soft shoe-d around ("It's whatever you want it to be") before admitting he had no idea what was in the glop. It's clear that he had no cooking skills besides putting stuff from steel pans from the fridge into ones with gas.
(2)
Ian C.
The house pan roast is the stuff that dreams are made of. It is a creamy goodness mess of seafood. Oysters were good and the jambalaya is good as well. I wish it was open later because 8:30 is just too early for a restaurant to close. I don't start dinner until 8:30.
(4)
Jo W.
Omg! It's sooo good! I didn't expect this place to be so delicious when I walked in! Everything we ordered was soooo awesome!!! This is definitely worth a try!
(5)
Michael P.
A friend had recommended The Boiler to me awhile back, so we tried it last night. The menu is Louisiana and Cajun based, with lots of seafood choices. We started with oysters and Cajun Calimari, both were delicious! We then split their signature dish, House Pan Roast. Lucie our server was awesome and explained we could have our spice level between 1-10. Since I can't take a lot, she recommended 3....which was perfect. Sitting at the bar gives you a more interactive experience with the Chef. Ours was Mike...he rocks! The service was exceptional and the food even better. The different smells from the dishes kept us in food heaven the entire time. We live in Upland and it was well worth the drive. Can't wait to go back and try the Chicken and Sausage kettle and some Soft Shell Crabs.
(5)
Jacky K C.
tip: better than Ritter's House pan roast $19.99. It's on the small side but the taste is almost the same if not exactly the same as oyster bar's. Ritter's have a lot to learn. Bar is beer and wine only.
(4)
Shawn O.
Food it usually pretty good I got 2 pan roast with shrimp and lobster to go got back to south corona and found the lobster was shinny and not all the way cooked called back and was told the manager would be calling well it's been three days I've called everyday and am not able to talk to any body in a management roll it's just ridiculous I will not go back if I can't even talk to a manger over a 3 day period what if me or my wife would have been sick they just don't care about customers if I get a call I will update this review. But I'm not holding my breath.
(1)
Suzi F.
Wasn't going to write a review, but it's still bugging me, so I will. Flew down to SoCal to celebrate a belated Mother's day. Came to The Boiler since it had great reviews. Made a reservation for 11:30am on a Friday, right when the restaurant opened, arrived on time. Placed our order for 4 entrees, two sides. 30 minutes later, still NO FOOD had arrived. We were one of two parties in the restaurant. Eventually the restaurant became more and more packed, still no food. Not only was there no food, but the service was lacking. Not once did the waitress come over to give us an update about the food, not once was there an apology. When I finally asked about the food 40 minutes after we had sat down, I was told it was coming shortly. Another 20 minutes later, the food arrives. No explanation as to what caused the delay, nothing done to remedy the situation. And guess what? On top of that, they entered the WRONG order. We had ordered dinner portions of the food so it could be shareable, but they mistakenly entered our ticket. All we were told is, "Don't worry, you won't be charged for dinner portions." Obviously we wouldn't be charged for something we didn't get! But we were charged in full for exactly what was given to us. We ate for about 15 minutes and packed everything to go. Suffice it to say, we will NOT be back nor would I recommend this place to anyone. There are other steam cooking/cajun food joints around. Surely, no place could have service worse than this!
(1)
Eva L.
I love me some Pan Roast and that's definitely what I got when I came here for dinner! =) On a Wednesday night, there was hardly any wait. Score. You have the option to sit either at the bar or a table. When it comes to ordering what you want, I highly recommend the Pan Roast. Hands down, definitely get it! Why? Because for $19.55, you can get a big bowl of tomato cream-based sauce with a medley of shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and jasmine rice. Once you mix it all together, it just tastes super delicious! There's options for add-ons too. I got some sausage for $3.25, which was a bit expensive for me but you can taste the quality. Overall, the pan roast was good. The ingredients of the seafood were great and of high quality. However, I thought that the sauce could have been more creamier and the jasmine rice could have been less mushy. I like my rice to have a bit of a firmer texture so that when I mix it with the cream sauce, it doesn't look like mush. But besides that, everything else tasted great. Service was kind of slow despite the fact that it wasn't a busy night. It was weird when the hostess spent a little bit more time serving us than the actual server. It took them awhile for us to get our check and we had to flag down the hostess who then had to get the server. A little bit of efficiency in service would be appreciated. Just another hint, I recommend coming in for lunch, because you have the option of getting the lunch or dinner size ($12.95 / $19.55), whereas for dinner you can only choose the latter. So for those who are on slighter tighter budget, then coming here for lunch would be best. So far, I've tried Ritters and Oyster Bar (Vegas) and this is the cheapest Pan Roast I've seen!
(4)
Natalie Y.
I guess this place is a great alternative to the Oyster Bar in Vegas since its a lot closer. I have been here more than 5 times and I still am not satisfied with their food. Yeah, it is good and its almost the same as the Palace Pan Roast I had at the Oyster Bar but no, its not the same. I dont want to be too detailed and picky about the food but their Pan Roast tastes a little too sour for me. Theres that right amount of sourness in the Palace Pan Roast I had in Vegas but this place is similar but its just not the same. This restaurant also takes as long as the one in Vegas. WHY? I hate it when they are so slow and make us wait for a whole hour for our food. I was all happy when I placed my order pretty quick but I got my food exactly an hour after I placed my order. The shortest time I waited was 45 minutes. Vegas is worse but why here? I did occasionally visit when my boyfriend stayed in Corona for school but now that he is back here, we hardly have time to go back. Decent food but you have to wait forever.
(3)
Lesly B.
Loved the customer service. Seating is faster in chef bar than booth. The chefs prepare your meal right in front of you. I ordered the shrimp scampi and I loved that it was full of flavor with a slight hint of spice. Great part is you can scale 1-10 on how spicy you would wAnt your dish. I got a 5 in spicy. The calamari was delicious I highly recommend. I tried a bit of the New England Fishermans chowder and it was delicious. Great customer service and informative chef. I will most definitely be back.
(5)
Juliet P.
The house pan roast was exquisite!! I was immensely delighted of how great it tasted. I totally recommend it. It does have a bit of a spice kick to it, which makes it even more delightful! I will definitely return!
(5)
Charlton C.
Are you a fan of seafood southern style cooking? Then this place may be for you. This location is conveniently located off the 71 freeway in a plaza with many other shops and restaurants. My friends invited me to come try it out. We came on a Sunday night around 6pm and it was pretty packed so we decided to sit at the bar. All the food here besides the appetizers are prepared in an open kitchen style in a boiling pot (hence the name the boiler) so you can see the food that you ordered being prepared in front of you. The chefs are really nice and you can easily engage in a conversation with them if they are not busy. Since I already ate a big lunch earlier in the day, I just wanted something small and since I'm not the biggest seafood fan I opted to get the bowl of clam chowder and an order of the fried calamari. Since the clam chowder was already pre-made, it came out fast and was very tasty! I was impressed and couldn't wait for the calamari to arrive. My friends ordered the seafood pan roast and Cajun fries to share. The food was pretty solid and this is coming from a person who was already half full from Chiptole earlier. The Cajun fries were amazing, I love their seasoning! The breading on the calamari was flavorful and they added real horseradish to the cocktail sauce which is always a plus. I had a spoonful of the pan roast and the flavor was not overpowering though it was kind of spicy for me since it was at an 8 rating. If I came here on an empty stomach I'm sure that the food would have tasted even better. I would come here again to experience it in full instead of just ordering the appetizers. I am a fan!
(4)
Kat I.
My boyfriend and I went to eat the boiler last night for dinner. We've been there a couple times before and we always liked it and thought it was better than Ritter's. Last night we go bar seating and it took the waitress awhile to take our order and bring out our drinks. So we're watching the guy cook our food and I noticed he drops a big piece of shrimp on the counter and stares at me for awhile and I decided to look away to see what he was going to do. As soon as I look away he PICKS THE SHRIMP BACK UP AND THROWS IT BACK IN THE POT!!!!! And he serves it to us. When we told him what we saw him do he tried to tell us the counter top is very clean and not to worry. As I look around the counter there is grease there is left over food and there were even pieces of fries that fell from other customers!! It was disgusting. And not only that but if it wasn't a big deal why did he have to wait until I looked away to pick it back up and throw back into the pot. Granted he did make us a new one i really didnt know if i wanted to stay. In my pan roast I also ordered a side if okra and of course...it wasn't added. And it took the waitress about 10-15minutes to even bring us our check. I have attached a picture to show where he dropped the shrimp. Would u guys still eat it if u saw it fall there
(1)
Muddpiemojo S.
Food is great! Customer service sucks!!!! Been going here since they opened & normally customer service is fine. Do not go here on the weekends!!! All the servers are rude & seem to panic when it's busy. Not worth the wait
(1)
Mohit K.
My dad suggested that we go to this place for lunch along with my mom, and I agreed to try it out. We started it off with Cajun fries and bacon wrapped shrimp, which were both (obviously) delicious. My dad and I got the pan roast while my mom got the chicken gumbo. The server and cook were very accommodating when my mom realized that the chicken gumbo was not to her liking (it wasn't my favorite either, or I would have just switched with her). Even at lunch prices, the total came out to 60 before tip. The portions were decent; we all took leftovers home, but the presentation wouldn't have made the entrees easy to share either. The food and service were worth the price, though, and we will return. The ambience is pretty casual, and although we didn't sit at the bar, I can imagine that it would be a cool experience watching your food being prepared.
(5)
Calvin L.
I was stuck in Chino Hills for work, so I was led to The Boiler by Yelp. Nice location with plenty of parking. Although the food was awesome, the service was a bit lackluster. It wasn't even a busy night, and every single bowl/dish that was at our table was left there even long after we were done with it. So by the end of the night, we have about 5 empty bowls along with the break basket, scattered all over our table. That's my one knock on this place. Everything else was awesome. House Pan Roast ($19.55 - Dinner) Huge hit on Yelp, so I just had to order it. AWESOME! So much seafood! Broth is great for dipping the bread. When I come back, I won't be getting anything else. Highly recommended. Blue Point Oysters ($13.95 - Half a Dozen) Yummy oysters. Nothing too crazy going on here, but if you absolutely love oysters, they got them here. New England Clam Chowder ($4.95 - Bowl) Loved their chowder. Nice and thick. I'm a huge fan of clam chowder, and I absolutely hate when it comes watered down. This was awesome. Great chunks of potato and tons of clam. Also a great bread dipper. Frozen Cappuccino ($3.95) So refreshing. I love this drink. This drink is for anyone; not just coffee lovers. Highly recommended.
(4)
Wendy H.
House Pan Roast is a must!! I usually get it with added chicken and sausage. Weekends and holidays only the dinner portion is available, about $20. Good to share when you order an extra bowl of rice.
(5)
Harshad H.
After 30-40 minutes wait (I think they were low on staff because few tables were empty and still had wait time) We started with some Abita beer n yummy oysters. I was craving for creole/ cajun food for a while n finally made it. Our meal was house pan roast and gumbo n we enjoyed it with spurs vs clippers!! The pan roast was creamy with shrimp, crab and lobster. It reminded me of Indian butter chicken because of the creamy taste. Gumbo was tasty and spicy. I would go again. Overall it was a great experience and along with good food, clippers won!!
(4)
Inna S.
YAMMY!!!!! Their "House Pan Roast" is the boom!!! It had nice sauce with Lobster, Crab, clams and jasmine rice....mmmmm Lobster tail was perfectly cooked. Nice portion size, I was stuffed!!!
(5)
Linda L.
Omg I like the food from here but today service is beyond slowwwwww. We've been here for over an hour and still haven't received any of our soups. This is really disappointing. No one even came to check on us or to let us know the kitchen is behind. I had to yell to get the servers attention and she still can't tell us how long it'll be for our food. She took off and hasn't came back. The worst service ever tonight. We came here before everyone party of 4 people and 20 other people got served before us. There isn't even a manager on staff for me to talk to about this non service we are getting. Really puts a sour taste in my mouth because I really like the food from here. When we finally get our food, it's not even hot, it's like lukewarm if that and my gf found raw chunks of garlic in her soup. Service today was worst then going to an Asian spot where nobody speaks English. Worst dining experience of my life for 2015. Thank you Boiler.
(1)
Katie M.
So delicious, got the house one with chicken instead of clans, a ton of food, amazing!!!
(5)
Jade P.
A few months back, a family friend recommended The Boiler. However, considering that Chino Hills is a 45 minute drive from LA, her recommendation fell on deaf ears. We were on our way to Vegas and had to stop by Rowland Heights really quick. My dad was looking for a place to eat before heading out and since Chino Hills is on the way, we gave The Boiler a try! We came in around 2pm on a Monday and it wasn't busy at all. There was no wait! The place was pretty empty by the time we got there- it was just us and a group of 4 people sitting at the bar. By the time we left, there were only 2 parties dining in. We ordered the Etouffee, Gumbo, Chicken Gumbo, and Jambalaya. I was able to sample each and everything was really good. I don't really like spicy food but I really loved the Gumbo with spiciness level of 4. It was the best out of all we ordered. Our waitress was on top of everything and was really friendly. She constantly went to our table to ask us if we needed anything. Top-notch service! We were there during lunch and their prices are reasonable. Overall a great little restaurant! I have friends who live in Chino Hills and I will recommend this place (that is, if they haven't tried it yet!)
(5)
Lani L.
Came here yesterday with the boyf and was pretty happy, despite my flu..there were two other parties besides us, so it was a pretty quiet evening. Anyways, we ordered the House Pan Roast (what they are known for), mac 'n cheese bites, calamari, clam chowder, and bacon wrapped shrimp! Personally I'm not a fan of bacon so I only took one bite of the shrimp, it was alright, the calamari has a nice size to them, but I didn't like the cocktail sauce - ketchup did it for me though. The mac 'n cheese bites were pretty good! Then came to the House Pan Roast, and that was essentially a tomato based soup filled with seafood goodness! They also give comp. bread, I used the bread to dip the soup so there's that for an idea :) Service was really good! Our waitress was really helpful as I did tell her that it was our first time here, it was also our first time trying out Steam Kettle Cooking Cuisine, which is it not just boiling pot of ingredients?! That's what it looks like to me haha. Overall it was a good expierence and service made it better!
(4)
Wendy H.
Ahhhh, so I've had Oyster Bar in Vegas before and I've also had Ritters in Costa Mesa. I've been dyingggg to try the Boiler out so I can finally decide which one is better! Honestly, they all are VERY similar and I am happy eating at any establishment. But if I had to choose I would say Oyster Bar is the best then comes the Boiler then Ritters. We came on a Sunday evening around 8pm and there was no wait, yay! I got my usual: the house pan roast w/ sausages at a spicy level of 7. To me, the spicy level 7 was perfect! You can taste the spiciness but it's not overwhelming where you can't taste the rest of the flavors. My friend ordered the New England clam chowder which was very rich and tasty. We also got the bacon wrapped shrimps. It's a small plate which consisted of 5 shrimps and no dipping sauce to which I was a little surprise. It tasted good regardless! Service was not as attentive as I am use to but they got the job done.
(4)
Kristina M.
Came here for Saturday lunch and the restaurant was fairly empty. I ordered the New England Clam Chowder and House Pan Roast. The complimentary bread was mediocre but was perfect for dipping in my clam chowder and pan roast. The clam chowder was very chunky, thick and creamy. It was absolutely great! When ordering the house pan roast, I told the waitress that I can't handle spiciness in my food. She encouraged me to get a '5' on their spiciness scale but I was a chicken and got a '3'. When I got the house pan roast, I didn't taste any spiciness at all. I should've gone with the '5'... Moving on! The flavor of the house pan roast was amazinggg. I loved how I can watch the chef cook it on the steam kettle in front of me. (Sit at the counter, you can watch them and it's more entertaining.) I substituted the clams for sausages and was glad that I did. It tasted like thick, creamy tomato soup but with an explosion of Cajun flavors. I got it with a bowl of rice and thought it was good. However, I could see how it could be good with pasta too so I might try that next time. I absolutely recommend this place! Good flavors and good environment! It's about $20 for a house pan roast but I shared it with my boyfriend and we were both stuffed afterwards! I can't wait to go back!
(5)
William T.
Everyone comes here for the House Pan Roast because it's so damn gooood! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. It's way better than Ritters Pan Roast. I've never had any other entree on the menu but I have tried numerous appetizers. I've had the Cajun fries, bacon wrapped shrimp and crab cakes. Everything tastes great. The service here is always excellent. I really have nothing bad to say about this place. It's one of my favorite places to eat at. Check it out. Oh, they have some odd hours so call in to make sure they're open. We tried to come here on Super Bowl Sunday and they were closed despite showing "open" on Yelp.
(5)
Margaret L.
This place is fantastic! The service is great, especially if you are sitting at the counter watching the magic happen. The chefs are really friendly and just great people to talk to. Onto the food! My husband really enjoyed the Bouillabaisse while my friends were happily satisfied with the Jambalaya... But for me it would have to be the House Pan Roast! It sort of reminds me of Tikka Masala because of the rich, creamy tomato base, but the seafood makes it out of this world.
(5)
Daniel C.
I drove 40 minutes to get this Sunday night after my Raiders WHOOPED the 49'ers....SO WORTH THE DRIVE!!! Apparently the original one is in Vegas...called the Oyster Bar. Will definitely try that ASAP. My friends and I get there and we were welcomed by the smell of cow manure....YUMMMM...WELCOME to CHINO HILLS. hahaha. There was no wait (thank gawd) so we were seated right away. The place is not the biggest, but it was very homey. There was a bar, but we sat at the table, because we ALWAYS order too much food. The bar was in the middle of the restaurant and there were these pots, where I'm assuming they cook the magical stew. The waitress took our order and we all got the House Pan Roast with level 5 spiciness. (The House Pan Roast is the combination of all the Pan Roasts/// Spiciness levels go from 1-10) Level 5 was perfect, but next time I'm going for a little more heat. They brought out bread and butter and our waters. My friend ordered the sauvingon blanc...which was not very good. But what do you expect from a $21 bottle with a twist off cap? *TIP - White wine goes well with seafood* In addition to the bread, there were these 2 triangular crisps i would say. Almost like giant Doritos but very flakey like they were baked. Pretty good!!' OMG.....i'm getting hungry just thinking about the next part i'm going to write. The food comes out fairly quickly...maybe 10-15mins after ordering..and at first it just looks like chunky seafood soup with an ice cream scoop of jasmine rice in it. But when you take a wiff......hooooooooooooooooly scheisse...(scheisse = shit in German...pronounced shy-za. A little cultural edjumacation fo dat a$$). The smell alone incites drooling....my stomach growled at me to "get in mah bellayyyy". The first bite....oh....and what a bite that was....was just a cornucopia of flavor....a party in my mouth....a rave of flavor EDM. WOW. Chunks of shrimp, crab, lobster and clam...all up in my face!!! If you saw my face at the exact moment i inserted the spoon in my mouth, at every spoonful...you would probably think i was on drugs. It was THAT good. Every bite followed by an "ohhh" or a "mmmmyeaaaaa" hahahaha....it was making love to my mouth. ok...i'll stop now. Half way in...I realized, "Oh crap...I'm half empty!! REFILL!!!" haha jk. But i did stop myself. Not only was it more than enough food for me...but i wanted to save the rest for later...because I KNEW my fatass would be craving it the next day. I was SO....very...happy. Fat Daniel was more than satisfied. I love this place. I will be back...VERA VERA SOON!! ohhh shoot...i totally forgot we got the crab cakes too!! They were good. You know what?? I'm going back tonight!!! So...CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!!
(5)
Gloria C.
I don't know everyone seems to love it but it didn't really make my tastebuds go yay. The pan roast was really salty and I dug deep in the bowl but nothing was wipe the drool off my keyboard delicious. Also tried the jumbalaya which lacked the spice I was looking for in cajun style food. Service was standard but nothing spectacular. Also tried some oysters and I felt I have had better. I've been here a few times now, but the last time I went to The Boiler, an hour after my meal, I felt nauseous and ended up throwing up most of the meal. I'm not pointing fingers but I think something about the sauce didn't sit well with me. I'm going to avoid coming back at all costs!
(3)
Grace P.
Excellent Blue Point Oysters & Clam Chowder.
(5)
Jenny N.
The Boiler's Pan Roast tastes just as good as the Pan Roast at Oyster Bar in Palace Station - Vegas. The Boiler is the closest Pan Roast we can get from only 45 minutes drive compared to a 4 hour drive! However, I still think the Pan Roast in Vegas have a better taste- but still! The Boiler's Pan Roast is still bomb!! There's no way you come here and not order the House Pan Roast! It comes in different levels of spice. 10 being the most spicy. I usually order it with Jasmine Rice but you have the option to choose Rice or Pasta. House Pan Roast is a bit like gumbo but better! The Pan Roast is tomato-based with all sorts of seafood in a big bowl. So if you are allergic to seafood, don't order the house pan roast, they have other options. Pan Roast have this creamy, tomato-based texture that just goes really well with rice. If you like creamy based soup- a bit like clam chowder but better. THIS IS IT! The cool thing about The Boiler is that they cook their gumbo and pan roast with a steam kettle cooker. So you can actually sit at the counter area and watch the chef cook up the good stuff for you. They also have a good selection of beer to choose from. A good place to sit, eat, drink and just enjoy. There's also another steam kettled Pan Roast place - Ritter's - in Anaheim. So It is up to you all to determine which place have the BEST pan roast. However, The Broiler is the closest plcae to get my cravings for Pan Roast fulfilled. Service is wonderful and parking is also plentiful. Located in a bit plaza with Lucilles close by as well. Good stuff.
(4)
Cindy A.
I've been to Vegas on average 4-5 times a year for the last 7 years and almost every time I try to get the pan roast at Oyster Bar, but never do because the wait is always over an hour. Finally I got to try the pan roast last week and I had to get it again. When I came back from Vegas, I discovered The Boiler and I had to try it. My friend and I came here last night and ordered their house pan roast and jambalaya. First off, sharing a dinner size pan roast with another person will fill you up. We had so much food left over, we really didn't need to order the jambalaya. The pan roast was very similar to the one in Vegas, but I would say the one at The Boiler is a little creamier. The bowl is filled with seafood and mixed with the perfect amount of spices. The jambalaya is also excellent and the dish is loaded with many pieces of sausages. I will definitely be getting this again when I'm back home in Southern California.
(4)
Joey Y.
I made a reservation ahead of time so I didn't have to wait. I got the House Panroast, the portion is quite big for me, could've shared with another girl. The guy finished the whole thing himself but he had to order an extra portion of rice because it was too salty. I do admit it's a bit salty for my taste. If you're comparing this to the Oyster Bar in Vegas, there is no comparison, Oyster Bar is by far way better. But this is a good alternative given that there aren't many options around Orange County with good seafood panroast. Overall good food with great service.
(4)
Heidi L.
3.5 stars, rounded down because it's a little pricy. We came here on a Saturday night around 7pm and it was crowded!! We waited about an hour before getting seated. The restaurant is pretty tiny, with a huge bar in the middle so seats are pretty limited. I got their House Pan Roast with level 5 spiciness (out of 10). It was very flavorful, and I luckily chose the right amount of spiciness! It had great flavor from the seafood but the tomato sauce kinda overpowered it sometimes. It had the right thickness though, not too watery but not too clumpy! This one dish was $20 bucks though. I know it's seafood but not enough to justify the price. We also shared cajun fries and those were yummy!! Crunchy and not too salty! Service was also wonderful, I really wanted to give this place more stars but my wallet was crying a little afterwards. I would still come back here for great cajun-style food though!
(3)
John F.
I had the Jambalaya and it was Very Good. I do recommend it. My Wife had the Pan Roast which She Loves. I thought it was OK. :) I also recommend their Calamaris.. The Service Was Good Too..!! Friendly Staff..!! Thank You Erica..!!
(5)
Pauline C.
This place is mighty tasty! Not Oyster Bar at Palace Station amazing but, this is the closest I'm going to get lol. What We Ordered - Jambalaya - House Pan Roast The Jambalaya was very flavorful! We opted for level 7 spiciness for both dishes and could have easily made it a 10. It was not spicy at all! We needed to substitute out the crab in the House Pan Roast because my friend is allergic. You can only substitute things out for chicken or sausage, not other seafood. The dishes looked small but, we left pretty satisfied. However, it might just be from all the bread we ate with the House Pan Roast haha. I definitely like The Boiler more than Ritter's in the OC. Their House Pan Roast is more on the tomatoey side. I will be back!
(4)
Rae Marie Y.
I LOVE THE FOOD! The first time I came here, I ordered gumbo or jambalaya. Can't remember. My husband ordered the house pan roast. I tasted my dish first and it was definitely love at first taste. Or so I thought, until I tried my husband's dish. The difference between the two is subtle. BUT the house pan roast is so much better. I don't know how to explain it in words, so just go and taste for yourself! This place is short of 5 stars because of the small space. It feels a little weird in there. There's a big bar area with bar seating in the middle then 2-4 person tables lined up against the windows with a huge space between the bar and tables. Feels awkward. Disappointedly, not a place I can take extended family to. I think they can find better use of the space. I also think the food is kind of pricey without having fancy ambience.
(4)
Danny S.
By far my favorite place to eat, If you love Cajun food this is the place. Spice and flavor what more do you want!
(5)
Davina N.
I gotta say... This place works for me! Nice decor, modern style place, and good variety of dishes served here. Had to try the house pan roast and my friend got the bouillabaisse with rice and a side of linguini noodles. Asked for my spice level to be a 5, and it was a good balance to my dish. The house pan roast had a good amount of seafood in there (hence the price) and the bread really went well with the creamy dish. I would probably substitute the jasmine rice for the noodles next time or just eat the dish with bread. I felt like the rice made it way too filling for me to even finish the dish. The only thing that made me turn my head a little bit was the slow service and the strange hours this restaurant provides. There were literally 1 or 2 other folks and 8 empty tables surrounding us, but the waitress could not seem to get it together, which made the experience just okay. She was nice, but she moved slow. Lol
(4)
Amy M.
MMMM MMMM MMMMMMM!! This place is DELICIOUS! My friend told me about this place after I told her I've been wanting to try The Oyster Bar in Vegas. And OMG. BOMB. I went during happy hour (5-6:30pm & I believe it's M-F). I got the 2 oysters for $3. They were HUGE! Tasted fresh & yummy. And I also ordered the House Pan Roast. ERMAHGERDDDD. SO. FREAKIN. DELICIOUS. I felt like I was scarfing down my dish because I was eating it super fast. It was SO good. It's $19.55 for dinner. Kinda pricey but def worth it! It's a tomato cream based dish w/ lobster, shrimp, clams, veggies, I forgot what else, & a scoop of rice. If I didn't love to eat I would be able to share but no thanks, I want my own :) LOL. Anyways get the House Pan Roast next time! You will not regret it!
(5)
Janet H.
Still one of my favorite spots. This place gets pretty busy so you can make reservations. Still love the pan roast and cioppino.
(5)
Sandy L.
If you're a fan of the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas, you will feel right at home here. No more waiting for 3 hours in a smoky, oldish hotel. This airy modern restaurant has bar seating as well as tables for you to enjoy your Pan Roast! They have lunch and dinner portions/pricing. I went w my parents and son for my mom's birthday on 10/3/14. The chef was SUPER nice and offered a few extras here and there for us. I had the Bouliabasse (sp) and the rest of my party had the House Pan Roast. My Bouliabasse was ordered mild, but still had a nice kick. Can't imagine what a spice level of 5 would be, YIKES. Anyway, if you have a craving for the Oyster Bar's Pan Roast and find yourself too far away from Vegas, take a trip to The Boiler.
(5)
Roy T.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place!! Ever since I visited the Oyster Bar at the Las Vegas Palace Station Casino, I've been desperately trying to find an alternative place closer to home. I've come here two weeks in a row and can't get enough of the Pan Roast, Jambalaya, and Gumbo!! Each of the dishes are so flavorful and delicious! If you like extra crab, it's an additional $6, but worth it! The portions are very generous. I always take my leftovers to-go and enjoy at night. I've also tried the lemon butter steamed mussels and they were fresh and perfectly cooked. The texture was soft and fell apart in my mouth. The flavor was nice, but a little on the salty side. Glad there was complementary bread balance the flavor. Overall, this is my current favorite place to eat. I just wished there was one closer to my house. I would be there every day!!
(5)
Lauren M.
Love this place. The house pan roast(mild) is my favorite! They have blue point oysters at a really good price. Staff is friendly. The happy hour menu is pretty awesome too!
(5)
Ticha B.
I love Pan Roast (we usually hit up Palace Station in LV for Pan Roast). You can't get pan roast in Los Angeles. You can get pan roast 50 miles away in Chino Hills (or Santa Ana). The Boiler has been in my bookmark for quite some time now. It was a perfect opportunity to grab lunch at while on our way to Morongo. We walked in right at 12pm and it didn't get too crowded just yet (crowds started picking up around 1220-1230pm). Sat down and ordered the Boiler's version of the Oyster Rockefeller (it was called something different). Good stuff, the oysters were fresh, the cheese and spinach topping was yummy! Half dozen for around $13.50. My Pan Roast was good. I almost didn't finish it though as it was super rich (the Palace Station Pan Roast is better) but the Boiler's Pan Roast hit the spot as well. My friend's Jambalaya was good. It depends on what you all like to eat. The restaurant is nice and clean, you don't have to all sit at the counter and the food was prepared pretty quickly. Plenty of parking as well.
(4)
Tiffany L.
PAN ROAST WITH NOODLES HANDS DOWN BEST CAJUN DISH EVER! don't even look at the menu okay maybe a glimpse and order cajun fries if you are that hungry ... but save your stomach!!!! don't eat the bread either wait to dip it into the sauce. I SWEAR i even dreamed about bathing in this sauce. it really is that good. this place is really awesome i tried this place on the way home from big bear and what a great way to warm up your tummy. the sauce is pure genius to who ever cooked up this recipe and in all honestly i did drive back to chino hills just to eat this! the customer service is great chefs they are literally right in front of you. i have bad habit of trying to eat before the place closes so i love how willingly accepting they are and appreciative of the business. the drive is far and traffic is a real struggle between getting off work and coming here. i try my best to eat as quickly and not stall time. i really hope you guys open one soon closer to la TIP save the bread and dip it in the sauce any left over sauce bring it home and redhead and make ur own noodles to eat again the next day :)
(5)
Jason K.
Had the Louisiana oysters on the half shell for an appetizer... on happy hour. Awesome, huge meaty oysters served with lemon, cocktail sauce and horseradish. 2 oysters for 3 bucks. Niiice. Had the house pan roast... And it was... Amazing. Big pieces of seafood, delicious sauce. It was a hefty portion, couldn't finish it all, so brought the rest home with me. My server, Myra (I think) was great. I'll Definitely be back.
(5)
Debbie W.
Came here yesterday, they had 2 waitresses, 3 large parties (us being one of them) and the seats were full. The waitress was avoiding eye contact, she was so busy! We had reservations but had to wait to be seated and then it took about an hour for the food to come out. AN HOUR. That to me is totally unacceptable. And they tagged on 18% gratuity, party of 5 adults, 3 kids. Seriously? I had a great experience the first time but this time really blew. Make sure they are staffed well and maybe pre-order before you visit if they let you.
(2)
Amy L.
Had this booked marked for a while and finally got to try it! OMG, this place is so f-king GOOD! I mean seriously I can't stop thinking about how good it tasted! LOL. Anyways come here at 2 - 5pm and you don't have to wait! I heard it's really busy around lunch and dinner time. The food - Me and the boyfriend shared a House Pan Roast-It was enough for two and we were super stuffed! ( We had the dinner size the only option for weekends. On weekdays they do have a lunch size. ) and we also shared the Bacon wrapped shrimp! SUPER AMAZING, the first bite of that shrimp was super juicy, it was prawns actually.. oh so yummy. How could I not forget the House pan roast? We got the spice level 8, I like spicy and 8 was good but could have gone for 10 or something LOL. SUPER DUPER YUMMY, every single bite was like MMMMMM.. orgasm in yo mouth sonnn. Crab, lobster, shrimp and whatever they put in there in every bite.... I mean you get the whole ocean in your mouth. SIT AT THE BAR..... SIT AT THE BAR... you can see how they cook your food and plus the people making it are ultra nice. MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR ARTHUR because he cook some bomb ass house pan roast for us and did I mention he's super friendly and easy to talk with? Yup we TIP good that day.
(5)
Javier G.
The house pan roast is really good!!! Plus the bread to scoop up the bottom of the bowl mmmmmmmm the BEST!!
Not something you can eat everyday or even once a week but something worth trying. Good service, open kitchen. Good for dates or catching up with a friend. Make sure you know what you're ordering before you order, read the ingredients carefully because each entree has a variety of different ingredients. Comfort food. Soul food. Southern food. I like the house pan. Nothing to complain about.
(4)
Lynda N.
I LOVE PAN ROAST. I was so excited to hear that we finally have something like this close to home beside Vegas. I went to Ritters which had total failed my expectation, until one of my friend had introduce me to The Boiler. I ordered the house pan roast, adding sausages and a habanero level 8 spicy. Mmmmmmmmmm DELICIOUS!!!!!!. The seafood is actual chunks where you can definitely define the clams, lobster and jumbo shrimps. The flavor is just perfect. The server Erica is such a sweetheart, great customer service. Overall great experience. I live in garden grove but when I do want PAN ROAST 40 mins drive here I go.
(5)
Jay B.
I write this review with mixed emotions, as I love the food here, but have had a few experiences with wait time. Again, I love the food, absolutely love it...but the service is typically so so so slow. On one recent occasion, I didn't have to wait long at all, but that was the exception, not the rule. Hopefully the rating will call out a change. On multiple occasions, I've waited for several minutes, one time almost 20 minutes ,to get seated, and with a very small group. And there were several open tables. It's not really the fault of the servers because they've always been super polite and as helpful as possible, albeit a little overwhelmed. I have to blame management here...because why would you only staff A SINGLE server during Lunch?!? Again, with the exception....the last time we were there, the one server on shift was very quick and was a pro, maybe that was the difference there. Employ efficient and experienced servers if you're only gonna have one during lunch time. Anyway I digress...this is not a service only review. It's food food food. I have enjoyed everything I've ever had here; the House Pan Roast, the Shrimp Pan roast, the Gumbo, and the Jumbalaya...it's already hard for me to choose between these four items, so I don't get to try much else. It comes with rice...but you also get bread for the table, which is GREAT for sopping up all that extra yummy soup. The menu items are flavorful and you get a good portion. I've definitely been full each time I've eaten here. very good place to turn to to satisfy your cajun craving. Been to a few other cajun joints, and this one so far has topped the rest. Spicy levels can move drastically up; at 5, i have a decent sweat goin, and I can eat decently spicy food....so eater be ware! The 3 is even a good spice level. Again, the staff is friendly enough, and the cooks are super friendly too but it's just that it's been really slow so. We're limited on lunch so we can't afford to wait too long. Gotta see how dinner is around here.
(3)
Patty M.
First time here..my mom and I saw it and decided to try it out and I am so glad we did! I loved it all. The gumbo was so tasty and the pan roast was delicious! You decide how spicy you want it from a scale of 1-10 and we both chose 6 which was perfect. The gumbo was a little spicier probably because of the sausage but I think a 7 would be perfect for the pan roast if you're wanting that extra kick. I cant wait to come again and spread the word of this delicious place!
(5)
Audrey C.
My boyfriend and I had ordered the House Pan Roast and shared it since the portions are well big enough for 2 people. This was honestly the best Cajun/Creole/Seafood I've ever had. It's so flavorful and nothing is watered down - the texture is just thick and creamy enough. The customer service is great! Our server and cook were really friendly and always made sure we were okay. I've never experienced steam kettle cooking before so it was nice having seating right at the counter with the chefs watching as they cook for you! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves seafood and authentic Louisiana dishes.
(5)
Thy L.
Afternoon weekend chef is lazy. As soon as my bouillabaisse boils, he pours it right to the bowl. The crab is still cold inside and the lobster is barely cooked. He took off and I don't see him again and it's only 1pm Saturday.
(3)
Robyn P.
The gumbo for lunch was excellent. It was tasty, just the right amount of spice. I was glad I tried it. I was their second customer during the lunch hour, so I got my food quickly. It is cooked especially for you, not just pre-prepared soup. But I did notice that as the place filled up, the single server they had working had her hands full. She has to take everybody's order, drinks, bills, deliver food, and seat new customers...by the time I left she was handling 9 or 10 tables. That is a bit much for one server. So paying my bill or getting a drink refill took some time. I don't blame her, I blame the manager/owner for not having more staff. I hope he reads this. I will be returning for sure, I just hope they have more staff on hand during dinner time. I would really give it 3.5 stars, because nobody should have to feel bad to flag down a waitress for a refill or the bill.
(4)
Jenny P.
This was my first time... & possibly last visit. I went here with a group of four. My friend got there early (730) we ordered @8. There wasn't a lot of people, as a matter of fact we were there with one other group of 2. So we ordered, got our apps, then noticed a lot more people coming in... We didn't get our soups (4total) until 9, that's an hour later. We were flagging our waitress's down, yelling across the room to get anyone attention, to let them know we've been waiting for almost an hour. She comes by and says it'll be just 10 more mins. I hate to post a bad review or complain, but this was beyond disappointing, especially when I heard good things about this place. My husband had to leave before getting his food, because he worked all day and had to work the next morning & still drive home 40 mins. He has never done that! After he left, we got our food around 9. Not even hot, it was warm, and not cooked all the way. There was chunks of garlic and not much seafood, I was expecting a lot more. I wanted to talk to the manager, but he wasn't there. I talked to the lead waitress and told her that this was unacceptable service. I'm a paying customer, and this is not how you should treat us. She never once came over to try and fix the situation. Once we got our food, we asked for Togo boxes and the bill. We were the last ones there, and they were cleaning & rushing us to get out.!Also, I had them take our apps off the bill, and i was fighting tooth & nail, in the end she said "all we can do is take the Cajun fries off" I was like omg, that's like $3. I shouldn't have to fight you for this. Have some respect for your customers! Worst customer service!!!! May 11 2015
(1)
Ann P.
After my brother had eaten here for lunch on Friday, he recommended that a group of us return and try it out on the following Monday for lunch after a winter retreat. We got there at 1:30pm coming down from Lake Arrowhead and were seated 15 mins. after arriving. The place was nearly empty being that it was a Monday (MLK weekend) but I was concerned that we would be stuck there past restaurant hours (2:30pm closing) since we had a huge group of 20 people. We didn't leave until 3:30ish... my apologies to Boiler staff for the late lunch rush. Aspects about the food were excellent however, there were some problems that I must share: The HOUSE PAN ROAST was decadent and unlike any dish I can compare it to. The tomato creaminess of the stew was seriously amazing. I often eat spicy food and was very was pleased with the spice level 8 that I requested. I could have increased it to a 10 and would still be okay with the heat. The amount of stew vs. rice felt lacking. I don't understand why there was so little rice for so much stew. The portion of the rice was good for 1/4 of the stew. I could eat the rest with the bread in the basket but I would much prefer more rice. OYSTER ROCKEFELLER full order - New menu item and wanted a chance to try this style of cooked oyster. I didn't enjoy it and won't order Oyster Rockefeller again if they all taste like this. I think it was a matter of preference since my husband liked it. The rich bearnaise sauce on top covered up the briny oyster flavor that I adore. I'll be sticking to raw oysters from now on. The best part of the experience was that the chef cooked our meal in front of us with an antique looking pot that swiveled to stay upright to hold the liquid and pours out into a deep bowl once the meal was finished. The proper term for it is a boiler steam kettle but I much rather give a lack luster description of the device. I expected that it would take a while for the food to finish cooking, so the two star review didn't have anything to do with the chef. My issue with the service was that they decided to tell us that all meals will be dinner prices & portions after they took our orders. My husband and I initially ordered the etoufee , 1/2 r. oysters, and house pan roast BUT changed it to 1 doz. oysters and house pan roast. After we were finished with the meal, it took 20-30 mins. for the bill. I appreciate that they didn't try to shoo us out when it got past closing time but I don't see myself coming back to this restaurant.
(2)
K S.
Hello Jackson and thank you for your sarcastic response. That's the pros of yelp, I am able to leave a review. Great right! Well let's start with consistency. Maybe you should make sure your staff are consistent on both shifts. That's it...have a wonderful day.
(1)
Kevin S.
Food (house pan roast and clam chowder) was good, service was horrid, prices were high. Sweet potato fries were meh. Might go again due to the pan roast but wouldn't be pleased about it.
(3)
Pacific V.
The food here is great! We came for lunch, so the place wasn't very busy. The staff was really nice and attentive to our needs. The waitress also gave us complementary bread. We ended up ordering the soft shell crab for starters. This is probably the best soft shell crab that I've ever tried. The batter they used made the crab taste so good and not too fishy. As for entree, my boyfriend got the fisherman's chowder, and I got gumbo. Since we sat at the bar, we got to watch the chef cook our soups. It was really cool. Each soup was cooked in its own individual pot. Honestly, I'm not sure how to describe it, so I'll post a picture. My boyfriend said that the fisherman's chowder is one of the best chowder he has ever tasted. Their was so much seafood in there that he literally got full off of seafood. The shrimps in there were jumbo. One advice if you're eating the chowder is to ask for an oyster fork, so you can get all of the crab meat out of the shell. I actually tried one of his crabs and it was so nice and juicy. As for my gumbo, I thought it was pretty good. It was my first time eating gumbo, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. The sausage that they used was really good. There was also crab meat and shrimp in the soup which is always a plus for me. I was really surprised how filling their lunch portion was; I couldn't finish it. If I didn't order the starter, I think the portion would've been perfect.
(4)
Nancy V.
NO LUNCH SPECIAL ON THE WEEKEND. My favorite dish is the House Pan Roast. I usually get level 10 on spiciness. It's the perfect blend of spicy and tasty. It's a pricey place but very satisfying.
(4)
Celly B.
I had the gumbo here which wasn't bad but tbh I've had better. Now the house pan roast is another story! This dish has kept me coming back over & over. It's perfect on a cold rainy night or whenever you have the craving for something hearty.
(5)
Deborah S.
Aside from Boiling Crab, I haven't had Cajun food. And dear goodness, that's about to change after checking this place out. Ordered the House Pan Roast, and here I am salivating just thinking about it! Lawdd. I will warn you though, this place WILL guarantee-ably create intense and frequent cravings. It's a bummer I live an hour away, otherwise I'd be there all the time. Dinner prices aren't exactly cheap, but you're paying for gold, so... I change my mind, it's cheap.
(5)
Angela S.
Came here a couple months ago with my bestfriend for a nice little update session! Our thoughts when we got there: thank goodness we don't need to go to Vegas to get some panroast! We shared the seafood panroast, half a dozen oysters, and an order of crab cakes. Everything was decently delicious, but the quality has gone down since the owner changed. The oysters were definitrly not fresh :( I believe the old owner went on to open Ritter's Steam Kettle Cooking in Santa Ana, so if you're missing the old flavors of what the Boiler used to taste like, try Ritter's! It may just be the answer to your panroast problems!
(3)
Danny N.
THAT PAN ROAST. Just like what everyone of these hundreds of reviews say, the pan roast is pretty awesome. I only have one complaint, the price. Its 20 bucks for it, you get the pan roast, a couple pieces of seafood and 3 pieces of shrimp and a small portion of rice. I think the price is a little too high considering how much seafood is in it. The calamari was really good and it wasn't small portions of squid either, the pieces were pretty big! They also give you complimentary bread and butter at the beginning. The place is pretty good and a nice place for you to watch games on one of the three TVs!
(4)
Eugene C.
We were suggested to eat here from a friend and my girlfriend and I were not disappointed at all! Its a nice little restaurant that has delicious food. We shared a pan roast (I put the incorrect name in my photo) between the two of us and it made for a nice dinner portion. The prices for lunch and dinner differ but please take my word that you definitely get what you paid for. If you like Boiling Crab, you will definitely enjoy The Boiler. We will definitely be back in the future!
(5)
Rosy C.
Came here bc of the positive Yelp reviews but was disappointed. Our waitress was great and we were seated at the counter to view the boiler cooking. The woman cooking behind the counter was the problem, she just slopped the seafood into the cooking bowls like a grumpy cafeteria lunch lady, I almost felt guilty I ordered. House pan roast - good. Fisherman's chowder- good. Cajun fries -good Bacon wrapped shrimp - meh. But being so pricey $$ the experience sitting at counter ruined the whole meal. Portions are large, the leftovers tasted better at home!
(2)
Jenny N.
If you like a lot of flavor, this is the place to be. You can also customize the spice level to your preference. You can watch sports on one of the three TVs! SERVICE: the service was exceptional. FOOD: They give you complimentary bread and butter at the beginning. Pan Roast is UHHHH-MAZING! Very rich and creamy! It is a tomato based consisting of trinity sauce (celery, carrots, bell peppers) and variety of seafood: shrimp, lobster, crab, and clams. It has an explosion of spices and flavors. A scoop of white jasmine rice is served with this. Delicious, but I couldn't finish the whole thing! It tastes even better the next day!!!! I only have one complaint, the price. For $20, you get the pan roast, a couple pieces of seafood and three pieces of shrimp and a scoop of rice. I think the price is a little too high considering how much seafood is in it. The calamari was really good and it wasn't small portions of squid either, the pieces were pretty big! Fisherman's Chowder (New England and Manhattan) - was good, very creamy (New England)! It also has a variety of seafood: calamari, shrimp, crab, clams, mussels and white fish. Gumbo is also tasty. The blue point oysters are sweet. PARKING: lots of spaces so no need to worry. The restaurant is nice and clean. Counter or table seating, whichever one you prefer, I like to sit at the counter to watch the cook put my food together. Hours of operation: M, W, TH 11:30-2:30 (L) and 5-8:30 (D) T 5-8:30 (only dinner) Fri 11:30-2:30 (L) and 5-9:30 (D) Sat 12-9:30 and Sun 12-8:30 If it wasn't for the price and distance, I would be there a lot.
(5)
Lisa T.
I been wanting to go to this place for a very very long time. I ordered the pan roast with crabs and I thought it was just okay. The flavors was good but I feel I like other places do it a lot better. The bread and butter was good. I like dipping the bread in my pan roast. We made reservation for a sunday, which I love places that take reservation but they do not take reservation after 4pm. I guess that when the crowd comes in cause when we went it was kind of empty. Overall, it was okay. I would go again but only if I was in the area. Not, something I would drive 30 minute if I wasn't in the area.
(3)
JazzieMarie R.
Everytime I come here I always order the same thing cilantro chicken and sausage #4. I'm not a big fan of the too spicy ones. They hve happy hours at 4pm to 6pm. The crab cakes are a must try. It is really good. I have tried almost everything on the menu from my boyfriend's plate. They aren't too bad too. They are actually pretty good. The service is always very good here.
(5)
Kaylynne R.
After trying to give this restaurant a chance multiple times, I can now say we will never go back. It's kind of an awkward set up with a counter that has about 12 seats around it, a small bar area to the left that is not used (probably due to a limited/disappointing wine and beer menu), and a few tables to the right that are very close to each other. The counter area is the place to sit with the steam kettle pots cooking the food right in front of you. Unfortunately, the tables feel uncomfortable to sit at due to their close proximity to each other. Also, it would be pretty difficult to eat here if there were more than 4 people in your group. They just don't have the seating to accommodate that. The down side of sitting at the counter is the cooks constantly bang their tongs or other utensils in the sink or on the metal areas, and it makes a constant loud clanging noise, making it difficult to have a conversation. In addition, every time we've been there the cooks seem to be behind and are yelling at each other and everyone else. It has seemed like total chaos. Also, we have waited for our food for almost an hour each time and have had to always flag down a server if we needed something. (Other reviewers seem to have the same issues with service). However, we have gone back because the food is very good. Unfortunately the last time we ate here, we had a complaint and the manager was not accommodating at all. She was actually insulting and rude, so we left. The next day I sent an e-mail to the owner just to make him aware of the situation that occurred, so that hopefully it would not happen again. I received a scathing email back insulting us further. A simple apology would've been perfect, but we received a long email with improper grammar, misspelled words, and a big long tirade about "English and America not being the center of the world"!!??? Really? Where did that come from? Aren't we in America?? It was so over the top and unprofessional!!! Sadly we will never be back. Let me add - Please take note of the owner's response to my review. His comments reinforce everything I've stated and continue to show that he obviously is totally ignorant of good customer service, inappropriate, and demonstrates some instability.
(1)
Joe G.
Where has this place been all my life? Ditto to all the other reviews writing positive comments. Dozen Louisiana oysters, pan roast for me. Wife had gumbo and shared her crab cakes with me. The food is plentiful. I had 4 white rascals as well, went perfectly with the food. I had spicy level 7 on pan roast which was good for me. The bread is good to dip in the sauce. The hostess was awesome! She was attentive and respectful to all the guests walking through the door. It was a Friday night and a little busy. Our server, Evelyn was on point. She was able to juggle all of her tables and put up with my nonsense. The bill wasn't bad. $92 for everything listed above and added $20 for tip. I will need to try out the Vegas location next time I am there. Thanks fellow Yelpers for the recommendation. I would not have tried this spot if I didn't read your reviews. Happy eating!
(5)
Julio B.
bomb.com Just go with the pan roast. Add sausage. Mouthgasm! I'd give them 5 stars but their bread sucks. Make it in-house or get a new vendor.
(4)
Jessica L.
Wow, I can't believe I forgot to rate this place! Getting a five star review from me is pretty hard, unless I have a great time at a restaurant or just food so good. Crap, I just started thinking about the food here and my mouth started salivating...... If you're a person that isn't a big fan of seafood though, I wouldn't come here. You MUST MUST MUST try their house pan roast. Get a decent spicy level (like a five) and everything is just perfect. You can opt for pasta instead of rice if you like (I like that!) When you look at the prices, you'll be like ahh, pricey!!! But never fear! Just share! Seriously, one bowl is perfectly enough food for two, and you might even have leftovers (we did). If you've been to Rita's in Santa Ana, I think this place is a lot better. But hey, why are you sitting there reading yelp reviews? Go try it for yourself!
(5)
Misty M.
This house pot was amazingly delicious ! I don't care for seafood so they made it for me with chicken and sausage. Great service too!I highly recommend.
(5)
Mike T.
A decent steam kettle place. We came on a Saturday night and were seated immediately. They have a couple beers on tap like Allagash white, Stone, Abita, etc. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp - $9 - 3/5 Bacon wrap shrimp was tasty. It wasn't mind blowing awesome but it's OK. I had the Pan Roast (original) $16 - 3/5. + House pasta (or white rice) The pan roast is OK. It's not the best out there but still enjoyable. You can opt to get spicy levels 1-10. I got 10. It wasn't that spicy. Jambalaya - $17 - 3/5 Jambalaya is also ok. Hits the spot but nothing super-awesome. You can also opt to get spicy 1-10. My buddy got 10 and he enjoyed it.
(3)
Pauline T.
First off, this place has the BEST Louisiana style Cajun ever but the service KILLED 2 stars. I came here about a week ago for the first time and found myself there again 3 days later...because I loved it so much! We had the oyster on half shelf for appetizer. The oysters were fresh and juicy but the best part is the sauce I'm not sure what it is but I think the sauce is similar to shrimp cocktail sauce with horseradish dip. You can also ask for their special "Oyster Elixir sauce" that I cannot in the life of me find it online but it is SO GOOD with any seafood. We also ordered their most popular dish - house pan roast which consists of cajun sauce with lobster, shrimp, clams topped with rice. The quality of the seafood is impeccable, sauce is like a mix between curry and boiling crab sauce.. at least that's how I would describe it. I am officially addicted to this dish. Service: -2 stars...the server did not pay attention to our table. The chef finished making our dishes and no one brought it over to us for like 5 min until we went up to them and asked about our food. We thought that the server would REMEMBER the next thing we asked for but no. She completely just started chatting and doing other stuff and never came back to our table again. After about 3 times we got pretty frustrated so we had to ask the chef to call the server over...basically, horrible service but yummy food. I would probably just to-go the food next time instead of dining in.
(3)
Andy G.
I'm a fan of this place. The food always delivers. I don't enjoy their calamari sticks. I don't understand why calamari should be in stick form, but I've made peace with that. The crab cakes are killer, anything that's from the kettle bar is flavorful. It's just hot. Pipping hot! So you order a beer, a side and just enjoy your company while your freshly cooked meal cools down to be consumed. Perfect place for a cold evening!
(5)
Alice P.
Must I need to say anything??! The drive from riverside to here is totally worth it! Came in at 2:20 and they still took us! Ordered: Oysters- to me a bit overly sauced. Other than that it was decent! Bacon wrapped- he loved it! The cheese was what did it for us! The house pan- not too overly filled with tomatoes flavoring, just perfect for my boyfriend! Cipotta- (excuse my spelling in this) this was so good! We couldn't get over how awesome the flavor was! I took my bf here and it's extremely hard to get him to try anything new! This was his first time having something like this and it blew his mind! So happy that I have found a place near by riverside, instead of all the way in oc! We definitely have found a regular spot for us to eat at now! Be back soon P.S: the service from waitresses to the chef, was superb. Everyone is so friendly as soon as you step into the door!
(5)
Kimberly I.
I love this place! I went for happy hour and started off with the bacon wrapped shrimp and crab cakes. Both were delicious and came out really fast. I ordered the jambalaya with a spice level of 7, it wasn't that spicy I'll probably up it to an 8 the next time I go. There was tons of shrimp and andouille
(5)
Carmen J.
Love this place! Only reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because it can't be oyster bar in Vegas :/ and the wait could be excruciating since the place is so tiny. But since I won't be driving 4 hours to Vegas whenever I crave pan roast, the boilers a good alternative. I usually get the lobster pan roast but I hear the shrimp scampi is good too
(4)
Andy H.
The food was absolutely delicious! It was my first time eating cajun food and I really enjoyed it. I read other reviews so I knew what to order.... Soft shelled crab: Good it was my first time eating it. House Pan Roast: We got it medium spicy and it was great. We got extra rice and it was definitely enough for two people. Bacon wrapped shrimp: succulent and juicy. There were only 5 shrimps for 10 bucks :( but they were great New England clam chowder: It was good. My mom ordered it and I only tried a bit. A lot of seafood We didn't have to wait and we came on a sunday around 6PM. The waitress kept coming over to ask us what we wanted to order and we kept telling her to give us more time. Overall it was great but a little bit on the pricier side. We also got 2 beers and the total came out to be ~80 for 3 people. Would definitely come here again.
(5)
Tina C.
I love this place! Their infamous House Pan Roast is amazing. I've been here twice and both times I've never left unsatisfied. With their huge portions and unlimited bread and baked flat bread, you'll def be a happy camper. The first time I tried their chicken gumbo with no spicy (level 0). It was good, but the pan roast is die for!! It has a tasty tomato base and good amount of seafood. I'm not much of a spicy eater and got level 4 spicy (perfect for people who like mild). I got the same order to-go for my bf with level 7 spicy and he loved it (large portion with rice in a separate container). Def gonna come here again!
(4)
Vyvy D.
I went to visit some friends in the Chino area over the holiday season and this is where we went for lunch. I think it was the Monday before Christmas if I'm not mistaken. My friends had gone here a couple of times with their 1.5 year old daughter and enjoyed it so I figured if the little girl was game to eat here, I was too! :) There were maybe only 2 other parties there when we arrived so we were seated quickly. In fact, the server noticed us walking up the door and set up a table with a high chair all ready for us by the time we walked in. Awesome! We ordered cajun fries and cajun calamaris to share. My friend's wife and I both got the house pan roast (spicy level 5 for me and 4 for her). And I forgot what my friend got but I know he got the spicy level 6 because he was sweating up a storm, halfway through the meal :P The appetizers were pretty good but nothing special. I did love the house pan roast though! It was quite yummy but a smaller serving for lunch so if you're a hungry person like me, I would suggest adding an appetizer or two like we did! We ended up also getting the sweet potato fries too because my friend's little girl had a hard time eating the linguine without making a huge mess :P She enjoyed the fries very much and kept grabbing the calamari but spitting it out after chewing it for a few minutes. Haha! Another note, my friend's wife really enjoyed their rendition of an Arnold Palmer since they used pink lemonade! Gave it a festive feel and they didn't mix the drink beforehand so it looked really nice upon presentation. If I'm in the area ever again, I would definitely stop by here again for some yummy food on a cold day! And who knows, maybe you can stroll on over to The Pretty Kitty just a few doors down and light another part of your body on fire... (Not your stomach, that's for sure... ;P) Hahaha!!
(4)
Eye C.
Have been going to this place since 2013.We used to live in San Fernando Valley.We moved to Costa Mesa in 2014 and have tried Ritters twice and Kettlebar twice,but nothing beats the flavor of The Boiler's House Pan Roast.It's the bomb!!comfort food.perfect umami.My only go to place for steam kettle cooking and has just the best house pan roast.
(5)
Pamela L.
LOVE this place, it's in the new plaza by the 71. I wish more delicious places come to reside here! The Etoufee, Clam Chowder, Cajun Fries, and House Pan Roast are delicious. The entrees took a bit of time to get to us, but it was definitely fresh. There was only one person working the soups so it was understandable. They have a custom spicy level ranging from 1 to 10 and 7 wasn't that spicy for House but was rather spicy for the Etoufee. I'm not sure if that's because the House was more tomato based though. The cajun fries were a little spicy but not too bad. I like their beer and wine selection, but no full bar here as I recall. Plenty of servers -- need more cooks!
My favorite go-to. It's fresh. It's delicious. It's unique. I must say that sitting at the bar is the best--doesn't feel the same otherwise.
(5)
David K.
First time trying pan roast and it did not disappoint. Shared a cajun calamari and a house pan roast between 2 of us, with an extra side of rice. Calamari was pretty standard. Light on the breading, but just crispy enough. The pan roast was rich, creamy, and full of flavors. Good chunks of seafood in every bite. Pro tip - use the complimentary bread to dip in the pan roast. We went at prime dinner time and the place was strangely empty. No complaints there... no wait for good food is always fine by me.
(4)
Teresa V.
I always pick this restaurant for my birthday lunch, this year no different. We ordered seafood pan roast dinner portion for lunch. From prior experience I always have enough for leftovers, not this time! I think the cook didn't pay attention to order and began making lunch portion, when he realized it he just added more sauce. He did not increase portion of seafood ratio so I got 2 shrimp and a bit of crab & lobster. Because it was so watered down it tasted like it came from a can. So disappointed this time around, and I felt bad my friend spent his cash here for two watered down dinner portions on 4/10/15. Hope they fix this the next time.
(3)
Jessica S.
This place deserve a good review. Everything about this place is great. The place was clean. And most of all their food is great. I will definitely come back.
(5)
Maggie M.
This place was well worth the wait!!! the food was absolutely delicious! Had the House Pan Roast...Not too spicy, cant recall the level, it was velvety and flavorful with very fresh seafood, plentiful amounts througout the bowl......the sound effects youll make after taking a bite....OMG!!! lol.... DELICIOUS....you will not be disappointed.
(4)
Robert D.
The soft shell crab was incredible! Been there 4 times and the food gets better each time!!!
(5)
Shanon Y.
Two words PAN ROAST! After venturing out into the OC with fellow Yelper Juliet C. to Ritter's, we have been dying to try more steam kettle cooking. So after we learned that Chef Ritter used to work at The Boiler in Chino we decided to drop by for dinner earlier this week. When we arrived the wait was only about 10 minutes which was a pleasant surprise since it was Labor Day. We compared the menu to the menu at Ritter's and realized that the prices at The Boiler was slightly cheaper and they even have a reduced pricing for lunch. Although, after ordering our food we also noticed that the portion sizes were also slightly less so you might actually be getting more bang for your buck at Ritter's. Since I enjoyed my Clam Pan Roast at Ritter's so much I decided to order the same thing again. Juliet ordered the House Gumbo. We didn't want to go too spicy so I stuck with a level 5 and Juliet chose a level 4. Overall, I felt that my Pan Roast tasted pretty much the same in comparison to Ritter's. I also really enjoyed the complimentary bread which I used to dip into the Pan Roast which soaked up all the flavor. I also tried some of Juliet's gumbo, but I felt that it was nowhere as good as the Pan Roast. The texture of the gumbo was thick and had the consistency of gravy. It also tasted a bit watered down so we assumed it was because the spice level was too low. I'll definitely come back again to try their lunch special pricing and happy hour!
(4)
Kat T.
They have amazing food here. My all time favorite is the house pan roast and it is just amazing. I've tried a few of there entrees but I always come back to hpr. The service here is great. The staff is very attentive. Also if its your first time here, sit at the counter its always a cool experience. You can see how the chefs make the dishes. They also have great happy hour specials as well, try the crab cakes and calamari.
(5)
Alan M.
Do they use real or fake calamari/squid?
(3)
Frank S.
Forgive me for not having been to the Oyster Bar in Vegas and having tried their House Pan Roast but noticing all the people going gaga over this stuff really set my expectations high. Yes, I understand this isn't the Oyster Bar and that there is a better place for the said dish over at the recently opened Ritter's, but still! In the end, at least when it comes to The Boiler, I don't really understand all the love for the House Pan Roast. It's not bad, it's definitely unique. But it was super intense! Maybe it didn't help we went 8 on the spice level. I definitely felt a slight burn inside. I was glad they gave us the bread basket because the rice wasn't enough to neutralize the intensity of the House Pan Roast. I was smart and saved some of the Cajun Calamari and I thought it was good dipping these in the pan roast. In the end, it was just A-OK for me. Well, at least I got to see what all the hype is about, sorta...
(3)
Julius N.
Came in on a Saturday evening for dinner with the family. BIL was here visiting from out of town and had never tried pan roast before so we took him out. My previous two visits left me questioning the service of the wait staff but after speaking to the owner and being reassured the issues were all addressed, I was happy to come back again to give The Boiler another chance. I am happy to report that the service has improved tremendously and the wait to get seated even on a busy Saturday night was very reasonable. The whole place was running and operating like a well oiled machine. The staff worked together as a team and our food came out quickly. The soft shell crab was excellent as I remembered it always and we also enjoyed some of the cajun calamari (also very good). My brother was impressed with the pan roast and enjoyed it very much. We gotta a bit stuffed from our appetizers and had to take home some hearty portions of the house pan roast. I have to comment that helpings of seafood from The Boiler are very generous. Big chunks of crab, whole shrimp, and lobster. Definitely two thumbs up on quality of the seafood as well. This is a gem of the IE and I am very happy I do not have to drive very far to get food of this caliber. Kudos to the ownership and staff in making things right again!
(5)
Yemi O.
The first thing that struck me was the portion size. I got the chicken gumbo and I couldn't even finish it. And I came in extremely hungry so that's saying something. Next time, I'll have to split with someone else. They ask you how spicy you want your food on a scale of 1-10. I asked for 8 since I have a high tolerance for spicy food. My mistake was that there was too much food for that spice level. It wasn't too spicy, but when you have what seems to be an endless bowl of gumbo, the spice gets to be overpowering. Other than that, the food was tasty. We went for dinner when it's supposedly crowded, but got lucky and was seated almost immediately. I'd recommend coming for lunch because you get the same food at a cheaper price. My favorite thing was the bacon-wrapped shrimp appetizer. So so so good.
(4)
Franklin W.
One of the nicest meals/occasions I have enjoyed recently! My immediate family was given a gift card by another family member for Xmas... So we all went out to dinner last Saturday. It was absolutely fantastic! I ordered the "Lobster Pan Sear" and it reminded me of tikka masala, although it was better than any tikka masala I have had. The prices are reasonable and the portions are large. Being invited to try this restaurant was one of the nicest things anyone has done for me in quite some time. I hope you like it as much as I did!
(5)
Ivane L.
I've only been here twice. The first time was before Ritter's opened in OC and the second after. The first time I had the pan roast was like OMG I love this stuff what have I been missing out on all this time. It was creamy, spicy, full of flavor and thick lumps of seafood. It was great with pasta. Roll over a year or so I came back because I wasn't totally satisfied at Ritter's in Santa Ana. This might be because they just opened and haven't gotten everything squared yet. Here's my review of Ritter's with pictures yelp.com/biz/ritters-ste… Comparing the bacon wrapped shrimp from both places, the boiler definitely wins. The shrimp isn't dry but juicy. You can see the cheese ooze out when you bite into it. It has a hint of sweetness from the slight honey oil or whatever they drip over it. I ordered the crab pan roast with pasta on the side since I wasn't feeling like all the other seafood. The pan roast had nice lumps of crab meat in it that you could see. Idk if it was just as amazing as the first time I had it, but it was still pretty good and better than Ritter's for now. Another plus is that I can save myself $10 here for lunch and not pay $23 for pan roast at Ritter's. It might make it the same in price somewhat since I have to drive 40 mins to Chino, but that's why I carpool out here to offset the price.
(4)
Amy P.
Hmm not sure how I feel about this place yet. I didn't enjoy it as much as Oyster Bar in Las Vegas but one thing i DO like compared to vegas is MORE SEATING!! The bar seats about 15-20 people and there are about 10-15 other tables surrounding. Same feel as Vegas with the bar set-up. I came for dinner so the house pan roast (mixed seafood) was $19.95, cesar salad $5.50 and happy hour crab cakes $4.75. Our total came out to $38 with a 18% tip. Prices here are about the same - HOWEVER they do have different lunch and dinner pricing - I suggest coming for dinner when dishes are about $5-$7 less! I typically eat mild but ordered a #6 for my pan roast- watch out - dare devil over here!!! :P - it was a little spicy for my liking. The pan roast wasn't as creamy with more of a marinara taste here then Vegas. The food wasn't BAD here, service was good. Defintiely something to try out BEFORE you go to Oyster Bar. I set my expectations too high..
(3)
Lena L.
The best Pan Roast ever!!! Love the Giant shrimp wrapped bacon appetizer as well. They also have pretty good Gumbo. Please come open a restaurant in San Diego or Long Beach/Cerritos area!!!
(5)
Portia L.
Can I just say how inconsiderate and inefficient this place is run? Where do I start... I came here on a weekday, and waited for 2 hours, only to leave completely annoyed. I came in at about 6:00pm with my family (3 total). They said the wait would be an hour due to a reservation they have before us. Ok, fine; I can deal with it if the food is supposedly that great like everyone says. One hour rolls around, and I have to ask, how much longer the wait is. They tell me 15 more minutes... I see some empty chairs and think to myself, "Oh goody we'll finally be able to sit"; hostess even states that the table will be for us. I ask if wee can just sit down, but she tells us then it gets confusing for the server, which it have no idea why. After waiting for an hour and a half, time rolls around, and a party of 15 (mind you, this was NOT the party with the reservation because I listened to the hostess) gets seated before us and the server starts asking what they want order blah blah blah. So basically, they sat this party of 15 before us, probably because of the tip. At this point seeing the part of 15 get seated, I'm pretty heated and ticked off. I ask the hostess, and she says to give 15 more minutes. So now, I end up fed up. After waiting for two hours, seeing how the tables have turned over, how inefficiently the restaurant was run, how they couldn't even allow us to sit at the table even though the table was "for us", I left and vowed to never come again. I don't care how "good" food is. To have to wait for 2 hours, be seated after a party of 15 with no reservation, and still have to stand, is absolutely ridiculous. It didn't make any sense. I can see them only choosing to seat this party of 15 because they see he money/tips. So sad because this was a place I was really hoping to try. I ended up having to take my family to 1+1 Dumpling nearby, one of the only restaurants opened later. I got sat, served, and ate for less than half the time I waited for The Boiler. Food was also tremendously cheaper.
(1)
Caesar W.
My favorite thing to get here is the Shrimp pan roast. It is so creamy and delicious! It is pretty cool to sit at the bar and see your soup being made. The presentation and atmosphere is good. The only negatives that I have to mention is that prices are a little bit on the high side. I recommend coming in during lunch because prices are a bit lower. Service can be a little bit slow as well, due to a lacking of number of servers.
(4)
Matthew M.
Came by for dinner one day as we were in the neighborhood. Usually go to Palace Station in Vegas and that place is much better than this place. I even went to the new place in Santa Ana as it's closer to home and it's a lot better than here. The clam chowder was pretty good and the pan roast was decent as well but I felt like just a dude at the bar with his wife with no interaction. If you're at the bar aren't you saying I'd like to know what's happening with my dish and all that? We just got a, "You know what you want?" Then some pan noises then a bowl slid our way. That's it until the check came sliding our way. I won't be back.
(2)
Jose Antonio A.
The apps was good (soft shell crab). But when I got my fisherman chowder it was thick and a little salty. Good thing it had a lot of seafood for lunch portion. My dad said his food was also to thick and should have been a soupy consistency. I think it was cook to long It should also be a three but they only had one server. I really don't know how it get four star
(2)
Angela H.
I have to start by saying that I took a trip to New Orleans for the first time last year and it changed my view on food forever ... primarily the technique of well infused spices into dishes, especially cajun style seafood - so really everything ever since then has been compared to how well NOLA did it. We came around 545 on a Sunday night right before happy hour ended at 600 pm and were still able to catch all the happy deals on drinks and small dishes (how lucky were we?!). So taking advantage of the deals, we loaded up on starters and tried as many little dishes as possible ... there were a couple others I would have tried (like the oysters and crab cakes and mussels) but for the sake of being greedy ... there's always next time! For starters we tried: -Cajun Calamari: huge portion, good crunch, not your average calamari rings - comes in long strips -New England Clam Chowder: creamy with a peppery kick, just the way I like it! -Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: bacon was too crunchy, almost burnt, but shrimp was perfectly cooked -Jalapeno Poppers - you really can't go wrong with jalapeno poppers ... cheesy and spicy and yum! As far as main dishes were concerned, I was able to sample the Seafood Gumbo and the Etouffee and I enjoyed both. Both seafood dishes were well prepared, spices were well infused, and overall both were well ... tasty! The Seafood Gumbo came complete with okra, shrimp, crab, clams and andouille sausage served over rice in a deeply flavored stew. The Etouffee was lighter and tomato-y with shrimp and crawfish ... yum. We were seated around the kitchen/bar area ... it was fun to watch dishes being prepared right in front of us. Tips? Come during happy hour so you can sample as much as you can ... and cheap beer is always a plus ... duh! And, as suggested by a friend, only order one main dish and share ... the portions are huge - feeds enough for two people! If you like spicy, don't be afraid to go spicy - level 5 was not enough for me ... next time I'll try a 7! It's no New Orleans ... but good enough! I WILL be back.
(4)
Arnon G.
This place is great the food is fantastic I like everything on the menu but the bouillabassie is my favorite I like it in the middle of the spicy range usually a 6. The service is very good. They have tables but I like to sit at the bar and watch the chef cook.
(4)
Amy M.
I've been here twice and the food is great, a bit pricey but worth it because the flavors are unique and you can't really find a place like this.the waitresses are very friendly also, big plus. You must try the house pan roast if you come here. It's the kind of dish you dream about once you've had it. We also tried the jambalaya, but it couldn't compare. The oysters are good too. My favorite appetizer is the bacon wrapped shrimp. The beers on tap were also pretty good. We did a beer flight and that was great because you could try out the beers before deciding which one to order. This is one of my new favorite places!
(5)
Adela A.
This place is excellent for spicy soup based meals. However, when ordering level of spiciness, consider a 1 or 2. The scale is 1 to 10. We got a 4 and were burning. And we are no spicy-wimps. Once you eat here you'll wonder why there aren't more places like this.
(5)
Bill D.
Great food!!! Get a seat at the food bar. Watch your food prepared in front of you in the steam kettles. Love the Crab Pan Roast, pictures don't give it justice, you won't leave there hungry. My wife gets the Shrimp Diablo, but swaps out the shrimp for crab. There is a slight up charge, but they are more than willing to please the customer. Get there early, otherwise prepare for a wait. The Boiler is unique and is a very popular place to be.
(5)
Helena H.
I must be the 74239743x reviewer that will compare The Boiler to the Oyster Bar in Vegas. How can you not when you've been to the Oyster Bar and find out the original chef opened one in Socal. Thanks to Chris C's review, I got a little bit more history about how the chef started up and moved on to the next project of his. It took me this long to finally give it a try, since it's quite a ways from me. My friend suggested we go because he was craving it. It was busy at the bar so we went for a table. Service was polite and attentive. We ordered our starters: Calamari: Thick strips of it. Delicious! Prawn wrapped in bacon: The order came and there were 3 prawns. My friend said there should be 5 pieces, so we waited for the server to inform her. She noticed it was a mistake and had the kitchen correct it. So when i cut through my first shrimp, I took a look and it was slightly grey. I asked if it was suppose to be that way and my friend said he doesn't know, he just eats it. Typical guy answer. Haha. So I waited to ask the server. I don't want to go home feeling sick or worst, getting food poisoning, since the stomach bug has been going around lately. It took the server a while to check on us, so my friend said he'd eat it...haha. She indicated that the shrimp should be well cooked. SO, just make sure it's fully cooked before stuffing it in your face. But it was really good. So heavy though. Then came the entrees. Bouillabaisse: Soup base. Full of seafood. It was really good but could have used some kind of carb to go with it. I guess people eat it with the bread. I would have asked for pasta. Pan Roast: Ok, it's definitely missing the special ingredient that makes the Pan Roast at the Oyster bar so damn good. It has all the delicious seafood, thick creamy base, but sure enough, missing something special that makes it amazing. Overall, it was worth a try. I wouldn't frequent the place, but maybe once in a blue moon. I packed the rest home and it still tasted good after 2 days. Oh, and my friend text the next day to let me know he didn't have any stomach issues from the raw shrimp. Lol.
(3)
Sophie R.
This was our first time to The Boiler. We had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised how good the food was. The House Pan roast was exceptionally good. I had to substitute the tomatoe sauce with the wine/garlic sauce and boy it tasted just perfect. The service was also great. Ask for Erica. She will recommend the right food for you. We definitely will go back.
(4)
Jacob H.
I drove all the way out here just because everyone said this place is so good. Came during MLK and didn't have to wait long for a table. Prices were about the same as Oyster Bar and I'm not sure if I like the chunkiness of the sauce. I admit there were a lot of stuff inside the pan roast (shrimp, lobster, etc) but a flavor was missing. Not sure what it was but it definitely left me disappointed. For $20 and 50 mins of driving.. not worth it. The cajun fries was pretty good. Don't think I would come out here again for this. I'll stick to waiting 3 hours at Oyster Bar in Vegas. haha
(3)
Andy N.
Yummmyyyyy Pan Roast me please! So GOOD! It's creamy tomato soup on crack! The fun presentation seeing them cook it on the kettles are cool. The service is very friendly. It wasn't crowded during the lunch hour. Pan Roast with crab and added sausages. - This large portion of soup with meat is an amazing combo. The south got this on lock. I loved the flavor and the portion of food. It is also topped with some rice. I would totally eat here again. One of the more popular spots in Chino Hills. Recommendation: Pan Roast
(5)
Roehl A.
Still good after a long time since our last visit. But what is going on with the service? It's a Friday night and the place had 11 guests yet we were still waiting for a table. When they finally sat us down by the bar, it took another wait to get our order. Fortunately, the clam chowder and the house pan roast continues to save the day.
(3)
Cynde M.
I came on a Wednesday night for dinner, it was a bit busy but not too crowded so we waited for a few minutes to be seated. It was my first time here and Lucy our waitress was so helpful! We ordered: Crab cakes- it was filled with actual crabs and not just bread crumbs! It was not dry and tasted fresh. However the dipping sauce could have been better Bacon wrapped shrimp- Moist and not over cooked, however the bacon made it on the saltier side. Jambalaya- The rice was a bit undercooked. The flavors of traditional jambalaya were there but nothing special House Pan Roast- this dish was definitely the star! The flavors mixed very well together. We ordered a 7 on the spicy scale, could of gone hotter but it was enough kick to make us happy. We also asked for extra bread to eat with the creamy sauce. Overall I would come back here if I was craving something hot on a cold day, but the price is a bit on the steep side for not having more seafood in the dishes itself.
(4)
Ahmed K.
Healthy and delicious reasonable price services really fast food is good the only bad thing is the location is to crowded due to other business and parking is a big issue ...
(4)
esmond k.
Oyster bar in Vegas it's not but if your too tired to drive five hours and must get your pan roast fix ....
(3)
Connie C.
Let me start off by saying I had high expectations because of the yelp reviews. I got the Shrimp Diablo with spicy level 8.. I couldve went higher but it was so good. The sauce was so amazing and on point. The House Salad was very fresh and light. It was a perfect combo with my entree. Definitely a must try spot.
(5)
Shannon C.
Awesome to have pan roast nearby! I gotta say it still can't touch the pan roast at Oyster Bar (Palace Station Casino, Las Vegas), but it's still very tasty. Their spicy rating is off though as the 9 out of 10 is barely spicy -- don't be afraid to ask for a higher spice than you normally would. Service was great, we sat at the bar while we waited for our table and ordered appetizers and drinks. Our bartender was attentive and offered us a "taste" of their oysters when we couldn't decide on which ones to order. Who does that?
(4)
Sidney T.
I love the setting of this restaurant. At first, the bar seating looked a bit intimidating. But as I sat down, I realized I had made a mistake not sitting there to watch the chef work his magic! yelp.com/user_local_phot… The service here was superb. They don't have a huge menu, which I LOVE! But being first timers, there were endless questions. What is the most popular dish? Which is your top choice? How spicy is spicy? What do you mean it's still happy hour?!?!? yelp.com/user_local_phot… We got there JUST in time before happy hour ended so we had to take advantage. The prices are about $1 off regular price, so we ordered clam chowder (yum), scallops, and the bacon wrapped shrimp. yelp.com/user_local_phot… And let me tell you about these babies, they are absolutely TO DIE FOR! I'm not the biggest fan of bacon nor cheese, but when you put them together with shrimp... you get a master symphony of incredible bursting inside your mouth. I would go back just for these suckers. I ordered the House Pan Roast, which is mixed seafood swimming in a tomato stew. yelp.com/user_local_phot… My friend ordered the Jambalaya, which I thought was quite delicious. He goes over the top with spice, so his level 6 spicy was bearable to me, which meant it did no damage to his taste buds. But luckily, the waitress came over with an extra side of spice to save the day. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
(4)
Wing C.
Every time I go Vegas, I will visit The Oyster Bar located in Palace Station and wished they will open another location in LA. After many years, my wish come true. This place has exactly the same thing as The Oyster Bar and is a kids friendly restaurant. (The only thing they don't have is a changing table) There are few must try things: Starters: Cajun Fries, Oysters on half shell (both Louisiana and Blue Point taste good) and Steamed Mussels Soup: New England Clam Chowder Entrees: Lobster Pan Roast, Gumbo, Linguini with clams and Jambalaya (be careful with the spicy level, they scale from 1-10 and I think level 4 is pretty spicy already.) Their service is around average and expect some wait time. They close at 8:30pm, only Fri and Sat night close at 9:30pm.
(3)
Lindsay R.
I'm docking this place one star because we came to eat lunch here, ordered our usual cioppino and it was very disappointing. The cook said she our order was the last cioppino of the day since she ran out of her lunch time ingredients. We could tell. I'll never come here for lunch again :/ I still recommend it for dinner.
(4)
Jay Y.
ahhh sorry. overhyped. so people say this place is really good. maybe due to their inconsistency, they're good on one day and bad on another. who knows... bread was good. the pan roast was too creamy for my liking. their salad was a total fail -- not sure how to can eff up on salad, but here, they can! clam chowder was waaaaay too salty and inedible. server was super friendly and sweet, but service in general was super slow. it took forever for almost everything -water refills, more napkins, more bread, and the check. i prefer Oyster Bar's pan roast.. although, i still have yet to try ritter's.
(1)
Craig B.
This was our second attempt to have dinner @ the Boiler. On our first time we got there just as they were closing at 8:30. What kind of restaurant stops dinner at 8:30 pm in this day and age? Inconceivable! We got there at 7:00pm this time, and were told there was a 30 minute wait for a table. We opted to sit at the counter which had a 5 minute wait. That would've been fine except the hostess decided to seat a couple that came in after us first. STRIKE 1. We were seated right after they were, but had to wait while our confused waitress scrambled to get our plates, silverware, and bread and butter. Communication amongst the staff is obviously lacking. STRIKE 2. If you've never eaten at a steam Kettle place (and this was our first time), the food, sauce, protein, veggies are all put into a mid sized stainless steel pot which has boiling water circulating around it to provide the heat. I will admit, that it made for an interesting item to watch. However, since the sauces seem to have been pre-made in the back kitchen, and brought out in refrigerated stainless steel containers, when they are ladled into the steam pots, they look like unappealing congealed glop. Once they heat up, they look better. If this doesn't sound appealing, sit at a table rather than the counter. I now come to the crux of this review; the food. My GF and I ordered bacon wrapped shrimp as an appetizer, it came to us on a plate, with a honey drizzle under the shrimp. They were by far the best part of the meal. B ordered linguine and clams in a clear sauce. The waitress asked the amount of spiciness she opted for 2 in a scale if 1-10. I went for non-spicy on my shrimp scampi. I don't do well with spicy food. In about 10 maybe 15 minutes the food came up delivered by the guy behind the counter, not our waitress, I guess that it made more sense that way. All the entrees are served in big bowls. No plates here. BALL 1. Now maybe it was what we ordered, or maybe just the way they do things at the Boiler, but it was way too much liquid and not enough pasta. We both thought it was more of a soup than a dish. As to the flavor, well let's just say that was lacking as well. Both of our dishes were bland, no hint if garlic, wine, butter, etc... was in fact used in the preparation of the dishes. Scampi should have a nice garlic butter flavor, there was none. I did think that maybe they relied on the spiciness for their flavor, and if so, how wrong that is. You can have lots of flavor without heat. STRIKE 3. I don't know if we'll go back, but we'll see. It might be a pkace for lunch rather than dinner.
(3)
Andrew R.
So sad to see this place go so far downhill. Not really because of the food, or the service, but the lack of management here. Try to eat here during a peak period and you'll understand why. It'll be faster to drive all the way to Santa Ana Ritters than to eat here when it's busy.
(1)
Miriam B.
Very small, nicely designed restaurant. If you came with about 20 friends, you should probably just go ahead and buy out the place for the evening. It was not a good pick for my large group of about 18 people. We couldn't sit together and it was a tight squeeze. However, I enjoyed my meal (I had the etouffee), but everyone says the House Pan Roast is the way to go! I'd have to agree. It was delish! I also liked that there was a nice variety of dishes offered. The customer service was excellent. I'll definitely be back!
(4)
Emily C.
I wasn't expecting this little gem to be here. On weekends, their lunches are at dinner portions, so it was quite filling. Started off with the crab cakes, which I thought were good and had a good amount of crab in them but most places that do crab cakes tend to make them deeper brown than golden brown. It is no different here, but the flavor was pretty good. We had the House Pan Roast and Etouffee. I liked both, but preferred the House Pan Roast. Something about the tomato cream-based sauce made it so addictive and even when I was full, I still nibbled here and there because it was so good. The seafood was cooked right. Although the shrimp is not as juicy as I had hoped, I don't think it's supposed to be. The Etouffee was the same ingredients, but with a different sauce. It is not as spicy as mine, even though we both did a 6/mild level and not nearly as flavorful as the House Pan Roast. I can't wait to go back and try other things, or another House Pan Roast since I seem to miss it...
(4)
Priscilla Y.
If you can't get to the Oyster Bar in Vegas and are craving Pan Roast, this place will satisfy your craving short of doing the 3.5 hours drive. We did not experience poor service when we were here. Our waitress was fairly attentive, and didn't forget about our extra Pan roast order for to go. They also had Blue point oysters that day, very fresh and good size too. Food is very similar to the Oyster bar, but you don't get that personal experience with the chef. In addition to the Pan Roasts and oysters, we also got soft shelled crab which I really enjoyed. Too bad they are in Chino Hills, I don't go out there too often. They serve lunch also, every day except Tuesdays.
(4)
Pui L.
I love the House Pan Roast. The spices, the consistency of the stew and the variety of seafood makes a party in my mouth. My first time here was on a Friday night. We had to wait a while for our table, but we were seated on the side with our drink orders. After we were seated at our table I already knew what I wanted to try, based on the lovely yelper recommendations. It took a while for the food to arrive. Everyone enjoyed the food, especially the pan roast. I think the big bowl is meant for sharing. It's a really big portion for soup. I think I got a level 3 spiciness, which was just the level I could tolerate. The second time I came here on a Thursday night, and we got seated at the bar. Yay! I wanted to see the kettle cooking in action. Ordered the pan roast with a level two spicy and the cilantro chicken and sausage pasta with no spiciness. I had to lower the spiciness for the other people in my group. Level 2 spice was ok, a very mild kick, The pasta had good flavor, but definitely missing the kick. The order was done faster than I expected. The waiter was also very nice and attentive. This place is good for dates and small groups, since the place is not that big. Parking is plentiful since the restaurant is in the Commons. Good tip to remember: when you get off the fwy you enter on the first driveway. When you leave, you should go the opposite way to the second driveway since there is a streetlight and you can make a left turn. I made the mistake twice going out from from where I entered and it's right turn only.
(5)
Teena T.
I came here for a birthday party about a year ago and can't get it outta my mind. I make good gumbo but there's makes my mouth water! It's perfect for this fall weather so I decided to drive about 20 minutes to get a bowl only to find they were closed until the next opening at 5pm, I missed the early service by 10 minutes. I wanted to cry but the waitress asked the cook if the could accommodate me and They DID! I couldn't believe it so I bought 2 dinner portions! $37.00 seems pricey for 2 servings of gumbo but it's delicious and after great customer service like that. ..who could complain. Thank u staff who worked in 11/13/14...I'm sure you have made corporate proud. I will tell anyone who listens that this lil spot in chino hills is the place to eat!
(5)
Ivy W.
I've been to The Boiler a few times now since it's near work, and both my friends and co-workers love this place and think it's the best thing ever. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but not ahhhmg so uhhmazing. Especially when service isn't that great; most places will tell you to seat yourself and then come by with menus once their hands are free. This one server always makes us wait until she's done with whatever she's doing, then leads us to our table. Personally, I don't feel like that's necessary. We also came by this past Veteran's Day for lunch -- great that they were open, but that same server didn't inform us that they were serving dinner portions and charging dinner prices due to the holiday, until we were seated. Perhaps this should've been shared at the hostess stand? If I'd wanted to leave due to the higher prices, it would've been a bit awkward to get up and leave after we'd already been seated. Complimentary fluffy white bread (and butter) is served before your entrees, which actually goes fantastically with whatever you choose to order. Cajun Fries Delicious and recommended! Clam Chowder Pretty good compared to most places. Cup portion was actually quite large. House Pan Roast -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… This is everyone's favorite and the most popular. I think it's decent, but compared to everything else on the menu, it probably is the best tasting entree on the menu. Gumbo -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Not your typical gumbo, as it tasted more like an Asian dish than Cajun/Creole cuisine. I wouldn't order this again. Jambalaya -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Tastier than the Gumbo, but not as unique as the House Pan Roast. Cilantro Chicken with Sausage -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Not a bad dish, but the flavors didn't taste as bold as they smelled. It was a light and fresh bowl of pasta, recommended if you don't want anything too heavy. The Boiler is A-OK to me. Decent food, but nothing special and I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. Actually, I wouldn't come here at all if it weren't for my friends and co-workers. Similar to KBBQ, I just can't seem to escape...
(3)
J W.
I had high expectations for this place from reading Yelp reviews, but the taste was disappointing. Clam chowder was way too salty. I couldn't taste the crab in the crab cakes because of the seasoning. Cioppino lacked fish and crab; I got 2 pieces of crab leg shells and only 1 piece of crab meat.
(3)
Homer J.
Rocked my world, the house pan roast with extra crab was amazing the only thing I would change would get it get the spicy level 5. The bacon wrapped shrimp was very good. The pasta with tomato sauce (kids menu) is one of the best tomato sauces I had; chicken nuggets and fries was also very good.
(5)
Jen N.
This Boiler's serves the best gumbo I've had in my life. Steam kettle cooking is where its at! Service was good- friendly and informing us when our table will be ready. Restaurant is pretty small so expect a wait. Gumbo was better than others that I've tried in the SGV -- it had a nice, smooth blend of meats (sausage, chicken, crab, shrimp, etc.) and spices and wasn't overly salty. Gumbos from other places tend to be too chunky and heavy on the celery. House Pan Roast was delicious with just the right amount of tomato and cream mixed in with all that seafood. Creamy, savory, and a bit tangy = perfection. There were other foods on the menu that I've wanted to try especially the etouffee. It seems like this is one of the few cajun restaurants that offers their staple dishes and that is a good thing!
(5)
Emmanuel M.
In all my business travels this place is #1. Enjoy amazing savory dishesl. Highly recommend their Pot-roast. I chose sea-food.
(5)
Kendruh R.
I had the house pan roast along with a strawberry daiquiri ... And boy were they both delicious!!!!!! It wasn't busy what so ever thank goodness after reading all the reviews about how crowed it can be... A classmate suggested this place so our group decided to do our assignment on this place, so when we asked our waitress some questions she was on the vague side and couldn't answer the questions we needed... Which wasn't too helpful for us, but other than that I'll definitely return and try something else, I'm sure I won't be disappointed
(4)
Sarah J.
came here after snowboarding. it was so good after a day full of snowboarding and freezing. if you've ever been to the one in vegas, yes it is comparable, but i still prefer the vegas one. but the boiler is still good and very good substitution! bacon covered shrimp - these are on the crispy side. what is not good with bacon?! definitely a must try. oysters - i love oysters!! and these were super fresh!! similar to boiling crab ones pan roast - SHARE if you can, portion is super huge. enough to feed two people. you can adjust the spicy level and what goes in the pan roast: aka seafood/what kind of meat. tastes like creamy spicy tomato roux. i love mixing it with my rice.
(4)
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Address :4665 Chino Hills Pkwy,Unit I
Chino Hills, CA, 91709
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Barbara L.
The food is great and the service was excellent.
(4)bobby b.
good stuff..
(4)John d.
Absolutely excellent!!! From the calamari appetizer to the Fisherman's Chowder (white) we were in heaven. I had thought that a prior chef John was the best, but Adrian gave him a lesson in flavor!! The restaurant was crowded and most seemed just as enthusiastic as us. 5 stars is a disservice Thank you Adrian and it most be comforting to know that you have such a talented support staff.... John D. Corona
(5)Tina P.
First timer And loved it! The bf and I Ordered the house pan roast and the broiled oyster. Very Delish and fresh oyster. The pan roast was amazing.. Big chucks of seafood in there. Good service. Def will be coming back.
(5)Mimi N.
I been here a few times. Food is good but today service was beyond horrible! Came here at 7:30 with a party of 4. Place our orders in at 8pm and didn't get our food for over an hour! The whole time not even one waiter came by to let us know our food was going to take a while. My friend literally had to yell for someone to come. What really made me mad was I didn't understand how 20 (yes I counted) other people got served before me when my party was there first. One of my friend got tired of waiting so he actually left. I felt bad cause he went out of his way to come try this place. When we finally got our food I felt that they rush on our orders so the quality of the food wasn't good. My pan roast wasn't hot enough where I can still feel crunches from my garlic for not being cooked all the way. Overall I had to togo my food and take it home to re-cook it again. Again I been here before and the food has always been good but if the service isn't good I don't think I'll come back. Eating out isn't all about the food but the whole experience while dining. Such a disappointing experience tonight.
(1)Kathy T.
Drove all the way down to Chino hIll to try this new place for birthday dinner. There were only 2 waitress working that day and it was busy but not to the point that they can't clear the table so we can be seated. We had to tell them that there seat available do you mine seating us first. Drinks never came we had to flag her down. Food: Mussel/Clams- tasty yummy, clams and mussel was very fresh Clam chowder- it was bit on the salty side Jambalay- it was okay i tasted better House Pan Roast- this taste like tomato soup from vons Fresh Oyster- fresh and delicious I would give it 3 stars but the services at this place suck. Very inexperience server. The only help we had was from the chef who was preparing our food. I had to request him to clear my dishes as it was stacking up. I think the tips should go to the chef not these two waitress that was working on Tuesday night. Don't think i will be back..
(2)Erin T.
Whenever I'm in the area it's my go-to spot, even when the weather is hot! I always order the House Pan Roast... Each ingredient component makes the whole dish amazing! The oysters are not bad either especially the Rockefeller! I've also had the crab cakes which are great as well!
(5)Kristina B.
Absolutely love this place! I came here after a friend had told me about it. Living in Vegas, this place had a lot to live up to (Palace Station Oyster Bar) and did it with ease. The house pan roast was full of flavor. Very rich and creamy, the way it's supposed to be! The ambience is nice. I wish they had more tables to sit at. The bar is comfortable. However, it's hard to talk to people if you go in a larger group and you're stuck sitting at the bar. The chefs were very friendly and accommodating. My boyfriend has an allergy to shrimp and they subbed his shrimp for more lobster without an extra fee.
(5)Fabby H.
I have to say for starters there crab cakes are delish!! For my main dish my fav is the house pan roast the flavors are amazing, I tried the shrimp Diablo but I still preferred the house pan roast. I recommend to order a extra side of rice to go with the house pan roast its yummy!! And go for spicy 1-10 I got 7 and I felt it could be spicier it gives it a good kick!
(4)Herman A.
This place has gone way downhill over the years ever since Chef Ritter parted ways with them. First it's the taste and the quality of the food going down, and then the chefs there basically scoring a failing grade every time we go, and now they're shrunk their portions as well to barely enough to feed an average adult male. That basically marked the very last time I'll be going there. I've been very supportive for local restaurants over the years and I've been very excited to tell people about this place. Really come to think of it, of all places they opened this one in Chino Hills. There were days where we had to wait for an hour to get seated and we were still more than happy to go. But two incidents from my last 2 visits basically sealed the deal for us. First one was a couple months ago when I went with two of my friends. Nothing's wrong up until we're getting our food... which almost never ever came. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy that day, but man... it took them over 1.5 hours to get our entries. We're really not difficult people to please, and we don't have exceedingly high expectations. But 1.5 hours for on a week night and what we ordered was nothing out of the ordinary? And the funny thing is we were not alone, as we noticed several tables of patrons all sitting there patiently waiting for their food that really almost never came. The flavor... well, let's just say it wasn't as good as it was. Second incident was a couple weeks ago when I went with my wife for lunch. Well, the chef was busy getting our food ready this time and apparently it came too quick 'cause he immediately jetted for his break and dashed out the door after sending the orders our ways. It's all good except our food wasn't fully cooked... The lobsters in our plates were still translucent. What's with the seafood restaurants in the area really why can't we just get appropriate food safe for consumption? I'm not sure how this can happen, either the chef really didn't even care, or he just dropped frozen lobsters into the steam kettles and it barely defrosted. Either way I don't care anymore 'cause they lost my business. For those who might be interested, Chef Ritter, the original chef here has opened up his own restaurant in OC. I'd rather drive a little further to get appropriate food.
(2)Christopher J.
Came here on a Thursday evening around 6:30pm and it was completely empty, no customers at all except us which we found very strange. Not one customer walked in during the entire hour we dined. All good, we weren't complaining. House Pan Roast and Cajun Calamari were both delicious. Order the House Pan Roast if you're first time here, trust. I made the mistake of ordering the shrimp scampi and it was not good because it was like soup and very watery so the pasta didn't have much flavor. Cajun Calamari was meaty and very good. Blue shell oysters were micro, such a waste of $. I'd definitely come back again for the Cajun calamari and house pan roast.
(4)Eddie C.
It's a bit pricey averaging $20 per entree but its best new Orleans gumbo , jambalaya around the area hands down.
(5)Lyly T.
Yum yum! My sister introduced me to the Boiler after we went to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas. Boy was I happy to hear that I didn't have to drive to Vegas for this amazing food. The food is basically the same. From what I hear, the owner of the Boiler used to work for Oyster Bar and then left and started his own chain. I recommend you sit at the bar area and watch them cook. You'll be amazed at how fast steam cooks. Favorites at the Boiler: Fisherman's Clam Chowder - New England or Manhattan style chowder (I like the New England) loaded with calamari, shrimp, crab, clams, mussels and white fish. Oh my...it's heavenly. This is a must and great as a leftover too! House Pan Roast (add sausage. It brings it to a whole new level)- Tomato cream based sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams. Served with jasmine rice. If you don't like tomato, don't order this. Very tomato-y. Gumbo (add blue crab to it) is supposedly amazing according to my sister. I have not tried it yet. All the servings are HUGE. My friends and I recently went and we shared 4 orders among 5 of us and had leftovers too. If you want an appetizer, the bacon wrapped shrimp is to die for. So yummy. Do not order the Calamari. It's very chewy. My only complaint is the server is a bit slow with calculating the check. We separated everything for her already and told her what to charge on each card but she still decided to calculate everything on her own and it was still wrong. It probably took us over 10 minutes to pay our bill because she was confused.
(5)Steven F.
This place was delicious! It is in a corner in some huge plaza that doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic, guess it's because there is a toys r us and lowes here. The restaurant isn't that big and you can either sit at a table or on the bar, the bar area is set up like a U shapped, and inside that U are some chefs cooking up stuff for you. My friends suggested the House Pan Roast, which I believe it was shrimp, clams, crab, and lobster served with jasmine rice in sort of a soupy thick base. I went on yelp to look up what I thought looked good, and I went with the Cioppino which was a soup that had crab meat, calamari, shrimp, mussels, clams, and fish served with linguini. You get to choose how spicy you want them to make it from a scale of 1 to 10, since the waitress informed me that the Cioppino already has spices added into it, I went with a level 5 spicy...which probably equated to a 7 according to her? But ya it was pretty spicy, but really good. The soup color is redish orange, tasted tomatoe-like, it had a lemon in it, and the citrus from it helped and worked well with the spiciness. The animal creatures inside the broth were also really good, the crab meat was in a shell, cut for you, but you know its legit. Also got a chance to try out some of that Pan Roast my friends ordered, one of them ordered just straight up crab pan roast, and they add a ton of crab meat. The roast is very rich and creamy. We also ordered a dozen oysters, they have 3 different region oysters, but we just went with the half shelled oysters, I forgot the region, they were pretty fresh. Great service, and free bread.
(5)Stephanie L.
If you are in search of a good meal you will find it here. What you will not find is good customer service. Unless you are the first in the door the wait time for your entree is no less than 40 minutes at best. The location does not allow for many tables so dine in may require a long wait time. I highly recommend calling in your order about 45 min before you want to eat. The house pan roast is ridiculously good. And the bacon wrapped shrimp is a savory warm up to your meal. If you are looking for dessert you have to be dining in. The creme brûlée is pretty good, but may not be available if you order after 7. Also, this is not a small child/baby friendly restaurant. Only about 4 tables can accommodate, but if they are taken you may be waiting an hour to be seated.
(3)Wisdom L.
For the money I spent, I would have rather have just gone to Lucille's, which is right next door. Food is good, but not worth the dinner price. Go for lunch. I got -dozen blue oysters: 3/5 -gumbo: 5/5 -jambalaya: 4/5 -house pan roast: 5/5 Again, the food was great, but only worth lunch prices.
(3)Goofyjj L.
Nice staff, good food. I went expecting a similar experience from my visit of Palace Station's Oyster Bar in Vegas. Overall, it was very good. I got house pan roast, level 7 - but it wasn't as spicy as the ones I get from Palace Station pan roast level 7. I think I will try 8 or 9 next time. Again, very good and at least there's no wait like you would normally expect at Palace Station Oyster Bar in LV.
(4)Victoria B.
So I decided to go again and give them another chance. It was a rainy day and this place hit the spot.
(4)Cherry L.
Mr took me here for Valentine's day. We got there around 230 to beat the dinner crowd. Got seated at the bar because the tables were reserved. I've got to say, they have really improved since the last time I came here, which was years ago. The house pan roast had a generous amount of seafood in it. We ordered a 7 for spice level again and there was actually a kick. Mr ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp which were juicy and tender. The drizzle of maple added a nice touch to the dish.. perfectly balanced flavor of salty and sweet.
(4)Ayami H.
My clam linguini had too much crunch... Sand? :( Only reason for the lack of one star... Don't think I'll be ordering anything with clam in it. Atmosphere is great. I love the fact that I get to watch them make soup!!! Price is high but it makes sense to make everything visual... it's kind of like a dinner and a show. If they brought me soup from a kitchen and expected me to pay $18 for it... I probably would not be a happy camper no matter how good the soup is... Ordered: Bacon wrapped shrimp - if you love Bacon and love shrimp.. this is a must!!! clam linguni... with sand. :( House pot roast - VERY very very good!!!!
(4)Kelly M.
I'm going to preface this entire review with the following statement: I HATE giving one star to any establishment. Now that I have made Elite status, I pride myself in being fair in my reviews of restaurants. However, here was my experience tonight: I called in ahead of time, as it says on Yelp that The Boiler accepts reservations. They do not accept reservations. I call in and I'm told they don't take reservations on weekends but we should come in because there is no wait. Fast forward 20 minutes later and we arrive. The wait was a half an hour, which is totally fair for a Friday night. They take our name and tell us to sit at the bar where we can order drinks and appetizers. So we go to the bar. The bar is not staffed and there is a lady behind the bar in casual clothes rinsing out the beer bottles. We keep looking around hoping someone will come will come over because we want to order drinks and appetizers. Ten minutes later a staff member walks over and asks us for our order. Immediately to our right, there is a black couple that is completely ignored. They were there way before us and it was fair that they be served first. My boyfriend stepped in and asked the staff member to help them first. Then we place our order for a Heineken beer and the Calamari. The calamari came out relatively quickly and was fresh. However, it was thicker strips of calamari but they didn't have any kind of exceptional flavor. We finish our appetizer and half my beer and start looking around. I had noticed there were three people sitting at the huge counter area and there were several empty tables when we came in. Also, there were three couples waiting in the lobby when we got there. Now, and this got me really upset, large groups had been walking in and being seated. Thirty minutes had passed and I walked up to the hostess station. I noticed some names had times of arrival and some did not. When I asked why big groups were being seated before us, I got the response, "they called in." Then, I saw her cross parties off on the list before and after us. That made me twitch a little bit. Okay, so now you can call in?! Then, I began to notice the details. All the people seated before us were very clearly of Asian decent. Everyone was being seated and acknowledged that were Asian. My boyfriend is clearly Hispanic and I am clearly Caucasian. So here we are, us and the black couple, not being seated. The staff had a VERY apathetic attitude about seating people before us. When I started to get visibly angry, they offered us a two person table in the middle of the walk way... but wait, we had to wait another 15 minutes?! What is going on around here? After having already waited 30 minutes, and not wanting to wait another 15-20, I finally made the decision that it was time to get out of the Boiler. I asked for the bill and it was approximately $15.00 for calamari and one bottle of Heineken. What a waste of money. Please, fellow Yelpers, notice that I do NOT give out bad ratings if I can help it. This place has AWFUL service and absolutely no restaurant (despite their food being well reviewed) is worth being treated poorly. My boyfriend and I were treated poorly because of race and I am not taking that statement lightly. This place is a shoddy operation that gets good reviews of Yelp because their food is most likely good. But it does not make it OK to treat your patrons poorly. Completely avoid this restaurant if you are in the Chino HIlls area. There are a lot of chain and non chain establishments that will treat you much better and will be worth your time.
(1)Denise R.
This is the perfect place to go if you want an interesting seafood meal. The House Pan Roast was excellent and unlike anything I have ever eaten before. The best way to describe it is a rich seafood soup/stew. The broth is thicker like a stew and filled with all kinds of seafood. I got a level 5 heat, next time I might get a 3, and I like spicy food. If you get it to spicy it takes away from the richness of the broth. It comes piping hot to the table, so let it cool off a little. The Cajun fries were well done and I would definitely order them again. The bacon wrapped shrimp, while they were good, I probably would not order again, the execution could have been a little better. My only beef was that the kids seats were set using plastic wear. My kids did not like. I understand the silverware is more grown-up sized, but when you are paying a good amount for the food, the plastic wear is a turn off. Invest in some silverware for the kids. The service was ok, could be better.
(4)Sybil C.
The best in the area, great Cajun food, great service. Real treasure for the area! I tried mimosa for drink and gumbo, they rate their spice, I chose 6, 7 could be too hot. You can order 1 too, not too hot.
(5)Oodra W.
First time here at this Chino Hills location. I went to their sister restaurant in Las Vegas Palace station before, I think it's just called Oyster Bar there, but it's the same owner who started it up! Can't always go to Vega (or can I..), but here I am finally getting to try the Boiler! You can choose to sit at the bar or booth. It isn't a very large place and the hostess said the wait can be up to 1-1.5 hours on a busy day. We went on Friday evening for 7 pm and it was only about a 20 minute for a table. Not bad. I got the House Pan Roast cause that's what everyone's been raving about! I had to get it and Oh-Em-Gee, it was like heaven the moment the delicious broth touched my tongue. So much flavors, so many sea food delicacies in it. I am not a huge fan of spicy food, I normally order mild for most things. So my level of spiciness is a 4, which I thought was a perfect amount that doesn't overpower any of the flavors. If you're a small Asian girl like me, or you don't usually eat huge portions, I ate half of mine and took the other other half to-go. Review on quality as left overs? IT'S STILL FKN DELICIOUS!! The rice soaked up some of the soup after a night in the fridge, but after a quick trip to the microwave, it tasted as good as it ever did. It might have been better cause now I can make out what's actually in it. Like the lobster, clams, crab meat, shrimp. Top notch
(5)Nadia N.
-Lots of parking -the service was exceptional -it closes early unfortunately -house pan roast is fantastic! -gumbo is also tasty -not a huge fan of the bouillabaisse -clam chowder and soft shell crab is cooked to perfection -my main gripe is that somethin
(5)Alan A.
House Pan Roast is a must. You have the option of the level of Hotness from a scale 1-10.
(4)Wendy V.
Omg this place is good. I even wake up dreaming of it. I had the House Pan Roast. My top fave..even though I haven't tried anything else. My friends had their chowder and jambalaya, both I've tried. Suppppper good. But jambalaya tasted a bit bland after my dish. Coming back for more!
(5)Rebecca H.
My dear friend swears by this place! In fact he told me this was his number one date place- so make sure to give me some points for hooking ya'll up with this info! Cajun food cooked right in front of you with your choice of how much heat you wanted. We arrived around 8:30, and the kitchen closes at 8:30! So we were literally the only one there...It was okay though because it seemed as though my friend closed down the restaurant just for the 3 of us- another extra touch for you boys out there trying to romance your ladies! Regardless the food was exceptional for Seafood lovers, this is a place that put a cajun twist on your yummies. I promised from the look of my girlfriends eyes..she was in love! I liked that they were able to make me a veggie gumbo for me..which was essentially pasta with marinara sauce and some veggies but it was still pretty good. in the end we walked out of there happy and full!
(4)JJ Y.
i was a little disappointed about this place.... Food was just ok, I think the sauce is the best part if my meal. It is rich and full of flavor, but for the price it costs, I think that I can get more seafood or at least bigger pieces. The piece of crab was so small, I had to go fishing inside my bowl for it. I guess I went there for an experience but I dont think that it was memorable enough for me to return in the future.
(3)Alexis U.
Great service! Must try the bacon wrapped shrimp as a starter. FYI everything is extra soupy, but still delicious.
(5)Yang Q.
If you've ever had Ritter's in Santa Ana or Oyster Bar in Vegas, The Boiler is based off the same steam kettle cooking style, though I actually like The Boiler a little better than Ritter's. Though they don't take reservations, our party of 4 showed up on a Friday night and was seated right away. The 4 of us all ordered different dishes so we could try a bit of everything. The fisherman's chowder may seem expensive, but its comes as a large bowl loaded with crab, shrimp, fish, clams, mussels, etc. The house pan roast is well seasoned and makes a great dip for the complimentary bread after you finish the small ball of rice that comes with the dish. If you like tomato sauce, I'd definitely recommend the pan roast, and if you like your food spicy, I suggest getting at least a 5 because my level 4 wasn't spicy at all. The jambalaya was also very good (better than the one at Ritter's, imo) and spicier than the pan roast. The shrimp scampi was good but nothing special, but if you're not a fan of red sauce it's one of the only options you have. Prices may seem a little steep at $17-20 an entree, but portions are big enough that you're likely to have enough leftovers for a second meal so it all evens out in the end.
(4)Auds S.
Love , love, love, love this place. All the food is good! Fisherman's chowder! Hmm the House Pan Roast!! Chowder yummo. The staff is friendly and on top of things. Thanks for the great food.
(5)Kurtis C.
After my somewhat miserable jambalaya attempt, my taste buds yearned for the real deal made by someone who knew what they were doing. Instead of a pot of burnt rice at the bottom and mushy globs of rice on a plate, I had a nice big bowl of jambalaya that was very peppery and flavorful. The rice was steamed just right and there was plenty of andouille sausage, shrimp, and chicken. I thought I was happy and content, but I was WRONG. I tried a couple bites of the pan roast and it was the best thing to happen to my taste buds in awhile. I wish I didn't try it because I felt like I cheated on my favorite cajun dish and couldn't stop kicking myself for not ordering the pan roast instead. I am definitely coming back. If you're like me and enjoy making your food hurt so good, go off the scale and order an 11/10 for the spice level. It sounds bad, but it'll just add a cute little kick to your meal.
(5)Vicky T.
I LOVE THE BOILER! My boyfriend and I came here a little after they opened. Our waitress was very attentive and sweet. We ordered some fries on the side and it was a huge portion! For our entree, we shared the dinner size gumbo. She then asked how spicy we wanted it. We were going to go for a 7 but since I don't like my food too spicy, she recommended that we go according to my preference and they could give us the seasoning later on so that my boyfriend can make his more spicy to his liking. It was SO GOOD. I was kinda bummed that this huge bowl of gumbo only came with a small size of rice though! ASIAN HERE. But other than the small quantity of rice, I really love this place. Would definitely come back and recommend to all my friends.
(4)haaims c.
I absolutely love this place and everything about it! SERVICE: on point and intimate. sometimes i wish this place was bigger, but then again i don't because then i wouldn't get the quality time with my cook who makes the meal for me right then and there in front of me in the kettle pan FOOD: pan roast is UHHHH-MAZING! if you like a lot of flavor this is the place to be. they also customize the spice to your preference which is always a billion times better.
(5)Juliet Rachel C.
Shanon Y. and I wanted to try this place after our amazing visit to Ritter's SKC in OC! Chef RItter used to work at the Boiler and I believe he played a vital role in starting the business, as well. In comparison, I would still prefer Ritter's because it's newer and Chef Ritter himself actually works there, but admittedly, The Boiler is still pretty damn LEGIT. The wait to get seated was about 10-15 mins. Shan and I came for dinner on Labor Day. GET THE PAN ROAST!! I will be ordering that from now on after sampling Shanon's dish (she ordered the Clam Pan Roast). I was curious about the Gumbo, so decided to order that. It was definitely good, but not nearly as delicious as the Pan Roast! My seafood Gumbo had a gravy like taste and the consistency of a thick stew. On a spiciness level of 1 through 10, I asked for 4, but it wasn't spicy AT ALL; not in the least bit. If anything, I would have wanted more flavor! However, the seafood was really good and the dish was tasty. It just could have been even better. Shanon's dish was....amazing! Taste was comparable to the Pan Roast at Ritter's SKC!! The portion sizes at The Boiler are a bit smaller than Ritter's, but the overall prices are a bit cheaper too. Heard this place has good lunch specials and happy hour until 6pm, so I def need to check it out again soon! Service was GREAT! Our waitress's name was Destiny and she did a spectacular job. She was so sweet and so efficient!
(4)Jenny S.
STEAM BOILED SEAFOOD!! so if you enjoy chowder or gumbo-like meals, then this is the place for you!! it's a bit pricey for dinner so I'd suggest coming for lunch! ---complimentary bread: nothing special ---cajun calamari: not bad, but a VERY SMALL appetizer portion ---HOUSE PAN ROAST: a thick flavorful tomato-y stew/chowder chock full of seafood & a scoop of jasmine rice!! MMmmm love that you can choose your level of spiciness 1-10... 7 was just right, but I think 8 would have been good too! ---New England Chowder entree: YUMMY, love the flavor of their clam chowder! ---jambalaya: i'd probably skip this dish & stick w/ the soupy dishes! food took longer than I expected, but maybe I was eager since you can see the chefs cooking the food on the other side of the counter!
(4)Geoffrey O.
*unlimited *food is delicious *service is awesome *watching good being made is entertainment *food is delicious :are my 5 stars to why this place is awesome! if you ever watchthe food network, you like food being made and this is the place to watch jambalaya, pan roast or diablo plates be made.
(5)Kevin C.
Lobster pan roast. Do I need to say more. Very tasty n reasonable. A must try if u are in the area. U will b back
(5)Fresh D.
My fiancé and I love this place. She orders the shrimp diablo, and I simply like the clam chowder, which is great. My fiancé orders the pan roast, which is excellent as well. The cooks prepare the food in pots that are right behind the bar, so you can see them cook in front of you. The place is clean and they also have good service, highly recommended.
(5)John W.
Had the New England clam chowder, definitely recommend. Also had a Shrimp BoBoy, which was tasty. Service was very informative and friendly. The tables were small. There are tvs to watch sports also. Great lunchtime specials. Want to go back to try the Gumbo next time!
(4)Kevin L.
This was my 2nd time trying this type of creole food, and I thought it was pretty good. In all fairness, I think it was good, but I wasn't that hungry so it didn't really appeal to my tastebuds. Service was good, but not super attentive. Pricing isn't bad for the portions. We ordered 1 and can definitely fill up two people. Just need to order more rice. Not the best probably out there, but not bad.
(3)David M.
Having grown up on New Orleans/Cajun food, I approached The Boiler with a certain skepticism which was quickly blown away by the authenticity of their dishes. I simply could not believe my luck in finding a place that had such amazing Étouffée in addition to their chicken gumbo. And you can even specify the spiciness level! I met my mother here for lunch, who is from New Orleans, and she was impressed as well. Will definitely be back!!
(5)Julie L.
This place is Great! food was awesome...i really like that they have the counter seating so you can see the food cooking. I am a fan and shall be returning. a MUST
(5)Kim N.
he wants jambalaya. I want house pan roast. Chef suggests adding sausage to the house pan roast. AHHHH, OF COURSE WHY DIDN'T I EVER THINK OF THAT BEFORE?? Perfect compromise from his side, I always win :). I heard their jambalaya is good, but if I'm coming to the boiler, of course I'm getting the house pan roast! It is very creamy and hearty. I suggest sharing it because it's on the heavier side and a little pricey for dinner. They only offer the lunch pricing on the weekdays :\ adding sausage is $3 extra Oysters are trustworthy here, never resulting in a tummy ache. also tried their crab cakes. Two small crab cakes but it is only 6 bucks. Sauce had a nice spicy kick to it. Their clam chowder is also full of goodness but not as good as boudin's. Workers are always friendly. I've never had to wait here longer than 15 minutes and I recently just came on a Friday night. Overall they deserve 5 stars. My only annoyance is they recently limited the bread to two per entrée. I mean how much bread can one person eat? Well, porky eats a lot of bread. He doesn't even need anything to dip it with.. he can eat JUST PLAIN OL BREAD. And it's only the plain baguette type. We asked for more bread about 4 times ;X. they only give you 3-4 thin slices with also crispy pita bread which we did not touch. But we had the clam chowder AND roast (proportion of sauce to rice is 4:1). And even moi (a bread hater) was using the bread (spread with butter yes making my meal even fatter) and dipping it in the roast. HOOOWEVER, since I like this place too much and that was my only complaint, I still had to give it 5 stars.
(5)Susan L.
I was seriously going to take a day trip to the palace station for a panroast this weekend, but I learned that this place existed just in the nick of time! :) The house panroast is pretty legit, I'd say 80% comparable. The obvious to my palette differences vs palace station are: * + trinity, an onion/bellpepper compote....meh * + clam bits...didn't go super well with the texture of the other seafood * a little more tart * shrimp and lobster not cooked as deliciously * way less shrimp, lobster, crab While it is not quite as drool-worthy as the combo panroast, it is still quite yummy. Would definitely come back (and would skip the crab cake appetizer) Note: I'm all for presentation, but my chef totally cleaned the inside of everyone's bowls (including mine) with a rag that he used to clean EVERYTHING including the countertop...and he literally kept the rag by his side on his sweaty shoulder/neck. Fucking barf in my mouth.
(4)Chris H.
If you want to have some jambalaya then this is a good place to go. The prices are a little more than other places but the taste is good. I can't say anything more or less other than you need to have the Cajun frys
(4)Liz A.
Did a phone order to go for dinner and it was ridiculous that I spent $25 for a house pan roast to get a size of a lunch portion and only 3 shrimp when I asked for only shrimp and crab extra shrimp. I didn't receive any bread with my to go and she forgot to put the pasta I ordered on the side so I had to go back in to get it. Seems like they're getting stingy with the amount they give. Not worth the price not returning.
(1)Debbie O.
It's hard to mess up tomato and seafood, so I was excited to try this place. The flavor was pretty good I must say, but towards the end, it got a little heavy. We got the House Pan Roast, which is a tomato seafood stew. The texture reminds me of curry, and you definitely need rice or bread to pair with it. They give you a huge bowl, so you can definitely share. First off, they didn't give me enough rice. One scoop of rice is not enough for a huge bowl of stew. We ended going through four baskets of bread (complimentary), which is great, I love bread, but for $20, I wish they gave us more rice! I felt like I was drinking curry towards the end! I love that they have a wide range of spiciness (1-10). We got 5, which already had a good kick to it. Also, I know everything's made from seafood broth with fresh seafood, but I didn't find too much chunks of seafood in my pan roast! Yes, several juicy shrimp, but couldn't find anything else... we got the regular one too so what happened to the crab, lobster, and clams? Lastly, we came on a Tuesday night and there were only five other customers in the whole restaurant. There were at least 5 people working at the restaurant, so I was wondering why it took us a whole five minutes to flag down someone to refill our waters. Two servers were just hanging out behind the bar doing everything but paying attention to us. Also, I realized why they were rushing us to order so quickly in the beginning. They close at 8:30 on Tuesdays, and it takes forever for the food to be prepared. I don't mind that the food takes a while, but they pretty much turned off all the lights before we got our check. OK, we can take a hint, but a little passive aggressive wouldn't you say? Overall, I would come back if I'm craving it because the flavors are there, and I don't want to drive to the beach to get food like this. But there is quite a bit of room for improvement.
(3)Lawrence L.
Heard about this place from a fellow Yelper a while back and have been looking forward to trying it. I'm always down for a good cajun/creole jambalaya, gumbo, or étouffée and I was curious about the steam kettle cooking method; I recommend sitting by the large U-shaped bar so that you can see the food being prepared... As far as the method goes, individual steam jacketed "kettles" which remind me more of pans mounted on a rotatable flange which allows the contents to tip out into individual bowls. The indirect heating from the injected steam heats the kettle surface and prevents scorching. This was the first time I've seen this first hand and I found it to be fascinating to watch... yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… My wife and I were joined by my visiting sister and bro-in-law; the four of us found it relatively easy to find 4 seats at the counter on a Saturday evening around 630pm. I suppose it's just timing as we showed up just before a couple of other parties arrived and they had to wait. We tried to call ahead for reservations but were politely told that they don't accept reservations (any longer?) but that there was no wait at the moment. I think calling ahead to see what the wait is like is prudent... We each tried something a little different on purpose so that we could compare. You can specify spiciness on a scale of 1 to 10 although I've heard that you can go higher if you really like it spicy hot. Not knowing ahead how hot was hot, I asked for a 2 in my dish which wasn't spicy at all. My sis ordered 5 in her gumbo which I would call medium spicy, although people who can take the heat wouldn't think it was very spicy at all... I had a taste of my sister's Gumbo which had a darker roux than either my wife's Étouffée, or my House Pan Roast. My bro-in-law had a Jambalaya which incorporates the jasmine rice into the sauce during cooking which results in a much hardier, rice dish with gravy I would say. I want to say that they use a trinity in all of our dishes which is simply a mirepoix with green bell peppers in place of the carrots. All of our dishes used a tomato based roux with the exception perhaps of the gumbo. All of our dishes used copious amounts of butter that would make Paula Dean proud. A couple of comments regarding each: The regular Gumbo (not the chicken one) has a dark spicy roux with okra, andouille sausage, shrimp, cod, crab, and clams served with a scoop of Jasmine rice on top. At a level 5 spiciness, I thought it was just spicy enough to detect although the presence of the andouille helps alot. It was good, hearty, but I thought it was missing a certain something that I am used to whenever I make my own gumbo, I thought it could use an ash like spice called Gumbo Filé... The Jambalaya was the only dish of the 4 that incorporated the rice into the kettle during cooking, resulting in a thicker, heartier, more rice than soup dish. Level 4 wasn't spicy with all of the incorporated rice. It had mixed peppers, onions, chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage... Wifey had a level 3 Étouffée which was similar to the gumbo except it was slightly thinner and had a lighter roux based sauce with tomatoes, trinity, parsley, shrimp, and crawfish, served with jasmine rice on top... yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… My House Pan Roast is a combination of shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams, although you can also order pan roasts with strictly any one of the 4 ingredients. Like the gumbo and the étouffée, a scoop of rice was added to the top, although I wound up ordering another bowl a la carte because I felt that I needed it. I didn't know it at the time, but I found out that you can ask that andouille be added and I wish that I did. The pan roast tasted the most buttery, and had the most creamy tomato bisque like flavor of the 4. Without the andouille and at a level 2 spiciness, I think I would have wanted more spicy depth and less buttery tomato flavor. Maybe a hardier shrimp only or lobster only pan roast with andouille next time... yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Our service was pleasant all around, the chef wasn't too engaging but I thought he put on a good show while making our dishes anyway. I can't speak of how this place compares to the Oyster Bar in LV although they have a like pedigree; we couldn't get into the Oyster Bar since someone in our party was younger than 21. Have read unofficial rumors here of more locations possibly opening in the OC or Pasadena; I would love to see a place like this in Old Town Pas...
(5)Gaylean N.
My husband drug me here kicking and screaming. I am not a huge fan of fish or it's smell but I do love creole! I do eat fish but only certain kinds at certain places. If you are like me....you are safe. We got the clam chowder and it was the best I've had. We got the pan roast and that has shrimp, lobster, crab, and clams. I was super nervous but I am a risk taker! It was all great but I'll probably just get the just lobster next time because it was awesome! I read a review that this wasn't enough food for the average male but we are not small people, we shared, and we couldn't finish it! Sit at the bar. It's fun and it's better than looking out the window at a parking lot!
(4)Cindy W.
Ever since my friend had introduced this place to me, I had cravings for it at least once a month. First time there, I tried the clam chowder and my goodness is was no ordinary chowder, it had hearty ingredients with real seafood in them. It was what all clam chowder should taste like. Second time I went, I got the pan roast and in was heavenly. I had asked to serve the rice on the side so it made me look real Asian. It was good and portion was plentiful, I was able to take the leftover enough for a lunch meal. Overall the experiences were great and the food were Yum! I would definitely come back over and over. Recommend for: soul food, family, friends, social, casual, laid-back, single eater ok.
(5)Kim T.
Went to adopt my new dog and decided to check out yelp for lunch and found this beauty. As I've stated before, I love me some cajun food and the concept behind this place sounded cool enough to give it a try. Bacon wrapped shrimp - we ordered this based on the waitress's recommendation and although it was ok, I felt like I ate this before on sample Sundays at Costco. The bacon was nice and crunchy but I believe the whole shrimp was deep fried making it slightly overcooked. However I did enjoy the squirt of pepper jack cheese in the middle. Gumbo - If you like gumbo, this isn't a bad one to order. Filled with meats it had a nice smokey taste to it. The House Pan Roast - This is what the place is known for and with good reason. I ordered it at spicy level 6 and it was pretty subtle so I think I could have kicked it up a notch. However the flavors were all there. Alone, it may appear to be too thick but when mixed with the pasta (I substituted the rice for linguini) it melded really well as the linguini soaked up the flavorful sauce. They definitely didn't skimp on the seafood either and I really appreciated all the crab in there. It almost felt like Poseidon got mad at some of his subjects and kicked them out to the Boiler. All in all I thought it was really enjoyable and if we were closer I would definitely visit more often
(4)Jennifer H.
MMMMM I want more just thinking about it! If you're craving seafood and cajun food and you also happen to love butter, COME HERE!!! The food and service can be a little slow here, BUT it's so worth it. The house pan roast is what I always order and it never disappoints. I can't get myself to try any other items on the menu because it's that good! The house pan roast has an assortment of seafood (shrimp, lobster, etc) in a creamy cajun tomato base sauce that is served with white rice. The price is pretty hefty for dinner ($20), but it's also big enough to share with two people!
(4)Chrissy M.
Found out about this place last night, and since The Oyster Bar in Vegas is one of my favorite spots... I HAD to try it!!! Omg.... House pan roast is the way to go!!! Lauren was very attentive! Never an empty drink ! And our chef Tony did an amazing job ... Nice chatting... Thank you both for the amazing meal and experience !!! Will be back!!!
(5)K B.
The Good... N.E. clam chowder is excellent The ettoufee was really good Lobster pan roast was good Portion sizes are good, can be shared The Bad... Crab cakes were lukewarm at best Child's chicken nuggets over cooked Shrimp scampi w/linguine is floating in too much thin liquid so noodles don't have much flavor The Ugly... Often runs out of food items on the menu All in all, I would go back for the chowder and ettoufee and may try gumbo next.
(4)Michaela G.
My husband was craving gumbo so I quickly accessed Yelp and found The Boiler. I've never had house pan roast but based on the reviews I thought I would give it a shot. We also ordered the chicken gumbo. We ordered both to go and the service was good. OMG, both were so delish! We are totally hooked. Can't wait to go back! Seriously, this place is a must try if you're in the neighborhood.
(5)Rick H.
My wife and I have been going to The Boiler for years now and it is fantastic. We drive 45min. to get there. The food is great and the service is great. The only disappointment is the constant turnover with the cooks. We were made to feel special when the cooks see us and greeted us from behind the bar to the front door and could always remember what we ordered. The waitresses still remember us and greet us like friends. But the cooks don't know us from anyone else. I thought that having an open cooking area, we were encouraged to interact with the cooks and enjoy the experience. It used to be entertaining to watch. No more. Now you might as well put the cooks back in the kitchen. When you put them front and center, they have to show some charisma and flash, entertain us! No personalities anymore. It used to be fun to sit at the bar but now we just ask for a table. But still, the food is great and we continue to go back often. Get the cooks to come alive again.
(4)Ed P.
Horrible service with arrogant hostesses/waitresses!! Came here for lunch on a weekday, and apparently we could see that they're not busy and there were tables availabe, but our hostess still made us wait 20+ min. We got fed up and walked out and went to the BJ'S next door. And what a difference in service we got at BJ'S. We will never return to this place! They have to make a change to all their incompetent personnel working there. I usually don't do reviews, but this place just got me started... There was also another time we came here with our baby. Obviously my kid could not eat restaurant food, so we brought her baby food. The owner came to us and told us no outside food allowed and requested us to discard them. The only reason we returned to this restaurant was because of the food. But now I'd rather drive a little further for better service where I feel my money is well spent. If they keep up with their poor ridiculous service, I'm hoping this place close down soon, as they do not deserve to be in business!! I would have given them a 0 Star if I could do so in yelp!
(1)Jen T.
I've lived in Chino Hills for 2.5 years and I finally tried it! Our order: Calamari: So-so. I was expecting small, round bite-sized pieces. These pieces were looked like mozzarella sticks. House Pan Roast: Good. You can have it spicy from 1-10. We got a 3 and it had enough kick to it. Shrimp Scampi: Shrimp was tough and overall bland. Nothing spectacular that made me feel a want to come back.
(2)Noor H.
Awesome place, great food, if you like spice get higher than a 7 for sure. Good service, friendly staff. You can see the chef cook the food right in front of you. All the seafood is moist, fresh and delicious.
(4)Jeanie L.
House pan roast was my favorite soup! I loved the tomato flavor and the seasoning was really good. I loved dipping the complementary bread into my soup, better than eating it with rice. Calamari was OK..not great, it came in big thick strips (similar to chicken strips) but the flavor of the batter was not savory..it just tasted really off. Plus, I like my calamari in thinner strips anyway. The cajun fries came out pipin' hot, loved it and it was sprinkled with that cajun seasoning (yum yum). It's a bit pricey here for their soups and appetizers, but it was overall a very filling meal. Great service (but a bit slow with getting tables ready).
(4)Chris C.
I went here for the same reason many people did, to try to recreate the experience I had at the infamous Oyster Bar in Vegas. In short, close but not quite. I pretty much ordered exactly what I ordered at the Vegas Oyster Bar: Pan roast and clam chowder. I will be comparing this meal to the Vegas counterpart. Pan roast: The seafood seemed a bit overcooked and it seemed like they had the temperature on the kettles set at max to get this dish to me as soon as possible. The rice was not as fluffy, it felt like the different between the Boiler and Oyster Bar is like the difference between Uncle Bens and chinese rice cooked in a zojirushi cooker (if you dont know what I mean, dont worry about it). Overall it was very good, but loses just slightly to the Vegas version Clam chowder: This was absolutely terrible. It came out room temperature and clumpy, like how clam chowder looks when its poured out of a can and not heated or stirred. Obviously this version is infinitely inferior to the Vegas version. In fact it was inferior to a can of clam chowder and a microwave. Avoid like the plague. Anyways the main point of this review is really the pan roast. Its good, a bit expensive, but should tide you over until the next Vegas trip.
(4)Samuel C.
My favorite place to eat in Chino Hills. I love the House Pan Roast (level 7 spice). We also start with the bacon wrapped shrimp. Delicious. My girlfriend likes the Seafood Clam Chowder, which is basically a big bowl of clam chowder but with crab, lobster, shrimp and more thrown in. Its as awesome as it sounds. Their creme brûlée is top notch as well. Never have I been disappointed here.
(5)Claudia L.
Came here the other night to celebrate my dad's birthday and i must say it was delicious. We came on a Sunday night and there was a wait for a table but not for bar seating. since it was my dad's birthday we wanted to sit in a table and we waited 45+ minutes, to my disappointment there was a very rude table that would not leave even after they paid the check and were done eating. This has nothing to do with the establishment but i just wanted to note how annoying this table was, they were done eating before we sat down and still did not leave until we left (mainly because the restaurant was closing). The food and service was good. We got the pan roast, gumbo, oysters, sweet potato fries, and clam chowder. We also ordered the bouillabaisse but it never came, i knocked out a star because of this because my dad was really excited to get this but it never came and since it was near closing and they already cleaned the kitchen we did not make them cook it for us in the end. My dad was a bit disappointed about this but because he is awesome he did not make a scene. I will definitely come back again but i felt we should have received some sort of compensation for the long wait due to rude customers and for them literally forgetting the most important part dish of our meal. Overall, it was delicious and i would come back!
(4)Rolando M.
Overall, the boiler is a great place to go if you have never experienced cajun southern style food. Its very flavorful and spicy! Yummy! The best of course is the house pan roast! A medley of seafood in a spicy tomato bisque soup served with jasmine rice. Every bite is great. The jambalaya was good, but it could have used more spices. I would have given this place five stars, but the service is lacking. No fault to the two waitresses, they were waaaay under staffed. Two waitresses waiting the whole restaurant, they were frantic and apologetic. I hope the owner hires more, because customer service goes out the window when there are only two waitresses who are seating people, taking orders, serving the food, busing the tables, etc. My hats go out to those two tonight, they were working their butts off and the dinner rush just started when we left.
(4)Heidy D.
The food is very colorful but it needs salt.. Another downfall, the owner needs no I must say "he must" hire a 3rd or 4th girl/ guy to help out with waitressing. I felt bad for the 2 girls working because they had to host, serve both sides (tables and bar) and stay on top of everything which at the end it reflected their service because they had little or no time to check on us. We has to keep asking for things such as bread:(
(3)Amber M.
This was my first time here and I loved it. We sat at the bar, so we could watch them cook all the food and it was great. I loved watching the chefs make everything right in front of us. I got the Gumbo and it was pretty good and a HUGE portion! There was lots of flavor and I like that you can choose the heat level, too. I was so full and took the rest to go and had a full second meal from it!! The service was great. They are very friendly and attentive. I would come back here the next time I'm in the area.
(4)Avery S.
This place is a bit of a hit or miss for me. From what my boyfriend and I got: Bread was just bread. Calamari was great. He got the ettouffe which I thought was great! I got the scampi which I felt was very mediocre and not worth the price which was almost $20. The shrimp was a little tough. The best part of my scampi was the oily broth... I would recommend trying this place, but if you're looking to be blown away I wouldn't chance that here. Oh and funny enough the service is also hit and miss. Our waitress was ok, but there was another waitress who was very engaging and laughing it up with her guests. I wished we'd gotten her lol.
(3)Shari M.
FINALLY!! This spot has been bookmarked since I started yelp (2009) and I finally shoed my face here a few weeks ago. Showed up with the parentals and we almost went H.A.M.... almost. Shrimp cocktail and crab cakes for appetizers. Not much to say about shrimp cocktail. You've had one, you've had them all right? Cajun crab cakes were really good though. They weren't round and were crunchy, not like typical crab cakes, but I still found them delish. I ordered the house pan roast and it was the bomb. Spice level at a 5. My dad ordered the chicken gumbo. Spice level at a 10, the highest. To be honest the 10 wasn't even spicy. I thought trying his I'd have to down water QUICK but nuh uhn. It seems the level only brings out more flavor. The bowls are really deep and dont be fooled, there's a bunch of rice at the bottom, not just the scoop you see. Our waitress was great. Explained the menu, let us take our time, just all around super nice. Can't wait to come back!
(5)Christina L.
"I know I've asked you this before, but have you been to The Oyster Bar in Vegas?" I am glad I finally accompanied my friend to The Boiler so he will stop asking me this. Why did this restaurant end up in Chino Hills? I have no idea but that is precisely the reason it has taken me nearly a year to make it out to this place. Someone recently pointed out to me that I might have a seafood problem. I apparently like it too much. Considering my previous two meals in the week were seafood-laden, I don't think I can put forth much of a response. If you're not big on seafood, you'll likely find the menu becomes rather limiting. You can seldom go wrong with littleneck clams. My friend felt they were a little gritty and sandy. I always love a good lemony, buttery white wine sauce. I just wish there was some bread to soak it up with. When I try a place for the first time, I like to try the dish they are most known for. Although I am not a big tomato-based sauce fan, I ordered the house pan roast. This is my first time experience steam kettle cooking and I found the broth rich, creamy, and flavorful. My friend ordered the cioppino and although both dishes looked similar (almost everything is served in big white bowls that are set on a square plate), the cioppino was definitely too boozy for me. Seems like Chef Jimmy had a heavy hand with the brandy but my friend liked it just fine. My dish came with Jasmine rice but my friend had me substitute it with linguine which was not a problem. I highly advise you wait for a seat at the U-shaped bar if possible. Not only can you view your food being prepped and cooked but your food also arrives in front of you in a timely fashion-- moments after it is cooked. If you sit at the tables, your food may suffer by sitting at the counter (there isn't actually a window). Chef Jimmy's awesome. Not only is he personable and friendly, we also saw him help out the waitstaff by wiping down then setting tables and delivering food to the tables. Although I haven't been to the Vegas location, I can see why patrons might prefer that space. The addition of the tables surrounding the U-shaped bar is what really hurts the service. I'm not sure whether waitresses have stations or if there is simply bad communication but the service is inefficient. The waitresses also perform double duty without a hostess so be prepared for a wait even if there are empty tables.
(4)John T.
The PANROAST is completely to die for...this was one of the first restaurants I had gone to since my return from teaching abroad. My girlfriend and I had ordered the oysters and it was delicious. I was hesistant of ordering the oysters because I am not a big fan of the texture or the taste, but this had completely blew me away. I loved each and every bite. The sauces were definitely on point. The wait was not as long as we expected and the chef was extremly nice and answered all our curious questions on how to make this delicious Panroast. The restaurant is really small though. As a result you're going to have to almost always wait outside, for sometimes up to an hour even, but luckily we came in on a saturday afternoon and we waited no longer than 10 mins. I will definitely come back here soon and order sweet potato frieds and chicken gumbo. On my next visit, I will order another Panroast to go and eat it for lunch because it is that GOOD!
(5)Lynn N.
I've never ever ever ever... eaten at The Boiler before... but I must tell you... once the HOUSE PAN ROAST came.... I couldn't stop telling my friend how GOOD the food was. I swear I told her at least 10 times while we were eating!! Every single bite I took was heaven!!!!!!!!! There's nothing else to order here except for the PAN ROAST. seriously! BY THE WAY... if you're going to order a Pan Roast here or whatever... SHARE IT. The portions are really big so it might be too much for you if you try to finish it all by yourself. :) You want to be able to enjoy your food... and leaving the Boiler wanting more, not over stuffing yourself and having to take home left overs. :P
(5)Mat S.
Outstanding! Amazing seafood. Rarely do I give four stars though The Boiler easily earned it. I had the opportunity to try the Fishersman's Chowder and Etouffee, both of which I will have to order in the future. I struggled though ultimately settled on the House Pan Roast (w/sausage added per patrons suggestion) at spice level 10 and was greatly surprised. Excellent flavors constantly emerging and not overly spicy. I would love to see this place on the water (S.B. SLO, Ventura). Looking forward to next time. Thank you for a delicious experience!
(4)Zubeidah P.
Very tasty food. My fave is the clam pan roast. However, my experiences have been tainted by the sight of non-stop running water at the counter. Every single time. I have never seen that faucet turned off. It's like, come on now. We're in a drought. Pls be mindful and turn off the faucet. There is absolutely no reason to leave the water running the whole day. Just makes me wonder when a business is not mindful of others or the environment. One star down for that.
(4)Luan C.
The Boiler serves Cajun style food according to my girlfriend. The owner of this restaurant owns two locations, one of them is in Vegas and the other one is in Chino Hills. The Chino Hills restaurant is located in a fairly new plaza with plenty of parking. I had no trouble parking near the entrance of the restaurant during the dinner rush. The design of the restaurant is of good taste and male friendly. If you are on a date with a girl, then there are tables all around the restaurant where you can sit and chat in a warm and relaxing atmosphere. If you are with your guy friends and want to watch a game, there is a big island in the middle of the restaurants where you can do so instead of staring into each others' eyes. The food here is definitely good, I had the House Pan Roast and it surely lived up to the hype. The thick flavorful soup mixed with the rice really brought a great amount of flavor to each bite.The soup base has a hint of tomato sauce but its nothing like the kind of tomato sauce that you know of. I highly recommend that you try the house pan roast LUNCH IS SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN DINNER! BY ABOUT 10 BUCKS!
(4)Chris C.
Before, you disagree with me and wonder why I didn't rate at least 4 stars for this review, please understand that it's not necessarily because of the food. It has more to do with the service, the ownership, and what's happened since the birth of the Boiler. But, we'll get to that in a little bit. First, to understand where I'm coming from, let's do a background check on the Boiler. The proprietor of this restaurant makes a deal with Chef Ritter (formerly an Executive Chef that served for 26 years at the Palace Station's popular Oyster Bar in Las Vegas) to bring his style of cooking to SoCal. Things start boiling in 2009 and the place soars. I've been coming here around the time of inception and am rather pleased by the ambiance, service, and quality of the food. Move foward to 2011 and I hear news that Chef Ritter is no longer with the business. I'm sure it has to do with some disagreement with management and when it comes to these things, money is somehow always involved. Second, most people will agree that the food is fantastic and to that extent, I concur. For starters, the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and the New England Clam Chowder is mighty tasty. For the entrees, the Fisherman's Chowder, Chicken Gumbo, Jambalaya, and the variety of Pan Roasts are still better than average. Only, the food now lacks that "kick" or "zing" that made the flavor stand out. Switching your spicy level between 1 and 10, isn't going to help you my friend. As Chef Ritter left, a part of him left, including the original receipe. Third, I start to notice subtle differences that maybe current patrons aren't aware of. How about we start with the longer wait for your table? Next, the shortage of waiters during crunch time. In my last visit, the staff gets younger and lacks the experience to know when to check back at tables and how to coordinate efficiency in the restaurant. One worker just stands behind the register while the other scrambles back and forth. Then, my food takes longer to prepare since I only see one cook behind the U shaped bar and it feels more like a one man operation. Also, the paper menus at your table are now encased in plastic sleeves and are now being reused. There used to be at least 2 kinds of toasted bread, but now it looks like day old rolls that just came out of a bag. I'm not even going to get started with the prices, which were costly to begin with, but now are outrageous. The bottom line, ownership is cutting corners to maintain profits and is slowly chopping down the very essence of why this eatery was so great to begin with. Putting in a bar and serving some beers isn't going to make it any less obvious. Sometimes, you have to look at the overall big picture. Why? Because all the little things on the side, add up to ONE big thing. Which is to look beyond the Steam Kettle Cooking and notice that things have changed and will never be the same again.
(3)Tina M.
I am extremely disappointed in my experience here on a Sunday for a late lunch. There were 6 of us and 6 of the seats at the bar were reserved and there weren't any tables large enough for us. I didn't mind waiting but what I didn't like was that the hostess told us it would be a few minutes. We ended up waiting 40 minutes and for this entire time, no one working there ever acknowledged that we were still waiting. The house pan roast was delicious as always. I had asked for sausage but didn't get it (which is fine) but then was charged for it and when I told the waitress she acted like I was trying to get the sausage for free and didn't want to pay $3 extra. Why would I waste time trying to get $3 taken off my bill? It's probably going to be awhile until I come back here, if ever. I'm sorry I had such a negative experience here, I actually liked the food!
(2)Susan L.
When we walked in there was no host to greet us. The place wasn't busy and was seated in about two minutes. The waitress came with the menu and the menu was somewhat simple. She brought bread while we were still deciding. They had some Cajun spiced bread chips that were getting addicting. The food took about fifteen minutes. Ordered bouillabaisse and bf ordered the house pan roast. We both ordered spice level of 4 we weren't sure how spicy. My bfs dish the pan roast was creamy and savory and very addicting flavor! Love his dish! My bouillabaisse was good but I thought it was kinda peppery and overpowering the dish. I ate it with the free bread and dipped it into the soup. The seafood was a good a good amount but the shrimp was overcooked. Service was okay... Need to work on promptness and be aware of customers waiting.
(4)Sue B.
3.5 stars Food was great, comparable to the Oyster Bar in Vegas Yet Oyster Bar is noticeably creamier and comes out piping hot.. Still, very nice to have this available within driving distance for any pan roast cravings My only gripe?? The service was horrible!! ATTN: any manager or owner of this place You need new waitresses! I felt like I was on restaurant stakeout. It was not busy this afternoon, several open tables, so there was NO excuse for such horrible service. The chef placed completed bowls and called for the waitresses to come deliver them. This specific waitress (Tina) literally took 20 mins to acknowledge the chef, and in front of paying guests undermined him, gave him a snappy attitude and basically raised her voice and rolled her eyes... I was shocked!!! She was too busy dancing around and singing to Rihanna in the background. The chef (white guy with braces) had to get out from where he was cooking and deliver the food himself due to the incompetent wait staff! Every little thing we asked Tina for, she forgot or it took her 15 mins to get out .. From ketchup, to a refill, to our to-go food! I hate to see how this place functions with these air headed girls when it's actually busy!! Come for the food, NOT for the service! Ahem: Tina the waitress!! (Service in this case doesn't entail the chef: the only hard working person here that deserves the recognition)
(3)Tatiana M.
Nothing like to be an eye witness of your food being made. I ordered the Bouillabaisse cause I love lobster but the smell of the house's bowl was delicious!! I had the Jasmine rice and in was full and satisfied. If you want to spend less come on weekdays for the lunch portions / prices. I'm a foodie so heck to that, I'll have the dinner portion and pay the price.
(5)Lala R.
Delicious cuisine!!! I loved my crawfish etoufee and the oysters on the half she'll were superb. The deduction of 1 star was for the lacking and inattentive service from waitress. Will be back to try lunch specials!
(4)Tracie S.
We first tried this place a few months ago when I was suffering from pan roast withdrawal. My first time having pan roast was at Oyster Bar from Palace Station Casino in Vegas and I've been in love ever since. I had seen The Boiler for quite some time now, but had been hesitant to try since I was afraid it would suck...but now im kicking myself for not going sooner! The first time, I ordered the Gumbo while my BF ordered the House Pan Roast, spice level 5. I was pleasantly surprised at how much i liked it. I think the portions at Oyster Bar is bigger, but it's still more than enough for one person and I always have leftovers. I actually liked the gumbo here better cuz it was less salty. The Pan Roast didn't seem as thick or creamy as Oyster Bar..but still equally delicious and all the flavor was still there. We've also tried the jambalaya with spice level 5 the last time we went and my BF liked it. Although, i think i would tone down the heat for that since it's already packed with spices..i think a 3-4 for the spice level on the jambalaya is sufficient while 5 for the pan roast is just right for me. We've been coming back here ever since to satisfy my pan roast cravings. I love the fact that it's so close to me so now I can eat it anytime instead of only when I visit Vegas again.
(4)Pearl J.
I found this place on YELP as I was craving Cioppino and did a search on it for places locally...the first thing that came up was the Boiler. Started reading the reviews and they made mention of Seafood Pan Roast. Then my mind shifted to the Oyster Bar in Vegas. So, I did more reading and explored the menu, then realized that Vegas just got closer. Had to try it, so we went for dinner that very night. Tried the Seafood Pan Roast and it was delicious. Came very close to the one they serve at the Oyster Bar, except for I wish they put a little more seafood in it. Not that it was scarce, but the Oyster Bar kind of set the expectation high. But, I totally recommend that you get it! The hubby got the gumbo, good but not something you need to try there in your first few visits. The rest of the menu looks promising...jambalaya, bouillabaisse, etoufee, chowders, and of course cioppino. I will try that one day! Make sure to sit at the bar. They have their cooking apparatus there where they cook in front of you, just like at good old Oyster Bar.
(4)Tiffany N.
Friend took me here for a late birthday lunch. We arrived at 11:30am, when the restaurant opens, and we were the only ones there. This was surprising to me because the last time I tried to come here for dinner they had a 2 hour wait and said people make reservations in advance. My friend and I had the house pan roast. I had to prep myself before coming here the day before and googled what pan roast is. I'd say it's between a soup and a stew. Almost an Asian curry consistency but creole? We watched the owner cook our pan roast in front of us in the kettles. I'd say there is a good amount of seafood in the pan roast, but I'd like some more rice with my order. It's probably the Asian in me. I want to come back someday to try their clam chowder. Let's go!
(4)The Snack Lady S.
I originally went to this place almost 4 years ago and based upon that review, I figured they could only get better right?........ Wrong! We went here for lunch today to celebrate my cousin's birthday. They had our table ready it was a total of 11 of us. They also had a large party of 10 behind us and the first thing the hostess says to us once we're sat " We only have 10 kettles so if you don't want to wait an extra 20 min for your food be sure you put your orders in before the other large party" That was noted but due to fact we hadn't made any decisions as of yet we browsed the menu. I ordered a kids meal for my child which didn't come with a drink.....over $8 for a kids meal & drink is a clear ripoff. I ordered the chicken sandwich which didn't come with any sides for $9, it was good lots of garlic so if you don't like garlic you might not want to order this, by the way its on the lunch menu so you'll have to ask them for it. The reason for the low rating is for the service and timing of the food. We finally got ready to place our orders mostly sandwiches with soup, a couple of salads and 2 kettle dishes. It took more than 30 min just to get the sandwiches and then another 15 for cups of soup....the salads came last which we didn't understand why those should've been out first. Our server was bit unorganized and aloof to the whole situation. Our food came at all different times and we had to ask for refills. Now the party of 10 behind us had no issues, not sure if that was due to their server or the fact that we were the only non-Asians in the restaurant. I'm not trying to play the race card but it is what it is..... She suggested splitting the bill 3 ways since we inquired about separate checks.....unfortunately she didn't even understand how to do that. Fortunately for her the gratuity was required otherwise she would have got what she worked for, which was very minimal. I was a server myself so I understand being slammed and busy and having to juggle tables. This wasn't the case, everyone isn't cut out to wait tables. After 2 1/2 hours here that's the most time they'll ever get from me. The food was decent but in my opinion the service was horrible and no matter how good the food is if everything is not 100% I won't be back. side note... the young man that's cooking with the kettles was organized and efficient, he seemed to have it all together.
(1)Jess S.
This place is delicious but pretty pricey! The pan roast is delicious as well as some of their appetizers. The clam chowder is amazing, and fully packed with clams. The oysters are also good, but pricey (close to $20 for dozen). The bacon wrapped shrimp is yummy too as well as their cajun fries. The jambalaya is recommended too! Too many recommendations.
(4)Kyle W.
Food was nice and warm, spicy scale from 1 to 10. and I got 10, thinking should be ok, however, I got my stomach butterflying, really, this is not a joke.. waitresses are really nice and welcome.....
(4)Susana T.
My second time here and the cooking is consistent which is a plus since it's not always the same one doing the cooking. Love this place with my kids since I love Creole seafood. The calamari is to die for, the batter cover is thin and crispy while the calamari is tender and juicy.
(4)Audrey D.
The Boiler is a good place to have steam kettle cooking style food if you're in the area but it's definitely not the best I've had. For one, I can think of one place I rate higher, that is the Oyster Bar in Vegas. Honestly, coming to this place after being to Oyster Bar a couple times just makes me appreciate OB even more. So, I'm going to be harsh on this review despite all others. Service was alright besides the fact that our server kept "popping in" between my boyfriend and I without us noticing she was there. Kind of creepy. Anyway, she wasn't too bad. The cooks at the bar were focused on rolling out the bowls quickly and were not conversational like at OB. We had not ordered any appetizers because we know the entrees were going to be plentiful. My bf had the House Pan Roast with shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams which the soup base was creamier than what we are used to. I ordered the Etouffee with shrimp and crawfish. It was pretty close to how an Etouffee should taste like; definitely not too creamy. Ironically, the seafood weren't as fresh as we expected it to be. OB always has fresh seafood and they're out in the middle of the desert! Which makes me wonder how this joint can't provide fresh seafood when they charge similar prices to that of OB. Both soups at a 5 and 7 heat scale weren't as spicy as the number sounds; I'd say they were at least a scale lower. Each of the entrees came with steamed rice but the rice seemed overcooked to me, sticky and mushy. I personally like Oyster Bar in Vegas better so keep in mind, OB has fresher seafood, open 24hr and 21+. Don't be bringing in your kids there, but at The Boiler you can cause they've got a kids menu too.
(3)Frank L.
Place is kinda small and it fills up quick so id suggest to try not comin in durin peak hrs... Im definitely a fan o this place. They got a great variety o options to keep you comin back. My personal favorites are the Shrimp Diablo and House Pan Roast but Id also suggest the Etoufee and the Bouillabaisse jus cuz im more o a fan o the red sauce. If you prefer white sauce then id go wit the cilantro chicken w/ sausage... The sauce is pretty thick and it goes really well wit the bread they give you so you can use it as dip. The portions are really good. More than likely id save youd be able to save your entree for lunch the next day...however id prolly avoid the appetizers as i feel theyre over priced...if u really feel like spendin money tho i really liked the bacon wrapped shrimp but I think u only get like 4 shrimp...not filling but pretty good. I always find myself comin back when im in socal cuz there really isnt any place like this in the pomona/chino hills area. Also its variety will ensure that u feel like ur tryin sumthin new the next time!
(4)Adriana P.
This place is in the same shopping center where there is a Lucille BBQ, BJ, Souplantation and my FAVORITE shabu shabu. My experience here was OKAY.....the service was ok....our waitress was good. Extremely nice. Let me tell what I got......I got the Shrimp Scampi: the flavor of the broth was ok, i had to add more lemon and i even used the butter that they give you for you bread.....the shrimp was way over cooked. My friend got theyre Shrimp Pan Roast: once again she had to add lemon and the shrimp was way too over cooked. I dont think ill be going to this place for Cajun....im just going to stick with my place in santa ana (Ritters)
(3)Jennifer S.
Oops... I checked in to the wrong location. But, that's okay, review is in the right place! We started going to The Boiler when it first opened. I fell in love with it right off because the food was delicious. I don't get there too often and it had been a while when we went last night. It's kind of a different type of a restaurant. There is a regular bar, but you sit at the dining bar. Sort of like a sushi bar, except they cook your food in front of you in steam cooker pans, powered by a boiler in the back... hence the name. Of course there are also regular tables - a few - and once the novelty wore off, we usually choose to sit at a table. So, the truth is that it is usually kinda slow to get your food, but I don't mind because the food is outstanding. There are a couple of people who cook the food in the pans, but I think just the nature of the way the food is cooked is what takes a while for the meals to be ready/served. When you're seated, they bring bread, which we noticed they only brought sliced white bread where before there were a couple kinds of breads. For drinks they have beer and wine and they carry some good beers like Stone, etc. The waitresses are friendly but not the most attentive. Last night, though, once we were seated our server took pretty good care of us. One thing I didn't like is that the menus were pretty raggedy. I think they need to print new ones! They used to have fresh newly printed ones and now they have been placed in plastic covers and reused. I have a serious problem. I always order the same thing. The House Pan Roast is freaking delicious. It's got shrimp, lobster, crab and clams in a sweet tomato sauce that you can choose your spice level for. It is served with jasmine rice. This thing is just so yummy that I never order anything else. Although, I have ALSO gotten the clam chowder which is really good, too. They do have other Pan Roasts as well, that are only a single seafood item, but the one with all four items is the best. Seriously. My parents are more adventurous. They have tried several of the dishes and tend to go for the jambalaya that has seafood and sausage with rice. Also the Shrimp Diablo is good, but it comes with noodles instead and the rice here is really good. The menu is not extensive, but it's a cajun/seafood focused menu and most dishes you select your spice level from 1-10. Overall, the food here is fresh, super flavorful and interesting. It's a little pricey, $20 for the meal I eat, but of course it's chock full of seafood. I feel like it's really worth the prices. The only area that could use improvement is the speed of service, being seated and then getting your food after ordering - if that improves, I think I'd go 5 stars here. But the staff is very friendly and we talked to the chef quite a bit when they first opened and he was really friendly, but haven't seen him for a while. If you haven't tried The Boiler and you like seafood, this is a must try. I highly recommend. I just wish they would expand to Escondido! heh
(4)Alex G.
Haven't been to this place in a long time but when we lived in Chino Hills I considered it one of the best restaurants around. Especially since it's one of the non franchises places in town. It's mostly an unique take on gumbo. It's tiny inside so you can expect a wait for a table. If you're by yourself or with 1 other maybe you'll have better luck bellying up to the bar with the steam pressure cookers. The food is awesome. It's fresh vibrant and hearty. Best part is they allow you to choose the amount of heat you want with your meal from a 1-10 scale. I'm a bit of a weenie so I usually go a 4 or 5.
(4)Emily L.
Food was okay but their service was horrible. We been keep asking our water and drinks for over 20 mins. But no one came to help us. Those 2 waitress just stay in the cashier all the times. We need ask the chef help us to take away our dirty bowls and dishes. It's not worth for us to drive that long distance to eat there, I am really sure we will never come back here again.
(2)Victor M.
I had to give it a five... Only thing missing is the show girls and beats the wait from the oyster bar. Chef was friendly and had a great attitude. Cool place... Will be back again!
(5)Monica D.
The food was very delicious just be careful what number you tell them when they ask you how spicy you want you meal to be. I told our waitress 6 and my chicken jambalaya almost burnt my mouth off! I would recommend anyone to give this place a try! Our waitress was very attentive and made sure we were well taken care of!
(5)Diana L.
Dear Owner(s), Okay, I tried. I reallyREALLY tried. I wanted to love this place. I waited until I've been here 5 times over the course of a year or so before deciding it's time to review. I kept thinking, "one more chance, just one more". Let me just start with this: You have something magical here. The food, the concept, the setup with the kettle cook bar where customers can see the chefs cook...at this moment, you are one of the very very few restaurants that will actually entice people to come to Chino Hills... But something is not working here. The main culprit? A PROBLEM WITH STAFFING - you either do not have enough wait staff, are not properly training your wait staff, OR you are simply hiring SUCKY wait staff. All of this leads: 1) Inconsistent/Bad Customer Service The first 4 times I've been here, the waitresses had attitude problems. They were difficult to flag down, and when we finally succeeded in getting their attention they had such an attitude problem. We actually caught her rolling her eyes at us. That is a BIG FAT NO - you DO NOT do that to your customers...My sister caught that, and she promises to never come back... :( Only one time was our waitress nice and checked in on us. Unfortunately 1 out of 5 times means overall there is bad customer service here... 2) Problems with the Food Overall, flavor of the food is tasty but for there seems to be a HUGE rate of mistakes. Every time I've been here, there has been something wrong with our orders: The jasmine rice is too mushy. There is too little rice. They forgot to put the rice on the side as requested. When it comes to spice level, you have a 50% chance of getting the wrong level. One time I came and I ordered a spicy level 8 but for some reason my cousin's lvl 5 was spicier than mine. Another time my husband ordered spicy level 1, but the damn thing came out spicier than mine! When my hubby tried to re-order something else that was non-spicy, it came out uber bland. When you're paying $17+ for a single dish, you want to feel satisfied. After this, hubby said he will never come back... :( I'm willing to give another chance, BUT I am starting to run out of people who will go with me... :(
(2)Eva G.
Shrimp Diablo.. Fried Calamari.. Fresh Oyster.. the 3 trusty combination.. can never go wrong with it..
(4)Smitcha B.
After driving 60+ miles one way from LA to play on a nice golf course in the Inland Empire, The Boiler was a nice treat. One of my favorite go to places in Las Vegas is the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station Hotel. That was when my friend's first introduced me to the whole steam kettle Cajun cooking. Some time later we got wind that such a place existed in Southern California. Rumors started circling amongst my buddies that a worker from the Oyster Bar branched off and opened up his own place in Chino Hills. We still don't know the real story or if The Boiler has any ties to the Oyster Bar at all even though the concept, menu, and taste are almost identical. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to try out the food at The Boiler. They have some weird closing hours similar to traditional Japanese restaurants. Check their website or call ahead or you may end up knocking on a locked door. I believe Tuesdays they don't serve lunch period, Mon-Wed & Friday they are closed between the hours of 2:30-5pm, and on weekends they are opened open to close without a gap in between. They also have happy hour, as well as beer and wine. We walked in a little after 2pm on a Monday. The place was nearly empty and the waitress didn't seem too thrilled that we came in right before they were about to close. Yes, I know the golden rule that when a restaurant is about to close, you should try your best to not walk in and sit down. As customers we are entitled to walk in a minute before the closing times but it's generally frowned upon. Besides, I worked in a restaurant for many years back in the day so I know that sucky feeling. Plus, I've been looking forward to this meal for a while. It's not that often that I find myself in this neck of the woods. However, our waitress lightened up after we chatted a little bit and she figured out that we weren't going to be those typical slow patrons. We were there to do work and gtfo. We were seated at the main bar and although the menu is extensive and everything looks enticing, we were able to pick out our food right away. We chose what we would normally get in Vegas. What I appreciated seeing on the menu was that they had a "lunch" time portion. That meant less food but at a cheaper price. I ordered the lunch gumbo, spicy level 5 (medium) while the homie ordered the lunch house seafood pan roast, spicy level 7. The dishes were about $12-13 each. Personally, both dishes were just as good as what we experienced in Vegas. Full of strong and intense New Orleans inspired flavors, a good amount of seafood, and the scoop of rice will ensure that your belly is satisfied by the end of the meal. If you enjoy a nice tang/sour taste then I'd say go with the pan roast. Reminds me of an upgraded and thicker version of tomato soup. The gumbo is on the richer side but you'll find yourself licking the bottom of the bowl. Both weren't too spicy to me at all. If I wasn't curious about some of the other items on the menu for future visits, I would happily order these again. There's plenty for everyone off their menu although the majority of dishes lean on the seafood side. Watching the chef make the food from the steam kettle is pretty cool and I really do believe that the food tastes better made this way versus the conventional stove and pot style. You may opt out to sit at the bar so you can witness the magic happen right before your eyes. Definitely worth the stop and will be thinking about this place every time I'm in the area. A perfect meal after a long and tiring day at work or in our case, after 4.5 hours of hacking up a golf course.
(4)Corey M.
Omg! This place is delicious! I ordered the sweet potato fries and the chicken gumbo. The fries were delicious and had a light coating of brown sugar. My chicken gumbo was perfect. It had a scoop of jasmine rice in the middle. The flavor was exactly how gumbo was supposed to taste. Plus, the service was great! Will definitely return for more great food!
(5)Tina W.
I truly loved this place. I ordered the house pan. First time coming here and it was something different for me to try. Small size restaurant so the service they gave was exceptional. Bill came out cheap Nothing better than that.
(5)Peter P.
If you haven't been to Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, you're really missing out. Luckily, we have The Boiler in Chino Hills which is essentially the same thing with many more menu options. The head chef actually used to work at the Oyster Bar before going solo. Sadly, The Boiler is still a far drive from me since I live in south Orange County, however, I hear they are planning on opening another location in Irvine by the end of 2012! Can't hardly wait!!! As far as the food goes... it's excellent. Do yourself a favor and order the HOUSE PAN ROAST. It's a spicy tomato cream based Creole soup with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams served with Jasmine rice. It's very rich, hearty, extremely flavorful and loaded with seafood. If you want it even heartier, consider adding andouille sausage or okra. You can get the spice level from 1-10. I like mine medium, but if you have a death wish, you can also request a ghost chili hot sauce. If you didn't know, the ghost chili is one of the hottest chili peppers known to man. So good luck with that. For appetizers, go with the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp or the Oysters on a Half Shell. I was disappointed with the Cajun Crab Cakes and was not digging the apples inside. The Oysters Rockefeller were just decent, but I would try other things before getting them again. Yes, it's kind of expensive at around $20 a bowl for the Pan Roast, but it really is delicious and there aren't many places that I know of where you can get steam kettle cooking. I think the portions at Oyster Bar are slightly bigger and have a little more seafood, but it's also a little more expensive... and it's all the way in Vegas. So until I go back to Vegas, The Boiler does a great job at satisfying my cravings. 4.5 Stars
(4)Christine N.
We were craving some type of Boiling Crab flavors and came here on a whim. They offer fresh baked bread yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… while we waited and brought out our order of Sesaoned Cajun fries yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… . For the main course, we got their Etouffe level 4 spicy yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… and Shrimp scampi level 6 yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… . Both were very flavorful and delicious! I also thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the food bar to watch the chefs cook the customer meals! It was kind of like watching from Hell's Kitchen stand point. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Pretty awesome!
(5)Karen W.
I'm not a complainer at ALL and I usually love this place but this chef JOE HENRY is a fuckin douche bag!!! I came to treat my family out to dinner to celebrate my new job and my stepmom getting her drivers permit and what was supposed to be a day of happiness and celebration ended up being a total disaster. First off it took forever to get our order (even though it was a weekday and wasn't packed) we patiently waited, then when we finally got our orders (all at separate times, so we couldnt even really eat together) My dad and brother's gumbo was wayyyyyyy too salty. My dad was really hungry so he just finished his. My brother tried to bare through it but half way through he just couldn't take it being sooo salty. When we asked the waitress if we could get something else she said she would see what she could do. (The waitress and servers were really nice) Then Joe comes out with the two dishes in his hands and says unfortunately he can't do anything about it because it was almost done. I kindly explained to him my stepmom and my order was fine just the 2 gumbos were salty. My dad finished his and didnt want another order but I was afraid my brother was still hungry and unhappy. We decided to just go with another dish but because Joe was so rude and didn't try to give any type of customer service, we decided to just cancel the order. I asked if we could get some kind of discount being that my family was unhappy, and they give me a receipt with $1.76 discounted marked as "salty 10%" do the math, dummy! The gumbos came out to $17.55 each how the fuck does that even add up?! And plus, the $1.76 discount was just a slap in the face!!! Might as well not have put anything at all!!! I paid for it and had a talk with Joe in the end letting him know how unacceptable that was, and that we are NEVER coming back here again. I have plenty of friends that I will spread the word to... The WU family gives Joe Henry a big "FUCK YOU" for ruining our experience and a special moment in life.... ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!
(1)J T.
Delicious! Had the house pan roast and it definitely rivals the Palace Station pan roast in Las Vegas and they are not stingy with the amount of seafood they give! Also tried the cioppino and dare I say it's better than South Pointe in Las Vegas. They offer a heat scale of 1 to 10. I got a 6 and it wasn't very spicy....next time will try an 8.
(4)David G.
Gumbo was good-the base was thicker than we've had before. Shrimp scampi with linguine was great and you can choose hotness and add and take things out to make it just who you like it! Happy hour til 6pm so they have great oyster shooters for $3(2).
(4)Cherie T.
i can't believe I didn't write a review for The Boiler!! The last time I went was early last year and till this day I can still remember the taste and smell of the House Pan Roast. It is THAT delicious! i was lucky to get a seat at the kitchen u-shape bar area. I got to watch the chef prepare all the food and the aroma of the cajun spices was making me salivate as I watch each dish getting cooked. I ordered the House Pan Roast (medium spicy) -- the first bite i took i was already in dancing ..it was so good. The stew was thick and flavorful and to eat it w/ the rice was just MMMmmmm! I'm so glad they gave out breads. The bread is also very good w/ the House Pan Roast if you are done eating w/ the rice. I cannot wait to go back and order the House Pan Roast again. The Boiler, will you open one in San Diego??? you guys will be a HIT!!
(4)Melissa H.
My husband and I shared the house pan roast...substituted sausage for the clams! Outstanding..! Next time we will try the clam chowder one as this looked really good as well. Be careful with the spice!
(4)Sean M.
My wife and I have been coming here since they opened. Cool little neighborhood restaurant. We have always had good service and great food. Our favorite is the house pan roast. It has nice big shrimp, scallops and chunks of crab. The sauce rocks and the bread is just right to soak up all the goodness as you eat. Be thoughtful on the heat scale... I like hot and usually hit in the 6 range on a scale of 1-10. I went too high one time and my nose ran and head sweat the whole time. The cioppino is very good too. I would recommend the calamari appetizer. It is nice thick strips of calamari cooked lightly crisp on the outside and to tender perfection on the inside. Make sure to ask about their bottled beer selection too. I seem to get a good new brew every time is always friendly. The bar is the best spot in the house. You can talk to your chef as he makes your dinner. Two thumbs up great place
(5)Darlene C.
Chris and Kris are great ! I ordered the shrimp pan roast , it was amazing . My fiancé ordered the clam chowder and he said it was one of his favorites :) I love the flavors , atmosphere and cleanliness of the Boiler .
(5)Dru C.
I'm one of the biggest fans of Palace Station's Oyster Bar in Vegas, so when I heard about this place, naturally I wanted to check it out. We started off our Vegas trip by eating at the Oyster Bar, so it was only fitting that we ended the trip by eating at The Boiler on the way back home. The set up at the bar and the steamer equipment is practically identical to the Oyster Bar, only newer and cleaner. I like how the restaurant has lots of open lighting, with a decent amount of additional tables around the bar. My wife and I shared a big bowl of Fisherman's clam chowder, along with a side of calamari and fries. Both of the sides are pretty standard there, so I'll focus on the chowder, which had a few flaws in my opinion. I thought there was a bit too much filler in the chowder, like celery, and the flavor seemed too "pasty" and milky. Of course, New England chowder has cream, but there was also something about the chowder that tasted off. The seafood inside was tender, most plenty of small sized shrimp, clams, calamari, and some fish. There could've been more crab in there, for sure. Whereas most good chowders incorporate all of the flavors together, I felt that the chowder here wasn't quite as fully developed. The dudes working the steamers were cool and the service was friendly as well, so a nice vibe inside the restaurant. Since I'm a seafood lover and if I ever get the itch for some hearty seafood soups without the 3.5 hour drive to Vegas, I'll know where to go.
(3)Lisa C.
Too little ingredients inside the House Pan Roast. Not worth the value. A lot of available tables and still let customers waiting at the entrance area due to only 3 waitresses serving.
(3)Mums P.
very disappointed with the Broiler. The service was horrible and not even a manager on the site. It took almost an hour to order and the apitiser the crab cakes were mushy. they got my order wrong twice . The cook took about 3 mims to cook it and it tasted like water. when I informed the staff of this as we left the food on the table uneaten they tried charging me for the lousy uneaten food. I ended up having to pay for the mushy crab cakes and ice teas $16 and almost 2 hrs of my time. Can't believe they charged me for crap like. chef Ramsey would of closed the place down. from reading yelp i think folks don't know what good food is any more, to bad.
(1)Ben L.
Good food but very bad customer services Employee didn't wash their hands after using the restroom
(1)Meek E.
Taste - N/A This review won't have anything on the actual food, because due to the following, I didn't get to it. Experience - 1 We went in on a Friday, to be expected, there'd be a wait. We were greeted by a half frantic looking man who took our reservation down (for 2), asked for our preferred seating (bar or table, we chose whichever came first), and told us it'd be 15 minute wait. We sat down, watching the staff and customers that were already seated to eat. My date has been a server at restaurants before, and noticed some red flags about how the place was run. 1. Chefs were coming out of the back kitchen to hand servers food. Due to poor staffing, the servers available couldn't keep up with the kitchen. Who knows how long the food was sitting and how long orders were being backed up for that to happen. 2. No one to clean up. Whether you have servers or bussers to clean tables, no one was doing it. There were a few tables and spots on the bar that could've been available for the next guests, but they weren't getting cleared. 3. Servers were difficult to flag down. A few times, customers would ask for drink refills, etc, and couldn't get a server to actually stop for them. 4. A bar with one bartender/server. I feel bad for her. Not only did she have a full bar to wait on, but she had to make the drinks for the rest of the place. Girl couldn't keep up. Wasn't at the bar half the time because she had to take orders from customers in her area. We waited for 40 minutes until we decided to call it quits. Especially after we heard the frantic man tell a mother with 2 kids that it would be a 20 minute wait for them... each. I hope she caught that.... Environment - 3 There's a bar, an eating bar where it looks like you get to see some cooks at work, and a few tables. It's a decent size, some mood lighting, and though I thought it to be more geared towards adults, there were a ton of families. Price - N/A I wouldn't mind paying for it, if I knew it was worth it... hence why I even decided to try and eat here. Location - 4 There's a lot of parking, you might have a little walk if you get there during peak hours, but it's located right off the 71.
(1)Dave R.
I absolutely love this place. I came here two days ago and have come back a second already. The food is perfectly prepared, the cooks, especially Arthur, are very warm and hospitable. The wait staff is awesome and takes care of you hand and foot. I have had the House Pan Roast, the Fisherman Chowder, and the bacon wrapped shrimp. Each was just absolutely delicious. I am so happy I found this place, I highly recommend it and it has now become one of my favorites and I will definitely be back for more.
(5)Jason F.
Great spice, great portion, great service. I always get the House Pan Roast with extra sausage and love the flavor of it with rice. It's gumbo meats curry meats yummy yummy in my tummy. I'm not 100% this place is jam packed all the time, but when I went it was pretty dead. It could be of course the location being Chino Hills and other eateries around it? Who knows.
(4)MC R.
The house pan roast is EXCELLENT, very reminiscent of Palace Station in Las Vegas. Get a side of crispy calamari and you are good to go!
(5)Peter C.
Worst service ever for our party of 4 last week, not only unfriendly and SLOW service, our water never got refilled until we asked 2 times, the food also sucks, way too expansive for the portion we got, and didn't even taste fresh. Pam Roast was way too bland and tasteless, like a can of tomoto soup. I heard the original chef left after dispute with management and has opened a new place in Santa Ana, called Ritters Steam Kettle Cooking, just Yelp it and u will see the nice reviews, we will go try it out this weekend for sure
(1)Juliette L.
This location just isn't as good as the one in Las Vegas. I've been here multiple times and I usually order a pan roast. And it's always saltier than necessary! I'll have leftovers and I won't even feel like taking it to-go (and I /always/ take food to-go if there's any left). *sigh* Oysters Rockefeller were sub-par as well. Oysters didn't taste fresh. Hum. maybe I'll pay another visit soon and see if anything has changed.
(3)JEN C.
Been here a few times and have almost always sat at the high stools. The food never disappoints but the service does (especially on our last visit which was a week ago). Be prepared for a wait if you get here during peak hours! We always start off with the calamari..thick cuts of calamari lightly breaded and served with cocktail sauce and fresh horseradish. Yummy! Doesn't taste oily at all like most places that serve calamari. The boyfriend and I learned that an order of pan roast is more than shareable between two people. We just ask for an extra scoop of rice. I like how we can chose our own spice levels; 8-9 is perfect if you like spicy but still want to enjoy the meal. We always leave satisfied with our meals. Service was pretty horrible on our last visit. We were promptly seated right before the rush started. The waitresses took forever to take our order and some water. We did not get bread until we got our appetizer. It was so hard to get their attention because they were too busy talking at the bar area with their backs turned. They even left some tables orders sitting at the counter in front of us for 10+ minutes while the cook kept calling out the number to let them know that the tables food was ready. The cooks are usually very engaging and talkative.
(4)Elzen P.
Comparing this joint with Ritters in Santa Ana. Not comparable. Jambalaya was bland.
(2)Luby H.
Came here for a family dinner of 16, and wow, they fit us in immediately considering the size of this restaurant isn't exactly for big parties, I applause them for their efficiency. What's great about the Boiler was that the food wasn't as salty as other cajun/southern food is, but still has that great blend of spices. Appetizer: Raw Oysters: Fresh and delicious, I can really eat this all day! I can't believe how some people find this slimy and disgusting. What is there not to love about raw oysters? Although this wasn't as fresh as the ones by ocean piers, it was as good as the ones at boiling crab! YUM! Crab Cakes: Don't really recommend. It wasn't hot, and just not very memorable. Something was missing in this dish.. Main Course: House Pan Roast (with noodles instead of rice): I HIGHLY recommend the noodles instead of rice, especially if you were looking to order jambalaya also. You can also order rice on the side since you get a good amount of sauce left over. Jambalaya: We ordered a level 2 spicy level, and it was not even slightly spicy. I did ask for extra spices on the side and you can mix this in yourself if others at your table aren't as fond of spiciness, but it just doesn't taste the same. I think if we ordered this at 6 or 7 spicy level, I would have liked it a lot more, but still delicious! Overall, a great place for cajun food, but the interior design wouldn't have you guessing that it served southern food. It looked more like a Japanese food or shabu shabu bar if anything. Food was yummy though! Would come back again!
(4)Eileen L.
A solid, no frills, brightly lit cajun restaurant hidden in a deserted part of Chino Hills. For those who cannot stand spice, have no fear! Each entree is adjusted in spice level from 1(or maybe 0?) - 10... One of my friends ordered the mildest... so 0/1, another braved the 10...but she did not look defeated by it at all. I had the Etoufee, with a level 3 spice. The stew was really creamy and smooth, with a slight kick to it. The seafood in my order were fresh and bursting with flavor. At the end of the meal, I shamelessly brought my friend's leftover House Pan Roast to go. She only consumed half the order, and the leftovers were more than sufficient for a meal. Frankly, I could not tell the difference in taste between the House Pan Roast and the Etoufee. Both roasts were served with fluffy jasmine rice, and the ingredients seemed practically the same. The portion size was a bit skimpy for the price. If I'm back, I'll have to take advantage of the lunch specials.
(4)Arnold W.
Omg! The house pan roast is magical!!! I've never had anything like it. I'm not sure how to really describe it, but it's kind of like a seafood-type beef stew and gumbo hybrid in one. It comes with tons of seafood in it. The flavor is so intense. I ordered a 4 on the spiciness scale and it was just about the right amount of kick. It's so super rich and buttery. It goes so well with the rice and also the bread. I can't stop thinking about it and wanting more. However, it's too buttery to eat too often.
(5)Karen M.
Likes: bouillabaise, gumbo was kinda spicy, cajun calamari yum, the big bowls the food is served in, the place set up that looks like you're sitting in a kitchen (I like watching people cook), plus everything is cooked in steam kettles Dislikes: waiting for the food to come out was slow, on the pricier side, also the free bread they gave was only ok.
(3)Amy L.
The Boiler is one of those places I'd want to eat at if I knew I was going to die in a week. Here is my take on the dishes I've tried here: Soft Shell Crab - bomb! lightly crisped and meaty. love the sauce. flavorful appetizer but light. Oysters - I'm pretty sure I never opt for the blue point ones. Everything else I've had though has been really good. Small and not pungent. Sweet and creamy flavors. They know how to pick them! House Salad - such a great start to the meal if you don't want the starters. It's light and refreshing. that lemon vinaigrette is amazing. Cioppino - very filling because they give you a lot of the linguini. the "soup" isn't as flavorful as their other dishes but it's loaded with seafood. It's definitely lighter than the rest because the "soup" isn't as thick. House Pan Roast - TO DIE FOR! it's like a creamy tomato base loaded with chunks of fish, lobster, scallop?, large shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari. You may think that scoop of jasmine rice is really small but I've never been able to finish the entire dish. It's amazing as leftovers. The rice doesn't get fat or soggy because the sauce is just way too thick to absorb haha AMAZING China Mist Iced Tea - refreshing! and very interesting. Doesn't really go as well with the dishes as a soda would, though. Parking lot is shared with many other stores and restaurants but there's always parking. It gets really packed during the night especially over the weekend so you should call for reservations. Restaurant is clean and neat. The bar never seems to have anyone there. I think they should convert it to more dining seats. Love the staff especially the cooks. The game is always on. Love this place!
(5)Emily K.
Amazing food! If you like boiling crab you'll like the food here. And I'm almost sad saying that because this restaurant is about a million times better than the food at boiling crab. The wait is a bit long so just watch the games on tv or have a beer or two cause it's well worth the wait. The portions are large so you might want to share or take it home. I've got my leftovers from tonight in the fridge =) I ordered the House Pan Roast and it was amazing. Sit at the bar if you can. It's really fun watching them make the food.
(5)Jen L.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! Here's why: 1) Such an unique and interesting concept. They use a steam system to cook your food. If you sit at the bar you can watch them make your food. They mix everything in the pot and serve it to you right there. This place is super clean and nice inside. 2) Great service. Good prices. 3) Nice menu selection. Great appetizers. I love the calamari, crab cakes and the clam chowder is a MUST! Tastes so hearty and fresh. 4) I recommend the House Pan Roast. WOW!! One of the top things I've ever tasted EVER! Portions are huge so bring friends and share and taste everything! The Jambalaya isn't so bad either! If you like sausage you have the option of adding it in! Also you have the choice of picking your spiciness level! I live in Orange County and I drive all the way out here just to eat this... that says it all!!!!!
(5)Alisa C.
I have been to this restaurant for so many times.. Their pan roast is sooooooo good.. I their bacon shirmp is a must try too and Cajun fries is very good too.. I also order their crab cake & oyster omg cannot wait to come back again!!! Miss their pan roast bowl soo much.. Oh please order a large one cause u will be nonstop eating
(4)Danielle A.
The bacon wrapped shrimp are the best appetizers with the mac 'n cheese (gouda) bites coming in 2nd. The calameri was meaty and plenty of pieces for 3 people to share. The New England clam chowder had lots of clam no skimping here. Came here on a Saturday afternoon around 5pm-ish pretty dead. Kobe sausage just regular sausage with honey mustard sauce. The crab cakes were dry. We were seated quick & the service was great. The server was very friendly. Background music good.
(4)Dan P.
My first time here I ordered all the wrong items. After reading a friends review, I went back and got 2 must have dishes: 1) House Pan Roast 10/10 - One of the best dishes I've eaten in a long time. Rich, spicy (optional) and just simply delicious. 2) Ciopinno 9/10 - Not the best I've ever had (Sotto Mare in SF), but it was damn good. Service was great as usual and the prices were a little high but well worth it for the quality of food. I highly recommend this place!
(5)Bruce M.
I wasn't very impressed when I walked through the door and wasn't greeted or seated shortly thereafter when all you see are empty tables however the food was decent a little change of pace not your ordinary chain food nice to try once every 3 or 4 years would recommend
(3)Olivia T.
My, oh my. Pan roast. Pan. Roast. I originally wanted to try this super delicious dish in Vegas this past weekend, but wasn't able to bring a party of 13 to a tiny counter at Palace Station... Luckily, I heard about this place called, "The Boiler", which supposedly had the same concept. Naturally, I knew I HAD to try it immediately when we got home from Vegas. Here's my breakdown of what went down: 1. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp - I don't even like bacon, and I thought this was pretty good. The downfall is that this thing was quite salty. 2. Sweet Potato Fries - will not order again. I thought the bacon shrimp was salty.... but this dish........... I couldn't even eat more than two fries. It was buried in salt. 3. Gumbo - Okay. Wouldn't order it again... 4. Jambalaya - again, okay. Wouldn't order again. 5. House Pan Roast - wow. Love at first bite. The brilliant combination of tangy tomato sauce, cream, butter, and seafood is full of flavor. I'm coming back to this restaurant regularly for sure... just for this dish alone. The service was whatever. The people didn't seem like they wanted to be there. Then again, I guess working on Labor Day can be a drag. It's amazing what a simple smile can do for your patrons... that's the first step you might want to consider taking if you want to improve your service at all. Even the cook couldn't crack a smile during the experience of having us watch our food being cooked. If it wasn't for the lukewarm mediocre service, I would've rated this establishment with a solid 5-star rating. However, like many other avid Yelpers, your rating shall be lowered due to your lukewarm mannerisms. I would've rated this place with a 3.5 because everything except for the pan roast was just okay. I rounded it up to 4 stars (not 3) because it's mathematically correct to round up if the final verdict is 3.5 stars.
(4)Adam H.
Food not worth the wait. Several times it's 20 minutes and the place is empty. Simply forget about pickup unless you can wait an hour to eat. Not saying food isn't tasty, just takes too long to enjoy. Go on a Tuesday afternoon where the wait is only 15 minutes.
(1)Wendy Q.
The clam chowder was wonderful. We shared a bowl with a po boy sandwich for lunch (under $10). The sandwich was good - that's all. We shared calamari that was over cooked and too thick for my taste. We also shared crab cakes(2 small ones) which were just not good. Too much lemon and very sponge like in texture. The jasmine green iced tea was really good, but I had to ask for a glass of ice because there were only a few cubes in my glass. The bread was good and fresh and free. Service was decent granted there were only about a dozen diners at the time. Entire bill was $37 for the two of us for lunch. I likely won't return unless I'm in the mood for soup alone.
(2)Dave M.
I came in a few days ago and it turns out that my favorite chef is gone. She left without me trying her food one last time!!!!!!!! I asked for my second favorite chef and it turns out that he is gone as well! I decided to give the kid at the bar a try but it was very disappointing. I give him two stars for effort but lost the other 3 in the lack of flavor in the food. The only way ill ever be back is if Carmen or Kris are cooking other then that I am sadden to say that a regular has been lost.
(2)Anthony T.
Love this place!! Haven't been here for 3 years now and the food is great as ever!!!!
(5)tiffany c.
So different from 99% of food places in the IE. I am so happy we found, and came here. The food was delicious and the service was friendly. I would recommend and be coming back again.
(4)Ryan T.
I came here because I was very interested in steam kettle cooking, which I have never tried before. The setting was very upscale and sophisticated. I like the open bar seating where you can watch the chefs at work. Apps consisted of fried calamari, bacon wrapped shrimp, and oysters on the half shell. Fried calamari was fresh and tender, not one hint of rubbery text. Bacon wrapped shrimp were large and suculent, delicious. Oysters were fresh and also quite large. I ordered the House Pan Roast which seemed like a first timer favorite, it did not disappoint, large chunks of lobster, shrimp, and crawfish. She ordered the Shrimp Diablo, lots of big shrimp and good flavor. I finished my dish off with a glass of draft Monkey Fist IPA, very hoppy, more so than Stone IPA, I like it. This is a unique dining experience and we will definitely be coming back for more.
(5)John P.
I approach gumbo with great skepticism as I learned to make it from someone who lived in New Orleans. This is pretty damned good. It's a little fancy pants in terms of setting, but don't let that
(5)Sandy T.
hands down my favorite restaurant in the 909 area. Pan Roast is delicious. The first time you get it you'll be like..."this is pretty good". Then later on that day you'll be thinking about how good it was and wondering the next time you will go again. Rockefeller oysters are delicious and so are their raw oysters, I always have a tough time choosing. Fried calamari pieces are huge and delicious! I was not a fan of their gumbo. Service here is ok. They hire young girls as servers and sometimes when my water glass is empty I can see them chatting in the corner by the bar. It's the only reason why I did not give this place 5 stars.
(4)Jenn C.
Really...it's 3.5 stars My friend and I FINALLY got to check this place out for dinner after attempting a few times, do remember the Broiler closes early [830pm] The location of the restaurant is in a relatively new plaza, tucked away in a corner but it provides a lot of parking so you should have no trouble with that. You can have the option of sitting at the counter or at a table, which we chose to do. For dinner, we chose: * Cajun Crab Cakes [2]: they brought it out fresh and hot, which is perfect for me. It's delicious in flavor and you can smear it with the sauce that they served with it. The sauce has a little kick it in but I wish they served a little more because we literally licked the entire plate clean. It is definitely one of the best crab cakes I've had so far. * Crab Pan Roast: My friend chose level 7 for spiciness and wow...was it good. The flavors exploded in your mouth but the only downside is, they don't serve enough rice. People were definitely not kidding when they said choose any pan roast, you will not regret it. My friend cleaned his entire plate and I don't recall him ever doing that. * Cioppino: I chose a level 10 spiciness and it was spicy. There's definitely a kick when you eat it but I love how saucy and soupy the dish was. The portions for the two entrees were super super super generous. The bowl might not look like it contained a lot but careful, it is quite deceiving. I really enjoyed the food here but what disappointed me was the service. The timing from the appetizer to entree took a ridiculous amount of time, we were seriously contemplating on ordering another appetizer just so we can fill some of our hunger. Our server said she will bring out some bread upon serving our entrees which we never received, so we had to flag down another server for our bread to go with our heavy sauces. All in all, food was absolutely bomb but I would highly recommend teh management to improve the servers' level of service. I will definitely come back again, if I was in the area.
(3)Mel B.
The boiler is a great place to get some authentic New Orleans Cajun seafood! I've been to New Orleans and have to say this place is just as good. Everything on the menu is Awesome, the only complaints? The price. A bit pricy. I totally recommend you eat here!
(5)Keny T.
This place is pretty good. I would have given it 4 stars if I didn't sit at the bar. When you sit at the bar, you can see how unsanitary some of the chefs are. When they were cleaning the pot next to where my food was being cooked, I couldn't help but notice the amounts of dirty water being splashed into my pot from the dirty pot. The service is pretty lackluster as well. Aside from that, the food is actually very good and tasty. I would actually go back, but I won't make the mistake of sitting at the bar again. I guess it's ok if I don't see whats splashing into my food.
(3)Kadi P.
Be sure to try the crab cakes! They are delish! I loved everything I tried.
(4)Anne W.
My favorite restaurant. Great service and tasty! The pan roast is the best. I recently had the pan roast at the Kickin' Crab in Chino Hills and it didn't compare to The Boiler!
(5)Viki W.
We ordered the Cioppino and Linguini with Clams, both are flavorful and delicious. And our waitress was very attentive and super friendly. Definitely will came back again!
(4)Rei-Na J.
I decided to give them another shot and this time around, the food gods listened to my wish. I ordered crab cakes as an appetizer and the chicken and cilantro sausage for lunch and.... hallelujah!!! Finally found some dishes on their menu that hit the taste spot! My eldest son ordered the clam chowder and can I get amen? It was very well done and much better than expected. Allright, you've got me back.
(3)Lancelot L.
The worst oyster I have ever had!!!! So disgusting! Never taking any oyster at that restaurant! The service was also terrible. The manager did not want to solve the problem at all.
(1)JJLove C.
Just got my to go order shirmp scampi pasta home and while eating it I found a piece of white paper inside my soup ............
(1)Stephen C.
OMG.. yummy! If you've been to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station casino in Vegas --then you'll know this stuff is legit! Slow-cooked Cajun stews fueled by your own individual steam-kettle, this place is legend-wait 20 minutes for it-ary awesome! They offer everything from Etouffees, Pan Roasts and Bouillabaisse to Fisherman's Chowder, Gumbos and Jambalaya. Choose your own spicy level (1-10 max) and side of habanero to power up even more -- use with caution. I love my food spicy so I chose to go with a tomato-based Bouillabaisse with a spicy level 8 and 1 habanero. This was enough to make me sweat like a nervous tobacco executive at a Senate hearing but well worth it. I had to wait awhile as there are only 10 steam-kettle cookers -- so be sure to order as soon as possible so you can be in the queue! Service was great and friendly. Only nit was it can be quite a wait for the food and the price for a bowl of this lovely stew is not cheap (about $20). Highly recommend -- I loved it so much I ordered a Fisherman's Chowder (clam chowder with mixed seafood -- New England or Manhattan style) to take for the road. I got this spicy level 8 with 2 habaneros! Dinner tomorrow... mmm mmmm. We shall see if I can live to Yelp another day.
(4)Dev M.
The Crab Cake appetizers were delicious, the beer was tasty (had an Old Chub and White Rascal), and every entree I've tried has been amazing (Bouillabaisse and House Pan Chicken Roast so far). The restaurant has seats at the counter, so you can talk with the chef and watch him/her cook your food. He/she will also help you customize your order, so you get exactly what you're looking for. Will be back. Highly recommended.
(5)Brian P.
Geezus... Food is good but I can feel my facial hairs growing while waiting for my dishes to arrive. Dare I say, it's worth it and Chef Whoever (I don't see former OB Chef Ritter there as much..or anymore). Pan Roast is definitely my favorite. The sauce will make you smile! It's got that buttery feel to it, while retaining quite a lot of kicks from the herbs, spices. Very creamy tomato sauce along with the pleasantly noticeable essence of seafood. Service is consistently great, and the bread they give you while you're waiting is fluffy fresh! Except for the crunchy bread, I can't put a name to it.
(4)Johnny W.
My friend came here for a birthday event and while she was there she suggested that I should definitely come here to try this place. It's not close by at all and in fact it's way out of the way. Any how listening to her suggestion, I decided to come out this way for dinner. Took a friend here to try this place since she lives close by. I made reservations for 2 but ended up going early and was seated right away. We beat the dinner rush which was a good thing. Right when we finished eating there was a long wait. It's not the biggest restaurant so the wait can take a bit. Doesn't help that the food is cooked in steam kettles so it takes longer. We started with a New England clam chowder and a order of the Cajun Crab Cakes. The clam chowder was really good. I ordered the bowl to share and when I was done with this I was pretty full. For Entrees we ordered the Cioppino and the House Pan Roast. Cioppino with level 8 spicy, and House Pan Roast with level 6. I can't take spicy and both of it was pretty spicy. I think next time I will go with 3 or 4. It was bearable but I had to drink my whole glass of ice tea with a few spoon full. My friend really liked the Cioppino over the House Pan Roast. I personally liked both. It had similar flavors but the House Pan had a thicker tomato taste to it. Definitely a unique place to come and eat and if you sit at the counter you get to watch them cook your food. I would come here again just for the Clam Chowder that's how good it was and the drive here is close to an hour from where I live.
(4)Charlie N.
Love this place! Yes pan roast is good and the clam chowder. I also enjoyed the wrapped shrimp. look forward to coming here again.
(5)Hong H.
Food is amazing! Great portions and they are not cheap with the seafood they put in. Definitely very busy on the weekends be prepared to wait. Very worth the wait though.
(5)Jay Z.
Avoided this place because we thought it was expensive, but finally tried it with the bf one Sunday night when we couldn't decide where to eat. It was fairly busy for an early Sunday dinner, but got greeted by friendly staff and got sat right away. Free bread! Bf ordered the cioppino he was craving for. I ordered the gumbo (spice level 3, based on waitress' recommendation). Bf enjoyed his dish, as did I mine, but the gumbo sure was spicy and plentiful! We look forward to coming back during lunch for the specials!
(4)Julia I.
Love eating here. My favorite is the Cilantro Chicken with Sausage. The calamari appetizer is another favorite. Prices are reasonable. Have never had an issue with waiting too long to be seated or getting our food. Service is always great!
(5)Yuki H.
Far. all the way out in Egypt literally. NO WHERE CLOSE TO WHAT OYSYER BAR + RITTERS OFFERS WHEN IT COMES TO THE PAN ROAST. Service was slow. Water wasn't served till I was halfway into the Pan Roast I ordered. AND I didn't even finish it. That tells you how their Pan Roast was. Not to mention that when I left the restaurant I got a ticket for crossing a double yellow by a sheriff who parked in the center divider with his lights off at night so that he can ticket every patron. Nice setup. Yeah overall bad experience with or without the ticket.
(1)ILoveFood m.
3 stars for service. NO stars for food. Here are some of things we ordered: 1) pan roast: tasted like regular tomato sauce and seafood. 2/5 stars. 2) calamari: tasted nothing but salty batter. Calamari had merely no taste. 1/5 stars. 3) soft shell crab: eek. Just don't order this. Super seasoned and not tasty. 0/5 stars. 4) raw oysters: they're regular oysters with a huge price tag attached to it. They're worth .25 each but they make a profit selling it for 2 for $3. Expensive and not worth it. 1/5 stars. 5) creme brûlée: OMG! The BEST! It is perfectly sweet and has a nutty orange peel taste to it. $3.95 for a x small dish. Delish but not worth the price. 5/5 stars. 5) customer attentiveness: 5/5. Staff is extremely attentive and friendly, however, will not return for the food :(.
(3)Andrea N.
Awesome food! And even better service! Sitting at the bar was a blast. I got to talk to the chef and learn what he was cooking. He was super friendly. Told me exactly what was going into my meal! Even my 9 and 10 year old loved the food, they had an awesome kids menu. And our waitress was amazing as well! Had so much fun here with my family and we will definitely be back.
(5)Allana E.
The wait is a bit long, but if you sit at the bar and watch them cook, it's quite interesting to see the procedures. I always order the House Pan Roast since it has a variety of seafood. I once ordered a spice level 6 when I first tried it, and I didn't really get to enjoy the ingredients because it was too spicy. I usually get level 3 or 4 to have an even blend of flavor. The food is quite heavy on the stomach, but it is definitely delicious!
(5)Dallas M.
Always great food. Period. Now the bad things, one service is always around a 2 star. Although their food, if you're into cajon/creole, is amazing. So I am willing to endure the pretty bad service for the food. Secondly, the side bread they serve is just awful. It's only good to cool off the tongue if you order an 8 on their spicy scale. Maybe that's what it is. If not, terrible. It is a bit on the pricy side. The wife always gets the house pan roast, she LOVES it. I'm a chicken gumbo. AMAZING.
(4)Julia L.
A buddy of ours has been stuck in Bakersfield working/drilling for the black gold underground. He had a weekend off recently & was saying he hadn't had good KBBQ, Sushi or Eye-taliano in awhile. Between hemming & hawing, checking out suggestions on Yelp between Alhambra & Arcadia, he text me back saying, "Hey, what about The Boiler? The one just like Oyster Bar @ Palace Station in LV, NV." I paused for all of 2 seconds to get Qwerty board ready to say, "OKAY~!" 2 minutes later, as I looked on the Mapping on Yelp...it said it was 31 miles away from me. WHAT??? So I had to double check & Mapquest this place and only got a confirmation. Really? This better be JUST LIKE Vegas or BETTER! So we head out on an early May Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Took us about an hour using a longer route on the 60 fwy (10 fwy had 2 accidents). We walked in without reservation 'cos we called, no reservations after 4 p.m. Walk-ins only. We only had one group of 5 in front of us. All counter seats & tables were full. Wait was about 10-15 minutes which isn't bad. I just got back from Vegas this past weekend & the Oyster Bar at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 21st was over an hour wait! Current Menu as of May 2012 (they used the old menu flipped backwards as a place mat - smart! Save the Planet!): yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… We got seated & ordered some OYSTER ROCKEFELLAR. Tasty goodness with crispy crumbed topping and nicely baked spinach/oyster/cream mix. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Then the boys each had a cup of NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER & MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER. I only got a few spoonfuls of the white New England chowder. It was okay. Nice thick creaminess but didn't have that strong of a seafood/clam flavoring...almost as if someone forgot to add some clam juice for the banging taste. I ordered the CAESAR SALAD with light dressing - fresh romaine hearts - gave me the ruffage that I was looking for. Taste was standard, no amazing slices of anchovies, just a typical caesar. Then we ordered 2 HOUSE PAN ROAST & 1 GUMBO. Pan Roast - yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Gumbo - yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… This is where I was sorely disappointed and only can reiterate many other Yelper's reviews. My normal Combo pan roast (as in Vegas' Oyster Bar) is a creamy delish concoction of shrimp, crab, clams & lobster. The level 6 here for the House pan roast was okay. Not as spicy as Vegas but I'm sure it depends on the heaviness of the hand of the chef so we went the safe route. I found only 3 shrimps & 1 langoustine sized (1-1/2" long?) lobster piece and some small pieces of shredded crab meat but no clam at all. That was it in the entire bowl. I basically drank a bowl of tomato cream soup with rice, 1 shrimp & 1 itty bitty lobster piece as I gave boy toy 2 of the 3 shrimps. This cost me $19.55 for an order. The gumbo I believe had 4 shrimps in it's concoction of shrimp, okra, crab, white fish, clams & andouille sausage. Again, skimping on the seafood for $17.55 an order for dinner. Okay, so then I started to calculate that we just spent over $100 for items that barely had any seafood in it. I drove over 60 miles in this time of murderous gas prices (since I get about 18-21 miles/gallon and getting Costco's regular unleaded at $4.23/gallon...I spent about $15 on gas on top of the food) AND we took 2 cars so I don't know what my buddy gets as mileage but just assume times 2 equals $30 for gas...I about cried. The food is okay. The service is friendly. The parking lot is HUGE as it's adjacent to all these other outdoor stores in a big strip mall like place. It's just located in BFC (Butt Effn' Chi... you know what I mean). Will I come back here? Only if I happen to need to be in Chino Hills again which is highly unlikely. Plus, I just got back from Vegas and the Oyster Bar was similar in price but was chock full of seafood & tasty spicy flavor - I just don't see the need to get a copy when I can get the real deal...with a side of Pai Gow & Wheel of Fortune to boot.
(3)Jer H.
This place is tasty!!! Cajun food at its best. If you like spicy this is your place. I choose a spice of 5 out of 10 and I still get some heat. My wife can't eat spicy right now and she said the étouffée with a heT level of 1 tasted awesome without too much spice. This place is pretty cool too! They cook at the bar and everything g comes out hot and fresh. The place is very clean. Tv's, football, and wine. I like it.
(5)Tiffany Y.
It's Valentine's Day weekend, yes, but this review encompasses all my previous visits here. Never felt the urge to rate this place before until tonight because of how maddening the inefficiency of this restaurant's wait staff is. The wait is always absurd because the wait staff here can't seem to figure out that they need to clear open tables for people. Even so, the service here is always overall very slow (yes, even when it's empty!) usually because the food is cooked to order (which is perfectly excusable) so I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you have nothing else planned after. The food is decent enough that I ignored the ridiculous wait time estimation by the hostess, who happened to also be the bartender, bus girl, and waitress (see what's wrong here?), of 1 1/2 hours. A decently not-so popular restaurant with empty tables on a busy night, ample space, and hungry puerile waiting to be seated has no excuse. In the 2 hours we've been here already, two two-seater takes at this restaurant have yet to be filled. The hostess told me when we got here that they were waiting to be cleaned. On Valentine's Day! Plenty of couples in the waiting area Ms. Hostess. Friendly as the staff is, I can't excuse that. Back to the food. Not recommended if you're on a diet because everything is super caloric deliciousness. If you want vegetables of any kind, you may as well turn around and leave. I recommend the cioppino, any of the pan roast options, jambalaya, and other varieties of seafood dishes. The first dish I ever had here was the linguine with clams in red sauce with a level 7 on spicy. It definitely made me want to come back. I've mellowed out on desire to come back since then because of the wait, but the food gets me back in the end since there are few places that serve seafood and Cajun pastas as well as The Boiler. The Manhattan clan chowder is decent, but I prefer the clam chowder when I feel like indulging. Best part of the food at this restaurant is that you get to pick how spicy you want it on a scale from 1-10. I usually go with 8 as a spicy lover myself so I don't eat too slowly when I'm with others. They do serve a variety oysters, mussels, and clams for those interested. Can't quite get on board with their use of fennel though. Thankfully, it's a use small enough not to deter me, but when I encounter them they go right into my napkin. It is quite pricy to eat here however. Much more worth it during lunch, but pricy enough to make you look nice on a date. Atmosphere is great for a date or nice outing with a friend. The open kitchen definitely adds the best touch. Space could be used more efficiently for table space, but I don't think the staff could handle it. Location is a bit hard to find, but head towards the Babies R' Us and you should see it on the way in from the traffic light outside the plaza on the right. The Gist: Great for a date out special occasion, but don't be surprised by how much you have to wait even if the place is empty.
(3)HourLy L.
I came here because I was craving pan roast and wanted to try it here. Although it was good, I prefer it from a different place. Yay: -Pan roast: this is a must try for anyone who hasn't. Although theirs is a little more on the sour or tart side, it's still really good. I added sausage and pasta to it and it made it so much better. -Bar: they have a bar you can grab drinks or appetizers while you wait. Other: -Calamari: I liked the flavors but felt the strips were too big. Nay: -Gumbo: I'm just not a fan. Don't try eating this after you eat the pan roast, it causes the gumbo to have a weird taste and doesn't mix well so take caution if you're sharing.
(4)Sennett L.
So after our annual vegas trip and trying Oyster bar in palace station for the first time, I started craving the pan roast about a week later. So i started searching for a similar meal in my area. I found the Boiler on yelp and was excited to see good reviews. So my gf and I decided to come on a sunday after church and was sort of perplexed to find the restaurant almost empty. It was around 3pm i think, so I wasn't expecting it to be packed, but there were maybe 2-3 tables and maybe 3-4 people at the bar total. Either way, we sat down and noticed their happy hour and ordered up some beer, fries, oysters, and a house pan roast. I was a bit disappointed by the beer selection but whatever. The cajun fries were delicious. I love fries, especially seasoned fries, and these were spicy which i love as well. The oysters were good, not as fresh as Oyster bar in vegas but still good. The rockefeller oysters were baked and came out piping hot but delicious. We enjoyed the Happy hour deals for a pair of oysters and a discounted price. Finally, the house pan roast. We ordered it at spiciness level 8. That was slightly disappointing as it was not spicy at all (for me). However, the flavor profile of the pan roast was pretty close to Oyster bar, it just had less seafood which i expected based on the yelp reviews. Anyways, Everything was pretty good, service was good, food was good. I did go again a few weeks ago and it was actually better this time. We ordered the combo pan roast with sausage this time and it was better and had more seafood.
(4)Gloria C.
Horrible hostess. Management, you should observe her on a busy night. Hire the guy from Mystery Diners.
(1)Mike C.
Gonna go against the grain here and give this place three stars. Came here on a Saturday night around 8:30p and there was no wait, which surprised me considering all the rant and rave about this place. We were promptly seated, so that was nice. Sat down for barely 3 minutes and the waitress already tried to take my order! I told her to give me a few minutes as it was my first time here. She came back after another quick few minutes.. Lol. Almost as if to say hurry and order, so we can cater to the long lines that would be forming soon. Anyways we got the house pan roast and the chicken jambalaya while munching on the free bread. Pan roast came and was expecting a mouth full of goodness, but it wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped. I felt that it was too buttery and salty for my taste. Tried the chicken jambalaya and I actually enjoyed that a lot more. Coming from la, the drive is about 35 minutes. Considering the drive, prices of their entrees, and the mediocre service, I'd probably pass on this place next time.
(3)Richard C.
Should be 35% off the price. Blue point oysters were tasteless, I will never try again. House salad is acceptable, no surprise. Gumbo, is not exactly gumbo, it is a weird Jasmine rice soup with doubtable taste. Lobster is acceptable. But I have to say, the service is good and all the waitress are lovely.
(2)Andrus S.
Great taste and filling, there just needs to be more meat in dishes ( I would pay extra). There is a similar place in Vegas at the Orleans, this location tastes much better. I recommend this place to any person whom enjoys spicy dishes.
(4)Will Y.
This review is for folks who are on the fence to try this restaurant, this is not for folks who enjoy a hearty bowl of tomato soup for $20 or more. At least, that's how my wife and I feel after our first and last trip to this joint. $50 later, we had a cup of clam chowder (yum) and left with two large leftover containers of their so-called signature pan roast dish, which I think is a great marketing scheme for a large bowl of tomato soup mixed with some fine chops of seafood bits. Only if we knew better , we could have ordered just one bowl of their "signature" dish and shared as something between stew and soup...No, even that is a silly idea. We should have spent our hard-earned money elsewhere. And there are just too many fine dining places where we could enjoy our Friday night dinner. Lesson learnt. If you still think all these 5-star reviews can't be wrong, I'd suggest to try it for lunch, at least it's a smaller ding to your wallet.
(3)Charles Y.
Perhaps because I wasn't in a drunken stupor at 4AM from a night of partying in vegas, the House Pan Roast didn't rise to my level of experience and expectation set by the original Oyster Bar. With no affiliation to "The Oyster Bar" in the Palace Station in Las Vegas, The Boiler does well in the Cajun concept but just didn't "hit the spot" and I unfairly attribute that to being sober, haha. Realistically, I didn't have high expectations going into the boiler, however the House Pan Roast was delicious and VERY meaty. CHECK out the uploaded Photo. Good Job Boiler for not skimping out on the seafood!! The Jasmine Rice was a bit dry and clumpy though. If this is your first experience at the Boiler, make sure you sit at the bar. It'll give you the opportunity to participate in the dining experience (less the slot machine and smoke experience you'd get from The Oyster Bar in vegas)....and ignore the amount of butter used =)
(4)Kate M.
Thought we would try this place out because we never have before and we are always looking for new go to restaurants. Unfortunately our experience was not the best. The place is very small, and very uncomfortable. The food was very mediocre, especially for the price. And our service was not much better. We were very disappointed and will not be back. We will stick to our other favorite restaurants in Chino Hills. This place should realize they have a lot of competition.
(1)Tony L.
The pan roast is the shizznit!! My fiancée and I decided to stop by before heading out to Ontario Mills Outlets. We are big fans of the Oyster Bar at Palace Station in Las Vegas so we wanted to try the Boiler since it is much closer. My fiancée ordered the Pan roast with crab and I ordered the lobster. We also ordered the Cajun fries and calamari as the appetizer. The pan roast is super delicious but could of used more crab and lobster. The calamari was just perfect not too chewy and over cooked. The Cajun fries well seasoned and tasty. The service was just ok and there was plenty of parking.
(5)Cynthia K.
It's not really my style of food but very much my hubby's style of food. Nonetheless, I'm giving it a fair rating based on someone who does love this type of cuisine. My hubby fell in love with pan roast after having it at Oyster Bar in Vegas. Yes, it's another Vegas comparison. He's been there twice (I've been there once), the most recent being in May. He can't stop raving about Oyster Bar, so how happy do you think he was when he discovered The Boiler after we just moved to Chino Hills? We ordered (for 4 people): Dozen Oysters on Half Shell House Pan Roast Seafood Gumbo Ciopinno The oysters were ginormous...not that great. I wouldn't order it again. The entrees, however, were pretty excellent. The hubby was thoroughly pleased with the pan roast here. I thought the gumbo was my least favorite of the 3 (albeit still very good). However, when I had the leftovers the next day, it was SO good that I didn't share with my hubby. My hubby will definitely go back, and I wouldn't mind either.
(4)Stephanie S.
Our new fav spot! The New England seafood chowder is so yummy to the last drop:*) I give it *****
(5)Tony T.
I been to this restaurant. The food was good. So why the horrible review? I was there with my family on a Tuesday night when there was only one other table. My two year old niece was crying and my brother carried her outside. When he came back in the freaking Chinese owner had the nerve to tell him to leave and should stay out side if the baby cry's again. It's a two year old kid do you think we want that to happen. After that I was so mad I ask for the bill and left. He realize what he said when he saw our reaction. I rather take my family to Las Vegas at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station Hotel than go there and eat.
(1)Jennifer C.
My friends and I dub this place, the best restaurant in the 909 because quite frankly, it is. I have been here on weekends and week days for dinner and there is usually not a wait. But one time I was here and it was packed, that has not happened since. It is a quaint little restaurant with table seating and bar seating. I always get the house pan roast. It is a thick seafood broth with a tomato base. They don't give you very much rice, which is unfortunate, but they give you unlimited french bread that can be used to be dipped into the broth. The bread soaks it all up and it is amazing. I also enjoy the happy hour, I believe it is from 4-6:30 PM, I believe even on weekends, but I am not 100% sure. I have had the sausage, it is not that great in my opinion, I wouldn't use my money on that dish. My go to happy hour items are the 2 oysters on the half shell for $3 and the clam chowder! The must get here is the house pan roast!
(5)Linda C.
so I am comparing them to the boiler room /oyster bar in Vegas....They do not have Alaskan clam chowder.. :( and their spice levels run a notch lower than the Vegas location. maybe they aren't related... but in hopes for something similar, i was disappointed. If I'm in the area, I'd be willing to go again bc a slightly disappointing Las Vegas Oyster Bar is better than no oyster bar... ( and this is ONLY if I am in the area.... ) LV oyster bar link : yelp.com/biz/oyster-bar-…
(3)Winnie K.
Finally I got a chance to come here because I looooove palace station's oyster bar and this is the next best alternative. The gumbo was no disappointment. The oysters were just ok. They could've shucked them a little cleaner. The bouillabaisse was lacking something, just ok. It just couldn't compare to palace stations bouillabaisse.
(3)Adam B.
I can't believe I've not reviewed The Boiler before. I really like this place, good food. I've been here many times from the month it opened to years after, never a bad meal. A bit pricey but it is small and different from most restaurants.
(5)Alyssa K.
Good food & service. Was disappointed with the bread today--smaller in size & different in taste. House pan roast was as good as usual although my mom wishes they would make it spicier (and she ordered spice level 8 out of 10!).
(4)Jason B.
First, thank you Yelpers again for getting my hopes up again. F'ers, can't get it right to save there life. They were out of everything, REALLY! Get a better purchasing manger, I understand the seafood a little but the french fries, come on. The crab cakes look promising but sadly they were to cold inside and taste like they were frozen at one time and a little favor free. Some advise get the cheapest pan roast you can because even thought it has a good flavor it doesn't matter what they put in it it all taste the same. The best thing on the menu is the Clam Chowder and Ettoufee. If you are going for the seafood you will be disappointed, but if you are going for the roasts, chowder, and ettoufee then you should be okay. It's not a place for kids, very limited menu for the littles.
(3)Jess B.
Saw this place after eating at Ichikawa and thought I should give it a shot one day since the place looked extremely crowded on a weekend night. The service is a bit slow but they are really friendly. I came on a weekend for dinner (there was a wait) and another weekend for lunch (place was pretty empty). Both instances the service was slow. Hence the missing star. Short staff? I did see a "now hiring" flyer posted on their door. The food, the food! I love me some Cajun food and this definitely hits the spot. It's a bit pricey because it contains seafood. I've tried the following: -Oysters -Gumbo -Etouffe -Bouillabaise I reccommend it all. But if I were to choose one (and money was not an issue), hands down it would be the Bouillabaise! Portions are shareable too since they give you free bread. I've had the cajun fries and they're nothing special...probably wouldn't order it again. If I'm going to intake fried starchy foods, it better me damn good ya know what I'm sayin'!? I'd suggest coming during lunch because it's not as crowded and they have lunch prices (almost 1/2 off the dinner price).
(4)Rachel G.
OH EM GEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even think of the correct words to describe this wonderful little piece of food heaven in chino hills! Hahahha the environment and decor is so cute and southern! I love the street lamps! Always had a secret obsession with those things! Hahah the staff is upbeat, friendly, and make your dining experience over-the-top memorable! And now the food... I'M IN UTTER SHOCK AT HOW AMAZING THEIR FOOD IS! I got the House Pan Roast and my boyf got the Cilantro Chicken! The pan roast tasted like tomato bisque with seafood! How can you not be in loveee ?!?!? Hahahha the cilantro chicken had a sour kick perfect for anyone itchinh for that pucker face! Hahahha the food is just phenomenal! If my boyf gives it a 10/10 then you know you have a winner on your hands because he's a picky booty! Only downfall.. expect to wait a while for the food to come out! We had to wait at least 15 mins for our food, but I know it wasn't the hunger talking when I say the wait is sooooo worth it! :D
(5)Mike P.
Yeah if I could just mention the prices... They range from $10.00-$16.00 during lunch, and $15.00-$23.00 The online menu didn't list the prices! :) Enjoy your meals! :)
(5)Evelin L.
Food is great ! service no that good :-( the cooks are nice but the waitress are pretty useless.
(2)Kamia K.
Love love love this place! Found it on Yelp. Had so many stars and great reviews, that I had to try it. I visited on my 11year old sons birthday. The place is small and quiet. No fancy at all. But the service was awesome! What's better is the food was amazing!! I had the Cioppino and my son had the Gumbo. What's cool is you have 10 different levels of hot. You get to select how spicy you want it. Perfect! Stop in if you're in the Chino area.
(5)Lizza M.
Liars Liars Liars .. We callled 20 mins before we plan to arrive to ask how long the wait is and they said no wait , its been slow. So we get there in 30 mins, they tell us it's going to be 20-45 mins for a table for 3. So we sat outside at the bench and in 10 mins, they called my name. As I was walking in, big parties were also going in. I checked in at the front said my name and the hostess response said 3 for counter? No, I asked for a table for 3. So hostess said it was NOT ready. 30 mins passed, then another 20 mins (which is now an hour passed since we got there) passed so my hubby checked with the hostess and she said there are another 1 big party and a 4 party waiting before us. My hubs looked livid coming out of the restaurant and said that it looks like it will be another 30 to 45 because other big parties who were sat before us haven't even gotten their food and there are no other tables available. I was pist for being lied to.. I can understand being off 5 -10 mins from the estimated time but 30 + mins is just an indication of poorly trained hostesses, incompetency or just liars to keep customers around. Needless to say, we left without eating and went somewhere else. I don't even think I'll consider this place again in the future. I don't need to dine in a restaurant where service us poor and just gives false pretenses.
(1)Allison S.
We made The Boiler our destination stop Friday night. I called earlier but they said they don't take reservations. We got there at around 7 p.m. and were told it was a 30 minute wait. We sat down 30 minutes later and ordered the Cajun fries, the bouillabaisse, the jambalaya, and the house pan roast. The fries came out quickly, but the rest took around 45 minutes. No joke. The best one was the pan roast, which had good flavor but had a strange curry-like consistency. The jambalaya was okay but I honestly think I like Cheesecake Factory's better, and the bouillabaisse was not good. The soup didn't have enough flavor for me. Everyone was very nice, friendly, and professional, but I can't justify the 45 minute wait for our food, and more importantly, the food itself. It's not worth the drive for us coming from Rowland Heights and I'm convinced there must be better Cajun food out there!
(3)Jonah O.
This is my 6th restaurant in my quest for the best New England Clam Chowder. A tip from a Yelper follower pal of mine led me to this place. The Boiler is the first complete "Steam Kettle Cooking" concept in Southern California from what I understand. Serving variety of "Southern Favorites", with Cajun dishes such as Gumbo, Jambalaya & Creole dishes like Pan Roast, Bouillabaisse, as well as, other great dishes like Cioppino, and Shrimp Diablo! They cook our signature entrees, with unique jacketed steam kettles individually, right in front of the guests, at a bar style counter seating. I had the New England clam chowder and I could tell there was some love put into the making of the dish. I could taste the freshness of the clams and the good blend of flavors in the chowder. The thickness was good but, it needed to be pushed just a bit more in the overall "clam" flavor. It was there but it needed some more. Other items look good to try, but I came for the clam chowder only, so I give them a "B -"
(4)Kevin B.
Been here numerous times but first time in a larger group, 9 people. Been waiting near 45 minutes for our order. Writing this review while we're waiting...waiting...waiting. Waitress isn't even apologetic and just keeps saying 'it'll be another 10 minutes'.
(2)Chris D.
Just wasn't my cup of tea. However, try their House Pan Roast. It is the most popular item. You can definitely taste the robust flavors, and it's a unique way of presenting the food. They have a shabu shabu set up where they cook it right in front of you, and you get to choose the level of spice you want. We came for dinner right when they opened, but the place gets busy quickly so I do suggest coming in early to avoid a wait.
(3)Jowel G.
All about the House Pan Roast! Creamy tomato base with shrimps, lobster, crab and clams with a scoop of rice. Love it! I had a level 3 of spice - just enough of a kick for me :) crab cakes and soft shell crab to start - great choice. Food comes out piping hot and fresh. Friendly staff and the restaurant overall is clean. The best part is I have enough leftovers of the pan roast for lunch!
(4)Julie M.
The food here is so yummy. Had the pan roast and oh boy was it good, an abundance of yummy mixed large chunks of seafood in a mixture of creamy sauce with a hint of tomato sauce broth that is eaten with rice mmm mmm..calamari was good but nothing spectacular, jambalaya was also cooked to perfection. pan roast was definitely the highlight. Only draw back to this restaurant is the drive...I hope they open one in Pasadena or LA soon
(5)Tony L.
This place always are short on stuff and the stuff has the worst attitude ever. Came in and stand in the front for 10 minutes with waitress going by about 10 times toy ignoring you. You could at least get the name down. The food here is good but if you have time to wait and deal with upset waitress, then this is the place to go.
(1)Mohamad K.
When I first saw this on Yelp I was really excited to get there for the first time. Because just by looking through the photos I saw they had this jumbo sized clam chowder entree. I am a huge fan of any clam chowder dish! When I first got there it was very hard to find. There were no light indication on their company sign for it to be visible at night (when I went). Once I entered the establishment I was greeted and sat my self at the bar. The excitement was just hyping up, because I get to see my meal being prepared. As soon as I got the menu, I was shocked at their prices being overpriced for a big bowl of soup. I assumed it was due to their seafood ingredients but I carried on in ordering the Fisherman's Catch (New England style). Once I received my bowl the portion size for the price of $21 (with tax) was an utter joke. The amount of seafood was moderate than expected for the price paid. I basically paid for an overpriced bowl of clam chowder. Not to mention one/two of my clams in the bowl was undercooked and the calamari was overcooked. Never going there again, but I might give them another shot to try their jambalaya.
(2)Jenny A.
The food is tasty but I really can't give this place more than 3 stars after my recent experience. They have a serious bug problem. Little flies attracted to the table and food. Unfortunately, my nephew couldn't eat his food after it being bombarded by little flies which were crawling on his plate. It ruined the whole experience of eating, and all I kept thinking is packing up my dish so I can eat it away from the flies. The waitress took off our salad but the bill was a 100+ which I don't mind paying if imdidnt have to fight with 10+ bugs flying around. really couldn't believe how bad the bug problem was, it ruined my lunch. disappointed. Food 3.5 star Service 2.5 star Ambience -3stars
(3)Sun M.
Mmmmm... less creamier than the oyster bar in vegas but still worth the drive. We tried the house special and the lunch special w. shrimp poboy w. Clam chowder. Clam chowder was super buttery. I would drive out there for the pan roast fix again.
(4)Leticia E.
Have been here before and enjoyed the food...tonight didn't get a chance to even get seated. We were initially told it would be a 10-15 minute wait, but after 30 minutes we left without being seated. There were plenty of seats available, but were told about 4 times that the servers were "very overwhelmed. Maybe they need to hire more servers? Just a thought!
(1)Chris C.
Yep, it's still 5 stars. Pan roast, still yummy as ever. But maybe they deserve a 6th... why? BACON...... WRAPPED...... SHRIMP What is it? Well, they describe it as deep-fried molasses-dipped shrimp, wrapped in bacon, and stuffed with pepper jack cheese........Give me a sec... let me wipe the drool off my keyboarfsxgfchgvhjbjknkmoiuyuop knpitdfsaASDFCFVHGVFGDFSDZASasszxdcvyrderq2345r678Â90-oooklkmm,. Okay. We're good. It was so o__o and oh my goddddd it was like :O and then I was like :D I can't even put it into words. I took one bite, not expecting much, and it completely FLOORED me. My gf saw the look on my face and started laughing at me. I told her to shut up and try it... and she gave me the exact same stupid look ( a combination of :O and o_o). The juiciness from the shrimp, the crispiness and saltiness from the bacon, coupled with the subtle sweetness from the molasses and the texture from the cheese..... ughhhhhhhh..... it all comes together perfectly. It's a match made in heaven. It's TOO good. We are not worthy. Seriously, that thing is god-like. Hands down, one of the best dishes I have EVER tasted. NOT ENOUGH STARS IN THE UNIVERSE TO RATE THIS THING.
(5)Victoria F.
Had the chicken cilantro and it was uber oily and had a good kick. Had a 5 out of 10. Sis in law had Shrimp scampi and she said the shrimp was just put in n not seasoned and bland. the bf had Seafood bouillabaiase and said the shrimp didnt taste fresh. The service was uber slow and we saw a family leave due to the wait. The place was under staffed and not really professional. One of the waitress was saying something to the cook over the counter but loud enough for everyone in the place to hear and doing some odd gestures. . I've heard about this place and was told I need to try it, would I go back.. Hmm that's still up in the air.
(3)Alan W.
Good, but I think the oyster bar in Vegas is better. I heard about this place because my friend told me its the same as the oyster bar in vegas. They have the same cooking method and the menu is very similar. I got the House Pan Roast. I forgot how much butter they use in it, definitely not a place if your on a diet, but I love the food! I wish the pan roast had more seafood and substance to it? Maybe because i came during lunch and got the lunch menu size? Felt like tons of sauce not as much meat, thats about my only gripe. Still tasted delicious. The price is a little cheaper than The Oyster Bar in Vegas, but I'd rather pay a little more meatyness. There is a large bar to be seated at as well as maybe 7-8 tables around the restaurant. Servers were nice, and the cooks made and effort to chat with people if your at the bar. Overall 4/5 stars, I'll try dinner portions next time!
(4)Sean R.
This place never lets me down. Food is always good. With food this good, it is very satisfying. Give the happy hour menu a try. None of it disappoints.
(5)K J.
This place is good if your familiar with the oyster bar in vegas its similar style of cooking and dishes I get the pan roast with everything in it. only downside is they took away the only base that didn't have shell fish an everything has a shellfish base so for those allergic the most you can order here is bread and water I think the dressing on the Cesar salad even had something clam base per the chef. 3 1/2 stars would be appropriate because the food here is good just not good they don't have at least 1 hot entree that isn't shellfish base.
(3)Cindy W.
Bad dining experience ! 3 sets of people got their entrees before us, even though we were seated before them. Had to wait for 1hr+, for something that can definitely be cooked within 20 min. One of families who came after us, even paid their bill before we got our order...
(1)Pam H.
We love this place!! It is goooooodddddd!! I love sitting at the "bar" and watching the chefs cook our food in the steam kettles. It is really neat to see them making this yummy food over steam. So good!Get the "house special". Never disappoints. The shrimp appetizer and clam chowders are amazing. I cannot even tel you how great this place is! Try it!! The portion sizes are very generous. I haven't had take out from here yet, but we have friends that have. They love it! Some food isn't as good when it is to go, but they love it. They even did a big group order for New Years Eve! I'm telling you, go here. It's awesome!
(5)Jessica S.
Came here the other night for dinner. There was a relatively short wait on a Saturday night around 7:15. We waited about 10 minutes for 2 seats at the counter. Ordered the crabcakes for an appetizer and the house pan roast and jambalaya for entrees. They forgot about our crabcakes so it took quite a while. Thankfully we had some bread to munch on while we waited. The crabcakes finally came, we had been waiting about 20 minutes or so, but they were pretty good and had a good amount of actual crab meat inside. And as usual, the pan roast and jambalaya was delicious. I noticed that when we got our bill, we didn't have to pay for the iced tea(probably to compensate for forgetting our appetizer), which was nice. Love the food and would definitely go back.
(4)Tara M.
The boyfriend and I decided to try this place on a whim, we were extremely happy with every aspect of the experience. We put our name on the list and we were offered 2 bar seats, not usually ideal but we went for it. If you have the option of sitting at the bar, DO IT, it made for a unique and altogether awesome date night. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, which we enjoyed. Chris ordered the Shrimp Diablo, I ordered the Gumbo we both loved our food. What was more awesome than eating the tasty food, watching Chris the cook move like a whirling dervish preparing dishes with care, accuracy & speed. What made this a five star restaurant? Creme Brule (as recommended by Chris the cook), it is the best Brule I have had in years, the texture and flavor were spot on. We will be back . Also kudos to the wait staff, they were polite & friendly, even with as busy as the restaurant was.
(5)Tiler F.
Their portion sizes are good. The Cajun taste was not really there to me. But really not to bad
(3)Justin N.
Came here on a Saturday afternoon around 11:30 and the place was pretty empty. There were more people sitting at tables than the bar. Our waitress was attentive and new the menu well. We ordered a dozen oysters, crab cakes and pan roasts. So I really only have the Oyster Bar in Vegas to compare this place to, and its not as good. The seafood did not seem fresh (The oysters were fresh though) and perhaps the portions were not as I would have liked to pay for? Unless I'm really craving a pan roast and don't want to do the Vegas drive, this is a nice option to have.
(3)Tammy L.
So I found out about The Boiler because of Yelp and a few recommendations from my friends.The rave reviews made it so I had to check this place out! The food here is delicious. We started off with a cup of clam chowder each. I love the chowder as it was thick, rich, hearty, and absolutely creamy. I thought it was well seasoned and had the perfect ratio of vegetables to clam to cream. They are generous with the clams and the clams were so tender and good! I got the jambalaya. The jambalaya was once again really well seasoned and very hearty. Had tons of meat and rice and the portions were well worth the money. I barely finished it. My boyfriend got the pan roast house special at level 7 and it was perfect. The shrimp, crab and lobster meat was amazing. For a price of almost $20, it is worth it because the portion is great and they put a lot of lobster and large shrimp in it. This comes with jasmine rice and boy was it cooked nicely. We then shared bacon wrapped shrimp for $10. Kill me because I dont like bacon, but MAN this is amazing! I didnt even taste the bacon. The shrimp and cheese went so well together and it was delicious! What I like most about the food here other than the robust flavors and obvious quality of ingredients, is the fact that you can choose how spicy you want your food to be with a the range of 10 being the hottest and 1 being girrrlllll you aint down! We got 7 on both entrees, and was a good balance of heat and flavor. The only downside to the restaurant as you may already know if you have been reading other reviews is the service. Our server was good, but was not great. As someone with quite an extensive history in the food service industry, I felt the waitstaff was a bit untrained, nervous, and shy. She was young, so granted she could be new to the restaurant and to working in general, I still feel that she could have been more friendly, attentive, and informed. I mean it was just the two of us. The restaurant was pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon. It was just me, my boyfriend, and two families next to us. This is a perfect example of how a restaurant can not solely thrive based on food alone and needs to be paired with great service. There is a bar on the side of the room, again, no one was there. Well durr durr, its only 2pm haha. Oh and parking is shared with the plaza so its not that hard to find parking.
(5)Kim N.
I don't have to wait almost 2 hours in vegas for this food anymore?! Thank goodness. Came here on a Friday night with a group of 4. The wait time was a little less than 30 minutes. Ordered oysters, bomb. I ordered the house pan roast level 15, everyone thought I was crazy, but it wasn't even that spicy. It was delicious! Although it was as good as vegas in flavor. The portion was smaller (but thw price was couple dollars cheaper than vegas) and the ingredients in vegas were big. I got big pieces of chicken etc and here it was more shredded. Overall vegas is better but this place is still really good with less wait time! The chiefs here are really nice too. They had time to chat with us instead of being too crazy and rushing.
(4)Guy L.
Went to this place Saturday night. I was a lil skeptical about driving to Chino Hills for some good food but what the heck. I have to say that it is pretty damn good! If you go, try the House Pan Roast. If you like calamari and like it tender, that's a sure bet as well. I read some of the previous reviews and there were complaints about slow service. Just order a beer ( White Rascal), an appetizer ( calamari), and chill....;) Ok location.......great food! Five stars!
(5)Jay Y.
OH MY F'n GOSH!! Chef Mike Ritter -- you sir, are a magician. Day 1: The Gumbo #5 Day 2: The Lobster Pan Roast #5 The Boiler one day after another. It was an insane weekend with an overload of rich spicy food. The Gumbo is, without a doubt, the BEST that I have ever had West of the Mississippi. There is so much going on in the gumbo and the taste is so bold and spot-on -- it's hard to describe. It's just GOOD!! The spiciness rating varies depends on how spicy you like it. Personally, I like a LITTLE kick to mine.. so I opted for a #5 which is a medium spice which is perfect in my opinion. It's a flavorful spiciness where the heat from the spice doesn't over-power the flavor, which is perfect for me. The gumbo is semi-thick, semi-chunky, with a WHOLE lot of life in it. It's basically like a home-cooked gumbo.. you just have to try it!! The Lobster Pan Roast is another treat for the taste buds. You can taste the lobster, but it's not over-powering. It doesn't morbidly taste or smell fishy or lobster-y in anyway, but you can taste the lobster in a complimenting way. The Lobster Pan Roast is more of a tangy/zesty chowder of sorts that has chunks of various ingredients which is just oh-so-tasty. I'd have to admit that the Pan Roast is a little more rich than the Gumbo and I probably wouldn't order the Pan Roast as often for this particular reason, but make no mistake -- it's definitely drool-factor 100 to the millionth power!! The Cajun Calamari is a delicious appetizer. I kind of wish there was a slightly more cajun spice to the calamari, but all-in-all it was still very good calamari. The cocktail sauce with the horseradish was what made the calamari really stake it's claim in me. They usually have oysters served in various forms, but unfortunately -- due to weather and the BP oil spill in the Gulf -- oysters were not available during both of my visits. It was a sad day, but I also figured that oysters would have been the end of me if I were able to get oysters with all the other great foods surrounding me at the time. It's ok, there's always next time!! I will definitely be back to try more new things some time soon!! The staff is SUPER friendly and SUPER accommodating. Chef Mike Ritter is also super friendly -- he conversed and joked with us all night long, while cooking our food in front of us, and made our experience that much more enjoyable. Overall, an amazing experience with great people and great food!! I couldn't ask for more!!
(5)Jennifer J.
I prefer the Vegas location. The pan roast here was not as creamy...but the food was prepared faster. Service was great.
(3)Jeff M.
I had lunch here for my birthday. It was so good we came back a week later. We've enjoyed the Bouillabaisse, Cioppino, Shrimp Diablo, and House Pan Roast. All delicious! The first time we ordered a bunch of sides and wine, and those were the weak spots. There was a lack of wine selection and for some reason, all the appetizers we've ordered were missing "something". Now, when we go back, we will only be ordering the Entrées.
(4)Judy H.
I cannot stand jasmine rice. OK, I have to get that out of the way first thing because the jasmine rice is the reason for why I won't order the pan roast. Although, to be fair, I don't find the soupy sauce in the pan roast to be as orgasm-inducing as everyone else seems to think. It's certainly not bad but at the end of the day it's just a fairly decent chunky, creamy seafood soup. What I go for here is the Fisherman's Chowder which is clam chowder with other yummy seafood delectables added to it such as mussels, shrimp, crab, calamari, and fish. The clam chowder is pretty great to begin with but when you add all the other stuff it turns into heaven-in-a-bowl. But not quite as heaven-in-a-bowl as the Alaskan Chowder at the Oyster Bar. As with most cases, the original is the best. Service here is just whatever and the wait for your food will be looooong unless you are the only party there. Even with these negatives I would go here more if it was closer since it's the only place I know that has chowder like this.
(4)ray d.
I love it. I can't wait to go back. House pan roast is it!
(5)Rick V.
Okay, so after I read a bunch of reviews about this place, I decided to check it out. Since everyone seems to rave about the House Pan Roast, I decided to try it. All I can say is, HOLY FU@%ING BAJEEZERS!!! Seriously, it is utterly ORGASMIC!!! Every time I took a bite, I gave out this subtle euphoric moan.... A manly moan, of course.... But I'm getting ahead of myself. At first, the server asked me how spicy I wanted it, from 1-10. I love spicy food, so naturally I asked for a 10, since places like these are never really THAT spicy. And sure enough, it was pretty weak in terms of spiciness, but the dish itself was so fu@%ing delicious!! So I decided to go back again about a month later. Since I absolutely loved the House Pan Roast, I decided to get it again. This time I told my server that the previous time, I got a level 10 and it was pretty weak. This time she said, "Do you want a 12?" I said, "How about a 15?" She said okay. And then she said these magic words, "Would you like habaneros added to it?" Of course, I replied with, "Hell yes!" And I must admit, the level 15 House Pan Roast with the added Habaneros was truly to die for. I had finally nailed it. THIS WAS NOW THE MOST ORGASMIC FOOD EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!! It was perfectly spicy and still so damn good and flavorful. It has these juicy fat shrimp in there along with crab, lobster and clams. If you don't know what it is, it's sort of like a tomato bisque soup, with a ball of rice in the middle. If you LOVE spicy food, get it between level 10-15 and ask for habaneros on the side. You will love it. I'm not a creature of habit, so I've ordered a few other items, like the Etoufee, Jambalaya, and chicken gumbo, and they're great too! Not as orgasmic, but still really good. For first timers, get the House Pan Roast, you can't go wrong.
(5)Alain F.
My wife and I came here for the first time last Tuesday evening and we were very pleased. We arrived and were cheerfully greeted and promptly seated. We took advantage of their Happy Hour specials and ordered a couple of house Pinot Grigios, Crab Cakes and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. All were delicious. For the main course my wife ordered the Gumbo and I ordered the Pan Roast. Both were well executed and available cooked to your level of spiciness. There was however something lacking in the seasonings as other Yelpers have noted. As the servings are large, we had some to take home. The next day, we added a blend of Cajun spices we keep on hand and that was the cat's meow! I would have given a 5 star rating if not for this lack of proper seasoning. We will be back but next time, we're bringing our seasoning to supplement theirs.
(4)Joey S.
Cajun crab cakes oh my goodness. Clam chowder new england style Mmmm... House pan roast delicious @ heat #7. Will try heat #8 next time for a little more kick. Cilantro chicken and sausage wow! It's like a Cajun albondigas with linguine. Great new spot for me. Bacon wrapped shrimp oh,baby. Location not easy to find due to lack of illuminated sign. Must try place for those of us who love flavor.
(5)Nat S.
Each bowl you order is cooked in a double boiler kettle thingy and costs around $18+/bowl for seafood and like....$14 for non-seafood if I remember right. Each comes with a scoop of rice but not nearly enough I think(maybe the asian in me speaking). I tried the Oyster Bar at Palace station in Las Vegas at 5am super smashed after clubbing and was amazed at how f*cking amazing the pan roast was so it is my only comparison to The Boiler. My memory of Oyster Bar is obviously a bit hazy but I think it was better than The Boiler. I'm still giving this place 5 stars because it was f*cking delicious either way. I ordered and shared the House Pan Roast, Etouffe, Bouillabaisse, and Gumbo. Each bowl comes with a scoop of rice except the Bouillabaisse. My favorites were the House Pan Roast and Bouillabaisse. My least favorite was the Etouffe because it was too rich and dark for me. I've never had a Etouffe in my life before this though so I have no comparison. The Pan Roast tastes like....I dunno...I guess a bunch of seafood in a very creamy tomato bisque or an indian tikka masala. The Bouillabaisses' tomato-base is so bright and brothy compared to the thick and creamy Pan roast. I tried to make my own Pan Roast at home and failed miserably so I'm glad I don't have to go to Las Vegas to get my fix. Saw a couple people say how the service was shitty but ours wasn't bad and we came about 30 minutes before they shut down the kitchen. We did have to flag them down after we got our food since they were cleaning up though but it's clean up time so I can't really fault them too much for it because I'd want to get my shit done to go home too. Tip: If you only came to try the Pan Roast I feel like the entree is totally big enough for 2 people to split a bowl and be fine. Especially if you ask(pay?) for more rice.
(5)Angie W.
I am a huge fan of the steamer pots of seafood, especially the ones in Vegas! ;) ;) With that being said, I am so excited to announce I give my stamp of approval! I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed because there are few foods out there that compare with my fave restaurant. We stopped by for a late lunch and it wasn't packed so we got to sit at the counter to watch our food being made. The chef was pretty cool and talked to us about the restaurant and how it came to be. My fave will always be the lobster pan roast... mmmmmmm it is just so creamy and flavorful with big chunks of lobster floating around in the tomato bisquey sauce. It's heaven on earth! Dipping the bread in makes it a great meal. The restaurant is pretty big with a large counter area and many tables in the dining room. The service was a little slow, maybe because they were tired from the lunch rush, but we had to keep asking for refills of drinks and bread. This restaurant is tucked away and located in a plaza with other anchor restaurants and isn't as noticeable. I only saw it because of the sign on the main street and we had to look for it in the plaza. I'm glad I don't have to go all the way to Vegas to get my lobster pan roast on!
(4)HEIDI S.
This place is great! We love the House pan roast... btw - add Sausage... FANTASTIC!
(5)Chon T.
steam kettle cooking? apparently its the new thing...and it's awesome. ive been to both Ritter's in Costa Mesa and here, and tried the house pan roast at both places. Similar dishes, though at the Boiler its slightly saltier, IMO. The jambalaya is decent as well. Overall, Im not too impressed but I do like this place. Definitely will return whenever I'm in Chino HIlls.
(3)Vicki I.
Yummy, warm, deliciousness!!!! Don't be intimidated by the heat...can be avoided if that's not your taste buds. But for me and the hubby...perfect to make it caliente as much as we want.
(5)Terence N.
My friend took me here for lunch and the food will satisfy your hunger craving. The oysters are plump and fresh! I decided to try the pan roast, which is their most popular dish. The tomato sauce is really good, not too heavy on the cream, good tomato flavor, seasoned perfect. They give you plenty of seafood and rice. A dinner portion is HUGE, bad idea ordering it for lunch. Overall, a satisfying cajun seafood spot. Get the pan roast if you want seafood and tomato cream sauce...its really delicious!
(4)Phil G.
I was close to giving this place a 4 however I felt that the price was a bit high. The food was tasty and served hot. But just on the pricey side. If your looking steam kettle cooking this could be your place.
(3)Karen C.
Vegas location is waaaay better. I just didnt taste the 'umph" in the pan roast. I thought the chef here was being alil too exact and proportional with the measured ingredients at this location.. The waitresses and chef assistant were nice peoples with not too shabby service but I definitely l the oysterbar at the palace station.
(3)Allison C.
Almost went to Manila Bay Seafood Boiler (or some such title) by mistake- its in the next plaza over; but thankfully we realized our error and made our way over to the real Boiler and so happy! I'm really not a seafood person, but my bf is and at our friend's recommendation we decided to come by and try out the House Pan Roast. It's amazing- the tomato base and the creaminess, and the totally un-fishy seafood bits made me fall in love.(It kind of occurred to me that it was like a wonderful and imaginative cross between an etoufee and a masala. Maybe, just musing). And the complimentary bread and the cajun fries really did make my evening. I felt like I hadn't had good food in so long and here is what I had been waiting for. Will definitely be back and probably next time I won't want to share even though portion size is totally for sharing. Easy parking out front; service is not the most attentive but its a small place and you can always flag a person down; at least three TVs in the place with the NBA playoffs on when we went; and two bar like areas- one might be for waiting, and the other seating and you can watch where the magic happens in their steam kettles!
(5)Daena H.
I was a little hessitant about going due to the numerous report of bad service. I was pleasantly surprised to have such great service. All of the waitresses were very attentive and accomodating...I must have lucked out and got the "Nice" crew. The wait was worth it. We hung out at the bar, ordered beer and fried calamari and cajun fries to hold us over. The aroma of the food was killing us slowly. We finally sat down at the counter to watch the cook prep our food. What's not to order...OYSTERS...ooohhhhhhhhhhh...they were very NOT fresh...almost ruined the experience for me. The steam clams were yummy...so was the clam chowder, just the right consistency. The HOUSE Pan Roast was amazing...our spice level 8 was the perfect kick. Creole style ciopini was different, but I prefer mine the original "SF" way (The cajun spice didn't do it justice). Their gumbo was good as well, next time, I will order the rice on the side, not in the bowl. Over all, it was a very pleasant visit and was worth the drive and the wait. Would definitely come back for another feast.
(4)John L.
is it me or are they serving less and less rice portion for their house/lobster pans?! knowing they have smaller rice portion, I've ordered an extra rice for my to-go just to find out the extra rice is about a mouthful of rice and I ended up cooking another cup of rice just to have enough for my $18+ dollar order. news flash for a restaurant owned by Chinese, don't cheap out on rice!!!
(3)Elle S.
I was in Chino Hills for work, and thanks to Yelp, decided to check this place out. We actually ended up eating here two days in a row because the food was so good! I'm originally from New Orleans and thought this food was actually authentic...quality and flavor that you'd definitely find at some of the best restaurants in New Orleans. I had the jambalaya and the house pan roast. Both were delicious, but the pan roast was my favorite! I also liked that you could pick your spice level (from 1 - 10). The dinner portion was very generous, and I left full and with leftovers. We sat up at the bar and watched them cook in the steam kettles, which was neat to see. The customer service was awesome -- both the wait staff and the cooks were super friendly on both occasions. I would love to see a place like this in San Diego!!
(5)Jessica W.
The food is good the service is horrible. I go there all the time and the service is getting consistently worse. The food is not that great to lack customer service. When I called to explain the bad service a woman answered the phone, when I asked to speak with a manager she basically said no and I can talk to her or no one at all. She said the managers are the owners and they do not have time for complaints. It's a shame because at one time it was a great place to go.
(1)lilian l.
I need to rant. Apologies in advance. I love the oyster bar at the palace station...other than occasional long waits, never had a problem. So when this opened, I was thrilled! I live in SG so its still a bit of a drive but figured it would be worth it. This morning was my 3rd time here. There were a few minor problems last 2 times but i figured hey...maybe theyre new and needed to get the hang of things. We were the first customers of the day and ordered a House Pan Roast spice level 3 and a jambalaya level 8 to go. The chef was nice enough to throw in extra free rice. Got home and immediately dug into the food. I always order 3 and never had a problem. This time i had 2 bites and had to drink a whole large glass of water. Now, i really can't eat spicy so to be fair, i had the bf test it. He said its the way he likes it...which is super spicy=/ my throats burning, kinda swelling and i have a house pan roast that smells great but i cant touch. I waited a long time for this and looks like ill be waiting til my next vegas trip to satisfy this craving. Last time, they mixed up orders...messed up spice level...and i had tiny measly lobster in my pan roast. Sorry Chino Hills Boiler...i really wanted to be a regular but for the price, not worth the mistakes.
(2)Marcia S.
Discovered the Boiler on Yelp, so the bf and I thought we'd check it out. It was an interesting type of cuisine that was new to me. Everything looked so good and I couldn't decide! I ordered the House Pan Roast, and bf ordered the Linguini and Clams with White Wine sauce. You can choose the level of spiciness, so I choose 4 and my bf 5. However, my bf's food burned more like a 9. There were pepper flakes filling up his bowl and I felt bad because he looked uncomfortable eating it. Mine however, was perfect. The house pan roast was creamy and had lobster, clams, and other seafood. The portions were pretty big. Our waitress was friendly, and brought us a free sample of clam chowder that was very hearty and flavorful. We started with seasoned calamari and that was yummy as well. Its a nice venue, where the food is kettle cooked in the middle of the room where you can see it, and sit at the circular bar if you like. They have a separate bar on the side too, and big screen tvs for you to enjoy games. Next time I'd like to try lunch, as dinner will run you more than 20.00 pp. Try it out, the food is good!
(4)Eddie P.
Food and service was great! Me and my family come here a lot and have never been disappointed my favorite this is their clam chowder.
(4)Japen G.
Amazing Seafood Gumbo!!! Thank you yelpers for pointing out the way to this place! We came on a saturday just in time for their happy hour which highlighted a few appetizers on the cheap. I decided I wanted something to warm me up and curious about their New England Clam Chowder and boy was it reminiscent of the one I had while I was in Boston. It was delicious. I will keep this short. Ordered the Seafood Gumbo and when our server was explaining what was involved in the preparation of their gumbo, including a 4-5 hour stock, I was drooling. When my dish was served, the smell the emanated was amazing. You can smell all the spices and the seafood that it had and it was delicious. It had real crab meat shredded, pealed shrimp, clams and a heaping of rice. I decided to take it easy and went with number 3 for spiciness and I was very happy. In the future I think I can take it up to maybe a 5 but that will be pushing it for me. The dish had so much flavor that you can actually take apart. The texture was thick but it didn't feel heavy like it was made out of cream. That would be their pan roast. Service was a little more on the slow side. Seeing how they prepare using the steam kettle, it does take some time to prepare their dishes. But it was definitely worth the wait.
(5)Christina K.
Sat at the wraparound bar to watch the food steam and the cooks doing their thing. Started with Calamari then had the house pan roast dish. The calamari was great. Big chunks that taste fresh. Not rubbery. Batter had a lot of flavor. They rate the house pan spiciness as a range from 1-10. We got a 6 and it was not spicy enough. I'd go for 8-10. The sauce was good with large pieces of shrimp. Comes with a nice heap of rice on it. More than enough in one order to share between 2-3 people. Dessert of the day: vanilla bean creme brulee. Not my favorite sweet in general. The ones I have enjoyed had a crispy, THIN layer of sugar topping. This one was a little too thick. The creamy inside filling was damn tasty though. Service: Top notch. The hostess was really friendly and attentive. She even checked on us throughout our meal. I guess an overlap of duties, but it worked. Parking: Large private lot. Would I come back? Sure. Would I go out of my way to come back out of a craving? Probably not. Also, not a ton of seating inside, so if it's prime dining time...you may have to wait for a table. A-OK!
(3)Storm M.
Very nice atmosphere, very relaxing. The food is very good except the gumbo. I am used to gumbo taking hours to cook so what do you expect in 10 minutes? The gumbo was 17.99 and not worth it all all! However, my husband had the Jambalaya and he LOVED it and it was good! Actually everything we ordered was good except the gumbo.
(3)Shelly L.
I went on a Monday evening. There were not that many people which was fine, no wait! Had the happy hour calamari and pan roast. The calamari was like biting into a cheesestick. Nice thick portions of squid with just enough batter crunch. The pan roast was ok. I thought it was too rich after a few bites on its own. It had a good amount of shrimp and lobster. The rice that accompanied it was so small. An extra bowl costs over $1.50. Thats outrageous! Not sure if Id go back for the price is not worth the food.
(4)Melody P.
PURE AMAZINGNESS!!! Appetizer: Calamari- It was well spiced and breaded well. It was slighty crunchy and tender in the inside! The cocktail sauce was ok. It was good, but I had better! Oyster: Its was very clean and 100% fresh and of course is either you like it or not!! In mycase I LOVED IT! Soup: CLAM CHOWDER!! OMG... BOMB.COM!! Fresh clam, creamy, and very well flavored, and dip your bread in there.. I seriously closed my eyes for a good minute and I let that chowder adsorb the flavor all over my mouth, every each mm of my palate and tongue.. IT was that good! Main Entree: FOA( 1st Of All) I love the fact that you get to choose your own spiciness from 1-10! We got a number 8 for our Jambalaya and House Pan Roast! OF COURSE.. it had a good spicy flavor in it, but not enough for me.. Next time round I would go to a #10, where the next day my "CULO" will be burning in flame!! THAT'S MY kind of spiciness.. NO PAIN, NO GAIN!!! HOUSE PAN ROAST WAS ADDICTEDLY AMAZING and yes "addictedly is not a word, but serious good stuff! JAMBALAYA was good too, good flavor and everything. ( I make better tho' lol) no joke :)) Either one you wont be disapointed, but def. get the HOUESE PAN ROAST! DESSERT: CREME BRULEE: GET IT and its amazing!! CREAMY, you can see the vanilla seed every bite, just the right type of sweetness and it has a good consistency creamy to it. If you love cajun/creole food with limitless amazing flavor! Check it out! Also, the two entree is good enough for 4 people! That's dinner wise, lunch wise, idk if they are much less serving because of prices wise, but I would ask! Lunch orders are only available during the weekdays, unfortunately!
(5)Christianne F.
I prefer to come here during lunch time, when portions are smaller and prices are lower. I always order the house pan roast: served in a bowl with yummy flavor and a dollop of rice. For some of their dishes you can decide the level of spiciness (1-10, 10 being the hottest). I usually order a 7 and that kind of gets my ears ringing from all the heat - but i like it! Their dishes actually contain a good amount of the seafood it says it does on their menu. Their new clam chowder is loaded with pieces of clam and crab; you're not digging for a piece of seafood meatiness. Waitress is attentive and theres no line during lunch (until 230 pm on weekdays). Ill have to come back and try other dishes.
(4)Roc N Ro L.
Waited 2 hours! And then they told us no more pan roast! What the hell...
(1)Lauren L.
House Pan was rich n good. I love spice and level 6 wasn't spicy. So if u can hit it up ask for 8 or 10! I finished all myself which is the first time I don't share. A testament to how good it is. I wish they had more seafood in there. I but into bits of seafood but wish it wasn't so much like baby food texture. Just a few more chunks of seafood will make the stars up to 5! Overall great food. A bit Pricey at 13.99 for one person serving.
(4)Chris P.
Terrible initial presentation. Hostess did not write name down on list and subsequently ended up waiting an hour of the hour and forty five minutes it was going to take. First impression go a long way. Otherwise service was pleasant and food very good
(2)Eddie C.
Chino Hills is maturing with improved restaurants and larger variety of food selections. Starting with the service, they are enthusiastic when you enter and smile each time they check on you. It's not a big place, so they insure to have plenty which is appreciated. Starting with the Soups, the "signature" is the clam chowder, and its rich and thick which I appreciate, but others might prefer to have less consistency. I prefer the chipotle fish chowder because its filled with shrimp, cod, clams in a spicy red soup and you can select the degree of heat with a scale between 1 and 10, and I think 8 is just right. The entrees, I've had are the Bouillabaisse, which is filled with lobster, shrimp, crab and mussels which is hard to compare to n'awlins french soup, but it's very close. The Cioppino which is a staple of San Fran is good and I think this could be served over a bed of rice instead of linguini so you can dunk your bread. The Jambalaya is spicy and I'd prefer to go up to a 9, only because this dish commands "heat" and ask for extra sausage because it is homemade. But the "signature" dish is the Pan Roast House which is a creamy tomato base creole sauce with all the seafood fixins'. This is a dish you can easily crave and come back for more because this is a unique style of cooking with steam versus boiling, basting, broiling, etc. Several other recommended dishes is the Shrimp Diablo and Linguini with Clams, but again, I substituted the linguini for a bed of rice. Price wise, it's a bit on the high side for seafood, however, for the experience, ambiance and food, it's worth it.
(4)Diana L.
First time here and I'm a fan. I tried the shrimp scampi with fettucini. I sat at the bar so I was able to see the chefs in action. I liked how I was able to control the spice level. I got 7 out of 10 stars for spice and it was perfect. Not too spicy where I couldn't taste the flavor and not too plain where I wish it was spicy. I also tried the oysters Rockefeller as an appetizer and they were bomb! Wish this place was out in Dena! Next time I want to try the jambalaya!
(5)Rachna K.
Came here o a Friday night, had some wait time, however there was only two of us, so we were seated quite fast . However if your a with a larger group, may take a while. The restaurant itself war very cute, and definitely clean, always a plus. It was my first time at a cajan style place, but wow was I impressed. Absolutely delicious. We started out with the cajan crab cakes, which came with this spicy creamy sauce. We also order the jambalaya, which was my first time having it. They have a spice rating 1-10, we ordered about a 5, but could definitely bump it to a 6/7. Dish was very creamy and flavorful, also very filling. We both shared one dish, and still had some to take home. Over all absolutist delicious, and excited to try the other items. Favorite part, try and get seated at the bar, then you can see them make it in. Was pretty awsome :)
(4)Bryant S.
Delicious pan roast and the prices are fair. Staff was friendly and be prepared for a wait if you show up during peak hours. No reservations on weekends.
(4)Trisha H.
**order house pan roast (good to share with another person) and clam chowder. ** house pan roast sauce is boiling crab's hot older brother minus the msg taste. it freaking tastes so fresh with crab bits, sausage, shrimp.... clam chowder: premium stuff
(4)Bryan Y.
This place is a hidden gem in Chino Hills. It's located in a huge plaza right next to Lucille's. The place is smaller than I imagined it to be. When I first walk in, I thought this place had two bars. The bigger "bar" was actually a cooking area where you can sit and watch the chef cook your meal! I got the jambalaya and my gf got the house pan roast. You can adjust your spice level here, so being highly tolerant of spices, I up mine to 10. My gf kept it at a mild 5. The portions were big. My jambalaya was really flavorful, with a great combination of andouille sausages and chicken. My gf's house pan roast had assorted varieties of seafood and had a bisque-like taste and consistency to it. For the appetizer, we got the crab cakes, which were really well made, flaky, and all around delicious.
(5)Alysia L.
Pretty darn good, we will be back. Crab cakes were good so was the crab pan roast. My husband really likes the gumbo, and he's a hard sell on gumbo and jambalaya so that's sayin something. Highly recommend.
(4)Lakshmi M.
I love this restaurant! I can't believe I just discovered this place a month ago! It's a gem in chino hills among all the big franchise restaurants and chains. Truly unique and great service. I've never seen or been to a restaurant like it. They serve Cajun cuisine and make the food in steam kettles in front of you. I've only had the house pan roast and it's amazing! So yummy!
(5)Brandy B.
Omg, what a restaurant! The food here is amazing! Full of flavor, not shy on portion sizes, spice level to your liking. Steamer cook top right in front of you at the bar. The atmosphere is nice mild, cozy and modern with low lights. The location is decent not much around so parking is good, even on a Saturday night. I most defiantly will be back!
(5)Pauline M.
I was thinking boiling crab, boiling shrimp, crab bake, etc. FALSE! This is not another boiling crab knockoff. Pan roast is the name of the game. Pan roast consists of a mix of seafood cooked in a delicious creamy tomato based sauce, and spiced from level 1-10. I went with a 6 and could have had more. It's almost like a jambalaya, except the rice is on the bottom. There is a plethora of seafood in the mix and the sauce is addictive, very salty but very crack infused. But if you want Jambalaya, fear not! They have that on the menu as well, though it wasn't as good as the pan roast in my opinion. The oysters on a half shell are also very fresh and tasty. The clam chowder is also very good. If you've had Pan roast at the oyster bar in Las Vegas, this is exactly the same thing.
(4)Wen H.
Very Creamy - not advised if lactose intolerant! Don't go when busy or if there's a wait or just be prepared with some animal crackers or something
(3)Mike B.
Don't order takeout. We were quoted 20-30 minutes. Got there at 35 minutes and they hadn't started making our food. We walked out. Food is great but as others mentioned service is spotty. When you walk in, if the place is half full, leave or you will be frustrated. For people that figured out the hard part (making good food), they are equally as poor at the easier part (service). They need to get rid of the alcohol bar to create room for more tables. I hope they read these comments and take steps to fix or they won't last.
(2)Christine W.
I've been to the one in Vegas which is A LOT better. I heard from the chefs there that the person who opened this one actually used to work at the one in Vegas. Because my family and I absolutely loved the oyster bar at the one in Vegas, we decided to try this one out since it's much closer to home. They have lunch specials and we figured we wanted to go during lunch since it's cheaper in case we didn't like it and since everyone is busy during the weekdays, we made a date to eat there on a Sunday. We sat at the bar because that's what you really should do when you go to the boiler. They will cook your food in front of you and it's just an overall better experience if you do. Overall, I'd say the service was a 1.5/2 out of 5. The server liked to abruptly interrupt us and it was very hard to get her attention. Most of the time, she was busy conversing with another customer who was by herself and showing the server pictures on her phone. It took a good 10 minutes to flag her down to make our orders. Also, when we sat down, she gave us a regular menu which had the pricing for lunch and dinner. When we got our bill, we noticed that we were charged for dinner so we asked about it and she told us that on weekends, there's only dinner pricing no matter what time you go. I told her that I didn't know that and that I had called earlier asking if they had a lunch special and they had assured me that they did. She looked at me with an irritated expression, walked away, and came back with a menu. She then pointed at the top and said, "if you look here, it tells you that we don't serve lunch on weekends." Well, sorry if I had assumed the menu you gave me included the lunch special because we were not given the REAL lunch special menu. Of course, she did nothing about this and didn't even seem apologetic for the mix-up. The 2 star is not just for the service. The food just wasn't up to par. I ordered the same dish at the one in Vegas here, the Shrimp Scampi/Shrimp Diablo, and the shrimps that they gave me in Vegas were delicious and huge. The ones here tasted like they had been overcooked and put to the side then cooked again. The pasta and sauce were okay but if the seafood's no good then what's the point of coming here, right? However, I have to say that the oyster's were GREAT. If you like oysters, order a dozen bluepoint oysters. You won't be disappointed. But overall, I'd say you're better off going somewhere else for seafood and gumbo or stopping by the one in Vegas the next time you go to Sin City. It's located at Palace Station, a local casino/hotel off the strip and every night they have a line for the oyster bar but it's definitely worth the wait.
(2)Melissa H.
I had the pan roast with a 6 heat/spice level and although I had to wipe the sweat off my brow from time to time, it was delectable and worth the effort. Definitely a must try in my opinion. :-)
(4)Tan T.
The food here is amazing and unique. The house pan roast is the best but all of the entrees are delicious. This place is small so there can be a wait on a weekend night. Entrees are pricey $20+ but we'll worth it. Their lunch prices are a more reasonable for essentially the same amount of food. Just be careful because they have changed their daytime hours many times and there was more than one occasion that I arrived to see they were closed or having a staff meeting.
(5)Luis R.
You have to try the bouillabaisse and the steamed clams... All I can say is awesome! We will definitely be back SOON to try something different...
(5)Brandon C.
This place is a complete rip off. Twenty dollars is way too much for a bowl of soup unless you are eating some pretty rare ingredients, which The Boiler is not serving. Had I not been invited there by someone else for a special occasion, I would have walked out after looking the menu over. But I stayed and ate a mediocre bowl of $20 soup and hated every spoonful. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem paying good money for good food. The problem with this place is that there was nothing about the experience that justified the price. First, it's in the corner of a strip-mall-looking-thing that screams no class. Most of the seating is bar style seating meant to showcase the stupid silver bowls that seem like an attempt to charge what they do for the soup, but this make conversations difficult with larger parties. I didn't actually want soup, but that's the way everything comes, in soup. When my dish arrived (don't remember the name because I'm never going back) the price made me anticipate a flavorful bowl of soup with a rich broth and intricate flavor from all of the ingredients. Instead, I got something that was only a little better than canned soup.
(1)Paul M.
Excellent!! Best sweet tea! Authentic French Cajun. Chef Joe is a hoot and puts on a great show...he should appear on TV!!
(5)Charles C.
This place is the bomb. Its unique to me, I only know two places that have this type of food. Here in Chino and the other is like in Las Vegas palace station hotel. I had the House pan roast w/ sausage. It was awesome. I can't do spicy but they ask you the level you would like between 1-10. I want to try everything on the menu but the house pan roast to me is to good to pass. Service is decent, I experienced where the waitress either went on break or left. We ended up waiting for a while for check and refills. I appreciate the chefs there. They must work hard cause each time I been there its the same chiefs and always same superior taste. Only negative thing about this place is its in Chino, so depending the time you go you might hit traffic from hell, but usually after my first bite I forget about that.
(5)Michelle M.
Came here on a Rainy Sunday around 3pm so it wasnt crowded at all. I am sure you will be reading other yelp reviews on this place so Im going to make it short and simple. We had a dozen half shell oysters.... eh it was okay had better Clam chowder was good Bouillabaisse was not that good. So you ask what was good that I give a four star rating???? Hello??!!! Its a must try HOUSE PAN ROAST and nothing more. I usually go to the spot in Palace Station in Vegas, that would be the #1 spot for the house pan roast but this place is my 2nd choice and closer than vegas too. So why did I knock off one star? SERVICE! 3 young teens just standing around chit chatting and as we were waiting for food talking about how much the previous family just tipped etc. Ummmm please if you are reading this maybe keep it to yourselves. Besides that The house pan roast is the way to go here and is a MUST TRY
(4)Brittany K.
This place is so unique, fun and delicious. We had the sweet potato fries, New England clam chowder, chicken gumbo and house pan roast. Everything was very tasty and filling. Portions are pretty large and prices are pretty high so we'd probably only go back once in a while. Overall great experience and a great splurge!
(4)Richard P.
If you like Oyster Bar in Vegas you'll love The Boiler. My friends and I always look forward to Vegas trips so that we can get our Pan Roast Fix. Other than Vegas, The Boiler is the next closest place to get it! Parking: Parking is easy. Located in a large shopping plaza, there is plenty of parking. Service: The service is great. We were quickly seated with no wait (about 12 pm on Saturday). Servers were attentive and quickly refilled our drinks. The entire time we were there my soda was never empty. Food: PAN ROAST!!!! Seriously so good. Filled with plenty of delicious seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab, etc). Made to order, at the spice level you want! The only thing is that I wish they added more rice. Overall delicious meal. The Boiler offers great food and service, It is a little far from me, but it's definitely a lot closer than driving to Vegas, If you like Pan Roast definitely check this place out. It's worth it. I can't wait til my next visit.
(5)Rich T.
If you haven't been to this place. You gotta try it. I go to the Oyster Bar in Vegas at Palace Station and this place is run by an ex-chef from there. Get the Pan Roast and prepare for your life to be changed forever.
(5)Pat S.
This place is great!!! I have been coming here for about a year and it is always consistent. The staff is always friendly and the chef takes pride in his work. Would definitely recommend the cilantro chicken and sausage dish, I like spice so I get a 6, it never disappoints. Creme brûlée is absolutely the best I have ever had
(5)OJ M.
This place is pretty legit... You get what you pay for. Lunch portions are small compared to dinner portions. The price also corresponds to the size as well. I love the house pan roast and recommend it to any newcomer. Pretty much the whole menu is great and it's pretty hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. I wish I could eat here everyday but I would break my wallet and get super fat if I did. The service is great here as well. Just thinking of this review is making my mouth water :)
(4)Nancy N.
No reservations on the weekends so we had quite a bit of a longgg wait. (About 2 hours) Small restaurant, not ideal for big parties. Cajun Fries: too much seasoning, a bit salty Calamari: thick cut, lightly breaded served with a cocktail sauce and horseradish. nothing special Cioppino: thick tomato based soup served over linguini with lots of seafood but I've had better. Etoufee: The crawfish flavor definitely stands out the most in the dish. PAN ROAST: The deal breaker, the best dish of the night! Thick tomato cream sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster and clams. Each bite was filled with seafood so you know they don't skip on it and def and sausage to the dish. Didn't care for the jasmine rice but instead dipped the sauce with bread. You can choose how spicy you want it from a level of 1 to 10. I went with a level 6, just a bit of a kick, comparable to Boiling Crab medium level. Everyone else got a level 8, but I couldn't take the heat. Now i'm craving the pan roast!
(4)Annie L.
First off... their food is awesome..reasons why my family drove 3 cars from alhambra to come to this place to eat lunch for my birthday. But really?? I was there for 35 mins then ur server comes and tell me ur boiler went out and it takes an hour to get it back up? Ok... so do I get anything for my troubles to compensate me coming here for nothing?? Maybe even have your manager come and apologize?? Oh what? Managers not even present at the facility? Comon... thats very unprofessional... could we at least get a free appetizer or something? Nothing... then the servers went inside and hid in the kitchen for 10 mins after you told me the bad news? Did not expect this kinda service from this place.. very disappointed at the moment and on my birthday.
(1)Khoa T.
Randomly came here for dinner to catch up with a friend. I'm not really familiar with the Chino Hills area, so it was a little hard to find the restaurant in the dark. Friend and I ordered the gumbo, which was pretty good with the rice and the free bread. The gumbo sort of reminded me of eating Japanese curry (the kinda grainy consistency of the gumbo eaten with the white rice). They give you a fair amount of seafood (shrimp, crab, fish) and sausage too, so it's a pretty good deal? It's cheaper for lunch though, so I'd recommend coming in then.
(3)Wendy C.
I went there on a Monday afternoon, and only a few other guests were present. I was greeted and seated (there's a counter where you can watch the chef cook the food, or you can sit at the regular tables; the bar area wasn't open at the time) promptly. From the seafood appetizers to soups/ salads and, of course, the entrees, the menu offers a variety of choices. I got the house pan roast, which, according to the chef, is the most popular item because it contains a little bit of all the seafood items (lobster, clam, shrimp, crab, and trinity) for just a dollar more ($12.95) than the individual seafood pan roasts. You can choose a spiciness level from 1-10. As a reference point, 6 tasted just a bit stronger than mild. With all the entrees, you get a scoop of jasmine rice, which they make pretty well. Additionally, you get bread and butter in the beginning, but don't eat too much of that, or else a light eater will be too full to finish the entire entree (it looks like a bowl of soup!). Sitting at the counter allows you to watch the chef cook what you order, and it's so fun! He will make conversation with you, and, if you ask questions about the food or its origins, he will didactically answer you. It was amazing. He gave another group a mini-lesson about the background of Creole food. Go figure. The food itself was SO GOOD. Genius, like I said. Hot and delicious--and made in under 10 minutes. It wasn't too sweet or too salty, and the spiciness is up to you. At one point, I also heard the chef tell another customer that the oysters came in fresh from Louisiana today. SAY WHAT? Again, amazing.
(5)Alina M.
CAREFUL: The Boiler does not do any by-the-pound "boiling" that you may expect at The Boiling Crab or other similar joints. CAREFUL AGAIN: This place has widely different prices for lunch and dinner...like, dinner is almost twice the price which lands some dishes above the $20 mark. Don't know how the lunch portions look, but I do know that I can't afford this place too often for dinner. (Even though I wish I could, since some of the items knock it out of the park). On the price issue, it seems like one of the only items that has the same price throughout the day is the cajun salmon salad--GET IT! Oh my god, for twelve bucks, you get a huge filet, perfectly blackened and steaming hot on top of some seasoned cold greens. It is seriously a perfect salad. And while you're waiting for the salad, order the bacon-wrapped shrimp. The applewood-smoked bacon they use is superb and while I'd venture to say that it actually overpowers the huge shrimp, please ask me if I care. I don't. That is one great appetizer to get your mouth wet. Gumbo--not a fan. Not enough variety in sausages, the okra didn't seem properly sauteed and there was no file to be found. I know, I know, sometimes with gumbo, you can do either/or in terms of okra or file for thickening but I just always found that file lends that distinctive Cajun earthy note. How do I know? Best friend's daddy takes out his 48 quart pot a few times a year and churns out some gumbo to die for. I know it's unfair to compare Mr. Stewart's gumbo of love to anybody else's but I consider myself a slick gumbo tester who knows her stuff :))) I loved the shrimp pan roast that my boyfriend got and with which he was a little disappointed but his lack of enthusiasm came about because he didn't expect a stew. Don't make that same mistake, Boiler diners--a shrimp pan roast is a thick stew and not a "roast" per se. He expected a paella-like dish, which this is not. The flavor, though, is superb: curry notes are sharp and the thick tomato cream is delectable. As a matter of fact, we switched up our entrees and I forfeited my gumbo for his pan roast. Great decision. The service, by the way, is on point and super-friendly. Would love to come back again, but once again, not at dinner prices.
(4)Mark P.
I've been to the boiler 3 times now. Each experience has been basically the same. The food I would rate 4+ stars. Fresh ingredients, well seasoned and cooked right in front of you. The calamari appetizer is very good and is served with a seafood cocktail and horseradish sauce. The Gumbo was rich and very tasty as was the Cilantro Chicken with Sausage. The Jambalaya was a bit dry and the Shrimp overcooked. This is basically because the Shrimp is cooked at the same time as the chicken and sausage. In addition they put the rice (par-boiled) in the pot after the dish is almost completed without adding any extra liquid. This results in the dish ending up dry (too much rice/not enough liquid). However, the Jambalaya was still flavorful but just a bit dry. The real problem is the service (2.5 stars.) The wait staff doesn't know what is in the dishes, and disappear into the back for extended periods. The appetizers are brought out by separate staff (other than your waitress.) All of this adds to a feeling of neglect or lack of care about the customers. I don't expect someone to hover over me while I'm eating, but having one of the wait staff in the dining area to make sure that new customers are greeted and existing customers have what they need would definitely improve the dining experience.
(3)Michelle L.
Love this place! And will go back again!! My fav dishes are house pan roast, shrimp scampi and their canjub fries!
(4)terrison k.
finally check this place out for my birthday with my ohana back in February. Totally forgot this place existed and was super stoked to try it out. The Combination Pan Roast and Clam Chowder was pretty bomb . com but I felt that eating all the food together was kind of too much mushy/salty/flavorful and I easily got over it after 4-5 bites. I needed to take a sip of my nieces coke to help refresh my taste buds or wish I had some plain white rice to eat the dishes with or something that wasn't salty/mushy going into my mouth the whole time. I later saw that from another yelp review that I could of ordered plain noodles to be mix in or on the side with the dishes vs rice but my waitress did not let me know about that available option although I told her it was my first time. So I guess it's both our faults? Oh well... FYI, my waitress was very nice and friendly. I let her know that it was my birthday towards the end of the meal and she brought out a small creme brulee w/ whip cream on top for me which was pretty awesome of her and help cheered me up at the end of the meal but overall their service as a whole is pretty average if not below average since it is so slow! Guess the owners don't wanna waste the money to add a few more servers on the floor during prime dinner time....expect to wait =( quick recap: we ordered 2 orders of the Combination Pan Roast - very good and now I understand why yelpers love this dish. Definitely would order this again to go. Clam Chowder: LOVED it! probably one of the best if not the best chowder I've had. Much better than SF pier. Gumbo: salty, flavorful but kind of grimey-like/ woodish tasting? haha it's not as bad as this sounds but it was a forgettable dish for me.......first gumbo I ever had so didn't really know what to expect. Jambalaya: good flavors, wish their was slightly more sausage in it but overall too mushy for my taste buds. raw oysters: clean and decent. Don't remember what kind of oysters they were Calamari: big big big disappointment! I saw pictures of fresh looking calamari from the photos section that had the different types of squid pieces and tentacles *my fave. but instead was served calamari that look like mozzarella cheese sticks! My nieces gobbled them up but if I knew ahead of time that I was getting this and not what I saw in the pictures I most definitely would of choose something else to try from the appetizers menu. I believe that's all we ordered but yeah we had a bunch of left overs. Their potion sized for the main entrees is more than enough to split between 2-3 people easily. I would only come back to sit at the bar to see my food made and eat the Chowder and house pan roast. IMO this place is over hype but plenty of people still come I believe so good for them.
(3)Cat B.
1 bowl of clam chowder + 2 dinners = $55 Sucks, sucks, sucks. Clam chowder is incredibly standard. Meh. I ordered the cioppino, the bf ordered the bouillabaisse. The cioppino was served over linguine. Um... what? This doesn't make any sense. Not only was it strange, but the linguine were so overcooked, they were like dead, pasty, worms floating in my cioppino. No, really, these things were so overcooked, it was disgusting. But then I found out why: there was no difference in flavor between the bouillabaisse and the cioppino, so they probably did it to make it SEEM different. They obviously use the same base for both soups. They both taste like Campbells Tomato Soup in a can, with about 10 cups of oregano. And the best part is making sure you dont choke on any fish-shell shards that are floating around. We found about 10 pieces, per bowl, of small, sharp, hard pieces of shells that we almost choked on. SO, aside from over cooked noodles, nasty broth, and death bullets, we were left with a $55 bill. Never again.
(2)Charlette W.
House Roast excellent. Atmosphere casual and could be taken up a notch if they wanted to. Servers knowledgeable BUT more detail should be placed on anticipating the needs of the customer ie napkins, condiments etc. Husband says 3.5 for gumbo when you're used to gumbo its hard to come to the level of down home.
(4)Melissa N.
I'm not a very big fan of soup entrees, but I seriously LOVE it here! The Boiler is located in pretty much the middle of nowhere...I mean how many people actually live in Chino, plus it smells like manure! I wish there was a closer location but its fine, I'm willing to drive 30 minutes for the Pan Roast here. The restaurant is clean, modern, with a red/blue lit up bar area and a couple of flatscreens to watch the game. Its pretty small and maximum capacity is 65 people. We had a party of 8 and it was pretty empty on Thursday night but still had to wait 20 minutes for a big enough table to clear up so we could sit together. Ordered: Crab Pan Roast: BOMB. Crab meat in every spoonful and we got level 6 which I thought was just right in the level of spicyness. It was spicy but not overly spicy where it takes over the flavor of the pan roast. Creamy and a bit salty but was delicious with the Jasmine rice. The portion is huge! Its enough for two I feel like. Everyone had leftovers and took it home. Calamari was good, crispy and hot! Creme Brulee was delicious and perfectly caramelized on top. It was definitely worth the wait and the drive, coming back as soon as I can hehe :)
(5)Alexis B.
I've been dying to come here for so long and I've finally made it! I would have given this place a solid 5 BUT the service is F'd up. I swear every time I go to dinner with The VT, we have THEE worse luck in service, even at the movies( movie didn't start for 30minutes ) So we walk in, the waitress, lets us know she'll be right there in a minute , while were just standing there, she's punching in all this shit on the screen and a minute goes by, and two minutes, and three minutes and then she just walks away im like WTF, what the funk is going on here!?!?!? The other waitress comes up and asks if we've been helped , UM NO, if we were, we would have been sat by now! I do however want to sit at the food bar next time, looks fun. So the ditzy chick comes back and asks for our drink orders, he got a diet coke and me unsweetened tea. We also asked for two cups of clam chowder. HOLYSHIT, did that take forever to come out, literally 15minutes for soup!!!!!!! Now that shit isn't getting kettle cooked, so there shouldn't be any excuse not to have that out within 5 minutes, I mean come on you just sift the damn soup in a cup, how hard is that. She blamed them in the back, talking about she sent in the ticket, just do it yourself girl , haven't you heard of team work!!! OK, so we finally get the soup and that was some of the best clam chowder I ever had!!!!! It was so good and hearty and lots of clams. I hate places that give you clam chowder with more potato than clams. That kept us happy for awhile. FINALLY the main event, I ordered the gumbo at a spice level of 6 , he ordered the cioppino at a 7. My gumbo was very flavorful and had great spice, I think next time, I'll do a 4 on that. This had a lot of meat and just perfect MMMMM I had so much leftover. His cioppino had LOTS of seafood and he tore that up! Like nothing leftover. The servings are huge . Some people complained about the food being bland here in their reviews, thats because they probably didn't have the black dude cookin their food LOL JK :D I was tooooo full for dessert. I will be back ASAP and will be taking my family. Pssss We need this in OC!!!!
(4)Stephen G.
Every thing is great! This is our 4th visit. I've tried something different each time and they have all been great.
(5)michelle y.
Disclaimer: food is a 3. Service a 1. I will reupdate after I actually get to eat but since I'm waiting (still) I will start. Ordered takeout at 6:15. They told me it would be 30-40 min. I got there in 30 and they said I was early. Not bothered I sat at the bar to wait. I proceeded to wait for 35 MIN!!! Never once was I checked on, offered a drink, a glass of wine or a beer or anything. Partched I pulled a water out of my bag and drank. Still no one thought to ask if I would like something. 10 more min the server came to say it would be ANOTHER 10 MIN!!!! Because they could only allow 2 kettles for to go orders. I asked if that ment half our food would be cold. She just giggled. 25 min later we finally got our food packaged up. I checked the order and sure enough, our apps ( soft shell crab, char grilles oysters and crab cakes) were cold. I figured the crab cakes and oysters we coul reheat at home but I asked for the soft shell crab to be remade. Finally, 147 minutes after we ordered, I was able to leave. This place was by no means slammed busy and we only ordered 4 dishes. I cannot believe this is how an owner would want an establishment run. I had to ask for the extra lemons that I ordered and they never included the bread that they give when you dine in. Now for the food: Oysters: yum!!! I had to stick them under the broiler but they were pretty tasty. No Dragos but solid. Soft Shell Crab: probably better piping hot but still good once we got home. Wish it was a little crispier but chopped into good pieces. No sauce which I would have liked to have. Crab Cakes: 2 per order and pretty small. They looked so weird. Like they were coated in cornmeal. But they were pretty good. Had crab and something like a hushpuppy filling? Needed more lemon and sauce. We got a teeny tiny plastic ramekin of remoulade. Jambalaya: average. It didn't taste like "been sitting on the stove all day" jambalaya. In fact I had some rice that wasn't even dirty. But it was filling and had good spice level. Note: we got everything at a 7 and I found it to e e ought for a bite and a runny nose but not a sweat. Perfect heat. House Roast: by far my favorite thing. Big pieces of seafood that weren't fishy and the sauce was Awesome!!! Kind of like a tikka masala. Rice was good, nice presentation but I would have liked extra rice. Cilantro Chicken and Lobster Diablo: pasta on both was just ok and the sauce was oily and separated. Lobster was decent, sausage was good but the chicken tasted like it came from the microwave. Bland, bland, bland. Overall, for the experience we had the food would have had to be EPIC to bring me back and it just wasn't. They need to seriously ramp up the customer service.
(2)Sean S.
Expect a long wait for a seat and for your food. Even though we came for a late weekday lunch, we still waited some time before we got our food. There were 3-4 couples at the bar, 2-3 tables of 4, and only 1 cook and 1 maybe 2 servers. Luckily for me, I don't mind waiting for this food, since I'm not in the area that often. The only dish I will probably order from now on is the House Pan Roast. It's so flavorful....I can't see myself trying anything else for looong time.
(4)Bill R.
Visited in the early evening on Saturday (about 4pm). Crowd was fairly dense, but they seated us at the bar right away (no arguments from me!). Bypassed my usual Pan Roast this night, as I was in the mood for Gumbo. Now, my Wife and I are not pepper junkies, so I usually go with heat level of 2 or 3 and she stays down at a 1. Gumbo was great, the envy of anything I've had outside of Louisiana. Got a second order of rice, as one is not enough for that big bowl. Drinks were kept constantly filled. Complementary bread kept coming, even though its just a generic loaf. What I wouldn't give for a hot, crusty, artisan style loaf to scoop up the gumbo with!! Someone just reminded me I've said this before, but its still true!!! (I'm always tempted to stop at Panera/Corner Bakery/etc and bring it in with me...hey some restaurants let people do that with wine!! Charge me a corkage fee and bring forth the butter!) Service was great, given the crowd, and any delays were filled with watching the chef make the various dishes! Everything he made looked and smelled great. All in all, a good night and I will go back.
(4)Elaine N.
My partner described the House Pot Roast as throwing rice into a Boiling Crab bag. I like to describe it as a better version to Tikka Masala. Let's begin by saying how much I I LOVE Indian food. I love their food for the abundant amount of spices to create a flavorful dish. For anyone who loves Indian food, I can bet that their favorite dish is the Tikka Masala. If I am correct, then you will definitely love The Boiler's House Pot Roast. It is another version of Tikka Masala... but (I'm so sorry to say this) better than Tikka Masala... It had a nicer blend of the spices than Indian food, only because sometime Indian dishes can have a bit of an overload on their number of spices. You can definitely taste the lobster that seeped into the rice. I had about 5-6 jumbo shrimps which were delicious, and the fish was a nice touch. I think it would've been a little better if they added sausages to it. My partner in crime, who also loved that dish, described it as rice put into the bag at Boiling Crab. I disagreed because I do not like Boiling Crab at all... but for those who love Boiling Crab, you can be the judge yourself. He also got the Cippiono. We both thought that it did not go well with the pasta. Cippiono are not supposed to go with pasta! However, the sauce was really good and so were the seafood. The sauce had a sour and sharp wine taste to it -- like a marsala (like the Marsala Chicken pasta at Cheesecake Factory). We also got the calamari, bacon wrapped shrimp, and oyster Rockefeller from the Happy Hour menu. I only enjoyed the calamari, which was very thick and lightly fried. It wasn't chewy and was very tender to the touch. I do not like bacon, so I have no other comment on that starter. The oyster Rockefeller was not as amazing as it appeared on the menu. I would have enjoyed the raw half oyster more. I would come again for lunch but not dinner because the price is a bit too much -- especially if my partner believes that it can be easily replicated by adding some rice into a bag at Boiling Crab. It would definitely save me the drive, considering how far and out of the way I had to make for a visit.
(4)Cathy L.
It's open again!! If you've always wanted to try this place, now's the time because they have a BOGO promo. It's located in The Commons plaza so there's plenty of parking. The restaurant is super clean and pretty spacious. The staff is very polite and the chef even came to our table to greet us and ask how our meal was. The novelty of steam kettle cooking right at the counter was enjoyable. All the pan roast dishes pretty much taste the same. The ingredients are chopped up so no need to worry about shells (except for shrimp tails). I think the pan roast dishes are very similar to a lobster bisque...creamy tomato soup with seafood flavor. The bowls are quite large but I wouldn't except anything less as the price is not so cheap. I would have liked more rice though (note: I'm a rice lover so I always want more rice). The spice level goes from 1-10...I got a 4 and it was very manageable. When deciding on a spice level, remember you can always add but you can't take out. I also ordered the cajun calamari...strips of thick calamari in light breading with a side of spicy cocktail sauce (yum).
(4)Kali R.
The food is excellent. Be ready to wait if you you go during dinner hours. The place is small but cozy.
(5)Josie K.
not like this place needs anymore 4 or 5 star reviews...but anyways first off, ive never been to any kinda place like this. a cajun/seafood place where they 'steam kettle' your meal for you! saturday night was PACKED. all tables pretty much full. my bf and i were lucky to grab a spot at the open kitchen seating area :) if you're here with a couple friends or just someone else, i'd recommend you to sit at the open kitchen area just so you can watch your chef cook your meal for you. nothing better than getting hungry and watch someone make a delicious meal that youre about to scarf down :) we ordered the fried calamari for appetizer and it was amazing. soo tender and juicy! and not too deep fried. if i remember correctly, our chef told us that they dont use the tentacles, thats why the pieces are so large and tender. for myself I ordered the House pan Roast. the House pan roast pretty much includes all the seafood options: lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, fish. it comes in a tomato/cream based sauce and a big dollop of jasmine rice on top. i liked my dish far more than i liked my bf's. partly because i loved the creamy sauce and the fact that my dish comes with all my seafood peeled/out of the shell (except for shrimp). i ordered mine with level 5 spiciness and thought it was just perfect. my bf got the cioppino, which was basically the same thing as mine except it came w/ linguini and his base was soup, not a tomato/cream texture. like i said above, my dish comes w/ all the seafood out of the shell. if you order the cioppino the crab, lobster, and clams are still in the shell (fyi for all you lazy people out there). my bf got the level 7 spiciness and said that was pretty spicy already. i would stray from 8 and 9 unless you want a burning mouth overall, i loved my experience here. our chef was chill, service was good, and food was amazing. HUGE portions also. i would seriously consider sharing next time i go but knowng my bf, he wouldn't want to share. im surprised he isn't like 300 lbs by now!
(4)Jonathan Y.
You walk inside an aesthetically clean and crisp room with a small bar against the length of one wall, and a large, rectangular bar that juts out from the back kitchen. Imagine a sushi bar, except instead of rows of sashimi you have a series of brass bowls lined up atop broilers. You can opt to sit at your own table, but if you sit at the bar you'll get to watch and hobnob with the chef, watch him stir that shrimp in, whip up some magic sauce, add in loads of garlic. In fact, if you ask him to double up that garlic he'll do it gladly and the subsequent smell will make you groan and die. This is eating gumbo and jambalaya in a modern, American setting. It may not be out of your N'awlin grandmother's black cast iron pot, but it's still pretty damn good. That combo roast was amazing...the sauce tasted like your standard vodka sauce with crack added in. An unexpected gem in Chino Hills that I will be sure to come back to.
(4)Lady A.
My husband & I ate here for the first time & we thought it was great! I do think Oyster Bar in Vegas is better but this is definitely a great second option compared to the long drive to Vegas. Ritters opened not too long ago & it a very close comparison.
(4)Lai T.
If not for the poor service, I would be a fan of this restaurant. Despite the fact that the House Pan Roast is indeed pretty amazing, I never came back after my initial visit because our service the night we came was THAT BAD. In fact, the server completely left off my bf's order. When I requested to speak to a manager, she was empathetic but the damage was already done. If they had been super busy-I would have been more forgiving, but there were less than 10 patrons in the restaurant that night and we made up 3 of them. I did appreciate the manager's attempt to quickly make my bf his dinner-so 1 star for that. However, then it just left me wondering, why did our food take so long to make?
(2)Angela A.
The boiler is GOOD! I love cajun food - I don't eat it too often and I have yet to experience it in New Orleans. There was a group of us so they didn't seat us at the bar where all the kettle pots were - was wondering what that was all about. We got the gumbo, the shrimp pan roast , Bouillabaisse, shrimp scampi, and the cilantro chicken with sausage. It was all delicious but the flavor was a little too rich and buttery, and it was a little too expensive for me to want to go back for more.
(4)Josh K.
Good solid cajun type food in the middle of the burbs. Lots of sauce and pasta which is always a plus in my book. Seafood is fairly fresh and service is nice. I agree with everyone that the pan roast is pretty great. I had the shrimp diavolo which was nice and spicy. I asked them to dial it up to a '10' on the spicy meter because I had a cold and wanted to run my sinuses, and they obliged! The only negative thing, and a large one at that, is that the management or ownership here believe in some quack purified water thing called Pi Water. All the drinking water and all the water used for cooking is Pi Water according to their menu. Might explain why everything is probably a dollar or two more expensive than I assumed it would be. chem1.com/CQ/piwaterbunk… Supporting quacks isn't something I like to think about when enjoying a nice dinner, so that brings my solid 4 star review to a 3.
(3)J R.
This place is good. Sitting at the food bar is the best you get to watch stuff get cooked and the cooks are usually friendly. The food is great, a little more expensive then regular but its worth it to me. The only thing stoping me from giving it 5 stars is the beer selection is kinda weak and I've been here many times and went somewhere else because the wait was too long.
(4)Eli G.
Diving 50 miles each way for lunch is not something I do that often and when I do, the end result better be damn good. I had been hearing a lot of hype for the Boiler from a few friends and we finally set a date to make the long journey to try it. Once out in the desolate desert of Chino Hills, we found ourselves in a large shopping plaza filled with raised trucks and desert rats. Despite there being a birthday party taking up 75% of the seats, we snagged a table after a 20 minute wait. We ended up ordering a half dozen oysters and bacon wrapped shrimp to share, the wife got the pan roast, and I got the gumbo. Not that much longer our food started to show up, oysters first: yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Meh, the oysters were large and without much natural sweetness. Far too watered down tasting for me. Next were the heavily spiced bacon wrapped shrimp. Although the shrimp were overcooked, the bacon added enough fattiness and saltiness to make it enjoyable. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… My gumbo was good but not great. Lots of stuff happening on a pile of rice, but none of the flavors popped as much as I would have hoped. The portion was large and I had lots of leftovers. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… And lastly, the main hype; the pan roast. It was truly very good, but not 100 mile round trip good. The sauce was rich and creamy and I didn't even care about the proteins floating around in it. My wife started to get made when I abandoned my gumbo and tried taking over her pan roast. yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… One thing that did shock us all was that lunch prices are only good M-F, our fault for not reading the fine print, but the $6 price hike made the trip even less worth it. Sure I'd pay $13 for this anytime, but making that close to $20, in Chino, c'mon. Overall, it was A-Okay.
(3)Kym H.
Hey guys been awhile but I thought I should update my review on this place. At first glance I loved it because I didn't have to go ALL THE WAY TO VEGAS for Bouillabaise. This place is not bad, don't get me wrong as I have mentioned before the bouillabaise is still hands down better than Vegas. But here are a few things that kind of lost a star or two on it's way: I noticed that the portions are smaller. I dare to say I can eat two bowls of this stuff. Oysters are tasteless. I don't know if they cut it and run it through water for good measure but I don't taste oyster, I taste water down gooeyness. Pan Roast .....where do I start, it was a tad sweeter than how I normally like it but overall it's a must try when you're here. Now if I'm rating on the bouillabaise alone I give this place a whole 5 stars. But OVERALL experience compared to the original in Las Vegas, it's only a 3. I even considered giving it an extra star for location but that would be against my belief of the YELP STAR SYSTEM.
(3)N. Danny S.
Finally, I don't have to drive all the way to Las Vegas to get a good pan roast! The staff here is very friendly, Chef Ritter is a great guy and easy to talk to. He comes straight from Las Vegas where he used to dish the pan roast at Palace Station where I used to have to go to satisfy my fix. The food is great here. The pan roast I thought was a little more seafooody than I remember, but its still good. I suggest getting the rice on the side instead of in the pan roast. The clam chowder is to die for, get the biggest bowl possible!! This place also has happy hour and lunch sized/priced portions. Will come back here again!
(4)Mel M.
Delicious food. I ordered the house pan roast BUT I was hoping for more seafood... there wasn't much but a lot of tomato sauce and a lot of rice
(3)Justin P.
The House Pan Roast is delicious! It's a little pricey but the quality of food is worth the cost.
(5)Fiona T.
I LOVED sitting at the bar and being able to watch the chefs create my amazing meal right in front of me! This made dinner a lot of fun, I even took some pictures for Instagram. :) Needless to say, I really enjoyed the ambiance. It is casual, but not a hole in the wall. The restaurant is rather well lit, one of the first things I noticed because it felt so bright, and I noticed immediately how clean the restaurant is! We waited about 20 minutes for seats at the bar, it was well worth the wait. There is a wet bar available while you wait, limited selections, but the wait staff was very friendly and patient in letting us try out some of the different beers on tap before ordering. I ordered the gumbo, not realizing that the House Pan Roast is the most popular item on the menu. It wasn't a bad choice, but since it was my first time at The Boiler, I would have liked to try what they're best known for. I'll ask for recommendations next time. Their entire staff is very friendly! The wait staff will make recommendations (including making sure that you're not ordering something too spicy!) and the chefs are willing to chat while they work. The service level is phenomenal! There were a couple of instances where it took a little bit of effort to get the waitress's attention during a spike in busyness, but otherwise, I was very happy with how I was treated while in the restaurant. Next time I will try their most popular dish. If you have never been before I highly recommend asking the staff for suggestions. The orange wheat beer was super yummy (sorry, I forget what brew it was!).
(4)Richard Y.
Went today for the first time. Friends are always raving about how great it is, so wanted to check it out myself. And they were correct. First of all, we got the calamari. By itself it felt like an entree, so good. Fat pieces of calamari, so tender, and the breading was fantastic. Then came our main dish, the house roast. Definitely big enough to share. I made the mistake of getting extra rice cause they do provide bread. Could have dip bread in my left over sauce, but will take now of it next time. Came out full and happy. Definitely going to be coming back. Sit at the counter cause it is just fun to watch your food cook.
(5)Mina H.
Pan roast here is the nice twin to the pan roast the Oyster Bar (The evil twin) in Vegas. Occasionally I need the pan roast fix...The Boiler will do the job but it's just not the same. It's too easy. The Oyster bar will allow you time to work up your appetite, get frustrated, and form a pure hate for the people seated before you...The Boiler doesn't do it for me. Unless I'm in the area...I probably won't be making a trip out here to eat it. Plus...its very salty
(3)Linda M.
Got here at 12:15pm on a Saturday. The hostess had just seated a big group before us, and a big group came in after us. We ordered our food at around 12:30pm and didn't get our food until 1:40pm. It kind of is understandable with all the big groups, but an hour is a friggin' long time to wait for food. There were many apologies from the waitress and the chef working. There were also many promises: "Your food will be coming soon," "Your food is coming in about five minutes." Those promises started after we had been waiting 30 minutes already, and we heard that "food in five minutes" promise every few minutes for another half an hour. Not that I was looking for a free appetizer or to be comp'd but some gesture would have been nice. I hate inaccurate predictions of time; I'd rather you not say anything at all and then apologize when the food comes; or just not lie about how long it is going to take. In terms of the food, since I had been here previously and tried the house pan, I thought I would try something new. I ordered the gumbo. One word: SALTY. That gumbo was completely oversalted; the most salty entree I've had from any restaurant in a long time. $17.55 for this salty gumbo; I feel ripped off. I normally would have sent it back, but I didn't want my dining companions to have to wait another hour, so I ate about 1/4 of it. Suffice to say, my relationship with The Boiler is over. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. And if, by chance, you decide to try this place anyway, know that on weekends they hella mark up the prices; the weekend prices are not worth it. At least check it out on a weekday so you can save yourself a good 5ish bucks per entree. You'll still be full with the slightly smaller portion unless you eat mammoth amounts of food.
(2)Christine S.
The service is really bad. We came in asked for table for 10. (At that time this restaurant was so empty) The host said they don't have, and have to split us to different places. We accepted but they said we will still be charged big party fee even we're not sitting together. We felt it is not reasonable! If you would like to introduce it to your friends...got to think carefully...they just want to add fees on you. It was so disappointed. They ruined our day.
(1)John Edrick A.
Yes! House pan roast!!
(5)Sinae K.
YUM! I ate dinner here today, and I totally agree with other reviewers about how awesome this place is :). This was my first time eating here, and I'm really glad my friend recommended i try the house pan roast --- because it was delicious! My friend got the shrimp diablo (to avoid ordering two of the same things), and although that was tasty as well, I really think the pan roast was the better choice. (O, fyi the portions are pretty big here.. and I'm definitely not complaining).. I didn't know (or expect?) this type of restaurant to be located in chino hills~ Haha. The food was great, and the staff were very attentive and friendly. Will be coming back!
(5)Betty C.
So I have lunch hear with my sister on a rainy monday. We walk in, the place is fairly small, seats 65, and there are maybe 4 people seated already. As there's only two of us, they'd like us to sit at one of those small tables that are for two people. But seeing has how the place is nearly empty, we ask if we can sit at a larger table. This sends the waitress into a confused tizzy and when she asks the owner (?) if it's alright, he begrudgingly says yes after saying he'd prefer not to because it gets busy. As a personal note: had he said no, I would have walked out of there and gone to BJ's where the service is always nice. But the servers are nice, we ordered the house pan and the ciggorino(?). I notice no beef dishes or vegetarian. Primarily a seafood house. Sliced french bread with butter pats were served. I wish they toasted the bread or heated it up. One slice felt like maybe they microwaved for 10 secs? It was slightly warm but not really. But it was still good bread. Very soft and tasty. The house pan was very tomato-ey. It was like tomato bisque with pieces of seafood drowning with a little cream added. Tasty with the bread, but a bit acidic. Probably from all of the tomatoes. The Ciggorino was seafood in white wine on fettuchini. My sister said it was a bit bland, but I imagined that would be the way it tasted. We both ordered it 8/10 spicy, but it wasn't very spicy. If you really like spicy food like we do, turn up the heat and ask for an 9 or 10. The food was good, from all of the other reviews I expect as much. I was full, but for $12.95 it's a bit pricey. It was okay to try once, but the menu was very limited and I was surprised there were no vegetarian options. 4/6 of the salads offered had meat in them, and the house salad was simple salad of lettuce, tomatoe, red onion and avocado. But it was $6.95 for a side salad. I understand tomatoes are expensive, but that seems a bit excessive.
(4)Brooke S.
My husband and I both really enjoyed this place for dinner. While the menu is mostly seafood, there are several good non-fishy options. Service was excellent. Setting was good. We sat at the bar surrounding the cook station, which was fun to watch. It is a little pricey, but you get good-sized portions. We both took home leftovers. They aren't lying about the spice, so make sure you consider carefully when they ask you how hot you want it. Great kick and great flavors!
(4)Jessica C.
House pan roast is all you need to know about this place. Just think a spiced creamy tomato soup with seafood and rice. DROOOOOOOOOL. The place gets busy for dinner so come early.
(4)Vanessa L.
love this place, pretty pricey for dinner time so I would love to come back here for their lunch special. i love their house pan roast, its a MUST TRY! :] the bacon wrapped shrimp was pretty good but I would love to try other appetizers one day. hehehe
(4)Brian C.
"PLEASE Brian PLEASE! Write a review about this place because 4.5 stars on 142 reviews simply isn't convincing enough for me to try this place!" Ok. Fine. Meet Chef Ritter, head chef at The Boiler, former chef at Palace Station in Las Vegas. A former chef in Las Vegas, Chef Ritter is definitely a pro at making you happy. If this is your first time at The Boiler (it probably is, Chino Hills isn't exactly a tourist capital of California), be sure to let Chef Ritter know. He'll hook you up with a sample of his chowder, which I would easily order a full serving of if everything else on the menu weren't so damn good. If you don't like spicy food, don't feel bad. Pain is a natural sensory response by your brain to get you to STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. But when you leave The Boiler wondering why your mild meal wasn't half as enjoyable as those of your masochistic friends, you'll know why. However, if you are one of these masochistic friends, then you've come to the right place because Chef Ritter is about to make you sweat. Jambalaya - Jambalaya is one of my favorite foods. I took one glance at the menu, and my mind was made up. The waitress asked me how much pain I wanted (1-10), and I said 8, not wanting to kill myself. I could've taken a little more heat (I think I'll try a 9 next time), but an 8 was more than enough to make me sweat like a piglet. Easily the best jambalaya I've ever had (5 stars). Pan roast - The pan roast seems to be the favorite here at The Boiler. I'm not the biggest fan of bisque, which I guess makes me an exception and not the norm. If you love all seafood indiscriminately, order the pan roast house. If you don't, choose whichever seafood you'd like to be swimming in your creamy, creamy bisque (4 stars). Gumbo - You know what gumbo is. Order it. It is amazing. If you don't know what gumbo is, shame on you. Order it. It is amazing (5 stars). Bouillabaisse - I'll be honest, I had no idea what bouillabaisse was before I came here. Shame on me. It is a tomato leek based broth with lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, cod, and mussels. Salty. Spicy. Unlimited warm french bread for dipping. Perfection (5 stars). Cajun calamari - I'm taking the time and effort to mention a side dish because it is that good. I've never had calamari with quite so much...calamari. Cocktail sauce and horseradish for dipping. Wow (5 stars). Convinced yet?
(5)Richard G.
Two words - seafood gumbo. Yep. Get it. It'll be the best move you'll make at this place. Unless of course you wanna treat yoself to some of their amazing desserts. Because if you do, then make another good move and go get you some of their pumpkin cheesecake. What I enjoyed about this place, besides the outstanding seafood gumbo was their friendly service. There was a bit of a misunderstanding regarding my drink order and after receiving a drink that I didn't ask for, the waitress told me not to worry and that it was on the house. Now that's how you do it. I'm glad to know that there's some amazing gumbo, jumbalaya and southern style seafood meals within 20 minutes of my house. The Boiler's that spot man. I'm all about it.
(5)MIchelle I.
My husband and I have only been here for dinner. Their dinner portions are huge and more than enough for you to share. They also have happy hour specials during the beginning of their dinner hours. I would recommend their house pan roast if you enjoy seafood and the calamari appetizer.
(4)Elizabeth S.
I just knew that this place was going to get a 5-star review. I knew it the minute I walked in the place and took a whiff of whatever Chef Ritter was concocting behind the boilers. I just knew !!! 5 star Gumbo 5 star House pan roast 5 star Calamari 5 star Bacon wrapped shrimp deep fried in molasses with some molasses on the side I got the Gumbo (which was FANTASTIC) but my friend's House Pan Roast was even better. That will definitely be my first choice next time and you bet your behind there will be a next time. Also, you can order your level of spiciness. I got 6 which I thought was pretty good, just added a nice kick to my gumbo. My friend ordered a 10 for his and was blowing snot out of his nose every 30 seconds. The choice is yours. Prices are a bit hefty ($16.95 for the gumbo and $18.95 for the pan roast I believe) but oh-SO SO SO worth it. 5 freaking stars.
(5)Jon N.
Cliff Notes - Eat bread: yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Get the Pan Roast: yelp.com/biz_photos/WhUk… Leave happy. ==== Very clean and service orientated restaurant. We came here on a Saturday but there was plenty of seating. There was enough people there to fill out the place so it didn't feel too empty but you had enough personal space so that you had some elbow room. Service is top notch and friendly. Always had our waters refilled and the waitress asked several times if we'd like moar bread. Yes please. I like how there are purse hooks for people who opt to sit at the bar. I'd never use it but I like attention to detail like that. The Boiler's Score - 95 Points
(5)Li C.
The Pan Roast is a lot like the Oyster Bar at palaces station, but not as good. If palace station is a 10, this is an 8. The taste is good, the price is about the same, but the portion is 25% less. Take-Out even less. This is what bothers me the most. I like big portions, especially if your paying $20 for it, your portions should be the same or more than the place your trying to be like. I wouldn't eat here again.
(2)Tony L.
Best place in SoCal for Gumbo. Always fresh Oysters and their house pan roast is nothing less than spectacular. Been coming here since they first opened up a few years back. I original Head Chef was the creator of the menu at the oyster bar in Vegas. Decor is very ambient with it's dim lighting and neon bar. Service is great and if you get the chance sit at the bar and chat it up with the chef. Wish this place was closer to me. I'd be there on a weekly basis.
(5)Edric H.
went here again.. the food has improved and the pan roast is awesome now. i got a spicy level of 6, but i should've got like an 8 at least probably. the jambalaya tastes good after it's a day old and the liquids soak into the rice. it's too watery when it's fresh. maybe they should premake a pot or something. i'm knocking off a star because of very slow service, especially when you sit in the right back corner... it's very difficult to get server's attention. oh yeah, order an extra scoop of rice for the pan roast, or else you're going to be left with a whole lot of sauce and nothing else.
(4)Janel L.
Although the food is mostly consistent at 4 stars, the service has much to be desired. We were a large party, here by request of my friend who wanted to eat this one last time before moving over seas. This was not our first visit. We have been here half a dozen times. However, we sat at the bar and were not demanding. On our visit here tonight, service was not only slow, but our meals arrived without the rice they came with. On a busy Saturday night dinner hour, the staff should be more prepared. It's not that they forgot the rice, rather they had none cooked available to serve. Once the rice did come 20 minutes later, it was crunchy and undercooked, like pop rocks. Also, one of the rice bowls had hair in it, which after eating a few bites, it was brought to the attention of the wait staff. Their response, "would you like another?" Um... No thanks! In my experience, when things are substandard such as this, they aren't just brushed off as nothing. Two in our party had ordered Shrimp Scampi (one with pasta and the other with rice due to gluten free reasons). When she received her dish, which was to be a 2 level spiciness, it was mixed up with the other with rice and was actually a 5 level spiciness. Rather than send these dishes back, we just made due with what we had. The final insult and proof of their utter disorganization, bringing the bill with no pen to sign it. I hope the owners read these reviews and get their act together. We used to enjoy this place. I saw another review posted a few minutes ago, people that must have dined at the same time as us and they gave a similar poor review.
(2)Nicole A.
I absolutely love this place. Service and chit chat with the chef is a pleasure over some good food.
(5)Peter H.
Drove about 30 mins to come check this place out with a couple of friends, everyone tried a different dish and I'm glad i picked the house pan roast w/ sausage, it was the best one there =) They cook everything with steam to keep a constant cooking temperature, keeps the food moist and no burnt food =) House pan roast- rich in flavor, smooth and delicious. I add in sausages for more meat and i think they should of just put the sausages in their original menu, makes it takes so much better. Clam Chowder- probably not what you want to come here for especially if your going to drive a bit to get here. It's not the best clam chowder out there but it's still pretty good, thick sauce, not too salty. Jambalaya- Good spice, creamy, goes well with some extra pasta added on to it. The price is one thing that turns me off about the place. The food IS good but i don't know if a gumbo style tomato basil is worth $20. Sure it has seafood in it and that's what's pricey but i don't know if i'll come out of my way to come here for a $20 soup w/ rice. For first timers i highly suggest going to try it out. Going for the second time is completely up to you.
(4)Albert W.
The only place I know of that serve this style of cooking. I found it to be very interesting (the whole steaming kettle cooking). I had the house pan and I really liked it. The soup? (curry) was thick and full of flavor. A bit on the spicy side but I like it that way. Will have to go back to try the other stuff. BTW, the service was excellent.
(4)Tina L.
Been here twice in the last month. My first 1 Star Review.. First time. I came here with my sisters and friends, we were seated immediately. It was not busy at all on a Sunday evening. I am a HUGE fan of the Oyster Bar in Vegas so I heard they opened one identical here in Chino Hills. We ordered the Fisherman's Chowder, House Pan Roast (spicy 7) and Chicken Ceaser Salad. It literally took 20-25 minutes for the first entree to come out which can be a big deal for some people but I understand quality takes time. I look around me n people have bread at their table. Where's ours? We waited, I always give to servers a chance to have it snap in their minds they forgot something. Couldn't wait anymore! Asked for bread. Theres 5 of us n she gave us 1 basket w/ like 4 pieces...uh..... really? Onto the food. The chowder came out first n we all dug in. It was delicious! We scarfed it down. The House Pan Roast comes out next and we dug into that one, it was very yummy! We were all sharing so it was fine but I realized, if we all ordered our own, the time apart from each entree was a really long time means some of us would of been halfway or done with our food before another person's comes out. I couldnt really compare which entree i liked more because we finished one before the other. So waiting for 20-25 minutes for the chowder and another 15 minutes for the pan roast, which means the pan roast took about 40 minutes to make, thats a LONG TIME. As we're finishing up our House Pan Roast, we noticed the salad never came out. At this point I was a little annoyed and we sat there for like another 30 minutes waiting for it. IT NEVER CAME! It was time to go, we ask for the check and notified the server that we never got our salad so plz make sure it doesn't get on the bill. She says "ok". WHAT? no apology?! the food was satisfying so we left happy but the service was just horrible. It wasn't even busy but I knew I would return because the food is good and maybe the server was having a bad day. Second time. My friend was craving Jambalaya n wanted to find a good place so I wanted to take him here. I wanted to go during lunch because it is MUCH cheaper but I have a limited time for lunch on a weekday due to work. From my 1st experience on the wait for the food, I decided to call early and order so by the time I get there it will be ready. I call to let the girl know I wanted to eat there and the girl tells me the system is down n for me to hold on. I tried to tell her its only two entrees and just write it down so when the system gets back up she can just enter it. She kept cutting me off n putting me on hold so I waited. She picks up the phone n says the system is on now n is ready. I order the House Pan Roast and Jambalaya. She says it will be done in 15 minutes. WHOA really? I work about 35 minutes away so I rushed my friend to go, I end up getting there in 45 minutes. When we get there I mention my name n the server tells me that it just finished n she's packing up my food. Just finished? I'm like 30 minutes later than you quoted. Wait, your packing up my food? She thought I wanted it to go so I had to tell her I wanted to eat there. I wasn't upset at all at this point, just really excited to feed my friend. She literally plops the togo box in front of me and leaves me. WHAT THE F&^*?! My friend and I are sitting here opening up these to-go boxes and eating out of these plastic containers. I ask another person if I can have it transferred into a normal bowl. He doesn't take it to the back and do it, just brings out two bowls and does it right in front of me. The bowl is super cold so it chilled my food in minutes, it was hot steaming one minute and tasted like cold wet dog food the next. As we're eating my friend wanted an extra side of rice. We tell another server n he ends up telling our server to get it for us. IT NEVER CAME! My friend had to yell over the bar n ask the chef to get us a bowl of rice. Now we are full on food we didn't even enjoy because it was so cold, especially waiting for the rice. We ask for the bill n he asked us what we ordered that their system was down n didn't get inputted. The girl clearly told me on the phone it was back up. WHATEVR I tell him what we ordered n he reminds me I also got a side of rice. You remember to charge me for the side of rice but not give it to me? Then he tries to charge me for the dinner price because he saw the size of my bowl. They poured my to-go lunch portion into a dinner bowl so he assumed I ordered the dinner portion. REALLY?! I don't know if I'll ever return here. I hyped up this restaurant and the food so much to my friend who really wanted good jambalaya. I just looked like a fool in the end. The food is good if you have a good chef that day. It is a hit or miss. I ordered a 7 spicy for my food my 1st visit, this time I ordered an 8 and it was less spicy than my 1st visit. UGH, the food is good but the service is that bad where I cant enjoy it
(1)Ernest Y.
Stopped by on a friday night and it was extremely busy(as expected). We couldn't make reservations whatsoever so we had to wait a good 30 mins to be seated. There seems to be a lot of hype going around this place but I wasn't that impress with what they had to offer me. We got the bouillabaisse, jambalaya, and the house pan roast. The thing that really bugged me about after waiting 30 mins to get seated was that we have to wait another 45 minutesish for our food to be served. I thought the bouillabaisse was the worst one out of the three as my brother can make me a better pot of bouillabaisse(no lie.) I mean the taste was not terrible it's just I find paying $20 for a big bowl of soup to be a big ripoff but I'll give them credit for having fresh seafood in the bouillabaisse as that was the highlight of the soup. Jambalaya was pretty good...not really a big fan of jambalaya but I thought this jambalaya was pretty tasty. Big shrimps to go along with it as well but still didn't really blew my mind away. The house pan roast was pretty delicious. It really reminded me of Indian food(butter chicken). A big scoop of rice on top of the delicious pan roast I could probably eat that with rice all day long because it was really good BUT to wait 45 mins kinda threw me for a loop as I can just go get Indian food(even though I know the Boiler is cajun style) but it's fairly cheaper. My recommendations is to only get the house pan roast with at least level 5 spice because the 2 and 3 we got for the bouillabaisse and the jambalaya didn't satisfied me but that's our fault. Regardless if you live close by, I would say give it a try because I find it interesting and cool to see them cook in front of you with the "boiler" and stuff. It's cool to at least try it once BUT my recommendation is to come super early if you don't want to go through the wait + more waiting.
(3)Terrance N.
The boiler does not disappoint. I love the oyster bar at Palace Station so I was excited to try this place. The house pan roast is the star here. It's so rich and tasty. The portions are good enough for two. So glad I can get a piece of Vegas locally.
(5)Spot N.
To start we had calamari appetizer and french fries. Both delicious. Our main courses were Chiopino and House Pan Roast. Chiopino was 7 heat; the house pan roast was 5. Both heat levels were good and tasty, not over bearing but simply tasty. This was our first experience with this style of restaurant. Our waitress was extremely helpful and took time to recommend dishes. We sat at the bar directly in front of one of the chefs. He was also friendly and answered a bunch of our questions about the food. Food was excellent. We did not experience a wait to be seated but the employees told us it gets very busy. I definitely recommend this place and we will return.
(5)Laurie M.
My man and I went during the week and though we live rather close we had yet to try out the place. The staff was very gracious and on top of every need and often checked on us, I'm sure a non weekend night was the reason but none the less I love a good wait staff. The reviews are mixed and seem to be closely compared to the Vegas location. Since I have not been to the other location I can not compare but the entries we had were quite tasty and we look forward to going back on a chilly day, seems to be the perfect meal for a day like that.
(5)Jenny L.
WHAT DON'T I LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE? I come all the way from Anaheim (about a 40-45 min drive) to come and eat here. My friends and i crave for this place, i love it so much i talked to the owner & suggested he open up a location closer to us b/c he has our number one support! I loooveeee the HOUSE PAN ROAST which comes with shrimp, clams, crawfish, crab and lobster in a creamy tomato sauce. Its soooo savory and YUMMY. I don't care much for the rice it comes with so i opt for linguine noodles instead AND i order another side of noodles to dump into my bowl. I swear, b/c there is so much tomato cream sauce - adding extra noodles will give you leftovers for lunch the next day and tastes even better as leftovers! I share one dinner size with my bf and still have leftovers, one bowl is plentiful for 2-3 people. I am a pansy when it comes to spice so i can handle a 7 there. Calamari is so tender and juicy, it has the texture of chicken tenders (LOL) Clam Chowder is chunky and oh so delicious, prob the best i have ever had Creme Brulee is to die for. Perfect consistency and flavor. Nom. It gets very crowded on the weekends so expect to wait anywhere from 45 min to 1 hour. Lunch time is much calmer, as least on the days that i have been. YOU GOT TO TRY THIS PLACE. I LOOOOOVE IT, highly recommend. I only get the House Pan Roast, i have tried the other dishes but nothing impresses me as much as the Pan Roast. ENJOY =)
(5)Gavin C.
We used to LOVE this place. I mean my wife would have crazy mad cravings for their food. Before this last visit, they had the best gumbo I've ever had. Well, tonight we had a fairly disappointing experience. The service was fine. The gumbo that we loved so much was not. It tasted burnt and wasn't nearly as thick as before. It's as if they skimped out on the crab and other good ingredients. The chef tried to explain it by saying that 1. the burnt flavor was from them using file (pronounced fee lay) and that 2. the recipe is changed seasonally based on the humidity (to explain the watery-ness). I'm not a chef by any means, but I do know what I like and don't like. We did not like the dish and it was in comparison to about 5 other times we did like it (and when they had a different Chef, James). Unfortunately, my wife ate half of the dish, since we were starving. We didn't take it home, like we normally would have, and they only offered a 10% discount for that. I appreciated the gesture, but when you are paying $20 a dish, 10% is only $2 (they only gave the discount on the gumbo). It's a shame, since it looks like we will be going elsewhere now for cajun food. Oh yeah, $20 for the fisherman's chowder is a rip-off. TL;DR - Food was great, they changed chefs, now gumbo sucks.
(2)Tuwie N.
Wish this place was closer! House Pan Roast is clearly everyone's favorite, so we had to try it. We sat next to a nice couple who said they have been going to this restaurant for a while, and have never ordered anything but the House Pan Roast, LOL! It's creamy, decadent, and does quite a good job impressing the bejeeezus out of your taste buds. A generous amount of seafood makes it extra special. We also tried the bouillabaisse and oysters. Everything was delicious and flavorful beyond belief. Sitting at the counter was fun, the chefs are cooking right front of you, and they are really fun and upbeat. Lunch portions were perfect! Can't wait to try the other dishes.
(5)Eleana C.
I've never gone to Palace Station in Las Vegas so this is the only pan roast I've ever known. Picked up some of the house pan roast for the Boyfriend's dinner while he was at work in Ontario. It was absolutely delicious! Heat level 6 for him and heat level 1 for me. I'm a total wuss. Hopefully we can go to the restaurant next time to take advantage of their other dishes. If you order take ou be sure to get the rice on the side so it doesn't get a soggy during transport. If the service hadn't been what it was, I would have given this place five stars. I went in to a half-full restaurant and was told my order would take about 15 minutes - I even asked twice just to be sure. I ended up waiting over 35 minutes for my order to be ready, which really pissed me the hell off since the Boyfriend had a set time to take dinner AND the restaurant was only half full. The order even sat there for awhile while the waitresses told each other to get it ready. I saw one waitress tell another one to prepare the order, only to have that waitress look around, turn in a circle and then go ask a table for their drink order. Then she walked over and looked at the order and then just walked away. They apologized but at that point, I was just too pissed off to care - and they didn't even bother offering to comp me anything even though I was clearly upset.
(4)Jarrod M.
Cook and wait staff were excellent with a great sense of humor. Without a doubt, will visit again for the food and staff.
(5)Brian C.
Just came by for lunch. The service is kind of slow. It took a good 15 minutes for them to clear out a table and seat us. Please note that more than half the tables were empty. I didn't know why they had insisted to use the only table that was dirty. Furthermore the food came out pretty slowly, we had already finished our side of fries by the time our Jambalaya's came out, which was decent. The Jambalaya was very spicy, and I like my food spicy. :D I got the 8/10 because my girl wanted to try some, or else I would've gotten a 10/10 on their spice scale. But good thing I didn't their 8/10 had me sweating bullets. It too bad they don't add more seafood. The jambalaya comes with 2 shrimps (i know this because my friend got the same number in his dish), chicken, and some sausages. My girl got the Gumbo, which I thought was just ok. The okra was a little overpowering. But that's just me. i just don't like the slimy texture, even though its supposedly good for you. Might come back to try their Pan Roast or try it at their other location in Vegas.
(3)J B.
Great service - happened to show up at happy hour. The good news - a small selection of beer on draft. Too bad the appetizer jalepeno poppers tasted of raw flour breading. Pan roast was good as the rice portion was not too big.
(3)Tony G.
If you like seafood and/or southern cooking you have to visit this place. The bacon wrapped shrimp is always a must.
(4)Kimberly N.
My husband and I came here last night for dinner with some friends of ours and ordered the House Pan Roast and I must say it was delicious. The portion is plenty to share between two people, there was a nice crowd on a Thursday night and waitress was attentive and kind. I will definitely be making another visit here for dinner!
(5)Ethan N.
I love Southern food, and I particularly love gumbos, bouillabaisse, and other tasty soup concoctions that populate these menus. This place specializes in these dishes and does them justice. My go to dish is the Chicken Gumbo. The chicken is moist and flavorful and the dish is piled with okra. It's got andouille sausage as well, and getting them in your spoon is like finding little nuggets of joy as you eat. The House Pan Roast is also a favorite that my lady usually gets. The tomato based broth is incredibly rich and delicious. It comes with a variety of seafood in it, each protein treated well. We have tried the oysters here and they are fresh and delicious. I can say without a doubt that this restaurant really respects its seafood and serves up some tasty, tasty eats. Some things to know about the food though ... this stuff is spicy. You can tell them from 1-10 how spicy you want it and I would err on the mild side because they can add more spice if you want it. I LOVE spicy food, I routinely eat Hunan and Szechuan cuisine with natives from that area. A 7/10 is about as high as I get here while still feeling comfortable. You've been warned. The other thing is that these dishes are REALLY rich. I prefer the chicken gumbo partly because the base isn't creamy and dense. I really try to eat healthy as much as possible, and it's tricky to find dishes here that don't hit the waistline. Some people feel the place is a bit pricey. I see where they are coming from, but you get GREAT food and the seafood is always excellent. You'll likely have leftovers unless you're ravenously hungry. I think that mitigates the price a bit. One issue that we have run into a couple of times recently is the service. Most recently we went on a Thursday night and ran into a wall of incompetence. The host was a gentlemen oddly enough wearing cargo shorts and a Nike t-shirt who seemed like he had no clue how to be a host. There were four parties ahead of us sitting down ... but there were seven tables and a third of the seats around the cooking stations open. Flummoxed by this we asked him politely why people weren't being seated and whether we could be seated at an open two person table. HOST: Ummm, I'm just ... I'm trying to figure out how to seat everyone. Well, we waited 20 minutes. We sat at the bar and stared in complete confusion at the empty tables that weren't being filled by the increasingly impatient parties. We asked again if we could be seated at the two person table that had been open since we had arrived. HOST: Uh, no. We need that one. [Walks off] It was at this time that we were considering leaving, when a waitress seemed to step up and seat us ... at that table we had inquired about twice ... wow. This isn't like smashing a square peg into a round hole dude, a four person party fits at a four person table and a two person party fits at a two person table. It's ... not hard. The rest of the service that night was also pretty lousy. The whole restaurant was disorganized, slow, and not particularly polite. It was a huge step down from what we were used to. We will go again, the food is that good after all. Hopefully we won't have a repeat experience and I'll be able to update my review to reflect that.
(4)Eve C.
5 stars for: **Love New England clam chowder and Clam linguine with white wine sauce! Spicy level from 0 to 10. 3 is just nice for ppl who eat spicy food. **friendly, funny n attentive servers. ;) Minus 1 star for: Fried calamari is so so. Calamari isnt chewy, overall dish is wet, not crunchy. Gumbo, fisherman chowder Soup base is slighty heavy in taste for dinner :)
(4)Laurence L.
The stuff here is AMAZING. I had the Cioppino and wow, I cannot emphasize how good it was. Tender, flavorful chunks of tomato mixed with clams, lobster legs, shrimp - amazing goodness. Service here is okay. I came in with a friend and at first, there was no one at the front to service us and the guys behind the counter didn't see us, so it was kinda like, "Eh...what the..?" But then a guy quickly came out from the the back (which I later found out was where the restroom was) and seated us. Service wise, the waitress working was pretty friendly and the chef cooking behind the counter asked us how we liked the food. I guess we just came in at a random moment (restroom break, anyone?) so it doesn't take away from our experience here. Speaking of experience, the concept of The Boiler is similar to teppanyaki, where your food is prepared before your very eyes. Here, it's just a chef putting the ingredients together into a pot and boiling it in front of you. Not too high on the "wow" scale, but still beats not knowing how your food was prepared behind big kitchen doors. The food is really great, and I highly recommend the Cioppino. If you love marinara sauce or anything tomato related (bonus if you're a seafood lover too, like myself) - the Cioppino will rock your world. The chef told us the Pan Roast House is the most popular dish, so I'm definitely checking that out next time. I also really want to try the Jambalaya (I was going to order it, but because it was Saturday, they only served dinner portions, hence my friend and I just decided to split the Cioppino). Price wise, this place definitely runs up at least $20 for any of the entree orders, so I don't know about those who are on a really tight budget because $20 is kinda a lot for one meal. So just a heads up. Anyways, I really recommend this place!
(5)Vivian H.
I forgot to update this review but this is for a follow up visit after the incident with the tables. I was contacted by the manager who apologized and offered to rectify the situation with an offer of complimentary dessert on my next visit. I appreciated his gesture and had gone back to the restaurant to give it another shot in a short time. There were no issues with the service and the food was still great. I didn't even bring up the free dessert but I did order the creme brulee and happily paid for the delicious dessert.
(4)Ai Cherie C.
HELLO JACKSON! Your review is on my site. And I created this yelp account for you guys. I LOVE THE BOILER
(5)Jan Y.
bomb dot com. yum. love everything. the food, the service, the way they cook/clean their pans right thurr! such a fun and delish place! pls note, their spicy levels differ from their sister restaurant, oyster bar, in vegas. in vegas, a 7 will spice your tongue right out of your mouth. in CH, a 7 is perfect. you can always request the 'hot sauce' be served on the side. delish.
(4)Yoomi C.
great service with very friendly staff, nice and hearty food that's packed with flavor. It's a ton of food so get your extra belly ready. Tasty soft shell crab and fresh oysters too. YAY!
(4)Ann C.
Kettle Cooked Seafood Food is good but I feel a bit pricey. The dinner pricing is around $15-$25 for an entree. Lunch is cheaper and they have an awesome Happy Hour. Everything comes in a bowl which means they are "soupy" in everything they serve. Gumbo, Jambalaya, Chicken and Sausage w/ noodle soup, House Pan Roast (which is like a chowder) etc. House Pan Roast: in a creamy tomato based chowder (heavy in the cream) with bits of crab meat, lobster, shrimp and clams VERY DELICIOUS! They were not shy about the portions of crab and lobster which I appreciated very much. Linguini w/ Clam white sauce: it looked sort of like soup there were a lot of white wine butter sauce in the bowl but it too was yummy. I'd say go there for a special occasion but too expensive for my budget these days. Next time I'll hit up the happy hour =) Staff were attentive and nice. Place was crowded. Sit at the bar if you want to be entertained, the chef cooks in steam kettles in front of you!
(4)Olivia G.
I love this place! The chef cook your food in front of you. The house pan roast is some goodness and it's my favorite and a dozen oysters too. BTW It's originally from Vegas, "The Oyster Bar" in Palace Station.
(4)Adee H.
Been here a few times and it's always great :) The pan roast lobster and dessert are a must!
(4)William P.
We've been here a number of times since the first month this place opened, but not recently, as we've been hunting down food trucks. When we first started going, the place tended to be empty, but tonight it was hopping. It was a first for us to have to wait for seating, which in a way was very cool, because it indicates that the place is going to be with us for a long time. We were recognized when we arrived, due to our history there. You can eat at a bar, which overlooks the cooking station. The cooking is done in an unusual way, with intensely hot pots that are bathed in a constant flow of superheated water from a boiler in the back, and so things cook very quickly. Their dishes are from a variety of cultures, though primarily Cajun. You can specify how spicy you'd like your food, as well. I love this place, and hope you will, too.
(5)Nicole R.
The food here IS amazing. Love sitting at the counter talking to the chefs and watching them cook. Everyone is friendly. Restaurant is clean.
(5)Lulu T.
I've only lived in Chino Hills for six months, but thanks to Yelp I stumbled upon this great little restaurant, I never would have found it otherwise! I had the House Pan Roast every ones raving about and it was delicious!! I wasn't sure about the spice level so I played it safe with a "5" it was the perfect amount of spice for me (I can be a bit of a wimp, when it comes to spiciness) My daughter had the clam chowder and for only $3.95 it was as steal!! This is a very friendly place, you sit around the bar and can watch him boil your meal right in front of you, so much fun, and tasty too!!
(4)Joey L.
Why did it take me a year to find this place? Maybe it's because I'm a creature of habit and stick to what I know and head to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station when I'm craving Cajun/Creole cuisine. Or maybe it is because it's located in no man's land. As I entered this fine establishment, I was greeted by Chef Ritter, the original chef of the Oyster Bar. I took a seat at the bar and had my mind set on starting off with Calamari for an appetizer and for the main dish the Bouillabaisse. As I watched the Chef worked his magic making my Bouillabaisse, he educated me on the art of Steam Kettle cooking. The Kettle uses high pressure steam to heat the kettle which prevents the seafood from ever over cooking. I was very impressed that he uses Pi water in his soup. So the billion dollar question is ....Is the food here better than the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station? -Chef Ritter vs Chef JJ & Bob - (Even). Chef Ritter is extremely hilarious and got jokes for days. He is really down to earth and truly believe in taking care of his customers. -Cajun Calamari - (Even) The Calamari came out looking like steak fries with Cajun seasoning. It was good and delicious! - Bouillabaisse w/ Linguine at Spice Level 7 - As I dig in my Bouillabaisse, I was blown away by all the rich flavors, spices and seafood. I did notice the portion was smaller and had less seafood compared to the Oyster Bar. I would have to say the Bouillabaisse is slightly better at the Oyster Bar. - Service - (Even) The staff were extremely friendly and attentive. - Decor - (Boiler) There are plenty of bar stool seats and tables. They also got flat screen TVs to catch the latest sporting events. I would say it was a very tough decision, but nothing beats the Bouillabaisse at the Oyster Bar. Don't get me wrong the soup is similar but it is more of a preference. I will still come here if I need a quick fix of Cajun cooking. The Chef did let me know he is opening another Boiler restaurant in Costa Mesa near Southcoast Plaza by April of 2011. Woohoo! I will be counting the days until you make down here to OC.
(4)A F.
My friend had been wanting to try this place out for awhile now so I took her last weekend when she came to visit. We came around 2pm on a Sunday, and the wait was still 45 minutes. She ordered the pan roast and I had the gumbo. The pan roast soup was really thick, not like the one in Vegas. Even though she ordered hers pretty spicy (heat level 8), it barely had a kick. It tasted ok though. The gumbo was very watery and didn't have enough seafood for $17/bowl. Being from New Orleans, I've had some damn good gumbo and theirs just didn't live up to anything I've had. The service was good though so I'll probably be back to try the clam chowder but definitely will not order the gumbo again.
(3)Kurtis P.
The House Pan Roast is what it's all about here. I do miss Ritter, as we all do, but the chiefs now are doing a good job. The mix isn't quite as creamy as Ritter's was, but it's still very flavorful. Highly recommend the calamari appetizer too. The only reason I'm giving this place a 4 is their wait staff are still slow. They're improving each time we go though. I think it's a under staffing issue. Only 2 waiters on the floor on Sunday.
(4)Michelle T.
I had really high hopes for this place based on the reviews and sadly, it didn't live up to it. The food was alright, some things better than others but it was the service that really brought this place down. Our waitress was nice enough but just not there enough. When she brought out our bread and appetizer she didn't bring any plates to eat it on, so we basically had to use our paper place mat. I left my empty coke on the edge of the table for about 15 min. and not once did anyone ask if I wanted a refill, that's probably because no one stopped by to ask if everything was alright. After we were done eating we waited about 20 min. until we saw our waitress again in which she apologized for being MIA but that she was on her break!! I understand you need a break but at least assign another waitress to fill in for you!! Alright, now on to the food. My bf and I started with the combo cocktail, this was 1 crab legs halved, 3 big shrimp, and 4 oysters. This came with cocktail sauce and a dijon mayonnaise sauce. The only thing I liked on this plate was the shrimp, they were pretty big and tasted fresh. The crab you could tell had been frozed, it was really watery, I couldn't eat it. The oysters which I was really excited for were the worst tasting oysters I had ever had. The first one I ate just tasted awful, I almost spit it out. I thought maybe it was just an off one but the second one was just as bad. I was really scared that I was gonna end up sick from them because they did not taste right at all. It's only been about 12 hours since I ate them so if you don't hear from me in the next couple days you'll know why! We also shared a bowl of clam chowder and the house pan roast. These dishes were really good. The clam chowder was nice and creamy and had a different taste I think from the different herbs, very delicious especially with the bread they give you. The pan roast was also excellent. I ordered mine at spicy level 5 and found it pretty mild so if you like spicy you might want to kick it up a notch. This bowl was huge and very filling due to the rice in it. It was very flavorful and also nice and creamy. There were about 3 big shrimp in it and I think some crawfish, I didn't notice any crab, lobster, or clams in it though like the menu stated so that was a bit disappointing considering it was almost a $20 dish. I did enjoy the flavor however if I ordered a roast again it would probably just be the shrimp one since it's cheaper and that's pretty much all you get anyhow. Overall the food is decent and it's a great concept, very different but I probably won't be returning based on the poor service.
(3)A C.
Great food, but very expensive!
(4)Winky L.
After a long day in this cold weather i was looking forward to the Boiler....i live in SGB Valley and is willing to drive down to Chino hills just to try it out after seeing all the 5star review from Yelp....I gotta say MAN i shouldn't have trust it! Order: Pan Roast - 5 out of a 10! (basically i can make this myself...tomato bisque + Some Shrimp n seafood) Hubby got: Gumbo - 1 out of a 10.... (Tasteless...BLAND......n is $17 for this *Beep**) My hubby loves gumbo...we always order gumbo at the local crawfish joint...n i gotta say this is a waste of $$ here!! i tried his gumbo and realized why he has that look on his face... if you are willing to pay $20/a person for a bowl of soup....n few seafood def try this place....but don't have high expectation....
(1)Teresa N.
The Broiler. Every time I hear these words, I feel like I just hit jackpot on slots. I was first introduced of this restaurant, or bar, in Las Vegas. I was sad to leave this place knowing it would be awhile before I come back. However, when I returned home, a friend told me there was another location in Chino Hills. YES! I always order the house pan roast. It's a spicy tomato cream based Creole sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams. How can this go wrong? You can mix jasmine rice with Creole sauce, or substitute the rice for pasta. It's amazing! The sauce is rich with a hint of Southern influence. Go to The Broiler and you will be pleasantly surprised.
(4)Quentin M.
Second time here...bacon-wrapped shrimp...amazing...Fisherman's Chowder...Freakin' Amazing...service a lot better than last time...no complaints...went there Saturday night around 730pm
(5)Jenn A.
OMG EAT HERE. It will blow your mind! I had the pan roast and asked for it pretty hot (I love spicy) and I finished the whole thing. I'm 5'4" 120lbs and I gobbled it right up! You should have seen my boyfriend's face. Ridiculously good. Hands down, best Cajun food I have ever had.
(5)Jeff C.
Now Featuring the Palace Station Oyster Bar in Chino Hills!!! I was turned onto the Oyster Bar in Palace Station by one of my MBA friends several years ago and have introduced many of my SoCal friends to amazing food at the Vegas 15 seat oyster bar. I'm so happy The Boiler opened up in Southern California. No more frantic drives to Vegas for a Pan Roast craving. Ritter, one of the best chefs from the Oyster Bar, has open this restaurant in Chino Hills for all of us to enjoy. The Pan Roast is only an hour drive away. The restaurant is only 9 weeks old however the Cajun flavors are 14+ years in the making. The food is exactly the same as Vegas: AMAZING. Being a new restaurant, the operations are a bit bumpy. The chefs are on the ball. The food is worth the wait and you need to overlook the issues with the servers. The servers are a bit lost but they are trying. My server, some white dude, messed up more than one order with customers around me. Food Amazing: House Pan Roast Hotness Level 6 - Awesome Clam Chowder - Awesome Seafood Chipotle Chowder - Awesome I wanted to try the oysters however they did not have any at the time. :( Definitely try it out!!!! For all you Oyster Bar lovers in SoCal only 1 hour drive or less depending on where you live. Good luck Ritter with this endeavor.
(4)Maggie N.
HOUSE PAN ROAST = DELICIOUS!!!! I'm salivating just thinking about it! The big chunks of lobster in it was so juicy and fresh. It was something very different than what I've had before. We tried most of the items on the menu, everything was average, but the house pan roast (spice level 8) definitely stole the show! P.S. DO NOT ORDER HOUSE OYSTERS, which is made with a peanut butter, bacon, and tomato sauce; tastes only as good as it sounds =/.
(4)Eric S.
We went here after I read a review from a friend which sparked my interest. For appetizers we had the soft shell crab which was good. My wife ordered another one since she liked it. I don't eat soft shell crab very often so I really don't have anything to compare it to. We also ordered the Cajun calamari. These were strips instead of the usual round cuts and legs. They were very good and perfectly cooked. For dinner I had the Gumbo with a spice level of 8 out of 10. It also was very good. The andouilli sausage had a nice smokey flavor. There were bits of crab meat and several good sized shrimp as well. Next time I would choose level 10. My tongue was warm with a slight tingle but I did not get the full body warmth feeling from the 8. The spice did not interfere with the flavor. My wife had the House Pan Roast with a level 2 spice. Although it was good I thought that is was too close to a Campbell's Tomato Soup flavor. For desert we had a vanilla creme brulee. It was good, but I have had much better. The kids had spaghetti and marinara sauce which was cooked fresh in the boiler pots. My 2 year old had chicken nuggets and french fries. She ate them all so they must have been ok. She is getting picky lately. I have not had this style of food before. I found it enjoyable. I would defiantly come back again.
(4)S B.
Hum... change of staff/chef.
(2)Rolo S.
looka herre da Hou Pan Roas be my favorite ya herd me. (my Nawlins accent) It seems like its too rich and youd get tired of it but thats just not the case here. Before i knew it i was staring and a empty bowl wondering where it went. A 7 on the spicy scale was not too hot, the Anchor Steam beer paired up real nice.
(5)Ben E.
I came here based on the recommendation from a couple at the Oyster Bar in Vegas. They told me that the chef left and started a new restaurant called, The Boiler. It was definitely a trek, but I went. I ordered the Crab Pan Roast, similar to my regular at the Oyster Bar. It was superb. The flavors were rich, the right amount of spice (I asked for medium), and it was true to its cajun roots. I recommend this place if you ever have the hankering for jambalaya or the likes. Though I like the Oyster Bar's version better, this doesn't take away from the unique flavors that this cuisine presents. Come, but come hungry. The servings are huge!
(4)Brandon E.
GreAt! Our appetizer was calamari which was prepared in steak strips. It was fresh bite full of calamari that I have not tried before but I certainly will again. Then there was the Calm Chowder. This was the best I ever had, and I've tried a fair amount up from San Diego to San Francisco. The herbs, clams, potatoes, etc was a perfect blend. Our main dishes were the 'Pan Roast' with all kinds of fresh seafood and the Gumbo. These were both amazing creations! Even the desert (a pecan tart) was a perfect way to end out evening and enjoy the rest of our food coma! There be more to come since we're going back next week...
(5)Ray C.
Summary: The service is beyond TERRIBLE and cannot makeup for food that is pretty good. I have been to The Boiler 3 or 4 times. Each time I go, I go with the hope that the previous experience was an exception, not the rule. They are pretty consistent, unfortunately. I just went tonight, Valentine's Day. My conviction is so strong that I came home and immediately started to write this. My feeling is that the management/ownership is clueless as to what entails service. It is almost amateurish. It is beyond belief. Several specific examples this evening: 1. To start we requested a party of 5, and were placed on a table with only 4 seats. With 3 children, it may seem forgivable to forget a seat for a child. After 10 minutes, we had to ask for a seat. 2. There was a Valentine's special, and we requested to see the Valentine's Menu. The waitress ran off, and never came back with the menu. 3. We waited for bread, and it never came. Other tables had bread. Probably after 30 minutes, we asked, and it finally arrived. 4. We finally ordered, and asked for the spicy sauce on the side, but when the main entree arrived, the sauce was not on the side. We didn't even bother to ask because there was little chance because the waitresses were running around like chickens without heads. 5. We were without drinks from the start; they didn't even ask what we wanted to drink while we were ordering, and had to ask for water several times before getting it. My daughter asked several times during the dinner, "Why is it taking so long to get our water?" 6. We realized that we did not have enough forks. By this time my wife was fed up and just got up and walked to another table to pick up some forks. 7. We finally got our check, and were waiting to pay our bill. It took forever for them to come, so my wife had to get up and walk over to the front to pay it. It would seem obvious for them to apologize when we got up to pay for the bill, but they have no clue. The issues seem pretty obvious. There is a lack of professional management. There is a void in leadership. They are understaffed. There were 3 people waiting on a busy restaurant. The waitress (or manager?) was running around answering the phone, swiping credit cards, and the two other waitresses were running around very busy and no one seemed to be assigned to us. This is a consistent problem with the poor service. It pretty much ruined our dinner and could not even come close to making up for food that is pretty decent. I was with my wife, and we new what to expect. I feel so sorry for someone on a date trying to impress someone. I cannot think of any restaurant that I have been to with such terrible service! As my astute 9 year old said this evening without prompting "The service sucks. Please don't ever take us to The Boiler." And she doesn't even complain that much! My only hope is that the ownership will figure it out, and improve the service. Until then, I will AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!
(1)Sandy S.
This is one of the very first restaurants we tried since moving to Chino Hills. The food is fun and delicious and entertaining because they cook in front of you @ the bar area. The service is friendly and the serving is generous! Everything smells great and we've pretty much tried everything on the entree menu and my favorite is the cioppino! The house pan roast, which seems to be everyone's favorite, is very good too but can be overwhelming after a few bites. The hours have gotten a little confusing.... but will go back again.
(4)Sandy S.
Came here around dinner time with my boyfriend. We split the house pan roast and ordered it at a 7/10 spice level. We also ordered the soft shell crab appetizer. The soft shell crab was fresh and tasted good, nothing spectacular but still tasty. It was deep friend in a light layer of tempura batter, good texture. Squeezed a little lemon on it and salt. The house pan roast was amazing - I love creole/southern flavoring and spicy food. I would describe it was mixed seafood (shrimp, clams, lobster, crab) in a creamy, spicy, tomato bisque. Thick consistency like curry. MMM...comforting, filling, flavorful. Comes out steaming hot. They have a spice level of 1-10 and I think 7 is great for my preference. I'm Thai and am used to very spicy cuisine but people vary so much on their preferences so no suggestions there! At first I thought the price was a little steep at $20ish for the house pan roast entree but when I really think about it the amount of seafood they give you is very fair and working in a restaurant myself I can appreciate how pricey seafood can get. Service was average-good. Catered to us well, no complaints. Would definitely go back again. Actually, we're considering going back again tonight :)
(4)Michael C.
Great clam chowder everything is very tasty .. But to enjoy the full experience you have to sit at the bar and watch them make your soup ..if you sit at the tables you probably won't think it's a 5 stars
(5)Mike D.
Interesting place, the food is Creole style and they give you a choice on the "Spicy Scale." I thought I ate hot food, a 5 was good for me. Been there several times and love the Gumbo,
(3)Jason L.
So I HAD to come here after going to Oyster Bar. I heard a former employee of Oyster Bar opened up this place. Well, it's all true and it's actually pretty decent. But I will admit i like Oyster Bar better. Something just tastes different. I'm not sure what but its something. Anyways it took me over an hour to come here and I will say I will probably come back sometime. Im not sure when but sometime I will. It's quite a drive though. Service is excellent by the way!
(4)Dorothy L.
As if this place couldn't get any better... Last week when I was there (Sunday afternoon), they were offering happy hour!! My Anchor Steam draft beer was $3! They also had appetizers on the HH menu, but we already ordered our hearty meals. I will be prepared next time - a 3 mile run before The Boiler, so there's no excuse not to get tasty beer, creole sausage appetizer, AND bouillabaisse!!
(5)David T.
I had the jabalaya and my wife had the house pan roast. I thought both dishes were excellent. We ended our meal with a very good creme brulee. Service was great and the owner/chef visted our table a couple of times to see how we were doing. I thought the prices were fair and the portion size was good for sharing. Can't wait to go back when they're able to sell alcohol.
(5)T M.
Best on a cold night.
(4)Sparky P.
The Boiler is made by a Las Vegas Chef, and it shows. When you walk in, you notice that there are two bars, one for your standard brews, another for the preparation of delicious seafood. If you get lucky and snag a seat at the bar, you can see your food prepared in various little boilers while you chat with your chefs. The food here is filled with some intense flavors. The Jambalaya is very heavy in cloves and may surprise people. The Chioppinno is pretty good. Their main thing is the Pan Roast. It's basically rice covered in creamy tomato sauce and liberally filled with your choice of seafoods. I would advise ordering a variety of things, asking for plates and sharing. Eating an entire Pan roast is too greasy, eating all the jambalaya is too clovey, but if you get to share, it's great! You get a choice of spicy from 1-10, if you like spicy, I'd try a a 5-6 once you get up to 7+ it starts requiring a stomach of iron. ____________________________ NOTE TO LARGE GROUPS: -One group of 30 people that came in right before us. If you have a huge group of more than 8 please consider the way the food is cooked, the staff, and restaurant size before deciding to eat here. If you are a group of 30 people, please consider the fact that others have to wait for tables to become available, and then wait another hour for their food to be prepared and served after all of your food is served. Also please take into consideration the look of sheer exhaustion I saw on the smiling and friendly, but never the less exhausted chefs after cooking up a storm for that group.
(5)Felipe O.
Came here last night based on my coworkers splendid time here weeks ago. I went with the House Seafood Pan Roast which was what many of you previews reviewers suggested. It definitely hit the spot and it was a perfect choice for these cold nights we're having. I only ordered it at a hot level of 5 and since I don't handle spicy foods too well and I thought this was spicy enough so beware! lol. We ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp which yet again proved that anything wrapped in bacon is destined for greatness! But if you're on a budget i'd skip it since it was price for 5 pieces. The calamari appetizer we ordered was good but nothing special. A couple of us also ordered the clam chowder which was scrumptious! It had a potato looking texture to it but I have to hand it to em ' I will get this again next time. Overall it was a fun fresh new place we found to dine the service was helpful and polite so I'm definitely coming back to try more on the menu!
(5)Tom W.
Pros: Excellent Cajun Cuisine Nice Ambiance Draft Beers and Wine Friendly Service Plenty of Parking Cons: Can take a bit to get food if they're busy
(4)Nathan F.
Amazing! I've gone twice now and am probably going again tonight. The flavors are incredible and the portion is perfect. Definately get the House Pan.
(5)Asmita J.
i love the idea of this place....definitely one of the more unique restaurants in chino hills. it might be a lilllllll hyped up, but don't get me wrong, that sh&* was GOOOOOOD. i got the pan roast (obvs, because of all you yelpers), and couldn't have made a better choice. the soup/chowder was creamy, delicious and SPICAY (way more spicier than anticipated). i got mine at a 9, though i might go with a 7-8 next time to really taste the flavor. another plus -- its incredibly filling. i had it for two meals, and was STUFFED both times. (edit -- if you eat like a horse, you might be able to finish it...and for that, major props) okay so the downside... umm, a little pricey? yes. i ended up paying $30 for 2 shared appetizers (calamari and soft shell crab -- they were good, but skimpy on portions), and a house pan roast. AND i only got about 3 shrimp in my entire dish. considering i can get about a pound of big, juicy shrimp at boiling crab, i don't think this place is worth its price. and for that, it gets 4 stars.
(4)Jacqueline N.
AAAAH-MAAAAY-ZZZZING~! That's all I can say... ...Well... not realy, I have more to add to that... I can't wait for them to open up in Irvine as I was told by the chef. The Pan Roast House is phenomenal... beats any lobster bisque or whatever else you've had that's similar... the sauce is creamy and yet not too overbearing... melts in your mouth almost and the seafood is very fresh... if they say there's lobster in your dish, you best believe there's going to lobster in your dish, not some langostino fake lobster or crawfish looking type of thing... dip the bread in this and omg... so heavenly! The shrimp po'boy sandwhich is very delicious too, they have this in their lunch menu and its the right price for just the right portion, this comes with a cup of clam chowder that I hear is the best in town. Jambalaya... what can I say... every bite had a spicy, flavorful kick to it .I loved it. You can get it as spicy as you'd like but just don't overdue it as you want to still be able to taste all the spices and flavors! Oh, and the Cajun Calamari... yum yum! My bf who HATES calamari tried this and genuinely LOVED IT! I can finally eat calamari again! lol. Prices are very reasonable. The plates may look small in the pictures but dont let that fool you, the bowls are deep. LOL. Oh, and I like the decor too, the chef cooks the special dishes right in the middle of the restaurant! So Chef Ramsy-like! :)
(5)pranav m.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS !!! I'm so glad i found this place . I ride all the way from the SFV to eat here atleast twice a month. The House pan roast is to die for . If you like it spicy get the 8 or 9 on the scale. Took my parents here and my mom is a veggie . They made her the veggie pan roast with pasta and she loved it. My dad wanted to take some home and then go back after 2 days for more. We always go to the oyster bar in vegas at the palace station but i hate to wait for a seat.....this place has lots of room and no wait. Great ambiance , good selection of draft and bottled beer , lots of parking and great service .
(5)Sharon C.
I give it a 4 on account of the oysters. They were really really plump oysters. Never seen anything like it! The chef gave us a sample of their clam chowder. It was quite tasty, even though I'm not big on clam chowders. With everything on their menu, I don't think I'll be ordering the clam chowder but at least I know it's good. We then got the pan roast and the gumbo. The gumbo really wasn't anything special. I didn't really care for it but the pan roast was really really good. I will definitely be getting that next time. It was very flavourful and creamy. The lobster bits were very tender and I like them the best. I could've done without the other seafood in there. Sitting at the bar is the best way to go. You get to watch everything cook in those cool steam contraptions they've got. The chef said he'll be opening another Boiler in Irvine toward the end of the year. I can't wait!
(4)Esther M.
yummy but prices are steep for casual dining
(4)Judy H.
5 starts strictly for the fact that there's nothing else like it. oh, great food and service don't hurt either. i first heard about the boiler last year after eating at the oyster bar in vegas. seafood soup? and spicy seafood soup? two of my favorite things! i also love watching food being cooked right in front of me, so sit at the counter if you can. 4 of us arrived on a saturday for an early dinner (6pm) so luckily, there was no wait. a hot bowl of yummy deliciousness is just what we needed after a long day of snowboarding. since we arrived 10 minutes prior to the end of happy hour, we also splurged and ordered the fried calamari and sausages. yum! having already tried the pan roast in vegas (a creamy spicy soup with rice), i went for the cioppino and loved it. a variety of fresh seafood over linguini in soup. i chose level 3 (out of 10) on the spicy radar which had just the right kick. (i've lost my ability to eat really spicy at my old age. *tear*) all the seafood was cooked to perfection. i also tasted my friend's bouillabaisse (also a 3) which was similar, but no noodles. i'd totally order that next time. i didn't try the gumbo because my friend ordered a 5 and i was afraid my tummy couldn't handle it. the fact that he was sweatin' bullets scared me too, but he said it was delicious. i was lucky enough to even taste the clam chowder, which was different than any other clam chowder i've had. there's a spice in it i just couldn't pinpoint. it was good and not too clam-y. eating at the counter also allows you to talk to the chef, Ritter. he's a super nice guy and knows his food. he manages to handle all 12 steam pots at once to serve the entire restaurant and their take-out orders (which there were plenty of). they also have a bar and flat screens with the game on. it's seafood people, so it's not gonna be cheap. if they weren't so far away, i'd come back more often. (p.s., Irvine peeps, they're coming to you next....)
(5)Christian C.
The food at the boiler is definitely something worth trying and a pretty unique find around the area. When I went we had the house pan roast, chicken gumbo, regular gumbo, cajun fries, and the steamed clams. The pan roast really is pretty much as good as everyone else says, an awesome blend of fish veggies and seafood. The gumbos were both good as well, although I might opt to try a little spicier next time (the spiciness scale is still a bit confusing for me). The cajun fries to start were really nice, light, crispy and perfectly seasoned. The steamed clams were pretty good, but the sauce that they were served with is what made for an amazing dipping sauce for the endless bread (which you will definitely want to make sure you get quite a few orders of to sop up your food) The service was pretty friendly, the waitress was somewhat attentive, and the chef made small talk with us even though we weren't at the counter. The only gripe i have here is the wait... I came in expecting a wait because of what I've heard about the place, but this wait was agonizingly long. It was a good 20 to 30 minutes before our food showed up, and it was consistently this slow for other tables as well, even though there were probably only 3 or 4 tables waiting for food. Other than this, a definite must try for anyone in the area. If you have time that is.
(4)Linda P.
First time here. I was a little hesitant because of some of the other reviews, but I thought what the heck I would like to be the judge myself. Well my conclusion, Awesome, the food was great and the service was also nice, we sat at the bar where you can see your food being cooked in these little steam pots. James Brown was our cook, and he did an excellent job!! He was also very helpful in answering all our questions about the preparation. We ordered the House Pan Roast and it was delicious, we also ordered oysters on the half shell which were very fresh and yummy and bacon wrapped shrimp. So there you go. I think you should give The Boiler a try. P.S. I also had the Creme Brule : ) !!
(4)Shibby D.
So a coworker told me to check out The Boiler in Chino Hills a few weeks ago and like a fool I just let it go. She finally pulled me into the place and it is so wonderful I'm bringing my fiance back this week! Now keep in mind that Mother's Day isn't the best day to go our reviewing places. Just about every restaurant and cafe are slammed with reservations and lines out the door. We barged into The Boiler and happened to land at the counter in front of Chef Ritter. The dude was wearing a NAMM baseball cap and being a musician I struck up a conversation. Ritter not only is the Chef and Proprietor of the establishment but he is an accomplished musician who dabbled in the industry for many years. As we talked about music he prepared our meals in front of us in the steam boilers spread out behind the counter. How can something so simple taste so amazing? Well he explained how he worked in Vegas with the same kind of stations and perfected the recipes then brought it down for us here in California. We had the chicken gumbo and shrimp pan roast. ABSOLUTELY amazing! In my opinion, they need to knock down a few walls and expand out. Make a reservation if you have time and get your self down to The Boiler in Chino Hills.
(5)Joanne W.
This place is not in the most exciting location in Chino Hills, but it's definitely worth a visit. However do be prepared to wait, as there are not that many tables/seats. We waited for about 45 mins to 1 hour, partly because we had a toddler and couldn't sit at the bar. Their House Pan Roast is REALLY good. The creamy tomato sauce is very delicious and full of flavor. The lobsters, oh my, the lobsters were the tenderest I've ever eaten. It really has the melt in your mouth texture to it. It must have something to do with the steam kettle way of cooking. I think next time I would order the Lobster Pan Roast. It comes with rice or pasta. I got rice, but someone mentioned that the pasta complimented the meal well. The Jambalaya was just okay. It was pretty spicy, but the other flavors were a bit weird. I'm very looking forward to trying the Bouillabaisse and the Cioppino. I just wish the place was bigger, as I'm an impatient diner.
(4)Alen L.
The breakdown: Lobster Pan Roast: 5/5 House Gumbo: 4.5/5 Jambalaya: 4/5 My Food Rating = A Ambience: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5 Clean: 5/5 My Experience Rating: A Location: 4.5/5 Parking: 5/5 Wait: 5/5 My Convenience Rating: A Pros: - Steam Kettle Cooking just like the Oyster Bar in Palace Station Hotel in Las Vegas, right here in Southern California, minus the wait. - Unlike Oyster Bar, you do not need to be 21+ to be served. - Everything on the menu is tasty, you can't go wrong. - Ample parking spaces. - Ample seating. - Great service. - LCD TV's and a small bar to watch the game. - Non-Smoking Cons: - Prices are about as high as it is in Las Vegas, but well worth it. Tip: Sit at the bar and watch the food being cooked in the steam pots. Tip: Go with 5 on the spicy for most items, especially the Jambalaya. Tip: Portions are generous here. Tip: Chef Ritter speaks and understands a bit of Mandarin Chinese. He took a trip to Taiwan recently and loved the food and everything about it, and so he started taking lessons in Chinese. Bottom Line: If you've tried Oyster Bar in Palace Station in Las Vegas, you won't be disappointed by The Boiler SKC in Chino Hills. Chef Ritter is former Chef at Oyster Bar. His recipe seemed a little bit different from what I remembered at Oyster Bar, it has a bit more kick to it with the spices. The same hearty and seafood taste still remains. I will definitely be back again to satisfy my on-going cravings for good Cajun food.
(5)Kim B.
My friend recommended this place and they always know all the good places to eat so of course we were like wow chino hills, we're there! i was expecting it to be typical american style cajun which is in pasta and rice usually bland and not much flavor without more salt and pepper but everything was really flavorful and i love places that allow you to rate the spicy level. awesome! the clams were yum, shrimp diablo was good but we shouldve gotten it a bit spicier, the house special pan roast....omg soooo good. spicy level was 8. Not outrageous spicy. perfect! service is really great! and the vibe is bar type restaurant but yet very casual and cozy. i am definitely going back there asap!
(5)J W.
I give the food a solid 3.5 stars, 0.5 more for the owner's modesty and sincerity. :) A bunch of us went during their anniversary weekend and ordered all their star items off of the menu. The clam chowder was tasty, different from the traditional chowder due to the additional herb, just a little salty to my taste. I think if you can handle a little bit of spicy, then you should order 5 and up, otherwise it will not make too much of a difference. The house pan roast, crab pan roast were delicious if you are not watching your waist line :D The bouillabaisse was pretty good as well although not authentic, my friend 'complained' that a couple seafood ingredients weren't the most fresh. But she admitted that it was not bad overall. Cioppino didn't thrill us. The gumbo was also yummy, gosh, I love okras. :P The portion was huge! We also wanted to get oysters but were afraid of the gulf oil spill contamination :P Service was a little slow but friendly. We thought the decor could be a more 'rusty' to match the southern cuisine... way too neat IMHO. The chef was pretty busy yet still dropped by our table to say hi, I thought that was nice. The Boiler is not cheap, but definitely worth a try :)
(4)Natalie T.
Oh this place was so delicious!! I came here unexpectedly with the boyfriend! I've been wanting to go here since I've stumbled upon this place on yelp looking for great cajun food! I got the House Pan Roast... omg so good!! I was sad because prior to coming here, I did eat a little bit (Jack in the Box tacos ~~ I was at work!) so then I wasn't able to eat as much as I would have liked to! But with this dish, I got a 7 for level of spiciness, the boyfriend thought it was perfect, but I think I might go for an 8 next time! It's a great creamy tomato sauce with lots of seafood! Also, I got a bowl of the clam chowder since I just have to try it everywhere I go, but it was good! I loved how they put rosemary in it! What a great touch of unexpected yumminess! The boyfriend got the chicken jambalaya since he's not much of a seafood fan but it was also very delicious! Spicy level was at 7 and it had great flavors! It wasn't mushy and too overpowered with tomato sauce! I would definitely come back here again but next time on an empty stomach!
(5)Richard C.
My girlfriend and I came here on a Friday night for dinner expecting great things, but were a bit disappointed especially after reading so many great reviews. I guess for me the pan roast taste becomes to consistent after a while. Like another reviewer said, its like a thick tomato soup with seafood and rice. Nothing special in my opinion. Pros -Clam Chowder was definitely excellent. -The server was very nice Cons -Bread sucked -Cajun Calamari was more like soggy thick calamari rectangle blocks -Their definition of spicy is not very spicy at all. I ordered a 7 and my girlfriend ordered a 3 on the pan roast. Hers had more of a sweet taste, while mine was mildly spicy
(2)yenphi n.
This place is amazing! I've heard really good things about the restaurant they have in Las Vegas, but I was never able to try it during my visits. Good thing they opened one in Chino Hills! We came here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. We were seated right away at the bar where you can actually watch as the chef (who is the owner) cook the food. We started out with some raw oysters and fried calamari. For our entrée, my sister recommended that we try the Pan Roast House and the Bouillabaisse. They are both soup base dishes with lots of seafood! Mmmm...The Pan Roast comes with a scoop of rice and is a more creamy base soup than the Bouillabaisse. Both dishes were cooked perfectly. Oh and the best part, you get to pick how spicy you want your dish. 10 being really spicy. We got a number 7 for spiciness and it was pretty good--Next time, I'm trying an 8 or 9 cause I love my food spicy! I love this place and will be coming back!
(5)Gerry S.
Nirvana. I haven't been this excited about a meal in a long time! Tried the house pan roast at level 10 and I will be back to try every other item on the menu as frequently as possible. The name threw me off a little bit. The pan roast is a mix of seafood that you can customize cooked in a tomato cream rue and spiced to your liking with a scoop of jasmine rice in the middle. I love spicy so I went all in with level ten. It actually wasnt that hot at all. Maybe they held back a bit, but whatever the game plan was it was perfect. Head chef Chris was very engaged and his commentary enhanced my appreciation of the food. The sauce is amazing and addicting, and the seafood was delicious and plentiful. Nice big chunks of lobster. The crisp IPA was a perfect compliment to the savory and peppery tomato cream rue. Sat at the bar where you get to watch everything prepared in front of you. The steam pots and plumbing are very eye catching and everything appears very high quality. Can't wait to try the jambalaya and gumbo. Really can't wait for the Irvine location to open.
(5)Buddha B.
If this was in New Orleans, I'd probably give it a 4 star. However, this is best Cajun place I've been able to find in LA. The whole "boiler bar" concept was a bit gimmicky, but still cool. The Cajun fries appetizer were slightly above average: I'd order them again, but nothing exceptional. However, the bacon wrapped shrimp was fantastic! 6-stars right there. The friend who I shared it with said "I've had this at a Wolf Gang Puck restaurant, and this is better!". The étouffée was pretty good: 4 stars. I'd definitely go back.
(5)Henry M.
Amazing pan roast. The owner is friendly, staff is attentive, and the food is delicious. 5 stars is an understatement.
(5)Chris H.
I'd rate this joint with a million stars for the awesome food! I've had to hold myself back from visiting every week for fear that I will get toooo used to it. The Pan Roast is my new favorite as my initial dish here was the cioppino. The cioppino was pretty good, but the pan roast tends to provide some much needed relief for comfort food. I'm still trying to figure out the best time to go for dinner and not wait so long, but since the food is so delish, I guess you have to wait with the rest of 'em. Regarding the service, there is some room for improvement as the servers tend to forget a few things when it gets busy. This is a keeper in my treasure chest of restaurant finds.
(5)Marian B.
I normally don't drive out 30-45min just to get food but a friend said that he wanted to take me and my bf to this place. He said he would always go to the Vegas location and wanted to check this place out. So we ventured out from Irvine to Chino Hills. About an hour later (damn traffic! GRR!!!!) we arrive and I'm thinking "This better be worth the trip coz I am starving!" (Don't come in between a hungry female and her food). My first impression was that the entire plaza looked empty and dead! Looking through the windows of The Boiler and it didn't look full at all. I was beginning to have doubts. Anyways we walked in and sat at the bar. We were greeted by Chef Ritter and he was extremely friendly. He claimed he had the best clam chowder even better than at SF Fisherman's Wharf clam chowder (which is very good). So, I had to see for myself. He was right! The clam chowder was thick and creamy with a lot of seasoning and fresh clams and potatoes. It tasted so good I ordered another bowl and that's all I had for dinner. =) The other two in my group ordered the House Pan Roast with mixed seafood. That was extremely good! The flavors and spice mixed with the seafood and rice was amazing. Overall, I really like this place. Great chef, great food. I love the different way the cook the food in those steel cylinder containers (Is that a boiler is???). I like that they have that bar area. I don't know if I'll go there too often though because it's a far and long drive esp in traffic. It's a shame the plaza isn't doing to well. This is a great place that needs more people to come try their food. Chef Ritter - Please, please, PLEASE open a location in Irvine!!!
(4)Geo T.
Tried this place since several of my friends recommended it. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and it was filled by maybe 5 or 6 groups. The server took our order and gave us bread to munch on as we waited. We both ordered the pan roast and it came out relatively fast. I got a 7 from a 1-10 level of spicy and my girlfriend got a 5. Honestly think people who like spicy foods should get an 8 or 9 since it was not that spicy for me. The food was DELICIOUS. It was a little strong on the spices so if you're into bland foods this place is definitely not for you. Only reason this place got a 3 star instead of 4 was the service. There were two servers at the time and they took turns taking care of our table. One was nice and polite although a little quiet, but at least she smiled from time to time. The other server honestly looked like she had a five foot pole up her... well you know. She had the grumpiest looking face and I was honestly a little intimidated to request a refill of bread or water from her. So in conclusion food is A-OK, service was meh~. Would recommend the food to others and if you're into heavily seasoned but delicious food you definitely need to try this place.
(3)Irene C.
Pan roast, calamari, and jambalaya!!! Last time I tried to be adventurous and asked for a very spicy jambalaya... would definitely not do that again. Okay fine so I wouldn't order the calamari again but I do enjoy the pan roast. Am I the only one who thinks it tastes like chicken tikka masala?
(4)Randa J.
My friend introduced me to the one in Las Vegas at the Palace Station about 5 years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. And now they opened one in Chino Hills?!? Like, what are the chances of something like that happening. It must have been my positive and wishful thinking coming to fruition. I guess that stuff really does work. Keep wishing, people! Clam Chowder: LOVED This is the best clam chowder I've ever had. Sorry San Fran, but The Boiler has one up on you. Combination Pan Roast: LOVED If there is only one thing you should get here, this dish is it. Don't get anything else... just get this. It has everything! So packed with flavor and warm goodness. I love. Oyster Shooters: LOVED Pretty fresh and yummy. The portions are pretty large, so I would share a Clam Chowder and Pan Roast with the hubs. It would be the perfect amount for 2, in my opinion. The food here is uber delicious, but heavy, and very rich. I can't eat here every day or every week, but it's definitely an indulgent and delicious treat when I do. Mmmm... mouth is a watering thinking about it.
(5)Isabella L.
My sister found it on Yelp and she said she wanted to try it for her birthday. So we did.The reviews on Yelp allowed me to have high expectations for this place. Our first impression was that it was a nice looking place. The bar did not seem well stocked, but I liked what they had on tap. Out of the everything we ordered, the only thing decent was the Arrogant Bastard we had on tap. CAJUN CALAMARI It was just little slivers of meat. It wasn't the kind of calamari you would expect at this "highly rated" restaurant. It looked like the ones that came in the box. They were soggy, no crunch whatsoever. So far the best calamari I have had is at Michael's in Rowland Heights. OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL They claim to serve Blue Point Oysters. The oysters that we were served were certainly not Blue Point. The meat was swollen with water, it seemed like they were just injected with salt water. To someone who has never eaten oysters, they would be happy because they're getting so much meat. What they didn't know was that it was awfully bland. There was no taste. Blue Point oysters are sweet. The only good thing about their oysters, a previous yelper mentioned was that they shuck them well. I'll give you that. But for $16.95 for a dozen I'd rather go to the place I usually go for oysters. That would be the Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos. APPETIZER COMBO The combo is something they have only during Happy Hour. It came with 2 spring rolls, 3 bacon wrapped shrimp, and one sausage. The spring rolls were not spring rolls, they were vegetarian egg rolls. It just tasted like an undercooked filo dough with oil soaked cabbage. The bacon wrapped shrimp was served with dijon mustard was literally tasted like Honeybaked ham. We went with the Louisiana sausage which was overcooked and overseasoned. STEAMED MUSSELS My mother loves the steamed mussels at Fish Company, so when she saw this on the menu along with the description she was all for it. When the waitress brought it to her, she found hair in it. Later when they took it back to the kitchen and remade it, she took a sip of the broth, which is supposed to be an exquisite reduction of the sweet juice from the mussels, white wine, sherry, shallots, and a few other spices. This was beyond the blandest soup ever. It just tasted like water with a hit of garlic and oil. My mom was so dissapointed, now we know to only trust the Original Fish Company. HOUSE SALAD The salad was romaine lettuce, red NOT PURPLE onions, and avacados with a lemon vinaigrette. It was a huge helping of lettuce, but they were cut so big we had to cut the lettuce into smaller pieces. It had literally 5 cubes of avacado. The vinaigrette was not appealing, the olive oil was the good kind, but it was not balanced with the lemon and the vinegar. So for a dressing, there was only lemon juice. NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER My sister loves clam chowder, and this one was just alright. The cream based was way to thick and there were too many potatoes it almost seemed like cubed potatoes with gravy. PAN ROAST HOUSE This is supposed to be the most requested item on the menu. One reason I believe is what the Yelpers say. When I first saw the Pan Roasted House, in my mind flashed a pan with olive oil and shallots and some garlic browning along with the fresh seafood all PAN SEARED and then placed along the jasmine rice. Really what it is tomato soup with seafood. If you look at the kitchen in the center and watch them cook it. They take a scoop from the cream base pot and another from the tomato base pot and stir, add some olive oil and add the precooked seafood mix. THAT'S IT. They ask you for how spicy you want it, We got a 9 and it tasted like chunky Campbell's tomato condensed soup. My brother asked if they can make it hotter and the chef said oh I'll create a sauce that will take it up notch. He made the sauce, we tried it. It was not that spicy. Salsa is spicier than that. If we were going to compare to the scoville units of a pepper. The 9 that he made for us would be a belle pepper. And that extra sauce with that kick would be the equivalent to a jalepeno. This place was a disappointment, and we will not be returning.
(1)Rex M.
When I first heard about this place from a friend with whom we were having dinner with at the Water Grill (yes Katomi), it sounded like a meat-fest type of place. Imagine my surprise. The free bread and fried tortilla chips were decent on their own. If you order the Pan Roast House dish, it compliments it very very well. That dish is a thick seafood sauce with noodles. Perfect for dipping bread in. Mmmmm. The dish I ended up ordering was the Cilantro Chicken and Sausage. You get your selection of spicy levels ranging from 1-10. I ordered a 7 and it wasn't nearly as hot as I thought. If I had to grade it, it would be less spicy as 7 dabs of Tabasco in a bowl of regular chicken soup. The chicken and sausage chunks were actually small bits so don't expect large pieces the size of quarters in diameter. More like half of the size of a penny. The soup base was decently flavorful (7/10). The service was very friendly and nice. That was a nice plus. Overall I'd give my dish a 6.5 out of 10 rating. Not too bad but a bit bland. I gave this 4 stars actually because of the Pan Roast House dish that my gf and my friends ordered. If you like a thick and chunky seafood sauce with Jasmine rice, then that would be the dish. I think it's their signature dish. The meal portion is actually fairly generous. Definitely worth going to especially on a cold and rainy night...
(4)Chris S.
Pan roasted dishes are delicious. The portion is right (not huge but not too little). Was nice to see large chunks of lobster in my dish :). Flavor was great. I didn't care too much for jambalaya (not sure I spelled that right). Was really too salty for my taste. Gave it 4 stars cuz of the flavor, authenticity, and had good service.
(4)Drew C.
Fourth time here and the service this time around was bad. Been in the service industry for 15 years and I can say this was very unattentive in regards to the greeting to the placement of food ordering . Now I'm not saying the food is not great cuz it totally is . But you goto a restaurant for the overall experience .
(1)Katie W.
My fiance love, love, loves Cajun food, so when he found about this place it was a must-try for him. I'm not as partial to the flavorings, mostly because I don't really care for fish entrees other than shrimp, but I decided to give it a try this evening because I saw they had a shrimp po' boy on their menu and I dig a good po' boy! Sadly, once there, I found out that it is only on their LUNCH menu and we were there for dinner, so I was left to find something else in the seas of fish soups and oysters on the half shell swimming through their menu. We started with the bacon wrapped shrimp app. It was the best thing we had there. 5 hearty sized shrimp with cheese inside and thick cut bacon wrapped around. However, apparently they serve it with some fancy dipping sauce that we did not get on our's (and didn't know it was supposed to come with until about 20 mins. ago...JIP!!!). Still mourning the loss of my po' boy that never was, I decided on the jambalaya and my fiance was dying to try the gumbo. My jambalaya was better...everything I order is always better than what he orders...you'd think he'd learn to follow suit after 8 years!!! They "spice" their food on a scale of 1-10 and you're asked what you'd like. I got a 4 on the jambalaya because I was afraid, but after having it I'd def. bump it to a 5 or 6 if I got it again. The flavors were good, but I think for $17 they could have given more meat in it. 3 shrimps on top and a smattering of chicken and sausage...the sausage was so good that I was sad I barely got any. I felt like I was just eating red rice. So, that's my complaint. My fiance's thoughts on the gumbo was that it was "good, but didn't blow me away." He prefers the less-authentic, creamy, heart attack in a bowl gumbo of Disneyland. He would choose something different and probably not order it again. I thought it was a bit expensive for the ammt. of "real" food you got. The majority of their dishes are rice and $17 rice is a bit steep to me. Easily fixed problem if they were a little less stingy on the meat that goes with the rice. The ambiance of the place is pretty cool. I like how you can see all the steamer bowl things out in the open with the cooks. You can sit around them kinda like Bennihana's. I read a lot of reviews saying the service was terrible, but we had a great server...however, it was pretty dead when we went, I could see the service potentially being a problem I suppose. Their iced tea is really good as well which is good since their draft beer selection is terrible! Coors, Bud, Urine...it's all the same to me! Where's the Blue Moon and Shocktop!? My overall feeling is this: if my fiance wanted to go back, I'd go with him, but I, personally probably wouldn't ever suggest it again...I would perhaps like to go for lunch for my ever elusive po' boy.
(3)Ilya K.
The House Pan Roast is totally awesome! I love this place. That's what I always get when I come here. At a spicy level 8-10 depending on when my GF wants to share some with me. She's a total weakling when it comes to spice. They also have other items that's not listed on the menu so make sure you ask the chef or the servers about them. The new chef, Chris, is great too. Ever since he started working there, I've enjoyed the restaurant a lot more. My GF usually gets their clam chowder. She seems to love it. She also enjoys the raw oysters there which I won't touch with a 10ft. pole. I recently brought a group of friends here cause I keep raving about the place. Two of them were Indians who love their spicy curry dishes. And they thoroughly enjoyed their orders here too. Extra SPICY and just like curry with a Cajun twist!!!
(5)Sinclair T.
It was Monday. It was cold. It was rainy. And I was in the mood for some hearty soup action. Me and the family went to this restaurant. I read the reviews and I pass by this place alot when going to Baby's R Us so the curiosity was definitely there. I was afraid that it wasn't a kid friendly place but surprisingly enough it was and I have a 1 year old. Decor looks like a hip bar type setting and tables were not bolted to the ground so it makes for arranging your tables to accommodate a big group. On to the food.... We ordered steamed clams and it was very tasty. The sauce they came in was very good. I was debating on drinking it straight up but I didn't. Next time will be a different story. They served bread which tasted awesome with the Pan Roast & Gumbo my wife ordered. The Pan Roast rocks. I got a 3# for spiciness but realized I should have gotten a 5 for more of a kick. Shrimp,crab and Lobstering. I first look I thought ... "what this bowl of stew/soup is not going to fill me up". Needless to say it did fill me up and I had leftovers for the next day and yes it still tasted awesome the next day. My wife's gumbo tasted great as well. She couldn't finish it as well but happily ate it the next day. I will definitely be back.
(4)Hanna H.
Our foodie group came here to try this place out and we drove 40 minutes out from SB area but I think it was worth the drive to try the yummy steam kettle southern cooking. There were 10 of us so I tried a little bit of everyone's and most of us thought the best dish was the Pan House Roast. The tomato based sauce is AMAZING. Salmon salad - get it hot, good light salad to go with the heavier gumbos Chicken gumbo - good flavors, had some peppers in it gave it a kick Chipotle chicken - I really liked the linguini and the sauce that went with it You can choose the spiciness from 1-10 with the average heat being a 5. I got a 6 and that was just a little bit TOO hot for my taste. I must have drank 4 full glasses of water. My friend who is Korean got the 10 because most American places don't make things as hot as Korean restaurants but dude, she was owned. The place had to give her extra broth to dilute it down afterwards. Some of us tried a few bites and turned BRIGHT RED and that started was the catalyst for the sweat parade. The restaurant itself is very clean and has a regular bar and some cool beers on tap (nautical nut). The coolest part was the bar where you can watch them cook each dish in an individual steam kettle in front of you. The service was great and everyone was SUPER friendly, even cracking jokes with us and stuff. Two flatscreens had the Lakers game on too so that was a nice bonus. I would recommend to anyone who loves seafood and good Cajun cooking.
(4)Don S.
FOOD: My wife: C+, Me: C. We both ordered the Pan Roast which the chef recommended - for our taste, we feel it is only so so. Later in the evening after we left, my wife got a terrible upset stomach - was it from The Boiler? She feels yes it was. WE WILL NOT RETURN. We sat at the bar (food bar) and the chef talked with us which was nice, and he told us he came from Las Vegas to Southern California. We got there Wednesday eve at 5 pm when it opened - it had only 5 other customers by the time we left at 6:30 pm. CLAM CHOWDER - the chef gave us a free sample - it was also only average - I have had much better at chain restaurants. PRICE: Pan Roast - $20 range. SERVICE: B good. The waitress was very helpful and nice. PARKING: Loads of parking.
(3)Josh And Jenn H.
Went here on a Saturday night expecting to wait like an hour, but we got in in 15 minutes. We were a little disappointed to have to sit at the bar but when we got there we loved it. The bar is circular and easy to see the rest of your party. Plus, you get to interact with your cook and watch them make your yummy dishes. Try to get chef Tony!! Okay lets get down to business: House Pan Roast- as many yelpers have already claimed the house pan roast is delicious. Clam Chowder- full of flavors!!! Must try! Diablo Shrimp- Great if you like shrimp and a more tomato based sauce. Raw Oysters- They are fatty and plump! Cajun Fries- spicy and crispy! Overall a little pricy but worth it, remember you don't have to finish it all in one sitting, take it home!!! FYI: My wife and I eat a lot of spicy Viet and Thai food and we had a spice level of 6/10. We found it mild and probably would have been comfortable with about an 8 or 9. They can go pass 10 if you want.
(5)Samantha G.
Interesting concept, but I'm not that impressed with it, plus it seemed a little expensive to me. As a disclaimer, I should also probably note that seafood isn't one of my favorite types of cuisines. Some of my friends are crazy over this place and they say the one in Vegas is even better, but to me, it's just seafood, sauce, and rice/noodles. It tastes good, but it's nothing I'd have cravings for. Bottom Line: Give it a try just to see what the buzz is about. Maybe you'll be hooked too and you'll spend your whole paycheck eating here, or you won't and you'll just be about around $20.
(3)Jimmy T.
Awesome Pan Roast! Who needs to go to Vegas? Well a good place and enjoyed the service and food.
(5)Kyle Y.
Food: 5 Ambiance: 4 Service: 3 Food: If you like Cajun spices and seafood you will definitely like this place. I always get the House Pan Roast 7. 7 being the spicy factor (from 1 to 10). They do have other entrees on the menu such as gumbo, jambalaya and chiopino but if its your first time I strongly recommend that you try one of the Pan Roasts. Ambiance: Large bar style seating puts you right in the mix of the action. In many instances you will be sitting right in front of the chef cooking your food. Serice: The Chefs at the bar are friendly and hospitable. Waiting staff is average.
(4)Andrew J.
be prepared to wait. it's not a bad thing because to cook everything fresh right in front of you. we waited for about half an hour. they offer you the degree of spiciness 1 through 10 when they take your order. I chose 8 but it wasn't hot enough for me since I like things spicy I asked them to make it 10.
(4)Debbie A.
been here twice and tried the house pan roast. SOOO GOOOD!!! ive never had steam kettle cooking but i am a fan! plc can get packed and no reservations (boo!) so expect to wait if you go during peak times. if you catch a show at the pomona fox theatre, do yourself a favor and go here for dinner before. steves creole can suck it, this creole food rocks!!
(4)Kelly R.
oops, I should have clarified: roux is a sauce velouté that becomes an 'aurora' with the addition of a tomato puree. (this is indeed the base of a fine pan roast, and lends itself to the creamier texture) thanks for your comments!
(1)Christine G.
OMG, the food here is outstanding! After reading yelp comments my bf and I went here and we were in heaven from the time we sat down at the boiler bar. First off, for the ladies they provide a hook on the partition that is in front of your knees for your purse. LOVED IT! Then they brought us some bread/crackers that looked boring, but tasted delicious. I ordered the shrimp Diablo at a spice 5 of 10 rating, my bf the house pan roast at a 3. We enjoyed watching our food being cooked, but enjoyed eating it more. Yum! I absolutely hate bell peppers, so it was lucky I got the Diablo, it had none. If I ever order something other than the diablo here, the chef said I can make a special request, but if it says trinity I would not get onions as well as the peppers, they are already mixed together. After dinner, our server mentioned hey had creme brulee. It was one of the best creme brulee's I have had. It turns out, the chef/owner makes it from scratch from his own recipe! No wonder it is better then I have ever had anywhere! I can't wait to go back! (we went back a couple weeks back, OMG just as good as the first time and we got to talk with the owner/chef, what a great guy!)
(5)Jennifer S.
Wonderful clam chowder! I would go there just for a bowl of chowder. It's a nice fresh place to eat. The ambiance is unique as you're able to watch them cook your food in front of you. Servings are big, so be prepared to take some home or share with a friend (unless you're into huge portions). They let you choose exactly how spicy you'd like your food from a scale of 1-10. The chefs love to make conversation with those who sit at the bar where they cook the food. They're interesting individuals and keep the evening interesting.
(4)Choy L.
A good friend of mine finally took me here for dinner last night after hearing him rave about it for the better part of a month.. Upon entering the place, you quickly realize you're in for a dining experience. whether it be a good one or bad we shall see.. First off, you are greeted by the bar area wherein they serve Arrogant Bastard (I'm liking this place already!) Then we were seated at this other bar area where they prepare and cook your meal in front of you. (always a fun thing) makes you feel you're eating in the kitchen! The head chef comes over to us and after my friend tells him its my first time here, proceeds to explain to me how everything is cooked with steam, and how asking him if he's a "laker fan" will result in snot in your food.. (kidding about that last part.. its actually a ghost pepper and you'll provide your own snot.. ) The food arrives, and for tonight we chose a classic favorite of mine, Ciopino. and their house pan roast. The Ciopino was a little different than what i'm used to but delicious still. the pan roast on the other hand was absolutely scrumptious! definitely try this one when you come here. all that cheesy goodness will surely make you forget you're in Chino. LOL.. I definitely recommend this place. nice gastropub feel, arrogant bastard on tap, and yummy food. The one thing that kept me from giving that 5th star is that the servers were a bit slow in getting us pretty much anything, hopefully it's an isolated case of having an "off night". I will certainly give the broiler a second, third and nth chance..
(4)Melinda A.
There's definitely a lot of hype around this place, but in my opinion it just didn't meet up. We had a young, female server who was very nice. However, when she was trying to make recommendations for us to order, she didn't exactly help. All she kept saying was "Oh yeah, this is good. Yeah, this one is really good too. Oh, yes that one is good." I think she just went down the whole entire menu stating that everything was "good". Anyways, I thanked her and we ordered: 1. Oysters Rockefeller (half dozen)- This dish was really good. There wasn't a disgusting seafood flavor that I get with a lot of other oysters. The crispiness on the top really complimented the creamy hollandaise sauce. 2. Caesar's Salad + Clam Chowder Combination- The Caesar's Salad is just your typical salad. I thought it was really salty for some reason. Also, the clam chowder was super salty as well. We couldn't even finish half of it. 3. House Pan Roast- My grandpa really liked this. He got a spice level 5 and he said it wasn't as salty as the other ones. There was a ton of seafood in it and he finished it until the last drop. 4. Fisherman's Chowder- This dish was literally loaded with a ton of seafood. It had a seafoody taste to it and got very heavy. My brother got it at a spice level 4 and he thought it was okay. He said he'd like it at a spice level 3 next time though. 5. Chicken and Sausage Pan Roast (rice on side)- I think they should give more rice because this dish was really salty. It was thick and creamy. I got it at a spice level 8 and it was enough to make my nose runny. Btw, this isn't on the menu and I specially requested for them to change the seafood to meat. I think they overcharged me though! 6. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp- The bacon outside was just the perfect about of crunch and the shrimp wasn't lacking in any meat. Overall, I think this restaurant is a little too salty for my palette. I think you could get some of the items here better at Souplantation. My grandpa loved it, since he's a seafood lover. The others didn't enjoy it at all. I don't think we would come out of our way to visit this restaurant again. We probably have to though because my grandpa loved it to death. It was a new experience and if you're around the area you should give it a try.
(3)Jean K.
my favorite single meal of... pretty much all time. seafood-y, spicy, brothy. gotta have crab pan roast
(5)Helen C.
I'm still a fan. Still loved the CRAB PAN ROAST! Came here for my husband's birthday and he ordered the shrimp diablo. It was bleh... he practically ate all my pan roast... Trust me.. order the pan roast! We also had the calamari.. It was ok... One thing I noticed that the butter was room temp.... and I loved it... Can't wait to come back!
(4)Robert E.
We have been here several times and now that one of the owners has left it has gone to sh***. The service was horrible and our server even argued with a few of us. They forgot to give us bread and drinks. They were busy and very short staffed. We will think twice about going back. A birthday dinner should have been better!!! Sad they had a good thing going.
(1)Nico G.
I love this place! I came here for the 2nd time a couple of weeks ago. Some friends took me here for my birthday. I had the pan roast both times and enjoyed it verymuch both times. I also got the bacon wrapped shrimp, which are really good as well. Definitely give this place a try, it beats any of the chain restaurants if your looking for Cajun or sea food food!!!
(4)bruce H.
AMERICAN HOT POT complete different and unnecessarily complicated but good none the less. Eat here fast because its probably gonna go out of business because of the crappy location. To the owners, move to the mall down the street there is a place called RA sushi buy it out and put your store there. re: RA SUSHI. If I were Japanese would protest your restaurant daily for the abomination that they put fish and rice through in the name of sushi. PROS Great friendly service Portions are large Great in cold weather CONS Located in a brand new deserted shoping complex next to a LOWES and Babies R' Us (gross). Nothing else to do around unless you have a baby or need to buy lumber. The place is clean and brand new. They cook the food right in front of you in mini steam kettles. (Why this is done i have no idea) Steam imparts nothing but heat to the dish. All the sauces are preprepared and portions are pre cut. Imagine a SUBWAY except the food was good. Bread were warm and fresh. Rice was not mushy. Stews were tasty. We had the house roast which is a cream, butter, tomato sauce based seafood stew with rice, and the jambalaya with rice. Spicy levels are to your choosing 5 is pretty good 7 a little too spicy for me. Flavors were bright and rich and the seafood was well cooked. if you are a fan of chowders and stews than this will hit the spot. The place is much better than any of the chains in the area. What i would change is serve rice on the side and maybe add more meat choices or give us control of the steam kettles hahahahahaha... Definitely will be back to try the other flavors..... When the weather starts to get cold this is a great choice fro dinner.
(4)Marie N.
After reading all the rave reviews about the Oyster Bar in Vegas, I was pretty bummed out not knowing when my next visit to vegas would be; so that I can try out thier famous pan roasts.. Surprisingly enough, I found that the founders of the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, opened a restaraunt right in the heart of home, and served the exact same food! I was so ecstatic to try it out that I rushed my bf home from work so that we could check out some good ole' cajun food! We decided to sit at the bar, so that we can see our food being prepared right before our eyes..The food was cooked in a kettle steamer, so that they could all be cooked evenly..I chose the pan roast which consisted of a spicy tomatoe cream sauce with lobster,oyster,crab,shrimp sitting on a bed of rice..My bf had the jambalaya..Both dishes were AMAZING! They were so hearty and filling; that it would be something great to eat on a cold winter's day..We also had a dozen of thier Blue Point half shell oysters, and every succulent slurp was like butter running down my mouth, lols! Some people who came into the restaurant left, because they dont have a liqour license yet..I was like are you serious? You're gonna leave just because you can't have alochol with your food? What a bunch of alcoholics!!! Well, they missed out on some bomb-ass food! Sucks for them =(.. Be sure to check this place out..Its in a pretty new plaza, so I heard that business is still pretty slow for them, but its a must try! Trust meee!!! =)
(5)Ryan F.
My Recommendations: Any Pan Roast - Ask for linguine instead of the jasmine rice! You will leave more satisfied that you had experienced an excellent pasta dish. Seafood Gumbo - Best I've been able to discover in Southern California. Clam Chowder - Rich and creamy. Get a small serving! Cioppino - Out of this world. Get only a level 5 spiciness. 7+ and you will regret it!
(5)Lisa n.
If you've been to vegas and ate at any of the oyster bar. This place is better and closer if you're located in socal. My favorite place to go to after coming back from snowboarding from Big Bear. Food: Their calamari was good, nothing too special. Maybe it's because I'm not a calamari fan, but overall it was pretty decent. The bacon wrapped shrimp tasted fried instead of baked, i'm not quite sure but it was delicious especially with the sauce they drizzle over it. My must have appetizer when I come here is a cup of their new england clam chowder. mMm the best clam chowder I've tasted so far. I tend to always come here on Sunday night so it's happy hour time for appetizer and drinks. I recommend all the new-comers to try the HOUSE PAN ROAST first. Tastes like a creamy spicy tomato roux and It has white fish, shrimps lobsters, and clams (i believe). They serve it over rice, but I prefer pasta instead. The spice level is from 1-10 with 1 being mild. I choose 7 for everything because 5 isn't really a medium. For those returning who'd like to try something different. Their gumbo isn't the best gumbo I've tasted, but probably the best gumbo you'll get around southern california Go light on the spice level on this one because this one does have a lot of pepper in it to begin with. My cousin had the etoufee and he's absolutely in love with it. Instead of the tomato creamy flavor it's more of a spicy seafood roux and contains shrimp, sausage, and crawfish served with rice. Decor: It has a nice feel to it. It's like a modern look to it. But the best seats are the counter seats. The bathrooms are a bit small, but the restaurant itself isn't too big. I would say they could probably seat 65 people. There's a second bar for drinks, but their drink selections aren't that big. Service: It's an interactive type restaurant if you sit at the counter. The chefs are funny especially Chris. The waitresses are on top of their game. If it gets busy they might not check up on you as often, but if you ask any of the waitresses for anything they won't hesitate to get it for you. Overall, friendly staff makes a better experience. The food does take a bit of time to cook. So if you're starving and want food to come out in a few seconds, this place isn't the right place for you. Compared to Oyster Bar in Vegas. The flavors aren't as bold (in a good way). The wait isn't ridiculous, but you might have to wait like 30 minutes if you're caught in the rushes. The staff in Vegas are a bit more interactive with the customer, but they're dealing with 16 customers instead of 65.
(5)Sam C.
The dining room has mostly bar seating around a very clean open kitchen and a couple of small tables along the windows. There was only one large table, so this is not a place for large groups. The calamari and fried soft shell crab was delicious and fried to perfection. Their batter was fluffy and crispy, but not too hard. Ordered a couple of their main entrees to share: Bouillabaisse, Gumbo, Pan Roast House , Linguini with Clams . The Linguini with Clams was delicious, but also had a spicy Cajun kick to it. For the rest of the entrees, they were mostly seafoods in a creamy broth with rice. The waitress will ask you what spicy level you'd like for each entree (between 1 and 10). We ordered the same level for all dishes but some of them came out more spicy than the others. Of all the entrees, I enjoyed the Pan Roast House and Bouillabaisse most, because the Gumbo was a bit too salty.
(4)Herm G.
The bowl will mislead you to think it's a small portion. But at the end of the meal...you will be full. Mostly seafood stuff...with minimal non-seafood dishes.
(4)Dan M.
I tried The Boiler for the first time last night. I was at Lowe's picking some things up and decided to try them out with a to-go order. I'd noticed The Boiler before while I was in the area, but didn't know what type of food they served. When I looked them up on Yelp and saw that they served cajun/creole food I was in! I had the house pan roast, which is a spicy tomato based sauce with trinity, shrimp, lobster, clams, and rice. They ask you how spicy you want it, from 1-10 when you order. I opted for 5, and let me tell you, the food was pretty spicy. The pan roast was delicious, and I'll definitely be heading back soon with the family. The service was very good, and all of the employees were very friendly.
(5)Vivian L.
Sit at counter bar and see the cooker cooks ur meal. I think it's fun and I had awesome experience here. The food is great too. Must try.
(5)Dan L.
Seriously, when I first saw this place, I wasn't expecting much. The name sort of threw me off, but holy cats! Once I got in and sat down, this place changed my life! My buddy Nathan took my wife and I there, and my wallet will never forgive him, we've gone there 3 times already and are taking some friends there tonight! Suggestions? The House Pan Roast is the bomb dot com! The other thing that impressed me was the level of service and attention to detail ... the staff is wonderful, attentive (but not hovering) and very friendly ... feels like you are over at a friends house for dinner. I cannot recommend this place enough ... oh, and make sure you get the creme brulee for dessert. This place is totally worth every penny and you will not leave hungry!
(5)Faye P.
Amazing food. Share though, they're totally cool with it. I can see how if each person got a meal it'd be spendy but the portions are gigantic. Sit at the bar. They remember you every time. Fantastic management. Try everything. You can't go wrong!
(5)May C.
No one mentioned the extended long wait! Although I expected the wait for a table on a Saturday night, I didn't quite expect the long wait for our food to be prepared. It took pretty much an hour for our food to come to the table after ordering. I had House Pan Roast and my hubby had Gumbo. I'm not a fan of tomato-based dishes, but I have to say Pan Roast rocks. Even though I will say the Pan Roast may worth the wait, I won't come back to the Boiler on a weekend night. Hence, the 3 stars...
(3)C W.
There is normally always a wait here. My favorites are the jambalya and pan roast. Kinda pricey but always get good service. Well priced for the amount and quality of the seafood.
(4)Ria P.
LOVE this place! The pan roasts are amazing...I made the mistake of ordering my Gumbo really spicy and I wasn't able to enjoy it. The management is great and the staff is really friendly. I love the appetizer sampler that they have during happy hour..their sausages are amazing. It's kind of pricey but its worth it every now and then. If you like spicy, this is a good place to go. It's never too crowded. Try going during happy hour..they have great deals. It may not look like a lot of food at first but I never finish it! Great place.
(4)John G.
Wandered into this place one night, it's in a lonely location across the parking lot from Lucille's in Chino, was pleasantly surprised with the results. The setting is cool if you can get a seat at the bar where they actually make the food, you can chat with the chef and sometimes get a taste of something you didn't order but might want to next time. I usually (always) get the house pan roast because the flavor is amazing, and some of the other things I tried just seemed lacking. You can choose a spice level from 0-10, so all pallets are welcome. The one drawback I've had is that they never seem to have the sauce to make the Oysters Rockefeller, and I've been here several times, don't know what that's about. I also heard that recently the owner/chef who inspired the whole restaurant has left the company and is somewhere else, so I'm not sure what the current situation is, but any monkey with a recipe can probably duplicate most of the dishes so I'd still check it out
(4)Maria B.
Have returned here many times since my first review and have fallen in love with the crab pan roast (without trinity, spice level 3). My husband is hooked on the Bouillabaisse (spice level 5). The flavors are fantastic and the chefs and staff are all so nice. Have even been lucky in grabbing a table rather than bar seating when we get there early enough. Excellent food and especially perfect on a cold day.
(4)Steve C.
i heard about this place when i was waiting in line for the oyster bar in vegas. it's basically the same thing but just not as good. doesn't mean you shouldn't try this place out. it's definitely worth a try. if you have had the oyster bar before then this would satisfy your fix without having to drive all the way to vegas. pan roasts are solid. i personally recommend the lobster one. add some andouille and it's just great. everything here is almost as good as the oyster bar. service is actually better as they have more wait staff. i recommend the lobster pan roast because i don't really care for the shrimp. it's overcooked and chewy each time i've had it. never had this issue at the oyster bar. etouffee is decent. new orleans does it better (obviously) but this is good enough. clam chowder here is decent. probably one of the better ones i've had outside of san francisco. this place is definitely worth a try. i try to go when i can. It's about 30 minutes away but it's worth the drive. you will get a meal that will give you that nice warm feeling inside after you're done.
(4)Jen T.
My brother brought me here after being a huge fan of the pan roast house in Vegas and we love this place sooo much my cousin and I went back the next day. The chef And owner was talking to us and they were really friendly. I've only had the Pan roast but I don't think I want to try anything else it's so good...
(5)Sal P.
This place is awesome!! There is no other place like it. The flavor is rich and amazing. Try the House Pan Roast and the clam chowder soup.
(5)suzee h.
I love this place! It is so yummy :) I only went there once, but I can't wait to go back to my hometown when semester is over! I don't remember what I ordered, it is something with shrimps and linguine? So sorry that I can't remember the name of what I ordered! But it was so delicious. I love the soup, there is a big flavor that is hard to describe. Also, it's creamy that I just want to drink it! :) This place serves warm bread and you can dunk those pieces of bread into this soup :) Next time, I am ordering House Pan Roast! My boyfriend ordered it and it was so GOOD! Although, it has the level of spiciness. I am not a fan of spicy food. I ordered the number one, but my order is still spicy! Still, I really enjoyed my meal. The service is really great :) The waitress checked up on us often to make sure if we are satisfied with our food. Try to sit on the bar and watch the chef cooking front of you! :)
(5)Crystal L.
I wanted to check this place out due to all the reviews on yelp. Went on a Friday night and surprisingly there was no wait. My bf and I sat at the counter and we could see there was a lot going on. We ordered the house pan roast which was amazing and the soft shell crab and bacon wrapped shrimp as appetizers. Appetizers were nothing special and actually quite "tiny". Skip them. I rate only three stars because the service was not the greatest. They gave my pan roast to the couple next to us by accident and didn't even bother to apologize to me. Rather they apologized to the couple they gave it too and offered to make them a new one. So I was stuck having to wait longer for my food while my bf's food was sitting in front of us getting cold. Plus there is a lot of screaming back and forth going on with the staff. Our waitress looked like she hated her job.
(3)Wendy Y.
This is absolutely over rated, they have ran out of oysters on a saturday 7pm reservations, how can that be? The pan roast and the gumbo was way over priced. This is almost the same feeling as the the oyster bar at palace station. However, palace station is way better than this!!!
(2)Shelley C.
Must try is the shrimp diablo! If you can take spicy hot, then this is the place to go.
(4)Richard B.
Enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a small and enjoyable restaurant. I arrived with a group of 5 people. While this place is not large it is able to accomadate groups. During the time that we were waiting for the table we enjoyed a couple of the beers they had on tap. The hostess kept us updated on our table as it took a little longer then expected due to the amount of people eating there that night. Once we had our table the wait staff was attentive and answered our questions regarding the menu with detail. These servers know the menu. Our appetizer arrived and we enjoyed a simple dish of Cajun Fries. The portion was generous, especially for the price. When our food arrived it was large enough portions to enjoy but not feel hungry if you finished it. Needless to say we all took left overs home. the flavor was balanced and very enjoyable. Our next visit will be seated at the bar so we can watch them cook our food when we order it. I definitely will visit this palce many times over if the service and food stays to this level. It was worth every dollar spent.
(4)Mo F.
I went here last night.... Reading such great reviews from the follow Yelpers I had high expectations. I have never been to the oyster bar so I really had nothing to compare it to - other then previous experiences with Creole/Cajun foods and my numerous trips to Louisiana. We ordered the Pan Roast, Jambalaya, and my daughter had the chicken nuggets. I like it spicy so I went with the Pan Roast at "8". I did not think it was very spicy. However, I do think the spice factor depends on the dish. The Jambalaya was a "4" and my group thought that was very spicy. So guess it depends. I rated the overall score a 3 because I was shocked about the "Soup" theme and I thought the food was a Creole/Asian Fusion more then Creole/Cajun. Overall, I still think the food was good. The next time I return I will have my mind in the right frame "Creole/Cajun Fusion - Soup Theme" I am sure I will go back and rate higher the next time. Pro's - Local - Food was good "but remember SOUP is the theme for many dishes" - Food very rich and flavorful - Great place for groups Con's - Not kid friendly. My recommendation DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILDREN. - In the PAN Roast I think the steam sometime takes away the texture and flavor of some of the seafood. At times I was not able to determine what I was eating other then the SHRIMP because all the rest of the seafood just kinda melted away in your mouth with a steamed flavor and no real texture. - Long waits and no reservations.
(3)Aaron F.
Definately has the potential of 5 stars. It is obvious that they listen to us yelpers. Their ingredient portion has been increased significantly, and there is no longer and AC problem. They also give 10% to yelpers. The clam chowder was absolutely amazing, its one of the best I've had. Go for the cup though, coz we shared a bowl and we still couldnt finish it. The pan roast is very delicious and very addicting too. I'll be coming back again pretty soon. Cause I'm craving for it already! And yes a lil bit more rice wouldnt help, as well as a few more TV's, and a more efficient staff, this place would be perfect!!!
(4)Sing T.
Went here to eat with the wife and some friends. This cajun place is pretty good. Had the House Pan Roast. The Pan Roast was like a gumbo type dish that has shrimp, lobster, crabs and creol spices and a scoop of rice. It was very delicious and it was made right in front of us. The service was pretty good. Everyone was very nice and it was kind of neat to talk to the chef and make small talk with them. They even let us sample what a 13 scale spiciness taste like. Would go back again to try the other different foods they have. It is a lot better than some cajun food i had in the past.
(4)ANGIE R.
Eh, it was just okay. My friends raved about it so much we made the drive to IE to try it out. Not sure if it was because the change of owner or not, I was not impressed. I got the pan roast which was heavy and salty...and not much seafood. The serving size was large, I could barely eat half of it. Hubby got the gumbo which he liked it okay, but I didn't. The service wasn't attentive, I had to wave my arms a few times to get some attention (like getting the bill!). I don't think I'll return again.
(3)Sophia H.
So I finally had a chance to try out the food at the Boiler last night with two other couples. We started off with oysters on the half shell and calamari, which were both exceptional. The clam chowder was good and tasty, but a bit too thick (gravy-like). However, the highlight of our dinner was definitely the house pan roast. My friend suggested we add sausage to the roast, which was a fabulous idea. I feel the pan roast was very comparable to the Palace Station Oyster Bar. I brought leftovers home and I can't wait to eat the roast for lunch. :) Furthermore, the staff was also very friendly and attentive. This is a new restaurant and some of their staff are still in training, so you just have to be patient with them for now until they work out all the kinks of a new restaurant. But rest assure that the food is definitely worth the wait. It's always a nice personal touch when you get the General Manager (Jackson) and Executive Chef (Ritter) visiting our table and making sure we're satisfied...which we were! I definitely recommend this to everyone who enjoys cajun/creole cuisine. It's very rare to find this type of cuisine in SoCal, so I"m glad we found out about The Boiler. We're hoping they expand closer to Irvine/Newport area. In the meantime, we're already looking forward to our next visit.
(5)M L.
Let me first start with the fact that I love their food here. It's delicious, hearty, and worth the money. BUT I had to write a review based on the service today. We were a party of six, and were seated right away and given the lunch menu. We ordered our appetizers, we were served rather quickly, then ate our appetizers...during which time our waitress never came back for our food orders. We ordered from the lunch and regular menu, and the waitress came back and told us that she had "lost track of time" and the lunch menu was no longer served. It ended even before the time of our arrival! Needless to say, I was really disappointed with our experience here today.
(3)Mustafa J.
Yuuuuum. This place is amazing! They have a very casual dinning room with two "bars." One is the traditional bar with social lubricants and the other is actually where the kettles which cook your food are. We came for lunch and the waiter asked if we wanted to sit at the bar. It was empty and to me "sitting at the bar" is what you do when you cant get a table or are going to enjoy a few drinks. I declined his offer... I wish I hadn't. Next time I am sitting at the bar! The chicken gumbo was delicious and hearty! Full of flavor and just the right spice level (5 of 10). I might get bold next time and try the level 8! The jumbalaya(sp?) was great. Forgot that fellow yelpers had recommended the Pan Roast... oh well, a great excuse to go back! A great change of pace from the other restaurants in the area. The location worries me, I hope they get enough exposure!
(4)Chris B.
Cajun fries must try (different take on what normally fries would be).. Had there jalapeno poppers which had the thickest and crunchiest batter I ever had (pure awesome). I ordered the "gumbo" which included HUGE pieces of shrimp, fish, sausage, okra and other shiznits I don't know about. Full robust flavor, wonderful aromatics and everything u would want @ a really really good bayou restaurant except its in Chino Hills. NO 5 stars cigar because... Service really really I mean really slow. I suggest go during lunch time (before 3 pm) because come dinner time, the prices jump like $5 or 6 dollars.. on the flip side, if you get there between 4-6 (dinner time) Happy hour and get your brewski (bottle) for $2.50..
(4)Leda T.
I had only heard of this place after been to oyster bar of palace station in Vegas. I love the combination pan roast there and had to try first hand if the pan roast from the boiler would be the same or even attempt to come close. I ordered the house pan roast, which is a creamy seafood bisque that contains shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams and I must admit it was just as good as the combination pan roast from oyster bar in Vegas! I actually don't recall the pan roast at oyster bar having clams in it, but I could be mistaken. And I personally think that the pan roast from the boiler is meatier! The chef here did a great job! As for the venue itself half of the place is a bar counter and the other half is regular seating area; so for large parties where you want to all sit together I would advise you to call ahead of time for reservations. Also they close at 9pm but kitchen stops taking orders by 830 so just keep this in mind if you are planning for a late dinner. Although I still absolutely love oyster bar I am so happy to know that I can easily satisfy my pan roast craving without having to travel all the way to Vegas!
(4)Bridget P.
The unique method of cooking the meal is the reason to sit at the bar. We have been there 3 times in three weeks. The menu is Cajun Creole and you tell them the level of spice that you want. We want to bring many more friends with to keep this caliber restaurant here in the Inland Empire!
(5)Laura M.
The oysters were great. The service, not so much. We tried to order Cajun fries when we went around noon. The blonde waitress said they "sold out", yet a few people came in a little after us and someone magically ended up with some Cajun fries. Hmmmm. Guy behind the bar was nice, waitress seemed careless and slow. Gumbo was okay. Shrimp Diablo tasted like a can of tomato sauce. Not sure if I would come back.
(3)Chad R.
Food is great, staff is great, atmosphere is great! Love sitting at the bar and chatting with the cooks. They all have amazing personalities..... A must!
(5)Kay K.
I'm glad their food didn't disappoint since I read some of the bad reviews from yelp before heading there. Tired the clam chowder and it was amazing. It's obvious that they had upped the seafood portion in their pan roast, and it was very delicious. It has the potential to earn my solid 5 stars. Here's why they only got 3 from me so far: The oysters on half shelves were GROSS, they were soggy and tasteless. I agree with some of you on the stingy portion of rice. If I'm paying almost $20 for the pan roast, there should be enough rice to pair with the deliciousness. The waitress was really sweet, but extremely slow and unfocused. It took her 3 trips to pack up my leftovers, and at one point she didn't know whether she had tossed my food by mistake. All of which took nearly 15min, when I would've been out the door if she simply brought me the containers. They need to either train their wait staff better to finish one task before starting on another, or simply hire more people. And please, get fresh oysters for the love of food!
(3)Brian T.
When my wife and I first saw this place, we were not sure what "steam kettle cooking" was. We were thinking "The Boiler" was like Irish or English boiled food - yuck. Well we were very wrong. We picked up a menu the other day, and saw the theme of Cajun/Creole cooking. We decided to try it on a Saturday night, and we were very pleased. The wait staff and manager were very friendly and helpful. Making suggestions, asking where we heard about them (we did tell them we read some good reviews on Yelp, they seem to read it too). My wife had the clam chowder and I had the chipotle fish chowder. I tried the clam chowder and it was amazing. The clams were nice and tender, not rubbery like you sometimes get. The flavor was rich and creamy, and not filled with potatoes - but a good rich soup. If you like spicy the chipotle fish chowder is very good as well (although next time I think I'll go for the clam chowder). We then had come of the Cajun calamari, also very good, not too spicy, but a nice peppery crust on it. For dinner I had the jambalaya and my wife had the house pan roast. The jambalaya was excellent, nice smoky andoulie sausage, juicy shrimp, and a tasty sauce. I was very happy. It does come out quite hot, so be careful. My wife really enjoyed the pan roast, I wasn't crazy about the sauce, but tomato cream sauces aren't my thing. She very much enjoyed it. We left very satisfied and very full. (maybe the Cajun calamari was a little too much). The good thing is that we have leftovers for lunch today! Don't let the name fool you it is definitely worth a visit.
(5)P L.
Been here twice now and tried the following: house pan roast - like everyone says, excellent. level 5 is spicy enough without overpowering the seafood flavor. this really fills you up because the bowl is pretty deep and the soup is very rich (probably lots of butter in it). boullabaise - also very good, in a lighter soup base than the pan roast. clam pasta - very good - lots of clam flavor. Their appetizers were mildly disappointing: raw oysters - not very fresh. maybe it was an off night but I won't be trying this again. soft shell crab - ok taste but tiny portion a combo appetizer plate - i think it had sausage and bacon wrapped something - I can't remember exactly what it had because the taste was so bland. I haven't tried their cajun calamari yet, but so far I am not impressed with their appetizers, but the main dishes are such winners that I'm still giving 5 stars. Can't wait to go back. I wish the owner would open a location in Rancho Cucamonga rather than Irvine. Everyone neglects the inland empire!
(5)K L.
The food was authentic but the price did not justify. My Wife and I had the clam chowder, seafood raw plate and the house pot. We had water to drink and it cost $50. The chowder was very salty that we have to add water into it. The seafood plate was flesh with clams, gulf coast oysters, shrimps and crab legs but it cost $18 with just two of each items. The only seafood you can find in the house pot was shrimps... which does not match the descriptions of lobsters, crabs...etc. I can definitely make the house pot at home with simple trinity (carrot, onions and green pepper) with tomato base and cream... so I really don't think I will go back again.
(3)helen s.
After looking at all these great reviews from yelp, i had to go and check it out myself and had a great experience. My friend and i met up for dinner and were greeted by a really friendly hostess and immediately seated. Our waitress (also very friendly) took our drink orders and gave us some recommendations on what to order. We decided to go with a Clam Chowder (bowl) and a House Pan Roast (spicy level 10) because we could probably split it and be satisfied. She started us out with some bread & butter as we waited for our food. WOW, the food was really good! The clam chowder was full of flavor, thick, and creamy! YUM. The House Pan Roast had a bit of a spicy kick to it but not too much to take away from the flavor. I've never had anything like this before so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but trust me, it was GOOD!. During our dinner, the chef/owner comes out to greet us and see how our dinner was. He is so nice and talked to us about how he moved over from the Oyster Bar in Vegas. He also mentioned that the dessert was Creme Brulee... Right when he mentioned this, I knew I had to order that so we did and wiped that dessert clean. Next time, I will be back because I am eager to try other stuff on the menu!
(5)Bruce C.
Our first visit last night. Ambiance:Comfortable clean, friendly atmosphere. The owner and the servers all seemed intent on ensuring a good time. Sit at the bar if you can - your meal is prepared right before you. Food: We've been to New Orleans on several occasions. The Jambalaya and Gumbo were as good as any we've had. Spice to 4-5 was enough. Quantity was ample. Apparently, according to the couple next to us, he Pan Roasts are the star of the show. Next time. The owner (wisely) provided a sample of Clam Chowder which was excellent. I will order a full bowl the next time. I really want this restaurant to succeed but it needs to be in a better location. That shopping center is not well traveled.
(5)Miharu N.
MUST GO!! If you are like me don't like American food, you MUST try The Boiler. It will totally change your mind!! Being in the U.S. for more than 15 years and I am still not used to those plain, greasy, and fatty American food. 2 weeks ago my husband and I got a chance to come to The Boiler with my relatives, who know I don't do American food well (or shall we say, I don't eat American food). We ordered the clam chowder, calamari sandwich, pan roast house (spicy #5), chicken jambalaya (spicy #7), and something else. OMG!! I love the clam chowder and the pan roast house!! The clam chowder is a bit salty but you can find a lot of clams in the soup (A Plus). The pan roast house, how should I say, is just so wonderful!! There were 5 of us and we were all fighting for it. Ritter was so nice. We had a great time chatting with him and of course we got a sample of clam chowder even though we ordered 2 big bowl size. :) We don't live that close to Chino Hills (2 hours driving) but we are going back to The Boiler for dinner tonight!! Calamari, clam chowder, and pan roast house, here we come!! *^__^*
(5)Julie S.
This place was great. You walk in and it's very clean, modern and welcoming. Me and my bf sat at the bar and watched the Chef prepare all the meals. You get warm break and crackers at the beginning- you may want to ask for more bread to dip it in your sauce. I ordered the house roast which really did remind me of New Orleans. The waitress asks how spicy you want the food on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the hottest) and so I got the 5 which was perfect. It had a kick but wasn't too hot. I had SO much seafood in my meal and it was just a perfect blend of pasta and seafood. My sauce was thicker and a pinkish color- delicious. My boyfriend got the clams with linguini. He also had plenty of clams and pasta in a more clear broth vs a thick sauce like mine. He got his food very spicy (7 out of 10) and really enjoyed his meal. This place was very authentic and had an awesome vibe. The reason I didnt give it a 5 was because they only had 1 waitress so it was pretty hard to get her attention or any refills on drinks- otherwise, this place is a winner!
(4)James S.
Great place to try something new. The restaurant is very quaint with a great atmosphere for being in a brand new shopping center. The service was wonderful and the entire staff made us feel welcome. It took me a moment to get over the fact that they haven't yet received their liquor license. "Any day now" is what we were told. We started with 2 dozen oysters on a half shell, which were very fresh tasting and yummy. Next, I had the recommended House Pan Roast which was definitely a taste I've never experienced. Very rich and flavorful. During the first half of the bowl, I was thinking that I'd be back once a week. Towards the end of the bowl, the sauce's flavor was a little strong for me to finish. 2 others in our group of 7 had the same, 3 had the jambalaya, and my wife had the linguine with clams. Everyone, but one in the group agreed that the entrees were delicious at first but were a little too rich to finish. The one exception sponged the remains of his House Pan Roast with the last piece of bread. I'm pretty sure he could have finished another serving. After dinner, we enjoyed great conversation and even better creme brulee. The owner/chef came out to greet us and explained that his desserts are all hand made from scratch. The best creme brulee I've ever had. Perfect. Even with the absence of alcohol, we stayed another 20 minutes just talking and enjoying the atmosphere. I highly recommend this place. Although I mentioned that the sauce is rich, it's probably perfect when accompanied with a few beers. Oh yeah, if you like spicy, choose 10 on the spice chart. A 10 was promised to cause a runny nose and constant sweating, but seemed rather mild for a group of Asians. It had a kick that crept slowly, but definitely not like the red sauce at King Taco.
(4)Gail H.
Great food and great service.
(5)Stanley L.
Probably the best gumbo I've had(besides my dad's) if you come here it's a must try. Be sure to get there early, call ahead, or...be prepared to wait around 2 hours before you can get a table
(5)Vivian M.
Went here the other day and it's only gotten better! ^_^ I'm so glad business is hoppin'. House Pan Roast was perfect! Gumbo was perfect! Oysters were delicious! Happy hour is cool with cheap appetizers! I love being able to try something new, especially when it doesn't cost a fortune, just in case I don't like it. ^_~ They were all good, two different kinds of sausage with neat dipping sauces, and the calamari was made from crazy 1" thick Humbolt squid! I don't know if Chef Ritter went out to catch it himself or not, but it was SUPER fresh! :d The waitresses need to step up their game. Maybe they need to stop worrying about who's table is who's and concentrate on checking on their customers. Good thing great food always overshadows mediocre service in my book! ^_^
(5)Laura H.
This place is fun, good environment and wonderful food! I tried the bacon wrapped shrimp (I don't even like bacon) and it was amazing. I ordered the jambayla and it was sooo good! I am a big creole fan and have been looking around for good places to eat but all have failed. The boiler definitely met my expectations! I will be going back on a monthly basis now! Thank you for the great food and the great conversation (with owner/chef)!
(5)Jamshed K.
Amazing!! The Pan Roast is excellent and so are the oysters...I wouldnt pay the $1 more for the 'better' oysters. The calamari is good but not great. Great service and A+ experience :)
(5)Karthika M.
My husband and I tried the food last night, and we loved it. I had the House Pan Roast with a spiciness level of 6. I'm not faint of heart when it comes to spicy food, but this was very hot for me. I will go for a 5 or 4 next time. My husband had the Chicken Caesar Salad and a bowl of Clam Chowder. The Pan Roast was flavorful and full of yumminess and the clam chowder was one of the best I've ever tasted. It sounds like this restaurant did listen to yelpers as I did not feel they skimped on the amount of seafood or rice in the Pan Roast. The food we had was very rich. If you are watching your calorie intake, I estimate that the Pan Roast has about 11,000 calories in it. LOL. It was oh so delicious, but I wish it was less expensive and came in a smaller portion. I could not finish it and paid dearly for it later, if you catch my drift! We had the creme brulee for dessert, which was also very good. The main reason this place did not get 5 stars was that the owner of the restaurant was running around the place trying to attend to everyone even though there was a full wait staff. He was very nice and clearly cared that we enjoyed our meal, but he was making us nervous with all the scurrying and checking up on us when we already had a waitress who was doing a fine job. I noticed that he was mopping the floor and asking the wait staff if they needed help. This was distracting, especially since the restaurant is fairly small. Perhaps this was because of other negative reviews I've seen here about the wait staff, but the only thing more annoying than an inattentive waiter is one who asks if everything is OK every 5 minutes. Delegate and trust your wait staff! I would recommend this restaurant and look forward to trying other items on the menu.
(4)Deirdra W.
The clam chowder is excellent.... Call by phone to beat the wait!
(5)Arleene A.
Second time here...though our first time here we ordered to go so I was a little skeptical of coming here and dining in..due to all the low reviews. But, my boyfriend LOVES Cajun food so we gave it a shot anyways! OMG! I have to say that we've been missing out on there great food!!!!. JUST Amazing. Super delicious. WE ordered the Blue point oysters and they were super tasty...fresh and had such a delicious flavor. If you like oysters I'd definitely try these. The bacon wrapped shrimp were super yummy and they just melted in your mouth...nicely cooked...and flavor was off the charts...you will NOT be disappointment. (my boyfriend swallowed them up so fast I only ate two.) hahaha. For our main dishes I ordered the House pan roast at a 3 spiciness and he ordered the gumbo at an 8 spiciness. My pan roast was very delicious. All the ingredients were fresh and they had such good flavor...my little taste buds were so happy. The tomato sauce they made it with was spectacular. It came with rice and it was enough for my portion of food. You can order it with pasta instead if you like. I had no complaints. Just writing this review is making me want some for dinner again. My boyfriend had the gumbo and he was sooo stuffed. He likes his food super hot so maybe next time he will try a 10 spiciness. Real authentic gumbo aside from homemade it was very pleasing. My daughter had real breast chicken nuggets with fries and she tore them up (2 1/2 year old ) My bill was not too bad prices are well worth the amazing food. I read online many reviews about there service...but I had NO PROBLEMS with their service. Everyone we encountered was very nice and pleasing...had smiles on their faces all the time. It was half full i'd say of customers... And to add we went right before closing time...and they didnt rush us or anything...my waitress was very accommodating and was very helpful in describing the different options we had. Very nice and polite....WOULD RECOMMEND. Management must of heard all of your comments about the service because we had a great time. We will definitely come way more often. Two thumbs UP! If you are looking for some good Cajun food this is the place to come!
(5)Iris J.
Good stuff, large servings
(4)Kay W.
Mmm mmm mmmm, Cajun food done right! I have been to New Orleans and didn't taste anything remotely as delicious as the boiler! Explosive rich flavors, generous portion, and wonderful service, it is definitely one of a kind. Some faves include the pan roast of course, the chicken and sausage pasta, bouillabaisse, all very delicious!
(5)roger l.
Just when you think you have found a place to eat regularly(I have spent at least $400 at this place...), you realize the chef is gone... Which is quite ok if food is the same... BUT NO, food isn't the same. I am loyal to good food, and I am disappointed with the new raised price yet downgraded flavor... Call me spoiled, but I would like to know where chef ritter went so I can get the pan roast again... And yea, unless they can get the old recipe... I don't think I will be back anymore.
(1)George U.
You know, it's hard to find Lousianna cooking in California, especially Southern California. I can understand why it's hard. With the weather being the way it is, it's hard to get excited for soup. In a hot summer's day, who wants soup? Though I say this, if the Boiler is around, I'd want soup. I'd want gumbo. I'd want bouillabaisse. My friend from Sacramento was working in Riverside during the week and I called her up to see if she was free. Good thing she was since I've been wanting to try this restaurant out for a while. I first heard of it from a friend who told me, "The same guys who opened the Oyster Bar in LV are the same guys who opened the Boiler in Chino Hills." That got me excited. So I phoned up the restaurant to make reservations and Chris was the person helping me out. I asked him if the Oyster Bar and the Boiler were related, in which Chris replied, "Similar concept, but ours is more original." Pretty confident, which is what I like. (Note, I do not know if Chris is the owner, but he sure seemed like it). When I first arrived, place wasn't empty, but it wasn't packed either. I went on a Thursday night (6/30/2011), so the weather had the cool summer air. Sat down and looked at everything. Pretty nice. Decor was nice with dark wood, metal and brick. Place could easily be converted into a shabu. Though I just described the place as nice and used characterization that would make it seem elegant, there are some things about the restaurant that seems not so elegant, in which I mean, normal or cheap. The tables and chairs are standard. The menu is on the dinner mat. Napkin is paper. The food is pretty damn good. My friend wanted the calamari, which was fine. Nothing to rave or complain about. Next thing that came out was our entrees. She ordered the gumbo and I ordered the bouillabaisse. I'm not going to describe the gumbo because most people knows what that is and because I didn't have it, but the bouillabaisse was DELICIOUS. I ordered it spicy (on a scale of 1-10, I ordered an 8, which was just right - I love spice). Here's how the bouillabaisse is described on their menu: "A French-style tomato leek based soup with saffron, fennel, and Pernod. Featuring lobster, shrimp, crab, clams, cod, and mussels." Here's how I would describe it: Fusion frenzy of French-American New Orleans craziness. Most people know I have a prediliction for French food, but this wasn't "French." This was Awesome Americaness. This restaurant did not disappointment my mouth. I had a great time eating all the seafood, even if I am rather far from the ocean. Service was okay. Maybe our waitress wasn't as experienced since forgot a few things and killed our table's conversation more than enough. Now, this is me being nitpicky. She didn't bring out the bread plates. There was a second waitress behind her who remembered and brought them out. The conversation killing came when she would come in and ask us how we're doing. Now most good servers I've encountered would just do things that would not interrupt the flow of conversation, such as refilling drinks, taking away plates, etc. Everytime she came in and interrupted us, I wanted to throw a piece of bread at her forehead since it took a while to get the conversation flowing again. I complain about this, but the other server understood my friend and I were having a conversation, so she was cognizant of what to do and it was nice that Chris (mentioned above) came out and spoke with us with the restaurant's plan to move to Irvine or Costa Mesa (their original wanted location). If they do end up opening another store in Irvine or Costa Mesa, dog gone it, I will be there waiting to eat their scrumptous food.
(4)Lawrence P.
It's not often that you randomly try a restaurant that completely surprises you with pleasant service and awesome food. one of my coworkers told me about this place and how good the food was. not knowing what I was in for, I decided to visit the place with my partner after we got out of the office on Thursday. when we got to the restaurant I noticed it was packed, but I was fairly pleased to find that we were greeted right away and seated within a minute of stepping through the doors. we ordered the calamari to start with; it wasn't bad. nicely cooked, great presentation and an awesome dipping sauce with a heaping dollop of horseradish (yum). for entree my partner ordered the bouillabaisse and I chose the pan roast house; we both got medium heat (5). perhaps my perception of medium heat is different than others but I was expecting it to pack a little more punch. or perhaps the fact that i was ordering a cream based dish is the fact that the heat was dampened. still, the food was absolutely amazing. the bouillabaisse was jam packed with seafood, all cooked just right; it's refreshing to be able to order seafood at a restaurant where they don't horribly overcook the dish and serve you a bowl full of rubbish. the base for the bouillabaisse was clean and flavorful. this however, was nothing compare to the culinary orgasm that was the pan roast house. the creaminess of the base perfectly complimented the smorgasbord of shrimp, crab, lobster and clams. what's even better was the fact that the shrimp were huge -- the chunks of crab and lobster were also quite substantial. to say this dish is hearty would be and understatement. further adding to the awesomeness of the dish was the sweet aroma of the jasmine rice. one of my other coworkers whom I suggested to try this place also fell in love with the pan roast and likened it to "a creole version of seafood curry on rice." in regards to the service, everybody was extremely nice. the service itself was a little sporadic but definitely didn't take away from the experience as a whole. both chefs are warm and inviting and because the way the food is cooked in front of you, it makes you feel like you're apart of the process; it's like going to a friends house and chatting with them in the kitchen while you watch them prepare dinner. overall, an amazing experience. this is a place I will definitely visit on a regular basis. I've already got a few people hooked on the place and I'll bet this becomes a staple in chino hills simply due to word of mouth. I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu -- though I don't know if I'll be able to pass up the pan roast.
(5)Dave R.
Went to this place and in the end, we were not disappointed. The lunch crowd was busy and the place was hopping. We sat at the cooking bar and I will say that the cooks standing 3 feet in front of us could have been friendly, but nope. They did not say one single word at all. In fact they looked very much not happy to be there. The waitress however was very kind and friendly. The Jambalaya was awesome and had a ton of flavor! I will return, so the cooks had better be happy next time......
(4)Jessica C.
Absolutely amazing. I fell in love with this food at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station in Las Vegas, and was desperate to find a place closer to home. The Boiler totally measures up, and the style of food is incredibly unique and hard to find. I recommend the house pan roast, as everyone does, but I order it with pasta rather than rice. Also, the New England clam chowder is amazing, even if you hate the stuff anywhere else but here, as I do. I completely understand the complaints posted about the wait staff, as service here is certainly lacking, but the food is so phenomenal, I find it difficult to care. My husband and I drive up at least twice a month from Los Angeles, and it always feels worth the trip!
(5)Kevin K.
First visit to the boiler tonight with the family. I read good reviews and bad reviews. The most important review is the one you conceive after your meal. I say it was a good meal. I would say we all enjoyed our dinner. Got there pretty early for a friday night, so we got seated right away. had the calimari to start which was quite tasty. Ordered the manhatten claim chowder for my mom and the claim wasen't prepared as well as it could've. But then, i guess what can you expect from a so-so priced dinner. Other than the not so great soup, the house pan roast were very good, with a good mixture of seafood. The hotness of spice can be mis-leading, depending on what you're eating. my sister got shrimp diavalo at a rating of 6 in spice, while i got my pan roast at 6. But her 6 was definitely hotter.. But overall, i would say it was a good meal for the price range. Good food for a decent price.. $90 for 3 I would give the boiler a 3.5 star. I'd like to say, I got add'l feedback as to the discrepancy in the spiciness, from my above note. apparently the pan roast will yield a less spiciness than another dish, due to the add'l ingredients that goes in the pan roast (such as the cream) this would mitigate the spiciness. So keep in mind, a spicy level of 6 in pan roast can yield a less spiciness than a spicy level 6 in another dish. fyi! Best advise, order with a lower level of spiciness and add on spiciness if you need it!
(4)Morris C.
I randomly yelp'ed this and I have to say I was impressed by the venue and the new type of gumbo-styled food that I've never tried before. I shared the clam chowder in bowl size and we ordered the Pan Roast, which is basically a medley of seafoods coming out in a tomato and Creole sauce. We were able to get free refills on the bread (which complemented soups/gumbo quite well). The waitress was very, very nice and the Chef came out to greet us. I have to admit this establishment is really nice, but the location is not good. If possible, I would recommend relocating to The Shoppes at Chino Hills unless CBRE is going to bring in some good retail business in that huge empty parking lot. I would highly recommend trying it out, at least once!
(4)kelly r.
yaaaay, the boiler is open!!!!! but, it's just not the same..guess i gotta go back to vegas. . .
(1)Raymond L.
Ok finally headed to The Boiler with total of 8 people.We opted to sit at the bar. We had a great time! We ordered The Rockefeller Oyster, Bacon Shrimp Wrap, Chicken Gumbo, Jambalya, and Pan Roast. Everything was excepted. Excellent food. So good we ended up getting another rounds of Pan Roast but much more spicier, Fisherman Chowder and the raw oyster. Service was excellent, chef was very entertaining. Would come here again!
(5)Anthony B.
When this place first opened, wow were we impressed. Flavors and smells were wonderful. And the also had some really good staples, Red Beans and Rice, Andouille sausages very tasty and well cooked, tons of heat and spicy flavor. Which have been removed from the menu. In there place Manhattan Clam chowder, and Oysters Rockefeller not sure they are that Cajun. Last I checked Manhattan was in New York. And the Rockefeller's were in New York also. As for the front of house: Before the shut down the hostess/ waitstaff was on the ball and gave us many options where we could sit. If we wanted the bar, kettle bar or we could wait for a table. And a wore uniform. Now you have some very unprofessional looking "staff" coming to your table and seating you, in street clothes. Asking you something and your not sure why. OH I GET IT YOU WORK HERE. This happened because you only had two servers on. Before you had people know what they were doing and if I was to ask them if we could sit at the bar they would know the answer. Now not so lucky. Before shutdown waitstaff attentive and made sure food came out on time and in a timely manner. And our glass would never go empty. Also very fun and helpful. Now you have line cooks coming out with one order of Cajun Calamari ( still good, for now) when you ordered two. And 5-7 minutes later the second order comes. Timing? or pass window management? Food: Before: Flavors and smells were wonderful. Tassssste was out of this world. Jambalaya and Gumbo were at a 5 to start off with, you could add more and were asked. I usually went up to a 7. My fiancee loves spicy food she would have Cilantro Chicken with Sausage and she would pick and 8. Woooooooww that was hot. Now: Walking in could not smell anything, I went for the Jambalaya and asked for it to be an 8 and of course my Fiancee Cilantro Chicken with Sausage 8 also. Both lacked any flavor, spice or heat. Before: Thanks for great food, service, and all around dinning experience. Now: Sorry but I will not be returning, and I have told everyone I told and taken to this place was great. NOT TO GO ANYMORE!!!!!!! Lost Customer
(2)Elizabeth C.
Good food and great service. What more can you ask for? Hmm... Maybe go easy on the butter.
(5)Jeanelle J.
I celebrated a friend's bday party there a few weeks ago...and overall...I truly enjoyed my food and experience there. Like most other people...I decided to order the pan roast....the flavors here do remind me of my trip to New Orleans earlier in the year. As for the rice portion...I know a lot of reviewers wanted more rice...I thought the serving size was adequate...too much rice would have drowned out my pan roast. I also had the raw oysters and they didnt seem fishy too me...I truly enjoyed them as well. The service there...excellent. The wait staff were all truly attentive...we never had to ask for anything. The chef/owner was very kind, welcoming, and accomodating. I think however he seemed a little flustered at times even though there were not too many people there...I say trust and depend on your wait staff because they do an excellent job. Like what other yelpers stated...it is in a pretty new but dead shopping center. I hope others will come and support the businesses here so that we can all come back for more of their delicious food. My only other suggestion would be perhaps to serve the bread warm....sourdough would also be a great addition to the bread basket which I think would go well with the pan roast! Can't wait to come back for more. Great job Chef Ritter.
(4)Peggy L.
The food alone is a solid 5. The service and management, a 1, easily. I've visited 4 times, despite vowing each time never to return because the service is excruciatingly slow, spotty, and amateurish, only to be lured back by that indescribable taste... do they use MSG? I don't know, but their food is addicting... it's like comfort food on crack. And probably just as expensive comparatively. We did family style with a big group once, so I've tried nearly all the entrees on the menu, the pan roast, jambalaya, etouffe, etc. which run from $18-24, and they all come served looking like a thick soup or as my son eloquently put it, throw up (sorry for the unappetizing image), but looks are so deceiving, and you will forget this as soon as you take a bite. Other reviewers have said that one order is good for 2 but it's better to order a variety and share. The service- just as bad as the food is good. I've only sat at the tables so I don't know what the bar experience is like, although it always looks like the cooks are happy to interact with the customers. The staff try their best to be friendly and accommodating, but it's like they've been lobotomized in the logistic region of their brain. When it gets really busy, sometimes there'll be up to 10 patrons waiting, and there will still be empty tables. During two separate visits, we asked for a table when the restaurant was half empty. It still took them 15 minutes to seat us both times. Each of the four visits, it took the server 10 minutes just to visit our table for the first time. If you dine in at the restaurant- as soon as your server gets to you, order EVERYTHING at once... utensils, napkins, appetizer, entrees, drinks, water, bread, dessert, take out containers, the CHECK, for goodness sakes, because there is a good chance you will never see them again, except when you need to physically get up and hunt them down for the stuff that you tried to order all at once. The restaurant is small... why I need to get up to get my own fork, or take over my own check to the register is beyond me. Food always tops service for me which is why it's booted up a 3 instead of lowered to a 2, but I think TAKE OUT is the way to go.
(3)Moe T.
This place is very unique and serves spectacular food. If you love seafood you will love The Boiler. Their sauces are so flavorful and their seafood is very fresh. I only wish they had more options on their menu that don't have some form of wine or rum cooked in because I can't stand it but for people who don't care about that this place is really great. I can't tell you how authentic it is as I've never been to Louisiana myself but if this is what you get down on the bayou then I'm taking a trip out to Bourbon Street.
(5)Peej L.
As everyone stated the house pan dish is very tasty. The calarmari was a great way to start the dinner. Ordered 2 dinner for 3 adults and had leftovers. The bill has the recommended tip calculated for the customer but the calculation is that of the total which includes tax. They need to redo that program in their register. It's 15-20% of food bill not the tax too.
(3)Angela W.
I've been here a couple of times and just never got around to writing a review. I really like the gumbo and the Bouillabaisse. I ordered the Shrimp Pan Roast yesterday but it was a bit too tomatoe-y and my 6 didn't taste very spicy but it was ok. I would prefer the House Pan Roast instead. The cook even gave us a bowl of clam chowder since my friend was there the first time! AWESOME! GOOD CHOWDER!
(4)Chester K.
So I found out about The Boiler because of Yelp and thanks to Yelp have found a really good Louisiana style seafood restaurant close to home. The rave reviews made it so I had to check this place out! Onto the review... The food here is delicious. We started off with a cup of clam chowder each. I personally LOVED the chowder as it was thick, rich, hearty, and absolutely delicious. The gf thought it was a bit on the saltier side and wasn't a fan of how thick it was. I thought it was well seasoned and had the perfect ratio of vegetables to clam to cream. OOh and the clams were so tender and good! The little lady and I shared a jambalaya and Linguine with Clams (white). The jambalaya was once again really well seasoned and very hearty. Had tons of meat and rice and the portions were well worth the money. The Linguine had a lot of those tender clams in it, but I felt next to the clam chowder and jambalaya was a bit on the bland side. This may be due to the amount of liquid the dish had. Kind of reminded me of a sort of Italian ramen. * On a side note, I found a small hair in the Linguine right as I was about to take a bite. GRANTED, it could have been mine, but I wasn't going to take the chance. I told the owner(?) and he took care of the issue with grace and class. I had a new Linguine in about 8 minutes and I was thoroughly impressed by this. What I like most about the food here other than the robust flavors and obvious quality of ingredients, is the fact that you can choose how spicy you want your food to be. As Korean-Americans, me and the woman love spicy food! We got 7 on both entrees, and was a good balance of heat and flavor. The only downside to the restaurant as you may already know if you have been reading other reviews is the service. Our server was good, but was not great. As someone with quite an extensive history in the food service industry, I felt the waitstaff was a bit untrained, scared?, nervous, and shy. She was young, so granted she could be new to the restaurant and to working in general, I still feel that she could have been more friendly, attentive, and informed. We did come in simultaneously with a party of 8 and as she was the only server at the time, I felt she handled it well. I feel the service did not quite match the standard set by the food. The restaurant did seem a bit empty, even though it was roughly 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. This is a perfect example of how a restaurant can not solely thrive based on food alone and needs to be paired with great service. Advertising may help, but being that the business is fairly new, may not yet be in their budget so I encourage everyone to patron this local Chino Hills establishment. The Boiler has absolutely delicious food and am sure will have better service as the restaurant continues to grow so it can be around when the clam chowder cravings hit. I truly hope this restaurant does well as I personally respect the tremendous amount of time, effort, planning, and financial risk it takes for someone to try their hand in this cutthroat restaurant industry! * When this restaurant gets their liquor license I feel the food paired with great accompanying wines would further enhance the dining experience. *** EDIT *** They have wines! just not cocktails yet, so ask about the wine selection.
(4)alan s.
Ok, we made a return trip to have the great food the serve. I've gotta say that we were so much happier with the wait staff. They were great, and the Chef cooking is always a treat! kinda like dinner and a show?? hahahaha, and the place was packed on a Wednesday night. 2 thumbs up this time! Thanks guys!! P.S. GET THE HOUSE PAN ROAST!!!!!
(4)B B.
I live in Chino Hills and frequent the Lowes in the new plaza and drove by this place all the time. I always blew it off, seemed like a typical strip mall place. Then it got my curiosity up one day and I went in to look around and picked up a menu. I went back and had the most incredible dish, the Pan Roast Lobster. Off of the charts. I had it over linguini instead of rice. I literally woke up thinking about it. Once I find a food I like I always order the same thing. When I went back...the next day, I got the same thing and my wife got the Cioppino which then presented a dilemma after I tried some of hers, now I can't decided which I like better. Appetizers are awesome, salads are awesome, there isn't anything there that isn't. If this place had a better location and more exposure you would never get in. I've traveled the US and Western Europe, ate at great restaurants all over. Been to the Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati which is always one of my favorites, eaten in New Orleans and countless places in 43 different states. This place is my favorite and it is only 3 miles away. Thank you guys for opening your restaurant so close to me.
(5)Jason F.
Learned about the Boiler here on Yelp.com . We were looking for a new seafood restaurant in the Ontario area and found this one. We started with the bacon wrapped shrimp for an appetizer which were perfect. Crispy bacon and perfectly cooked shrimp. My wife and I both ordered the House Pan Broil and let me tell you it was AMAZING! I ordered mine with a spice level of 7 and my wife ordered hers with a spice level of 5 and it was perfect. The clam chowder has got to be the best I have ever had. It is seasoned with rosemary and saffron and gives it a unique taste that is out of this world. Overall the food was incredible, the price was extremely reasonable, the staff was excellent and we had a great time. We will definitely be coming back!
(5)Patty H.
My husband & I absolutely LOVE this place and dine here often. Not only is the food incredible, but the chefs (Tony, Chris, Jimmy) and staff are friendly and eager to please. We have tried many things on the menu, but our absolute favorites are the Bouillebasse, House Pan Roast and Fisherman's Soup (White Clam Chowder soup on steroids). The appetizers are also great (e.g. Cajun Calamari, Blue Point Oysters, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp). I would definitely recommend hitting the restaurant at Happy Hour so that you can take advantage of the discounts and sit at the Bar so that you can watch the varied preparations. We LOVE it here and plan to return OFTEN!!!!
(5)Kellea F.
Been here several times now, and we still like it. We like it even more now that they have happy hour since they have clam chowder and their calamari on the menu. The clam chowder is really good, and the happy hour portions are filling. The oysters, which are also on their happy hour menu, taste fresh. Good service, too. From their regular menu, we love the pan roast.
(4)d p.
we've been here 3 times in the past 5 weeks! everything is delicious! my fave is the house pan roast and my husband loves the jambalaya. beware when they ask you your spice level. (1-10) first time i ordered a 6 and it was pretty spicy. then i over heard the server suggest to another table to start low and you can always add more but you can't take it out. now i order a 3 or 4. the staff is friendly and the place is nice and clean. note: they close at 9 but stop seating at 8:30
(4)Amm F.
This place is very very tasty. I have been there 3 times and I'm sure I will go back again really soon. I have had the gumbo, pan roast, clam chowder, the chipotle fish chowder and the calamari. The pan roast is the best and the clam chowder is one of the best I've ever had. The lobster in the pan roast is so fresh and delicious. The calamari wasn't actual rings of calamari.. it was those sticks they fry up.. so -1 for that.. but they have chopped up garlic in the sauce, so +1 for that! The gumbo was tasty.. but still prefer the pan roast. The chef was super nice and introduced themselves each time we were there. The wait staff also very friendly. The spicy levels... 1-10... I ordered an 8 and could have easily gone for higher. It's not that hot.. but then again, I eat very very spicy food :) Will be back to try the seafood cocktail and the jambalaya! Only thing I have to complain about is the price.. it's not cheap. For two, we have always walked out with a $40+ tab. But the amt they give is huge! You can't finish a pan roast or a gumbo by yourself, esp if you have had a cup of chowder! Oh, the chipotle chowder is also super tasty! But it's not a cream type soup.
(5)Amanda L.
I've always wanted to try some authentic cajun/creole food & I'm so glad I found the Boiler! Everything is as tasty as it appears and it's not too far from where I live.Prices are fair esp for the portion you get. Oh and the CLAM CHOWDER IS TO DIE FOR. Yum!
(5)Kevin L.
house pan roast ( spice level 10. ) that's all i have to say!!!!!
(5)Erick A.
House Pan Roast!
(5)Christine T.
I am at the boiler now making a review on my I -pad cool huh! Not as cool as this place. I had the salmon salad and I have never had salmon dinner this good. We also had the shrimp cocktail and the bacon wrapped shrimp they were fantastic . My husband is a fussy eater and he already wanting to come back here .
(5)Jerry K.
Took some friends for their birthdays here yesterday. The food was pretty good for the price. Lunch portions were more than I can finish at one sitting. I have to say.. I enjoyed the starter dishes almost more than the entrées. The calamari was perfectly seasoned and crisp. Oysters was fresh and clean tasting. Non of that fishiness. Service was also excellent. However, dinner price point will have me only going for special occasions.
(4)Misty S.
Came here again, and it didn't disappoint!!! The food was amazing, the service was great and the chef even came out and chatted with us about the food!!! Brought some friends this time and they are hooked! This place is a keeper!!!
(5)Dan C.
It's not too often that we stray from our usual restaurants in our lineup but we decided to spice it up a little and check out The Boiler. I wanted to give this place a try since it got so many great reviews from Yelpers. Even before we walked in me and the wifey already had a game plan in what to try out. The place was very clean and had a welcoming vibe to it which is always a plus as a first time goer. After being seated, I knew already that I would try the jambalaya and my partner in crime would get the house pan roast. I did remember reading that you can choose how hot you wanted your food so I had a 9 on my jambalaya and 7 for the house pan roast. Oh and forgot to mention that their Clam Chowder was top notch and very filling. I couldn't help but keep eating it throughout the evening. Regarding our main course, the jambalaya was muy caliente which is how I liked it. It had the right amount of spices and meat that makes you tear up a little. lol The pan roast house did not dissapoint at all which was expected coming from all the reviews we've read. The shrimp on both the jambalaya and pan roast were delicious. I think being that it was our first time, we took the safe route and ordered conservatively. I will have to try their calamari and oysters next time around. Overall we felt that it was a successful outing and will bring more people with us so we can test out the rest of their menu. So if you're in the mood to spice up your evening and try something different, then this is the place to go!
(4)Jeremy T.
With a very innovative style of cooking, the setup of The Boiler is pretty unique. There is an oval-shaped bar in the middle of the restaurant where the kitchen is, and where people can sit and conversate with the chefs while watching their food cook! I won't say much else, but they use pressurized steam to make food edible. Come down and check out how! I had the Cioppino the first time I came, and the Bouillabaisse the second. They were both for dinner, which was about $7-8 more than lunch. I thought the food was great! They had a hotness scale of 1-10 for some of the entrees, so you could choose the amount of (spicy-ness?) you want in the food. They also served bread, which I devoured. I also had the Pan Roast House, and it was absurdly good! Bottomline: Eat in, especially for lunch!
(5)Frank K.
it's good stuff. would be perfect on a cool day...well really on any day it would be good. i had their blue point gulf oysters to start. these were probably some of the fattest oysters ive ever had. really tasty. mmm i ordered their specialty, which is the pan roast. this is more like a soup/stew with a scoop of rice in it. The lobster in it was damn good. mmm like the others have said, when you sit at the bar, you get to better experience the cooking and get to chat with the chef/owner. he's a really nice guy, very welcoming and accommodating. when we chatted he mentioned that he plans on opening a location in Irvine sometime soon. bleh....ok this review is boring. whatever. i have a stomach ache right now from some damn oily stuff i ate last night :(
(4)Jimmy K.
Service was attentive and prompt. We went with a group of 5. Four of us enjoyed it thoroughly while one of us had the runs all night long from the spicy soup. I'm just glad it wasn't me.
(4)Daniel K.
get the house pan roast. hands down best dish. i ordered spice level 5, which was perfect, not too spicy (so you can still taste the fresh seafood). Sat at the counter...the service was a little slow, but the chef cooking our food was friendly, and the servers were friendly. i would suggest to get some better, and hotter, bread...and don't serve freezing cold butter with it. regardless, the food makes up for everything. get 2 scoops of rice with the House Pan Roast, it's a better ratio of rice to gumbo. the seafood was very fresh and flavorful. there are so many different flavors in the gumbo that the dish doesn't get monotonous. the price is a little steep (dinner ~$20), but for the amount of food, and the flavor, i'd come back. totally worth it for me.
(5)Mindy R.
Delicious! Chino Hills really needed a restaurant like this, in a town inundated with bland, cookie-cutter, chain concepts. The husband and I drove from Orange County to try the Boiler for lunch, and we were definitely impressed. We sat at the bar around the steam kettles and really enjoyed being able to interact with Chef Ritter. He was super friendly, and he really puts a lot of love into his food. The husband had the house pan roast at a spicy level 10 and I enjoyed the jambalaya spiced to a level 6. We both enjoy spicy food and really liked that we could choose how hot we wanted our entrees. His pan roast had a delicious, creamy sauce and was filled with a very generous amount of fresh seafood. My jambalaya had just enough of a peppery kick and was filled with okra, andouille sausage, chicken and shrimp. The portions were HUGE and we both left full, and with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. The prices were also right, and we feel as though we got an amazing value for our money. Please go! Enjoy the Chef's company and delicious, authentic, New Orleans cuisine. You won't regret it!
(5)Zoot V.
Great food! Yes. Pan Roast! Great concept. But the temp was freezing. And service was slow.
(4)Linda F.
Just ate here again for lunch last week and it was another pleasant dining experience. They have fewer staff for lunch and I noticed when we got in the door that there wasn't a host/hostess. Instead we were greeted by the owner/head chef was was cooking at the counter. We were able to sit at the counter today and engaged in some nice conversation with the owner as well. The food here was great just as last time, but what really impressed me was how humble the owner is. Not only was he cooking up a storm, greeting and chatting with this customers, but he even went out and grabbed tables and set them up for a larger party (when he easily could've just made one of his staff do it for him, but since he had a little time, he did it himself)... I always appreciate people who are humble and aren't too proud to lend a hand... He was really friendly and took the time to talk with each of his customers. He told us how he's planning to open up another branch probably in Irvine in the next year or so, and then going overseas to Shanghai & Taipei. We really enjoyed our meal and I would recommend it even more now then before... We'll definitely be coming back here the next time we're craving pan-roast again. :)
(5)Leo C.
Ate here a several of weeks ago with SO, Its hard finding decent Nawleans food closeby. There was a place in upland that I frequented but closed suddenly. This place will suffice. Bar wasn't open yet for business, no worries. It was still hot outside and an Ice tea hit the spot. Service was excellent our server answered all our questions ( we had many) , no sweat. The Owner came by and introduced himself, the friendliness of the staff is genuine. As for the food, I had the Jambalaya and she had the Pan Fried. Ive only had Jambalya once on my only visit to New Orleans. the standard was set then, but then again, I was having Jambalaya for the first time at the source. The Jam here was good, ingredients tasted fresh. It had a more earthy taste to it than the one I tried in NO, but still good nonetheless. The Pan Fried was a party in my mouth. That sauce is to die for, I wished I had that instead. My only thing was they were skimpy on the meat. I don't blame them considering they opened up during a recession. When we go back, Ill be having a pan fried. Oh yes, the oysters were very good as well. The owner told us he has them sent from Louisiana.
(4)R S.
Stopped by with my gf yesterday. Got bouillabaisse, shrimp diablo, oysters, and calamari. All of them were extremely good. Owner is very pleasant. Will go there again! Go check it out, you'll love it.
(5)Candice O.
I ordered the house pan roast sans clams and it was awesome! So was the Cajun calamari (the fresh grated horseradish in the cocktail sauce was a perfect touch!). I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)Sean J.
I personally like this place better than the Vegas counter part. I think its more meaty here when compared to the vegas one (less soupy!) . However as much I love this place another reason why I come here to eat often is becuase they have Arrogant Bastard on Tap! so its a win win!
(4)John L.
Great food great concept service was slow but the food made up for it a bit on the pricey side $100 for three of us with only two beers.
(5)Linaka N.
Food was Yummy! service was very attentive. The chef came out to ask how the food tasted. Definitely will come back here. Must try their pan roast house! delicious! get a side of noodles with it!
(5)Sandra A.
Good lord they do amazing things here. Evil amazing things.
(5)Robert V.
I eat here about once a week...Great food , great service, and super great prices.....this is a must try if you haven't yet. Chef Ritter is the man when it comes to steam kettle cooking.....give them a try!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Andy C.
I have had dinner with a couple friends at this place on the past weekend. The chief used to be cooking at Palace Station in Las Vegas. Now, he has his own shop and I am so glad he brings the same taste back to California!!!
(4)J T.
Food was great! Service was good, a little quaint spot so call ahead.
(4)Valerie S.
I guess if I were to really look only at the bad stuff, I wouldn't give this place any stars at all. Nevertheless, I like to believe the best in people and in their restaurants; goodness knows it's hella hard to run one! They just reopened this past Monday after being closed for 3 weeks - administrative problems, as I was informed. Anyway, why would Boiler merit no stars? - The long wait: My family and I arrived at 8:15 and there was a big crowd of people waiting. Popular restaurant - totally understand. So we waited patiently and were seated an hour later. Our waitress took our orders pretty quickly, we obviously studied the menu beforehand and knew what we wanted...and we waited some more. Another hour and fifteen minutes go by and still no entrees. - Service: I used to serve, so I completely understand being really busy. However, my iced tea was not offered to be refilled (until after I lost my patience), our plate of finished appetizer oyster shells sat in front of me for about 10 minutes and was not bussed until I put it to the side of the counter. Server didn't notice the empty bread basket until we asked her to bring some more, then didn't notice again when it was empty 10 minutes later (we were hungry when we arrived, didn't sit down til 1hr later and were patiently waiting another 80min for our food.. we were STARVING) How did they redeem some of the stars? - I "politely" flipped out seeing people seated after us get their gumbo, bouillabaisse, pan roast, etc. and the manager was genuinely apologetic. He ended up comp-ing our meal because he knew that we had literally been waiting then sitting and waiting for almost 3 hours. I don't like to make people feel bad and I don't like to make a scene, but goodness i had to say *something*. - The food was tasty: Rockefeller Oysters - YUM Bouillabaisse - Now, I don't know how Louisiana bouilabaisse is supposed to be - I imagined something more French-style since well, it says it's a "French-style" soup, so I was kind of surprised. It wasn't what I had expected at all, however, the ingredients were so fresh and it was very well prepared. Chicken Gumbo - I prefer Disneyland's New Orleans Gumbo for texture. The ingredients and the after taste is quite wonderful. Shrimp Diablo - spicy level 7 - Didn't taste too spicy, but dayam, the prawns, that kinda won me over. The linguini was fantastic - not overcooked or too al dente Cioppino - I didn't try this, but my dad said it was waaaay to sour for his taste. He did, however, appreciate the freshness of all the seafood items. So...if you're looking for some super fresh seafood in soup form, this is definitely a fantastic place. I'm hesitant as to whether or not I'll be back. Everyone deserves a second chance though, no?
(2)Grishnakov S.
My favorite place in Chino Hills!!! Love the pan roast...just like the one in Vegas, except cheaper!!! Perfectly balanced ingredients of creamy tomato sauce, spices, crab, lobster, clams and shrimp with a scoop of rice. Service was awesome and Chef Ritter came out to greet everybody in the end! Nothing like steam kettled cajun cooking on a cold winter's night! I will definitely be back again...and if I had the money, I would be back everyday!
(5)Papa S.
Went to the boiler in vegas first, and fell in love with their food. Oysters are huge and fresh. The gumbo and jambalaya is great. Isnt the same feeling of the one in vegas, but the food is nearly the same. Def go here for some gumbo or jambalaya.
(4)Jeff D.
Very cool concept pasta bar. Chef was very friendly and the waitress was on the ball even though it got crowded. Good food, fun experience, perfect for a date, nice meal, or meeting
(5)heather l.
ok...so i still love the food so 4-5 stars for that....service...terrible...see below i would rate service a 2 that night...overall food...a 3-4....and my pan roast still gets a 5..... we'll start with food..b/c i think food is more important: calamari - 2 star....there was no flavor, bland, really chewy....it's definitely average or below average....for a place that has great flavors....i'm kind of shocked that this came out of the same kitchen pan roast house - i got the same thing as last time b/c it's sooooooo yummy...i upped the spicyness level to 9.....i think i'm good at 9 or maybe even 8.....i think this dish is amazingly delicious and i can't wait to have it again.... jambalaya - my guy on this one....it was tasty....but i still love the pan roast more......too many bell peppers for my taste.....maybe i'll give this one a shot next time..and modify it a little bit cioppino - his mom got this one.....i think all the flavors sunk down to the bottom of the bowl...and i took a few bites at the top....it was pretty bland....this is a really light kind of pasta dish....i'm not a fan...b/c i like it when the sauce sticks to the pasta....it doesn't seem like it went together cilantro chicken w/ sausage - his dad got this...i can't even really remember the flavors...but i remember that i did like it better than the cioppino.... creme brulee - sugar was too burnt at the top...not the best creme brulee i've had...i tried it b/c i read other yelp reviews that raved about how delicious it was..... service: we took my guy's dad out here for his birthday....i called ahead to make a reservation just in case it was busy.....i made sure to tell them it was his BIRTHDAY over the phone....and there was no acknowledgement when we arrived we were sat immediately at a table for 4...it seemed like young asian girls, were the only people running the place....the girls dressed in skinny jeans, t-shirt, and hair was sloppily pulled back....like it's the newest hairstyle not to brush your hair before pulling it back....the head chef/owner wasn't present either.... it took a long time for us to order our food because our server wasn't really present....we just sat and waited, and waited, and waited some more to order anything....we finally ordered, and we finally got our food...and our server barely checked on us or filled up our waters btw...tea selection is terrible..and crazy expensive for some hot water and a tea bag...wtf....no way should it cost the same as a soda...next time...we're bringing our own tea bags.... i was pretty sure they didn't remember the birthday thing...so i got up..walked to one of the servers to pretend that i was asking about the bathroom...asked "do you do anything for birthdays?"....and she replied "yes".....the OTHER server....brought out a creme brulee to our table and just said...."CREME BRULEE???"...and we were all confused like...huh? we didn't order it....but i was like...."well....it's his birthday" (pointing to my guy's dad)....and she's like.."oh...ok..here you go..happy birthday"....wtf?!??!?!? SOOOO UNPROFESSIONAL......later...our regular server came up and said happy birthday...... so....sure..they smiled the whole time....but it was just totally unprofessional...i was kind of embarrassed for the boiler to have these two girls representing them....they seemed really spaced out and their mind was just going "la di da" the whole night it was quite an irritating experience..i hope they either train these girls and make them shape up...or fire them and hire a more mature and professional serving staff...
(4)Giao T.
Great-tasting food, friendly staff and good service. We were the first ones in for lunch the other day and within 20 minutes, the place was packed. We ordered the lunch specials Po Boy sandwiches with Calamari & Clam Chowder along with a bowl of Cilantro Chicken w/Sausage. At a spicy level of 5, it was still spicy, but manageable. Very good with a lot of flavor. We'll have to try the Bouillabaisse, Shimp Diablo and Linguini with Clams next time since reading all the reviews and the pictures from the menu. A definite "coming back" and a recommended restaurant to check out!
(4)AR R.
OK so here is the deal..great food but I had bad customer service. The waitress forgot a member of my dinners party entree. After we all received our meals, we had to wait an additional 30 minutes for his meal. By the time he received the meal, the group was about finished. They still charged us full price, and tried to validate their mistake making several excuses blaming it on the new waitress. There was no type of accommodation for their mistake. Yes, it was the waitresses fault, but as a restaurant there should be a shared responsibility and liability for errors. After the debate with several people, we payed full price for their mistake. I wished I had never went. And none of us will return for that reason.
(2)Vincent C.
Their pan roast is very delicious. Will come back if I'm around the area.
(4)Matt M.
The Boiler was a place I've driven past for a few years without thinking to try. My bad! This place is off the hinges. It's a one-off dining experience in the best possible way. The piped in live steam at each station allows you to see your food being prepared in a clean and professional manner, rather akin to Louisiana teppan. I recommend the house pan roast. Everything looks good, and I can vouch for the oysters ( Blue Point on all of my visits so far ) but the pan roast is rather unique. Service is solid- prompt and friendly.
(4)jimmy r.
Where to begin.....I found this place using yelp and read some reviews about the experiences. There is too much hype on this place. With that said, the portions are too small for the price paid. The food is delicious but its missing the wow factor. We waited on a table for about 15 minutes which wasn't bad for a Sunday afternoon. Everyone is friendly and it looks like a well organized restaurant. My rating goes like this.food 1 star,cleanliness 1 star,service o stars. Location 1 star, price 0 stars, overall experience 0 stars. Total of three stars being a bit harsh because I hate getting up to ask for things and I got up like four times. Price and service were a miss so it took that last star for overall experience. The question is would I come back again; no! Just because its too far. And I pass up numerous restaurants on the way here that need my tating.
(3)FoodEate R.
First time I came here, it was just okay. This time around, I'd have to say it was on par with the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station. The House Pan Roast was bombdiggity, ate every last bite or scoop should I say. This time it was a different cook from the last time I came, so Im going to assume that was the main reason for it. I refrained from giving it 5 stars mainly because depending on who's cooking the food, I feel like that will determine the experience you'll get with the pan roast or any other dish for that matter. Only 40 mins from LA, whenever I have cravings for some Pan Roast, this is the spot I'll be venturing to. Sure beats the hell outta driving all the way to Vegas for it. I'm glad I was nudged to give this place a 2nd try because based on my first visit, I probably wouldn't have been coming back.
(4)Nick C.
I ate here again about a month ago, the original chef is now gone... Food was not as good and the service was rather poor.
(2)Loucid I.
Okay my first experience/rating wasn't that great but since there's been nothing but positive reviews ever since it opened I gave it another chance today. I ordered a dozen oysters on a half shell, shrimp diablo, and chicken & sausage linguini. Everything was great, portions turned out decent so I'm in love with this place! There isn't many seafood places in the area and this one really helps feed that craving. The chef once again came to our table to ask how our experience was and we gave him the thumbs up. I suppose in regards to my last rating, just order different things and I'm sure you'll find something that you'll like. Some things were smaller portions last time but overall was great!
(4)Charles L.
The food was delicious just like the Oyster Bar but I think the Oyster Bar was slightly better because the pan roast was just a little bit better in taste and I also think they give you a little more food there. But nonetheless, it was still very delicious...to bad it is in Chino Hills cause having to drive the 91 to get there really sucks.
(5)Maureen F.
I got my spicy, seafood fix satisfied all in one go. Tasty deliciousness.
(4)Darlene C.
This restaurant is excellent! My husband and I went here for the first time last weekend and we can't wait to go back. For appetizers, we had the cajun calamari. Perfect texture and flavor! Dipping sauce was delicious. For my main course, I took the yelpers' advice and ordered the house pan roast. Spice level 3 was just right for me. The flavors were perfect and the seafood was fresh. My husband ordered the gumbo. I had a taste of it and I loved the smoky flavor. For dessert, we had creme brulee....yum! Excellent texture. We definitely will be back.
(5)Ai C.
A little gem here in Chino Hills! I love this place! This Small Cajun restaurant is homey at best, you can sit in the bar and watch the chefs cook your meal in their steam kettles. The service is phenomenal and the food is Heaven in a bowl. Appetizers are great, the calamari is okay- not my favorite item in their menu but the bacon wrapped shrimp is awesome and the oysters are nice and clean. Their clam chowder is good, a must have when you eat here. Almost everything in their menu is amazing but everyone's favorite here is the House Pan roast- It's seems like every time we come here, this is what the majority eats. Their Jambalaya is amazing too! The Cioppino is also good. You can pick the spice level on how hot and spicy you want them (0 being not spicy at all to 10 being burn your tongue good) They serve wine and beer- which are even better during their happy hour ($3 for wine, $2 beer). Their desserts are good too, a must order is the Creme Brulee. So come check it out and you definitely won't be disappointed. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants here in Chino Hills!
(5)KeNina P.
Its from the chef that worked at palace station oyster bar and the pan roasts remind us exactly of the palace station but the place is cleaner and when we went no wait so thats cool too. They also have a happy hour on some select apps and beer.
(4)M B.
The food was awesome and delicious but they were seriously under staffed when we went in. There were only 2 servers handling everything in a fully packed restaurant. I actually felt bad for them trying to keep up with all of the customers. I would've rated it 5 stars if I didn't have to wait 1.5 hrs to get seated. But the food was so GOOD that I almost didn't mind the wait...it was definitely worth it.
(4)Elle R.
I came here with my husband and another couple about a month or two ago and we all loved it! I was scared at first because of the bad reviews on yelp, the very first time I went. I had their Seafood Linguine with white sauce and it was one of the best seafood linguine I've ever had! It was linguine and yummy soup in one. I had to slurp up all the soup from the bowl (not joking) :) (when we went, the bar wasn't open yet ... boo~)
(5)Kuong Y.
Their shrimp po boy here is awesome. We came here during lunch time and got seated by their friendly staff. He recommended the shrimp po boy and the house pan roast. You can't go wrong either one
(5)Ami D.
This place is amazing! I absolutely love the house pan roast and the food is a great change of pace. servers were really nice too. Down with the 3 stars and below haters! :)
(5)V C.
If you come here you must: Sit at the stool bar where Chef Ritter cooks right in front of you! What I love about the open bar/seating concept is how personable you can get with the Chef. Now how often do you really get to meet the chef first-hand at other restaurants?? Chef Ritter made our dinner experience superb! I love how he highly believes that customer service is #1 and he proved it the whole time! He kindly let us sample their clam chowder, which is out of this world. Not your standard or typical Souplantation or canned chowder--!! I am convinced that next time I come here, I am definitely going to eat this as my starter!! All the while , our server was attentive.. always asking if we wanted more bread, and kept refilling our drinks before the glasses were empty!! For the main course, we ordered the house favorite, the HOUSE PAN ROAST! It's a very rich, creamy-tomato based creole seasoned dish which was generously mixed in with an array of seafood from shrimp, to lobster.. you name it, it was in there and it was freakin' delicious! There was a heaping scoop of Jasmine rice in the middle as well. The spice level we got was a level 5, which was perfect! Just enough spice to feel the heat, but not overwhelming. This actually reminded us of an Indian dish called Tikka Masala, but with seafood.. However, it doesn't taste like Tikka Masala at all!! It's a rich, creole based creamy-tomato dish. Now I see why it's a house favorite!! I'd have to agree. We also ordered the Ciopinno, a seafood linguini in a tomato-onion sauce. No, it's not marinara sauce, not even close to that. It's more of a soup/stew base with chunky tomatoes with onions and other seasonings. Bottomline,. .. IT was TASTY! The flavor is totally different from the creamy-tomato based Pan Roast. Chef Ritter told us a story about Bobbly Flay having a food show-down with a Northern California restaurant famous for their Ciopinno, and apparently The Boiler's Ciopinno is better than that restaurant up north!! It was soooooooooo goooooooooooooooooood!!! Oh and if you like white wine, try their Pinot Grigio. I had a glass and it complimented the food quite well!! ;-) We couldn't even finish the food!! Which means, I didn't have enough room for dessert.! It's too bad, I heard their creme brulee is worth trying! I'll make some room next time =) Chef Ritter = A+ Customer Service= A+ Food= A+ Oh and on another note, if you ever talk to Chef Ritter, he's not only a Chef, but a musician too!!! That's pretty darn awesome!
(4)Elizabeth R.
I never go out to eat in a restaurant alone. I'm always paranoid that people are looking at me and wondering why I don't have any friends... But... I've been craving the Pan Roast for weeks, so I braved the stigma of solo dining to enjoy the savory tomato cream sauce and the plump shrimp. Honestly, the sauce is so good I could just eat that over rice or pasta without any of the seafood options. This was my fifth visit. The food has always been stellar, but my biggest problem in the past was the service. The waitresses were cute but inattentive. This time was different. She checked in on me at regular intervals and my glass was never empty. Maybe she felt sorry for me because I was alone?!? It is a little pricey, but it's well worth it. It's been four days now, and I'm already craving the Pan Roast again.
(5)Joe R.
service was poor, food was so so...
(3)joyce c.
All I can say is yum yum! I read about this place on Yelp and saw all the good reviews. I am happy to say that all of those good reviews are true! I am really picky about clam chowder and this place has perfected it! Very very good. I also had the House pan roast, now, it's important to mention that one bowl of this stuff is enough for 2 people, and it is soo good. It had nice soft chunks of lobster and decent sized shrimp in addition to the crab, clams, and jasmine rice. I highly recommend it! AND...dun dun duuuunnn....there was no sand in the clams! yeeeaaahhh!!!! I hate hate hate taking a bite of anything with clams in it and getting a serving of sand with your food. BLEH! Not here, not one granule to speak of. Very nice! The owner greeted us as we came in and chatted with us a bit. He's super friendly and it's rare that you see an owner who takes the time out to not only chat with his guests, but serve us as well. So all in all, great place, great food, great atmosphere, a tad bit on the pricey side, but well worth the price ^_^
(5)david p.
Buyer beware: Place isn't cheap, for the price you would think service would be great. First time there server forget main dishes after appetizers came out, it took over 1hr for them to fix mistake. They ruined our movie plans. But gave discount and desert, so we gave place 2nd chance. The second time place over charged us when we already spent $200, glad we looked over bill and caught it, but then they acted as if it was no big deal. NOT COOL! Every time wanting a drink refill server had to be found and waved down after bringing out wrong appetizers. Place could be great all in all if it had experienced staff for the prices being charged. End of it all "bottom line is" Good food bad service, place isn't big so you would think the team would be on their A~GAME! I'm sure if any of staff were to be paying the prices The Broiler charges and getting the same bad experience it would be upsetting. I never have problems paying high prices and eating at nice places if it's worth it. You do the math and look at the Many places your able to spend money on and weigh it out if the juice is worth the squeeze. I say- NO
(2)Candace M.
The food is delicious! I grew up eating creole food, and this hit the spot. The portions are big (can make 2-3 meals out of a dish). I definitely recommend.
(4)Scott F.
There seems to be a consensus on whether people like or dislike this establishment. I, for one, definitely fall among the former and will be bringing friends and family to partake in what I consider to be one of the better Cajun/Creole eateries in Southern California. It is true that the portions COULD be a little larger with some of the dishes but considering the quality of the food and the fact that this is not McDonald's where super-sizing is not required, I think the price and quantity is very reasonable. We went for our anniversary and we both started off with a cup of very good New England clam chowder. Ever since moving to Southern California, I have been hard pressed in finding a decent bowl...my search has ended. The wife had the Shrimp Scampi, which was quite good with that lemony white wine sauce. My dish of Jambalaya would not disappoint at all and the flavor says it all! The place is a little small but I think that adds to the atmosphere and keeps the loudness to a minimum. All in all, a very pleasant and memorable meal!
(5)Michele S.
I had no idea what steam kettle cooking was, and assumed that it would be like Shabu Shabu or fondue. I finally gave in, and I am so glad that I did! I left the restaurant completely full, yet I was trying to figure out when I could come back! The Chipotle Fish Chowder is AMAZING, and I had the linguini with clams spiced up to a 7. This meal was beyond perfect. If you sit at the bar you can watch them prepare everything with so much care. Chef Ritter really puts his heart into every dish, and is such a gracious host. I tried it last week and have already been back again. Do yourself a favor and try it!!!! You will be hooked.
(5)Ed R.
This is my absolutely favorite hometown restaurant! If you like spice and incredible flavors, this is the place. If you can't handle the hot stuff, you can go for "0" heat. Owner is very personable too!
(5)B. F.
I went here for lunch today with some coworkers not knowing what kind of cuisine The Boiler served. Much to our surprise, It was Cajun/Creole. The food there was great. We had the Cajun Calamari, which was good, not great. I had the Gumbo (seafood) and my friends got Cilantro Chicken with Sausage and the Chicken Gumbo. They enjoyed their dishes. You can pick the level of spiciness and we all got our dishes spicy. The Gumbo was delish and the price was decent. It rivals the gumbo I've had in New Orleans and might quite possibly surpass most places. I would definitely go there again and try some other dishes. I hope this place stays open because there weren't many people there at all. Support your local eatery and go here instead of Lucille's, BJ's Pizzeria, and Corner Bakery. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Chelsea Y.
Great food and great service! Tried the House Pan Roast and Crab Pan Roast, both were delicious! I was almost uncomfortably full because it was so good that I couldn't stop eating it. My boyfriend never eats leftovers, but he killed my Crab Pan Roast the next day. It's more pricey than I usually pay on a casual night out with my boyfriend, but totally worth it. The place was pretty empty when we got there so we didn't have to wait at all. We were seated right under a fan so we were pretty cold, but didn't want to complain because it wasn't that big of a deal. The waitress noticed and without even having to ask they turned the fan off for us. She checked on us several times throughout our meal and even the guy standing behind the bar area asked how we were doing. Overall the staff was very attentive and personable.
(5)Dat N.
This review is for those who go to the Oyster Bar in LV. Won't repeat what last reviewer said about owner/chef which is true. The good news: * much closer than LV * taste just as good * chef is the original * no wait * take out available * more stools (24 vs 18) * more steam kettles (10 vs 6). Bad news: * smaller portion * less seafood in the pan roast * smaller oysters and clams * did not have enough oysters to fulfill our 2 doz. order * no liquor license * some menu items not available * the pasta was undercooked
(4)Alex B.
Every time I'm in Vegas we eat at the Oyster Bar in Palace Station. Found out the original chef now works at The Boiler in Chino Hills....the food is amazing. Gumbo, pan roast, bouillabase (sp ??) amazing..... i love it........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Nathan N.
Took my dad here today for Father's Day. It was amazing! The service was a bit slow, but thats understandable with them being open for such a short time. The manager, owner and chef all met us and talked to us by name the entire meal. The meal was so rich! I had the chicken gumbo and my dad had the roast pan house. Both were outstanding. I cannot wait to go back!
(5)Tom R.
OK it goes like this . If you don't like this food, you dropped your tongue in the parking lot. We enjoyed the Cajun Calamari for starters. The word PERFECTION comes up a little short. It was by far the best I have ever had. Then we moved on to the Gumbo, I ordered it at a heat level of 5. Thank god I didn't say 6, kinda hot. But the flavor was certainly a 10. With ample portions I brought some home for lunch the next day and it was almost as good as it was fresh. I am going back for another round soon, what the hell am I saying? I am going back tonight!
(5)foze e.
It's just a great place to come eat, relax, and see the cooking how they cook "STEAM" your order my wife and Love it. We will go back and take some of are friends.
(5)Wendy W.
IF YOU LIKE SEAFOOD AND RICH FLAVORS, YOU WILL LOVE THIS PLACE! Great food, great service. Casual and relaxing atmosphere. I live about 10min away from the restaurant plaza. For many months I drove by wondering about this place. Once, I even stopped to look at the menu posted on the window. But I never tried the restaurant because 1) The name of the restaurant is so vague. The menu had French, Italian, seafood, chicken, pasta, and rice. I couldn't tell what kind of food it serves. 2) I could never see the inside of the restaurant because of the tinted windows. I couldn't see the popularity of the place. From outside, the place seemed pretty dead. In general, the first impression was super uninviting. I even thought the place would soon eventually go out of business because of its poor name and unwelcoming vibe. BUT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS TO STEP INSIDE AND I WAS HOOKED. I went on a Friday night. The place was bustling. The inside resembles a Shabu Shabu restaurant, with a long U-shape seating bar at the center. The place serves Louisiana cuisine. What that means is lots of seafood, creamy rich thick stew/soup (which you can decide the level of spiciness) over jasmine rice or pasta. The place does steam kettle cooking. What that means is the food is steamed in a semi-floating metal pot, not on a stove or fire, that is hooked onto and supported by 2 metal-pipe looking vessels. The chefs cook the entrees at the U-shape bar. So if you sit there, you could see how they prepare steam kettle cooking. I have been uninspired by all the food I have been eating. So I am very glad to have finally tried and fall for this restaurant. The food at the restaurant is really delicious. Heavy, bold, and complex flavors in a good way. The service is very friendly. I am so happy now that I have a place in the area where I am proud to bring people to eat when they are visiting. P.S. the same menu is offered for both lunch and dinner. But luch entrees are about $5 cheaper than dinner entrees. So it might be more affordable to try the place at lunch time instead.
(4)Pam M.
wow. Jambalaya was sooo good. It was expensive for the portion. I'm a girl with a big appetite so if I'm gonna throw down some cash, I wanna leave rubbing my belly and 5 pounds heavier. They don't have a kids menu, that sucks. But cute place, great food.
(4)Al C.
Read on yelp that the Oyster Bar in Vegas has a cousin here in Chino Hills. When I told the hottie she said we had to go. Got the oysters on a half shell for appetizer and I was surprised as to how plump and juicy they were. Great start! Then we moved on to a Caesar salad (just okay) and the Clam Chowder (very tasty). Then came our pan roast. It is similar to the one in Vegas but I think the Vegas pan roast is a bit sweeter and a bit creamier. That said it was excellent. I give them big props for putting so much juicy crab in my pan roast. The host was very nice and attentive. Kept filling up our drinks. Service kinda slow though. All in all a very comparable experience to Vegas.
(4)jimmy j.
I went to this place for dinner tonight with my brother. It was located at a random spot, but it was pretty easy to find. The place was clean and nice. The bathroom was clean and has 2 stalls. There were a couple of TVs on the wall. The food tasted good and something new. So, that is a plus. (= They also serve you breads! (for FREE!) YUHM YUHM YUHMMMM. Overall, this place was good and a bit above average. I recommend this place for a family who is hungry and craving for something new!
(4)Tracy K.
This is the best/most unique restaurant in the entire IE. The seafood is fresh and the portions are big. You will leave full and content. We got the Chippino and the Pan roast. Both are good I liked the Chippino better bc it felt liek there were bigger pieces of fresh seafood and it wasn't as heavy. But if looking for a filling thick flavorful dish get the pan roast. I look how the chef cooks right in font of you with the steamer method. He's also super nice, very easy to talk to and passionate about his food. He even gave us a little sample of his clam chowder just so we could try more of his recipes. We need more places like this in the IE. NON CHAIN delicious fresh food.
(5)Michael K.
Food was good. The Clam Chowder was very good but after eating a bowl, i had no more room for much else. Portions were great. Price was good for what you get. Overall if you are very very hungry, then this is a great place to go.
(4)Art C.
Our server suggested their best dish " Pan Roast House". After getting my order, the taste was pretty good. But I was expecting a seafood meal.......... What I got was a bowl of soup. $19 for a bowl of soup with very little sea food in it is just a little too pricey for my taste. On a Plus, service was good. Will i eat there again??? No!
(2)Risha P.
just amazing!
(5)Daniel L.
Since my girl friend cant eat meat on fridays we decided to look for a place with seafood... man i was happy i came across The Boiler. I had the Jambalaya which was really good but a bit heavy for lunch and my gf got the diablo shrimp which was also good but I have to say what stood out the most was the clam chowder. The clam chowder was flavorful and not like other restaurants same generic clam chower. I can't wait to eat here again but for dinner, the steamed mussels and clams look amazing as well
(5)Daniel K.
a great local gem. but to echo several other reviewers below, i'm afraid if this place doesn't take off soon, we won't be able to enjoy their scrumptuous pan roast for much longer. went a few nights ago (tue? wed?) with a friend of mine after hearing great things about it from another friend. it was literally dead empty. all the employees were at the bar watching the tv and chatting with each other. as soon as we were seated at the bar, the chef - chef ritter, a very friendly fellow - came out and chatted with us. he gave us a complimentary bowl of clam chowder which was bomb diggitty. off to main dish. i ordered the house pan roast medium spicy (level 5?) and my friend ordered the gumbo (same spicy level). so they have these steam kettle boilers right in front of you at the bar. and they "cook" your food right there before your eyes. i say "cook" cuz although they bring out the ingredients, majority of the savory part of the dish is pre-prepared. they just put the premade pan roast soup or gumbo into the kettle with the other raw ingredients (assorted seafood - clam, oyster, chopped lobster tail, crab claws, and whole shrimp) and let them boil. anyways, when it was done, it's poured into these cool white bowls which apparently keep your food piping hot for a very long time. anyways they both came with a scooping of rice, and i gotta say, oh man both were piping hot bowls of yummy goodness. seriously it was sooooooo good. and as for the portion, i thought it was great. but then i guess one's perfect portion's another's one-bite-munch portion. for us 30+ yr oldies it was just the perfect portion. anyways, i'mma try to take as many ppl as possible to this place. and all youS should do too!!!!
(4)Paul I.
All reviews are accurate. Not as great as Oyster Bar but pretty close. The Pan Roast is not as rich as I tried it in Oyster Bar but flavor is just as good. The staff are friendly but pretty in-experience still. This location is just around the corner from where I live (less than 10 minutes drive). I will be a regular to The Boiler.
(4)Stephanie P.
#146 Totally a fan of this place. When the boyfriend first heard about The Boiler, I was actually pretty skeptical. To be honest, I'm not big on Chino Hills establishments - don't ask me why because I have no idea. But, once we walked inside, I knew we were in for a real treat. I'm smitten with their interior decor because it's classy yet casual and decent cooking stations are rarely found outside of a Benihana, but they've got them! We ordered the House Pan Roast and the Diablo, both at a spiciness level of 8. The chefs were super friendly, chatting us up and asking everybody where they were from. I was so giddy watching them put together our entrees because everything was so organized. Everything in that kitchen is set up purposefully so as not to hassle the chefs in terms of tracking down ingredients. After a short wait, we were ready to chow down and OMG so so yummy! I was ecstatic that they're spicy levels were potently accurate and everything was packed with flavor since they'd been simmering in their respective broths/sauces for a while. My mouth was burning by the time we finished up our food but my stomach was more than satisfied. Promise me you'll give this place a shot - you will NOT regret it. Oh oh, and full bar!
(5)Mike K.
Their combo pan roast is awesome! I highly recommend it! Also, I found a recipe for the pan roast at panroastrecipe.com which I got and it is as close as you can get to the real thing if you want to make it at home.
(5)Gabriel C.
HORRIBLE SERVICE but not the fault of the employees. The owner needs to stop being cheap and hire a hostess and more bussers so the waiters can do their job as servers. The great food is over shadowed by the frustration of having to wait unreasonably long. What a shame I would love to eat their more often.
(2)Shelley C.
My husband took me the first time on our 9th anniversity this year. The food is really delicious here, however, it's just alittle bit pricey. My kids love their shrimp scampi and their seafood is really fresh. Will definately go back though.
(4)Rebecca S.
We traveled all the way from Simi Valley to Chino Hills just to try out this restaurant and we were definitely not disappointed. The food is as good as Vegas if not better. For appetizer, we ordered some really good raw oysters. We also tried the pan roast (#9 spiciness) and Jambalaya (#7 spiciness) and they both turned out really good. I'd go a little less spicy on the Jambalaya next time though. Their creme brulee is a must-try. Service was great and I can't wait to go there again. I just hope they can open up one closer to me.
(5)nadia f.
So is it closed for good? or temporary?
(4)B S.
The House Pan roast is one of a kind (unless you're at the Oyster Bar in Vegas). This place is 100% worth the drive!
(5)Steve M.
If you've ever been to the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas after an all nighter of drinking and gambling, then you know exactly how good this place is. Ritter was the head chef over there and created the amazingness that is the House Pan Roast, and decided to bring that glory about 4 hours closer to us in opening The Boiler in Chino Hills. There's something for everyone here, even if you aren't into seafood. Though I would suggest all first timers have the Pan Roast before trying anything else. One taste and you'll be hooked!
(5)Michelle D.
this place is most delicious! so far, i have ate here twice & plan 2 come back. i have only tried the the chowder & the pan roast which is very delicious & different. make sure u know how spicy u want it bc there is a scale! i really love seafood & this place & the service is wonderful. they take care of their customers & the chef even makes sure we are taken care of! the only reason why i didnt give 5 stars is the price. i wish the prices wasnt so high (its like $12 bucks for pan roast) but its worth it! :)
(4)Dex S.
yummy flavors, friendly & efficient staff, still delicious if you heat it up later. i was in chino hills for a wedding this past weekend and the family i was staying with in chino hills recommended this place. we made a reservation at 12:30pm for lunch because they said it usually gets really crowded. however, when we got there the place was pretty empty. i guess we got lucky because this place is freaking delicious. also, they had a banner outside with a "2 entrees for the price of one with purchase of 2 drinks" promotion. we took full advantage of this and pretty much paid about $12/person! for a party of seven (5 guys + 2 girls) we ordered "oysters on the half shell" (a dozen) as our appetizer and the "house pan roast" (6 orders, the girls split one) as our entree. as we waited for our food, they gave us free sliced french bread and butter (always a plus)! the oysters were presented nicely and tasted fresh. nothing out of the ordinary there, which is good. the house pan roast is a decent sized bowl of tomatoey soup with crab, shrimp, lobster, clams, and some other stuff. you can order it with rice or linguine and they let you choose spice levels between 1-10. i ordered mine with noodles and a spice level of 8. it was GLORIOUS! the level 8 spice was not even spicy at all! you could taste just a HINT of it and that's what made it so good. it didn't overpower the food at all, it enhanced it! i finished all my noodles and was pretty full, but i had a lot of soup left. so i asked for a box to take it home. i put the leftover soup in the fridge, attended the wedding, and went out for drinks afterwards. on the way back home, i stopped by albertsons and bought a loaf of french bread. got back to the house and heated up the soup. dipped the french bread in the soup and it was just as good as i remembered (if not better due to my intoxication). AMAZING! i heard there's also a boiler in vegas. i'll be sure to go the next time i'm there. boiler in chino hills, you get my stamp of approval! :)
(5)suzanna m.
the crab pan roast is greater than the one in Las Vegas Oyster bar. Yeh...we don't have to drive that long way to LV for the same food anymore. Besides, the oyster is so fresh in the Boiler. Make sure try the raw one, you can feel the freshness. Also, don't forget the dessert too. My kid is just 8 years old, she still liked the bread and pasta there. The owner told me that even kid can sit on the bar top table to enjoy the food, we will try it next time.
(5)Henry E.
I love this place. I try to stop by whenever I'm in the area and I've never been disappointed. So far I've tried the gumbo, bouillabaisse, pan roast oyster, shucked oysters, and the clam chowder. Everything is great, but the gumbo is awesome. Granted I've never been to Louisiana to try gumbo there, but I can't imagine it could get any better. The chowder? Best. Chowder. Ever. The service is great, attentive, but not intrusive.
(5)Elton W.
This place is really good! We were very pleased to find something so unique in Chino Hills (the land of chain restaurants that is void of culture and fine dining). This is a N'awlins style restaurant, with amazing flavors and fresh seafood. I got the Pan Roast -- really fantastic. Good and spicy, creamy sauce. It's not cheap, but it's worth it. If I were going to nitpick, I'd wish for a bit less sauce, as it seemed to be slightly overpowering the seafood, but all in all, it was excellent. The service is very attentive (since it is a new restaurant), and the owner/staff clearly want to succeed.
(5)Tommy C.
The cioppino is awesome at the boiler. It was a hard decision between that and their house pan roast. The chefs are great, very courteous, friendly and informative.
(5)Spencer H.
This place is super tasty and delicious, but it does take a little while before you get your order. What? Why would you want to rush something like this? Now, I can tell you that there is a reason why you should want to wait. The food is another level of great and the breads they serve you while you wait is nice and soft, crispy crust and chewy... um, bread area. =/ I had the chicken jambalaya and in a word, it was "yummo." Now that I have confirmed my ticket to Hell, let me explain why this was so good. The okra was cooked perfectly and the spiciness should never be too much (since they do ask you on a scale of 1-10 how spicy you want it). The food itself is served in a nice, simple, ginormous bowl and it is chock full of Andouille sausage and generous portions of juicy, tender chicken.
(4)Jeff T.
If I had not tried Oyster Bar in Vegas, I would give this place a 4 star for its food. But comparing to the same restaurant that they had in Vegas. I think this restaurant has a lot to improve. The appetizers: Bacon wrapped shrimp was over-priced and salty. I would not even feed this to my dog. Also, the bread. Can someone ask them why is their bread always so cold and stale? Their food isn't that cheap. So is it really hard to serve a bread hot and fresh? Main course: I recommend the house pan roast for any 1st timers. The tomato-based creamy broth mixed with chicken, sausage, and variation of seafood definitely makes this a signature dish for the restaurant. I also tried the jambalaya and gumbo. Let me tell you my friends, stay away from the gumbo. The broth was a mixture of sour and bitterness. Not a fan of this dish.
(3)Vince I.
Sitting here on a Saturday afternoon and waiting and waiting for our food now for about 45 minutes. On top of that when we inquired about more bread we were told that they were low on bread so they only gave each table one basket. I am just sitting here drafting this review ... Zzzz service is soooo slow. Had I known It would take this long I would have ordered 24 hours ago. Was going to give 2 stars but now it's been over an hour. Would go to zero if I could due to the wait.
(1)Christina M.
We love coming to dinner here. We avoid the rush and get there early. Sitting at the bar Is the best. The chefs talk to you explain what's in the dishes and how it is cooked, they are all friendly. The food .... Yummy! When they have the fresh clams in white wine sauce get it! They have a great happy hour menu top picks the oysters Rockefeller , and chowder. We always order the house pan roast! Amazing!!! Finish off the dinner with a creme brûlée ...
(5)Minda w.
The Boiler is a very unique experience. Steam kettle cooking is fascinating to watch so definitely sit at the counter. You get to see how the chef cooks and if it's not too busy, he'll joke around and chat with you. The negative to sitting at the counter if you've got more than two people, it's a bit hard to hold a conversation with each other. House Pan Roast - Spice level 3 - I'm not a big spicy person so I opted for a 3. Looking back, this dish is definitely more tasty with more spice. Next time I'll have to tough it up. It had lots of seafood in it. Great with noodles. Clam Chowder - I got this to go for my mom. It's super thick and creamy. Very strong herby flavor. The food is a bit pricey but it's definitely worth trying. I wasn't crazy about the taste the night of but it was delicious as leftovers! Overall, a very friendly fun place.
(4)Angelie D.
The Boiler is a great place to experience some really good Cajun food. What I love about this place is that I can't really compare it to another place. It's in a category all by itself. I've been here twice and I wanted to wait a bit before I reviewed this place to see whether they can be consistent. So here it goes: Oysters: Raw, huge, cocktail sauce, horseradish, and lemon - too amazing. FRESH FRESH and FRESH! Clam Chowder - rich, creamy, clammy? (but in a very good way), and chunky. In my top five of Best Clam Chowder EVER! Gumbo - Level 5 - in most places this is just a little above mild. 5 is HOT enough for me. I felt like a panzy, but it didn't matter, the food was so good. Jambalaya- great balance of sausage, seafood, rice, and spicy tomato sauce. This is one of their spicier dishes. It already comes at a 5 and you can only go higher! AHHH! =) House Pan Roast - My favorite dish since I've visited. The tomato base is so scrumptious alone that it doesn't really need anything else. BUT you also get an array of clam, oysters, crab, and lobster to get the seafood taste in every bite. I really want this place to stay open. Right now being in the center of Chino Hills, I believe they can do a lot better with a better location. After talking to the owner, it seems like they are doing just fine. The owner is really cool and has a lot of stories to tell you about his life and his career. This only made my visit more memorable. I love great service, great food, and great memories!
(4)Hap N.
I absolutely love this place. Whenever I'm craving for some raw oysters or some gumbo (I'm a big fan of okras!), I go here. They have other southern food too but I've only eaten their gumbo the five times I've been here. They have great service; ask and you shall receive! I've always requested more of something that they put in my food, and they always give it to me without extra charge :) Their raw oysters are really big and fresh. I've tried raw oysters at Boiling Crab, taste like sh*t, I'm sorry. I don't like my oysters tasting like they've been dead for a few hours, nor do I like my oysters having that weird fishy taste. I don't even think fishy taste is the description for it. But regardless, The Boiler has the best oysters away from the coast. The bread and butter they give you when you sit down is really good too. If this place wasn't 30+ miles away from where I live, I'd go here once a week.
(5)minna t.
When I first starting Yelping, my hubby specifically asked "Please don't yelp the Oyster Bar (in Vegas), I don't want the wait to get longer." The Oyster Bar only has 18 seats and a wait of 30 minutes or longer. So I finally made it out to Chino Hills and no longer will I wait at the Oyster Bar! We started off with oysters on a half shell. Then the owner came by and had us taste the clam chowder, yummy! I had my usual the Combo Pan Roast and not only did it taste the same, it was even better! Much more rich and flavorful! Hubby had the linguine & clams (white) and that was also very good. There were more clams than linguine! Overall, the food and service was great! We got to talking with the owner who mentioned that the original location was supposed to be at Diamond Jamboree in Irvine! It's good for me that they're now in Chino Hills cause my belly would grow twice as big if it were 5 minutes from my house!
(4)Cynthia Y.
Amazing food! This is one of my favorite places. Too bad they're so far away. Came here for dinner with the boyfriend before Eminem's concert. We walked in at around 5 and the place was pretty empty. It was a pretty hot day though, I would say like 100 degrees. We sat down at the bar. The head chef (never got his name) was super nice! He asked if it was our first time & we said yes, he brought us out a cup of clam chowder to try. It was so delicious!! Yummm my boyfriend isn't really big on seafood but he enjoyed it. We ordered the happy hour appetizer sampler. I ordered the House Pan roast and the boyfriend ordered the cioppino. We got our sampler which had bacon wrapped shrimp, spring rolls, and sausages (we ordered the loiusiana sausage). All 3 appetizers were delicious! yummmmmm While we enjoyed our appetizer, the chef started to prepare our entrees using the kettle, it was fun to watch. our food was ready once we finished our sampler. My house pan roase was delicious! it comes with jasmine rice. words cant describe how good the pan roast is. i dont know how to explain it but i guess you can say it's like curry, cajun style..full of spices and fresh seafood. i think its worth every penny. simply delicious! i really want more... My boyfriend really liked his cioppino. it's pasta with really spicy seafood. i dont really like spicy so it was a bit too spicy for me but it was tasty. my boyfriend said the sauce was perfect, the spice was perfect, and the seafood was really fresh. he kept saying it was realllly good =) so me and boyfriend really enjoyed this place. i cant wait to come back soon =D must try!
(5)Pamela A.
I LOVE The Boiler!!! Again, happy that we've finally got some great places to eat in the little town of Chino Hills. I will say this, if you're looking for phenomenal service, you're not going to get it here but the conversation you may have with the Chefs and the food kept me coming back. My boyfriend and I tried this place several months ago as an experiment. I passed by it all the time on my way to Yogurtland so I said why not? Since then, we have returned several times and I have introduced many friends to the place. In just a few months, I have seen the amount of customers grow significantly and I couldn't be happier for the chef/owner! The concept behind steam kettle cooking was explained to us on our first visit by the chef himself. He's a very nice gentleman and when given the opportunity, will conversate and interact with his customers as much as possible. His crew of waitresses are nice as heck but I'll be honest, they can definitely be more efficient and attentive. It almost feels as if they're constantly short-staffed but the place doesn't even have that many tables. That's a puzzle I still haven't figured out but like I said, the food has me going back over and over again. I have tried their House Pan Roast ($18.95), Cioppino ($16.95), Combo Cocktail ($11), and Cajun Calimari ($8.95). My boyfriend has tried their Gumbo ($15.95). My favorite has to be the House Pan Roast, level 10 spicy please!!! The first time I went there, I chose a level 6 and it was not spicy as all. The chef ended up making me a side of spice to add to my taste - awesome! I would say for the weak-tongued, start around a 5-6 and you can always add more spice. The Cioppino was very light, not like the heavier flavor of the House Pan Roast. Still very good, but I preferred the creaminess of the Pan Roast. Their combo cocktail was ok, not the best bang for your buck. Their calamari was nicely breaded and they use full pieces, which I enjoyed. Definitely worth a try, the Boiler hits the spot on those cold, winter nights and lets not forget the leftover soup makes a great dipping sauce for bread, which is usually my lunch the next day!
(4)Natalie S.
Drove here to meet up with friends an hour before they closed. My friend always tells me how packed it is and how its very hard to get a table, so we were surprised to see it fairly calm. There was a wait for a table and with it being so late we opted for the bartop. Which turned out to be better since we got to see the food being made, quite entertaining. Ordered a glass of wine and some beer, also started with a half dozen order of blue point oysters and some Bacon wrapped shrimp. The shrimp was spectacular!!! Plump shrimp with mozzarella cheese with perfectly cooked bacon wrapped around it. Most bacon wrapped items are disappointing when the bacon is usually undercooked but this item is a must try. Their oysters were just ok I don't really know how blue point oysters can taste different from place to place but they did. Also for starters ordered the new england clam chowder and the manhattan clam chowder both did not disappoint, in fact one of the best new england clam chowders I've ever tried. For dinner I ordered the linguine and clams with the white wine sauce, my guests ordered the bouillabiasse, the cilantro chicken with sausage, and also the jambalaya for each guests we were asked which level of spice we would like. Every dish was very flavorful and even thought the dishes are a bit pricey the portions are huge! Definetly worth a trip to check it out.
(4)Danny C.
So freakin good! I came here for lunch after a long night of drinking and I honestly wasn't in the mood for any food, but after the first bite I destroyed the rest of my meal. I would definitely come back if I get the chance.
(5)Oanh N.
Came here today to see what the hype was all about. Overall... it was good however I thought the food was too rich for me but the service was just wonderful. Food: 3 Service: 5 Overall: 4 Food: Pan Roast House: super flavory and rich! I got the spice level 7 and it had a nice kick however I was able to distinguish the powder chili very clearly so I think if the spice level was lower then the whole meal would be more well balanced. Jambalaya: hearty and flavory. It was good but I didn't think it was fabulous. Clam chowder: like the others it had a full body taste. It was more rich and creamy than milky. I've had better and I prefer it to be more milky. It had a good amount of clams in it. Portions: very very generous. I ate only half and my bf ate about 2/3 of it and he can eat a lot! Service: It's a major plus when you're being served with a genuine smile and they want to make sure you're enjoying your meal. Cost: 1 cup of soup and 2 entrees with tax and tip: under $45 total.
(4)Allen L.
Great food and oyster. My favor dish Cilantro chicken with sausage. make sure you make reservation first, or you wait go 30min to get a table
(5)Angelica K.
So the weather was finally cold enough to be "soup weather" and the first place i thought of was here. The food was good but not worth the price, maybe if it came with a side or something it would make it worth it? If you go in hungry like i did, you will not have any left overs, and i was still a little hungry :( We personal will not be back, it just cost way to much for what you get.
(3)Mymy L.
A lot of my friends have been raving about The Boiler and its infamous pan roast for several months now. Seeking to understand what all the hype was about, we decided to make the trek out to Chino Hills - and indeed it was a trek (as is everywhere outside of Orange County for me). As a forewarning, let me advise all of you who are unfamiliar with the area to NOT use google maps. It led us in the wrong direction and we were driving in circles for a good 20 minutes in panic mode since it was running close to 9pm. Follow the directions provided on their website instead. When we finally made it to the correct location, we were seated at the island that is in the center of the restaurant, directly in front of the chef which gave us a great view of the preparation and cooking. The staff here is so refreshingly welcoming, even though we arrived fairly close to closing time. We had the opportunity to chat with Chef Ritter and he was very engaging - you can tell that he takes pride in the food he serves. For starters, we ordered oysters on the half shell. Good but not great. I'm not sure if it was because they were fairly large oysters but they just weren't very tasty to me and I love oysters. I suspect the oysters at the Oyster Bar in Vegas are much better. Upon my friend's recommendation, we ordered the pan roast with sausage. This dish is positively superb! I love most everything that is tomato-y and the pan roast fits the bill. It is creamy, rich and loaded with clams, crab, shrimp and lobster. We ordered this at a spice level of 6 and it had the right amount of kick without overpowering the overall taste of the dish. Other items that we ordered: Clam chowder - I personally thought was absolutely delicious. It is quite creamy and thick but that's actually how I prefer my clam chowder. And they don't scrimp on the clams either. Gumbo - tasty and loaded with okra, shrimp, sausage, crab, clams and rice. Jambalaya - also loaded with shrimp, sausage and chicken. My friends ordered this at a spice level of 7 which was a bit too spicy for my taste. I'm not a huge fan of jambalaya but my friends seemed to enjoy it and I'm sure I would have too if the spices didn't numb my taste buds (yes, I'm a spice wuss). The servings here are quite substantial so bring a friend or two to share any of the above entrees. We had to take home half of our pan roast and it took quite an effort to finish the gumbo. The Boiler is definitely a great place if you're looking for hearty Cajun comfort food at its best. Price per person: $20 - 30.
(4)Fawn D.
house pan roast - the best!
(5)Joel P.
Just went to the Boiler after it was recommended by my boss. I read a lot of reviews before I decided to check this place out so let me make mine to the point . Service as many noted does suck. Expect to wait forever regardless of how busy it is. Cant complain about the food, but some reviews blow it out of proportion IMHO. People said the House Pan roast was so great...orgasmic even. Its tomato soup with bits of seafood so shredded you cant tell whats what. And 3 shrimp. It tastes ok though , just not something to relish over. Id say give it a try...just dont set your hopes too high and you wont be disappointed
(3)Trina J.
Just had dinner there. Food was amazing!! Make sure you get Joe as your chef he is superb at what he does. Teh servers are supper friendly and nice. Went there with a friend we split two appetizers and an entree. We were stuffed,, well not to stuffed to split dessert. Never a big fan of creme brule but theirs was AWESOME!! Awesome service, food and people.
(5)Ashley W.
YUMM! I absolutely love The Boiler. It really is a tasty and unique place that always has me craving for more. It might be a bit on the pricey side, but honestly, what do you expect when your bowl is loaded with seafood??? You can even sit at the bar and watch as they make your food in their special steam kettles. I'd rather come to this place than going to the boiling crab for some sort of cajun food any day. My absolute favorite dish is the HOUSE PAN ROAST. AHHH DELICIOUS. The sauce is creamy, loaded with seafood(shrimp, crab, lobster, and clams), and with the right spice level (I usually get a 5-6), it's like an explosion of deliciousness in your mouth. It normally comes with rice, but you can make it pasta instead, which I like a whole lot better. If you don't like shrimp or one of the things they put in the house pan roast, there are other pan roasts that come with just clam or just crab and etc. This place even has happy hour which gives delicious appetizers for cheap! Every bowl is pretty big and good for sharing. Most of the time, even if I do share, I still have leftovers. If you don't want to try the pan roast, I'd say that the shrimp diablo and the Cioppino are pretty delicious too. If you haven't come in and tried the food at the boiler yet, you definitely should. It'll knock your socks off!
(5)Da C.
They must've changed management or owner got stingy. The food still tasted practically the same but they gave less of everything yet charged the same. You would really tell with the clam chowder bowls. Service here is always really slow. This used to be my pan roast craving satisfaction place but now I might just actually make the drive to Vegas. At least then ill be completely satisfied instead of somewhat satisfied.
(3)Jennifer A.
Well of course I had to check The Boiler out because I don't think I've ever seen a restaurant get more buzz in Chino Hills! I came here for lunch with my boyfriend and my grandma. Admittedly, I didn't pick the best day to come because I was just getting over a bout of food poisoning and was lacking my usual voracious appetite. However, it was pretty much the only day that I would be able to make it for the lunch specials. So I bravely soldiered on and ordered the House Pan Roast. Why is it called a pan roast? It's clearly not roasted or even cooked in a pan. Either way, it was mighty delicious. It definitely hit the spot on that chilly day. I ordered a spice level of 3 and it was spicy, but not mouth numbingly so. The thick tomato cream soup was loaded with all sorts of seafood as well as a scoop of rice. My boyfriend had a level 6 chicken gumbo (after he chickened out of a level 8) and it was definitely spiiiicy! My grandma had the clam chowder which I really enjoyed and tasted like rosemary. As I said, I wasn't very hungry and probably took 2/3 of it home, which my mom gobbled up. The serving size is pretty big but even at lunch time it is about $12. There are other (cheaper) lunch specials including clam chowder and a po' boy for about $8. Dinner prices bring you closer to $20/person. And unfortunately, there is no lunch menu on the weekends. Service was a bit on the slow side considering the place wasn't very full, maybe it was just an off day. A good place to check out if you like seafood and it's cold out!
(4)Q O.
Our party of 7 were seated promptly. We were all excited to try out the many offerings of The Boiler based on Yelp reviews. We placed our order, got our appetizers, everything was looking and tasting good. Then our main dishes came, but only 6 out of 7 of us got our food. We asked every server that walked passed us about the last main dish. Each and every one said, "I'm sorry, I'll go check it right now." Then each one would walk back to our table to say "They're making it at the moment." Finally, after 10 minutes we see a server carry a bowl towards our table, but she stops at the table before us and says "chicken gumbo?" That was exactly the dish that our 7th person ordered. That table came after us but got that dish before us? So we called the head server over, "Hi, can you please check on our chicken gumbo? We just heard the other server bringing it to the other table." We heard the two servers talking and then the head server comes over, "I'm so sorry, but the other server accidentally brought your order to the other table. I'm getting them to make your order right now." As time was ticking (30 - 40 minutes), the rest of us were full and ready to pack up our leftovers. I then asked one of the servers, "May I speak to the manager please." She then says, "The manager is really busy at the moment. He knows and understands the situation. He will be over as soon as possible." Needless to say, the manager never came. The food finally did, but by then we were all over it. I don't own a restaurant nor do I manage one, but overall every profession has to do with customer service. Issue one is the mix up of our order and lack of urgency to rectify it and two is that a manager didn't feel that customer satisfaction is of importance. The easiest fix would be to instantly make our dish, but one after another we watched as other tables/customers' orders were completed. Sure we got that dish removed from our bill, but we weren't asking for a free meal. We wanted to be heard and know that our concerns are of importance to a manager. Overall, 3 stars are mainly for the food. We really don't blame the servers for the mix up as it could happen, but it's the lack of attention from management. This was such a disappointment as we liked the food, but it's not enough to promote an establishment that doesn't care about the thoughts/feedback of its patrons or the community that it serves. We'd rather support a business that cares about the quality of every aspect of their organization.
(3)Richard F.
We had a family night out here last night. Grandma, our two year old and one year old. It was a fairly kid friendly environment. I had the house pan roast (spicy level 6) my wife the Cioppino (spice level 1 as she was sharing with our two year old) and grandma had the Etoufee (spice level 3) We all enjoyed our food very much. I would probably choose a spice level 4 or 5 next time as the heat tends to build with the meal. The service was great and we will definitely be going back. To quote my wife 'New favorite'.
(4)Amina K.
The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the house pan roast at a spiciness of 8. The length of time it takes to get the food on the other hand was a bit long. It took about 30 minutes to get our dinner.
(4)Andrew L.
this place is pretty bomb. I don't normally review but this is one place I would recommend. Although dinner is a lot more expensive than lunch. Anyways, I don't want to write an essay.... just try it. I got the house pan roast GOOOOOOD
(4)Elliot K.
my friends recommended me to go to this place so we went to eat here today. It's located in a big private lot so there's plenty of parking. The restaurant inside is very spacious and the lighting/decor are very nice. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. She frequently came by to check if everything was ok for us. Now what i really like about this place is that you can watch the cooks actually cook the food right in front of you. If you come here you HAVE to sit at the counter so you can see everything. It's really interesting to see how they cook your food. The cooks like to talk to you while you eat to see if you're enjoying your meal and they're really chill. Really down to earth and pretty funny too. All the staff are extremely good people. So we got the house pan, jambalaya, gumbo, clam chowder, and the desert for that day which was pumpkin torte or something. My favorite out of all these would probably be the jambalaya. Its REALLY good. LOTS of flavor and definitely one of the best i've had. Pretty pricy though. Each meal is around $15-20 during dinner. However the cooks aren't stingy with the portions. I almost ate myself into a food coma. Their bowls are pretty big and the shrimp that they put in the jambalaya were big. The food is cooked fresh right in front of you and you can see the effort that the cooks put into making your food. For that this place is outstanding. You definitely get your money's worth in the quality and taste of the food. Because of the prices however i wont be coming back here frequently, but i will definitely come back in the future. This is one of the go to places if you're ever around chino hills.
(5)Michelle E.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant! I love the House Pan Roast and Jambalaya. I do a spice level 12 for the pan roast and a 10 for the jambalaya. It is even better the next day since there is always enough for day two. My husband usually gets his meals at a spice level 5. The staff is fabulous! We always sit at the bar so we can watch the action. Also, they had a great promotion for their anniversary; buy a $50 gift card and they added $10 to it so we bought $100 worth and got $120. Can't wait for another promo!
(5)John S.
Food and service was very good during my last visit. If you are look for a similar experience to the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas, this place is definitely worth a try, I recommend the House Pan Roast!
(5)Kathreen A.
This place is amazing! Found this place bc of yelp actually and I'm so happy I did! Tried the crab cakes which were a good starter and then my friend and I also got the house pan roast. It's a definite must. At first I couldn't understand why everyone was raving about it but now I see why.
(5)Ada Y.
can not believe how good this place is!!!! we will for sure b coming back :)
(5)Al R.
Over priced and over rated.
(3)Yelp C.
Delicious! Love the calamari, pan roast and clam chowder.
(4)Gina H.
Update: sorry it took so long to update. A lot has changed in the last few years since my first review. The service still could be better, but the food makes up for it. House pan roast is a must have!!! 4 out of 10 please :)
(5)Gordon T.
I was just in Vegas a couple weekends ago and had my first Oyster Bar experience at the Palace Station. I really wanted to relive the experience, so luckily my friend told me about The Boiler. I highly recommend the House Pan Roast, especially if you're a fan of the pan roast at Oyster Bar. It's a little bit different than the Vegas version. It's a bit chunkier (they add something called "trinity" which is a mix of sautéed celery, onions, and some other stuff), but it's still absolutely amazing. I had a good amount of lobster chunks, shrimp, and crab in mine. You can order your heat level from a scale of 0-10. I think a 7 for me is perfect. Go during weekday lunch hours. You'll save about $6 on the lunch portion. I also had a half dozen oysters on the half shell while waiting for the pan roast to cook. Pretty bland, so not too impressed. I think you could get much flavorful and meatier oysters at King's Fish House like their Thorndyke Bay oysters. I felt that their oysters were lacking in flavor and seemed more limp than my favorites at King's. I was sitting at the counter by the steam kettle kitchen area, so I was talking to the chef a bit (I think his name was Jimmy). Great service here, always making sure everything was OK. He told me that they may be opening up some new locations in the OC and possibly even Pasadena, but nothing official yet. Hopefully that will happen soon! Overall: Great place to get pan roast if you don't feel like driving to Vegas. Pass on the oysters. I've had better. If you go during lunch you'll save a chunk of cash.
(4)Fei C.
We had the house pan roast n the fisherman's chowder n they were both delicious...The portion is big n I will definitely come back again on a cold rainy day :)
(4)Juan G.
The best calm chowder in the West coast!! Thick and creamy with lots of tasty clams and herbs. Its better than some chowders that I've tasted in Boston or in the New England area. And I just had a sample of this chowder because Chef Ritter (I think that's his name) was very cool and just handed me a free sample as I waited for my order to be done. My 1st time here and I believe I am going to have to adjust my 4 stars to 5 once I come back and try more of their menu. I had the calamari as a starter. Very tender and tasty but don't expect the rings and tentacles. Here its cut into a large French Fry shapes covered in a well seasoned non-spicy breading. Just watch out for the shaved horseradish that they place in the red dipping sauce. I mistakenly ate the whole thing and it really opened up my sinuses. Ordered the Gumbo. It comes out piping hot with a ball of white rice on top with a spice level of 8 (they ask you how spicy you want it 0 thru 10). Once the temperature cooled the flavors really started to fuse together and it became this incredible comfort in a bowl. The spice level 8 was just enough to make me cry a little and really open up my taste buds. I'll absolutely come back and I highly recommend it. But the only con would be that it might be a bit pricey to frequently visit this place.
(4)Samantha O.
Why does this place have 4 stars!?!? PEOPLE HAVE YOU NEVER HAD GOOD SEAFOOD!?!! Came down from Monterey to spend the weekend with mom. We were in search of good oysters Rockefeller and this place came up as #1 on yelp. So we decided to try this place for lunch. We ordered the Cajun calamari and the oysters rockafeller. Calamari came out first, it wasn't too bad but it definitely wasn't even close to having any cajun flavor. It was your typical breaded and fried calamari strips. The oysters rockafeller was something completely different than the type I'm familiar with. We were served lukewarm oysters that had a brushing of some white cream that I guess was suppose to be hollandaise sauce. On top of the oysters was a thick bed of pankko bread crumbs. There was no spinach, no real hollandaise sauce, and the pankko crumbs had no flavor. It was an awful combination just chewy oysters with breadcrumbs. Talk about no flavor. YUCK! They did have good bread.
(1)Brenda G.
On occasion I would take a drive to Vegas to visit the Oyster Bar. So when this place opened, I was really excited. The first couple visits were good, food was great and service ok. I guess now the original chef who was there for the opening is gone. So let me fast forward to last night... We get there and it's about an hour wait, that's ok since all our party was willing to wait. After being there for about 40 min, I walk to the bar and want to order a beer. The man behind the counter gets beers for another group waiting to place an order. He then comes to us and orders ours. After he takes my order, he goes back to the other group and asks if they want to keep tab open. He then leaves the bar area goes sets up some tables, goes to the front desk, comes back 15 minutes later and gets my beer. Really?? He doesn't know how to pour beer, I have never seen anyone scoop beer foam out with a spoon! Really?? What are you doing back there if you don't know how to pour beer!!!! When our table was ready, he tells my husband he needs to close his bar tab, we were not given the option of an open tab!! Sorry to say but are we the wrong nationality? This place left a lot to be desired and I do not see myself returning in a long time. They definitely need better management.
(1)YelpStalkingIsSoPitifulLol S.
Love Love Love This Place! Just don't like the hrs that are so limited and weird...
(4)Elizabeth S.
My friend recommended this place and I decided to check it out. Took my dad with me and being an Asian dad, he's very skeptical of trying new non-Asian restaurants. We ordered the infamous House Pan Roast and the Clam Chowder Entree. I was surprised to see that my dad devoured his House Pan Roast. He loved it! This says a lot about their food. My dad hardly ever likes non-Asian restaurants. I guess it hit the spot. I had some of it and I must admit, it was pretty damn good. Better than my Clam Chowder Entree. The clam chowder entree was good but not as good as the House Pan Roast. Next time, I'm going to get it! Also, they ask you if you want the House Pan Roast mild, medium, or spicy to customize it! If you like spicy like I do, get it spicy. We ordered medium and it had a little kick but it was weak stuff compared to spicy asian food that we're used to.
(4)anna n.
On my recent trip to Vegas, I was introduced to Pan Roast at the Oyster Bar and ever since I came back, I can not stop thinking about how good it was. I was hoping to find something like it in So Cal. So when one of my friends told me there was a place in Chino Hills that served it, I was dying to go give it a try. Finally the opportunity came: my bf, a few friends and I made the drive out to Chino Hills Wednesday night to try it and I must say it was well worth the drive. Everything from the food, the service and the freindly chefs was great What we ordered: Pan Roast: My fave dish..cajun tomatoe-y sauce with clams, shrimp, lobster, crab and jasmine rice. Loved it, my palatte and tummy was definitely satisfied :0). Clam Chowder: Perfection....it was definitely better than the clam chowders you get at Fisherman Wharf in SF. It was rich, creamy and had lots of clams, just the way I like it :) Jambalaya: Superb!!! We ordered a 7 on the spiciness scale and it was pretty spicy. My friends tried a little bit of it and it was too spicy for them so if you dont eat spicy, I say stick with the 5 which is the lowest spiciness they can go to on the Jambalaya. Gumbo: My friends ordered this and I was able to give it a try. This dish was alright but I have never been a big fan of Gumbo. Blue Point Oysters: Fresh and taste wonderful. This was definitely comparable to the one in Vegas without the long wait which is always a plus in my book. And apparently Chef Ritter use to work at the one in Vegas so it had to be as good if not better right? So glad to have a place in So Cal to go to for Pan roast so I dont have to wait for trips to Vegas to fullfill my cravings. But it would be great though if you open one somewhere in OC, hint, hint :)
(5)Vi T.
Overall: Nice place, the decor looks modern and classy, but the place has a casual ambiance. Come here if you are a TOMATO LOVER like me! Food: I shared a PAN HOUSE ROAST (signature dish) and I have to admit, I ate it 2 weeks ago and I'm still craving it today! I love the creamy tomato base consistency that this soup offers. It's really awesome that you can pick the spiciness of this dish as well rating from 1-10. We got a 5 because we were afraid that the spice would drown out the flavor of the soup, but after I taste a 7 (which one of my friend ordered), the flavor was definitely not lost. Next time, I'm getting a 7 or 8, but that's just my preference! We also got a side of noodles for my friends because let's just admit, eating the soup alone (which is a good amount) will probably be sickening to many people. However, I love it without the noodles. I heard the Bouillabaisse was also good, which is something I might check out next time. +EDIT: I came back here again and got the Clam Pan Roast for a CHEAPER price 13 dollars, and it was still delicious. I liked it more than the House Pan Roast because of 2 reason (price and more taste). I like the clam one more because I could taste the clams, where the House Pan Roast has 'supposedly' so many seafood in the soup base (crab, shrimp, clam and lobster maybe etc), but I can't seem to taste it. I rather get the clam because it's more bang for your buck! I got an 8 and it wasn't too spicy, but it had enough kick ;} It was so yummy~ I got some bread to dip with it as well. You can also get a side of noodles for a few dollars! Service: The waitresses were really nice and they helped my group with suggestions for picking our dinner entree. The chef even came out to ask how our food was going, which was really nice of him. Environment: Dimmed environment, but very modernized.
(4)Jonathan T.
If i could give this place more than 5 stars, i would, this is hands down the best plate of food i have ever tried in my entire life...it really was that good... i went for my anniversary with my wife, we had the oyster rockafeller, house pan roast, gumbo and for desert the creme brule, i ordered the pan roast and my wife ordered the gumbo...the pan roast was just incredible, rich, creamy, had a ton of sea food in it, i did not want that bowl of soup to end, i chose spice level 3, it had just enough heat but it was not overpowering...my wifes gumbo was good but nothing compares to the pan roast, the gumbo was about a 4. creme brule had a nice crust on top, had to crack it with a spoon, custard had vanilla bean with a hint of orange zest. the second time i went there, ordered the clam chowder, it was pretty incredible, cheap too, about 5 bucks or so during lunch time, worth every penny. all in all these reviews are telling the truth, ill never forget that first bite of the pan roast, the clam chowder was a close 2nd, had a ton of clams and gumbo was not bad at all. one thing i will say, i went twice during lunch and once during dinner, portions are the same but dinner is like 7 or 8 bucks more per plate so if you have a choice, come during lunch! i still havent felt this way about a meal at any other place and it was worth every penny.
(5)Edward L.
Decent decor but the service is mediocre. Can't speak for all the waitstaff but our waitress was unfriendly and impatient. Tried the house pan roast the crab cakes. Honestly the pan roast tasted like a seafood version of chicken tiki masala, with a creole kick to it. Worth a try but I don't know if I'll be going back anytime soon. The crab cakes were decent enough, but again nothing to write home about.
(3)Ann S.
OMG this place is sooooooooooo good!! Myb son and I went here last night for dinner. We had the New England clam chowder, Bacon wrapped shrimp (TO DIE FOR!!) the house Pan Roast & the Shrimp pan roast. They give enormous portions of the roasts & its too much to eat, you will definately have to take it home. My son NEVER leaves leftovers. You must come to this place you will not be disappointed.
(5)Trevor G.
Amazing food with high class flavor. Great atmosphere cool deco. Definitely a diamond in the rough!
(5)Jackie B.
I love this little gem in a town of chains. The menu has a lot of variety and you choose spece level 1-10. I really liked the jambalaya. Drinks are wine and beer. If you are looking for a casual spot for 15-20 per person for food, this is a good bet. They have their food down to a science, and though it's not fine dining, it's a local joint with great grub! Read more Los Angeles Reviews as well as shopping/fashion, dog rescue and party planning on my blog- rescuelashelters.wordpre…
(4)Tim N.
SOLID FOUR STARS! SUPER GOOD FOOD. I'm from O.C. and we make this drive often. CAUSE ITS WORTH IT. House Pan Roast, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Clam Chowder, Oysters, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Shrimp Cocktail, - ALL VERY GOOD. I don't know what they can do to push them to the 5 Star bracket, but man they're really close... EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS AND TASTY. Worth the drive...
(4)Bonnie Y.
i LOVE this place! and they have liquor license now so GO! first, they have more than two types of bread - which is good! bread was warm and butter was tasty.... we got cajun calamaris for appetizers which was delicious... gumbo (at a spiciness level of 10) was AWESOME... i took a couple bites from my friend's and i LOVED it! i ordered the pan roast with just a spiciness of 6 - which was wrong, i LOVE spicy and this dish probably would taste better if it's even spicer... i'd recommend whoever wants to try it to go for 8.. the best dish i think from the night was the cioppino... not too heavy, and lots of seafood!!! we had leftover so i heat them up the next day, it's even better! i'll definitely go back to try other dishes on the menu... price, i agree that it's more towards the pricy side... though the portion is big... (but rice is too little - again agree with other yelper) that couple people could share the dishes... but still... the price might be an issue to keep people form coming back.... oysters and clam... we ordered both to try.... i like the oysters... but my friend said it tasted awful, not fresh, and very 'fishy'..... i am not an expert when it comes to oysters so i'd take her words for it... it certainly LOOK good though (see pic)... the clams.... i can hardly SEE it.... it's so small that i don't even know when i was eating besides the lemon juice and cocktail sauce.... would go back again... potential to be a 5 star place! :)
(4)Aaron S.
I really was surprised by what I ate. I love Creole food. I love, love, love Creole food. The flavor is what I CRAVE! I had their specialty thing whatever it is.. House Pan Roast. The best thing. It is really f*ing good. The place is TINY though! Cmon! the lady had the Chiopino(sp) and she didn't like it--to her defense my house pan roastwas significantly better than hers. Appetizers weren't memorable (soft shelled crab) but still tasty nontheless. Worth going here if you're in the area!
(4)Adriene B.
Yum! I went here for the first time last week. The appetizers were very good, we had the calamari and oysters. Only bad thing was that they were out of the New England clam chowder. I ordered the étouffée and loved it! Hubby and daughter had the lobster pan roast. Service was so-so, but we went close to closing time and they were probably trying to get out of there. Still, will be coming back.
(4)Gifty B.
Just because we got here 25 min prior to closing doesn't mean we should be blatantly ignored. It was clear they did not want more work to do and were all ready to go home. 10 minutes waiting and no server for drinks, etc is unacceptable when you aren't busy. Took my business elsewhere. Can't review the food when they don't serve it to you.
(1)Ivy D.
Too bad this place is all the way in Chino Hills. I'd frequent this place much more often if it was closer to home. Anyhow, seafood and spicy are right up my alley, so this place was perfect. The clam chowder is the best I've ever had. I've also had the Bouillabaisse and the House Pan Roast, both at spicy level 8 and both were delicious. The pan roast is a bit creamier and richer, so I'd go with Bouillabaisse if you want something a bit lighter. I've also had the calamari, which is not typical. I'm not sure how I feel about the calamari, but it wasn't bad. Staff is also great and the Chef is so friendly and personable. Can't wait until they start expanding to more "happening" areas.
(5)Vanessa L.
Oh, pan roast, the very essence of my being. During my last trip to Vegas, my girlfriends and I ate at the Oyster Bar at Palace Station. We were so moved by our experience that I vowed not to yelp that place (it would be our little secret). But this location opened up not-so-secretly and it's a helluva lot closer than Vegas so we HAD to try it out. We all ordered the house pan roast (varying degrees of spiciness - I think I'm going to try getting 6 next time because 7 is a bit spicy enough distract you from the pan roast taste) except for my boyfriend who got the chicken gumbo (even though I tried to talk him out of it and told him to get the pan roast - he tried mine and LOVED it). It is just as amazing as the Vegas location except for the following: in Vegas, the crab meat and shrimp tasted fresher. But I still can't complain because the pan roast totally hit the spot and made me a happy camper. We had a great discussion with the owner who told us about his history at the Oyster Bar in Vegas and the future expansion plans for The Boiler. I can't wait to come back, I don't care if it's all the way in Chino Hills, it's still closer than Vegas!
(5)Carlo B.
Something happened over there since I last visited. Smaller portions and Clam Chowder was so bad I left it half full. Too bad, not going back anymore.
(2)Jenny C.
With the storm heading to SoCal, there's no way better preparation than a warm bowl of Pan Roast at The Boiler. Soup for lunch? I'm no sissy eater. I love beef on all occasions but this place pleasantly surprises you. The Boiler specializes in soulful southern comfort soups. I've had their Jambalaya, Pan Roast, and Clam Chowder so far. The Jambalaya has a CRAZY Chuck Norris kick that will have you reaching for the bread even at a level 5 (you get to rank your spice from 1 to Habanero). The Pan Roast is a f'in Ninja that'll sneak attack you after the initial contact. Its addictive. Tomato cream-based. Sweet. Packed with seafood. It sounds a lot simpler than the taste. I turned down the signature dish for the Jambalaya my first go, but I came back shortly after tasting my friend's. It's pretty tasty, though I will admit it's not something I can eat a lot of (too creamy and hearty for me). The clam chowder is pretty good though. Hearty. Savory. Comforting. Each bowl is packed with serious seafood and flavor. The owner is super friendly and personally thanks every customer on his way out. It's just a cool place to have a low key, friendly meal at. Its the Cheers of the soup world.
(4)Caroline N.
This place was a waste of calories, gas, and money. Now I'm not a food critic and usually am pretty lenient when it comes to eating out, but I am over-the-top angry with this establishment. Actually, I am boiling, hence the restaurant's name. Everything went wrong while stepping into this place. For one, the customer service was below the notch, and two, not worth $15 for ANY dish. I don't know what's going on with the owner, charging the heck out of these poor customers. I know the economy is bad, but that's no excuse. Spent over 2 hours waiting and 15 minutes eating, and that is saying something. We waited 45 minutes just to be seated to the point I was so angry that I had to ask the waitress how much longer. To my surprise, there was a table sitting there the whole entire time. No apologies? $50 bucks for 2 people? F that, use part of that money for your tips. I'm not going to put in any extra money for something that rips.
(1)Matthew K.
My previous review nearly two years ago was five stars and I still love this place. The food definitely is still at that five star level. Unfortunately, the service has brought my overall experience with The Boiler down to a four. Fortunately, this can easily be corrected with some proper management. Below will explain . . . My wife and I went just this last Saturday during the peek hours, so we expected the wait . . . nearly 45 minutes. What was a little shocking was that only half of the dining room had seats filled. Granted, there was a large party of roughly 12 people. One of the waitresses later explained to me that when they have a large party it takes up all of their kettles, and thus brings the kitchen to a stand still. This is understandable. But that does not mean couples cannot be seated all together while the kitchen is making the larger party's meals. Instead, the hostess made about five couple (including my wife and I) wait, and wait, until all at once all of the parties were sat. What this means is that even after the larger party's meals were made, the kitchen was now backed up with five different couples having orders all at once. The hostess could have staggered the seating so there would be less stress on the kitchen. The result of this failure was that now we had to wait nearly an hour while seated to get our meals. While the hour wait to get our meals we then noticed the waitress was tending to bus her own tables while the busboy seemed to just go around and collect plates. Later the busboy took his break at the bar and eat in front of everyone, while everyone was waiting on their meals. This breaks a simple rule that employees should not take meal breaks in the presence of the customers. It appeared there was no managerial presence in the dining room. The issue with the way the hostess sat tables and the busboy's break could have been easily corrected with the presence of a manager. I am sure over time this will get corrected, and as previously mentioned, the food is still great.
(4)Anna D.
Best Creole dishes I've ever had. My BFF and her hubby took us out there tonight for my birthday, and we had a blast! The oysters were fresh, and the House Pan Roast was most flavorful. I opted to have it "spicy" free, but that didn't do anything to change the flavors of the lobster, clams, shrimp, and crab. Everything was excellent. We're definitely going there again.
(5)Ray T.
Interesting place. If you haven't tried Cajun style food definitely put this one on your list. Get the pan roast and bouillabaisse.
(4)Kerry W.
Wow!! Second times a charm. Totally different experience. Bacon wrapped shrimp and the house pan roast were both very good. They offer spice control upfront With the 0-10 scale. It's a fun place cause the cooking machines are right in front of you and everyone is so friendly.
(4)Tina L.
The house pan roast is good. It has a strong tomato taste. I like the clam chowder and it is super creamy and taste good.
(4)Herbie H.
This place is seriously amazing! Who'd have thought there was good food in the IE! Ha! I had take out twice...Jambalaya and Chicken Gumbo...both incredible! I came here on a Friday night for dinner, and we had: -Bacon Wrapped Shrimp -New England Clam Chowder -House Pan Roast -Creme Brulee The bacon wrapped shrimp were delicious. The shrimp had perfect texture, and the filling and bacon wrap was just perfect! The clam chowder was one of the best I've had in a very long time. Hearty and creamy, with the perfect proportion of clams and potato. The House Pan Roast was awesome! Asked for an extra order of rice, and two of us shared this flavorful and tasty meal! The creme brulee was a great ending to the meal. Silky and smooth...with a delicious and different brulee! The perfectly crisp topping had lemon zest throughout to give it a refreshing kick. Soooo good! We had great service and Chef Chris, Jimmy, and the rest of the gang definitely made us feel at home. Worth checking out for anyone that loves seafood!
(5)Joyce L.
Highly recommend you dine here. Casual and amazing food. You won't be disappointed! The Pan Roast is delicious, as is the gumbo, I understand they stand in line 2 hours in Vegas and drive from the OC. Soon to open in Irvine. For those on a diet they have a great salmon salad. Clam chowder and soft shell crab are also yummy! Sit at the bar and watch them cook....
(5)Stephanie K.
Anytime I'm in the mood for some spicy seafood from the South this is where I go. It's close to home and love that everything is made fresh. I've tried quite a few of the dishes on the menu, but my favorite is the linguini with clams. The portions are quite generous. The only thing I wish they would change is the size of the tables. Even for 2 people it's a bit small.
(4)Andizzle N.
We came for lunch on a weekday and it was a little busy as it was lunchtime. We sat there for a while and we had to ask for bread. We ordered oysters, which took over 30 minutes for us to get them. Our clam chowder took over 45 minutes. A hour into it, we were wondering why our food was taking so long. We realized that people that came after us already got their food. We asked the waitress what was going on and she went to ask the chef and she replied that he's going to make it right now. The chef came out to apologize and said that he was making the orders in order and that our ticket was last. He was very sincere. We weren't upset at the fact that it took a long time for our food to come out but because other patrons that came after us got their food first. It means that somebody dropped the ball. So either there was a system issue or our waitress put in the food late. Whatever the case was, we got up and left because it just wasn't right. We were the only ones in there without our entrees and all the kettles were empty or being cleaned. The chef was very sincere and apologized and invited us back. He took care of our appetizers. It wasn't his fault. But we were so upset we couldn't eat anymore, so we left. The only apology we receive was from the chef. The waitress never apologized for how long it was taking or bothered to find out why it was taking so long until we asked her. Jackson, please fix the customer service issues!!!!
(2)susan l.
finally got a chance to eat here for lunch what i ate: - etoufee: nice flavor. i went for spiciness level of 5/10. it had enough heat to make it interesting, but not so spicy that i couldnt keep eating it. the crawfish/shrimp were tender. it was nice, but honestly unremarkable. - ckn gumbo: also nice deep flavor. my friend got it 6/10. but, not a fan of okra. - house pan roast: the winning dish i think. very similar to the etoufee but with tomato flavor that kicked it way up. the acidity of tomato really rounded out the flavor and it made me wish i had order this rather than the etoufee. pros: - service: super polite and attentive. - food: lots of great cajun/creole cooking. im interested in coming back for some oysters - portion size: it came out in a bowl and i thought, what? this is it? but it was like the bowl was never ending. i sat there trying to finish, but i couldnt. i barely got halfway and i had to call it quits. cons: - slow cooked? it took a long time for our food to come out. the staff seemed to sense our restlessness and kept offering us more bread. no more CHO, i want my etoufee! - price: this place isnt cheap. lunch made the price reasonable. i think i would balk at paying so much for dinner... but i guess okay since portions make it two meals in one kind of deal. would i come again? hmm... though nothing was bad, i duno how much id be craving this kind of food. plus its a bit out of the way for me.
(3)Andrew K.
After having tried the Oyster Bar in Vegas, my attempt to vicariously relive the experience in Chino Hills was quite a disappointment. No warm sourdough rolls. Instead, you're relegated to room temp french bread as thin as deli meat. Cotton balls are denser. Strike 1. Combo pan roast (steam kettle cooked tomato-bisque based dish which includes lobster, crab meat + shrimp) comes with 3 shrimp. WITH shell-tail attached. Ridiculous. In Vegas, you definitely get more shrimp without the shell-tail and can devour with reckless abandon. Strike 2. I was happy to discover the rice in the combo pan roast was as my friend Fred said, akin to an iceberg. Very prophetic that guy. 1/4 floating on top while 3/4's lurks just below the surface...only to discover the rice below remained calcified and uncooked. Unacceptable. Strike 3. C'mon! A chinese guy owns/runs the place! Uncooked rice??? Deportation/Ejection. To staff's credit, spice level of 10 was just right. Enough to get the sweat beads on the nose going. Seating was prompt, about a 5 minute wait for 3 on a Friday night. Ample parking. FYI, lunch prices are about the same price as Vegas but at least $5-7 more during dinner. Fortunately, I was with good company and would actually go back.
(3)Jesse W.
I think this place is one of Chino Hills hidden treasurers! It's too bad the name doesn't tell you much about the fact that they have awesome Creole/ Cajun food because I think more people would go in if they knew the type of food. Anyway, the cooks are fun and they sometimes they give you a taste of a dish they are preparing. It's great to have your food cooked right in front of you! You got to try this place . . . you're going to love it!
(5)Peggy Y.
This place is absolutely amazing! The BF finally took me after he raved about it forever. I love how they provide a parking lot, and offered bar/table seating. It was a Saturday evening and we got so lucky that we got the bar seating in less than 20 mins. (My Bf says bar seating is a better experience for new guests because they cook the food in front of you and it SMELLS great). He's definately right, throughout our meal our chefs were entertaining us and shares experience and asks how our dishes were. I definately appreciated that he wasn't annoyed I asked a million questions. I think it would be even more awesome if they have outdoor seating with heat lamps for winter time, but that's just my little suggestion. This place has great ambiance, not too over the stop and they have flat screens on the wall so I can catch my baseball games, always a plus! A very mixed crowd which I love. As for our meal, we ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp as app. Sounds fatty but actaully a quite interesting combination, and just the right portion. Shrimps were big and crunchy- not soggy, you know that's a good quality shrimp. They also had a light sauce on top of it- so legit. The Bf got the House Pan Roast which was THE MOST DELICIOUS THING I HAVE EVER EATEN. The sauce is creamy and very STRONG tasting with plenty of mixed seafood inside. We substituted it with pasta instead of rice, my bf actually got this before as a mistake but it's one of those pleasant mistake, it's even better with pasta!! I got the Jambalaya and it was still great, the sauce was a bit thicker than the pan roast, and when it's mixed with rice it gets EVEN thicker and so I ended up trading with my bf and never wanted to give back his dish. Prices were a bit pricey for what it is, and I definately recommend this for dinner and not lunch because it is quite heavy in terms of portion and taste, but whatever floats your boat. I know I went home with a huge smile and had tons of leftovers for lunch. Of course my bf had to order the Lemon Creme Burle at the end, LOVED it. You have to try this place. It's overwhelming delicious- you just want to keep smiling and keep eating while holding your boyfriend/girlfriend's hand. I wish I can have this in my wedding banquet menu..yeah, I'm THAT serious.
(5)Beth H.
My daughter and I went to this restaurant about two months ago. She had read some positive reviews on Yelp and wanted to try it out. I had the shrimp diablo and my mouth has been watering for more ever since. I thought the atmosphere was casual but for more for adults.
(5)Hunger E.
NOTORIETY: None FOOD: Etoufee ($16.55 before tax): The etoufee was amazing. The soup base was creamy w/ the right savoriness. OVERALL: Tasty food but the wait & the waitstaff weren't very good. RECOMMENDATION: Etoufee TIPS: 1. Anticipate a long wait. Plan accordingly. 2. Sit on the counter so you can watch them cook right in front of you. NOTES: 1. If you purchase an entree, they'll ask you how spicy you want it (Scale 1-10). 2. They offer free slices of bread w/ your meal.
(5)Justine H.
Yeahhhhh... not so much. My boyfriend and I decided to try this place because I was desperately craving a spicy, flavorful dish. So when The Boiler popped up on Yelp, we read the description, and saw how close it was to home, we were quick to decide this is where we wanted to go. We were excited to see that there was a menu posted right by the door since we are always skeptical/nervous of trying new places with the fear of leaving dissatisfied. But the menu, chock full of seafood dishes, looked phenomenal and seemed to be EXACTLY what we were looking for. Despite the prices looking to be a tad pricey, we were excited to walk in. We were seated immediately and our server greeted us, very cheerful, constantly with a smile on her face (literally, my boyfriend found it kind of creepy. lol.) She was very helpful after I had let her know it was our first time visiting. She informed us that the most popular dish was the House Pan Roast. I always try to avoid ordering the same thing as my boyfriend so we can try different things, but this sounded like a dish I just could not miss out on. We both substituted the rice with the pasta. My boyfriend went with a Level 5 and I went with a Level 8 seeing as how I LOVE spicy food. Originally, I had wanted to go with a 9, but our server recommended the 8 letting me know the 9 would be very spicy. We also ordered the bacon-wrapped shrimp, which arrived quickly. They were absolutely DELICIOUS! I WILL return for these!!! While we waited for our food, I hopped back on Yelp to see what Yelpers were saying about the dish I had ordered. I was extremely excited to see that I did not see a single bad review on it! But as the wait for our food grew longer, I grew hungrier and a tad grouchier. It took us an entire HOUR to receive our food! Once it arrived and we took a taste, we were quick to realize that it was nothing special at all. Our pasta and seafood were drowning in what seemed to be a saucy soup. There was just SO much of it (the saucy soup). The only real seafood you could taste were the shrimp because they were big. The rest of the seafood seemed to be shaved up and almost not there. You could feel the texture of the crab/lobster/clams in your mouth, but definitely could NOT taste the flavor because it was completely masked in the saucy soup. If you like tomato soup, you may be a bigger fan of the dish, but I just thought it was a little excessive seeing as how it comes in a huge bowl. I found there to be not enough content. I expected better, especially after the amazing reviews and LONG wait time. A light at the end of the tunnel, however, was the creme brulee. I always have a hard time finding a place where I can get it, but now I know one. However, it was simply mediocre. Our server was very attentive constantly asking us if we wanted more bread, and our drinks never went empty, but the check came out to $60 for an AWESOME appetizer, 2 unfinished entrees, and a decent dessert. Maybe one day, I'll muster up the courage to try one of their other entrees, but as of right now, the bacon-wrapped shrimp is the only thing I know I will be extremely pleased with.
(2)J L.
love the vegas place (read either the owner used to work there or they opened up this one..who knows)...been wanting to try so came here on a sunday night. wait was about 20-25 minutes. prob b/c it seemed there was a large group that took up the bar area (assuming cause they all left around the same time ha) otherwise our wait would've been shorter. but anyways..... this is what we ordered: cajun fries: spicy but okay for me. i'd probably try some other appetizers before coming back to these. clam chowder: nice hearty bowl. lots of clams. good. i'd get it again. oysters: blue point oysters. cost like $3 more than the usual price of a half dozen. not too sweet but tasted fresh. i'd get it again. pan roast: recommended it seems by every yelper so add me to the list that recommend it. i'd also recommend adding sausages to it too. it's big enough i think for 2 people and that's a good thing cause it costs like $20. staff was super nice. our waitress was cheryl i believe. really friendly and would check up on us regularly. she was running back and forth like crazy but was always nice and smiling. rest of staff was nice too. i'll be coming back to this place for sure!
(5)Jo C.
They seriously need more waiters especially on the weekends. The service was HORRIBLE! we waited almost an hour for our food. It was DIFFICULT to ask waitress for any service, like refilling water or bread. They even took forever to give us a check too. I think their service has gone worse and worse. The first time i ate there, the service was excellent. The food is not cheap there but the service is SLOW. Dont go if you are super hungry.
(2)Heath C.
Delicious cajun inspired restaurant. I ordered the House Pan Roast and loved. I like that you could see the guys making your dish. The service could be better, the location is easy to miss and it's a bit pricy but the food is outstanding and worth the visit.
(4)Eugene N.
Love this place! My friends and I always consider coming out here, because it's a little far for us being in Chino Hills, a total treat. It's basically the same thing as the every popular Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas, but just way closer for Californians. I always get the same thing... Pan Roast, because it's hard to get anything else, it's delicious! The place also has excellent customer service. I can't rave about this place enough, if you're in Chino Hills, you have to stop by the Boiler!
(5)Ella M.
I got the House Pan Roast and it was so great. I can't wait to come back. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
(5)Rebecca W.
Absolutely delicious. My friend brought me here when I visited Chino Hills area and I was thoroughly impressed. The atmosphere is fun, the chef prepares your dish right in front of you with little individual boilers for each dish; he literally prepares 10 people's orders at a time! We ordered the house pan roast and the lime cilantro chicken. Both were amazing, great spices and flavors that combine perfectly. It's one of those things where a couple weeks later, your taste buds are itching to get it again. I've heard the jambalaya and gumbo are amazing so I'll definitely be going back to try those!
(5)Jonathan C.
WOW! I really don't know where to begin. The food, the service, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. New England Clam Chowder I started my meal with the New England Clam Chowder. I don't think I've had a better Clam Chowder that that cup of chowder. I've been to Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran., and I have to say that this chowder was just as good, if not better. It was thick, rich, great texture, and full of flavors. The clams were fresh and overall the chowder was absolutely amazing. Oysters on the Half Shell You wouldn't think that you could get fresh Oysters in Chino Hills, but these were one of the most fresh oysters I've had. They were perfectly shucked. Usually, when I order oysters on a half shell, they are sloppily shucked and bits of the shell end up in the oyster. Not at the Boiler. Everything was very professionally done, including the shucking. Pan Roast The intense flavors and the spice made the Pan Roast a symphony of flavors in my mouth. It was an absolute master piece. The sauce was rich, and the rice was perfectly cooked. The portion was huge! I do have a warning for first timers, when you are asked for how spicy you want your meal, anything above a 6 (in my opinion) is pretty hot. I had my Pan Roast at an 8 and I was sweating. Nevertheless, even though it was spicy, it did not overbear the flavor of the Pan Roast. I highly recommend it! The Atmosphere From the outside, it just looks like another one of those store front restaurants but once you come in, it is a relatively classy place. The design and lay out of the restaurant was very intentional. In the middle of the restaurant is an island kitchen surrounded by counters which customers can sit and watch the chefs prepare the meal. This gives the restaurant a very open/transparent feeling about it. The design was very welcoming and personable. I noticed that under the counter there were hooks intentionally place at each seat. This is so customers can hang their purses, bags or even jackets. Very well thought out. I can not say enough about the Boiler. The food was great, the service was great, the atmosphere was great, the chef's were professional! Highest recommendations. *** I have to also mention that I noticed the owner went around to each table and asked them about their meal. He was genuinely interested in our experience. I really appreciated that.
(5)Aaron J H.
What a unique experience for me. I sat at the bar to see what all this was about. And it was fun to see the different technique of this pot cooking. Very tasty dish. I ordered the House pan Roast. the House pan roast pretty much includes all the seafood options: lobster, crab, clams, shrimp, fish. it comes in a tomato/cream based sauce and a big dollop of jasmine rice on top. & ordered mine with level 5 spiciness and thought it was just perfect. The Lead Chef was on duty. He was great to talk with and discuss his and the business.
(4)Matthew F.
MAN! this is the spot!!! The bacon wrapped scrimps were the bomb! If you love gumbo like I do, you gotta try it here. Gotta warn you their spice levels is HOT!! I love me some spicy food but god damn, a level 4 of spice comes off like a 6 or 7. must haves: bacon wrapped shrimp, house pan roasts, and jambalaya BOMB!!
(4)Leanne D.
This place is pretty close to the oyster bar in Vegas. Not as good but good nonetheless. We came on a Saturday night and it was pretty busy but no wait which was nice compared to the 1.5 hour wait in Vegas. The place is big and modern. I loved how at the bar they had a purse hook under the counter. Definite plus! :) Something they did not have in Vegas and I wished they did. They also have separate tables to sit for larger parties. Their menu here was larger and with more options which was nice to see. We started with the calamari which was good but the sauce had a bit too much horse radish flavor. Their bread was different than Vegas. It was slightly warm and sliced which was good. They also served these crisp seasoned bread chips that were okay. We got the house pan roast level 4. To me it was a little more spicy than the combo pan roast level 4 in Vegas. I think the next time I'll get a 3 at this location. This place is a little stingy with the amount of seafood you get. We only got 3 shrimp in the pan roast where in vegas we got double the amount. They also had desserts at this location which was cool. We got the creme brûlée which was good but the consistency of the custard kinda tasted more like pudding. Considering they had more staff due to the tables, I expected service to be better at this location-but I thought wrong. We still had to flag down staff for refills or service. Anyhow the boiler did have the same flavor profile as the oyster bar in vegas. Will come back in the future if I have a craving. Those of you that love this place-you must try it in Vegas!
(3)Miguel B.
House pan roast BOMB, I like it at about a 6 but i can go all the way to 10. So if your craving the oyster bar at the palace station but cant make the trip, get your fix here its pretty good!
(5)Thao N.
loved! I got what everyone else suggested which is the House Pan Roast. Super delicious and super bad for you. The BF was able to get it a non seafood version of it thats not shown on the menu so for you non seafood lovers...ask for that!
(4)henry h.
The Boiler is a nice little cajun restaurant located in a big shopping center in Chino Hills. Where's Chino Hills? Exactly....only locals and Yelpers are probably going to find this place. My girlfriend and I came for a late lunch. The place is relatively small and has a cooking bar where they prepare your main entrees in front of you (if you sit at the cooking bar) with a steam kettle. The chef is very friendly and does an excellent job. All entrees are cooked to order and will take a little bit of time. My guess is this time will be longer when the place is busy. My girlfriend got the house pan roast which is a creamy tomato base dish filled with seafood and served with a scoop of jasmine rice. It was savory with some sweetness and when you add the heat it is a perfect marriage of flavors. I got the chicken gumbo which was also delicious. Spicy but not over the top. While I have never been to New Orleans or tried many cajun restaurants, I do think this place is really good. The flavors are bold and the proteins are cooked perfectly. A thing to note is you get pick your spiciness level from 1 -10. 1 is no pain and I like it boring to 10 which is I'm sweating bullets while farting fire later. Service is good. Parking is excellent since it is in a big shopping center. If you ever find yourself in Chino Hills give the Boiler a try. Enjoy!
(4)Albert P.
If you like The Oyster Bar in Las Vegas... you will probably LOVE this place. Not only is it closer than the one in Vegas... they also have a lunch entrée and WAY more seats. I can't give this place a fair review only because my House Pan Roast only consisted of chicken and sausage... I decided to leave the seafood out (I don't recommend doing this unless you don't mind being ridiculed by the head chef). But, I did have a few bites of the Combo pan roast and it is comparable to The Oyster Bar. Maybe it was a little more salty but still very good. The consistency, flavor, and volume is almost exactly the same. The head chef of Vegas did say The Broiler was an exact rip off of The Oyster Bar, but whatever... If it brings a delicious meal closer to home... I'm all for it. The chef also said they are opening on in Irvine... so keep an eye out for sometime in 2011.
(4)Tahnee L.
The Boiler takes their idea from the famous Oyster Bar at Palace Station but adds their own twist to it. I had the half dozen oysters and soft shell crab for appetizers and the house special roast for the entree. Compared to the Oyster Bar in Vegas, the appetizers and oysters were a great deal better in flavor and presentation. As for the pan roast, the cream of tomato broth doesn't out-perform the one in Vegas. It was good nonetheless, but the difference was noticeable. The environment here is probably more lively and entertaining than Vegas because the chef actually engages with others dining at the bar. It is very clean as well, which is always impressive because it's hard to find great-tasting food that's coupled with a spotless restaurant. For those who live in Orange County, the good news is that they'll be opening a franchise in Irvine in about 8 months! Hooray!
(4)Deb L.
Really love the Pan Roast!!! I love the bold flavor, and it definitely is the perfect meal if you're looking for something with a savory umph! My kids both like the Clam Linguini, which is also very delicious. I have to say it is a little pricey, especially at dinner (on average $20), but the portion (though it looks small), is extremely filling. I try to go at lunch nowadays since the lunch prices are about half the price of the dinner-on weekdays only. Though the lunch portions are smaller, it still gets me full, AND I bring home leftovers :)
(5)Jason K.
Service sucked a$$. They were somewhat busy, but not packed. Food took long and the waitress was nowhere to be seen. 15 minutes fly by - no waitress hitting the 30 minute mark -no waitress ...if we knew it was going to take long and the waitress was never coming back, we would have ordered a bunch of beers and some more appeeeees Food finally arrives and a minute later the waitress comes with... "How's everything?" She must not have realized how pissed we were with the smug look on our faces. this place is small... where was she hiding? Oh... and the 10% discount ($5) by the manager was an insult. Did not increase customer satisfaction. The Boiler has lost several customers for life.
(1)robert c.
This place is pretty good, but basically just get the house pan roast. The other stuff is not as good.
(4)Joanne M.
Pan roast is the ish.
(5)Brenda T.
My honey took me here for a special dinner and it was good. Not great, not awesome, just good. Terribly expensive though. We ordered the King Crab cocktail to start. When it arrived, we were very disappointed. The dish was 3 legs total, cut in half resulting in 6 pieces. These were the smallest king crab halves that I have ever seen. They looked more like snow crab. My honey ordered the House Pan Roast. She says she liked it. I ordered the Etoufee. I was disappointed that both dishes only had 4 pieces of shrimp each. Once we ate the shrimp, left behind was about 2 cups of roux and rice. The service was adequate. The cook was friendly and talkative but the server was not attentive. I had to ask for a beverage refill, ask for the check and flag her down to take the bill. I don't believe I'd go again mainly because of the expense. It was surprisingly expensive.
(3)Lynda P.
Found this place thru yelp. I was kinda iffy about this place because of the two polar reviews. On one hand there were yelpers who absolutely love this place, and on the other they didn't like it so much. But, since I love cajun, and there aren't that many cajun places around OC, I thought it was worth a shot especially I've always wanted to try the infamous Oyster Bar in Vegas. Got there around 8ish on a Sat night, and it wasn't packed. Tried the top two dishes recommended by yelpers and the chef there. The bread- not hot and toasty like I would have liked. Cold and dry. blehh Clam Chowder- good and thick texture. Don't know if I went there on the wrong night, but it was way too salty for me! I felt my blood pressure went up the roof for me. I've tried many great places with clam chowder so I have good standard of comparison. (The Bay area and Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos- Even Walt's Wharf in Seal beach (which is pretty good but not great is a lot better than The Boiler! :( I was very disappointed because we ordered a big bowl! House Pan Roast- Got the No. 4 spice level. Wasn't really spicey at all. Good flavor, but too soupy, and tomato-ey for me. If I ever go back I would ask for the rice on the side, or else the rice would be drowned in the soup. Also, it was rather too pricey for a dish where I felt there were not enough of seafood. The size of the deep bowl also felt overwhelming after awhile even though we shared between the two of us. It was just a tad way too much of tomato-like soup for me. We couldn't even finish it-- even though I forced myself to. Overall, very disappointed. The service and staff was very nice and friendly. If it wasn't for the friendly staff I would have probably given this place 2 stars. I don't know if I would drive all the way from OC here for the food again. It would have to be awhile from now and if I'm ever in the area then I might give it another shot.
(3)Y d.
Awesome! A solid cajun place nearby. The bacon wrapped shrimp while sounding so generic is actually very good, worthy even in a fine dining setting. The house pan roast is great although it remind me more of Indian Tika Masala than cajun. The etouffe was also good. i can't wait to try the gumbo and jambalaya.
(4)Naomi A.
CHEF RITTER!! OH WHERE OH WHERE HAVE YOU GONE????? I went back to The Boiler today and its just not the same without you! The bouillabaisse at best was OK, but I truly miss your tomato base broth. My boyfriend got the clam chower and it was watery! I am so sad you are gone.... If anyone finds out where Chef Ritter is working please let me know. I am not going back to The Boiler in Chino Hills anymore.... If anyone ate there before it closed dont go back, you will be disappointed. AND.. the make matters worse the prices went UP (and the prices were already high) Even though the food has gone downhill the service was very good. The waiter was attentive and the current head chef, Chris, is very nice and accommodating. If you did not try the Boiler before it closed perhaps you may try this place, but for all us Chef Ritter fans I implore you to stay home because I assure you will be disappointed.
(2)Joana L.
So here's my deal: was the food good? Yes. Would I drive out here to dine here again (I'm not a local to this place)? No. I ate the linguine and clams happily, and I sampled the jambalaya. The food was satisfying, but it lacked authenticity for me. I feel like I've had those quality of food in most creole chain restaurants before. And for what we got, it was overpriced. I think this place would be great for a casual lunch -- the servers and staff sure made it feel like a casual place, as in, they were clowning around all night. Usually, that's fine for me, but the pricing lead me to believe that this place would be slightly more refined.
(3)Kim B.
This is my favorite place to eat in Chino Hills. Ever since Chef Ritter left, the taste has changed a little bit, but it doesn't mean it still isn't good! I always order the house pan roast. It comes choc-ful of seafood cuts--shrimp, lobster, scallops (I think?), etc. The soup base is amazing. I love dipping bread, eating it with rice, whatever's available. I recommend coming here on a rainy day because it really hits home :)
(4)Mark N Phoebe G.
The food here is extremely flavorful and high quality. Also a unique dining experience. Shrimp diablo, calamari, fries, and Jambalaya were all fantastic. Only issues are that it's small inside and a little pricey.
(5)Mike A.
The food here is amazing. I used to be one of the cooks here for a while. Every dish here is good. It all depends on what you feel like eating. For appetizers the Bacon Wrap Shrimp and Oyster Rockefellers i definitely recommend. For the entrees i personally think the Jambalaya, House Pan Roast and Gumbo are the top 3. For dessert i would recommend the Creme Brulee and Bread Pudding. They also have great happy hour specials M-F 5pm-6:30pm
(5)M C.
So the boiling equipment they use are suppose to cook the food to perfection right? Well, sad to say, my shrimp was overcooked. That in and of itself, destroyed the whole dish. The sauce was good, but a bit on the heavy side, and they gave 1 scoop of rice in all that sauce. I guess that's how this type of food is suppose to be? Also got the calamari... there were about 6 pieces.. and it was $6+ Wasn't the best calamari either. Sorry Boiler, sadly, I will not be coming back.
(2)Jillian B.
It's all about the HOUSE PAN ROAST! Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside especially if you order it at level 8 spiciness! The house pan roast is a creamy tomato soup with 4 different types of seafood and is served with a scoop of rice. You can control how spicy you like it. 8 is not that bad for spicy food lovers. Each time I've visited, I've always had the rice, but next time i want to try the house pan roast with noodles. The food is a bit pricy, but so worth it. The portion is huge, however, and can easily be shared. The calamari is alright. Nothing too special. The service at the Boiler is always off. The servers need to get on top of their game. The chefs are nice though. Not a restaurant I would eat at every week, but this is a favorite in my book.
(4)Eddy T.
I normally don't write reviews because I'm too lazy, but since I'm hopped up on allergy meds and it's nearly 3:41 in the morning, why not? I wish I would've written a review for the Boiler a long time ago. Back then, I would have given the place 5 stars. I remember the first dish I had there was the Bouillabaisse, which was phenomenal, and came back the next day to try the House Pan Roast and Jambalaya. Both were terrific! I went there so much that Chef Ritter started to call me by name. Unfortunately, I moved and stopped coming in for awhile. Now that I'm back home, I'm dismayed to see that this place has gone down the crapper. Although the food is still edible compared to most of the stuff restaurants serve in Chino Hills, it's just not good. It's not offensive, but it's not good either. For example, my beloved House Pan Roast tastes like canned tomato bisque! Also, the service is terrible. We waited forever to get our drinks and the bread was cold and felt kind of damp. Now, I must point out that we had this petite brunette for our server. This lady was very kind and apologetic because of the slow service, which I actually didn't mind. She wasn't the problem because I can see that she was scrambling to get everybody what they wanted. It was busy. What can you do? It was the other waitress that I saw standing around doing squat that irritated me. This kind of pissed me off because I'm pretty sure our waitress took the flak for the other one's laziness and that's just not fair. I think being a waiter is tough as it is. You don't need to have coworkers that'll give you the shaft during rush hour. Anyways, I hope the Boiler returns to it's former graces because it had a great concept. Too bad the food quality and professionalism of the wait staff isn't there anymore.
(2)Jackk Y.
Is a 3.75 Stars for me... Boiler is a nice and different place to have that's not found often, very good experience if you never had stem kettle cajun cooking. I went there when they first open(before they even had there liquor license) and been back every so often and I found they do take yelp comments and try to improve and cater in making things better. As for the meals that I've tried most are pretty tasty and full of favors. And can change base on the hotness level you choose. Things I have and liked are Pan Roast, Jambalaya, oyster, gumbo, clam chowder, cioppino. One thing I missed was the baby calamari rings that they used to have instead of the calamari steaks now, also some better warm bread could be good too.
(4)Lisa W.
House Pan Roast. Look no further.
(5)Jay L.
I honestly cant get enough of this place, and I'm grateful my friend exposed me to it. At first, I didnt really find it appealing to head to a cajun restaurant thinking it was going to be like every other "boiling crab" type joint. Boy was I misinformed, or just plain ignorant. Whenever I visit here I usually get the etoufee, which is one of my favorite dishes in Cajun cuisine. I remember making it back in culinary school, and have fallen in love with the flavors and textures ever since. It's almost like a porridge, but with intense flavors. The crawfish, and shrimp mixed with the veggies in the velvety roux based sauce always hits the spot. Will not look for another place to find Cajun food, this is it right here!
(5)Teak L.
Final Thought: Good food, poor Logistics Prologue: I was introduced to this place by my friend BH. He was raving about it a couple times and mentioned how the concept of the restaurant was conceived with a former chef at the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas. I have yet to check the Oyster Bar out, but this place has been was a nice alternative. Pro: Simple, tasty menu, nice modern restaurant decor, awesome U-shaped bar with the stainless steel steamer units in front of the guests to show them the food they are getting, probably one of the cool concepts about this restaurant is you see what's going into your food. Steamed Oysters - If you are a shellfish fan, these bad boys would make you swoon. Light, fresh and delicious Bacon wrapped shrimp - 5 little morsels of tasty crustaceans fried perfectly and wrapped in everyone's favorite piece of pork. Comes with a nice tangy dipping sauce. Cajun Calamari - crispy whole breaded squid strips, almost french fries-like. Seasoned very well and served with a cocktail and horseradish dipping sauce, an awesome beginning to any meal. New England Clam Chowder - they make it fresh in front of you, super hot, and superb flavor, probably one of the best this side of the coast. Lobster Diablo - spicy tomato sauce, various herbs all steamed and slow cooking tender golden lobster nuggets of joy and for some additional mouth feel, some linguine to finish you off. House Pan Roast - creamy tomato saucy, holy trinity, and the whole kitten caboodle of seafood, lobster, crab, shrimp all perfectly cooked and served with jasmine rice, this is a whole lot of yum. Con: Patrons beware, if you plan of having a party greater than 4, expect a wait, if you plan on having dinner on a friday or saturday night, be warned, there will be a gigantic wait. My first experience here was nice, as our wait for a table was 30 minutes and our food came relatively fast. But my most recent visit, we got to the place at 7 on a saturday night, there was already a crowd waiting for large tables, and we got seated ahead of them all, got our food order in within 10 minutes, and 1 hour later our entrees come. If you order an appetizer, it would help, if you get an appetizer with some soup, it would be highly recommended. Sadly the last experience, service was bad, didn't get checked on, our drinks weren't refilled until we requested, and it seemed like many of the other guests were tended to more than we did. When my friend approached the manager/owner about this, all the guy had was apologies and excuses of sick staff members. If she's is sick, send her home, try to accommodate all the guests and try to get their food out as soon as possible, don't stand in front of the bar and joke with one of yours chefs, people see this and professionalism is still key. Epilogue: if you want a nice meal, avoid the aforementioned times for food and patronize this place at other times. Keep in mind some patience, you may need it.
(3)Randy T.
If this is what Cajun food is supposed to taste like, then this is Cajun Heaven. I've been here three times and each time have left happy and full. WARNING: If you can't handle spicy food, better order a 1. Their scale is from 1 to 10 but one cook said they've gone to 15. The first time I went I had the Jambalaya. I thought to myself, "how spicy could this be", so I got a 9. The Jambalaya was soooo good but soooo hot, spice wise. The chef recommended I add another scoop of rice to soak up the spices, didn't work. It was too hot that I could only finish half and that was after I was sweating like I just came from the gym. Even after having it for leftovers the next day, it was STILL spicy, but maybe a level 8 by then. The second time I went I got the Pan Roast since it was highly recommended by other Yelpers. Once you try this you will become an addict. If I could afford to eat here frequently, I would ask for double servings of the shrimp and lobster meat. The broth makes a perfect dipping sauce for the bread. Learning from my mistake the first time, I ordered a 7 instead. Did it work? A little bit, but still got me sweating. The third time I went, I got the Shrimp Pan Roast. Just as good as the original Pan Roast, just wish there was more shrimp. So learning from the last time, I ordered a 5 and it was perfect! They have other dishes that sound good but after having the Pan Roast it's hard to want to try anything else. Each time the wifey and I ordered the Clam Chowder. One of the best clam chowder's I've had. Rich and full of flavor. The prices are pretty pricey but I would say it's worth it. The chefs are friendly. Sit at the "bar" and watch how they cook the food, pretty neat setup. Now if only they could have groupons for this place. Definitely one of my fav spots now.
(5)Joy S.
First of all.. the service was TERRIBLE! We got there at around 12 for lunch. Only 2 other tables were occupied, but our waitress was nowhere to be found. Food took a long time to be served. Everything was REALLY salty and thick. Way too expensive
(2)Suzanne L.
All the praise for the House Pan Roast is no joke. This stuff is great. Using a tomato cream sauce base, this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. The Pan Roast, as well as all the other entrees on the menu, is prepared using steam kettle cooking. It was served in a huge bowl, piping hot, and with a large scoop of rice in the center of it. LOVE. The sauce had a generous amount of seafood in it. Shrimp, crab, etc. I personally enjoyed the bits of crab and/or lobster that melted into the warm creamy sauce more than the chunks of seafood. Yummmm. We decided to order the Bouillabaisse along with the Pan Roast and share the two. I thought the Bouillabaisse was decent, but a bit too salty for my taste. It was basically a lot of kettle cooked seafood served in a thin tomato based soup. After tasting a richer, creamier Pan Roast with RICE, we had to order an extra bowl of rice for the Bouillabaisse to "fill it out". If that makes any sense. Though a good choice, the Pan Roast was definitely the favorite of the night. The food here is not inexpensive, but reasonable considering the amount of seafood you will find in your dishes. Besides, you MUST go just to try that Pan Roast. It will warm your soul on these chilly nights. As will the passable selection of beer. Oh yes, i forgot to mention the delicious bacon wrapped shrimp appetizer. It was delicious and I don't even like bacon! It was very good dipped in that dijon mustardy sauce in the middle. However, it only comes with 5 skramp and not really worth the $9, IMO. I'd rather spend double that for say... another bowl of PAN ROAST!!! Go try it, now. Kthxbai
(5)Rachel T.
First time here with the diva "ATG".....was not disappointed. This place is the spot....The bread basket was great, the green tea was great but the stars of this place are the appetizers and entrees are the stars. Fresh food and a lot of it. Started with the bacon wrapped shrimp oh so delicious. Then soft shell crab wow....I cannot wait to go back. My dish was the chicken gumbo and I had the 2 seasoning and it opened up my nose big time. There are very generous with portions and the service was on point. Refills and napkins without asking. Oh did I mention dessert ? Yes this was our ...oops...my pig out day and the chocolate cake was to die for. One thing in passing the chef so friendly and he knew his stuff.
(5)Maggie C.
What a great restaurant. I am not a fan of soup but I am salivating just thinking about this place. This place specializes in steam kettle cooking. They cook the food in front of you using the cute kettle...fresh and delicious. I ordered one of the best sellers: Pan Roast House. Pan Roast House: A spicy cream based Creole sauce with trinity, shrimp, crab, lobster and clams served with Jasmine rice. I can't really describe the taste of my soup. It's like being kissed by a creamy sauce that's perfectly spicy, sweet and salty. I think it's a little spicy too. My soup had generous amount of chunky seafoods. Perfect combo with my Coke. My server was very patient. She went back more than 3 times before I was ready to order. Adding this to my favorite restaurants list. 4 .5 stars!! The Boiler is yummylicious!!
(4)M. P.
I have been a HUGE fan of the " Oyster Bar" at the palace station in las Vegas. When I realized this place had one of the chefs from Vegas I jumped at the chance to go. This place is incredible. My favorite is the crab pan roast. Also the clam chowder is the best chowder I have ever eaten. You have to try this place.
(5)Bridget W.
This was once my favorite place to go for a lunch. I don't know what it is, but there is something about this cuisine. Also, don't listen to the haters about "bad service." There is always something you have to try for yourself in the right way at the right time. 1. I have been coming here since Ritter first started this joint (gone now). I am a regular and I always come at a not-so-busy time. I also sometimes make convo with the staff and cooks. Familiarity really opens them up. Sit at the bar if you're alone or a party of 2-3. 2. Dinner prices are much more expensive and I don't feel that the portions are that much bigger, so I stick with lunch. IMO 3. The best things to eat are the gumbo, new england clam chowder, maybe the pan roast or etoufee depending on your tastes. Everything is also a bit better if you're willing to have medium spice level at least. The shrimp po-boy is also not bad, but I myself and NOT a fan of the calamari. The linguini also seemed alright, but I haven't had it in a while (from the current cooks). EDIT: I received a message from one of the owners, asking me to edit my review and take Ritter out of my review. I must add this. I don't give any thought or money for your drama. I have stopped going to this establishment for over a year because every time someone learns to cook well, they leave. They get replaced by someone mediocre who has to learn from the bottom. I do not care who did what to whom. I care about eating well, decent service and a good convo about the food.
(2)Leslie D.
Wow yelpers love this place and there is so many reviews for a chino hills place.. I think my expectations were too high coz yea i was disappointed. Yes the pan roast was very delicious and there was quite a spread of it but it's a 19 dollar soup so that's a bit much and i didn't find much lobster or other elements in it. I would definitely order this again someday but maybe less spicy at a 4 instead. The calamari was ok and i didn't like the horseradish in the sauce. I did love the bread although the bread is something i can find any other place. My husbands dish - the boulbaisse - was pretty blah and it was more expensive than the pan roast. Maybe the spiciness (5) was too much.. Chef Ritter seemed nice but he didn't greet us and we purposely sat at the bar based on the yelper reviews. He talked mainly about football with the other customers... and no one really made us feel welcome since this our first visit. The one cool thing about sitting at the bar is watching them "kettle cooking" and gives us an idea how they make their dishes. Now i would have given 2 stars but their pan roast is delicous but this is a place i can't frequent. I find better food at asian places were i spend a lot less and like it more. If they can offer the lunch prices during the weekends i will definitely go here more.
(3)Jane O H.
One of my close friends introduced me to this place....and for this reason alone we will be friends forever... My first experience was actually at their flagship location in Las Vegas and I loved it so much that I couldn't wait for Vegas to come around again, so I moseyed on over to the Boiler to see if it fared up to the original, and surely it did! The Boiler is known for its steam kettle cooking, where each order is prepared through individual steam kettles, so if you sit at the bar you can actually watch them as they prepare your dish. I've sampled most of the dishes on their menu and nothing compares to their house pan roast. Once you determine the level of spiciness you want (I personally like spicy so I always get a level 7 or 8), the steam kettles is filled with loads of fresh seafood....lobster, clams, shrimp, crab meat, and their secret trinity mix and spices until a bubbling point has been reached. Then the hearty savory goodness is dumped from the kettle and straight into your bowl and served with your choice of jasmine rice or linguini. Since their portions are so generous, I always request my linguini on the side, so just in case I'm starting to get full...I can leave aside those useless space hogging carbs and finish it like a soup. One thing to keep in mind though, this place is not quick and its not cheap....with all that perfection in bowl comes at a wait and price... My mouth is watering just thinking about that pan roast now...
(5)Mike P.
This place is awesome. My favorite dish is the House Pan Roast and the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp appetizer is very good. I always get a spice level of 5 for the pan roast, you can always add more after it's served. I tried an 8 once and it was a little to hot for my taste. The atmosphere is very laid back but very nice as well. Sit at the kettle bar so you can watch the chief prepare your food.
(5)Jen C.
I came here with my family during the weekend for lunch. We ordered the Cajun Fries as an appetizer. I thought this was the best dish out of all of the dishes. It was seasoned perfectly and it wasn't that spicy. Bread was served with our meals too. It was ok just because the bread was kind of cold. I was able to try quite a few of the dishes: New England Clam Chowder: I've been to Boston and tried the chowder there. This is obviously not as good. The chowder was too thick and chunky. I would say it was ok. Manhattan Chowder: This is a tomato based soup so I prefer this soup over the New England Clam Chowder. This was a very flavorful tomato soup. I wouldn't mind having this one again. House Pan Roast: Since a lot of people ordered this, my family and I ordered 2 of these. I thought it had too much tomato paste in it. This is a good dish if you like tomato paste based dishes. The seafood in the dish was ok. They give 3 big pieces of shrimp in it as well. Chicken Gumbo: This dish was ok. There was a lot of andouille sausage in mine which was a little too much. The dish was very flavorful. I actually like this one more than the House Pan Roast. The service was fine. When we walked in, there was only one waiter and one waitress. There was no hostess or anyone to seat people. The waiter or the waitress were the ones who were seating people. The bar was empty but my mom doesn't like to sit on high chairs so we had to wait for a table. There was only one table open after waiting for 15 minutes because the other tables were taken by a large party. Our waitress was nice. She indicated that for the House Pan Roast and the Chicken Gumbo, we could have a range from 1 to 10 for how spicy you want it. We ordered the House Pan Roast a 5 and a 7 and Chicken Gumbo a 4. My sister who likes it really spicy thought it wasn't spicy at all with a 7. The waitress said we could add more spice if it wasn't too spicy so my sister requested for it to be spicier. It turns out its spices and not spicy. They gave us a little dish that had a bunch of spices in it. Even though each of our dishes was a bit spicy, it wasn't spicy hot. So the waitress gave a small container of the powdered Ghost Pepper. My sister loves it that hot so she put some in her dish. Anyway, the waitress was ok. It sucks that they only had 2 people waiting all the tables. I don't know if I'll come here again. Maybe for their soup and fries. The dishes are a bit expensive. Note: Come during the weekdays for lunch. It's the cheapest. Except on Tuesdays because they're closed during lunch on Tuesdays. Weekends are expensive for lunch because it's the same as the dinner price.
(3)Tiquet W.
I've been here once - introduced by a friend to try it. I ordered the Crab Pan Roast and it comes standard with rice unless you request for noodles as substitute. The flavor was exceptional, I had the guy who made it rank their level of spiciness from 1 mild to 10 hottest. I chose 9 and it was hot but not to the point that I loose my taste buds. The Pan Roast was thick and creamy full of flavor. I could not help but dip my french bread over and over this creamy sauce. Overall, I think if you like cajun and seafood, it unique presentation of how the guy cooks and prepare your meal right in front (I sat at the bar) and the portion is big. My take is A for the item I had. B for its location and it's set in nowhere land. and C for its pricey nature, even for the lunch menu. The reason I gave it a 3 stars is because of the inconsistency of their business hours. I brought a friend who was visiting from L.A. over just the other day and the place was closed. Not too happy about it.
(3)Patty L.
I've been seeing this restaurant in the plaza since it opened and was always curious about it. So two nights ago I decided to just go and give it a try with my BF. The service is very attentive and nice. We sat at the bar and ordered directly with the chef. My BF ordered the Jambalaya at a spicyness of 9. It was not soupy or watery at all, so I don't know what those previous reviews were all about. My BF really liked it, and I was munching on it as well. I was having him spread the jambalaya on pieces of bread for me so we could share. The 9 spicy level was perfect for my BF but it was borderline mouth-on-fire for me cause I'm a big wimp! I ordered the Chipotle Fish Chowder and half a dozen of the house oysters. Both were pretty good. The raw oysters were cold, crisp, juicy and briny tasting. Just the way I like them. The chowder had a great smoky chipotle flavor. A gal-pal who came with us just ordered the clam chowder since she wasn't too hungry and she said that was good too. Thick and hearty. This place would be really great during the winter to come and eat. I also had the Creme Brulee which was yummy. I'm not sure if they get that from somewhere else or if it's made in-house. But it was still good. During our meal, we also watched the chefs make other people's orders at the bar. The ingredients they used all smelled so good! Next time, we'll for sure give one of the pan roasts a try! Oh yeah, and I got the 10% off for mentioning Yelp! YAY!
(4)Michael T.
Just something else to add. I had a chance to stop by here again this past weekend and tried some of their oysters. I'm not a huge oyster fan, maybe once in awhile but these really hit the spot. You could tell that they were really fresh and the sauce was just a right amount of kick! Definitely a hit.
(5)K K.
Fresh seafood! Great, modern atmosphere! Good and friendly management styles. Kids are welcome at this establishment which is a great bonus for families that love seafood. Only downside is the limited wine selection.
(4)Leesa B.
It doesn't task as good as Vegas but it hits the spot when you have the craving.
(4)Risey H.
You know what. This place is delicious! The first time I was introduced to this place was from my friends. I was so pleasantly surprised that I couldn't stop talking about it. Now that I move to the westside the chance of me getting to this is less and less but this would be a great soup for a cold winter night or just about every day. Is it that good especially with friends and family.
(5)John S.
We drove far to come to this place. Foods was excellent...tried the routine Pan Roast House and few weeks ago had the Bouillabraisse. All the entries are good. We ordered peanut butter oyster - hmmm...go try something else (soft-shell crab was much better!). The spicy foods were spicy! Try 2-4 level of spiciness before jumping to 7-8-9 level. We been back several times.
(4)T.S. A.
the staff here are unbeliveably attentive and friendly. the food is awesome! i would recommend the gumbo and the pan roast. i have been here a few times and everyone i take here gets hooked. selections are extremely flavorful and you get a good size portion for your money.
(5)Eva V.
My husband and I have been here on several occasions and absolutely love it! The food is AMAZING. I have tried several entrees and each was yummy, but the pan roast is simply to die for. The service is wonderful. Try sitting at the counter for a unique experience. It allows greater interaction with the chef, who is a delight to speak with. All in all, the service and food make this restaurant a real treat to dine at. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a meal that is far above the typical, mundane choices out there. Delicious!
(5)James G.
The Boiler is the Chronic! The food is just like the Palace Station in Vegas and around the same price. The only thing that the Palace Station has that the Boiler doesn't is the smell of cigarettes (I so love the smell of Marlboro 100's while I eat). My wife and I shared the Pan Fry, which was pretty damn good and the Chipotle Chowder. The Chowder was really good but it needed more veggies and fish. It seems like they skimmed a little and gave us mostly broth. Never the less, it was still a great soup. One last thing, since I know the guys at the Boiler take the time to read the comments I'd like to throw in my two cents. Don't take peoples comments too personal and try not to come off so dickish in your responses. Most of the people have nothing but praise towards your food. So keep up the good work and I'll be enjoying your food hopefully soon.
(5)J C.
I live in the area and always wanted to check this place out. Came here for lunch on a Friday and ordered the a lunch combo and a lunch pasta dish. It took FOREVER to get our food and there was a total of 8 people in the restaurant which included the 2 of us. My sandwich came out first and 10 min later the pasta dish and then I had to ask where my chowder was that came with my sandwich combo! One person was eating while the other one watched. I couldn't believe that even the waitress didn't find this strange and and follow up on the status of our order. It seems the guy behind the bar was doing all the steaming. He forgot about making my soup and wasn't even multi tasking while cooking the food. He was basically cooking one meal at a time and taking his sweet ol time....so how does it work if you have more than one order and more than one table?!?! The 1 star is for the horrible service. The food was decent but the horrible service ruined the lunch. I swear it took more than 30-40 min to get our food. I would look for the waitress but she was never to be found and just seemed to avoid the table completely.. I don't know how people are supposed to make it back to work when it takes that long and the place wasn't even busy.
(1)Joe G.
Wow what a place!! Stopped by for lunch after Yelp reviews and wow this place is great. I thought the only place to get food like this was Vegas, well i was wrong. I met Ritter chef/partner and he explained to me that he ran the oyster bar at the Palace Station and moved over my way to start the Broiler. Well I am glad he came. I had the Gumbo and a cup of clam chowder and it was fantastic. After a couple of spoons of this goodness, I call my girl to let her know the good news! We will be back for sure!!! Oysters on the half shell next!!! Great job!!
(5)david c.
It was my friends birthday and 7 of us looked around for a new place to try. We did research and decided to come here. We will be repeat customers. Service - Excellent (the bread and drinks were never empty) Food We all got 2 dozen oysters and they loved it. Three of us got the Pan Roast (one house and 2 lobster). My wife (who is picky about sauces) loved it. She doesn't eat spicy food so a 1 was perfect in spice. I got the jambalaya and definitely was very pleased. I got a 10 on the spice out of 10 and it was just right. Didn't make my nose run or eyes water.. since I eat spicy stuff daily. But it was just right. If you don't want it too spicy you can ask for a 8 and ask them to make you a 10 sauce on the side. There was a linguine and clam and that was great too. Drinks - They are waiting for their license to finalize (hopefully soon) but wish I had a beer with the spicy food. Dessert - We all had some Creme Brule and it was great. Not the frozen stuff. Everyone loved it. Price - a bit on the pricey price considering the amount of the seafood in the Pot Roast. Once in a while its okay, not a daily dinner or lunch. The owner went to everyone's table and was very pleasant. Great place !!!! I would go back again.
(5)Andy N.
I really don't see what the fuss about this place is. I came here with my family and we had the steamed clams and calamari for starters. First of all the portions were extremely small and they were both pricey. It was 15.95 for about 10 clams with very little meat inside and I believe 8.95 for the calamari. The clams were good but nothing special and the calamari was probably the worst I've ever had. For our main courses, we ordered the house pan roast, Bouillabaisse, gumbo, and jambalaya. The tastiest thing there was the Bouillabaisse but with the 20.95 price tag, it just doesn't seem worth it. We ordered it with medium spice (5) but it seemed like it was an (8) so my dad had to order the clam chowder instead. That was probably the only good thing at this place. The house pan roast gets very consistent so after a few bites you're going to want to eat something else. I would not recommend this place for a family dinner. Pros Clam Chowder Cons Small portions Very pricey
(2)S k.
Pleasant surprise, I got response back from The Boiler and it was them taking responsibility for the mishap! That raises my rating back to what I was originally going to give them, a 4/5 stars. Glad to know there are people that don't shy away from responsibility that still exist!
(4)JOHN F.
I've eaten twice and both times I was impressed with the food and service. the owner is very personable and the atmosphere very relaxed. I would recommend this place to anyon looking for seafood that's not commercial. The spices and seasonings will leave your taste buds craving for more. Just wish they had a larger selection of beer, aside from that. it's awesome.
(4)Leo C.
Heard about the spot through my wifey. Ordered the house oysters, calamari, and their I.P.A. The calamari was really good. Great texture and very flavorful. Their house oysters are off the hook. With a hint of peanut butter and bacon, this was different from anything I've tried as far as oysters are concern. For the main course, ordered their Gumbo. The best I've had this side of SoCal. Bread was dry and cold, but will defintely slide though again to conquer the menu.
(4)Alice C.
First time there yesterday..the location may seem in the middle of no where but hey..the food and service was great...maybe because I went on a weekday for dinner. I ordered the Linguini with clams with white sauce and it was delicious..their bowl of soup is pretty big and would have to share. I would definitely go again.
(5)Tien S.
on a lazy sunday afternoon a friend convinced me to take her to chino hills to try out this cajun style restaurant. she swore the food was good as the original branch in Las Vegas had a 3-4 hour wait time to be served. I have to say I was pretty impressed for it even though it is a bit out of the way for food, but I guess going there once in awhile is not so bad. I had the House Pan Roast and House Oysters (Bacon, Peanut Butter, and Tomato Sauce). Now the House Pan Roast is what I'm going to gauge most of the mood in the joint. Now I love oysters and I read the description fully knowing they were adding peanut butter and bacon lol. It seemed like an interesting dish that I had to try. Wasn't as tasty as I thought and couldn't even taste the bacon, but the House Pan Roast made it all better. Chino Hills though gets pretty hot so better dress comfortably when going out that way if you're not from the area. Plenty of parking as it seems like the plaza is not too busy just yet.
(5)aryam g.
This place is surprisingly good. At first I was skeptical about eating what looks like soup to me since I'm not a big fan of soup but it is nothing like that... its just goodness in a bowl. I got the pan roast and clam chowder...both delicious. Their calamari and bacon wrapped shrimp are great too. To top it off if you sit at the bar in the middle you can watch your food be prepared in front of you. Very nicely decorated too.
(5)R. E. L.
This place is great. I don't eat a whole lot of Cajun food, but after eating at the Boiler recently with my family, I hope to do so a lot more often. I got the chowder and the gumbo. The seafood chowder is quite possibly the best chowder I've ever had. Yes the other reviewers are correct - it is that good. I ordered my gumbo at a spiciness level 6 which was perfect for me. It made me sweat a bit, but it wasn't uncomfortably spicy. The gumbo had quite a bit of rice in it, and the rice tasted very fresh. My father got the pan roast which was good, but a little too heavy for my tastes. For comparison, the closest thing to the pan roast is Tikka Masala, an Indian curry made with cream. I ordered a creme brulee for dessert, which was awesome. The only problem with The Boiler is that it's a bit hard to find. It's in an uncrowded shopping center not far from the 71. The other downside, of course, is that there's only one location and it's kinda far, so I don't eat here as often as I'd like to. The service was great and the food was quick. Chef Ritter came out and asked us how our food was. Although I was more than happy with my evening before he talked to us, he really made the evening exceptional. This is clearly a man who cares a lot about good customer service. The restaurant was far from full since we were there on a weeknight, so it was pretty quiet. The ambiance is great, and it feels the way a proper Southern restaurant should feel. There's an open kitchen and you can see how freshly made each item is. After my heavy dinner, I was very pleased, ready to come back and try some of the different items. This restaurant is not intended for people looking for a quick, light meal or for the faint-hearted. Come very hungry and this restaurant will take you and your stomach straight to the happy place.
(5)buchi b.
Hot Chowder, Fresh Oysters, Amazing Pan Roast...Five Stars on top of the friendly service and top notch Chefs. Thanks for the great food and atmosphere.
(5)Vincent A.
This place has great tasting dishes. I really enjoyed their shrimp scampi and shrimp diablo. Their utensils and plateware were impressive. I like how you can choose your spiciness level of your dish. Wish they had more seating, because when it's busy, you might have to wait. I'd suggest calling ahead of time and making reservations.
(4)Rob D.
The food is great! Went with my family and tried multiple dished. Everything we had was amazing! If you like seafood this is your place. The Jumbalaya is my favorite, and they make a great clam chower. I like how you can get just about every dish on a spice level of 1-10. (I got a ten it was pretty hot, not off the charts, but the flavor of the spices is perfect!) I will definitely be back!
(5)Lynne C.
Since my BF reads Yelp and takes me on all his "foodie" runs I figure that I might as well throw my 2 cents into the ring. Today he took me the The Boiler in Chino Hills. I had no idea as what to expect and went into the experience with my mind completely open. We started out with the Cajun calamari. I have in the past eaten calamari that was similar to rubber and this one was not one of those! It was cooked perfectly and the sauce that was served with it was yummy. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have appetizer plates. This may seem nit picky but it's the little touches in life that go a long way. For our main course I ordered the Pan Roast House. Once the food arrived (this is not fast food and real cooking does take a bit more time) and I had my first taste, my taste buds were in heaven! Talk about big rich flavor! With every bite I was trying to taste each and every flavor and determine what exactly I was tasting in each bite. The only disappointment that I faced was that the shrimp was a bit overcooked. Please believe me that was a small issue in the big flavor involved with the food! My BF ordered the Pan Roast Crab. He too commented on the big flavor. He however did desire a bit of salt to add to his plate (which was not available on the table). All in all, I would say that I really enjoyed the food and am looking forward to going back and tasting the steamed clams, clam chowder and the Cioppino as well as revisiting the Pan Roast once again. I would fully recommend this to all. If however if you as I have not tasted Cajun creole cooking to go into this experience with an open mind an palate. I am giving this a 4 instead of a 5 because I need to experience more of the flavors....
(4)Sarah H.
The food is awesome for a cloudy day or a cold night. I can't imagine eating here in the summer time. I love spicy food but i was glad i didn't order above a 3 on a scale of 10. My companions both asked for 0 and still thought the food was spicy. You have to know what you're getting into if you come here. If you love cajun food, this is a good choice. The only problem is the long wait. The place was fairly empty for lunch but the food took forever. I wasn't bothered by it because i wasn't in a hurry and the staff was friendly.
(4)Albert V.
Delicious! This place is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. You can choose your spice level between 1 and 10. My wife loved her food but it was a bit too spicy for her. The chef overheard and offered to make her a new one without her asking. Great food, equally as good service. A must try!
(5)Rachel T.
services really bad... we waited 15 minutes for seating...15 minutes for ordering food... 20 minutes for appetizers and then another 20 minutes for the entrees (restaurant is not even full~~~) I think their food are overpriced.. won't even bother to try one more time BTW... we saw at least 8 ppl sit down and then walked away
(2)Jess T.
I LOVE YOU x 10000000000!!!! Sooooooooo good!!! I LOVE YOU OYSTERS AND CLAM CHOWDER!! So far, I've tried their Gumbo, House Pan Roast, Jambalaya, and Bouillbaise and EVERYTHING besdies their Gumbo IS ABSOLUTELY YUMMY!! My friend said the gumbo was really good but i'm thinking maybe i'm not a gumbo person. The last time I went, I ate the Bouillbaise with pasta and FELL IN LOVE!! Gonna go back again tonight!!! yay!!!
(5)Agie A.
Both me & my hubby love this place! The food is delicious and the service is spectacular. We have been here many times, that includes when it first originally opened and after the recent reopening and we have always left satisfied, full of excellent food and with smiles on our faces. I will say it is a little pricey for our pockets but the food..the entire dining experience is definitely worth it for us when we can afford it. So, you better believe that I pinch pennies whenever I can to fit The Boiler into our budget! Its amazing seafood dishes, so the price is fit for what you get. Also, there portions are sometimes even big enough for 2, but the only problem is my husband and I have our different favorites. I wish he would come over to the HOUSE PAN ROAST spicy & leave the lobster pan roast non spicy behind. Don't get me wrong lobster pan roast is delicious too, but I just love the variety of seafood you get in the house. Worth the $... You won't be disappointed with the flavors and the friendliness of this place!
(5)Kathryn L.
I decided to give this place another try, but since the service is soooo bad, we decided on take out. We had the Pan Roast and were once again disappointed, the current chefs do not compare to the last chef, and the food is nothing like it used to be. If any of you were able to taste Chef Ritter's version of Pan Roast, you would know what I am talking about. I would not go here again.
(2)Brian T.
Had the House Pan Roast. Was simply amazing. Not as spicy as other raters have commented. But food was great. My wife and I will be returning for sure.
(5)Hayley P.
This is by far the worst restaurant I have ever been to. I get it that it was the first week they were open, but the service (or lack thereof) we received was beyond ridiculous. Here is how our evening went down: We made reservations for three people for 7:30. We did not get seated until 8:00. (The place was maybe half full...) We noticed that everyone had drinks, but no one had any food. A bad sign from the start. Waited 15 minutes for someone to come take our order. We asked if the chef could make one of our dishes without butter, due to dietary restrictions, and our server said she would check. She was gone for 15 more minutes. We saw her walking around and asked if she was going to finish taking our order and she said (in a snarky tone) "Uh the chef is thinking!" And we said..."Thinking about what? We just don't want butter on our meal." Here is where it gets really good: I put my hand on my head and spaced out while she was chatting with my family, because I was tired and we had been there for an hour without any food, and the waitress looks at me and says: "You know I'm not that stupid. I'm not that stupid I see you sitting there rolling your eyes at me and shaking your head. I'm not stupid." And I looked up, and all of us at the table were in shock. I hadn't spoken a word to her and I was in my own world...We looked at eachother and the only response I could muster up was "Um.....I think we should leave." And so we did. We should've spoken to the manager, but we were so baffled by this girl's outburst that we were all in a daze. No one has ever spoken to me like that before. I legitimately think we may have been on candid camera because the situation was so incredibly ridiculous. We weren't...but I like to think that we were as an explanation for the ridiculousness that ensued at the boiler. Bottom line: This place sucks. I'm sure they will be out of business by the time you finish reading this. It earned one star for giving me a great story to tell my friends.
(1)Bonnevie G.
Been twice. Great dishes, flavorful seasonings. Spiciness ranges from 1-5, personally 1 already had a kick to it. Service excellent. Seafood was fresh. The blackened salmon salad a little salty for me.
(4)Katar I.
Ok I read the other reviews... and I actually just came here today... and to be honest, I enjoyed my experience and got to talk to the chef and owner. I mean, it seems they are still trying to develop their restaraunt and you can tell. It was slow and we came for lunch and teh manager greeted us and he looked a bit awkward greeting us but I'm asian, my dad is the same way too... so whatever. He encouraged us to to sit on the line and watch the cooks make our meals. They use a specially designed steam kettle to cook the food, and you watch them make your food, so you know whats going in and out of your meal or if its sanitary or not. Service was very quick so I was surprised to read the earlier reviews. I ordered a half dozen oysters on the half shell... they were good oysters. Thats also something I liked, the appetizer menu. Most restaurants you go to have nothing but fried food on their appetizer menu, and The boiler actually has a very great selection of seafood. Its a nice change for the people of Chino hills with all the Chilis and applebee clones out there... I ordered the Pan roast House... it was a tomato cream lie soup with shrimp, crab and lobster. and they offer a spice level from 1-10... I chose 8... pretty good, I could do a 10 I think... They serve it with a scoop of rice...It was delicious. My mother got the gumbo, and my dad got the clam pan roast. My father is a picky eater and he enjoyed it, so thats a big deal. But going into the meal, you can tell this place was still trying to find their ball bearings, like most new restaurants. So I guess I'm yelping on a learning curve. Later into our meal we started talking to the chef and owner... these are all original recipes that the chef created, in fact its the first in this type of restaurant california. He started creating this style of cooing in vegas and brought it here. Its still a small menu with a limited selection... no liquor license yet, but something about talking to the chef and manager I enjoyed... their passion. These guys really have a passion for what they are doing... all the staff is taking part in creating this restaurant. One of the cooks told me about some new recipes they are going to bringing into the restaurant. Some Po'boy sandwiches and Pecan pies... I'm definately a fan now of this place and hopes it does well... I had a great foodie experience talking to the owners and head chef, It made the meal even better... When this place becomes more than just a gumbo and soup place, its gonna be out of sight....
(5)Mason D.
The food is very tasty and great....it's a little bit on the expensive side but huge portion
(4)Joyce E.
Since it was our first time at the restaurant, even with great reviews, we opted to be conservative with our orders. What's worse than ordering a ton of bad food? So decided to share the House Pan Roast and half dozen oysters. Loved the Pan Roast! We had spicy level 5 which had a good kick but level 6 or 7 would have been perfect. I had to stop my husband from licking the bowl. This is one of those dishes I can see myself craving for every now and then especially on cold winter nights. I cannot say the same for the oysters as they tasted bland. We will definitely be back soon!
(4)Darlene E.
My husband and I went to this place for dinner and I was a little disappointed with my experience. As you walk in to the brightly lit facility (not good if you are looking for an intimate dining experience), you decide if you want to sit at a table, the "steam bar" or the regular bar. We chose the "steam bar" hoping that we would get to see something interesting, however the only thing that happened was us struggle to get our plate of food from the guy behind the counter since they have to reach across all the pots to hand you your order. It was the servers 2nd or 3rd day and she seemed a little nervous (understandable). So we didn't really put too much thought into the average service. The rest of the staff seemed to just be standing around or pretending to wipe already clean tables. The owner or manager was sitting in the corner on his laptop, which I would have either preferred him to be dressed more professionally or sit away from the dining areas and do his work in a back office. The bread was very boring and not what I expected from a place that has chowders and gumbos. We were brought a small basket of dry french bread and pita crisps? I would imagine some warm french or sourdough would be more fitting with the menu. The food is decent. I had the clam chowder since I figured that would be a good judge of the food. It was ok, not a standard clam chowder because it was kind of greenish from whatever spice they use, had a lot of potato and few clams, not too salty, but not very flavorful either. My husband had a shrimp diablo dish (basically shrimp and pasta). It was better than the clam chowder and was around $16 or $18. Other dishes seem to be $20+ It seems like they still have some kinks to work out although they have been open for a while now. Personally, I think it is a little overpriced for the service and dining environment. It's kind of like they haven't decided to make it a nicer restaurant or more of a quick dining place. I would like to see it stay, but changed should be made. It seems like they listen to yelpers so here is my opinion: 1. make it more warm and inviting: dim the lights, add some tablecloths, add something to the alcohol bar area (full bottles, not empty)-either decor or additional bottles, get real menus 2. the bread should be warm and delicious-you are serving comfort foods and the bread should go with the menu. 3. the steam bar was akward. Try to have the crew prepare the food and have the server bring it to the customer or something. As a customer you want a dining experience, you don't want to have to struggle to reach your plate. I can't see paying over $20.00 per plate for this type of dining experience. The restaurant can be great, it just needs to make some adjustments. They do not have the best location so they need to do what they can to get customers and stay in business. With the fall and winter seasons approaching, I really hope they can improve because I would love to make this one of my regular places. I will try it again in a few weeks to see if anything has improved...GOOD LUCK :-)
(3)pancakegirl l.
friendly service and ok food, the concept sounded interesting but food was just ok, nothing special to me. the pan roast that everyone raves about just tasted like creamy tomato sauce...
(3)Yelp A.
SORRY TO SAY TO ALL THE OTHER BAD REVIEWS... BUT EACH TIME I HAVE WENT HERE IT IS THE BEST EXPERIENCE.... As soon as we walk in we are greeted, this is exactly like the Oyster Station at the Palace Station in Vegas!!! Plus you can get it spicier than a 10!!! We sit at the bar where they make the Gumbo right in front of you... super uber delicious =)
(5)Mae W.
My cousin had been telling me about how good the Pan Roast was that he had in Vegas @ Oyster Bar...I had no idea what it was exactly, and we happened to learn that "The Boiler" serves it! So we went, and we learned that the guy who created the successful recipes for Oyster Bar, (Ritter), is the guy who's cooking your food at "The Boiler". I had my doubts, not a big fan of tomato based foods or oysters for that matter. But after trying it (and returning many times afterwards to eat some more,) I'm hooked! Its heavenly delicious! I recommend the House Pan Roast and for an appetizer try the House Oyster. It's broiled, with tomato sauce, peanut butter and bacon. Sounds kinda scary--but it totally WORKS! Ritter is a genius and knows how to cook his food. Aside from that, the environment is very intimate, and all the staff are friendly and accommodating. If you sit at the "bar" you can watch Ritter and his team make the foods you order and he can tell you all about it. Really great food, can't emphasise enough. (The clam chowder is delicious as well).
(5)Elizabeth S.
If you love Gumbo, this is the place! My boyfriend has been to the Palace Station's Oyster Bar and has been wanting to take me there...but when he heard about this place opening up, he didn't hesitate to take me along. I was stuck choosing between the Jambalaya or the Gumbo. I went for the Gumbo last minute and I was VERY happy with it! I started the heat off with a 5, which wasn't bad at all. I think I'll start with a 6 next time. It wasn't too soupy like some places and it had the perfect amount of andouille sausage, okra and seafood. The rice gave it the right texture and I ate the whole bowl! It was the best food experience I've had in a long time. My boyfriend ordered the Bouillabaisse which he's been addicted to ever since he tried it at the Oyster Bar. My son had the Linguini Alfredo with Chicken. I'm not a fan of Oysters, but I tried it. Too fishy for me. :) Overall, I am recommending this place to all my friends! It's a must try!
(5)edward t.
Let me start off by saying that the people that gave this place negative reviews are trippin. This place is SERIOUS. Best clam chowder I've ever had and I live in SF! I've never heard of pan roast, but it's basically a tomato cream base with a bunch of seafood, multiplied by fucking awesome. We also ordered the jambalaya which was also amazing. The only thing that was a disappointment was the pecan pie dessert. It was too sweet and the crust was gritty. The service was also great!
(5)Nancy J.
I love yelp! If not for my fellow yelpers, there are many wonderful eateries I would never have tried. So, on a cold and stormy day in Diamond Bar we finally make it over The Boiler. Wow, we were not disappointed. Had the spicy fish chowder with all theses wonderful pieces of shrimp, fish, clams, pork vegetables and potatoes in a tomatoey broth. Very hearty--a meal in itself. My friend had the salmon salad which he really enjoyed and I ordered the house pan roast at spice level 6. It was delish. However next time I will order a spice level 9 or 10 as I could barely taste any heat (spice wise). Temperature-wise everything came out burn your tongue hot which is exactly how I like my food! The pan roast was very rich--probably overextended my calorie count for at least a week LOL but definitely worth it--loaded with seafood and the amount of rice served was perfect. FYI-- no lunch menu on weekends so you pay the dinner price at lunch but the serving size is also huge. Took more than half of the pan roast home. --This is a great find and the perfect place to eat on a cold rainy day. Check it out yelpers--we want this place to make it!
(5)Bob C.
My wife and I were just recently at this restaurant. First time for us. Didn't even know that one existed in Vegas. We had the Oyster Plate. They recommended a dozen instead of the half which were what we were going to order. They did not disappoint. I'm glad we ordered the dozen! The oyster were huge and fresh. We then had the Pan Roast and the Linguine and Clam. Both were good. Portions were good. We just wished we would have ordered our food more spicy. On the scale of 1 - 10, both my wife and I ordered 4 to test the spice. Should have ordered an 8 for the kick!
(5)Michelle P.
My husband and I took our 4 month old to this restaurant on a Saturday evening. We had been told by friends that it was great and they recommended that we give it a try. We showed up at 6pm, discovered that they were not baby-friendly at all (no slings, frowned upon the use of a stroller, no changing tables). The wait staff suggested we sit at the bar and place our child's carseat on a small portion of the bar in the corner - near the steam kettle! Not safe at all! I didn't feel comfortable with it, and neither did the chef behind the bar. After a very nice couple volunteered to move to the bar so we could sit at a small table in the corner, we were "allowed" to go get our stroller so we didn't have to leave his carseat on the floor. We finally put in our order around 6:20, but our food did not arrive until almost 7pm. The waitress actually came to our table around 6:45 and said "I'm just about to put your order in... did you want the gumbo or jambalaya?" Just before the food arrived, I decided it would be a good idea to change our son. I had to take him out to our car to change him since I could not find any changing tables in the bathroom. It was very cold that evening and he was shivering!! Once our food finally arrived, it was good, but now we didn't have any drinks left and it took our waitress almost 5-10 minutes to bring refills (and she forgot my water). Now our son was itching to get out of the carseat and get home and have some dinner himself. We had not planned on the outing to take so long. We were able to get all the food to go, they gave us extra bread, and we had dinner at home. The food was great, but the restaurant experience was terrible. Next time we try somewhere new, I'll call and ask about their child accommodations first. FYI - we had the gumbo (level 7) and the jambalaya (level 10). The gumbo was the best. If we ever go back, I'll get the gumbo, level 10, for sure.
(2)Diana T.
I came here for a quick lunch with my friend on our way back from Corona. We barely made it before their mid day close, 10 minutes before closing. The waitress was very nice and friendly, and didnt try to rush us out of the resturant at all. We were the only ones in the resturant haha. The place is small, simple and clean. We started with a half dozen of oysters. The oysters were alright. I've had better. Parts of the oyster were stuck to the shell. I don't like that. I don't like rice dishes and almost never ever order anything that has rice in it. I like noodles lol! But my friend suggested that I must try their House Special Pan roast. And so I did order that, with the level of spiciness from 1-10, an 8! The Pan Roast is actually really good!! The waiter brought me extra spice just in case I wanted my dish to be a little spicier. 8 was just right! I'd say it's around the spiciness of Asian Sarachia, or maybe just a tad bit spicier. The seafood inside the pan roast was cooked perfectly. The sauce was just prefect! Not too wet, but not too dry. This place is kind of far if you are coming from the San Gabriel area, but if I am ever around the area or passing by again, I'd definitely come back to this resturant! My friend told me him and his girlfriend likes this place so much, they actually drive out here pretty often just for it haha
(4)Miss J.
Not a bad establishment. This is what we ordered as a group of 6: - Pan Roast - Clam Chowder - Jambalaya And we shared... The cook said it was going to be very large but he kind of hyped it up for us... I expected it to be as huge as the place in Las Vegas *the Pan roast place inside the *OysterBar* but I was a little let down. However, the people in our group tried this for the first time and enjoyed it a lot....so I guess this is a great place to eat Pan Roast if that's your first time.
(3)Genesis A.
Ok so after being here a few times it's safe to say that they don't always make you wait forever. Plus the staff is always friendly and go the extra mile to make u feel comfortable and accommodate you. So far I've tried the calamari, the new England clam chowder, the gumbo and the house pan roast. My favorite was the house pan roast. The calamari is awesome. The gumbo was good I eat it again but not my favorite. This is a place everyone should try once
(5)Kim S.
The house pan roast was really good, almost as good as The Oyster Bar! They also had Abita Purple Haze which was a plus for me! Lunch is cheaper than dinner and I'm sure less crowed. There was no wait time on a Saturday at noon and we had 12 people. However, we were split into two tables so that kinda sucked. I didn't give 5 stars because it took forever to get out food. Half our party was finished eating before we even got our food. We also had to remind the waitress two different times that we had ordered oysters. Either way I totally recommend you try it out!
(4)Jackie T.
After reading the caption on a photo of the pan roast saying that it was , " life changing", I decided to just try this place out. I came here on a Sunday afternoon expecting it to be crowded since there were minimal seating inside but it wasn't busy at all. I was really excited to try the pan roast and seeing that it was priced at $20 ( $15 on weekdays during lunch) I had high expectations. Sadly, it wasn't life changing. It sort of tasted like the creole version of the Indian dish butter chicken. Just replace the chicken with seafood. For $20, I expected it to be packed with seafood. All I got was 4 shrimps, a small strip of crab leg, small chunk of fish, and some tiny calamari pieces. The rice that was served ontop was undercooked. I had a couple of crunchy rice grains in my $20 pan roast. Totally ruined the dish. Bread came out as well but it was stale and dry. It seemed like they just warmed it up in the microwave to make it seem hot. Fried calamari wasn't too bad but the breading kept falling off. Our waitress although was nice, was in a rush to serve tables so she was left out of breath every time she came to our table. It started to get crowded a little after 12 and they seemed understaffed with 2 waitresses and one chef. The place was lacking AC so the more crowded it got, the hotter it got as well. I guess if you're feeling adventurous, then stop by but do it during the lunch time on a weekday so it's not so pricey.
(2)Tammy W.
2 words: Seafood heaven! They have a variety of oysters, seafood, and soups. The restaurant itself is pretty small. They have a kettle bar area to sit or table seating. The also have a separate bar on the other side of the room. It's fairly quiet and calm. Now onto the food! They give you complimentary bread & butter. Clam chowder: they have a cup or bowl option. The soup is SO GOOD! it's really fresh and they have lots of clams in it! Really creamy and rich. Oysters: they have 3 or 4 kinds of oysters. I've tried the Louisiana and the blue point oysters. The Louisiana oysters are bigger than the blue point ones. But either way they're both tasty. Sweet potato fries/Cajun fries; both good choices. Crispy and soft. Cajun is a little spicy though and has more seasoning. Pan roast: there's about 3-4 pan roast options. We chose the house pan roast which essentially comes with all the different types of seafood, sausage, etc. REALLY GOOD. MUST GET! Overall this place is really good and you can't go wrong with anything. 4 stars because it's a little pricey :( $20 for pan roast... But I always seem to come back. Must try all the dishes! :P
(4)Kay N.
Food was AMAZING. The best thing here is the house pan roast. I tried the pan roast in another place but wasn't as good as here. It was soooo delicious!!! The bacon wrap shrimp, skinny fries, and clams was all really good. The gumbo was okay. The food is a little heavy but I will keep u back for the house pan roast.
(5)Nancy T.
It's time I finally update my review for this place and rightfully so! Back when I first tried The Boiler many years ago, I didn't have the appreciation that I have for seafood today. That, plus I definitely tried some of the wrong things, such as the clam chowder, which was not my favorite! Well, fast forward to today...and I of course know better nowadays and stuck to the more popular items this time around. As an appetizer, my hubby and I shared the soft shell crab, which was super delectable. So simple, subtle, and had a nice light battering that brightened up beautifully when sprinkled with fresh squeezed lemon juice. For my entree, I ordered the house pan roast, which was amaaaazing. So hearty, creamy, buttery, rich and savory. I seriously could eat this all day long. I would say the pan roast here is very similar to Ritters, except The Boiler's version is less tomato-ey and has a stronger seafood taste. The portion size seems a bit smaller, but the quality is way better and the chunks of seafood are much bigger! Best of all, the service is like a MILLION times better than Ritter's. Our waitress was superb attentive, always making sure our bread basket and drinks were refilled. She brought out anything we requested (more napkins, lemons, etc.) in a timely manner and did it all with a friendly attitude! I will UNDOUBTEDLY be back! I'm so glad I decided to give this place a shot again because this is THE place to come if you want some high quality pan roast! I'm dreaming about that stuff riiiight now...
(5)Tila T.
The Boiler is still tasty, but it seems they got kinda cheap with the seafood. I hardly had any recognizable seafood in my pan roast :( What used to be obvious chunks of lobster and crab is now just one small piece of lobster tail (probably about the size of a quarter) and minced crab. It still comes with 3 decently sized shrimp. At about $19.99 per pan roast, The Boiler is well priced compared to it's competition (Ritters, Kettlebar, Oyster Bar). It's just not the same as it used to be.
(3)Joy M.
If you're a crazy sweaty mess (like me) this shouldn't be your place of choice during the hotter seasons. Very hot up in this hizz-ouse because of the obvious = boiling steamed pot things. To be quite honest, I enjoyed Ritter's more so you might say that I am a little biased! Two visits down and I've come to the 3 stars. For my first visit, I came in a group of people so we couldn't all fit at the bar. All of our food came at the same time and you bet it was HOT! I ordered the Bouillabaisse, which was flavorful, but nothing special. My husband and I ended up ordering a side of crab and I got some small pieces of crab cartilage in my meat. This was totally understandable, so not blaming them. I'm just advising others to proceed with caution when chowing down! The second time I came, I ordered Pan Roast. I thought it was better than the Bouillabaisse, but it wasn't amazing enough for me to have cravings for it again. The portion of crab is kind of small compared to Ritter's (Or I went on an off day because I felt like it was skimpish). Since we had some left over, my husband took his portion home. I was told that it tastes better the day after, which it did. The flavors were a little stronger, but i wasn't enough for me to have that desire to want more right away. Our servers were very nice during both occasions so, top notch customer service!
(3)Jerome W.
I came here for lunch with my family on Sunday and I am familiar with this concept since I love the Kettlebar in Anaheim. There's ample parking outside and the restaurant is pretty spacious with bar seating in the middle. Note, they don't offer lunch portions or prices on the weekends, which I can understand since it can get busy. Everyone orders the pan roast, but I opted for something a bit less creamy and got the Bouillabaisse, which is more like a stew. It doesn't come with rice like the pan roast and it's more soupy. If this is your first time, I would opt for the pan roast since that's a must for a first-timer. As you eat it, it just gets better and better. I really liked the flavor and the level5 spiciness was perfect for my delicate palate. =) The one thing I really didn't like was that it took 1 HOUR to get our food. They're obviously understaffed with it comes to servers since it look forever for us to get anything including drinks, more bread, etc.. No updates or any type of acknowledgement from our server. It just left a bad taste in my mouth and probably will not be back.
(2)Joe E.
We ordered the seafood pan roast and it was delicious! We also ordered the shrimp pan roast, but it wasn't as packed with meat as the seafood version. I highly recommend the seafood pan roast. All the pan roasts come with the delicious tomato bisque base that is so creamy and delectable. This place is a must try.
(4)Samantha C.
An hour wait on Saturday night in Chino?! But more surprisingly, there's Cajun food in Chino?! Complimentary Bread yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Cajun Fries - If they were normal fries, 5/5. Great fries! But these definitely did not taste like cajun fries. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… House Pot Roast - You can choose your spice level from 1-10. I opt for the weak 2, because in my defense I was sick. It would have tasted better if it was spicier though. It had good flavor, but it was a standard pot roast. This was priced at 20 dollars, which is a bit steep. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Jambalaya - I don't really care for jambalaya, but this one was decent enough for me to like it. yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Also when I got my drink, there was something black inside. Not clean. It would be 4 stars, but my wallet was screaming a little so I had to dock it down.
(3)Vincent T.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. We were greeted and seated right away. We were happy to see that there was no line after reading the reviews for this place. After a couple of minutes, we decided to order the fried calamari, a bowl of clam chowder, and house pan roast. The calamari pieces were fairly sized and pretty good. The clam chowder was a little on the saltier end. A short while later we were served our house pan roast which I was most excited for. However, after trying it, I was not amazed. It lacked seafood and the stew was very liquid-y. Also their rice portions were significantly smaller than Ritters. I would only come back if I was really craving pan roast and didn't want to drive to Anaheim or OC for Kettlebar or Ritters.
(3)Eva I.
Finally made it here after years of it being on my bookmark list. We made it a trip to eat here on our way to Omills, and it did not disappoint! There was no wait (and also no lunch special prices, sadly) when we came on Saturday. We opted to sit at the counter and got to see all the pan roast, gumbo, chowder, etc being made in the steam kettles. Definitely a fun view if you are enjoying steam kettle cooking for the first time. We didn't want to over stuff ourselves (as much as we wanted to), so we shared the steamed clams and house pan roast with added sausage. It was just the right amount of food and left us very satisfyingly full. Both dishes were bowl licking good literally. We had three baskets of bread altogether to clean off every last drop of the creamy, rich, flavorful sauce goodness. I'd choose Boiler over Ritters for its cheaper price and Boiler over Oyster Bar for its closer location. A monthly visit to Boiler sounds just about right. Will be trying the Manhattan style fisherman's chowder next!
(5)Tanya N.
Good Pan Roast! I love this place! After trying out Ritter's in Orange county, I was recommended by a friend to give this place a try because she said it was comparable to that one famous restaurant in Vegas AND its within driving distance to where I am at! If you have not tried pan roast, it's similar to a creamy tomato soup with chunks of meat or seafood in them and you eat it with white rice. It slightly resembles curry but without turmeric and with southern flavors. I absolutely love it here! The portions are a little too big for me so I had to pack some to go. Let me tell you, the leftover was just as good the next morning! Highly recommended!
(5)Tammy N.
It's more like 3.5 stars. I always get the pan roast combo. Always delicious, but not always consistent in portion. This last time I went, there were only 2 pieces of lobster in my order. Normally there's a little more so that was a bit disappointing. I tried the etouffee finally and I didn't care much for it. The server said that it is a thicker, richer sauce than the panroast, but it was about the same or if anything not as thick. It tasted okay enough to keep eating, but I don't think I'd order that again. The fried mac'n'cheese bites are good as well as the cajun fries which I feel you can't go wrong with. I like this place because it's close to home. The cooks are friendly to talk to. The servers are always nice, but don't come by and check on us enough. Do get: pan roast combo, oysters, cajun fries, and mac'n'cheese bites. They also have refreshing unsweetened passion tea.
(4)Karen L.
I absolutely love this place! I just wish it was closer to home then I'd eat this more often. I always opt for the House Pan Roast (spicy level 10 and added 1/2 a habenaro). The crab cakes and gumbo are really worth a try here too! Oysters are good but pretty typical. I honestly like The Boiler better than Ritter's in the OC because it's just packs so much more flavor and punch!
(5)Jackson Y.
This was the first place I had tried pan roast. Before this place, I had never heard of it. The JY fam invited me out here to try. Honestly, I thought it was not all that at first. But I didn't leave a review, because I had nothing to compare it to. Now that I've had a few pan roasts under my belt and revisited this place....here's what I thought. THE PAN ROAST..... Didn't see it on the menu the second time, but the first time I was here. i got the chicken and sausage pan roast, it wasn't good. Good thing it's no longer there. Second time around finally got the house pan roast and it was quite good. Wasn't the best pan roast I've ever had, but it was close. It was missing that "Je ne sais quoi." Had ordered a level 8 out of 10 on the spice scale. So it was nice and spicy. The shrimp was cooked perfectly. I was really scared to get over cooked shrimp. Props to the cooks for not overcooking them. The house pan roast was about $20 or so. I guess it's a fair price for what it is, but I felt like the amount of seafood isn't as much as other places I've tried. Asked for extra rice. Good to share with two. APPS..... Other recommendation would be the cajun fries. It's full of spice and flavor. And only $3. You can't lose with this appetizer. I would skip on the softshell crab. Kinda pricey and I didn't think it was to die for. However the fried calamari is quite good. Tastes just as good as it looks. Establishments with craft beers are usually a win. It's very easy to be a fan of this place. Good food, craft beer, and they got a few TV around the bar area so you don't miss the game. Seats are limited; I think they only seat about 65 people or so. But the 2 times I've been here for dinner, there wasn't much of a wait. Always good service, and it's conveniently located half a mile from the freeway. It may be a bit hard to find, it's right off of Chino Hills Parkway.
(4)Courtney H.
So this place is pretty small surprisingly just a bar and a few tables. Upon arrival the hostess said it would be about a 30 to 40 minutes for a table or bar seating which was fine. We waited about maybe 20 minutes and we were seated at the bar. Our waitress was friendly and immediately took our drink orders. The menu is pretty simple which I like. I ordered the Jambalaya with a spice of level of 6. The food is cooked directly in front of you if you are seated at the bar. I really like being able to observe the cooks making different dishes and what not. The cooks were even really nice and interacting with customers. My dish was served and I couldn't wait to dive in. It was so good, however I wish I would've chosen a spice level higher than 6. The cook asked me if it was spicy enough I said it wasn't so he hands me a cayenne and ghost pepper mix. OMG it was amazing. Overall the food and customer service was great! I will definitely visit again.
(5)Tony Y.
I believe this place came before Ritter's, and is similar to Ritter's overall. But the jambalaya i can say confidently is better at the Boiler. The spicy scale is 1-10 and i went with an 8 and it was tasty with a little bit of the sweats. just like ritters, one plate by itself should be enough for two meals, but if you're really hungry, it'll be enough for one. overall the jamabalya had big pieces of chicken, andoulille and about 6 big pieces of shrimp. the bread is tasty, and definitely a trap to get too full on. overall the pricing was the same, which makes sense and the quality is great, definitely a great alternative in the ie
(4)Kevin B.
Yummy! First time trying the Boiler and was totally satisfied! House pan roast seems to be the go to item here. I didn't like the shredded seafood items in the stew however. Not to say the seafood tasted poorly but larger chunks make for better visuals and satisfaction. 6/10 was not too spicy in my opinion. My party ordered some golf oysters and those tasted pretty fresh. I'm more of the west coast oyster type so I'd much prefer those next time. Service was prompt and the food came out rather quick.
(4)jay r.
Having eaten many many gumbos, cioppinos, bouillebaises and prepared/eaten many roux-based dishes I was disappointed by this place. Even further, it is a little insulting to anyone who pays upwards of $20/person to go to a place where food is supposed to be cooked for you. It's not that I expect every place that claims to be cajun/creole to transport me to Louisiana. It's that this place just slops various pre-made mixes into pans and warms them up. If you think this is an exaggeration, sit at the counter and watch. We sat at the counter where there is a line of those gas jet-fired pots like you see at the Grand Central Oyster bar. A fellow in a hat spooned various pre-made glop from steel inserts from a fridge behind him, into the gas fired pans. We all raised our eyebrows at each other sort of shocked. I was embarrassed as my out-of-town dad was with us. The glop dissolved into a bubbling gravy and he plopped a small bowlful of different kinds of pre-mixed seafood into six of these things and it was abundantly clear that nothing was made to order! Just premade, premixed everything. The 2 stars are for the excellent fries. We tried to order a dozen bluepoints, but they were out (on a Saturday night) then had the lobster pan roast, the house panroast, gumbo and some fries. Later, we ordered a bottle of wine to try to cut through the coating of goo on our palates. No luck. The panroasts and the gumbo were both floury-tasting gravies the consistency of thick porridge obviously heavily enriched with a grease-base to make it dissolve somewhat as it warmed in the pan. It was as if the someone mistook roux (a thickening for something) for the dish itself. All of the dishes stuck to the (absurdly oversized) spoons like very thick pudding. The spice mix overpowered the flavor of the seafood and the gravy coated your mouth so nothing came through but the spice mix. A waste of crab, fish, shrimp, the (singular) clam--everything in the dishes that might have been good. And just to be sure I asked the guy spooning the glop what each was and he just ticked off the various different-sounding dishes on the menu. But they were all just pre-made and really slopped (they're almost doughy looking) into the pans. I asked him (it was a Saturday night) about the preparations of each...like, what's a pan roast exactly? And he was stumped and soft shoe-d around ("It's whatever you want it to be") before admitting he had no idea what was in the glop. It's clear that he had no cooking skills besides putting stuff from steel pans from the fridge into ones with gas.
(2)Ian C.
The house pan roast is the stuff that dreams are made of. It is a creamy goodness mess of seafood. Oysters were good and the jambalaya is good as well. I wish it was open later because 8:30 is just too early for a restaurant to close. I don't start dinner until 8:30.
(4)Jo W.
Omg! It's sooo good! I didn't expect this place to be so delicious when I walked in! Everything we ordered was soooo awesome!!! This is definitely worth a try!
(5)Michael P.
A friend had recommended The Boiler to me awhile back, so we tried it last night. The menu is Louisiana and Cajun based, with lots of seafood choices. We started with oysters and Cajun Calimari, both were delicious! We then split their signature dish, House Pan Roast. Lucie our server was awesome and explained we could have our spice level between 1-10. Since I can't take a lot, she recommended 3....which was perfect. Sitting at the bar gives you a more interactive experience with the Chef. Ours was Mike...he rocks! The service was exceptional and the food even better. The different smells from the dishes kept us in food heaven the entire time. We live in Upland and it was well worth the drive. Can't wait to go back and try the Chicken and Sausage kettle and some Soft Shell Crabs.
(5)Jacky K C.
tip: better than Ritter's House pan roast $19.99. It's on the small side but the taste is almost the same if not exactly the same as oyster bar's. Ritter's have a lot to learn. Bar is beer and wine only.
(4)Shawn O.
Food it usually pretty good I got 2 pan roast with shrimp and lobster to go got back to south corona and found the lobster was shinny and not all the way cooked called back and was told the manager would be calling well it's been three days I've called everyday and am not able to talk to any body in a management roll it's just ridiculous I will not go back if I can't even talk to a manger over a 3 day period what if me or my wife would have been sick they just don't care about customers if I get a call I will update this review. But I'm not holding my breath.
(1)Suzi F.
Wasn't going to write a review, but it's still bugging me, so I will. Flew down to SoCal to celebrate a belated Mother's day. Came to The Boiler since it had great reviews. Made a reservation for 11:30am on a Friday, right when the restaurant opened, arrived on time. Placed our order for 4 entrees, two sides. 30 minutes later, still NO FOOD had arrived. We were one of two parties in the restaurant. Eventually the restaurant became more and more packed, still no food. Not only was there no food, but the service was lacking. Not once did the waitress come over to give us an update about the food, not once was there an apology. When I finally asked about the food 40 minutes after we had sat down, I was told it was coming shortly. Another 20 minutes later, the food arrives. No explanation as to what caused the delay, nothing done to remedy the situation. And guess what? On top of that, they entered the WRONG order. We had ordered dinner portions of the food so it could be shareable, but they mistakenly entered our ticket. All we were told is, "Don't worry, you won't be charged for dinner portions." Obviously we wouldn't be charged for something we didn't get! But we were charged in full for exactly what was given to us. We ate for about 15 minutes and packed everything to go. Suffice it to say, we will NOT be back nor would I recommend this place to anyone. There are other steam cooking/cajun food joints around. Surely, no place could have service worse than this!
(1)Eva L.
I love me some Pan Roast and that's definitely what I got when I came here for dinner! =) On a Wednesday night, there was hardly any wait. Score. You have the option to sit either at the bar or a table. When it comes to ordering what you want, I highly recommend the Pan Roast. Hands down, definitely get it! Why? Because for $19.55, you can get a big bowl of tomato cream-based sauce with a medley of shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and jasmine rice. Once you mix it all together, it just tastes super delicious! There's options for add-ons too. I got some sausage for $3.25, which was a bit expensive for me but you can taste the quality. Overall, the pan roast was good. The ingredients of the seafood were great and of high quality. However, I thought that the sauce could have been more creamier and the jasmine rice could have been less mushy. I like my rice to have a bit of a firmer texture so that when I mix it with the cream sauce, it doesn't look like mush. But besides that, everything else tasted great. Service was kind of slow despite the fact that it wasn't a busy night. It was weird when the hostess spent a little bit more time serving us than the actual server. It took them awhile for us to get our check and we had to flag down the hostess who then had to get the server. A little bit of efficiency in service would be appreciated. Just another hint, I recommend coming in for lunch, because you have the option of getting the lunch or dinner size ($12.95 / $19.55), whereas for dinner you can only choose the latter. So for those who are on slighter tighter budget, then coming here for lunch would be best. So far, I've tried Ritters and Oyster Bar (Vegas) and this is the cheapest Pan Roast I've seen!
(4)Natalie Y.
I guess this place is a great alternative to the Oyster Bar in Vegas since its a lot closer. I have been here more than 5 times and I still am not satisfied with their food. Yeah, it is good and its almost the same as the Palace Pan Roast I had at the Oyster Bar but no, its not the same. I dont want to be too detailed and picky about the food but their Pan Roast tastes a little too sour for me. Theres that right amount of sourness in the Palace Pan Roast I had in Vegas but this place is similar but its just not the same. This restaurant also takes as long as the one in Vegas. WHY? I hate it when they are so slow and make us wait for a whole hour for our food. I was all happy when I placed my order pretty quick but I got my food exactly an hour after I placed my order. The shortest time I waited was 45 minutes. Vegas is worse but why here? I did occasionally visit when my boyfriend stayed in Corona for school but now that he is back here, we hardly have time to go back. Decent food but you have to wait forever.
(3)Lesly B.
Loved the customer service. Seating is faster in chef bar than booth. The chefs prepare your meal right in front of you. I ordered the shrimp scampi and I loved that it was full of flavor with a slight hint of spice. Great part is you can scale 1-10 on how spicy you would wAnt your dish. I got a 5 in spicy. The calamari was delicious I highly recommend. I tried a bit of the New England Fishermans chowder and it was delicious. Great customer service and informative chef. I will most definitely be back.
(5)Juliet P.
The house pan roast was exquisite!! I was immensely delighted of how great it tasted. I totally recommend it. It does have a bit of a spice kick to it, which makes it even more delightful! I will definitely return!
(5)Charlton C.
Are you a fan of seafood southern style cooking? Then this place may be for you. This location is conveniently located off the 71 freeway in a plaza with many other shops and restaurants. My friends invited me to come try it out. We came on a Sunday night around 6pm and it was pretty packed so we decided to sit at the bar. All the food here besides the appetizers are prepared in an open kitchen style in a boiling pot (hence the name the boiler) so you can see the food that you ordered being prepared in front of you. The chefs are really nice and you can easily engage in a conversation with them if they are not busy. Since I already ate a big lunch earlier in the day, I just wanted something small and since I'm not the biggest seafood fan I opted to get the bowl of clam chowder and an order of the fried calamari. Since the clam chowder was already pre-made, it came out fast and was very tasty! I was impressed and couldn't wait for the calamari to arrive. My friends ordered the seafood pan roast and Cajun fries to share. The food was pretty solid and this is coming from a person who was already half full from Chiptole earlier. The Cajun fries were amazing, I love their seasoning! The breading on the calamari was flavorful and they added real horseradish to the cocktail sauce which is always a plus. I had a spoonful of the pan roast and the flavor was not overpowering though it was kind of spicy for me since it was at an 8 rating. If I came here on an empty stomach I'm sure that the food would have tasted even better. I would come here again to experience it in full instead of just ordering the appetizers. I am a fan!
(4)Kat I.
My boyfriend and I went to eat the boiler last night for dinner. We've been there a couple times before and we always liked it and thought it was better than Ritter's. Last night we go bar seating and it took the waitress awhile to take our order and bring out our drinks. So we're watching the guy cook our food and I noticed he drops a big piece of shrimp on the counter and stares at me for awhile and I decided to look away to see what he was going to do. As soon as I look away he PICKS THE SHRIMP BACK UP AND THROWS IT BACK IN THE POT!!!!! And he serves it to us. When we told him what we saw him do he tried to tell us the counter top is very clean and not to worry. As I look around the counter there is grease there is left over food and there were even pieces of fries that fell from other customers!! It was disgusting. And not only that but if it wasn't a big deal why did he have to wait until I looked away to pick it back up and throw back into the pot. Granted he did make us a new one i really didnt know if i wanted to stay. In my pan roast I also ordered a side if okra and of course...it wasn't added. And it took the waitress about 10-15minutes to even bring us our check. I have attached a picture to show where he dropped the shrimp. Would u guys still eat it if u saw it fall there
(1)Muddpiemojo S.
Food is great! Customer service sucks!!!! Been going here since they opened & normally customer service is fine. Do not go here on the weekends!!! All the servers are rude & seem to panic when it's busy. Not worth the wait
(1)Mohit K.
My dad suggested that we go to this place for lunch along with my mom, and I agreed to try it out. We started it off with Cajun fries and bacon wrapped shrimp, which were both (obviously) delicious. My dad and I got the pan roast while my mom got the chicken gumbo. The server and cook were very accommodating when my mom realized that the chicken gumbo was not to her liking (it wasn't my favorite either, or I would have just switched with her). Even at lunch prices, the total came out to 60 before tip. The portions were decent; we all took leftovers home, but the presentation wouldn't have made the entrees easy to share either. The food and service were worth the price, though, and we will return. The ambience is pretty casual, and although we didn't sit at the bar, I can imagine that it would be a cool experience watching your food being prepared.
(5)Calvin L.
I was stuck in Chino Hills for work, so I was led to The Boiler by Yelp. Nice location with plenty of parking. Although the food was awesome, the service was a bit lackluster. It wasn't even a busy night, and every single bowl/dish that was at our table was left there even long after we were done with it. So by the end of the night, we have about 5 empty bowls along with the break basket, scattered all over our table. That's my one knock on this place. Everything else was awesome. House Pan Roast ($19.55 - Dinner) Huge hit on Yelp, so I just had to order it. AWESOME! So much seafood! Broth is great for dipping the bread. When I come back, I won't be getting anything else. Highly recommended. Blue Point Oysters ($13.95 - Half a Dozen) Yummy oysters. Nothing too crazy going on here, but if you absolutely love oysters, they got them here. New England Clam Chowder ($4.95 - Bowl) Loved their chowder. Nice and thick. I'm a huge fan of clam chowder, and I absolutely hate when it comes watered down. This was awesome. Great chunks of potato and tons of clam. Also a great bread dipper. Frozen Cappuccino ($3.95) So refreshing. I love this drink. This drink is for anyone; not just coffee lovers. Highly recommended.
(4)Wendy H.
House Pan Roast is a must!! I usually get it with added chicken and sausage. Weekends and holidays only the dinner portion is available, about $20. Good to share when you order an extra bowl of rice.
(5)Harshad H.
After 30-40 minutes wait (I think they were low on staff because few tables were empty and still had wait time) We started with some Abita beer n yummy oysters. I was craving for creole/ cajun food for a while n finally made it. Our meal was house pan roast and gumbo n we enjoyed it with spurs vs clippers!! The pan roast was creamy with shrimp, crab and lobster. It reminded me of Indian butter chicken because of the creamy taste. Gumbo was tasty and spicy. I would go again. Overall it was a great experience and along with good food, clippers won!!
(4)Inna S.
YAMMY!!!!! Their "House Pan Roast" is the boom!!! It had nice sauce with Lobster, Crab, clams and jasmine rice....mmmmm Lobster tail was perfectly cooked. Nice portion size, I was stuffed!!!
(5)Linda L.
Omg I like the food from here but today service is beyond slowwwwww. We've been here for over an hour and still haven't received any of our soups. This is really disappointing. No one even came to check on us or to let us know the kitchen is behind. I had to yell to get the servers attention and she still can't tell us how long it'll be for our food. She took off and hasn't came back. The worst service ever tonight. We came here before everyone party of 4 people and 20 other people got served before us. There isn't even a manager on staff for me to talk to about this non service we are getting. Really puts a sour taste in my mouth because I really like the food from here. When we finally get our food, it's not even hot, it's like lukewarm if that and my gf found raw chunks of garlic in her soup. Service today was worst then going to an Asian spot where nobody speaks English. Worst dining experience of my life for 2015. Thank you Boiler.
(1)Katie M.
So delicious, got the house one with chicken instead of clans, a ton of food, amazing!!!
(5)Jade P.
A few months back, a family friend recommended The Boiler. However, considering that Chino Hills is a 45 minute drive from LA, her recommendation fell on deaf ears. We were on our way to Vegas and had to stop by Rowland Heights really quick. My dad was looking for a place to eat before heading out and since Chino Hills is on the way, we gave The Boiler a try! We came in around 2pm on a Monday and it wasn't busy at all. There was no wait! The place was pretty empty by the time we got there- it was just us and a group of 4 people sitting at the bar. By the time we left, there were only 2 parties dining in. We ordered the Etouffee, Gumbo, Chicken Gumbo, and Jambalaya. I was able to sample each and everything was really good. I don't really like spicy food but I really loved the Gumbo with spiciness level of 4. It was the best out of all we ordered. Our waitress was on top of everything and was really friendly. She constantly went to our table to ask us if we needed anything. Top-notch service! We were there during lunch and their prices are reasonable. Overall a great little restaurant! I have friends who live in Chino Hills and I will recommend this place (that is, if they haven't tried it yet!)
(5)Lani L.
Came here yesterday with the boyf and was pretty happy, despite my flu..there were two other parties besides us, so it was a pretty quiet evening. Anyways, we ordered the House Pan Roast (what they are known for), mac 'n cheese bites, calamari, clam chowder, and bacon wrapped shrimp! Personally I'm not a fan of bacon so I only took one bite of the shrimp, it was alright, the calamari has a nice size to them, but I didn't like the cocktail sauce - ketchup did it for me though. The mac 'n cheese bites were pretty good! Then came to the House Pan Roast, and that was essentially a tomato based soup filled with seafood goodness! They also give comp. bread, I used the bread to dip the soup so there's that for an idea :) Service was really good! Our waitress was really helpful as I did tell her that it was our first time here, it was also our first time trying out Steam Kettle Cooking Cuisine, which is it not just boiling pot of ingredients?! That's what it looks like to me haha. Overall it was a good expierence and service made it better!
(4)Wendy H.
Ahhhh, so I've had Oyster Bar in Vegas before and I've also had Ritters in Costa Mesa. I've been dyingggg to try the Boiler out so I can finally decide which one is better! Honestly, they all are VERY similar and I am happy eating at any establishment. But if I had to choose I would say Oyster Bar is the best then comes the Boiler then Ritters. We came on a Sunday evening around 8pm and there was no wait, yay! I got my usual: the house pan roast w/ sausages at a spicy level of 7. To me, the spicy level 7 was perfect! You can taste the spiciness but it's not overwhelming where you can't taste the rest of the flavors. My friend ordered the New England clam chowder which was very rich and tasty. We also got the bacon wrapped shrimps. It's a small plate which consisted of 5 shrimps and no dipping sauce to which I was a little surprise. It tasted good regardless! Service was not as attentive as I am use to but they got the job done.
(4)Kristina M.
Came here for Saturday lunch and the restaurant was fairly empty. I ordered the New England Clam Chowder and House Pan Roast. The complimentary bread was mediocre but was perfect for dipping in my clam chowder and pan roast. The clam chowder was very chunky, thick and creamy. It was absolutely great! When ordering the house pan roast, I told the waitress that I can't handle spiciness in my food. She encouraged me to get a '5' on their spiciness scale but I was a chicken and got a '3'. When I got the house pan roast, I didn't taste any spiciness at all. I should've gone with the '5'... Moving on! The flavor of the house pan roast was amazinggg. I loved how I can watch the chef cook it on the steam kettle in front of me. (Sit at the counter, you can watch them and it's more entertaining.) I substituted the clams for sausages and was glad that I did. It tasted like thick, creamy tomato soup but with an explosion of Cajun flavors. I got it with a bowl of rice and thought it was good. However, I could see how it could be good with pasta too so I might try that next time. I absolutely recommend this place! Good flavors and good environment! It's about $20 for a house pan roast but I shared it with my boyfriend and we were both stuffed afterwards! I can't wait to go back!
(5)William T.
Everyone comes here for the House Pan Roast because it's so damn gooood! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. It's way better than Ritters Pan Roast. I've never had any other entree on the menu but I have tried numerous appetizers. I've had the Cajun fries, bacon wrapped shrimp and crab cakes. Everything tastes great. The service here is always excellent. I really have nothing bad to say about this place. It's one of my favorite places to eat at. Check it out. Oh, they have some odd hours so call in to make sure they're open. We tried to come here on Super Bowl Sunday and they were closed despite showing "open" on Yelp.
(5)Margaret L.
This place is fantastic! The service is great, especially if you are sitting at the counter watching the magic happen. The chefs are really friendly and just great people to talk to. Onto the food! My husband really enjoyed the Bouillabaisse while my friends were happily satisfied with the Jambalaya... But for me it would have to be the House Pan Roast! It sort of reminds me of Tikka Masala because of the rich, creamy tomato base, but the seafood makes it out of this world.
(5)Daniel C.
I drove 40 minutes to get this Sunday night after my Raiders WHOOPED the 49'ers....SO WORTH THE DRIVE!!! Apparently the original one is in Vegas...called the Oyster Bar. Will definitely try that ASAP. My friends and I get there and we were welcomed by the smell of cow manure....YUMMMM...WELCOME to CHINO HILLS. hahaha. There was no wait (thank gawd) so we were seated right away. The place is not the biggest, but it was very homey. There was a bar, but we sat at the table, because we ALWAYS order too much food. The bar was in the middle of the restaurant and there were these pots, where I'm assuming they cook the magical stew. The waitress took our order and we all got the House Pan Roast with level 5 spiciness. (The House Pan Roast is the combination of all the Pan Roasts/// Spiciness levels go from 1-10) Level 5 was perfect, but next time I'm going for a little more heat. They brought out bread and butter and our waters. My friend ordered the sauvingon blanc...which was not very good. But what do you expect from a $21 bottle with a twist off cap? *TIP - White wine goes well with seafood* In addition to the bread, there were these 2 triangular crisps i would say. Almost like giant Doritos but very flakey like they were baked. Pretty good!!' OMG.....i'm getting hungry just thinking about the next part i'm going to write. The food comes out fairly quickly...maybe 10-15mins after ordering..and at first it just looks like chunky seafood soup with an ice cream scoop of jasmine rice in it. But when you take a wiff......hooooooooooooooooly scheisse...(scheisse = shit in German...pronounced shy-za. A little cultural edjumacation fo dat a$$). The smell alone incites drooling....my stomach growled at me to "get in mah bellayyyy". The first bite....oh....and what a bite that was....was just a cornucopia of flavor....a party in my mouth....a rave of flavor EDM. WOW. Chunks of shrimp, crab, lobster and clam...all up in my face!!! If you saw my face at the exact moment i inserted the spoon in my mouth, at every spoonful...you would probably think i was on drugs. It was THAT good. Every bite followed by an "ohhh" or a "mmmmyeaaaaa" hahahaha....it was making love to my mouth. ok...i'll stop now. Half way in...I realized, "Oh crap...I'm half empty!! REFILL!!!" haha jk. But i did stop myself. Not only was it more than enough food for me...but i wanted to save the rest for later...because I KNEW my fatass would be craving it the next day. I was SO....very...happy. Fat Daniel was more than satisfied. I love this place. I will be back...VERA VERA SOON!! ohhh shoot...i totally forgot we got the crab cakes too!! They were good. You know what?? I'm going back tonight!!! So...CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!!
(5)Gloria C.
I don't know everyone seems to love it but it didn't really make my tastebuds go yay. The pan roast was really salty and I dug deep in the bowl but nothing was wipe the drool off my keyboard delicious. Also tried the jumbalaya which lacked the spice I was looking for in cajun style food. Service was standard but nothing spectacular. Also tried some oysters and I felt I have had better. I've been here a few times now, but the last time I went to The Boiler, an hour after my meal, I felt nauseous and ended up throwing up most of the meal. I'm not pointing fingers but I think something about the sauce didn't sit well with me. I'm going to avoid coming back at all costs!
(3)Grace P.
Excellent Blue Point Oysters & Clam Chowder.
(5)Jenny N.
The Boiler's Pan Roast tastes just as good as the Pan Roast at Oyster Bar in Palace Station - Vegas. The Boiler is the closest Pan Roast we can get from only 45 minutes drive compared to a 4 hour drive! However, I still think the Pan Roast in Vegas have a better taste- but still! The Boiler's Pan Roast is still bomb!! There's no way you come here and not order the House Pan Roast! It comes in different levels of spice. 10 being the most spicy. I usually order it with Jasmine Rice but you have the option to choose Rice or Pasta. House Pan Roast is a bit like gumbo but better! The Pan Roast is tomato-based with all sorts of seafood in a big bowl. So if you are allergic to seafood, don't order the house pan roast, they have other options. Pan Roast have this creamy, tomato-based texture that just goes really well with rice. If you like creamy based soup- a bit like clam chowder but better. THIS IS IT! The cool thing about The Boiler is that they cook their gumbo and pan roast with a steam kettle cooker. So you can actually sit at the counter area and watch the chef cook up the good stuff for you. They also have a good selection of beer to choose from. A good place to sit, eat, drink and just enjoy. There's also another steam kettled Pan Roast place - Ritter's - in Anaheim. So It is up to you all to determine which place have the BEST pan roast. However, The Broiler is the closest plcae to get my cravings for Pan Roast fulfilled. Service is wonderful and parking is also plentiful. Located in a bit plaza with Lucilles close by as well. Good stuff.
(4)Cindy A.
I've been to Vegas on average 4-5 times a year for the last 7 years and almost every time I try to get the pan roast at Oyster Bar, but never do because the wait is always over an hour. Finally I got to try the pan roast last week and I had to get it again. When I came back from Vegas, I discovered The Boiler and I had to try it. My friend and I came here last night and ordered their house pan roast and jambalaya. First off, sharing a dinner size pan roast with another person will fill you up. We had so much food left over, we really didn't need to order the jambalaya. The pan roast was very similar to the one in Vegas, but I would say the one at The Boiler is a little creamier. The bowl is filled with seafood and mixed with the perfect amount of spices. The jambalaya is also excellent and the dish is loaded with many pieces of sausages. I will definitely be getting this again when I'm back home in Southern California.
(4)Joey Y.
I made a reservation ahead of time so I didn't have to wait. I got the House Panroast, the portion is quite big for me, could've shared with another girl. The guy finished the whole thing himself but he had to order an extra portion of rice because it was too salty. I do admit it's a bit salty for my taste. If you're comparing this to the Oyster Bar in Vegas, there is no comparison, Oyster Bar is by far way better. But this is a good alternative given that there aren't many options around Orange County with good seafood panroast. Overall good food with great service.
(4)Heidi L.
3.5 stars, rounded down because it's a little pricy. We came here on a Saturday night around 7pm and it was crowded!! We waited about an hour before getting seated. The restaurant is pretty tiny, with a huge bar in the middle so seats are pretty limited. I got their House Pan Roast with level 5 spiciness (out of 10). It was very flavorful, and I luckily chose the right amount of spiciness! It had great flavor from the seafood but the tomato sauce kinda overpowered it sometimes. It had the right thickness though, not too watery but not too clumpy! This one dish was $20 bucks though. I know it's seafood but not enough to justify the price. We also shared cajun fries and those were yummy!! Crunchy and not too salty! Service was also wonderful, I really wanted to give this place more stars but my wallet was crying a little afterwards. I would still come back here for great cajun-style food though!
(3)John F.
I had the Jambalaya and it was Very Good. I do recommend it. My Wife had the Pan Roast which She Loves. I thought it was OK. :) I also recommend their Calamaris.. The Service Was Good Too..!! Friendly Staff..!! Thank You Erica..!!
(5)Pauline C.
This place is mighty tasty! Not Oyster Bar at Palace Station amazing but, this is the closest I'm going to get lol. What We Ordered - Jambalaya - House Pan Roast The Jambalaya was very flavorful! We opted for level 7 spiciness for both dishes and could have easily made it a 10. It was not spicy at all! We needed to substitute out the crab in the House Pan Roast because my friend is allergic. You can only substitute things out for chicken or sausage, not other seafood. The dishes looked small but, we left pretty satisfied. However, it might just be from all the bread we ate with the House Pan Roast haha. I definitely like The Boiler more than Ritter's in the OC. Their House Pan Roast is more on the tomatoey side. I will be back!
(4)Rae Marie Y.
I LOVE THE FOOD! The first time I came here, I ordered gumbo or jambalaya. Can't remember. My husband ordered the house pan roast. I tasted my dish first and it was definitely love at first taste. Or so I thought, until I tried my husband's dish. The difference between the two is subtle. BUT the house pan roast is so much better. I don't know how to explain it in words, so just go and taste for yourself! This place is short of 5 stars because of the small space. It feels a little weird in there. There's a big bar area with bar seating in the middle then 2-4 person tables lined up against the windows with a huge space between the bar and tables. Feels awkward. Disappointedly, not a place I can take extended family to. I think they can find better use of the space. I also think the food is kind of pricey without having fancy ambience.
(4)Danny S.
By far my favorite place to eat, If you love Cajun food this is the place. Spice and flavor what more do you want!
(5)Davina N.
I gotta say... This place works for me! Nice decor, modern style place, and good variety of dishes served here. Had to try the house pan roast and my friend got the bouillabaisse with rice and a side of linguini noodles. Asked for my spice level to be a 5, and it was a good balance to my dish. The house pan roast had a good amount of seafood in there (hence the price) and the bread really went well with the creamy dish. I would probably substitute the jasmine rice for the noodles next time or just eat the dish with bread. I felt like the rice made it way too filling for me to even finish the dish. The only thing that made me turn my head a little bit was the slow service and the strange hours this restaurant provides. There were literally 1 or 2 other folks and 8 empty tables surrounding us, but the waitress could not seem to get it together, which made the experience just okay. She was nice, but she moved slow. Lol
(4)Amy M.
MMMM MMMM MMMMMMM!! This place is DELICIOUS! My friend told me about this place after I told her I've been wanting to try The Oyster Bar in Vegas. And OMG. BOMB. I went during happy hour (5-6:30pm & I believe it's M-F). I got the 2 oysters for $3. They were HUGE! Tasted fresh & yummy. And I also ordered the House Pan Roast. ERMAHGERDDDD. SO. FREAKIN. DELICIOUS. I felt like I was scarfing down my dish because I was eating it super fast. It was SO good. It's $19.55 for dinner. Kinda pricey but def worth it! It's a tomato cream based dish w/ lobster, shrimp, clams, veggies, I forgot what else, & a scoop of rice. If I didn't love to eat I would be able to share but no thanks, I want my own :) LOL. Anyways get the House Pan Roast next time! You will not regret it!
(5)Janet H.
Still one of my favorite spots. This place gets pretty busy so you can make reservations. Still love the pan roast and cioppino.
(5)Sandy L.
If you're a fan of the Oyster Bar at the Palace Station in Vegas, you will feel right at home here. No more waiting for 3 hours in a smoky, oldish hotel. This airy modern restaurant has bar seating as well as tables for you to enjoy your Pan Roast! They have lunch and dinner portions/pricing. I went w my parents and son for my mom's birthday on 10/3/14. The chef was SUPER nice and offered a few extras here and there for us. I had the Bouliabasse (sp) and the rest of my party had the House Pan Roast. My Bouliabasse was ordered mild, but still had a nice kick. Can't imagine what a spice level of 5 would be, YIKES. Anyway, if you have a craving for the Oyster Bar's Pan Roast and find yourself too far away from Vegas, take a trip to The Boiler.
(5)Roy T.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place!! Ever since I visited the Oyster Bar at the Las Vegas Palace Station Casino, I've been desperately trying to find an alternative place closer to home. I've come here two weeks in a row and can't get enough of the Pan Roast, Jambalaya, and Gumbo!! Each of the dishes are so flavorful and delicious! If you like extra crab, it's an additional $6, but worth it! The portions are very generous. I always take my leftovers to-go and enjoy at night. I've also tried the lemon butter steamed mussels and they were fresh and perfectly cooked. The texture was soft and fell apart in my mouth. The flavor was nice, but a little on the salty side. Glad there was complementary bread balance the flavor. Overall, this is my current favorite place to eat. I just wished there was one closer to my house. I would be there every day!!
(5)Lauren M.
Love this place. The house pan roast(mild) is my favorite! They have blue point oysters at a really good price. Staff is friendly. The happy hour menu is pretty awesome too!
(5)Ticha B.
I love Pan Roast (we usually hit up Palace Station in LV for Pan Roast). You can't get pan roast in Los Angeles. You can get pan roast 50 miles away in Chino Hills (or Santa Ana). The Boiler has been in my bookmark for quite some time now. It was a perfect opportunity to grab lunch at while on our way to Morongo. We walked in right at 12pm and it didn't get too crowded just yet (crowds started picking up around 1220-1230pm). Sat down and ordered the Boiler's version of the Oyster Rockefeller (it was called something different). Good stuff, the oysters were fresh, the cheese and spinach topping was yummy! Half dozen for around $13.50. My Pan Roast was good. I almost didn't finish it though as it was super rich (the Palace Station Pan Roast is better) but the Boiler's Pan Roast hit the spot as well. My friend's Jambalaya was good. It depends on what you all like to eat. The restaurant is nice and clean, you don't have to all sit at the counter and the food was prepared pretty quickly. Plenty of parking as well.
(4)Tiffany L.
PAN ROAST WITH NOODLES HANDS DOWN BEST CAJUN DISH EVER! don't even look at the menu okay maybe a glimpse and order cajun fries if you are that hungry ... but save your stomach!!!! don't eat the bread either wait to dip it into the sauce. I SWEAR i even dreamed about bathing in this sauce. it really is that good. this place is really awesome i tried this place on the way home from big bear and what a great way to warm up your tummy. the sauce is pure genius to who ever cooked up this recipe and in all honestly i did drive back to chino hills just to eat this! the customer service is great chefs they are literally right in front of you. i have bad habit of trying to eat before the place closes so i love how willingly accepting they are and appreciative of the business. the drive is far and traffic is a real struggle between getting off work and coming here. i try my best to eat as quickly and not stall time. i really hope you guys open one soon closer to la TIP save the bread and dip it in the sauce any left over sauce bring it home and redhead and make ur own noodles to eat again the next day :)
(5)Jason K.
Had the Louisiana oysters on the half shell for an appetizer... on happy hour. Awesome, huge meaty oysters served with lemon, cocktail sauce and horseradish. 2 oysters for 3 bucks. Niiice. Had the house pan roast... And it was... Amazing. Big pieces of seafood, delicious sauce. It was a hefty portion, couldn't finish it all, so brought the rest home with me. My server, Myra (I think) was great. I'll Definitely be back.
(5)Debbie W.
Came here yesterday, they had 2 waitresses, 3 large parties (us being one of them) and the seats were full. The waitress was avoiding eye contact, she was so busy! We had reservations but had to wait to be seated and then it took about an hour for the food to come out. AN HOUR. That to me is totally unacceptable. And they tagged on 18% gratuity, party of 5 adults, 3 kids. Seriously? I had a great experience the first time but this time really blew. Make sure they are staffed well and maybe pre-order before you visit if they let you.
(2)Amy L.
Had this booked marked for a while and finally got to try it! OMG, this place is so f-king GOOD! I mean seriously I can't stop thinking about how good it tasted! LOL. Anyways come here at 2 - 5pm and you don't have to wait! I heard it's really busy around lunch and dinner time. The food - Me and the boyfriend shared a House Pan Roast-It was enough for two and we were super stuffed! ( We had the dinner size the only option for weekends. On weekdays they do have a lunch size. ) and we also shared the Bacon wrapped shrimp! SUPER AMAZING, the first bite of that shrimp was super juicy, it was prawns actually.. oh so yummy. How could I not forget the House pan roast? We got the spice level 8, I like spicy and 8 was good but could have gone for 10 or something LOL. SUPER DUPER YUMMY, every single bite was like MMMMMM.. orgasm in yo mouth sonnn. Crab, lobster, shrimp and whatever they put in there in every bite.... I mean you get the whole ocean in your mouth. SIT AT THE BAR..... SIT AT THE BAR... you can see how they cook your food and plus the people making it are ultra nice. MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR ARTHUR because he cook some bomb ass house pan roast for us and did I mention he's super friendly and easy to talk with? Yup we TIP good that day.
(5)Javier G.
The house pan roast is really good!!! Plus the bread to scoop up the bottom of the bowl mmmmmmmm the BEST!!
(5)Krissy D.
Delicious! Wait was a little long for an early Sunday evening but we were a large group and wanted to be seated in the center. From the looks of their menu, they have apps, soups, salads, kid's section, and the entrees. The entrées are all cooked with a steamer. I was able to try two items from the menu: 1) House Pan Roast, the #1 dish here. 5/5 - Very rich and creamy! It is a tomato based consisting of trinity (celery, carrots, bell peppers) and variety of seafood: shrimp, lobster, crab, and clams. A scoop of white rice is served with this. Delicious but I couldn't finish the whole thing! 2) Fisherman's Chowder (New England) 4/5 - It was good, very creamy! It also has a variety of seafood: calamari, shrimp, crab, clams, mussels and white fish. Though if comparing this to the pan roast, I'd much prefer the Pan Roast which has an explosion of spices and flavors. So far everything is good, but it is quite far for me. The Costa Mesa location is probably closer and will want to try the other ones!
(4)J H.
One of the better house pan roast we have tried in SoCal. Seafood portions were not huge but it was the spices and taste that made it delicious. Also ordered the étouffée but the pan roast was better. Definitely will skip the étouffée next time. The service was good. We sat at the bar area but the servers came back a few times to check on us and was quite attentive. We wanted to order their house broiled oyster but they were out of the sauce. They had fresh raw oysters, but no sauce??? Need to work on their supply management! One thing we couldn't comprehend was that we had to wait for a table when the restaurant was 60% empty. It felt like they wanted to force us to sit at the bar area. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience so will come back in the future for another taste.
(4)Vencci H.
Not something you can eat everyday or even once a week but something worth trying. Good service, open kitchen. Good for dates or catching up with a friend. Make sure you know what you're ordering before you order, read the ingredients carefully because each entree has a variety of different ingredients. Comfort food. Soul food. Southern food. I like the house pan. Nothing to complain about.
(4)Lynda N.
I LOVE PAN ROAST. I was so excited to hear that we finally have something like this close to home beside Vegas. I went to Ritters which had total failed my expectation, until one of my friend had introduce me to The Boiler. I ordered the house pan roast, adding sausages and a habanero level 8 spicy. Mmmmmmmmmm DELICIOUS!!!!!!. The seafood is actual chunks where you can definitely define the clams, lobster and jumbo shrimps. The flavor is just perfect. The server Erica is such a sweetheart, great customer service. Overall great experience. I live in garden grove but when I do want PAN ROAST 40 mins drive here I go.
(5)Jay B.
I write this review with mixed emotions, as I love the food here, but have had a few experiences with wait time. Again, I love the food, absolutely love it...but the service is typically so so so slow. On one recent occasion, I didn't have to wait long at all, but that was the exception, not the rule. Hopefully the rating will call out a change. On multiple occasions, I've waited for several minutes, one time almost 20 minutes ,to get seated, and with a very small group. And there were several open tables. It's not really the fault of the servers because they've always been super polite and as helpful as possible, albeit a little overwhelmed. I have to blame management here...because why would you only staff A SINGLE server during Lunch?!? Again, with the exception....the last time we were there, the one server on shift was very quick and was a pro, maybe that was the difference there. Employ efficient and experienced servers if you're only gonna have one during lunch time. Anyway I digress...this is not a service only review. It's food food food. I have enjoyed everything I've ever had here; the House Pan Roast, the Shrimp Pan roast, the Gumbo, and the Jumbalaya...it's already hard for me to choose between these four items, so I don't get to try much else. It comes with rice...but you also get bread for the table, which is GREAT for sopping up all that extra yummy soup. The menu items are flavorful and you get a good portion. I've definitely been full each time I've eaten here. very good place to turn to to satisfy your cajun craving. Been to a few other cajun joints, and this one so far has topped the rest. Spicy levels can move drastically up; at 5, i have a decent sweat goin, and I can eat decently spicy food....so eater be ware! The 3 is even a good spice level. Again, the staff is friendly enough, and the cooks are super friendly too but it's just that it's been really slow so. We're limited on lunch so we can't afford to wait too long. Gotta see how dinner is around here.
(3)Patty M.
First time here..my mom and I saw it and decided to try it out and I am so glad we did! I loved it all. The gumbo was so tasty and the pan roast was delicious! You decide how spicy you want it from a scale of 1-10 and we both chose 6 which was perfect. The gumbo was a little spicier probably because of the sausage but I think a 7 would be perfect for the pan roast if you're wanting that extra kick. I cant wait to come again and spread the word of this delicious place!
(5)Audrey C.
My boyfriend and I had ordered the House Pan Roast and shared it since the portions are well big enough for 2 people. This was honestly the best Cajun/Creole/Seafood I've ever had. It's so flavorful and nothing is watered down - the texture is just thick and creamy enough. The customer service is great! Our server and cook were really friendly and always made sure we were okay. I've never experienced steam kettle cooking before so it was nice having seating right at the counter with the chefs watching as they cook for you! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves seafood and authentic Louisiana dishes.
(5)Thy L.
Afternoon weekend chef is lazy. As soon as my bouillabaisse boils, he pours it right to the bowl. The crab is still cold inside and the lobster is barely cooked. He took off and I don't see him again and it's only 1pm Saturday.
(3)Robyn P.
The gumbo for lunch was excellent. It was tasty, just the right amount of spice. I was glad I tried it. I was their second customer during the lunch hour, so I got my food quickly. It is cooked especially for you, not just pre-prepared soup. But I did notice that as the place filled up, the single server they had working had her hands full. She has to take everybody's order, drinks, bills, deliver food, and seat new customers...by the time I left she was handling 9 or 10 tables. That is a bit much for one server. So paying my bill or getting a drink refill took some time. I don't blame her, I blame the manager/owner for not having more staff. I hope he reads this. I will be returning for sure, I just hope they have more staff on hand during dinner time. I would really give it 3.5 stars, because nobody should have to feel bad to flag down a waitress for a refill or the bill.
(4)Jenny P.
This was my first time... & possibly last visit. I went here with a group of four. My friend got there early (730) we ordered @8. There wasn't a lot of people, as a matter of fact we were there with one other group of 2. So we ordered, got our apps, then noticed a lot more people coming in... We didn't get our soups (4total) until 9, that's an hour later. We were flagging our waitress's down, yelling across the room to get anyone attention, to let them know we've been waiting for almost an hour. She comes by and says it'll be just 10 more mins. I hate to post a bad review or complain, but this was beyond disappointing, especially when I heard good things about this place. My husband had to leave before getting his food, because he worked all day and had to work the next morning & still drive home 40 mins. He has never done that! After he left, we got our food around 9. Not even hot, it was warm, and not cooked all the way. There was chunks of garlic and not much seafood, I was expecting a lot more. I wanted to talk to the manager, but he wasn't there. I talked to the lead waitress and told her that this was unacceptable service. I'm a paying customer, and this is not how you should treat us. She never once came over to try and fix the situation. Once we got our food, we asked for Togo boxes and the bill. We were the last ones there, and they were cleaning & rushing us to get out.!Also, I had them take our apps off the bill, and i was fighting tooth & nail, in the end she said "all we can do is take the Cajun fries off" I was like omg, that's like $3. I shouldn't have to fight you for this. Have some respect for your customers! Worst customer service!!!! May 11 2015
(1)Ann P.
After my brother had eaten here for lunch on Friday, he recommended that a group of us return and try it out on the following Monday for lunch after a winter retreat. We got there at 1:30pm coming down from Lake Arrowhead and were seated 15 mins. after arriving. The place was nearly empty being that it was a Monday (MLK weekend) but I was concerned that we would be stuck there past restaurant hours (2:30pm closing) since we had a huge group of 20 people. We didn't leave until 3:30ish... my apologies to Boiler staff for the late lunch rush. Aspects about the food were excellent however, there were some problems that I must share: The HOUSE PAN ROAST was decadent and unlike any dish I can compare it to. The tomato creaminess of the stew was seriously amazing. I often eat spicy food and was very was pleased with the spice level 8 that I requested. I could have increased it to a 10 and would still be okay with the heat. The amount of stew vs. rice felt lacking. I don't understand why there was so little rice for so much stew. The portion of the rice was good for 1/4 of the stew. I could eat the rest with the bread in the basket but I would much prefer more rice. OYSTER ROCKEFELLER full order - New menu item and wanted a chance to try this style of cooked oyster. I didn't enjoy it and won't order Oyster Rockefeller again if they all taste like this. I think it was a matter of preference since my husband liked it. The rich bearnaise sauce on top covered up the briny oyster flavor that I adore. I'll be sticking to raw oysters from now on. The best part of the experience was that the chef cooked our meal in front of us with an antique looking pot that swiveled to stay upright to hold the liquid and pours out into a deep bowl once the meal was finished. The proper term for it is a boiler steam kettle but I much rather give a lack luster description of the device. I expected that it would take a while for the food to finish cooking, so the two star review didn't have anything to do with the chef. My issue with the service was that they decided to tell us that all meals will be dinner prices & portions after they took our orders. My husband and I initially ordered the etoufee , 1/2 r. oysters, and house pan roast BUT changed it to 1 doz. oysters and house pan roast. After we were finished with the meal, it took 20-30 mins. for the bill. I appreciate that they didn't try to shoo us out when it got past closing time but I don't see myself coming back to this restaurant.
(2)K S.
Hello Jackson and thank you for your sarcastic response. That's the pros of yelp, I am able to leave a review. Great right! Well let's start with consistency. Maybe you should make sure your staff are consistent on both shifts. That's it...have a wonderful day.
(1)Kevin S.
Food (house pan roast and clam chowder) was good, service was horrid, prices were high. Sweet potato fries were meh. Might go again due to the pan roast but wouldn't be pleased about it.
(3)Pacific V.
The food here is great! We came for lunch, so the place wasn't very busy. The staff was really nice and attentive to our needs. The waitress also gave us complementary bread. We ended up ordering the soft shell crab for starters. This is probably the best soft shell crab that I've ever tried. The batter they used made the crab taste so good and not too fishy. As for entree, my boyfriend got the fisherman's chowder, and I got gumbo. Since we sat at the bar, we got to watch the chef cook our soups. It was really cool. Each soup was cooked in its own individual pot. Honestly, I'm not sure how to describe it, so I'll post a picture. My boyfriend said that the fisherman's chowder is one of the best chowder he has ever tasted. Their was so much seafood in there that he literally got full off of seafood. The shrimps in there were jumbo. One advice if you're eating the chowder is to ask for an oyster fork, so you can get all of the crab meat out of the shell. I actually tried one of his crabs and it was so nice and juicy. As for my gumbo, I thought it was pretty good. It was my first time eating gumbo, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. The sausage that they used was really good. There was also crab meat and shrimp in the soup which is always a plus for me. I was really surprised how filling their lunch portion was; I couldn't finish it. If I didn't order the starter, I think the portion would've been perfect.
(4)Nancy V.
NO LUNCH SPECIAL ON THE WEEKEND. My favorite dish is the House Pan Roast. I usually get level 10 on spiciness. It's the perfect blend of spicy and tasty. It's a pricey place but very satisfying.
(4)Celly B.
I had the gumbo here which wasn't bad but tbh I've had better. Now the house pan roast is another story! This dish has kept me coming back over & over. It's perfect on a cold rainy night or whenever you have the craving for something hearty.
(5)Deborah S.
Aside from Boiling Crab, I haven't had Cajun food. And dear goodness, that's about to change after checking this place out. Ordered the House Pan Roast, and here I am salivating just thinking about it! Lawdd. I will warn you though, this place WILL guarantee-ably create intense and frequent cravings. It's a bummer I live an hour away, otherwise I'd be there all the time. Dinner prices aren't exactly cheap, but you're paying for gold, so... I change my mind, it's cheap.
(5)Angela S.
Came here a couple months ago with my bestfriend for a nice little update session! Our thoughts when we got there: thank goodness we don't need to go to Vegas to get some panroast! We shared the seafood panroast, half a dozen oysters, and an order of crab cakes. Everything was decently delicious, but the quality has gone down since the owner changed. The oysters were definitrly not fresh :( I believe the old owner went on to open Ritter's Steam Kettle Cooking in Santa Ana, so if you're missing the old flavors of what the Boiler used to taste like, try Ritter's! It may just be the answer to your panroast problems!
(3)Danny N.
THAT PAN ROAST. Just like what everyone of these hundreds of reviews say, the pan roast is pretty awesome. I only have one complaint, the price. Its 20 bucks for it, you get the pan roast, a couple pieces of seafood and 3 pieces of shrimp and a small portion of rice. I think the price is a little too high considering how much seafood is in it. The calamari was really good and it wasn't small portions of squid either, the pieces were pretty big! They also give you complimentary bread and butter at the beginning. The place is pretty good and a nice place for you to watch games on one of the three TVs!
(4)Eugene C.
We were suggested to eat here from a friend and my girlfriend and I were not disappointed at all! Its a nice little restaurant that has delicious food. We shared a pan roast (I put the incorrect name in my photo) between the two of us and it made for a nice dinner portion. The prices for lunch and dinner differ but please take my word that you definitely get what you paid for. If you like Boiling Crab, you will definitely enjoy The Boiler. We will definitely be back in the future!
(5)Rosy C.
Came here bc of the positive Yelp reviews but was disappointed. Our waitress was great and we were seated at the counter to view the boiler cooking. The woman cooking behind the counter was the problem, she just slopped the seafood into the cooking bowls like a grumpy cafeteria lunch lady, I almost felt guilty I ordered. House pan roast - good. Fisherman's chowder- good. Cajun fries -good Bacon wrapped shrimp - meh. But being so pricey $$ the experience sitting at counter ruined the whole meal. Portions are large, the leftovers tasted better at home!
(2)Jenny N.
If you like a lot of flavor, this is the place to be. You can also customize the spice level to your preference. You can watch sports on one of the three TVs! SERVICE: the service was exceptional. FOOD: They give you complimentary bread and butter at the beginning. Pan Roast is UHHHH-MAZING! Very rich and creamy! It is a tomato based consisting of trinity sauce (celery, carrots, bell peppers) and variety of seafood: shrimp, lobster, crab, and clams. It has an explosion of spices and flavors. A scoop of white jasmine rice is served with this. Delicious, but I couldn't finish the whole thing! It tastes even better the next day!!!! I only have one complaint, the price. For $20, you get the pan roast, a couple pieces of seafood and three pieces of shrimp and a scoop of rice. I think the price is a little too high considering how much seafood is in it. The calamari was really good and it wasn't small portions of squid either, the pieces were pretty big! Fisherman's Chowder (New England and Manhattan) - was good, very creamy (New England)! It also has a variety of seafood: calamari, shrimp, crab, clams, mussels and white fish. Gumbo is also tasty. The blue point oysters are sweet. PARKING: lots of spaces so no need to worry. The restaurant is nice and clean. Counter or table seating, whichever one you prefer, I like to sit at the counter to watch the cook put my food together. Hours of operation: M, W, TH 11:30-2:30 (L) and 5-8:30 (D) T 5-8:30 (only dinner) Fri 11:30-2:30 (L) and 5-9:30 (D) Sat 12-9:30 and Sun 12-8:30 If it wasn't for the price and distance, I would be there a lot.
(5)Lisa T.
I been wanting to go to this place for a very very long time. I ordered the pan roast with crabs and I thought it was just okay. The flavors was good but I feel I like other places do it a lot better. The bread and butter was good. I like dipping the bread in my pan roast. We made reservation for a sunday, which I love places that take reservation but they do not take reservation after 4pm. I guess that when the crowd comes in cause when we went it was kind of empty. Overall, it was okay. I would go again but only if I was in the area. Not, something I would drive 30 minute if I wasn't in the area.
(3)JazzieMarie R.
Everytime I come here I always order the same thing cilantro chicken and sausage #4. I'm not a big fan of the too spicy ones. They hve happy hours at 4pm to 6pm. The crab cakes are a must try. It is really good. I have tried almost everything on the menu from my boyfriend's plate. They aren't too bad too. They are actually pretty good. The service is always very good here.
(5)Kaylynne R.
After trying to give this restaurant a chance multiple times, I can now say we will never go back. It's kind of an awkward set up with a counter that has about 12 seats around it, a small bar area to the left that is not used (probably due to a limited/disappointing wine and beer menu), and a few tables to the right that are very close to each other. The counter area is the place to sit with the steam kettle pots cooking the food right in front of you. Unfortunately, the tables feel uncomfortable to sit at due to their close proximity to each other. Also, it would be pretty difficult to eat here if there were more than 4 people in your group. They just don't have the seating to accommodate that. The down side of sitting at the counter is the cooks constantly bang their tongs or other utensils in the sink or on the metal areas, and it makes a constant loud clanging noise, making it difficult to have a conversation. In addition, every time we've been there the cooks seem to be behind and are yelling at each other and everyone else. It has seemed like total chaos. Also, we have waited for our food for almost an hour each time and have had to always flag down a server if we needed something. (Other reviewers seem to have the same issues with service). However, we have gone back because the food is very good. Unfortunately the last time we ate here, we had a complaint and the manager was not accommodating at all. She was actually insulting and rude, so we left. The next day I sent an e-mail to the owner just to make him aware of the situation that occurred, so that hopefully it would not happen again. I received a scathing email back insulting us further. A simple apology would've been perfect, but we received a long email with improper grammar, misspelled words, and a big long tirade about "English and America not being the center of the world"!!??? Really? Where did that come from? Aren't we in America?? It was so over the top and unprofessional!!! Sadly we will never be back. Let me add - Please take note of the owner's response to my review. His comments reinforce everything I've stated and continue to show that he obviously is totally ignorant of good customer service, inappropriate, and demonstrates some instability.
(1)Joe G.
Where has this place been all my life? Ditto to all the other reviews writing positive comments. Dozen Louisiana oysters, pan roast for me. Wife had gumbo and shared her crab cakes with me. The food is plentiful. I had 4 white rascals as well, went perfectly with the food. I had spicy level 7 on pan roast which was good for me. The bread is good to dip in the sauce. The hostess was awesome! She was attentive and respectful to all the guests walking through the door. It was a Friday night and a little busy. Our server, Evelyn was on point. She was able to juggle all of her tables and put up with my nonsense. The bill wasn't bad. $92 for everything listed above and added $20 for tip. I will need to try out the Vegas location next time I am there. Thanks fellow Yelpers for the recommendation. I would not have tried this spot if I didn't read your reviews. Happy eating!
(5)Julio B.
bomb.com Just go with the pan roast. Add sausage. Mouthgasm! I'd give them 5 stars but their bread sucks. Make it in-house or get a new vendor.
(4)Jessica L.
Wow, I can't believe I forgot to rate this place! Getting a five star review from me is pretty hard, unless I have a great time at a restaurant or just food so good. Crap, I just started thinking about the food here and my mouth started salivating...... If you're a person that isn't a big fan of seafood though, I wouldn't come here. You MUST MUST MUST try their house pan roast. Get a decent spicy level (like a five) and everything is just perfect. You can opt for pasta instead of rice if you like (I like that!) When you look at the prices, you'll be like ahh, pricey!!! But never fear! Just share! Seriously, one bowl is perfectly enough food for two, and you might even have leftovers (we did). If you've been to Rita's in Santa Ana, I think this place is a lot better. But hey, why are you sitting there reading yelp reviews? Go try it for yourself!
(5)Misty M.
This house pot was amazingly delicious ! I don't care for seafood so they made it for me with chicken and sausage. Great service too!I highly recommend.
(5)Mike T.
A decent steam kettle place. We came on a Saturday night and were seated immediately. They have a couple beers on tap like Allagash white, Stone, Abita, etc. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp - $9 - 3/5 Bacon wrap shrimp was tasty. It wasn't mind blowing awesome but it's OK. I had the Pan Roast (original) $16 - 3/5. + House pasta (or white rice) The pan roast is OK. It's not the best out there but still enjoyable. You can opt to get spicy levels 1-10. I got 10. It wasn't that spicy. Jambalaya - $17 - 3/5 Jambalaya is also ok. Hits the spot but nothing super-awesome. You can also opt to get spicy 1-10. My buddy got 10 and he enjoyed it.
(3)Pauline T.
First off, this place has the BEST Louisiana style Cajun ever but the service KILLED 2 stars. I came here about a week ago for the first time and found myself there again 3 days later...because I loved it so much! We had the oyster on half shelf for appetizer. The oysters were fresh and juicy but the best part is the sauce I'm not sure what it is but I think the sauce is similar to shrimp cocktail sauce with horseradish dip. You can also ask for their special "Oyster Elixir sauce" that I cannot in the life of me find it online but it is SO GOOD with any seafood. We also ordered their most popular dish - house pan roast which consists of cajun sauce with lobster, shrimp, clams topped with rice. The quality of the seafood is impeccable, sauce is like a mix between curry and boiling crab sauce.. at least that's how I would describe it. I am officially addicted to this dish. Service: -2 stars...the server did not pay attention to our table. The chef finished making our dishes and no one brought it over to us for like 5 min until we went up to them and asked about our food. We thought that the server would REMEMBER the next thing we asked for but no. She completely just started chatting and doing other stuff and never came back to our table again. After about 3 times we got pretty frustrated so we had to ask the chef to call the server over...basically, horrible service but yummy food. I would probably just to-go the food next time instead of dining in.
(3)Andy G.
I'm a fan of this place. The food always delivers. I don't enjoy their calamari sticks. I don't understand why calamari should be in stick form, but I've made peace with that. The crab cakes are killer, anything that's from the kettle bar is flavorful. It's just hot. Pipping hot! So you order a beer, a side and just enjoy your company while your freshly cooked meal cools down to be consumed. Perfect place for a cold evening!
(5)Alice P.
Must I need to say anything??! The drive from riverside to here is totally worth it! Came in at 2:20 and they still took us! Ordered: Oysters- to me a bit overly sauced. Other than that it was decent! Bacon wrapped- he loved it! The cheese was what did it for us! The house pan- not too overly filled with tomatoes flavoring, just perfect for my boyfriend! Cipotta- (excuse my spelling in this) this was so good! We couldn't get over how awesome the flavor was! I took my bf here and it's extremely hard to get him to try anything new! This was his first time having something like this and it blew his mind! So happy that I have found a place near by riverside, instead of all the way in oc! We definitely have found a regular spot for us to eat at now! Be back soon P.S: the service from waitresses to the chef, was superb. Everyone is so friendly as soon as you step into the door!
(5)Kimberly I.
I love this place! I went for happy hour and started off with the bacon wrapped shrimp and crab cakes. Both were delicious and came out really fast. I ordered the jambalaya with a spice level of 7, it wasn't that spicy I'll probably up it to an 8 the next time I go. There was tons of shrimp and andouille
(5)Carmen J.
Love this place! Only reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because it can't be oyster bar in Vegas :/ and the wait could be excruciating since the place is so tiny. But since I won't be driving 4 hours to Vegas whenever I crave pan roast, the boilers a good alternative. I usually get the lobster pan roast but I hear the shrimp scampi is good too
(4)Andy H.
The food was absolutely delicious! It was my first time eating cajun food and I really enjoyed it. I read other reviews so I knew what to order.... Soft shelled crab: Good it was my first time eating it. House Pan Roast: We got it medium spicy and it was great. We got extra rice and it was definitely enough for two people. Bacon wrapped shrimp: succulent and juicy. There were only 5 shrimps for 10 bucks :( but they were great New England clam chowder: It was good. My mom ordered it and I only tried a bit. A lot of seafood We didn't have to wait and we came on a sunday around 6PM. The waitress kept coming over to ask us what we wanted to order and we kept telling her to give us more time. Overall it was great but a little bit on the pricier side. We also got 2 beers and the total came out to be ~80 for 3 people. Would definitely come here again.
(5)Tina C.
I love this place! Their infamous House Pan Roast is amazing. I've been here twice and both times I've never left unsatisfied. With their huge portions and unlimited bread and baked flat bread, you'll def be a happy camper. The first time I tried their chicken gumbo with no spicy (level 0). It was good, but the pan roast is die for!! It has a tasty tomato base and good amount of seafood. I'm not much of a spicy eater and got level 4 spicy (perfect for people who like mild). I got the same order to-go for my bf with level 7 spicy and he loved it (large portion with rice in a separate container). Def gonna come here again!
(4)Vyvy D.
I went to visit some friends in the Chino area over the holiday season and this is where we went for lunch. I think it was the Monday before Christmas if I'm not mistaken. My friends had gone here a couple of times with their 1.5 year old daughter and enjoyed it so I figured if the little girl was game to eat here, I was too! :) There were maybe only 2 other parties there when we arrived so we were seated quickly. In fact, the server noticed us walking up the door and set up a table with a high chair all ready for us by the time we walked in. Awesome! We ordered cajun fries and cajun calamaris to share. My friend's wife and I both got the house pan roast (spicy level 5 for me and 4 for her). And I forgot what my friend got but I know he got the spicy level 6 because he was sweating up a storm, halfway through the meal :P The appetizers were pretty good but nothing special. I did love the house pan roast though! It was quite yummy but a smaller serving for lunch so if you're a hungry person like me, I would suggest adding an appetizer or two like we did! We ended up also getting the sweet potato fries too because my friend's little girl had a hard time eating the linguine without making a huge mess :P She enjoyed the fries very much and kept grabbing the calamari but spitting it out after chewing it for a few minutes. Haha! Another note, my friend's wife really enjoyed their rendition of an Arnold Palmer since they used pink lemonade! Gave it a festive feel and they didn't mix the drink beforehand so it looked really nice upon presentation. If I'm in the area ever again, I would definitely stop by here again for some yummy food on a cold day! And who knows, maybe you can stroll on over to The Pretty Kitty just a few doors down and light another part of your body on fire... (Not your stomach, that's for sure... ;P) Hahaha!!
(4)Eye C.
Have been going to this place since 2013.We used to live in San Fernando Valley.We moved to Costa Mesa in 2014 and have tried Ritters twice and Kettlebar twice,but nothing beats the flavor of The Boiler's House Pan Roast.It's the bomb!!comfort food.perfect umami.My only go to place for steam kettle cooking and has just the best house pan roast.
(5)Pamela L.
LOVE this place, it's in the new plaza by the 71. I wish more delicious places come to reside here! The Etoufee, Clam Chowder, Cajun Fries, and House Pan Roast are delicious. The entrees took a bit of time to get to us, but it was definitely fresh. There was only one person working the soups so it was understandable. They have a custom spicy level ranging from 1 to 10 and 7 wasn't that spicy for House but was rather spicy for the Etoufee. I'm not sure if that's because the House was more tomato based though. The cajun fries were a little spicy but not too bad. I like their beer and wine selection, but no full bar here as I recall. Plenty of servers -- need more cooks!
(4)Kitty W.
Came here with my friend to celebrate. It was really cool to see the chef cook the food, but it took a while for the food to be made since there was one cook working the whole store. The service was also only okay. It took really long for us to finally get our orders for just drinks in. We also had to go get the servers attention constantly and it annoyed us to wait like fifteen minutes before placing our order. I was also sad that they were out of their creme brûlée desserts. Moving on from the complaints, the food was really good however! They don't skimp out on the portion sizes and my friend and I could barely finish. We ordered an appetiser of calamari, a clam chowder soup, and a jambalaya. This place is worth trying but I don't think I'll be coming here again anytime soon.
(4)Michelle A.
My favorite go-to. It's fresh. It's delicious. It's unique. I must say that sitting at the bar is the best--doesn't feel the same otherwise.
(5)David K.
First time trying pan roast and it did not disappoint. Shared a cajun calamari and a house pan roast between 2 of us, with an extra side of rice. Calamari was pretty standard. Light on the breading, but just crispy enough. The pan roast was rich, creamy, and full of flavors. Good chunks of seafood in every bite. Pro tip - use the complimentary bread to dip in the pan roast. We went at prime dinner time and the place was strangely empty. No complaints there... no wait for good food is always fine by me.
(4)Teresa V.
I always pick this restaurant for my birthday lunch, this year no different. We ordered seafood pan roast dinner portion for lunch. From prior experience I always have enough for leftovers, not this time! I think the cook didn't pay attention to order and began making lunch portion, when he realized it he just added more sauce. He did not increase portion of seafood ratio so I got 2 shrimp and a bit of crab & lobster. Because it was so watered down it tasted like it came from a can. So disappointed this time around, and I felt bad my friend spent his cash here for two watered down dinner portions on 4/10/15. Hope they fix this the next time.
(3)Jessica S.
This place deserve a good review. Everything about this place is great. The place was clean. And most of all their food is great. I will definitely come back.
(5)Maggie M.
This place was well worth the wait!!! the food was absolutely delicious! Had the House Pan Roast...Not too spicy, cant recall the level, it was velvety and flavorful with very fresh seafood, plentiful amounts througout the bowl......the sound effects youll make after taking a bite....OMG!!! lol.... DELICIOUS....you will not be disappointed.
(4)Robert D.
The soft shell crab was incredible! Been there 4 times and the food gets better each time!!!
(5)Shanon Y.
Two words PAN ROAST! After venturing out into the OC with fellow Yelper Juliet C. to Ritter's, we have been dying to try more steam kettle cooking. So after we learned that Chef Ritter used to work at The Boiler in Chino we decided to drop by for dinner earlier this week. When we arrived the wait was only about 10 minutes which was a pleasant surprise since it was Labor Day. We compared the menu to the menu at Ritter's and realized that the prices at The Boiler was slightly cheaper and they even have a reduced pricing for lunch. Although, after ordering our food we also noticed that the portion sizes were also slightly less so you might actually be getting more bang for your buck at Ritter's. Since I enjoyed my Clam Pan Roast at Ritter's so much I decided to order the same thing again. Juliet ordered the House Gumbo. We didn't want to go too spicy so I stuck with a level 5 and Juliet chose a level 4. Overall, I felt that my Pan Roast tasted pretty much the same in comparison to Ritter's. I also really enjoyed the complimentary bread which I used to dip into the Pan Roast which soaked up all the flavor. I also tried some of Juliet's gumbo, but I felt that it was nowhere as good as the Pan Roast. The texture of the gumbo was thick and had the consistency of gravy. It also tasted a bit watered down so we assumed it was because the spice level was too low. I'll definitely come back again to try their lunch special pricing and happy hour!
(4)Kat T.
They have amazing food here. My all time favorite is the house pan roast and it is just amazing. I've tried a few of there entrees but I always come back to hpr. The service here is great. The staff is very attentive. Also if its your first time here, sit at the counter its always a cool experience. You can see how the chefs make the dishes. They also have great happy hour specials as well, try the crab cakes and calamari.
(5)Alan M.
Do they use real or fake calamari/squid?
(3)Frank S.
Forgive me for not having been to the Oyster Bar in Vegas and having tried their House Pan Roast but noticing all the people going gaga over this stuff really set my expectations high. Yes, I understand this isn't the Oyster Bar and that there is a better place for the said dish over at the recently opened Ritter's, but still! In the end, at least when it comes to The Boiler, I don't really understand all the love for the House Pan Roast. It's not bad, it's definitely unique. But it was super intense! Maybe it didn't help we went 8 on the spice level. I definitely felt a slight burn inside. I was glad they gave us the bread basket because the rice wasn't enough to neutralize the intensity of the House Pan Roast. I was smart and saved some of the Cajun Calamari and I thought it was good dipping these in the pan roast. In the end, it was just A-OK for me. Well, at least I got to see what all the hype is about, sorta...
(3)Julius N.
Came in on a Saturday evening for dinner with the family. BIL was here visiting from out of town and had never tried pan roast before so we took him out. My previous two visits left me questioning the service of the wait staff but after speaking to the owner and being reassured the issues were all addressed, I was happy to come back again to give The Boiler another chance. I am happy to report that the service has improved tremendously and the wait to get seated even on a busy Saturday night was very reasonable. The whole place was running and operating like a well oiled machine. The staff worked together as a team and our food came out quickly. The soft shell crab was excellent as I remembered it always and we also enjoyed some of the cajun calamari (also very good). My brother was impressed with the pan roast and enjoyed it very much. We gotta a bit stuffed from our appetizers and had to take home some hearty portions of the house pan roast. I have to comment that helpings of seafood from The Boiler are very generous. Big chunks of crab, whole shrimp, and lobster. Definitely two thumbs up on quality of the seafood as well. This is a gem of the IE and I am very happy I do not have to drive very far to get food of this caliber. Kudos to the ownership and staff in making things right again!
(5)Yemi O.
The first thing that struck me was the portion size. I got the chicken gumbo and I couldn't even finish it. And I came in extremely hungry so that's saying something. Next time, I'll have to split with someone else. They ask you how spicy you want your food on a scale of 1-10. I asked for 8 since I have a high tolerance for spicy food. My mistake was that there was too much food for that spice level. It wasn't too spicy, but when you have what seems to be an endless bowl of gumbo, the spice gets to be overpowering. Other than that, the food was tasty. We went for dinner when it's supposedly crowded, but got lucky and was seated almost immediately. I'd recommend coming for lunch because you get the same food at a cheaper price. My favorite thing was the bacon-wrapped shrimp appetizer. So so so good.
(4)Franklin W.
One of the nicest meals/occasions I have enjoyed recently! My immediate family was given a gift card by another family member for Xmas... So we all went out to dinner last Saturday. It was absolutely fantastic! I ordered the "Lobster Pan Sear" and it reminded me of tikka masala, although it was better than any tikka masala I have had. The prices are reasonable and the portions are large. Being invited to try this restaurant was one of the nicest things anyone has done for me in quite some time. I hope you like it as much as I did!
(5)Ivane L.
I've only been here twice. The first time was before Ritter's opened in OC and the second after. The first time I had the pan roast was like OMG I love this stuff what have I been missing out on all this time. It was creamy, spicy, full of flavor and thick lumps of seafood. It was great with pasta. Roll over a year or so I came back because I wasn't totally satisfied at Ritter's in Santa Ana. This might be because they just opened and haven't gotten everything squared yet. Here's my review of Ritter's with pictures yelp.com/biz/ritters-ste… Comparing the bacon wrapped shrimp from both places, the boiler definitely wins. The shrimp isn't dry but juicy. You can see the cheese ooze out when you bite into it. It has a hint of sweetness from the slight honey oil or whatever they drip over it. I ordered the crab pan roast with pasta on the side since I wasn't feeling like all the other seafood. The pan roast had nice lumps of crab meat in it that you could see. Idk if it was just as amazing as the first time I had it, but it was still pretty good and better than Ritter's for now. Another plus is that I can save myself $10 here for lunch and not pay $23 for pan roast at Ritter's. It might make it the same in price somewhat since I have to drive 40 mins to Chino, but that's why I carpool out here to offset the price.
(4)Amy P.
Hmm not sure how I feel about this place yet. I didn't enjoy it as much as Oyster Bar in Las Vegas but one thing i DO like compared to vegas is MORE SEATING!! The bar seats about 15-20 people and there are about 10-15 other tables surrounding. Same feel as Vegas with the bar set-up. I came for dinner so the house pan roast (mixed seafood) was $19.95, cesar salad $5.50 and happy hour crab cakes $4.75. Our total came out to $38 with a 18% tip. Prices here are about the same - HOWEVER they do have different lunch and dinner pricing - I suggest coming for dinner when dishes are about $5-$7 less! I typically eat mild but ordered a #6 for my pan roast- watch out - dare devil over here!!! :P - it was a little spicy for my liking. The pan roast wasn't as creamy with more of a marinara taste here then Vegas. The food wasn't BAD here, service was good. Defintiely something to try out BEFORE you go to Oyster Bar. I set my expectations too high..
(3)Lena L.
The best Pan Roast ever!!! Love the Giant shrimp wrapped bacon appetizer as well. They also have pretty good Gumbo. Please come open a restaurant in San Diego or Long Beach/Cerritos area!!!
(5)Portia L.
Can I just say how inconsiderate and inefficient this place is run? Where do I start... I came here on a weekday, and waited for 2 hours, only to leave completely annoyed. I came in at about 6:00pm with my family (3 total). They said the wait would be an hour due to a reservation they have before us. Ok, fine; I can deal with it if the food is supposedly that great like everyone says. One hour rolls around, and I have to ask, how much longer the wait is. They tell me 15 more minutes... I see some empty chairs and think to myself, "Oh goody we'll finally be able to sit"; hostess even states that the table will be for us. I ask if wee can just sit down, but she tells us then it gets confusing for the server, which it have no idea why. After waiting for an hour and a half, time rolls around, and a party of 15 (mind you, this was NOT the party with the reservation because I listened to the hostess) gets seated before us and the server starts asking what they want order blah blah blah. So basically, they sat this party of 15 before us, probably because of the tip. At this point seeing the part of 15 get seated, I'm pretty heated and ticked off. I ask the hostess, and she says to give 15 more minutes. So now, I end up fed up. After waiting for two hours, seeing how the tables have turned over, how inefficiently the restaurant was run, how they couldn't even allow us to sit at the table even though the table was "for us", I left and vowed to never come again. I don't care how "good" food is. To have to wait for 2 hours, be seated after a party of 15 with no reservation, and still have to stand, is absolutely ridiculous. It didn't make any sense. I can see them only choosing to seat this party of 15 because they see he money/tips. So sad because this was a place I was really hoping to try. I ended up having to take my family to 1+1 Dumpling nearby, one of the only restaurants opened later. I got sat, served, and ate for less than half the time I waited for The Boiler. Food was also tremendously cheaper.
(1)Caesar W.
My favorite thing to get here is the Shrimp pan roast. It is so creamy and delicious! It is pretty cool to sit at the bar and see your soup being made. The presentation and atmosphere is good. The only negatives that I have to mention is that prices are a little bit on the high side. I recommend coming in during lunch because prices are a bit lower. Service can be a little bit slow as well, due to a lacking of number of servers.
(4)Matthew M.
Came by for dinner one day as we were in the neighborhood. Usually go to Palace Station in Vegas and that place is much better than this place. I even went to the new place in Santa Ana as it's closer to home and it's a lot better than here. The clam chowder was pretty good and the pan roast was decent as well but I felt like just a dude at the bar with his wife with no interaction. If you're at the bar aren't you saying I'd like to know what's happening with my dish and all that? We just got a, "You know what you want?" Then some pan noises then a bowl slid our way. That's it until the check came sliding our way. I won't be back.
(2)Jose Antonio A.
The apps was good (soft shell crab). But when I got my fisherman chowder it was thick and a little salty. Good thing it had a lot of seafood for lunch portion. My dad said his food was also to thick and should have been a soupy consistency. I think it was cook to long It should also be a three but they only had one server. I really don't know how it get four star
(2)Angela H.
I have to start by saying that I took a trip to New Orleans for the first time last year and it changed my view on food forever ... primarily the technique of well infused spices into dishes, especially cajun style seafood - so really everything ever since then has been compared to how well NOLA did it. We came around 545 on a Sunday night right before happy hour ended at 600 pm and were still able to catch all the happy deals on drinks and small dishes (how lucky were we?!). So taking advantage of the deals, we loaded up on starters and tried as many little dishes as possible ... there were a couple others I would have tried (like the oysters and crab cakes and mussels) but for the sake of being greedy ... there's always next time! For starters we tried: -Cajun Calamari: huge portion, good crunch, not your average calamari rings - comes in long strips -New England Clam Chowder: creamy with a peppery kick, just the way I like it! -Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: bacon was too crunchy, almost burnt, but shrimp was perfectly cooked -Jalapeno Poppers - you really can't go wrong with jalapeno poppers ... cheesy and spicy and yum! As far as main dishes were concerned, I was able to sample the Seafood Gumbo and the Etouffee and I enjoyed both. Both seafood dishes were well prepared, spices were well infused, and overall both were well ... tasty! The Seafood Gumbo came complete with okra, shrimp, crab, clams and andouille sausage served over rice in a deeply flavored stew. The Etouffee was lighter and tomato-y with shrimp and crawfish ... yum. We were seated around the kitchen/bar area ... it was fun to watch dishes being prepared right in front of us. Tips? Come during happy hour so you can sample as much as you can ... and cheap beer is always a plus ... duh! And, as suggested by a friend, only order one main dish and share ... the portions are huge - feeds enough for two people! If you like spicy, don't be afraid to go spicy - level 5 was not enough for me ... next time I'll try a 7! It's no New Orleans ... but good enough! I WILL be back.
(4)Arnon G.
This place is great the food is fantastic I like everything on the menu but the bouillabassie is my favorite I like it in the middle of the spicy range usually a 6. The service is very good. They have tables but I like to sit at the bar and watch the chef cook.
(4)Amy M.
I've been here twice and the food is great, a bit pricey but worth it because the flavors are unique and you can't really find a place like this.the waitresses are very friendly also, big plus. You must try the house pan roast if you come here. It's the kind of dish you dream about once you've had it. We also tried the jambalaya, but it couldn't compare. The oysters are good too. My favorite appetizer is the bacon wrapped shrimp. The beers on tap were also pretty good. We did a beer flight and that was great because you could try out the beers before deciding which one to order. This is one of my new favorite places!
(5)Adela A.
This place is excellent for spicy soup based meals. However, when ordering level of spiciness, consider a 1 or 2. The scale is 1 to 10. We got a 4 and were burning. And we are no spicy-wimps. Once you eat here you'll wonder why there aren't more places like this.
(5)Bill D.
Great food!!! Get a seat at the food bar. Watch your food prepared in front of you in the steam kettles. Love the Crab Pan Roast, pictures don't give it justice, you won't leave there hungry. My wife gets the Shrimp Diablo, but swaps out the shrimp for crab. There is a slight up charge, but they are more than willing to please the customer. Get there early, otherwise prepare for a wait. The Boiler is unique and is a very popular place to be.
(5)Helena H.
I must be the 74239743x reviewer that will compare The Boiler to the Oyster Bar in Vegas. How can you not when you've been to the Oyster Bar and find out the original chef opened one in Socal. Thanks to Chris C's review, I got a little bit more history about how the chef started up and moved on to the next project of his. It took me this long to finally give it a try, since it's quite a ways from me. My friend suggested we go because he was craving it. It was busy at the bar so we went for a table. Service was polite and attentive. We ordered our starters: Calamari: Thick strips of it. Delicious! Prawn wrapped in bacon: The order came and there were 3 prawns. My friend said there should be 5 pieces, so we waited for the server to inform her. She noticed it was a mistake and had the kitchen correct it. So when i cut through my first shrimp, I took a look and it was slightly grey. I asked if it was suppose to be that way and my friend said he doesn't know, he just eats it. Typical guy answer. Haha. So I waited to ask the server. I don't want to go home feeling sick or worst, getting food poisoning, since the stomach bug has been going around lately. It took the server a while to check on us, so my friend said he'd eat it...haha. She indicated that the shrimp should be well cooked. SO, just make sure it's fully cooked before stuffing it in your face. But it was really good. So heavy though. Then came the entrees. Bouillabaisse: Soup base. Full of seafood. It was really good but could have used some kind of carb to go with it. I guess people eat it with the bread. I would have asked for pasta. Pan Roast: Ok, it's definitely missing the special ingredient that makes the Pan Roast at the Oyster bar so damn good. It has all the delicious seafood, thick creamy base, but sure enough, missing something special that makes it amazing. Overall, it was worth a try. I wouldn't frequent the place, but maybe once in a blue moon. I packed the rest home and it still tasted good after 2 days. Oh, and my friend text the next day to let me know he didn't have any stomach issues from the raw shrimp. Lol.
(3)Sophie R.
This was our first time to The Boiler. We had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised how good the food was. The House Pan roast was exceptionally good. I had to substitute the tomatoe sauce with the wine/garlic sauce and boy it tasted just perfect. The service was also great. Ask for Erica. She will recommend the right food for you. We definitely will go back.
(4)Jacob H.
I drove all the way out here just because everyone said this place is so good. Came during MLK and didn't have to wait long for a table. Prices were about the same as Oyster Bar and I'm not sure if I like the chunkiness of the sauce. I admit there were a lot of stuff inside the pan roast (shrimp, lobster, etc) but a flavor was missing. Not sure what it was but it definitely left me disappointed. For $20 and 50 mins of driving.. not worth it. The cajun fries was pretty good. Don't think I would come out here again for this. I'll stick to waiting 3 hours at Oyster Bar in Vegas. haha
(3)Andy N.
Yummmyyyyy Pan Roast me please! So GOOD! It's creamy tomato soup on crack! The fun presentation seeing them cook it on the kettles are cool. The service is very friendly. It wasn't crowded during the lunch hour. Pan Roast with crab and added sausages. - This large portion of soup with meat is an amazing combo. The south got this on lock. I loved the flavor and the portion of food. It is also topped with some rice. I would totally eat here again. One of the more popular spots in Chino Hills. Recommendation: Pan Roast
(5)Roehl A.
Still good after a long time since our last visit. But what is going on with the service? It's a Friday night and the place had 11 guests yet we were still waiting for a table. When they finally sat us down by the bar, it took another wait to get our order. Fortunately, the clam chowder and the house pan roast continues to save the day.
(3)Cynde M.
I came on a Wednesday night for dinner, it was a bit busy but not too crowded so we waited for a few minutes to be seated. It was my first time here and Lucy our waitress was so helpful! We ordered: Crab cakes- it was filled with actual crabs and not just bread crumbs! It was not dry and tasted fresh. However the dipping sauce could have been better Bacon wrapped shrimp- Moist and not over cooked, however the bacon made it on the saltier side. Jambalaya- The rice was a bit undercooked. The flavors of traditional jambalaya were there but nothing special House Pan Roast- this dish was definitely the star! The flavors mixed very well together. We ordered a 7 on the spicy scale, could of gone hotter but it was enough kick to make us happy. We also asked for extra bread to eat with the creamy sauce. Overall I would come back here if I was craving something hot on a cold day, but the price is a bit on the steep side for not having more seafood in the dishes itself.
(4)Ahmed K.
Healthy and delicious reasonable price services really fast food is good the only bad thing is the location is to crowded due to other business and parking is a big issue ...
(4)esmond k.
Oyster bar in Vegas it's not but if your too tired to drive five hours and must get your pan roast fix ....
(3)Connie C.
Let me start off by saying I had high expectations because of the yelp reviews. I got the Shrimp Diablo with spicy level 8.. I couldve went higher but it was so good. The sauce was so amazing and on point. The House Salad was very fresh and light. It was a perfect combo with my entree. Definitely a must try spot.
(5)Shannon C.
Awesome to have pan roast nearby! I gotta say it still can't touch the pan roast at Oyster Bar (Palace Station Casino, Las Vegas), but it's still very tasty. Their spicy rating is off though as the 9 out of 10 is barely spicy -- don't be afraid to ask for a higher spice than you normally would. Service was great, we sat at the bar while we waited for our table and ordered appetizers and drinks. Our bartender was attentive and offered us a "taste" of their oysters when we couldn't decide on which ones to order. Who does that?
(4)Sidney T.
I love the setting of this restaurant. At first, the bar seating looked a bit intimidating. But as I sat down, I realized I had made a mistake not sitting there to watch the chef work his magic! yelp.com/user_local_phot… The service here was superb. They don't have a huge menu, which I LOVE! But being first timers, there were endless questions. What is the most popular dish? Which is your top choice? How spicy is spicy? What do you mean it's still happy hour?!?!? yelp.com/user_local_phot… We got there JUST in time before happy hour ended so we had to take advantage. The prices are about $1 off regular price, so we ordered clam chowder (yum), scallops, and the bacon wrapped shrimp. yelp.com/user_local_phot… And let me tell you about these babies, they are absolutely TO DIE FOR! I'm not the biggest fan of bacon nor cheese, but when you put them together with shrimp... you get a master symphony of incredible bursting inside your mouth. I would go back just for these suckers. I ordered the House Pan Roast, which is mixed seafood swimming in a tomato stew. yelp.com/user_local_phot… My friend ordered the Jambalaya, which I thought was quite delicious. He goes over the top with spice, so his level 6 spicy was bearable to me, which meant it did no damage to his taste buds. But luckily, the waitress came over with an extra side of spice to save the day. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
(4)Wing C.
Every time I go Vegas, I will visit The Oyster Bar located in Palace Station and wished they will open another location in LA. After many years, my wish come true. This place has exactly the same thing as The Oyster Bar and is a kids friendly restaurant. (The only thing they don't have is a changing table) There are few must try things: Starters: Cajun Fries, Oysters on half shell (both Louisiana and Blue Point taste good) and Steamed Mussels Soup: New England Clam Chowder Entrees: Lobster Pan Roast, Gumbo, Linguini with clams and Jambalaya (be careful with the spicy level, they scale from 1-10 and I think level 4 is pretty spicy already.) Their service is around average and expect some wait time. They close at 8:30pm, only Fri and Sat night close at 9:30pm.
(3)Lindsay R.
I'm docking this place one star because we came to eat lunch here, ordered our usual cioppino and it was very disappointing. The cook said she our order was the last cioppino of the day since she ran out of her lunch time ingredients. We could tell. I'll never come here for lunch again :/ I still recommend it for dinner.
(4)Jay Y.
ahhh sorry. overhyped. so people say this place is really good. maybe due to their inconsistency, they're good on one day and bad on another. who knows... bread was good. the pan roast was too creamy for my liking. their salad was a total fail -- not sure how to can eff up on salad, but here, they can! clam chowder was waaaaay too salty and inedible. server was super friendly and sweet, but service in general was super slow. it took forever for almost everything -water refills, more napkins, more bread, and the check. i prefer Oyster Bar's pan roast.. although, i still have yet to try ritter's.
(1)Craig B.
This was our second attempt to have dinner @ the Boiler. On our first time we got there just as they were closing at 8:30. What kind of restaurant stops dinner at 8:30 pm in this day and age? Inconceivable! We got there at 7:00pm this time, and were told there was a 30 minute wait for a table. We opted to sit at the counter which had a 5 minute wait. That would've been fine except the hostess decided to seat a couple that came in after us first. STRIKE 1. We were seated right after they were, but had to wait while our confused waitress scrambled to get our plates, silverware, and bread and butter. Communication amongst the staff is obviously lacking. STRIKE 2. If you've never eaten at a steam Kettle place (and this was our first time), the food, sauce, protein, veggies are all put into a mid sized stainless steel pot which has boiling water circulating around it to provide the heat. I will admit, that it made for an interesting item to watch. However, since the sauces seem to have been pre-made in the back kitchen, and brought out in refrigerated stainless steel containers, when they are ladled into the steam pots, they look like unappealing congealed glop. Once they heat up, they look better. If this doesn't sound appealing, sit at a table rather than the counter. I now come to the crux of this review; the food. My GF and I ordered bacon wrapped shrimp as an appetizer, it came to us on a plate, with a honey drizzle under the shrimp. They were by far the best part of the meal. B ordered linguine and clams in a clear sauce. The waitress asked the amount of spiciness she opted for 2 in a scale if 1-10. I went for non-spicy on my shrimp scampi. I don't do well with spicy food. In about 10 maybe 15 minutes the food came up delivered by the guy behind the counter, not our waitress, I guess that it made more sense that way. All the entrees are served in big bowls. No plates here. BALL 1. Now maybe it was what we ordered, or maybe just the way they do things at the Boiler, but it was way too much liquid and not enough pasta. We both thought it was more of a soup than a dish. As to the flavor, well let's just say that was lacking as well. Both of our dishes were bland, no hint if garlic, wine, butter, etc... was in fact used in the preparation of the dishes. Scampi should have a nice garlic butter flavor, there was none. I did think that maybe they relied on the spiciness for their flavor, and if so, how wrong that is. You can have lots of flavor without heat. STRIKE 3. I don't know if we'll go back, but we'll see. It might be a pkace for lunch rather than dinner.
(3)Andrew R.
So sad to see this place go so far downhill. Not really because of the food, or the service, but the lack of management here. Try to eat here during a peak period and you'll understand why. It'll be faster to drive all the way to Santa Ana Ritters than to eat here when it's busy.
(1)Miriam B.
Very small, nicely designed restaurant. If you came with about 20 friends, you should probably just go ahead and buy out the place for the evening. It was not a good pick for my large group of about 18 people. We couldn't sit together and it was a tight squeeze. However, I enjoyed my meal (I had the etouffee), but everyone says the House Pan Roast is the way to go! I'd have to agree. It was delish! I also liked that there was a nice variety of dishes offered. The customer service was excellent. I'll definitely be back!
(4)Emily C.
I wasn't expecting this little gem to be here. On weekends, their lunches are at dinner portions, so it was quite filling. Started off with the crab cakes, which I thought were good and had a good amount of crab in them but most places that do crab cakes tend to make them deeper brown than golden brown. It is no different here, but the flavor was pretty good. We had the House Pan Roast and Etouffee. I liked both, but preferred the House Pan Roast. Something about the tomato cream-based sauce made it so addictive and even when I was full, I still nibbled here and there because it was so good. The seafood was cooked right. Although the shrimp is not as juicy as I had hoped, I don't think it's supposed to be. The Etouffee was the same ingredients, but with a different sauce. It is not as spicy as mine, even though we both did a 6/mild level and not nearly as flavorful as the House Pan Roast. I can't wait to go back and try other things, or another House Pan Roast since I seem to miss it...
(4)Priscilla Y.
If you can't get to the Oyster Bar in Vegas and are craving Pan Roast, this place will satisfy your craving short of doing the 3.5 hours drive. We did not experience poor service when we were here. Our waitress was fairly attentive, and didn't forget about our extra Pan roast order for to go. They also had Blue point oysters that day, very fresh and good size too. Food is very similar to the Oyster bar, but you don't get that personal experience with the chef. In addition to the Pan Roasts and oysters, we also got soft shelled crab which I really enjoyed. Too bad they are in Chino Hills, I don't go out there too often. They serve lunch also, every day except Tuesdays.
(4)Pui L.
I love the House Pan Roast. The spices, the consistency of the stew and the variety of seafood makes a party in my mouth. My first time here was on a Friday night. We had to wait a while for our table, but we were seated on the side with our drink orders. After we were seated at our table I already knew what I wanted to try, based on the lovely yelper recommendations. It took a while for the food to arrive. Everyone enjoyed the food, especially the pan roast. I think the big bowl is meant for sharing. It's a really big portion for soup. I think I got a level 3 spiciness, which was just the level I could tolerate. The second time I came here on a Thursday night, and we got seated at the bar. Yay! I wanted to see the kettle cooking in action. Ordered the pan roast with a level two spicy and the cilantro chicken and sausage pasta with no spiciness. I had to lower the spiciness for the other people in my group. Level 2 spice was ok, a very mild kick, The pasta had good flavor, but definitely missing the kick. The order was done faster than I expected. The waiter was also very nice and attentive. This place is good for dates and small groups, since the place is not that big. Parking is plentiful since the restaurant is in the Commons. Good tip to remember: when you get off the fwy you enter on the first driveway. When you leave, you should go the opposite way to the second driveway since there is a streetlight and you can make a left turn. I made the mistake twice going out from from where I entered and it's right turn only.
(5)Teena T.
I came here for a birthday party about a year ago and can't get it outta my mind. I make good gumbo but there's makes my mouth water! It's perfect for this fall weather so I decided to drive about 20 minutes to get a bowl only to find they were closed until the next opening at 5pm, I missed the early service by 10 minutes. I wanted to cry but the waitress asked the cook if the could accommodate me and They DID! I couldn't believe it so I bought 2 dinner portions! $37.00 seems pricey for 2 servings of gumbo but it's delicious and after great customer service like that. ..who could complain. Thank u staff who worked in 11/13/14...I'm sure you have made corporate proud. I will tell anyone who listens that this lil spot in chino hills is the place to eat!
(5)Ivy W.
I've been to The Boiler a few times now since it's near work, and both my friends and co-workers love this place and think it's the best thing ever. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but not ahhhmg so uhhmazing. Especially when service isn't that great; most places will tell you to seat yourself and then come by with menus once their hands are free. This one server always makes us wait until she's done with whatever she's doing, then leads us to our table. Personally, I don't feel like that's necessary. We also came by this past Veteran's Day for lunch -- great that they were open, but that same server didn't inform us that they were serving dinner portions and charging dinner prices due to the holiday, until we were seated. Perhaps this should've been shared at the hostess stand? If I'd wanted to leave due to the higher prices, it would've been a bit awkward to get up and leave after we'd already been seated. Complimentary fluffy white bread (and butter) is served before your entrees, which actually goes fantastically with whatever you choose to order. Cajun Fries Delicious and recommended! Clam Chowder Pretty good compared to most places. Cup portion was actually quite large. House Pan Roast -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… This is everyone's favorite and the most popular. I think it's decent, but compared to everything else on the menu, it probably is the best tasting entree on the menu. Gumbo -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Not your typical gumbo, as it tasted more like an Asian dish than Cajun/Creole cuisine. I wouldn't order this again. Jambalaya -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Tastier than the Gumbo, but not as unique as the House Pan Roast. Cilantro Chicken with Sausage -- yelp.com/biz_photos/the-… Not a bad dish, but the flavors didn't taste as bold as they smelled. It was a light and fresh bowl of pasta, recommended if you don't want anything too heavy. The Boiler is A-OK to me. Decent food, but nothing special and I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. Actually, I wouldn't come here at all if it weren't for my friends and co-workers. Similar to KBBQ, I just can't seem to escape...
(3)J W.
I had high expectations for this place from reading Yelp reviews, but the taste was disappointing. Clam chowder was way too salty. I couldn't taste the crab in the crab cakes because of the seasoning. Cioppino lacked fish and crab; I got 2 pieces of crab leg shells and only 1 piece of crab meat.
(3)Homer J.
Rocked my world, the house pan roast with extra crab was amazing the only thing I would change would get it get the spicy level 5. The bacon wrapped shrimp was very good. The pasta with tomato sauce (kids menu) is one of the best tomato sauces I had; chicken nuggets and fries was also very good.
(5)Jen N.
This Boiler's serves the best gumbo I've had in my life. Steam kettle cooking is where its at! Service was good- friendly and informing us when our table will be ready. Restaurant is pretty small so expect a wait. Gumbo was better than others that I've tried in the SGV -- it had a nice, smooth blend of meats (sausage, chicken, crab, shrimp, etc.) and spices and wasn't overly salty. Gumbos from other places tend to be too chunky and heavy on the celery. House Pan Roast was delicious with just the right amount of tomato and cream mixed in with all that seafood. Creamy, savory, and a bit tangy = perfection. There were other foods on the menu that I've wanted to try especially the etouffee. It seems like this is one of the few cajun restaurants that offers their staple dishes and that is a good thing!
(5)Emmanuel M.
In all my business travels this place is #1. Enjoy amazing savory dishesl. Highly recommend their Pot-roast. I chose sea-food.
(5)Kendruh R.
I had the house pan roast along with a strawberry daiquiri ... And boy were they both delicious!!!!!! It wasn't busy what so ever thank goodness after reading all the reviews about how crowed it can be... A classmate suggested this place so our group decided to do our assignment on this place, so when we asked our waitress some questions she was on the vague side and couldn't answer the questions we needed... Which wasn't too helpful for us, but other than that I'll definitely return and try something else, I'm sure I won't be disappointed
(4)Sarah J.
came here after snowboarding. it was so good after a day full of snowboarding and freezing. if you've ever been to the one in vegas, yes it is comparable, but i still prefer the vegas one. but the boiler is still good and very good substitution! bacon covered shrimp - these are on the crispy side. what is not good with bacon?! definitely a must try. oysters - i love oysters!! and these were super fresh!! similar to boiling crab ones pan roast - SHARE if you can, portion is super huge. enough to feed two people. you can adjust the spicy level and what goes in the pan roast: aka seafood/what kind of meat. tastes like creamy spicy tomato roux. i love mixing it with my rice.
(4)