4. Restaurants

The Boiling Crab

6910 65th St,Ste 100, Sacramento, CA, 95823
  • (916) 394-9166
  • Store is closed

The Boiling Crab Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Sacramento for healthy meals suggestion.

McDonalds ( 6370 Mack Rd )
Denny’s ( 7401 Elsie Ave )

Visit below restaurant in Sacramento for healthy meals suggestion.

McDonalds ( 6370 Mack Rd )
Denny’s ( 7401 Elsie Ave )

  • Stephanie A.

    It's been a while since I've been to The Boiling Crab and boy have I missed that Shabaaaaang! I really like the new expansion to the right of the restaurant which means more people can be accommodated! Service is great as usual, the servers were always do attentive, always checking up and grabbing refills. 1 lb. crawfish shabang medium, 1 lb. clams shabang medium, 1/2 lb. sausages lemon pepper medium, steam rice, Cajun chowder, and Cajun fries to fill our tummies for 2. Delicious, tasty, and filling with a kick to it! For first timer's, I recommend trying mild spicy first before you decide to kick it up a notch. Remember, they can make it spicier, but you can't reverse the spice! Their Cajun fries with ketchup-mayo sauce to dip in is to-diiiiie-for! As usual, expect a full house towards the evening. Good food requires a wait, so if you can't spare 40min-1.5hrs, then might as well go to a different spot. ;)

    (5)

  • Mary O.

    I love The Boiling Crab! My typical order: 1lb shrimp in the medium whole shabang sauce and Cajun fries I subtracted 1 star because of the wait. Right at 3 when the doors are open, there is already a line! But it's well well worth it. The environment is pretty chill, you can either sit at the booths or tables and they even have slings where you can put your child's car seat in (big plus for me since my child can't fit in a stool yet ). You can also tag on the walls and you must wear the bibs because it'll get messy!

    (4)

  • Michelle M.

    Everyone been talking about it and I finally got some ! Shrimp that is .. Spicy garlic butter yummmmm! Snow crab legs were good and messy meaning get you hands on some! I liked it! Atmosphere FUN , tables huge booths but tables are close to your belly lol Parking great! I ordered rice but the fries goes better with .... Ooooo HOT ! but makes ya wanna go back for more

    (4)

  • Christopher G.

    FOOD - GOOD SERVICE - BAD I was expecting more out of this place because I've been to the San Jose location and SoCal locations and it was phenomenal. The wait was literally a whopping hour and a half. I just felt like the hostesses were trying their hardest to accommodate to everyone but they did it was a huge attitude. There needs to be training done with these girls on how to handle with customers especially when it deals with customers who wait for hours. We got: 1.) The whole shabang med SHRIMP 2.) The whole shabang med Sausage 3.) Oysters 4.) White Rice My Advice: - I wouldn't recommend the Oysters for it is only 10 small pieces for 10 bucks.... - I would recommend the SHRIMP and sausage. 1 lbs each can feed 2 people. - The shrimp and sausage can be ordered by 1/2 lbs too.. Nothing else. - I would get 1 sauce for each order. so like the whole shabang for shrimp and garlic for the sausage. This way its not all in one baggy. It ensures that they really took the time to weigh everything. If you have it all at the same time it might not be even. Probably won't go here again because we came all the way from Oakland to eat here and received bad service.

    (2)

  • Youri Y.

    I LOVE BOILING CRAB so of course I'm going to give it 5 stars! Lol. My sister and I waited for about 30 min for a table for 2. It was kinda busy on a Friday evening and like any BC restaurant there's going to be a wait. When we got seated, we each ordered 1lb of shrimp with 1 corn. Both 1lb bags were flavored with whole sha-bang seasoning and medium spice along with one order of cajun fries with medium spice. Our food came out reasonably fast. I remember shrimp used to be $10/lb but I guess it went up to $11/lb. Oh wellz I devoured my bag and even ate some of my sister's shrimps LOL Ughhh soo good!! We smelled like BC still after we got back into our car and went to get shaved snow but you can easily shower that out :) And you know you see the same people from BC at the next shaved snow spot lol

    (5)

  • Jonathan A.

    Boiling Crab is definitely the go-to for those who don't mind to get down and dirty. I love spicy food and I get medium but I wish there was a level of spiciness between medium and xxx because xxx is too much for me. Otherwise, get ready to smell like seafood seasoning way after you leave the restaurant! & The Cajun fries are really good and it's a great size to share!

    (4)

  • Jestee L.

    My first Boiling Crab experience was a disappointment. Dinner time on a Monday. There were a couple of group ahead of us and the wait time was less than 5 minutes. The place is still crowded for a weekday so I'm thinking it must be really good. Apparently, it was really bad! 1 star for the service and another for being clean. The servers are nice and all smiles. The place is clean and tables are spacious. We ordered 1lb of each (Shrimps, Clam and Mussels) with The Whole Sha-Bang sauce. We were thinking of ordering crabs later on. Chicken tenders with fries too for my daughter. TASTE - EXTREMELY SALTY!!! I love salty food but this totally taste like a bag of salt was mixed into the sauce. I tried to mix it with rice until I can't stand the taste anymore and decided to eat on the chicken tenders and fries instead. It was a good decision not to order crabs right away.I barely ate any of the seafood and thought of reconstructing the sauce at home. We should've went to Firehouse Crawfish instead. We left very unhappy and will never be back ever again! What a waste of money!

    (2)

  • Allison L.

    My 100th review - whoohoo! I've been to this location several times now and every time the food is consistently good. My go-to order is a pound of shrimp the wholeshebang mild with corn inside the bag. My boyfriend orders the same but medium spice, and we share an order of cajun fries with medium spice. We like how the corn soaks up the flavor, but you can get it in a separate bag with butter. I always line up the shrimp heads as I eat, so a pound of shrimp is about 20-23 shrimp. I used to order potatoes in my bag, but that was too much potato with the fries. If you're not a fan of fries, I would suggest trying that. You get about three mini red potatoes. Mild might be a little spicier than what people expect. I probably wouldn't suggest it for children unless you know for sure they can handle spice. My boyfriend's mom thought it was too spicy, even though she was eating it with rice, so next time she'll get no spice. I've tried the crab, but I don't feel like it's as worth it because you don't get as much "meat." Pound of shrimp is $11, and crab costs more than double that, plus it's more work for less. The chicken strips are standard and come with honey mustard. The wait can be long if you show up around dinner time, so plan to go a little early. They've recently extended the restaurant to the suite next door, but I'm not sure how much that cuts down on waiting. When we arrived at 5:30 yesterday all the tables were already full. I'd say it's worth the wait, however. The restaurant is always clean as they throw away the paper table covering when you're finished. There's a napkin dispenser at each table as well. They play current music and there are tvs with sports playing. I'm the kind of person who tries to stay clean while eating here. I wear the bib and only use my thumb and index finger of each hand. My boyfriend, however, uses all his fingers and sauce will drip down his arms. To each their own! It's an experience. Probably wouldn't recommend for a first date because it's messy though haha. Definitely don't wear white either. Juice and sauce always flies everywhere (including your eyes if you're not careful). Also, I wouldn't recommend eating here if you have a paper cut. It'll BURN! I'd suggest it if you've never tried and I'll return. I can't have it too often though because I'll get sick of it haha. I haven't tried any of the other wannabe boiling crab places in Sacramento. Why try imposters when you can have the real thing? Note: they do not accept American Express.

    (4)

  • Anne H.

    If you're wondering if it's worth the wait, it is! This location had recently remodeled and bought the extra space next door so it is now bigger with more tables! This only means one thing, shorter wait times! Ever since they got the extra space I've never had to wait more than hour again. The food here is great. Depending on how you like your spice, it can vary. Some days medium can taste like no spicy at all and mild got you tearing up after a couple bites. The oysters is definitely a must! The oysters are cleaned up really well so you won't get a piece of shell leftover from the shucking when you eat it. You're getting your bang for your buck too cause they're so big and plump. I've had oysters at other restaurants but it just doesn't compare to Boiling Crab. The staff is really friendly here but during busier hours it's harder to flag down your waiter or any worker in general. They always check up on you a couple times for water.

    (4)

  • Aline N.

    Staff at my work: Were you at Boiling Crab over the weekend? Me: Yea.. Why were you?! Staff at my work: Aw I thought that was you! You walked in on someone while they were in the bathroom Beside that true statement, wow--probably a late pass, but hey girl hey they expanded the place! Yay! Good job, BC. So after many, MANY months of hiatus, the food here is still on point!! Put on our cute bibs and we all went hammer time. Ordered like a bauce, didn't even need to look at their menu cus I know what I like! Raw, fresh oysters took me to Nirvana. Shabang sauce X Medium spicy got yo girl sniffling, didn't need "The Notebook" for that to happen. Chicken wangs, Cajun fries--on fleek! Long story short, come here if you wanna get crabs! Ok that don't sound right, but you know what I mean.......

    (5)

  • Madonna G.

    Heck- I'm just gonna give this place a 5 star solely for how good the Cajun/garlic fries and the shrimps are. I always get half lb of shrimp sha-bang mild with extra garlic [though I don't think it makes it more garlicky- I should probably stop requesting it ;);)]. I had potatoes for the first time here, and it was just right: tender and not over cooked. *Service wise- 8.15.15 Our serviced sucked today! I got my Cajun fries the same time my friend got her shrimp/fries basket. There's no point of calling the fries an appetizer anymore when it came out the same time the main meal did. Our server girl never came to our table unless we say something to her as she walk by. Cause she was walking by like no ones business. We didn't even get bibs until our food came out. And we had to ask for it! We literally waited 25-30 mins for our food. And the table next to us, got bibs upon their arrival and their food literally came out 5 mins after we got ours. They got there 10 mins after we did. Woooww! Anywhoo, the food was good as fxck- but she didn't deserve any tip from the 3 of us. However, my friend was too kind to leave her 2 bucks.

    (5)

  • Lalaine S.

    Love the food. Been here plenty of times, but they need to extend their weekend hours. What hot dinner spot closes at 10pm on a Saturday?!? And at least put benches or chairs outside to accommodate the people waiting an hour to eat... I don't know. It would be cool if they were more courteous to the customers. Obviously the food is good and they're not losing any business because of these things. Just saying...

    (3)

  • Randall N.

    Holy spice great balls of fire but it's good though. Cool atmosphere, great and attentive staff and the best perk of all free refills to cool your mouth! We had the shrimp, crawfish and clams ordered by the pound "the whole shebang," MEDIUM level spicy. Medium seemed like hot...and I am usually good with the spice. Next time I will choose the lower level spice- face was on fire. We also added potatoes, corn and side of rice. Can't be shy here as you must eat with your hands. It's going to be messy so no first dates!

    (4)

  • Cindy C.

    I mean it's pretty good but does it live up to the hype? Not really. +/- THE FOOD Boiling Crab used to be the dominant Cajun seafood place around, but it's glory days are over. When I last went, my boyfriend and I ordered 1.5 lb shrimp whole sha-bang style medium spiciness, 1 lb shrimp whole sha-bang style mild spiciness, and Cajun fries. I usually can handle spiciness really well but the medium spiciness is off the charts, but the mild is REALLY mild. I love to get the "all of the above" flavors at these kind of restaurants, but the whole sha-bang really disappointed me because it was just salty and spicy. There was a lack of the Cajun-ness and the garlic was in huge chunks, rather than minced, so there was not enough flavor. However, I guess the fries here makes up for the unexciting seafood. I love the fries because they're really crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside. The Cajun seasoning is perfect on the fries as it's not too salty nor spicy. - THE WAIT I hate that they don't open at lunch hours! Line is always extremely long so you have to come at 3 PM when they open. Wait can easily be up to 2 hours long, so that's a huge turn off. I think they recently expanded the store, but since so many people still come here, it doesn't make a huge difference.

    (3)

  • Donna D.

    Boiling Crab is awesome. I could eat here everyday.. I usually order a pound of shrimp with the whole shabang which is very filling. Sometimes I'll get rice just so I could use more of the sauce. Very tasty. Downside is the long wait on weekends and how messy it is.

    (4)

  • DeAjanae G.

    Fried Catfish Basket nice and hot. Shrimp The Whole Sha-bang mild, probably should of ordered another pound. Wait time 20 minutes, pretty good for a Sunday afternoon with two people. King Crab Legs were delicious probably should of order more! Bathrooms need to be clean more often. Staff was cool and very patient today.

    (4)

  • Kim V.

    Good as always, so if you know Boiling Crab this store won't disappoint. The service was good and it was very clean. I think they made it less spicy than usual but it could've just been a one-off. Surprisingly not a long wait considering it was dinner time. Love this place

    (4)

  • Jessie Y.

    I love Boiling Crab! For some reason there was a huge line of people, and they estimated there was a 20 minute wait but we got seated like... right away. I'm pretty sure we somehow ended up cutting everyone in line. Not sure what happened but I'm not complaining. I got a pound of shrimp with two corns and that's definitely enough for a meal. The food was super yummy (and came out pretty fast, so a star for that) but our waiter never brought us more water after we asked! There was also a guy who was carrying a pitcher of waiter around but he always seemed to run out before he got to my table. :( It's a pretty fun environment and definitely a great place to hang out with friends (if you can ignore the screaming babies and kids everywhere -- why would you bring your baby here???). And the food is pretty bomb, so definitely recommend. :)

    (4)

  • William L.

    On Father's day night (6/21/2015), my father and I were heading to "The Boiling Crab" for the first time just located closer to our house in South Sac. As we entered, there are many visitors near and far trying to get a reservation seating for us (two people). The wait time after reserving can be longer depending how many guests will participate. It may be between 90 minutes to 2 hours estimate for the wait; of course, there's no phone call reservations for this company because of the only walk-ins reservations. I wish the Boiling Crab should have the online reservation better to ease the massive wait. After two hours of waiting (like roaming around the shopping strip mall near SF supermarket and Huong Lan,) we finally managed to get a seat on-time. The atmosphere of the Boiling Crab is very busy here! You can smell the flavors of this Cajun spices around the building. The customers are very happy and enjoyable as we entered. The employees are also very friendly and supportive for orderings and suggestions. No issues or problems at all. For the ordering process, I ordered two flavored shrimp bags (lemon pepper and Cajun; both mild spiced flavors,) and boiled crab (in sha-bang sauce with mild spice flavor.) Additionally, my father ordered the steamed clams (in cajun sauce with mild spice flavor.) So far, the lemon peppered shrimp tasted alright despite the lackness of the flavor, so I squeezed the half-lime on it which it makes it closely flavorable. On the other hand, the Cajun spiced shrimp is da bomb! It has the spiceness kick for the Cajun that makes it more flavorable, so my taste buds can feel the hotness of it! Amazing flavor! The steamed crab is alright after we paid nearly $25 for this one. It has average amount of meat on it, so it's an ok meal; if the crab season comes, this could be a worthy meal for your buck. The sha-bang sauce is totally wins the best flavor thanks to the recommendation suggestions by Alex T whose he has been to this business few months or years ago. I highly thanked you! Finally, the clams in the Cajun sauce in mild spicy flavor also tasted very good too! One last thought, I also ordered the battered catfish and Cajun fries; both of them tasted incredibly good! Overall, the Boiling Crab is a great, worthy visit for this franchised Cajun restaurant business in the Sacramento area. Perfect for friends or family gathering! If you want to get your seats on time, be here early before the walk-ins reservations begins. You'll enjoy the flavors of seafood every day despite the long wait. Highly recommend!

    (4)

  • Mandy C.

    Oh boiling crab~ My friends love it here. The food is great and the restaurant (though ALWAYS busy) never disappoints. I've tried a few things here: 1. 1 pound of shrimp, the whole shabang, mild- this was pretty tasty, though I have to say the Cajun sauce overpowered the overall sauce. The sauce itself was pretty spicy too even though it was suppose to be mild... The shrimp was super tender and delicious though. 2. 1 pound of shrimp, Cajun sauce, mild- I have to say this was my favorite main course meal that I've tried here. The Cajun sauce is D E L I C I O U S!!!! 3. Cajun fries, mild and XXX- IF YOU WANT YOUR MOUTH TO BE ON FIRE, TRY THE XXX.. It's a slow heat but it definitely builds. The mild fries are perfect, however. They are so crunchy and delicious !! 4. Corn- not super crunchy but still sweet and yummy! Worth the .50 cents Overall, I definitely recommend going here! You will not be disappointed :)

    (4)

  • Stefanie C.

    I keep going back and forth between three and four stars, but whatever. I've been coming to the Sacramento location for years now, and I'm so glad they finally expanded! Unless I'm just totally blind and never saw the other side of the place. Whenever I organize a Boiling Crab outing, I always tell everyone to get here at 3pm when it opens because that's the only time you will not have to wait around. That also sucks because it's such an awkward time to eat. Anyways, that's what you have to do to avoid a wait. Service here is always on and off. I've been here at times without any issues. Most recently my friend and I waited forever for our half pound of shrimp... which by the way, there does not seem to be a huge difference between one pound and half a pound. Interesting. I can also never tell the difference between the options for seasoning so I just focus on the level of spiciness. My favorite is medium with the whole shebang. At any rate, those are my comments on this Boiling Crab location, but it's not going to stop me from coming back here to fulfill a craving.

    (3)

  • Santiago A.

    Got an order to go that included two pounds of crawdad, pound of shrimp, and an order of corn on the cobs. I ordered the crawdads with whole sha-bang flavor and medium spicy (which is pretty spicy). The shrimp were lemon pepper flavor non-spicy. And the corn sides we ordered with just butter. It was all delicious! The crawdads especially hit the spot. They were easy to eat and I didn't put up the same fight as crawdads from the local bait shops or crawdads on the river. That is, they aren't quite as prickly. I was able to eat all the crawdads with my hands and didn't have to wrap my fingertips in bandages when I was done. I can't wait to go back. Next time we will eat-in because 1) the place looks pretty cool on the inside for kids (gator and crabbies on the walls); and 2) it looked like there were more food offerings than what is on the online menu.

    (4)

  • Sarah C.

    I just had to create an account today to tell everybody how much I loooove Boiling Crab! I usually get my food to go to avoid the huge wait. I am always greeted by a really cute Indian boy working the front. He makes sure that everything is correct before he enters in the order. Food comes within 15 minutes when I come for dinner. This is what I get: a pound of shrimp shab-bang with two corn, cajun fries mild, and a catfish basket for my brother. Next time I plan on sitting down to eat because it looks so much funnn!

    (4)

  • Jose R.

    I cannot say how much i love this place. For starters i love seafood but at the same stick wont just go to any seafood place, it needs to be done right. The place is packed from the minute that they open the doors, especially on the weekends so do expect a wait if you come in during the weekends. They offer a nice variety of seafood, ranging from oysters, to crab. They have different level of spiciness to fiery hot, i myself stick to the the mild and sha-bang seasoning, which is a mixture of the other seasonings that you can choose from. The establishments is cleaner and organized. The staff themselves are great and will check on you a few times during your time. I have yet to find a time that i have been disappointed. This is by far my most favorite place to have my seafood craving. If you have not been here, you are definitely missing out. Ps. I drive almost two hours just to come here,at least once a month, if that counts for anything.

    (5)

  • Alex T.

    i always have pass by here but never attempt to come here because i am not too much of a shrimp or crab lover and all i hear from my friends rave about is the shrimp and crabs. until my aunt came here and tried it herself and brought some clam back home for me to try. i am a clam lover and as soon as i tried the sauce i was hooked. i was craving the clams ever since. so i usually come here for the clams only and always wanting to try the raw oysters as well. i have not attempt to come here and dine in. upon walking to the entrance i can smell the spices from the sauce! I'm like omg the odor is strong. yes don't wear nice clothes if you consider coming here because you will smell like boiling crab. don't bring nice bags too lol because it will smell like it where ever you afterwards. also i do advise the best place to go afterwards is go home and shower and wash clothes and take a shower as well. the place is pretty well lit inside. they do have plenty of seating for small and large parties too. yes its always busy and crowded. just be prepare to wait for togo or dine in as well. i usually come here and order it togo. i like to take it home and enjoy in my comfort zone and not smelling like the place afterwards. even after eating my clams, i can smell my fingers and breath which the odor sticks to for a while. i usually just go straight to the bathroom and brush my teeth lol. what i order is the one pound of clam. in the medium spicy she bang sauce with lots of garlic cloves with no extra charge. the order is amazing paired with duc hung garlic bread or their bang mi is how i eat my clams with. i also like to mix the sauce with jasmine steam rice too and with lots of extra green onions. i also like to go a block away and grab my cool tea bar kum quat green tea with boba and wash it all down. also the drink is my dessert too haha. i have tried to order the clam with corn but they say they can't do it. it can only be paired with shrimp or crawfish, i don't know why but ok. so i order the shrimp one with 2 pc corn inside. each piece corn cost additional 75 cents more. since my family thought the med spicy she bang sauce was too spicy i order a mild one. they complained that it was too bland and like it medium spicy better. also the shrimp was ok. they still prefer the clams. let me tell you the clams are a pretty good size too meaning the meat is good size. i try to call a few times ahead and no one answer or it went straight to the voice mail so i didn't bother going in to get it. i know togo orders take a while as well. they say it takes about 30 mins to get it ready. my last experience i went in after 35 mins and still had to wait another 10 mins since they running behind scheld and short staff as well. overall i always have good experience with my order take out. and i will have to come in and try their raw oysters. if you like my review follow or add me if you haven't. thanks for reading!

    (4)

  • Mai D.

    The place is alright. Food is alright. Average place. I prefer firehouse though. Just my opinion. The flavor was kinda plain. Overall 3/5

    (3)

  • Monica K.

    This place is great! I always order a pound of snow crab, corn, sweet potato fries, and their fried chicken wings... don't worry, I usually have at least another person with me. I always order everything in the whole shabang, and it is soooo good. I have never been to a boilng crab, where I didn't have to wait, there is always a wait, but it's worth it. Not sure if this is a first date type of place because there are no plates, and you wear bibs, as you are getting down and dirty, eating your food off of butcher paper. Oh yes, don't forget, their G sauce is the best.

    (5)

  • Jenny S.

    Shrimp/seafood boil is definitely something you can make at home, but the luxury of coming to BC is that you don't have to deal with the mess in your home. I've waited to try other places in Sacramento before reviewing BC and I must say, BC is the best place by far to get your seafood boil fix. SHRIMP: Very good CORN: Good CAJUN FRIES: Good MUSSELS: Hit or Miss CRAYFISH: Dinky (common at other places too) and difficult to eat KING CRAB LEGS: Not all that impressive SERVICE: pretty good, considering how busy the restaurant is First thing's first: prepare to wait for a long wait and prepare to get dirty! The seafood is smothered in a potent margarine based sauce. In case you didn't know, now you know--yes, I said MARGARINE because IT'S NOT BUTTER! For this reason, BC is a once in a blue moon thing for me. It gets all over your fingers and the smell is hard to get rid of! I suggest wearing black clothing or clothes you don't care too much about. Also, if you wear contacts, opt for glasses instead because your eyes will burn when you try take 'em out later that evening (even after you've washed your hands several times...ouch!!). To begin with, I'm a big fan of the "Whole Shabang," which is a sauce composed of their Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic sauces. The sauce is tasty and I really like the large pieces of garlic you find inside. All in all, I highly recommend the shrimp. BC's shrimps aren't dinky nor are they overcooked like other places I've been to. The mussels are good too, but that's always a hit or miss. I've been here on two occasions where the majority of the mussels were empty! It's quite disappointing when you wait such a long time to be seated, then to open a shell that's encased with no mussel meat! I also didn't like the king crab, as the meat inside didn't taste fresh. Some pieces are really tender and others, not so much. The entire meal itself is heavy, so it can get overwhelming. You find yourself taking your sweet time devouring all of this food; hence the long wait. Most of their items are sold by the pound, but you can get the shrimp by half pound, which I prefer. This location recently expanded their seating area, but the wait time is still ridiculously long. I understand the wait is long due to the nature of the meal itself, but perhaps they can give buzzers out for people who are waiting and maybe even put some benches outside. Swarms of people end up waiting in front of the tiny check-in desk, which makes for a hectic waiting experience. The wait times are about an hour to two hours. You can easily spend an hour or two walking around the grocery store next door or even grab an Asian dessert nearby, but they don't hand out buzzers, so you end up waiting around. Overall, BC is good, but I don't think it's worth such a long wait. After waiting so long, I admit I do get a little hangry. To make matters worse, I think it's wrong to tell someone they have so and so parties ahead, when it actually turns out there are more parties ahead than you were informed. The last time I was here, they told me my wait time was approximately an hour and 15 minutes. We ended up waiting an hour and 55 minutes before getting seated.

    (3)

  • Daisy Alejandra C.

    I absolutely love this place! The food is great and the staff is really friendly. This place does get packed on evenings and weekends but it is seriously worth the wait. I always get the pound of shrimp with the Whole ShaBang non spicy. I used to get mild before but realized it was a little much for me. Non spicy is perfect for those that want that flavor kick without dying and choking on how spicy the shrimp is. I highly recommend it. Also dip your shrimp in the lemon, salt and pepper they provide. The Cajun and lemon pepper fries are also good companions to the shrimp. Oh and DON'T wear white. You will regret it. Don't forget to bring a Sharpie to leave your mark on one of the many spots you can write on!

    (5)

  • Samantha C.

    DO NOT GET THE CALAMARI. It tasted like it came out of a frozen bag. It looked like thinly sliced onion rings and did not taste like calamari at all. Got the 6-pc raw oyster as an appetizer and an order of snow crab legs and king crab legs with the whole sha-bang seasoning on both. Cost around $60 including tip and just enough for two people to share. I thought it was overpriced and unnecessarily messy, although I didn't need the bib (because I'm overly careful like that). My buddy did, though. So USE THAT BIB! lol They give you the crab legs swimming in sauce in a big plastic bag. Then you get to work on cracking those legs open. If you want sauce, dip the meat in the bag. As for the taste: the sauce was pretty bomb. The crab legs were alright, but nothing to sing praises about. The calamari ruined the experience. I was going to give this place three stars, but it gets one more star because the wait time is actually more decent than that other seafood place in Old Sac.

    (4)

  • M G.

    I love this place! I only get to come when I visit my sister though. The menu isn't too big, they don't use plates or give out silverware, and the drinks come in Togo cups. The crab and shrimp come in bags that also have the flavor chosen, we always get sha-bang mild (amazing with a kick) for everything and also start with calamari. The calamari is lightly breaded and not greasy even though it is fried. Service is okay. Nothing great, but not bad, and the food takes a little while (sometimes) to get out. Unless you get there right at opening, be prepared to wait for a table. Waiting can be long, but it is totally worth it. And, they don't wait too long after they call your name, so don't wander off too far. Can't wait until my next trip out here...unless they make one in Phoenix that is!

    (5)

  • Selena L.

    Brought my hubs here for his first time, he enjoyed it. Paid more then we expected but it's ok. Got two orders of king crab legs, medium whole shabang lemon pepper wings and side of potatoes. One of the waitress seemed slightly annoyed and clueless but the one that was super sweet and patient (had my adventurous 10 month old with us too ;) was Tam! Loved loved loved her! Previous times I came Ive had horrible experiences with waiters not coming by and waiting terrible amount of times for refills/ questions or anything!! Customer service is literally the key to my heart (& tips) which is why I'll always acknowledge those who are on top of it, even on busy days! Thanks Tam!

    (4)

  • Guy B.

    What a treat, a huge fan of HnJ in Las Vegas so when I learned a similar place existed in Sacramento I had to try it out. Next trip I'll try the other guy across the street just for comparison. I won't share how much we ordered...but I will say we had clams, mussels, shrimp, and sausage. Oh and we started with the fried calamari. Service was great, our order arrived promptly. Kudos to the servers for checking in with us and replacing a bib...brought a newbie and he put it on backwards. No pocket to gather what fell lol. We ordered the whole shabang for the sauce, then mild and med for the heat. Med was very spicy. Definitely a notch up the heat scale from HnJ's med. mild was too mild. So med it will be! Monday evening a 5pm we had about a 10 minute wait to be seated. When we left there was quite the crowd waiting. Yum!

    (4)

  • Liana B.

    Hmm... What can I say about Boiling Crab that hasn't already been said? I'm not sure, but I wanted to add my two cents lol. The whole shabang sauce is everything -- greasy, garlicky, and just PERFECT. I haven't tried everything on the menu, but what I have tried definitely keeps me coming back. The crab legs and shrimp are delicious! I usually get the shrimp since it's cheaper, and they serve half pounds (yaaaaas!) I wouldn't recommend the crawfish simply because I'm never impressed with the size. The fried shrimp basket and the chicken tenders basket are good options for those who like fried foods. Must order the Cajun fries and corn on the cob with melted butter! I'm waiting for them to add garlic fries and garlic noodles to their menu; if these items are added, I swear I wouldn't go anywhere else for seafood lol. Service here is usually really good, but I've had an experience involving a simple order mix up and our waitress was less than courteous, to put it nicely. Other than that, this place is one of my absolute favorites! P.s. $10 minimum for any payments using a card. Not sure when they implemented this rule, but they're very strict about it.

    (4)

  • Hannah C.

    We love going here! The service is not bad I ordered 2 pounds of crawfish non spicy.Org sauce and my boyfriend got 2 pounds of crawfish Spicy.. We also ordered oysters 12pcs for $16 not bad. :) everything is good we go back at home happy tummy! :)) lol

    (4)

  • Monika M.

    First off, let me say that I've heard mixed reviews about this place. I've finally tried it to so I could give my 2 cents rather than base it off of reviews from peers. Came here on a Friday night with a party of 9. Our waiter was extremely attentive in making sure we got our drinks right away and didn't wait too long to take our order. The environment was really cool as you can see the writing on the walls from previous guests (although they don't let you write on them anymore :( ). The bibs they provide you are a MUST. I started off with the 12 piece fresh oysters. Just for myself and am very impressed with how fresh they taste. I recommend going for the "ragin Cajun" sauce for everything because it's not too salty and has the right amount of "kick" to it. The shrimp just perfectly soaks up that sauce. I also recommend ordering rice with your food, that way you can pour some sauce on it. Lose the utensils and bowls and just eat off the table. Sounds crazy but do it. It'll make your life easier. Things to consider when coming here: - wear your stretchy pants - splurge on the rice - a pound is just right for two people - order the fries (they're perfectly crispy) - use your bib! It'll catch what you don't expect will fall into your lap

    (5)

  • Marissa D.

    Many try to imitate this place, but no restaurant can replicate it. This is one of my favorite restaurants! Prices are affordable, food is perfect, and the service is quick. 9/10 I'll order a 1/2 pound of shrimp, 1/2 pound of sausage whole shabang mild with 2 corns and a side of rice... Obviously I'm left with leftovers for at least 2 meals... But that's the point!! The other 1/10 of the time, I'll order the fancy stuff like king crab or crawfish with the same flavor... That's only when I'm with my parents, because it's on the pricier side ;) Sometimes I also like to throw in some sweet potato or cajun fries... Which are perfectly crispy and thin just like I like it! This place will never get old... I've even been 2 days in a row once!!

    (5)

  • Lisa B.

    We just sampled the fried foods and corn on the cob! Medium spiced fries are truly medium spiced and 1/2 corn on a cob spiced The Whole ShaBang medium spiced is truly Super Spicy!!!!! :D Enjoy!

    (3)

  • Melody Y.

    Everyone I know either loves or hates Boiling Crab - there's really no in-between. If you know me then you know I LOOOOOOOVE it. I crave it alllll the time and I used to make sure to get my fix at least once a month (not the healthiest, I know.. but I've cut back since I'm trying to treat my body a little better). I don't understand why people always hate on this place! The sauce is amazing and no matter what anyone says, no other cajun/creole seafood place will ever match the sauce at Boiling Crab!!! My go-to order every single time I'm here: - 1 pound of shrimp in the whole sha-bang sauce (Make sure to ask your server for limes and salt & pepper. Squeeze the lime juice into the little container, dip your peeled shrimps, and enjoy!) - sweet potato or cajun fries Sometimes, I'll switch it up and get 1 pound of clams in the whole sha-bang sauce or the fried catfish basket. If you're in the mood for fried fish, the catfish basket won't disappoint! The batter around the fish isn't thick and the fish is always so tender. Now let me elaborate a little on this amazing sauce.. If this is your first time here, just know that the whole sha-bang sauce is the only way to go!!! It's a mix of all three of their sauces (cajun, garlic butter, and lemon pepper). Don't even try the other ones by themselves, trust me you'll be wishing you got the whole sha-bang. You can also decide how spicy you want it - non spicy, mild, medium, or XXX (triple X). I'm a little baby when it comes to spicy food so I always get the non spicy option - be warned though that if you can't tolerate spiciness, the non spicy whole sha-bang still has a kick of that cajun in it so it's still a little spicy!! For those that absolutely love spicy cajun goodness - try the XXX and if that isn't enough for you, you can make it a triple XXX (I've seen my friends try this.. They couldn't make it through half their meal without crying). * The only downside to this sauce... You'll have wonderful garlic breath and garlic smelling fingers for about a full day after eating here but that's a sacrifice you're going to have to make :P The service here is pretty good but sometimes when it gets really busy they forget to come by periodically to refill your water. As long as you remind them, they'll do it right away! The servers here are always very friendly and helpful. One last tip: Save some lime slices or ask for some extra limes and push them to the side of your table. At the end of your meal, after you've wiped your hands, rub them all over your fingers! It helps to get some of the garlic smell out before washing your hands.

    (5)

  • Vivian L.

    Decided to up one star because BC is still the best around! I've tried many cajun seafood joints, both in Sacramento and in the Bay Area, but nowhere does it like Boiling Crab. There's just something about that whole shabang sauce that makes me get intense cravings for it from time to time. What I've learned is to just go early. If you arrive around 12-1pm on weekends or 3-4pm on weekdays, there's really not much of a wait! Today, we came around 12:45pm and were seated right away. Service has also improved, or perhaps because it wasn't too hectic yet? We were checked on multiple times to see if our food was okay and they refilled our waters promptly! My favorite to order is still the shrimp (it's the most worth-it item on the menu) with corn on the cob inside and a side of fried oysters. The fried oysters are tiny, but instead of the usual 10 pieces I got 12 this time (whoooaaa, mistake!?). Overall, it doesn't really matter 'cause regardless I'll always be a sucker for BC.

    (4)

  • Furwa K.

    I came in this restaurant because my cousin who is from Los Angeles recommended it to me. Here is my experience. STAFF - kind, quick, good servers. Got every order correct. FOOD - DELICIOUS! The one pound crawfish with mild sauce, corn, and Cajun fries were TO DIE FOR!! ATMOSPHERE - It had a nautical pub atmosphere and it was incredibly packed. My estimated wait time was 40 minutes. MAKE A RESERVATION AHEAD OF TIME!

    (5)

  • Sally T.

    Oily, buttery, seafoody, spicy, heavy goodness. What's not to love? (Except for the impending cardiovascular disease.) Shrimp is the way to go if you want the most bang for your buck. It's one of the cheapest options and it rewards you with the most meat. If you're feeling fancy, the crawfish (when in season) and the king crab legs are a must! Whole Shebang. Medium spicy. The best if you can handle a little bit of heat. Add the corn. Do it. Add two if you're hungry. Pass on the potatoes though... and just get the Cajun Fries instead. MMMM. Something about the fries here is so perfect. The perfect ratio of crunchy outsides to soft, starchy insides... AND! Do not throw away your leftover sauce!! Take that gallon worth of garlicy tastiness and bring it home, even if you've eaten all your seafood. Throw it on some chicken to bake it, or make some fried rice! (Caution: the sauce tastes MUCH spicier when thrown on rice!) I'm gonna try to make a leftover Boiling Crab pasta (with some cream or milk to tone down the spicy level) next time I stop by. So really, even though you're paying a pretty penny for one meal, if you take the sauce home, you have like 3-4 meals more! (Yea, I hate wasting food if you can't tell.)

    (5)

  • Theresa A.

    The shebang mild sauce is the way to go. Good was wonderful and seafood was fresh. But my 4 stars is for Jessica Marquez the server who was on day two on the job. Excellent service, attentive and knowledgeable of the menu

    (4)

  • Lesina G.

    I GOT FOOD POISONING FROM HERE. Not exaggerating, not joking whatsoever. I brought my best friend here for dinner on Friday because she has been wanting to try it. About a half hour after my meal my stomach started to hurt. At first I thought it was because I ate too much. I tried taking tums and pepto bismol and nothing helped. I'll spare the details but I was throwing up all night long! It was the absolute WORST feeling ever!! I'm originally from Sacramento, but I've lived in LA for over a year now. I missed my niece's birthday party on Saturday and an entire day with my family because I was still so sick. I called at 1 p.m. (while I was still sick in bed) and spoke to the manager on duty, who did not provide her name. She explained that they would not refund my meal right away because they would have to investigate. I asked if I could have a number for their corporate office and she said that if I wrote an email to the contact on the website that they would just forward it to her. She called me back the next day and said she would refund half my meal on "good faith" ...ugh. I'm still recovering from gastrointestinal pain as I wait for it to show in my account. I will never, EVER return. STAY AWAY!!

    (1)

  • Mari M.

    We walked in and loved the atmosphere there was somewhat of a wait we were seated and all of the waiters were very friendly. Don't wear your nice clothes as you are going to be getting down and dirty with your food. We ordered 2 lbs of shrimp, Cajun fries, a chicken and fries basket, oysters, and a lobster all were delicious. Food service was fast and accurate. Will come back as there are more items on the menu I would love to try. Everyone at our table was beyond full and satisfied. The only complaint was that we wished there were more options to the sides and that they carry tapatio as a hot sauce lol

    (4)

  • Christy N.

    One of my favorite places! The sauce here is amazing and the sausage is better than most other seafood place. The service here is honestly a hit or miss. I hate how they bring out the seafood before the fries which I hate. If you order mild the sauce tends to come out with a lot of seasoning and all you can taste is the powder which isn't so good. I normally get medium so I don't have that problem. But the overall all experience here is wonderful.

    (4)

  • Ann B.

    First off, the abhorrent little bodies of shrimp and crab legs seem like the creepy insects of the ocean to me. The disgusting sea food carnavors that I am related to or aquainted with glowed with pleasure and contentment while they devoured those bodies in front of me over a year ago. Since then I am still scarred and continue to vow to never set foot at this location of horror. It is for this reason I have no choice but to give it 5 stars. As someone who never eats and can't stand the sight of "real sea food" I will never set foot here again but always recommend this place for those who love sea food.

    (5)

  • Jessica Z.

    Always try to come here when we come to Sacramento. Food has been always good so as the service ! They are always busy so expect wait to get a table, but once you sit down the service is actually very quick. The only thing disappointing us was they are always out of my favorite blue crab every time when we were there:-(

    (4)

  • Misu S.

    In general, a very good experience! For the most part, the food was delicious, and the service was impeccable. Appetizers: Cajun fries: These things were AMAZING, and the amount you get for $3.50 was extremely generous. We wished we ordered more fries instead of some of the other items that we had Calamari: In contrast this was so disappointing. They came out lukewarm, bland, soft, and flimsy, four words that shouldn't be used to describe fried calamari. Seafood, all with "the whole shebang" sauce: Mussels & Clams: These were delicious. We especially had fun at the end after we'd emptied out the bags of shells and trolled through the sauce for all the hidden pieces. They absorbed the sauce well and were bursting with flavor. Shrimp: Not much to say, they were decently sized shrimp and also delicious Crawfish: These were much smaller than the ones I'm used to but no biggie. You just get less meat per pound because of all the shells but they were still Crab legs: Don't bother. Nothing special for the price. They weren't particularly sweet or anything and in hind sight would have gotten an extra batch of Cajun fries instead and saved $20 Service was great- the waitresses were helpful and filled our sticky water cups (sorry the sauce literally gets everywhere) without being asked multiple times. The only minor annoyance we had was that there was a HUGE line for the bathroom with all the people needing to wash their hands. I probably stood there for 10 minutes with 5/6 people in front of me. Kicking crab has a separate handwashing station in the store that's super convenient, as you don't have to open any doors or anything to was your sticky hands after a meal. I didn't explore too much but as far as I know they didn't have one! Could be wrong though. All in all a fun experience with friends. WEAR YOUR BIB!

    (4)

  • Woun S.

    The food was pretty good, especially the Cajun fries. The food was a lot more than you would normally expect. Crabs are charged by the full crab, so each dungeness crab is about $32-34 each, sold whole. You literally have to tear apart the crab into edible pieces, which is a little difficult to do, unless you are used to it. The crawfish was very well flavored, but only a little piece of meat from each one. The shrimp was far easier to eat, and comes with head on. The mussels were the easiest to eat, overall. Their sweet potato fries are very similar to typical fries you can get anywhere that they are sold and are good overall. We had the whole sha bang, which was very well flavored. The garlic butter sauce was a bit bland, but pretty much what you would expect based on what it was called. Overall, this was a 3 star because the food may have been good, but the overall price of food was more than you would expect for the price (as a $$), but really deserves more of a 3.5 star, if possible. This place does have cheaper options, but are not served in a bag, which is the reason why you come here in the first place.

    (3)

  • Triana R.

    The food was good , the shrimp were somewhat over cooked . The medium spice was delicious. I would prefer a bowl to place the shrimp. The menu is simple and I was expecting a larger selection of other entrees .

    (4)

  • Alyssa Mae C.

    YOU EAT WITH YOUR HANDS! If that doesn't excite you, then just wait for the bibs. Haha! This place is a fam-fave and the extended space is awesome. Maybe it's not authentic cajun cuisine... Fortunately for them, I've never been to the South, so I just don't know any better. Don't forget to bring a sharpie if you want to sign the wall!

    (5)

  • Kayla T.

    What can I say! I've been coming to boiling crab for forever! I love the food, love the atmosphere, and love the decor! They keep it clean, and they keep the food delicious! We ordered 2 pounds of shrimp the whole shabang mild! (The medium used to be good but now all I taste is peppers with no flavor!) an order of potatoes in butter and a side of rice! The only things I don't like is that some the waiters tend to not come around, and we have to flag them down! (I've had many good waiters but I guess it just depends which waiter!) the wait can get ridiculous! But when your craving sometimes it's worth the wait! And just one more thing I dislike it that I see tables that haven't been cleaned and they won't clean till like 5-10 mins later! Maybe that's why there's long lines!!! But overall it's a 4 for me!!! I will always come back!!!!

    (4)

  • Stephen B.

    It's our first time here and not only was it a blast but the food and service was great. We will totally be back soon.

    (4)

  • Rod W.

    This time the service was a little better but still not that good. For some reason they only come to refill water not ice tea. Also, they don't have Sweeteners for the Diabetic Customers according to the Waitress, just Sugar. For a RICH restaurant thats sad. After the food came the waitress wasn't around. How about this? They ran out of Crawfish 2 hours before they close!! Nobody told us before we sat down! Really?

    (2)

  • Wendy C.

    Created a Yelp account just to write this. I usually love going to Boiling Crab but the last two times I've been here have been pretty horrible to say the least. They've forgotten parts of my orders twice, accidentally charged me incorrectly, had our party seated but waiting up to twenty minutes to order, and I just found a sticker in my gumbo. Doubt I ever want to go back now

    (1)

  • Noy P.

    Always consistent with the quality of food they serve here. Others have tried to immitate boiling crab's concept, but nothing compares to the original. Wish they have a bigger space to accommodate many diners.

    (4)

  • Gordon H.

    Stood waiting for any one of several open & available tables for 5 minutes and left. The stinch would've drove me out anyway. Smells like the inside of a seawater strainer onboard any of the ships I served on in the Navy.

    (1)

  • Samounn P.

    Normally, we order to go but we finally decided to try and wait. Luckily for us, we were seated within 15 minutes and the hostess and servers took great care of our party. The staff is very attentive, the atmosphere is cute, and the food tasted great! I'm not a huge fan of spicy food, but their recipe was too good to pass! We will definitely visit again soon!!!

    (5)

  • Socal S.

    I'm originally from SoCal and glad there's a BC in the SAC area! I've been here a few times and the flavor is always consistent! The staff are always nice and attentive. The only thing that sucks is the parking.

    (4)

  • MysteryGuest S.

    Great food, great service but its popularity is its downfall. Here are some good things about this place: 1. The service is great. People check up on you MULTIPLE times once your food has arrived. 2. If you like seafood, this is the place to pig out. Serving food in plastic bags is very unique and practical for eating messy food like crabs and such. They give you good portions of food. Not too much not too little. 3. They have lots of booths which are preferable as you wont feel as conscious while your are eating food 10 times your body weight and trying to jam it into your mouth like the disgusting sad creature that you are. Fun times. 4. Food is served at an acceptable pace. The trick is to know what you will order before they seat you, so you can immediately tell the server your orders and get your food quicker. THE BAD THINGS: 1. Their waiting projections are WAAAAAAAAY WAY WAAAAAY OFF. If they say you'll be seated within 20-30 minutes that actually means 1-2 hours. If they say you'll he seated within 10-15 minutes you'll be seated within 30minutes to an hour. If your party only has 2 people, it will probably he more accurate. 2. They ask you multiple times but when you actually ask them to do something, it will take them a while to actually deliver. 3. If you go during the weekend or during a holiday, you will die from starvation as your butt becomes sore from their wooden stools. They seriously need need more chairs. 4. Parking is nightmarish. OVERALL: 3 stars because this place has great food but you will go through a multitude of emotions and mini-adventures (the non-fun kind) before you get the tasty crab in front of you.

    (3)

  • Margarita T.

    The food was absolutely delicious. We only waited about 25 min for our table, which was great considering the large crowds gathering outside. However we were really bummed that one dish came out for myself and we had to wait for everyone else to get theirs. There were just 4 of us, so I don't want to eat my food till the others had something to eat. My food came 10 min after being seated, then we waited 30 min for our oysters and finally everyone else's food came about 10 min after that. And our waitress never came back to ask if we needed anything until she stopped by to tell us she was leaving. So she had someone else get 2 drinks but forgot the other 2. Our mouths were burning and we ended up flagging someone down to get the other 2 drinks. I had snow crab, and potatoes in shebang sauce, spicy. My daughter had the lemon pepper wings and fries. And my boyfriend and his mom had the fried shrimp basket, in addition to the appetizer of raw oysters. The food is really great, the timing on food and service could be better. I'd definitely eat there again, maybe it was an off day?

    (4)

  • Judy Y.

    I miss the raw oyster and the fried oyster of this place, and honestly I think The Boiling Crab in Sacramento is the best one in the United States! Also, I love the lobster with garlic sauce. I still miss there so much after I'm back to Taiwan. Moreover, the style of eating in the restaurant is special and casual which make me feel comfortable.

    (5)

  • Kelly P.

    Man, just starting out this review is making my mouth water as i long for the next time i will come back here. I've tried boiling crab before in San Jose after waiting for 2 and half hours. I think that long wait made me not want to come back to boiling crab and went to other crayfish places. Well, 4-5 years later, my friends wanted to come here for a late dinner and back we went. There is a serious ridiculous wait for this place. I don't understand why they can't take reservations or take our phone numbers down so at least we can go do something for the 2 hours we need to wait. I also feel like the staff gives special privileges to their friends. On many occasions, i see people drive in, park and come in the place without having to wait at all. The wait sucks but i guess good things come to those who wait..because... their food is BOMB diggity. I've gone to many other crawfish places like this and i always find myself back here. I like that their seafood is always consistent. Their crawfish taste fresh and sometimes they have quite big ones. The flavor is very good but very fatty since it mainly consists of butter. The shrimp is tasty. I've been to other places where the shrimp just breaks apart when you bite it and it's usually a clear indicator that the shrimp is not good. The shrimp here is good. The clams here is a hit or miss. Sometimes, it tastes good, sometimes it does not. Sometimes, you may find some sand in it and sometimes it does not. I'd say skip the clams altogether. I've had the mussels here too and it's good but not worth the money. Their lemon pepper chicken wings though....I would probably say they are the best wings i've ever had. Very crispy and flavorful. This is the only thing that's not consistent though. I sometimes get pieces that are super small. There's no QA for chicken wing sizes in the back lol. If you order this as appetizer, don't expect to be out before your main course. I don't eat raw but from the looks on my family's face, it looks like the oysters are pretty delicious too. They sure know how to do seafood right here. My only complaint is if they can please fix the wait time issue.

    (4)

  • Franco C.

    I'm here at-least Once a week. This place is AMAZING!!!!!! The staff is great and even they are busy, the service is above average. But the Crawfish and Shrimp in the WHOLESHEBANG non Spicy is....... There's just no words. In actually going here for dinner tonight.

    (5)

  • Lynn L.

    I've been here multiple times and with each visit the experience just keep getting worst. I usually order two things: shrimp basket and shrimp in both Cajun medium. First, there is always a long wait but that I don't mind if it's for good food. Second, the food is always inconsistent (sometime it's too spicy, not enough spice, not enough seasoning, over cooked, undercooked...you get the picture...It's a surprise each time!) Last, the customer service. They hire rude teens that will take your order and forget about you until your food is ready. Then they will drop off your food and never come back, unless you force them to get your bill or you will leave without paying. Don't even ask for refills or condiment because you never get it!

    (1)

  • Linde H.

    There's always a wait at boiling crab at any given location that's a fact. Came in Thursday at 7PM and waited for about 45 minutes. We were seated at a big booth and there were TVs up. Atmosphere was fairly loud but that's fine it just meant that everyone was having a good time and so were we! Waitresses came and we were ready to order. I usually get the garlic mild with a corn in it but the corn just finishes it off on a good note. Lots of flavor and the sauce was a bit spicy when I asked for mild but I still liked the garlic-y ness of it. I rarely order anything other than shrimp cause that's how you get more bang for your buck! I got chicken tenders here before as we'll and it was crispy as well as juicy! But that's when my stomach wasn't up for all the seafood. Great service friendly atmosphere!

    (4)

  • Ricky N.

    Surprised I've never reviewed this place. Probably because after each visit, I sorta regret coming here. Al in all, it's Boiling Crab and its pretty much the same at each of their locations. It can get pretty pricey and it's not that great to-go so only order as much as needed. It's per pound. The shrimp is always good, hard to mess that up. Their crawfish is a hit or miss. A lot of work for that meat though. (That's what she said...) The sauce can be super greasy and salty. It tends to give me the stomach ache after I leave her, hence my regret for coming here. I haven't returned in over a year and I'm glad I haven't! They still seem to be busy though, so they must be doing something right?

    (3)

  • Alexis H.

    Absolutely a fan. Only downside is the wait but once you're seated, you're in for a treat. . . I go for the snow crab whole sha bang mild with corn, potatoes, sausage and a side of rice! Yum!

    (5)

  • Angel M.

    The Boiling Crab is one of those restaurants that I think if you get there at the right time, you'll have an awesome experience. Meaning if you get there during rush hour prepare to wait because the inside is rather small. Food is pretty awesome. I have to admit! We ordered one lb of the med spice whole sha-bang shrimp, and a no spice shrimp 1 lb, a whole crab, two orders of French fries, wings, for 6 and it came to 13 a person. Sweet!!! Come around 12:30 and you'll have plenty of seating.

    (4)

  • Jadelann J.

    You can never go wrong with Boiling Crab. But if you do decide to try it out, prepare yourself for a wait. There's usually about an hour or even more wait. I went on a Saturday around 3pm and waited till 4pm. The servers are quick and food is delicious. Don't know which sauce to order? THE WHOLE SHABANG. So much flavor to it, you can't go wrong. We ordered the shrimp and mussels and an order of the Cajun fries! I love their fries, super crunchy! If you live in the area and are craving some boiling crab... Just order to go. Food will be done within 2" minutes and you can ask to take home those paper covers they use for their tables! The only reason I rated it 4 stars is for the wait times! ENJOY!

    (4)

  • Jenny M.

    BEST RAW OYSTERS IN TOWN ! Always so big too ! And my goodness the Cajun fries here are freaking yummmmyyy . The sauces tho aren't that great I just wish they had crab city's sauce lol . Like I would come here for oysters but crab city for crawfish . But every thing else is pretty great . Wait time is ridiculous tho lol but it does get crazy busy here .

    (4)

  • CJ B.

    We were craving for seafood and luckily this restaurant pop up in my "nearby" yelp restaurants...so we went and on the way we decided if there is a long line (main complaint by yelpers), we'll skip and find the next restaurant....luckily, they just opened an hour ago and no line at all..whooooo! So the nice waitress showed us how to order/choose, etc etc...We decided for the shrimp (as her recommendation & popular choice) and Dungeness crab and as her recommendation again "The Whole Sha-bang" sauce Medium as we love spicy. We enjoyed receiving the food in a plastic bag and started digging in on the shrimp...the next thing you know, it was all gone and we looked at each other and we both said "order another one"! ha!ha! The sauce is addicting...so ridiculously delicious!!! As for the Dungeness crab, we think it's quite expensive for a 1.9 lbs-$28.50...it was good but we prefer the Shrimp. Since the price listed under "market price", we were guessing our total bill would be like $100.00 but it wasn't. For 1 lb of shrimp-$11.00 with that sauce...it's worth $11.00! Also, I want to mention the crew are friendly and checks on you for refill on drinks. Will definitely come back again.

    (5)

  • Bond L.

    I absolutely love this place! Before this location opened I occasionally visited the San Jose location, both of which I think are now similar in taste. I always regularly get the shrimp, clams, and fries. I'd recommend the Whole Shabang mild flavor which is all the flavors combined. I usually get this for both the shrimp and clams, you can also ask them to make it more saucy (added margarine). When I'm super hungry I get a half pound of shrimp, pound of shrimp, half pound of sausage, and an order of rice. The rice with the sauce and sausage itself is already heaven. Some things to keep in mind this location has a frequent line, so prepare to go early and get your name down at the podium. They do not take reservations. This place gets busy every night especially on weekends the wait can exceed an hour. This place does not serve shots, only beers. They offer mild, medium, and XXX flavor on their menu. They also serve baskets of fried catfish, chicken-wings, etc. Must try place! Fair warning you may walk out of the restaurant smelling like boiling crab.

    (5)

  • Beverly G.

    Poison!!!! Be careful when you eat at the boiling crab. My party and I ordered $133 worth of food, and in return received food poisoning. When I informed the manager, Kara, she issued me a rinky-dink 20% off coupon and basically did not care about our experience. DO NOT eat at the boiling crab in Sacramento!!!

    (1)

  • Chia V.

    First timers this past weekend at boiling crab... Yum!! I wasn't sure what to expect with the medium spicy and it was okay at first but after awhile it starts to kick in! I would recommend starting at the lowest if you are a first timer as well and then work your way up. That's what I should have done. Service was fast despite how busy they were. We went when they opened so that we didn't have to wait on a massive line (there will be one). I got the shrimp and my boyfriend got the snow crab! Prices were reasonably fair and what was expected.

    (4)

  • Claude C.

    The place is great. I love the food here. The wait is incredibly long. The waitress was incredibly friendly and the manager was attentive. The wings are incredible. I wish I could duplicate the recipe. I wish they had a bar to help the time pass.

    (4)

  • Jay R.

    I've been coming to this Boiling Crab since college because although the wait is long, it is NOTHING compared to the ones in San Jose. It's better to come here early before normal lunch/dinner hours or to come much later (try not to go on Fridays/Saturdays too). I don't really change it up much here as I usually get 1 lb of shrimp with the whole sha-bang sauce (medium or XXX), cajun fries (A MUST), and either corn or half a pound of sausage. Also ask for limes with pepper/salt as it can make a nice dip for your soaked shrimp. It's midnight as I'm writing this review and my mouth is starting to drool just thinking about that shrimp laden with that tasty oil. Mmmmm I can just taste the cholesterol right now.

    (4)

  • Christi S.

    My boyfriend and I love this place!! We haven't dined in the restaurant yet but have ordered to go quite a few times and it saves so much time rather than waiting for a table. The seafood actually stays fresh by the time we get home. The inside is pretty cool with all the permanent marker doodles all over the walls. All we can say is that the Whole SHABANG flavor is highly recommended for any choice of seafood. The corn is eh but the sausages can be ordered as an addition and that always made it that much better. Just bomb.com

    (5)

  • Tania H.

    I love this place. The only thing preventing me from giving it 5 stars is the fact that the servers aren't extremely attentive but they do come by. They just don't come by when I need them. Haha. Anyways if you need something make sure you let them know as soon as possible. I digress, this place is great. My boyfriend and I eat dinner pretty early (around 5 or so after I get out of work) so when we come to Boiling Crab it's usually on a weekday and before the mad dinner rush and we usually get seated right away. Typically our order consists of 2 sides of rice, a 1/2 pound of shrimp each (I get whole sha-bang medium and he gets whole sha-bang and depending on his mood he'll either get medium or XXX), and a pound of clams whole sha-bang medium. It doesn't take long for our food to come out and when it does come out we're extremely excited. I like to have space when I eat so I suggest that rather than throwing your trash onto the table itself, take the outer bag off your bag of food and use that as a trash receptacle. That way as you're eating you can throw all your shells and napkins into the bag instead of on the table.

    (4)

  • Marisa D.

    1 star for today's experience. Placed a phone order, drove 20 minutes to pick it up (was told it would be ready in 15-20minutes). Then when my fiancé walked in to pay they told him there was no "record of the order being placed." Hellloooo i literally called 20 minutes ago with a phone record to prove it. Ended up having to wait another 20 minutes for them to cook it. We shoulda just walked out & took our business elsewhere, but we had already driven far to get the shrimp. They should have given us a discount or something for their mess up! The point of ordering to-go ahead of time is to bypass the wait. Disappointing.

    (1)

  • Ashley M.

    Came here for the first time yesterday with my co worker ! She frequents this place and has nothing but good things to say so I was so excited to try it ! They were jam packed and now I know why ! This place is nothing short of AMAZING! it's a very loud place due to the amount of people but didn't bother me one bit! The decorations are sub par the whole place was tagged which gives it a unique feel ! Loved it Food : I got the snow crab legs with the whole shabang non spicy ! And it is to die for ! I already want to go back ! I also got a bag of potatoes and the fried shrimp basket which came with fries ! I can def eat so I always order a ton ! It was the best ! If your afraid to get dirty do not come here lol and def not a first date sort of place ! You have to go in and be ready to work for your food ! Hahaha The male server we had was very nice bit there was a young lady who was very rude and didn't know how to treat customers that's the only reason this place isn't getting a 5 start review. I am a server and I wouldn't dare talk to a customer the way she did . highly dissatisfied with her ! I will be back soon ! Can't wait ! The food was worth the 45 min wait too

    (4)

  • Sarah L.

    2.5 lb fresh shrimps but sauce is very oily. We also ordered clams but lots of shells with not meat. Gauging the meat found at the bottom of the bag, the number was not equal to the empty shells; definitely more empty shells. Food is good without factoring oiliness and the less meat. Our server was Jenny A., she was very nice, patient, and helpful. Deserves a raise Now, the three stars is because of a server named Ashley, short with curly short hair with a tat on her nape. She was not our server, but since we only needed utensils, we called her attention. She saw us and heard us; however, she ignored us, looked away and said "nah-uh" Rude! How awful! Is this how you train your servers, Boiling Crab?

    (3)

  • Jennifer T.

    Waited nearly 2 hours to eat here tonight! I don't think I'll ever wait here for two hours just to eat here, but it was a few friends first time here so we had to have it. The place was packed even when my friends and I were finished and leaving (around 9:15pm). There were still groups of people waiting to get in!! Tonight was crazy busy! As usually the food was great though! I got half a pound of shrimp with corn on the cob in medium lemon pepper cajan sauce and shared a side of cajan fries. Shrimp- it was delicious! Best deal on the menu. You get the most bang for your buck! You gotta get the corn with your bag of shrimp to soak up all that saucy goodness! I would always save my corn for last so that it has the most time to soak in the sauce. Cajan fries- I love their cajan fries! Always made fresh to order and very crispy. Even with this crazy busy night the waiters and waitress were all very on top of things. We weren't waited on as much as I've been before, but it was understandable with this busy night. I would recommend coming here during lunch around opening time cause it's much less busy and you are more waited on or coming here for an early dinner before dinner time rush. If you are planning to come eat here around 6, eat some snacks beforehand because you'll be waiting for a while!

    (4)

  • Missy V.

    It was delicious! My first time there and highly recommend! The wait for a table is crazy but worth every bite!!!

    (5)

  • Dana L.

    I love shrimp especially spicy ones! I would definitely say that this place beats out Firehouse Crawfish in the spicy level but I would still pick Firehouse over Boiling Crab. I've noticed that Boiling crab is always out of rice and always has me waiting for it. I love rice with my meal so ordering it and getting it 10-15 minutes after the shrimp comes out kind of defeats the point. There is always a line/wait to dine which is fine. It's a popular spot but the wait is crazy long! Hours. Another con would be that it is a bit salty. More salty than I would prefer. All these cons still don't stop me from coming with friends. Their cajun garlic fries are delicious and their raw oysters are amazing. mmmm. :) Go with friends and have fun!

    (3)

  • Devine D.

    Food is totally awesome. I am an OTR driver and when I come back home to Sacramento I crave this place every time. I am addicted to the corn and shrimp. The only reason I knocked a star was because of the front counters attitude problem with us and other customers. Hey when we come in the door, how about you smile? Don't look at us like your about to kill us. Just saying.

    (4)

  • James R.

    First time coming here and I overall liked it quite a bit! First off I know it was going to be a busy day, but we waited for a table for about an hour and ten minutes! Super long wait. We ordered shrimp, Crawdads, mussels and clams all the mild to super spicy mix. I would say that the shrimp itself is absolutely delicious and worth it! The craw dads are pretty small and I would say not worth it. The clams were bad, and I myself didn't try the mussels (I can't stomach em). Going forward I would just order a couple pounds of the shrimp and chow down. Expect to get messy! They give you a bag and you basically eat on top of some heavy duty paper. It all went well with a Heineken! We also ordered some super spicy fries and sweet potato fries. I wasn't a fan of the spicy fries, but the sweet potato fries were very good. Overall, a nice spot worth the long wait for the delicious seafood. Next time I will definitely also try the crab!

    (4)

  • Letashia W.

    Food is great and the customer service was nice too. Overall this is a spot that I can't wait to return to.

    (4)

  • Nic C.

    Im a fan of the Boiling Crab, really like the Crab n Lobster. Lobster Claws are huge, didnt know it was so much meat inside there. Now I wish all restaurants would serve you the lobster claws. Started off with the fried catfish with the Lemon pepper fries..yea lemon pepper fries...GREAT.... The place was on-point. Service was great, we were seated within 10 minutes, ambiance was cool. Looking forward to next visit.

    (4)

  • Dave P.

    This BC isn't really anything special. Had a hour wait. Our waiters irritation started showing. I guess because we had a big party of people. But long story short I'm from Vegas and was happy to see a boiling crab in California. Order 2 pounds of shrimp..the whole shebang. Food was good. .they should open a Hot n Juicy out here.

    (1)

  • Chrisy Y.

    So good. I don't even eat crab, but the shrimp here is super yummy. And the corn. And the calamari. And I also think I just really enjoy eating with my hands.

    (4)

  • Banu K.

    wait is RIDICULOUS. having said that, I STILL WAITED FOR 2 HOURS TO HAVE THE BAG. unbelievable shrimp. great fast service. (maybe sort of) worth the wait. will not come on a SATURDAY NIGHT AT 7PM next time. fries, king crab, shrimp, and beer. what else could you want?

    (4)

  • Winnie T.

    Long review, skip to the end for tips haha Finally! It has been my 5th attempt to eat here but was always deterred from the wait time (ended up getting take-out or going to Firehouse crawfish). Had my first dine-in experience today (June 2014). My party of 11 arrived at 6:40PM on a weekday and they said there is an hour wait but people cleared out pretty fast and we probably waited for ~30 minutes until we got a table. Back story: I was deciding where to take my mom for her birthday dinner. Initially, I wanted to take her to a steakhouse, but when I called and they said the biggest table was for 6. With that in mind, I wanted to look for other places that can accommodate bigger parties. BC came into my mind. I remember I took my parents to Firehouse crawfish for their first seafood/cajun experience because the wait at BC was ridiculous, and my mom looooved it. So I phoned in at 5:45PM asking for their wait time, no wait. A hour later, multiple parties are waiting outside. What is Boiling Crab?? Restaurant that is suitable for all, except people that are allergic to seafood and probably high in cholesterol (portion control). You order your seafood items by the pound (or half), pick your sauces, and they bring it out to you in a bag! You get to wear a bib and be prepare to get your hands dirty! Shrimp is VERY popular here. I recommend .5-1lb person if that's all you're having. Raw oysters are really good too! Parking: In the SF Supermarket plaza. Private lot, usually packed but not impossible to find parking. Food: For a party of 11, we got... 1 DOZEN RAW HALF SHELL OYSTERS $16- so good! They are a good size too! I want more! 2 FRIED CATFISH BASKET WITH CAJUN FRIES $11- 5 pieces of fried catfish filet that came out steaming hot and tasty over mediocre fries 1 CALAMARI $10- they batter they use are very different from what I usually eat at other places. I enjoyed it. Not too hard and not chewy. 5LBS OF SHRIMP $11/lb- three of the five was non-spicy with the whole-shabang, and the other were mild and medium. Having the whole-shabang base is a tiny bit spicy, but definitely manageable even if you can't eat spicy (members of my family did not have a problem with it). Mild and medium didn't have much of a difference. For someone that likes Sriracha, mild was intense for me 1LB OF CLAMS $10- Didn't eat that many, but it was good. 1LB OF CRAWFISH- SKIP. I knew ordering this was not worth the money for it barely has meat and it's hard to crack, but I wanted my family to at least try to before they felt the same way as me 11 CORN COBS $0.75/each- super pricy!!! But a must, it taste so good with the sauce. Pretty sure they used frozen corn cobs. They helped us separate the corn into different shrimp bags. 1LB OF SAUSAGE- skip it. Price: They did not include gratuity, but I tipped them just as well (I liked that it was up to the customers). Not including tips, the bill for 11 party with the aforementioned food items, it came out to be $150. Not bad at all!!!! We weren't stuffed, but we were satisfied. We had cake at home too. Mom had a great time. Customer service was slow at cleaning up the tables and letting people in, but maybe that's how they create the wait time so it seems like it's more popular than it is. They were friendly and nice though! It is noisier than Firehouse crawfish, which my mom prefer the quieter environment over there. TIPS that can save you time: * Get the whole-shabang non-spicy shrimp (and clams). At least 0.5lb of shrimp per person. You can always order more, leftover shrimp doesn't taste as good *you can take home the sauce to make whatever you want, they'll help you pack it up too *Come before 6PM to avoid the wait for dinner *Cool experience for guests and great for big parties (gratuity not included unlike Firehouse crawfish) *No reservations, but you can call and ask for their wait time *Unlike in San Jose, they don't charge $0.25 for water, yay! *Will get messy and your CLOTHES and fingers will smell oh so delicious!! *They have a take-out window right next door. Did that once, calamari and fries got soggy and shrimp was overlooked by the time we got home *TVs all around for your sports viewers *Monday - Friday 3PM to 10PM Saturday - Sunday 12PM to 10PM WISH THEY HAD WIFI though !! If you made it this far, you either read my long review or you probably just skipped to the bottom like I said up top. haha Regardless, thanks for reading my review!

    (4)

  • Em L.

    Love this place. I can eat it over and over again. I always get the Cajun fries and whole shabang medium spiced crawfish, it's so mouth watery... So spicy and full of flavors. Never have I had a bad experience here either; they're always busy but try their best to accommodate to everyone quickly as possible

    (5)

  • Courtney G.

    Yummy, yummy seafood lovers dream...best place in town for crawfish, they have better flavor combos and larger boiled crawfish and shrimp then the other seafood spots right Down the street...love the jumbo tender calamari and the king crab is delish, and I'm not even that big a fan of crab...gumbo is lacking but of u order your seafood boiled then u gotta get corn, sausage and potatoes with your order cuz it makes the meal! Oh, the fried fish and shrimp are good too, all around, no complaints.

    (4)

  • April C.

    I love their snow crab! There is generally a long wait however it's worth it

    (5)

  • Gabby D.

    This is just an update to my old reviews. Their to go phone service hasn't really changed much, since my last review. The only thing that changed is the fact that no one ever picks up the phone or you get the busy signal. Which is OKAY, since I get it. It does get busy, so that's understandable. I changed my 1 star ( I was angry and hungry! Lol) to a 3 star to be fair. Crawfish lately has been a bit bland in my opinion, even when I get the "Whole Sha-Bang" . And a Medium spicy - all I taste is spice. No other flavors, so I tried again with "Mild" same thing. It's bland in my opinion? But it could've just been they were having a bad day or so.. Cajun Fries are still yum as usually & Yay for $6 a LB frozen Crayfish!

    (3)

  • Yao C.

    Lot of people think boiling crab is the best joint for seafood! Well.... It's good but the best?...... It has some competition down the street at firehouse crawfish! But the boiling crab is good! The selection of crawfish, crab, and shrimp are the popular entrees! For apps, the Cajun or lemon pepper fries are popular! I had a pound of shrimp with the butter and garlic and it was really good! Every bite I took, the shrimp was coated in garlic and butter! Most people get the spicy sauce that rate from 1-5 in spiciness. My lady also got a pound of shrimp with level 2 spiciness and our friends got one pound of crawfish and a crab! Everything was good and all the shells go on the table..... No bucket.... Just on the table so you can build your shell mountain!!! One dude next to me ordered a pound of shrimp and a pound of crawfish in one bag!! He looked like he was going to puke.... I even asked him how he's doing.... He answered me with a long sigh..... And told me it's too much! Overall, the food is really good and I would definitely come back!!!! The drawback.... The long ass wait! It took us 45 minutes to get seated and they have a small waiting area so lot of people had to wait outside! Boiling crab vs. firehouse crawfish! Battle!!!!

    (4)

  • Devin R.

    Server greeted us with notice that the restaurant wss out of lobster, oysters, etc. Service was slow and food was served piecemeal. My friend basically watched me eat while she waited on her food to be delivered. I had snow crab legs, shrimp, corn and potatoes. Crab leg portion was super small (one claw for $16) and everything lacked flavor; all the food basically tasted like it had been boiled in water then dropped in bags of seasoning after the fact. I doubt I'll ever come back...

    (1)

  • Matthew F.

    Worst boiling crab I've ever been to. Waited an extra 20 minutes from estimated time. Sat down and ordered immediately and still have to wait for another half an hour before food came out. There's like 10-15 empty tables but nobody has the time to clean them. Very annoyed at this place. Never again

    (1)

  • Pamela L.

    The food was good. We got the shrimp and crawfish whole shebang with medium spice. The sauce is really greasy from too much butter we asked them to leave out the extra butter they add in the bag and it helped a little. Only two stars because the service wasn't great. The staff was not welcoming or friendly and we heard several times answers to our questions like "no we can't do that" or "sorry that's not allowed." I was told when I walked in to put my water bottle in my purse because I have to order a water from them. Maybe staff is rude because the area it's in is not the greatest. We won't be back.

    (2)

  • Eric F.

    Finally made my way out to a Boiling Crab...fun times. The shellfish all come by the pound with a selection of four sauces and your choice of spice level. Sadly, the place was already out of clams by 6 pm so the family and I opted for some Alaskan king crab, mussels, crawfish and blue crab. The quality actually turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag - great king crab, though tough mussels and tons of tiny crawfish with little to no meat. Funny enough, the fried catfish and gumbo were both pretty delicious and easily outshone the shellfish. The batter on the former was very light and the fries loaded with flavor. My favorite was the gumbo - huge chunks of sausage and shrimp in a very well-balanced stock that wasn't overly heavy or rich in the slightest. Service was surprisingly good with well-timed visits to our table and check-ins throughout the meal to see if we needed anything else. Not a bad choice for the unique hands-on experience, though I can't really see a whole lot when the side dishes turn out to be better than the signature items...

    (3)

  • Carolyn C.

    I enjoy eating here; no forks or plates. All you need is a bib, napkins and your fingers to dig in... the only exception for a spoon is when you order the gumbo "one of my favorite dishes". The fried oysters are cooked perfectly (seasoned just right and not gooey). The cajun fries are addicting and the portions are enough for two foodies. My daughter's favorite is the fried catfish. I believe they give you 5 large pieces. The sausages are really good. 1lb please, the 1/2 was not enough for two.lol. expect a 20-45 min wait. Its always crowded but worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Megan L.

    Dinner for 4th of July 2015. I called around 6pm to reserve a table and the line was busy for like 20 minutes. Finally got through and the lady said they closed at 7 instead of 10. And they do not do reservation. Got there around 640pm and the place was crazy busy. People were still walking in. Sat down and food ordered by 650. Got the King Crab, corn, potato and rice with the whole shebang. It was amazingly good. The only thing I didn't like was you have to orders everything separately. Then they put it in a plastic bag. My total was around $30. It's a little pricy. Also, it got a little messy. Those king crab she'll was hard to break. I had fun though. Very Tasty. Service was good too.

    (4)

  • Rosanna B.

    I'm over the Cajun boil hype... If it wasn't for my friend's birthday I probably wouldn't have come back to Boiling Crab. The market is so saturated with these types of eateries it really isn't worth all the hype anymore! We had reservations at 7:30 and granted we were a large party (probably 20 or so) the minimum number of people required were already present by the time of our late arrival (coming from the East Bay to Sac landed us at 8p) however we did not get seated until close to 9p. By the time we walked into the restaurant there were several tables empty which didn't explain why we, along with the other smaller parties outside, were taking so long to be seated. It didn't take long after we were seated for the waitress to come around and take our orders. The bf and I ordered a Dungeness crab (MP was $13.99/lb), 1lb of shrimp, gumbo (no rice), and Cajun fries - the whole shabang mild (my bf is a weenie). One thing you won't soon forget is the smell your fingers will have from peeling your seafood drenched in the sauce! My crab seemed overcooked, the meat was mushy and I was not a happy camper. The shrimp was usual, and I didn't care for the gumbo. Cajun fries were good though! Although we got the whole shabang, the sauce was overly buttery and after dinner, I felt like my face was excreting all the excess butter I consumed... Given this is a place where you eat with your hands, the napkin dispensers at the table were not accommodating of this. We had to dig into the dispenser to get napkins so the dispenser got all sticky and dirty. The men's bathroom did not even have soap! Us girls had to bring out some soap for them. There are better "Cajun boil" places to go, with a better guest experience, and better quality food.

    (2)

  • Kathleen N.

    Whew boiling crab! What else can I say...I lalalalove this place! My shrimp cravings are always satisfied when I'm here. I usually get the whole shabang...bang bang medium spice with half a pound of shrimp and cajun fries/sweet papas fritas. it simply hits the spot. The fries are really tasty. The seasoning of the sauce is flavorful and the shrimp is just right. If you're a seafood lover and looking for a place to eat I suggest you come here! It's inexpensive and delicious! They also have good customer service.

    (4)

  • Biggg J.

    Great place now that it has more room. Ill b back to eat inside now. Way to go Boiling Crab!!

    (4)

  • Kaytie C.

    This is the 2nd chain location that I've been to and just wanted to see if it was any different than the one I've had in San Jose the first time. Decor is pretty much the same as the one in SJ so nothing different. Tables with chairs, narrow booth seats, writings on the walls...etc. Prices seems like they're similar, but of course, taxes vary from city to city. Food and taste is the same, except it can be pretty salty as I eat. I remembered my sis and I ordered 2 lbs of shrimp with garlic in mild spice. I can tell you that it wasn't mild because it actually tasted like medium. I had a bad heartburn that night as I was eating it. Maybe they overdid it with our order. We also ordered their cajun fries, lemon pepper fries, and a whole crab with 3 potatoes in shabang with mild spice. Again, it tasted like medium rather than mild. Our waitress was really sweet that she constantly checks up on us so the service was good. You don't get that kind of service that much but I'm glad that she asked us if we need anything else and if everything was okay. One thing I'd suggest is to not overdo the spice when customers asks for mild but in fact, it tasted like a medium. My mouth and lips was burning pretty badly so hopefully to just spice it just right. I mean, every customer has a different spice level and the chef should really not base it according to their taste buds.

    (3)

  • Mariah L.

    I am a huge fan of boiling crab, I really love the shrimp here. I got the the 1lb shrimp and 1lb crawfish with whole sha-bang sauce. It definitely is messy to eat, since you have to use your hands, and they tend to get all jumbled in the sauce, but it definitely is worth it. They charge by weight as well and it's typically pretty busy, but I had good service there and parking was easy to get. Recommended :3

    (4)

  • Jennifer N.

    Food: Sauce = the whole sha-bang, Level of spiciness = medium - Crawfish: order by the pound, cost and size of crawfish varies seasonally. 4/5 - Dungeness Crab: order by the pound, costs varies seasonally. 4/5 - Chicken Wings: sooooo good! The wings are flavorful, spicy, and crunchy. Even the ranch is delicious. 5/5 - Cajun Fries: amazing!! The fries are cooked perfectly. I like to dip with ketchup mixed with ranch from the chicken wings. 5/5 Service: Fast and friendly. The waiter/server was very attentive. She stopped by several times to refill our cups and to check up on us. 4/5 Final thoughts: BC is my go-to spot for crawfish. I love the flavor, which is consistently good.

    (4)

  • Jeff B.

    Literally just came home from this place, I smell like the whole sha-bang mild. Am I complaining? Absolutely not. I'd proudly wear this scent for the rest of the day, reminds me of the delightful yet messy meal I just devoured. Today I ordered half lb shrimp and half lb sausages along with rice... Also shared a few other things with friends. Overall, food was great, so was the service. Waitress checked up on us regularly, they earned every penny of the tip we paid. If you come here, prepare to make a mess... It's part of the charm that comes with this restaurant. I usually kill a stack of napkins when I eat, so don't feel bad if you do as well.

    (4)

  • Jeanette L.

    When you're at BC, you know you're in for a good time and good eats! There's usually a long wait time (between 30-1.5hrs+), but afterwards the service is good and the food arrives pretty quick and hot! I usually order a pound of shrimp, clams, snow crab legs with cajun fries and raw oysters on the side. All whole shabang nonspicy because I like flavor and have a low tolerance for spiciness. The raw oysters are probably my favorite things to eat at BC because they're so fresh and awesome. $10 for 6 clams. A bit pricey, but oysters are pricey everywhere. Squeeze lime into their dipping sauce for the oysters. So good

    (4)

  • Kaitlyn R.

    Boiling Crab is amazing. The food is delicious and it's just the right amount of messy. The staff is always nice and attentive. I look forward to coming here every time we do!

    (5)

  • Tony N.

    A born again fan of the Boiling Crab. My first experience at Boiling Crab was YEARS ago at the San Jose location on Capitol Expressway. I was not very impressed by the food especially after the 2 hour wait. Flash forward 5 years later and I came back to the Boiling Crab to give it another try. Our buddy swears by Boiling Crab for his Cajun seafood fix. I gave it another shot and like that, I fell in love. Maybe during the 5 year span, my taste matured and I finally realized what I really wanted in my life. It's like that relationship you didn't want to be in when you were young, but that person was always there for you and you finally realized it before it was too late. I'm glad it was not too late. The one thing that I still complain about is the long wait. However, I would wait 2 hours for Boiling Crab vs. going to another Cajun seafood place in the area. The staff are all very nice and helpful when taking your orders. They check up on your throughout the night and are always sure that your water is ever empty. The regular order for Kelly and I are 2-3 lbs. of crawfish, 1 lb. of shrimp, 10 chicken wings, and a half order of oysters. We usually order it with the Whole Sabang Sauce (combination of all of their seasoning). The sauce is buttery, oily, spicy, sweet, tangy, and holy moly delicious. It will clear your system out (if you know what I mean), but it is well worth it. The seafood is usually fresh and consistent whenever we go here. The crawdads taste fresh and are large in size. The shrimp absorb the flavors really nicely. The oysters are sweet, creamy, and amazing. I feel the most underrated item on the menu is the lemon pepper chicken wings. You wouldn't think to get wings at a Cajun seafood place, but it is a must try! It gets pretty expensive going here on a regular basis, but if you are going to eat seafood, might as well let it be good. There was a week where we went (and I am not proud of ourselves) 3 times......yeah....3 times. If you have never been to a Cajun seafood spot, check out the Boiling Crab. I recommend it!

    (4)

  • Sara L.

    One star for the creamy fatty sauce! 2 stars for the generous portion! Their foods aren't too bad but every thing else are a mess. We've had sea foods cajun style up and down California and unfortunately, all of the Boiling Crab establishments seem to be the same. Here are the cool list : 1. The foods is quite yummy if you are into fatty gurgling sauce on your foods. 2. They don't skimp on portion which is a + Here are the not so cool list. 1. The do not have plates or other utensils if you like eating like a normal person. You do not have a choice. Eat like a dog or don't eat at Boiling Crab. 2. they cramp every body into the the tiny place like you're in a concentration camp or prison. People eating viciously sauce flying all over the place from the neighboring table to yours. So no matter what you order, the party next to you will have their foods hurling over to your head. People constantly elbowing each other trying to fit through the cramped aisle. It just feels very stressful in there. People are eating like it's for survival rather than pleasure. 3. They charge 25 cent per person for water from the tap that all the other restaurants give out for free. 4. They do not allow outside foods or drink in even if one of your party member do not like their foods or have allergies . That's simply horrible service when they don't cater to people with special needs. 5. The thing that gets me the most is the bitter taste in all of their sauces. I hate the bitter after taste. No other restaurant has this problem except for BC . 6. Not a children friendly restaurant. There's no special menu for kids. Our child hated their service and foods. will not use again. Chason's Crab stadium has more food selections, kid menu, no bitter sauce, free water, better service, clean atmosphere, less wait, and roomy tables for the entire family.

    (2)

  • Walerz B.

    We loved their shrimp. That was the best thing we had. Decent sized and a firm texture. Sucking the head of the shrimp is the best part, so juicy!. We had the whole shabang both with no heat and with mild heat. I gotta say... I'm really great with spicy peppers, foods, and sauces (like really great) but someone was heavy handed with the heat today. The mild should have definitely been at least a medium. My nose was running and my upper lip was getting numb and puffy. I felt like a wimp when usually I'm a champ at that shit. I ate the shrimp with rice. It was glorious pouring the juice all over everything. OINK OINK. The oysters were fresh and not briney tasting. They were delicious as well, but I prefer it with butter, garlic and lemon, not tobasco and lime. The fried oysters were meh, I wouldn't order it again. I usually like them fried with panko bread crumbs. The crabs were good but without a cracker the shells were definitely difficult to crack. The crawfish were tiny and definitely not enough meat. The cajun wings were slightly overdone. Great service, clean restaurant, easy parking, no wait when you go on the weekdays right around 4pm. We will be back but we'd only get the shrimp and rice.

    (4)

  • JE B.

    The Boiling Crab is one of the best restaurants in the Sacramento area! I always order the shrimp with the whole shabang and add EXTRA garlic! The thickness of the sauce varies each visit.. sometimes it is a little too oily but nonetheless it's still so good! I like to order rice and mix the sauce and garlic in it with lime juice. The wait can be crazzzyyyy. I've waited almost 2 hours to get seated before. But it's worth it!

    (5)

  • Christina G.

    I love the food I come here alot but today was one of the worst experience ...so my brother and daughter bout boboa from a store next door and brought it to lunch (not knowing the no outside food rule don't forget there 12 and 8 )the manager (veronica)comes to are table and says no outside food so I have to throw them out ....uummmm you want to throw there drinks out what about take them to the car or finish them .. when I said we weren't going to throw them out she said well we have to get out ..ummmm wth is her problem ...ne management please because u would really hate to stop coming to my fave place because a snobby rude manager

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    Love this place. Good prices and service. Mid day is the best time to go otherwise 30 to an hour wait.

    (5)

  • Chinsin S.

    Since there is a high demand for Boiling Crab, management should seriously consider opening a second location in the Sacramento area or vicinity. If you are going during a weekend evening, please expect to wait over 45 minutes for a table. Although there are a lot of workers, service can be very slow. This is usually expected at all Boiling Crab locations though, so it's not a surprise. I highly recommend ordering the shrimp with the whole sha bang sauce in medium spice level. They are mouthwatering delicious. Add the cajun fries too, which comes in a huge portion. They are super crispy and cooked just right. You can't go wrong with this combo! Warning: You can't make reservations via phone.

    (4)

  • Viv M.

    This place is soo damn good. I love the snow crab legs and shrimp with the whole shabang.Their shrimp is a must try . Their xxx spicy is very hot and not for the faint lol. They also have delicious oysters.They serve your food in a bag and your plate is the table. Highly recommend this place (;

    (5)

  • Danielle A.

    Yummmmy. I love this place! Last time I got two bags of shrimp and it was gone in minutes!! I loveeeee seafood.

    (4)

  • Rachel B.

    This was my first time at this location and I will definitely be back. I wish they had a BC closer to home but the drive is completely worth it! Ordered a pound of shrimp, corn, 1/2 pound of sausage, Cajun fries& rice. My friends and I literally waited a minute before they sat us down and offered to get us drinks. The wait time was super short; our food came out right away. The food was very, VERY flavorful and delicious. Thank goodness they give out bibs because I was a mess. The price isn't bad at all - super worth it. Your taste buds will thank you! The only thing that was "eh" was our server. He was friendly but he didn't check up on us as much and the place wasn't even busy. But all in all, I definitely recommend!

    (5)

  • Kong L.

    Their stuff is really bomb! I enjoyed their Cajun fries. Mild is the second kick, right after no heat, and I have to say that it was hooott. It made my stomach rumble and usually I can eat a lot of hot! So be careful with that.

    (4)

  • Allan P.

    Realized they made more dining space, which is good. Lesser wait time! Yay! However, they need to stop limiting their seasoning. They packed it up before and that was better. Why are they giving us less amount?

    (4)

  • Sommer L.

    It was really good and one seated the service was fast and food was delicious. You may have to wait awhile to get seated but it's worth it!!!

    (4)

  • Scottie M.

    I spotted this place off the main street and said, "holy crap, there's a butt ton of people outside of that restaurant, let's check that place out." After an hour wait, which is totally fine for a busy place like this, I'm met with a bag full of crayfish and a cold beer. Definitely coming back.

    (4)

  • Ameenah M.

    There was a time when I would come here 3 times a week or more in one month. That was how much I was in love with this place. I tried this place for the first time in San Jose, and I loved it. You can only imagine my joy and excitement when they opened one in Sacramento. The place is bigger than the one in Sacramento. In the beginning there used to not be a long wait but now everyone and their moms want to come eat here -____- . It's ok it's a family restaurant with TV, sports channel everywhere, and good music. It gets loud though, so don't expect a quiet restaurant. You should bring a sharpie so you can enjoy writing on the wall like everyone else if there's room. The menu is pretty simple there are appetizers, drink varieties, seafood, fried food. Gumbo. They've recently undated their menu and added lemon pepper wings, lemon pepper fries. And another kind of soup. Every time I'm here I order. 10 Cajun wings. 1 lb of shrimp with a lb of sausage, rice, And sometimes fries. I like the whole shabang xxx. If you can't handle spicy don't get it, I garuntee you that you'll be on the toilet a little bit after you eat it. But I enjoy it. This time I went I tried the lemon pepper wings and fries. Lemon pepper fries eh =\ Lemon pepper wings, no thank you, plain, I'll stick to Cajun, I come here often enough to know that when they're good they're good, and when it's busy sometimes the flavor isn't there but I' know how good it can be so 5 star for me and of course I'd come back. Always .

    (5)

  • Jessica L.

    GET OVER THE HYPE! 90 minute wait is ridiculous for cold shrimp soaking in an oil and water broth. No flavor whatsoever. Fries are just covered in spice so you can barely taste the soggy attempt of a fry. Staff is friendly enough but the amount of time you have to wait for a table is NOT worth the poor excuse of Cajun seafood they throw on your table.

    (1)

  • Priscilla W.

    I think that this is a very nice restaurant. However if you plan on coming here plan ahead. There is usually an hour to an hour and a half wait times. But it's definitely worth the wait the food is always fresh and good. My favorite is the king crab rage in Cajun seasoning along with the muscle. Superfresh super good! My new love!

    (4)

  • Susan B.

    I love boiling crab. Its all about the spices. They are still better than Firehouse and Crab City in my opinion. If you don't know which flavorful to choose from, go with the Whole Shabang. Its a combination of all their sauces together. I love their clams, shrimps, cajun fries, sweet potato fries and fried calamari. Be prepared to wait as they are always busy. Also, be prepared to be all smelly. Your clothes and purses will be lingering with the smell from all the yummy food here.

    (4)

  • Olviya A.

    The boiling crab was amazing I ordered the shrimp in the whole shebang sauce and it was delicious the service was awesome and the atmosphere was grate.

    (5)

  • Alex C.

    The whole shabang is what I recommend. This restaurant and the other one in SoCal is awesome. Definitely come early but food is worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Holly C.

    Horrible place!!! This reviews directly with customer service not the food quality. I am 9 months pregnant visiting my parents who live in sac and I was in the mood for crab. I called ahead of time to make sure they were open since it was Independence Day. Yay they were open then I asked them how they sell there crab and they said "by the pound" and listed the types and prices so I said "I will be right in to get a pound" she had stated ok and we hung up and me and my family proceeded to make our way over there. We got there and it only took a few mins to seat us which I was fine with but the server acted like he didn't know what I meant by regular sweet tea so I just got the black sweet tea and my parents got the green sweet. Keep in mind 30 mins later my parents both had the runs from that green sweet tea. Ok moving on we had finally decided what everyone wanted so then I tried to order my food and apearantly I was told by the server that I couldn't order just one pound of crab like I had asked on the phone so I was clearly upset. The $16 pound for the crab was now turning into a $40-50 meal. So I told him to give me a min due to my ill nature due to being 9 months Prego. I looked at the menu once more and not the printed one or the one written on the wall stated that I had to buy more than a pound let alone what the lady had originally told me on the phone. So I told my parents I wanted to leave and we proceeded to make our way to the front to pay for the drinks and move on to a establishment that doesn't lie to get customers. The server stopped us and said "so your just gunna leave Huh " and I said " yes" with utmost gusto and I also stated that I would leave a bad review which he brushed off like it didn't mean anything. I urge you to never go here as well they lie to customers and don't care how the customers feel even when they are right. So we moved on to a better crab restaurant thank goodness but they lost my business for life. Never again will I go to a place that lies then doesn't try to fix things when they screwed up. I'd leave them a zero star if I could on customer service. DONT GO HERE!!

    (1)

  • Emily S.

    Fun and great atmosphere. Get ready to get messy and order everything spicy. Super fun in a group.

    (4)

  • Margaret A.

    Love it here! We like it better than firehouse crawfish. The sauce is more flavorful! The shrimp is great!! I suggest going the whole shabang, melts your mouth!

    (5)

  • Linda S.

    Was the first one in line when it opened... I'm not a huge fan of boiling crab but the people of my party is.. I typically come here for the gumbo and sweet potato fries. The fries didn't cut it for me today but the gumbo was good!

    (3)

  • Joshua S.

    The wait at this particular Boiling Crab is border-line ridiculous. We waited for nearly 2 hours to finally get a table. The interior is fairly large with several flat screens that are televising a variety of sports channels. (Definitely popular with the "younger" crowd). One of the unique draws of this place (all of the Boiling Crabs really) is the plastic bibs that are given to you to prevent any of their sauce from splattering onto your clothes. Their service, when they are at your table, is very friendly, eager to provide refills and to see if everything is going well. However, when they are busy elsewhere, it can be a bit difficult to flag one down to ask for a refill of your drink or to check on our order. I ordered a 1/2 lb of shrimp ($11 lb) and 1/2 lb of sausage ($8 lb) with a medium spicy mix of all their sauces ("the whole she-bang," which is a mix of their spicy cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic) and an order of their sweet potato fries. The shrimp is actually well-cooked and is quite snappy. The sausage is a bit spicy and goes quite well with the shrimp. The sweet potato fries were quite good, as they were crispy, sweet and savory. All in all, the food is okay. However, a 2 hour wait for decent food that a bit on the pricier side.. I would prefer to go elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Herman H.

    Looking to get down and dirty with some cajun-styled seafood?? Boiling Crab is the place to go. Your hands WILL get dirty, and many other parts of your body if you aren't careful. It's you and your bib (complimentary) against the world...!! First off, for some reason this Boiling Crab is way better than both of the San Jose locations. The wait is way shorter, and the seafood always seems to be fresher. I always get really dead soggy shrimp at the San Jose locations. They also provide you more sauce in the baggys. When I come here I usually get 1 1/2 lb of Shrimp the whole-shabang with medium spice. That is all the sauces put together, and you will not regret it!! Medium spice is already pretty darn spicy for me, so beware if you want to go for the XXX spicy level. I also get a dozen raw oysters to share, and cajun fries and/or sweet potato fries are a must!! Sacramento's Boiling Crab is one of the better cajun seafood places I've eaten at, and will always be my go-to restaurant of its kind in the area!

    (5)

  • Larissa T.

    So YUMMY the crab just fell out of its shell it was cooked so perfectly. The waitress was an awesome server can't remember her name( but she had pink hair.) can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Jamie D.

    My first Boiling Crab experience was great. I ate here for lunch with my boyfriend. The service is great. At least four different servers checked in on us during our meal. The food was tasty, but be aware that there are no plates or silverware provided. The seafood is served Cajun style and delivered to the table in a plastic bag. I suggest sticking to the traditional menu items. The fried catfish was nothing special. The fries are seasoned to your spice preference, which I appreciated.

    (4)

  • Yolanda E.

    I love this place! Drive all the way from modesto just to eat crawfish here. Sooo worth the drive. It's a must. Whole shabang medium for you spicy lovers. The atmosphere & staff is very inviting.

    (5)

  • Minh L.

    This place is definitely one of my go-to spots when it comes to eating out. I usually order the shrimps in the whole shabang with corn, rice, and a side order of cajun fries, all in medium heat because I like the spice. And you cannot forget to ask for salt and pepper with lemon! It is the perfect combination to eat with your shrimp and contrast with the heavy sauce. The rice soaks up the sauce AMAZINGLY well so ordering it is a must. But beware! The sauce is what makes the order super spicy. Eat smart. You really don't want to poop fire afterwards. But if you don't want to order the rice but want to enjoy the sauce more, dip everything in the sauce, especially your fries! Ketchup is great but how often do you get to eat fries with the whole shabang right? To get your shrimp, it's best to fish it out with the shrimp's whiskers so you don't have to reach your hand too deep into the bag and get the back of your hand dirty. Unless you want to get super down and dirty, then yes you do you honey boo boo. I'm guilty of trying to stay clean so I use a lot of napkins throughout the whole meal. Also, the one bonus side to asking for the lemon is that you can use it to really clean your fingers afterwards to get rid of the hauntingly delicious smell. When you peel the shrimp, make sure to keep the head facing away from you or it will sprit some sauce onto your shirt or hair (for the girls with long hair, bring a hair tie) and the smell will be there for what seem like forever. And before you throw the shrimp's head into the pile of shells, don't forget to suck on the back of it where all the flavorful juice is plenty. More tips on what to expect: Girls, hair up is good and red lipstick is probably better saved for another day. Sometimes the sauce gets around the corner of your mouth and I swear, it will burn and you will not help but to drink a ton of water and wiping your mouth so hard just to get rid of the sauce. Also, if you think you can't finish a pound of shrimps or whatever you ordered, no worries! Save it for home and you can modify it by cooking the sauce for pasta or my favorite way yet, eating it with a BAGUETTE. If you're in South Sac, might as well head to Huong Lan to get them baguettes for your leftover BC sauce. It's worth it. I promise. The bread soaks up the sauce very well! The service here has always been good when I'm here. The waiters are usually attentive and come to check up on you enough to make sure everything tastes good. Overall, thumbs up to the service. The only thing that irks me about going to BC is definitely the waiting time but there are a few ways to make it bearable. First of all, call in beforehand to see how long the wait is and then budget your time accordingly. If you are stuck waiting for at least 30 minutes or so, go over the SF market or the places in the area to buy random snacks and kill some time. Unless you go on the weekends (including Fridays), Boiling Crab is not that much of a hassle when it comes to the waiting game. Especially if you want to take a friend who has never tried BC here, choose those off days or times so that they won't be put off by the wait. As much as I love Boiling Crab, I know i can't give it a full on 5 out of 5 stars because the food is sometimes inconsistent with too little or too much sauce or the taste is just not so up to par on certain days. It did get a little bit more expensive over the years. For a place that's always so packed, I think it would be nice to have a happy hour just to lighten on the cost for the customers sometimes (and most are broke college students). But it's a great place to go and if you haven't been here...AH MY GERD HUNNAY WHAT YOU BEEN DOING YOUR WHOLE LIFE! (Unless you have seafood allergy.... I'm sorry!)

    (4)

  • Nando V.

    This place was koo!! Ive heard about it, i see it all the time so i said, the hell with it let me try it. So i went, the waitress was really nice her name was tracy she took her time and walked me thru the menu. I kinda went over board in ordering i had 1lb of king crab legs (thinking bout the legs is making me drool) 2lbs of shrimp, 1lb of clams and one cup of gumbo. Everything was great but i finished the crab legs and was pretty much full and still had like 3lbs of other sea food. That was a rookie mistake, next time im sticking to just king crab legs.they have different flavors of the spices to choose from for your sea food , i did the mix but i suggest tyring one flavor at a time (something i wish i would of done) and if u dont like spicy food i suggest the mild, the medium is pretty spicy and over whelming after a while. The atmosphere is kinda loud so if ur on a romantic date and u want to talk i dont recommend it, if ur gonna break up with ur girl or man u could go there and i dont think no one would hear u yelling at eachother thats how loud it is. Over all i think it was a koo place i will return i did learn how to order, the check came out to 70 something but totally worth it. Find out for yourself.

    (4)

  • Krissy P.

    Came here for Mothers Day.It was only a 45 min wait and there was plenty of parking. It was worth the wait. The food was so fresh and tasty. Very close to New Orleans style. Even the gumbo was good. The prices were 10 to 20 an entree. We had King crab, fried oysters, shrimp, and fried catfish. I would say the mild was hot enough to make my nose run so I would not venture any hotter then that.

    (5)

  • KeiKei B.

    I am not sure why this place gets such high reviews. No matter where you are from, you know flavor and the BC just does not deliver. Service is subpar bordering on horrible. Our waitresses kept changing and we had to ask for everything twice. When I asked for a fork one waitress asked why. And when she brought the utensils she only brought spoons! And yes, they have Gumbo on them menu. My eyes are rolling every time I see this but I asked for a sample and she said they did not give samples of the Gumbo. Now I asked for this sample AFTER ordering almost $100 worth of food. Poor choice of customer relations. She did give a sample of the tomato based bisque. It was thick enough but no salt or seasoning at all. So the food. We ordered crab legs, crawfish, sausage, shrimp, corn, and potatoes. With all these fresh markets around here you would think they would invest in fresh corn for the prices they charge. Nope, not at all. Frozen ear corn and red potatoes out of a bag. While the sauces had whole garlic cloves, that is about all they had. No herbs, no seasoning and no salt. At all. What a disappointment because Yelpers seem to love this place but I think the minority has it right on this place. Lack of service and lack of flavorful food makes this Yelper lack the temerity to repeat a visit.

    (1)

  • Kai A.

    First of all,fix the dang phones! Totally ridiculous that you can't call in an order. I've tried several different times/days to call ahead since I don't live close by and the calls never go through. Inexcusable for a business. And they know there are problems with the phone. Aside from that I love the shrimp. I get the whole shabang and we just love it. So tasty and perfect with steamed rice. Yummm.

    (4)

  • Luke C.

    I went to the Boiling Crab on a Saturday night. Was that a good idea? Well, not if you don't like waiting for two hours for a table! But at least i was in the company of good friends, and we kept each other occupied with good conversation. Was the food worth the two hours we spent in line? Well... I do have to say the food was very tasty, but I'm not sure it justified the extremely long wait time. But you know what? Having this many people willing to wait this long for a table must say something about the food/restaurant. It's gotta be pretty decent, yeah? Once our party was seated we were quickly waited on by the staff. The workers were very friendly and attentive to us. We didn't feel rushed to put in an order, nor did we feel that they weren't paying attention to us even though the restaurant was packed to the gills. Service tonight was top notch. I wasn't feeling seafood tonight so I went and got both the Cajun and lemon pepper chicken wings. Though this restaurant is known for their sea food, the chicken wings were delicious. If I had to choose one over the other, I'd say the Cajun was a step above the lemon pepper. The lemon pepper ones just weren't lemony or peppery enough. The medium spice level was great on these wings. The Cajun fries were also excellent! I could eat these all day long. Lemon pepper fries offered a lighter tasting alternative. For those who enjoy sweet potato fries, they are available too. The star of the Boiling Crab are their seafood selections. The menu makes it really easy to order. You select the kind of seafood you want and then tell them how spicy you want it. When the seafood arrives it comes in a plastic bag. You take out the seafood with your hands and just go at it. Your hands will be totally covered in sea-food-y goodness by the time you finish - but you'll definitely be satisfied. The flavors are just amazing. The Boiling Crab is a great restaurant to go to, but just be wary of the very long wait time that it takes to get into the restaurant. Though this restaurant is known for its seafood, the chicken items more than hold their own!

    (4)

  • Senor Buffalo D.

    Friendly and fast, but that's not the good part. It's the food. It doesn't look like much in the way of a deli or restaurant, but it's pretty d##m good. Yes the corned beef hash is awesome. I will be back for more!

    (5)

  • D A.

    Really like this place bit dinner like being told no guarantee to get a table when we arrive at 8:30. They close at 10. Seems off putting. I will update as to when we get seated.

    (4)

  • Yolanda H.

    Had a party of 15 people for a birthday dinner and the service was terrible. Seating took us 2hrs and then it took us another 2 hrs to get our food which not even all of us even received our food!! Such poor, poor service and very disappointed because it had such great ratings. Very disappointed n furious!!

    (1)

  • Elsa L.

    Is a hot spot in Sac, get ready to get mess on your hands. There is no silverware, just your hands and napkin. So don't wear white top to go there. Taste: Cajun hot with 4 level to choose or just butter if you are not a chill head. Hope you like galic cause there have tons in the sauce or tell them to hold it off. Selection and price: They don't have combation so you have to order everything by the pound.Only the shrimp you can order by the half pound, so small party might have hard time to order. Price are by the market, average $15-18 per LB. con: REALLY LONG LINE ! there are no waiting room, so you will have to wait by the front door or outside in the parking lot. When is 90+ degree is not a fun place to hang around. Line start bulit up at 4:30, and the hostess will not tell you the true waiting time. I waited 2.5 hours when he told me just 45 min. ( major problem ) I have to rethink of going back. overall : taste are good and seafood are fresh, but the line is just way too long. I won't go back in the summer time, Can't stand the heat while waiting outside. I have to take away star for that. Is a hot spot of the town alright.

    (3)

  • Cilla C.

    At the boiling crab right now ! And I'm waiting for my food, I order the shrimp LB with the big shabang sauce and mild + chicken wings mild + the shrimp basket mild fried + corn + rice + 2 sprites ! Let's see how it taste !!!! Ps the waitress is nice

    (3)

  • Tyffanie P.

    The food was the BOMB! pricing can get expensive if you don't order the right stuff off the menu. Ordered shrimp with the whole shebang seasoning ..great flavor .. The wait is killer ;-/

    (4)

  • Samantha K.

    I've been here a handful of times and the meals here never disappoint! I always get 1 lb. of shrimp, 1 corn, and a side order of rice with the whole sha-bang sauce, mild spicy. The sauce is so bomb! My mouth waters just thinking about it. The rice smothered in sauce compliments the shrimp perfectly. The corn is a MUST. It tastes sooo good after soaking up all the sauce. DID I MENTION HOW FREAKIN' BOMB THE SAUCE IS?! The fried calamari, raw oysters, clams, and Cajun fries are a bang in my mouth as well.

    (5)

  • Whitney L.

    My husband and I have been here twice and have had a fantastic experience each time! We usually get shrimp, corn, & sausage and an order of snow crab legs (both whole shebang medium). The service is very fast and the food has always been amazing! We tried the Cajun fries last time and were very impressed. I usually don't really even like fries. I'm sure we will continue to be repeat customers here! Not to mention..... This location is decorated with Kansas Jayhawks stuff, so you can't go wrong! Rock chalk Jayhawk!

    (5)

  • Nicole V.

    FIRST TIME........ So excited to try this place after a ton of friends said how good it was. Wait was over an hour but didn't mind because we were dying to try it. We ordered right away. 10 minutes later the waitress comes out to tell us they are out of potatoes. Not happy. Food starts coming out, 3 of us got our food and waited another 20 minutes for the forth person to get their food. Had to keep asking for the corn we ordered which finally came with the last order. We never got the chicken wings we ordered. Asked where they were and they said they take a little longer. Mind you this was already about 30 minutes after we ordered. Then another 20 minutes later asked again about the wings they said they should be out soon. 10 minutes after that asked again and she went to check and said they were coming out. And all of a sudden the manager comes up to say they don't know what happened to the order of wings and that the kitchen is now closed. Which is ridiculous because 3 people all said they were coming. The manager did make it right by taking something off the ticket. Also had to correct the ticket again because they changed us for items we didn't even get. But to top it off I've watched the waitresses all night bag everyone's food up for them and when we asked for a bag to take ours home she just hands us the bags to do it ourselves. This really upset me because it seemed like she just didn't want to deal with us because of all the issues we had been having. Needless to say I LOVED the food but will NEVER go back to this location because it was the worst service I have ever gotten in my life!!!!! Only gave1 star cause we did enjoy the food.

    (1)

  • Trisha G.

    Very delicious! Long wait time, but well worth it. Just like crab shack, but with flavor.

    (5)

  • I T.

    Love the food! Taste fresh and flavorful. The place gets really crowded though. They don't take reservations so sometimes you have to wait almost an hour to be seated. It's worth it though!

    (5)

  • Meghan M.

    The food here is soooooo goood! I have been here numerous times and loved the food each time. Pros: I normally get the snow crab legs with mild shabang sauce, a couple pieces of corn in just garlic and butter, cajun fries and a green tea. I sometimes order a half pound of shrimp with the same mild shabang sauce. The food is always hot and fresh. The serving sizes are reasonable. If you're looking to pig out on crab though this isn't the place. The restaurant itself is a fun, lively environment. They have tvs all around and play music. (although many people have complained about the service; I prefer to not be bothered with someone constantly asking me questions when I have shabang sauce dripping down my arm and i'm trying to lick it off my elbows. Cons: My biggest peeve with this place is that because the shrimp are whole (head on, in shell) when they serve them; they can't clean them properly. So, you are likely to have a nice strip of poo in your shrimp. I don't want to take time to scrape that out before I dip it in my sauce and it's kinda gross. It's also really really busy here mostly all the time. You are likely to have to wait at least a solid hour to hour and half if you come in the evening or on the weekend. It's worth it, just plan on waiting. maybe bring a snack. Other than that, I would come back again and again!

    (4)

  • Helen H.

    I went to Boiling Crab a couple of times during the first few months they opened and haven't been back since then. Basically, that was over 2.5 years ago. It was hard for me to believe. I was pleasantly surprised that they no longer charge 25 cents for water. Don't come starving, because there's usually a wait. My friend and I shared a lb of shrimp and clams (the whole sha-bang), half a lb of sausages, and Cajun fries. I usually like to peel everything before I dig in, but after the wait I was too hungry. The fries were crispy and seasoned perfectly. I also had a couple of raw oysters, which were big and juicy. It's a messy meal, especially towards the end when you're digging around the bag to make sure you didn't miss anything. It's also a interactive meal.

    (4)

  • Brent L.

    First time I've ever dined in a place like this I loved it, I'll have to go back a couple more times to see if I'll give more stars.

    (3)

  • Tika L.

    I love this place. I only wish it wasn't so small. It's always packed and feels cramped but other than that the food is great. Service average.

    (4)

  • Kay T.

    This is my first time been to the boiling crab in Sacramento. I and my husband went there on Monday night around 7:40pm. I wouldn't say it was busy. Because I saw there were plenty of empty tables when I was told there is at least 10mins wait for party of 2. I wonder why... Anyways, we were seated at the booth. We are not big size people but I think the booth seat is very tight and small. My husband been to the boiling crab in San Jose and their booth seat were not like this small. We ordered some beers, fried calamari, fresh oysters, craw fish, whole crab, clams, corns, sausages, 1/2 pound of shrimps ( because my husband is allergic to shrimp, so I'm the only one can have shrimp, but they brought 1 pound to our table...) The foods are very good. Crab is fresh, shrimps cooked just right. We liked the food and took some home. We will be back. Food is Great Service is ok

    (4)

  • Maria G.

    Brought my family here for the first time and they loved it!! They enjoyed the fact that we had to eat with our hands and wear BIBS!! The shrimps are Bomb!! The Cajun fries we tore them up and ordered seconds. I can go on and on but I won't. Who ever is reading you have to go and see and eat for your self. Awesome atmosphere and superb customer service even when they are short staffed!! My family and I will be regulars!!!

    (5)

  • Salina T.

    We ordered garlic crabs and shrimps. Heard great reviews but it doesnt live up to our expectations. Crabs and shrimps meat was too soft, batter-like consistency, and came apart easily. It wasnt tender and sweet as we aspected to find in good crabs and shrimps. I gave it a two stars because of the garlic favoring and smell delicious.

    (2)

  • Issy D.

    What a fun place to come for dinner. I know I'll be back. The food here is all by the pound so be prepared to feast! I got a pound of crawfish with the whole shabang and half a pound of sausage. Wish I had added corn... But it was still awesome. I'm the future I wouldn't get crawfish again because it's so much work for little pay off of meat. The sauce is pretty salty but was awesome when dipped in fresh bread. FYI they don't sell bread here but do let you bring in your own baguette. Or you can always dip the Cajun fries in the sauce. Speaking of the Cajun fries they were pretty mediocre for having so much talk on yelp. Not bad, but next time I would rather try the gumbo. This meal lasted me three meals because it was so giant. The best part though.... It was only ten dollars! I was a happy camper. The prices do change based off what it is season/market price. For example my friend got King crabs legs and her meal was over 30. So be prepared for a high cost is you want crab :)

    (4)

  • Josephine L.

    We came around 3:30pm on a Wednesday afternoon, so there was no wait. I heard the wait can get pretty long if you come during regular dinner hours though. Our server was very friendly and helpful. I ordered a pound of medium spicy shrimp, whole shabang with a corn on the cob. We also ordered the Cajun fries. Everything was delicious! Very oily though. All the food came hot and well seasoned. I like getting corn because the sauce really gets into it and it's very flavorful. I have been to Boiling Crab in both Irvine and San Jose. This one is comparable, although the neighborhood it is located in seems pretty dicey.

    (4)

  • Tony P.

    This place is so bomb, that it actually got me to use the word, "bomb," in a review! The only downside is the size of the dining room. Compared to my first Boiling Crab experience somewhere in Southern California where the dining room was massive (think Chili's or Friday's), this location is sooooo tiny (think Peet's Coffee). Other than that, the service was great and the food was BOMB! Now please open a decent sized one in Elk Grove!

    (5)

  • Connie S.

    In love with the whole shabang-mild sauce but the 2 hour waits during weekend dinner time can be a killer. On certain occasions, although they say 2 hour wait, the line can move as fast as 30 minutes! They recently added lemon pepper fries and I would say it has to be the best one yet!! Service can be a hit or miss but can't blame them. The place is always super packed and everyone has their good or bad days.

    (3)

  • Robert S.

    The wait is ridiculous but the food is good. I got a bag of shrimp whole shebang and some fries. The price was right too. I left full and happy.

    (4)

  • Kaylena M.

    We absolutely love coming here! It's an hour away from us, semi expensive -- but understandable for a seafood restaurant.We try to come at least once a month or every two months, it really depends. The wait time is usually over an hour on the weekends which is completely understandable. Whoever I go with (boyfriend, friends, or family) we always try to go as early as we can to avoid the wait. We went to one in San Jose and got put on a waiting list for two hours--yes it's that intense. The restaurant is pretty crowded in comparison to the other one. I prefer the booths just because people aren't trying to squeeze by you if you get seated in the center tables. I would not recommend bringing your children. The times we bring my one year old, I can't really order my usual snow crab legs just because the clean up process from all the sauce takes awhile. I need at least one hand to tend to her and you need both to really dig into the meal. The food is amazing, They have been pretty skimp on the sauce (I get the whole Sha-Bang Medium/Mild, I like variety) lately. We've been coming here for around two years and before they would douce the crab/shrimp in sauce. The cajun fries, shrimp basket, and lemon pepper fries are amazing. The corn, oh my god, drenched in the sauce is the only way to go. I love getting it to-go because left over sauce is just as good.We love squeezing lime into salt and pepper packets which they provide. They do only give one per person which is annoying. Every time we ask for more (I use at least 4--mixing different sauces of course) they give one. So we have to ask again when they make their rounds. It seems like a bother, but maybe if they didn't drop off the food/drinks/supplies and just jet off, they would fill our needs all at once. Speaking of, the service is usually DECENT. Not extremely bad or good. Like I said, they drop off what they need to and walk away quickly. I understand they have other tables to wait on, but you make it more work for yourself by not asking if we need anything in addition. The food comes out pretty quickly--maybe within 10 minutes. There was two times where we had to wait a long time. We didn't complain how we normally would because we love coming here. Once my boyfriend saw our food sitting at the counter for a long time and they had no problem reheating it. Another time my niece was eating for her small meal for almost forty-five minutes. They gave us a percentage off our bill so that wasn't as bad. All in all, we love coming here. The drive isn't that bad and it's surround by stores we usually shop at during our long wait. I would recommend coming right when it opens, theres never a line. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Rene M.

    Terrible customer service! This place has awesome food but their staff - all teenagers who are rude and disrespectful. We were quoted 45min to 1 hr. We waited for an hour and noticed 3 empty tables the hostess told us we were the next big group. Well one of the waiters comes in with a group of teenage girls about 10 minutes after they told us we were next. I went back to the hostess and asked what was the deal? She said they had been waiting way before us when in reality they were never there, after 1 hour and 15 minutes of waiting I think I was familiar with the people outside! Yes the don't make reservations. BUT still 2 tables remained unoccupied. When I questioned that the girl said they were short staffed and they could not sit us there. Those tables were empty for about an hour!! Really! Finally I asked for the managers phone number and guess what?!! There comes our waitress with a nasty attitude to sit us. She took our order and never came back!! Don't waste your time or money here!!

    (1)

  • Sandy S.

    I love this place! That about sums it all up. I love getting their shrimp and corn the whole shabang. There's always a line whenever I go no matter the day or time, further telling of this places awesomeness. I do have to say though that the parking sucks. It's in a very crowded shopping center which is great for business but horrible for parking. The staff is always friendly and the customer service is good for how busy they are. I have yet to remember my sharpie so I can write on the wall...one day. I have gone here may times with people who have never been here and we have never walked out regretting it. To date I haven't met anyone who doesn't like this place *knock on wood.* Would definitely recommend this place to seafood lovers, but maybe not a first date....it can get a little messy. I also don't recommend wearing white, even though they give you bibs to wear.

    (5)

  • Erin E.

    Went here around 4 and it's always pretty busy but we get seated at a far amount of time .You get boiling crab bibs also . I ordered the fish combo which comes with a large serving of fries too and the 1/2 lb of sausages is really good also with just a little kick .

    (5)

  • Karla Marie D.

    I've been here so many types and it never gets old. What I've tried: - shrimp (whole shabang) - cajun chicken wings - cajun fries - sweet potato fries - gumbo w/ rice - fried oysters Shrimp (whole shabang - medium) I don't think it's that spicy if compared to Kickin Crab in the bay. I like my whole shabang with less garlic. Lately, the shrimp has been cooked good and not soggy. Also, good sizes of shrimp. Cajun Chicken Wings Best chicken wings I've ever had. I tried chicken wings in other chains similar to Boiling Crab and it's not in the same level. It's always fried to perfection; crispy outside and hot as you take a bite. Cajun & Sweet Potato Fries I love both fries. If I had to pick one from the other, I would pick sweet potato fries. But great combination with the shrimp or while you're waiting for the rest of your order. Gumbo Oh man... this bad boy cures hangover or if I'm feeling under the weather. I love warm and spiciness to it. I just don't like okras. Fried Oysters This is something I can't really rave about. I love oysters, but not when it's fried. Biting into was a bit weird; crispy, then very watery and slimy. Not my forte. Service is mediocre. A lot of college students work here, so can't really except much.

    (4)

  • Crazzzy T.

    Best king crab around. Gumbo is delicious. Calamari is awesome. Pound of shrimp whole shabang!

    (5)

  • Samantha Y.

    Absolutely love the food, but the wait is horrible. Even for a to go order took almost an 40 minutes.

    (4)

  • Jayla Y.

    Love this place! I always get a pound of shrimp, the whole sha bang and some cajun fries. Sometimes i get their sweet potatoe fries when im with my mom lol. I have to get some type of fries to be full. Other than that i never get full off this place. Besides that the service is always great and so attentive. Great place to watch the games cause they're all over the restaurant. Always craving this place and will always be my go to spot for boiling seafood!

    (5)

  • Kim C.

    I love this Boiling Crab! I'm originally from San Jose, CA where they have not one, but TWO BC! Both have ridiculous waits that are usually 1 - 2 hours. In that time alone, I could've drove to the Sacramento location and gotten a seat. That being said, whenever I go here I never had to wait for more than 10 minutes to get seated. Service is pretty good too. Your food will usually arrive 10 minutes after you've ordered. When I come here, I usually get the whole shabang not spicy shrimp and crawfish. I think this location makes their spices a little spicier than normal because my friend who usually gets medium could not handle it haha. Honestly, I find crawfish not worth the time to peel. So much work for so little meat :( This is why I stick to shrimp. Crab is always good! But I'm on that college student budget so I hardly ever get it. Hahah! Potato fries and calamari are good here too! So apparently if you ask, you can get gloves. I highly recommend it if you don't want your hands to sell like garlic for the next few days.

    (5)

  • Tina N.

    I Always order the shrimp shabang mild which is always good, but the 1lb of snow crab i ordered without seasoning and it came out with only one piece of the crab. I mean i should have checked before i left the place but no wonder why it was so light. I didnt bother calling them to complain, its not like i can make it bak in time before they closed. But everything else is always good, but we've never had this problem with firehouse.. So you guys should definitely make sure the orders are good before giving it to your customers, but its also my fault for not double checking before i left.. I was just too excited to go home And eat :/

    (3)

  • Bassam D.

    This my 2nd time eating here. The shrimp was so greasy and supper spicy not to mention the crawfish was frozen probably from China and it smelled so bad, i cant even get red of the smell off my fingers . NEVER AGAIN.

    (1)

  • Stephen S.

    What can you say about this place. The seafood is fresh,The sauces are mild to hurt yourself and the service is quick. If there is one negative to the B.C.,it's the wait.So if you want to have a late lunch, or early dinner, they open at 3:00. Stephen S

    (4)

  • Chrissa P.

    I can't get enough of the seafood here. I like to go here when they open so I don't have to wait over an hour to get seated. The crawfish and clams are delicious with the whole shabang sauce and the shrimp basket is always good. Their tarter sauce here is the best I've ever had and taste good with the deep fried shrimp. I definitely prefer the boiling crab over all the other seafood places. The service here is ok. Sometimes the hostess' aren't that friendly, but the waiters and waitress' are pleasant.

    (4)

  • Christine K.

    The theme of the night was one of my friends saying,"There's not going to be a wait, nobody lives in Sac!" I laughed awkwardly at the comment since it's no LA up here but I still didn't want my visiting friends to think it's the middle of nowhere! After a lengthy happy hour at Ruth's Chris we headed over to Boiling Crab for dinner. This time, I was thankful for her comment since the wait was definitely not as horrific as what I'm used to in LA. When we put our name on the list, they said it would be a 45 minute to 1 hour wait. In reality, it was only a 15 minute wait since the Great Wall of Boiling Crab Waiters couldn't stand the wait and all left before us. Weird luck or just a Sacramento thing? Regardless, I loved it and I'm all for it. At this particular location the medium is spicier than usual, which I really enjoyed since half our table did the mild so it was nice to bounce back & forth. Same with the Cajun fries with our catfish basket, a little spicier than usual but nothing overwhelming. It was one of my friend's first times and Jessica, our server, was a great sport helping us take pictures and being very courteous as well as quick! What I like about Boiling Crab's sauce is that it's not only packed with flavor it's thick with spices and garlic rather than just being oily. A lot of places that try to replicate it just ends up in an oily goopy mess and skimps on the garlic. To quote my friend about 5 hours after dinner,"I've brushed my teeth really hard but I can still taste the garlic." My must when I go to Boiling Crab is their piping hot Catfish Basket. If you've never had catfish, this is the best place to try it. They do a thin breading so you're not overwhelmed with a weird doughy shell over your flakey pieces of steaming fish. Dip it into some of that tartar sauce and finish it with a mouthful of well seasoned Cajun fries..golden! A little pro tip for those that have never done it..ask for salt and pepper, squeeze large amounts of lime juice into the container and dip away your shrimp and other seafood in it! Don't forget, use your leftover limes to clean into your nails to get all that residual sauce out. Yes, thank me later.

    (4)

  • Joe R.

    Boiling crab had this big hype around it. Eventually, I had to try it. Now, I always here that the San Jose one is better, but I'm not in San Jose so I don't give a shit. But this place is pretty good. That atmosphere is chill and laid back. The writing on the walls are pretty interesting. I wouldn't want that on my wall but what do I know? The service is friendly. They tie a pouch around your neck to be clean. Hopefully, you like to eat with your hands, cuz my first time was tough with my slight OCD. But once I got down on it, it was totally worth it. I always get the pound of shrimp with the big shabang sauce medium spicy. Sometimes medium is hella spicy sometimes its not at all... Forever a mystery. Afterwards my hands stink for a few hours but oh well. Food is good

    (4)

  • Nathan H.

    Definitely recommend coming early. They are so popular the wait is really long during popular hour. Very thing is good! To me Shrimp is probably the most worthy of the price and very delicious. If you want to order crabs or lobster be prepared to spend some seriouse money!

    (4)

  • Jill G.

    Love this place! I'm a regular, but the last two take out orders have been a nightmare. I don't live on this side of town so I'm making a conscious effort to come when there are similar places popping up nearby. Last time my food was cold and I arrived within the alotted time period. Today, I order a shrimp basket. The cashier repeats the order, yet out comes a catfish basket after 14 minute wait. The guy is very nice and apologetic, but as usual they never comp the item. I got a discount today (a whopping $2.38) only because I complained to the manager that I was posting a yelp review. Last time nothing was offered. I've waited too many hours and spent too much money over the last few years to except anything less than great service

    (3)

  • Gilbert G.

    Need to fill a shrimp craving?? This is THE spot. Sure, this place place is called the boiling "crab", but I come here for their shrimp. To be exact, I always order 1 lb. shrimp, non-spicy, whole sha-bang with a corn in the bag. Even though I order it non-spicy, my order tends be mildly spicy anyways... But I'm not complaining. Just prepare for a little spice even if you order non-spicy. Be warned: You DO eat with your hands here... So expect to get down and dirty with your food. They do offer bibs, and if you're a messy eater like me, I highly recommend you using your bib. Oh and expect to leave this place smelling like boiling crab. I wouldn't recommend you wearing your Sunday's best outfit here, because I'm sure you won't want to smell like boiling crab if you have plans afterwards. The customer service here is decent as well. I know the waiters/waitresses do their best to accommodate each table, but it does get really busy here, which I've noticed makes the service a little slower at times. But hey, cut them some slack.. They do a pretty good job in my opinion. Don't forget to ask for lemon (or lime) and the salt/pepper to dip your shrimp in! Overall, this place is pretty good. This place is pretty popular, which means there are wait times. Expect to wait 30ish minutes for a table of 2...And even longer the bigger your party is. If it's your first time, it'll be worth the wait. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Megan J.

    Service is decent; however, I had a major problem with the hostess. I understand, I work as a hostess too. #hostlife but making us wait almost 2 hours, telling us that there's only one party ahead of us, then proceeding to seat 2 10+ people parties ahead of us, is not cool. There isn't really a waiting area, so you have to either hang out in your car or stand outside until they call your name. The food is always good. You can't go wrong with getting the whole she-bang flavor. A side of rice is necessary to absorb the extra sauce. Don't forget to wear the bib they give you, and DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wear white, you will regret it. Boiling Crab has good food and meh service.

    (3)

  • Crystal O.

    Finally found a place like hot and juicy in las Vegas, not as delicious but close to it. The food and service was great, only complaint is that the seasonings were off on the shrimp and Cajun fries.

    (5)

  • Steven V.

    This place is for cajun and seafood lovers who have groups of friends that want to join. It's usually a fun time and the food is good. I like the oysters, cajun and sweet potato fries, and whole she-bang shrimp. The shrimp are not de-veined though and your fingers smell like garlic for a while after eating. The wait also makes the experience worse. I think this particular location has worse service than the SoCal ones and it is slightly more expensive. At least its next to vampire penguin so you can get shaved snow after and shop for Asian food beforehand!

    (3)

  • Mario L.

    Get ready to eat differently here! Basically no utensils or plates, only a bib and your hands. Nice restaurant with alot of flavor in their sauces. Try the shrimp or clams, well prepared and they give you a bag and you serve yourself on the table. Recommend the whole shabang sauce wich is all sauves mixd. Will be back if I had the chance!

    (4)

  • Shor T.

    If you love seafood this is the place to get your hands into and devour in your favorite dishes. The sauces -- the whole sha bang, my favorite---is what makes this place awesome. Sometimes I have the urge to drink the sauce off the bag!!! It can get expensive but it's all worth it. You're better off spending your money here than going elsewhere that will serve a few pieces of your favorite seafood and charge you tons, minus all the fun you'll have eating with your fingers and a bib...you'll feel like a kid again and wanting more!!! They open at 3pm but it tends to get pretty busy so there always seems to have a line before they open. If you're date loves seafood--heck, take her to the boiling crab and see how comfortable she is with herself around you and in getting her hands--and face dirty. If she can do that, she may be a keeper!

    (4)

  • Tatiana K.

    I have a really hard time supporting a place that uses MSG. The food was very tasty but made me incredibly sick. I wish they would use more natural methods for flavoring.

    (1)

  • Elia C.

    Their food their service their location is amazing. They have by far the best oysters I have ever tasted. The rice is also really yummy and the corn

    (5)

  • Debra A.

    Love the food, but the wait is insane. It's also almost impossible to place a take out order. They either don't pick up the phone or tell you to call back. Giving someone your business shouldn't be this difficult. Maybe they need to hire more people or open another location. It's too much of a hassle. Having said that - I still go at every opportunity as long as I am not growing gray hair while I am waiting.

    (4)

  • D. M.

    There TO GO SUCKS!!!!!!!!! They NEVER answer the phone!!!!! NOT cool a real turn off!!! They cant be THAT busy to not answer a phone order!!!

    (1)

  • Bee F.

    The food is really what gives this place 3/5 stars. The service is normally up to par when I am here but it's as if they only have 3 servers on the busy days where wait time is up to hr and 45 minutes - 2 hours. It's nuts. However, the hostess was wonderful for taking our order when we told her we hadn't been checked in on yet. Come on BC you gotta accommodate now for your huge fan base. Get more servers and help.

    (3)

  • Davet M.

    1 hr 45 min drive to wait 30 minutes. 7 tables left and it took over 10 minutes before someone started bussing tables. They cleared ALL SEVEN tables before seating guests. They need a better system. Too bad the other Boiling Crab is in San Jose. I'm stuck between 2 evils (traffic wise).

    (3)

  • Miranda L.

    The wait is long but definitely worth it. Staff is very friendly. Food is the best part. Whole shabang shrimp when calling for to go, it's hard to reach them sometimes since they don't pick up but I continuously call

    (5)

  • Lena P.

    Came in with the boyfriend this past Sunday cause I was craving for boiling crab!! Why the 1 star review you ask? I got food poisoning for 2 days! So sad because I wanted to love this location. I'll stay with the San Jose location.

    (1)

  • Marcela G.

    Such a great place! For seafood lovers that is lol. Unfortunately I personally do not eat seafood of any kind, but I came here the other night just for my sisters bday. Luckily, they have chicken tenders and chicken wings! For anyone like me who does not eat seafood lol & it was super good! The fries omg so good! I recommend the lemon pepper fries or lemon pepper wings, BOMB! besides that great customer service super friendly, although they are always busy so expect a wait to be seated. Good comes out very quick overall great place you will enjoy!

    (5)

  • Susan G.

    Friendly service and smiles. The 2 times I've been here the crawfish was very good (whole shabang+mild) but it was slightly bland the 2nd time I came. I had to wait 45 min at 8.30 pm so my friend and I went to the supermarket and were late when they called us. We were still seated, thank god! I love bc!

    (4)

  • Tina D.

    This placed has improved a lot, but still not as good as the San Jose location. I always get a pound shrimp with the whole sha bang mild with sausages. I love the sausages with rice. Their chicken wings are pretty good too, both the lemon pepper and cajun. Always comes out hot and fresh. I would like to see happy hour specials here. I'd come more often.

    (3)

  • Garrick W.

    This place is simply amazing, from the graffiti on the walls to the pleasantly kind servers. I was aware of how good the food was here so I had to try it. Went there and ordered the The Whole Sha-bang Crayfish and oh my god, food heaven. Make sure to suck all that good stuff in the head of the Crayfish. If you're not a big fan of spicy then go with the mild or garlic, you can't go wrong. A side of sweet potato fries also accommodates the crayfish. And for the love of god, you will need napkins...like tons! All in all, make sure to get down and dirty and enjoy the food here to the fullest. Oh before I forget that if you do come here, don't dress too fancy...I sure learned the hard way.

    (4)

  • Rini D.

    This place is ok. I think it is overhyped. Long wait during all hours of the day. I went here when they opened for the day and there was already a 30 minute wait. Service is good, food is good, but in my opinion, Kickin' Crab taste a lot better. I would only go here again if it was a group decision, otherwise I would rather not go here. The wait is not worth it in my opinion.

    (3)

  • Jiong L.

    Delicious, yummy shrimp! But would I ever wait such a long time again? Read on... I have made 2 attempts to come here, and finally on the third try (3rd time's a charm!) I have made it inside and onto a seat! Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable (sorry I forgot your name!) and was very patient. I ended up ordering the Cajun fries, rice and a pound of shrimp and I was not disappointed at all! Everything from the fries to the sauce of the bag was flavorful and delicious! The amount of shrimp filled me up quickly, and I couldn't even finish the rice on the side. The food is definitely not a disappointment. However, the wait is ridiculous! I don't know if I would ever wait such a long time ever again...I believe my group and I waited a good hour. I would rather make a quick trip to Firehouse Crawfish nearby and have my Cajun fries and shrimp there! But if you're in no rush and want to kill some time waiting, the gem inside is worth the wait.

    (4)

  • Jay P.

    As an avid seafood enthusiast, the Boiling Crab is a home run in my book. We feasted on all they had to offer. Waitresses were awesome. My favorite seafood spot in Sacramento. May have to wait even on weeknights but well worth it.

    (5)

  • Kam D.

    I just love this place. It's small so be ready for a long wait. Some great sea food and just an all around different experience

    (5)

  • Rochelle G.

    Came at the wrong time because the wait was about 2.5 hours; they're usually busy around 5-7pm. Decided to walk around to kill time. They're located next to other Asian restaurants, boba places, and an Asian market around the corner. Once seated, ordered 1lb of mussels, 1lb of clams, 2lbs of shrimp, and cajun fries. Was about to order 1lb of crawfish, but the server advised not to because they're not in season and they're small. Best look out ever. All had a medium spice with shabang seasoning. The wait took about 10 minutes for the food to come out. Everything was delicious and the seafood were not small at all. But don't forget the salt and pepper with lime, it goes well with the food. Plus, use the lime to remove some of the smell on hands after eating. And expect the smell of seafood to linger in the clothes when in the car. Overall service and experience was good. There's no other crab/seafood place that's comparable.

    (4)

  • Rob L.

    Came here for Mother's day, as my mom is a huge fan of seafood. I don't know too many Asian moms that aren't. Anyway, I've been hearing about this place and how good it was, so I decided to take her here. It was about a 20 minute wait, no big deal. We ordered clams, king crab legs, snow crab legs, the chowder, corn on a cob, and shrimp for my daughter. It was all great! The crab legs, we got medium, and boy, medium is HOT! I love spicy food, so it was all good for me. It was a litte too spicy for my mom. So I would recommend getting not spicy if you don't like spicy food. They seated us next to the drink station and it was a bit high traffic, so if possible, I would recommend asking them to sit towards the middle. While we were there, the line grew longer and longer, so definitely get there before 7pm. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Sala V.

    My number 1 fave spot!! So worth the wait and always satisfying. Love the big Shrimp,Cajun fries plus their Gumbo is the best I have tried ever. In addition their chicken strips are always Hot and soft plus never dried. Gotta love their honey mustard that comes with the Chicken Tenders..

    (5)

  • Joyce E.

    I have to be honest, but out of all the Boiling Crabs I've been to, this location is the worst one. En route to SF from Tahoe, my family was starving and after suggesting Boiling Crab, they all agreed (for once) on a place to eat. At around 4-5pm, the wait for 5 people was around 45 minutes, which was fine because there were plenty of places to check out nearby. After waiting, we were seated in a huge booth, ordered our regular garlic butter and whole shebang pounds of shrimp with rice, calamari and sweet potato fries. Our orders arrived fairly quickly, so we dug in and waited about 10 minutes to chime in that the food wasn't as greasy as the other locations. I know it's not a good thing to have greasy food, but Boiling Crab is always the exception! We all agreed that the sauce was very bland and didn't taste like the signature Boiling Crab we always crave. Maybe it was a bad batch? No clue, but we will definitely stop by if we're in the area.

    (3)

  • Brittany R.

    Went here for the 1st time a few weeks ago. I've heard great things about the one in San Jose so when I found out there was one in Sacramento I just had to try it & I can really say it was Delicious and a feat experience from start to finish. I ordered the shrimp, crawfish, sausage & corn in the whole shabang sauce. Very very good. Spicy but not overpowering. The service is very friendly and attentive. I highly recommend this place to all seafood lovers. You won't be disappointed

    (5)

  • Lena W.

    If you're heading to Joe's Crab Shack for one of those over priced, ragin' Cajun flavor steam pots, just letting you know, that you are missing out because just a little more ways down the road there is a place called, The Boiling Crab. I can say that for a long time I've been a fan of joes and I've never complained but, after trying the boiling crab for my first time tonight, I can swear that this place has changed the way I eat crab, forever. I ordered the oysters, King crab with the Cajun flavors, and craw dads in the garlic seasoning. The King crab and the craw dads come in a bag that sits in their own juices so each bite is full with flavors. It was my First time I've had a craw dad, what a experience! I think everyone should try eating a craw dad because they are so fun to eat. The king crab was absolutely the best crab meat I have ever had. Huge meaty pieces, full of flavors and cooked to perfection! I also ordered the Cajun fries, which it's really easy to order some French fries and have them come out pretty good, but these fries were good until the very last one. I had a great time eating at the boiling crab, and I can't wait for my next visit.

    (5)

  • Youa T.

    Love this place but i called twice today and was put on hold for more than 15 minutes each

    (4)

  • Susan L.

    Ok boiling crab in sac! You guys suck! This my third time eating here. You guys always mess up the spiciness. Your mild is super spicy. It ruined my entire meal again. You guys got to get your recipe correct. Boiling Crab in s.cal and the bay is so much better. I am never eating here again.

    (2)

  • Theresa B.

    The food here was good. I had the shrimp and sausage. The downfall was that we had to wait for nearly 2 hours for a table and when we finally got seated the waiter only checked on us a total of 3 times, with one being to take our orders, and another to pick up the check; someone different brought out our food. I had to flag someone down just to get a refill on my water. All in all the food was good, the service wasn't the absolute best, however I will give it another go in hopes of better results next time.

    (4)

  • Sam R.

    This place definitely has its ups n Downs. For our few group occasions I have had there, one turned out really terrible. We waited for a whole hour to be seated, once we waited for that hour they told us we couldn't be seated due to them closing soon. They could of told us that from the get go instead of having our group waiting for an hour just to be denied. But if you have a small group you will be fine and seated quick and won't have any obstacles like you would if you were in a big group. The menu is very basic, you get your choices of seafood crab, lobster, crawfish, or shrimp. Then you choose your style of seasoning sauce (which you can't go wrong with the whole sha-bang) Then you continue on to choosing your side order for example fries, sweet potato fries, and etc. The food is also hit or miss, a few times the food was prepared very well and a few other times I found the food way below par. You can also only different drinks from water, fountain drinks, or beer. Service isn't that bad and they are tentative to their customers(when they get them seated) once your in, your taken care of. Overall boiling crab is a place to at least experience once.

    (2)

  • Eric A.

    Any other reviews that have criticized service were not valid on my visit on a Sunday evening. My party of 8 waited for 1.5 hours ( which we were prepared for)for a table and our server Brian was attentive and we never had to wait long for anything. My boyfriend and I both orderedthe shrimp in the house sauce, mild. Good thing we selected mild because it definitely had enough kick to make us sweat. Prepare to get your hands dirty and just dig in and enjoy. The sauce was savory and rich in flavor. The shrimp that was drenched in the sauce was full of flavor and I enjoyed every bite. I got a side of white rice which was great to offset the kick from the sauce and also corn on the cob and potatoes served in a manner which I'm sure Paula Dean would have approved-a bag of melted butter. Be patient waiting for your table as it was definitely worth the wait in our opinion.

    (3)

  • Millie T.

    I have been there a couple of times with my husbands, and enjoyed it very much. We ordered king crab legs and shrimps,,,,both were very good, but the shrimps were so much better. They were sweet and full of flavor,,,,,we loved the sauce (the whole shabang). Beware of the wait time during the weekends,,,,,but worth every bit of it., ha!

    (5)

  • Bill W.

    Picture yourself in the Carolina's in a fried fish house. Combine it with flavors from around the world and New Orleans, specially if you like spice. Rows of tables and chairs, homey atmosphere, excellent staff! Now sit down and eat a good variety of seafood complemented by sides and sausage you'd expect at a Texas crawfish boil. "Spicely" out of this world! We celebrated our anniversary here with king crab, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn. Brought some home. Listen to your server's recommendations....go mild first; we went medium; twas spicey hot! Great tastes, great service, really good food remarkably less expensive than we expected.

    (4)

  • Taylor C.

    When I first started coming here the service was bad but the food was amazing so I had to tough it out. The service has gotten better though; they take ur order, bring out your food and you enjoy. Occasionally they'll stop by ur table to ask if u need anything but they're not too obnoxious with the constant customer service which I like. I highly recommend to not come on weekends unless u have patience! That's the only problem is the long wait period so I try my best to come on weekdays where it's slower or I do take out. Absolutely in love with the food here and the cute decor inside the restaurant! Definitely consider myself a regular.

    (5)

  • Jeremy C.

    Love this place, I come all the way from Ceres which is like an hour or so away. You get plenty of food for a great price, this place shits on Joe's Crab Shack.

    (5)

  • Jordan R.

    This is one of my girlfriends favorite places for sea food. She gets the crawfish almost always, and usually switches it up with something different along with it. Last time it was sausage, she's tried the blue crab, as well as shrimp. The shrimp was a little big for her liking, but the crab and sausage seemed to be a hit. The mixture of spices was what she comes back for!! She gets the whole shabang, and medium heat, which is pretty spicy. The waitresses all seem very attentive, and it's a fun place for everyone. Not really kid friendly, since there's not really any food options for them. I get the wings since I don't like sea food, and they are really great! They have a dry rub on them but they are super juicy inside. Over all, it's a fun place to come about once a month. We like to use it as a date night destination. There is generally a wait, but it's worth it for sure.

    (4)

  • Michelle B.

    I love coming here especially when I am craving seafood. Make sure to come early because it always gets busy around dinner time on the weekends. The shrimp and crawfish are always solid. If you order two pounds of crawfish you get a piece of corn too. The sausages are on point. Make sure to get everything with the whole sha bang! The sauce makes everything delicious. If you cannot tolerate spicy at all like me even mild is fine just enough kick. The fries always complement the food well too. Their Cajun fries are absolutely delicious.

    (4)

  • Freddy K.

    Prepare to get a little messy! Came here with a few friends for the first time. Confused by the decor covered in graffiti and then posted signs warning people they will be fined. So my suggestion is remove it because leaving it up tells some it's okay apparently. Waitress was friendly, however, I don't want to enjoy my meal in table scraps so clearing off the table throughout the meal would be ideal. Menu was easy and basic. "Market Price" on the menu was annoying to make a decision. Maybe provide a menu insert with market prices . I had muscles that were a generous size. King crab legs were meaty and not over steamed like Joes Crab Shack. Raw oysters were perfectly shucked, decent size and neatly decorated on the plate. My friend loved the crawfish and the shrimp was plentiful. The mild whole sha-bang seasoning flavor chosen was suppose to have a kick incorporating all three flavor choices of cajun, garlic and lemmon pepper. It was spicy and all I could smell and taste was cajun. Definitely cleared the sinuses and watered the eyes. The cajun smell followed us to the vampire penguin ice cream shop. I had to change my clothes at home. Overall, fun experience and good food at a decent price. Awesome having this chain restaurant with only seven locations in Sacramento!

    (4)

  • Kristi T.

    Boiling Crab is amazing! I usually order a pound of shrimp with the whole shebang, and share an order of cajun fries with one of my friends. I've also tried the clams and those taste amazing as well...especially with a side order of rice! Though your clothes, hands, and hair will smell like Boiling Crab, it is completely worth it! I love saving the sauce to make pasta or just to mix it with rice for my next meal at home. Though the shrimp/clam/whatever you order is already quite flavorful, use the lime with salt & pepper. It tops it off perfectly! All in all, I definitely recommend this restaurant. I don't think my friends and I will ever be sick of this place!

    (5)

  • Brittney M.

    If you're a patient person the go ahead and attempt to eat here. The wait time is usually 30min to 2 hours long. I was tempted to give it a three for that. But the food itself is yummy. I'm a fan of crab boils so it was a given that I would like this place. I always get the shrimp with the whole she-bang and fries. Food 4 stars Atmosphere 3.5 stars Overall 3 (because of the wait)

    (4)

  • Kristina M.

    I kill all the little sea creatures here. The crawdads, the oysters, the...sweet potato fries. I'm predictable here--always 1lb. crawdads, whole shebang (translation: all the different flavor offerings combined into one blissful mixture that you eat spoonfuls of when no one is watching/sometimes when they are watching), medium heat* I think this place could be AMAZING if they offered a fishsauce-lemongrass sauce. What do ya'll know bout this. GO DURING OFF HOURS to avoid an atrocious wait where you run out of things to say to your friends and stare into the abyss, listening to your insides cry for sustenance. *Medium heat is actually pretty spicy and I'm a heat seeker. Also, skip the sweet potato fries. They're for rookies.

    (4)

  • Terri R.

    Very disappointed. We went there Friday evening for an early Father's Day meal. We had a party of 9. Over the next 30 minutes our food came to the table at different times. Several people at our table were done eating before others at our table received their food. Other tables around us, that arrived after us, received their food before everyone at our table had been served. My husband ordered fried catfish and after 45 minutes of waiting it never came. He asked about his meal several times and was told it is coming. Everyone was done eating and he told the waitress to forget about the catfish. On our way out, we talked to the manager, Lilian. She never said sorry. But several times she did say we can make your catfish and we won't charge you. Very odd. A little empathy would have softened the mistake. She was cold and uncaring. This was a special night and we had brought 82 year old grandpa, and his 2 sons for an evening with family and food. The food and pricing are good. However, I don't think we will return because they made us feel that we weren't valued and cared about.

    (1)

  • Donna Alexis B.

    some of the staff are rude and unattentive. and the sauce it got saltier over the years. the wait is ridiculous and there are a lot of tables available.

    (2)

  • Robert Y.

    3.5 Ridiculous long lines even at this location. LA and SJ can be worse though. We waited 1 hr even at 845pm. This location is across the street from the bambu in sac so while we got some milk tea while we waited. As usual, I recommend the whole sha-bang mild clams and shrimp. I feel the lobster, crab, and crawfish are not worth it but that is just me. Corn and medium cajun fries are also good side orders. My stomach was satisfied after the meal just not too happy about the wait. Still the best seafood place in the area.

    (3)

  • Raeselle L.

    My go-to place whenever I'm craving shrimp! Although if you're planning to dine in, make sure you're not going anywhere after, because you will smell like garlic and all that delicious food they serve. One star off because they don't take reservation and the wait might take up to 3 hours. Over all, if you're looking for delicious seafood that has great spicy flavor, this is the place to be.

    (4)

  • Rome C.

    One of the trully worst of the bad. We wanted to like this place but their food is just horrible. Most of the food is either salty or just bland. We doubt we will be coming back here again even if we have a free meal.

    (1)

  • Emmanuel P.

    Hit or miss... Sometimes you can get in quickly and sometimes you'll be waiting for an hour or more. Some of the servers here seem confused and some tables aren't cleared for a very long time which is frustrating, given the line is usually out the door. We usually get our food to go now since we really don't like waiting. The food is great to bring home and eat. Lay a sheet down over the table, empty the shrimp and crab on the table and go to town. Fun for family events and kids. We usually get the shrimp and dungeness crab with the whole shabang. Very very tasty. The oysters are my favorite but I'll only eat those when I dine in. 5 stars for the food, 1 star for the location. They definitely need a bigger spot with more room. We've eaten here 5 times and we will continue to come back.

    (3)

  • Beth U.

    I'll admit it - I had low expectations for this place, thinking it would be another overrated restaurant similar to Joe's Crab Shack. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The whole sha-bang seasoning never disappoints and the whole eat-with-your-hands-out -of-a-plastic-bag situation is quite a unique experience. Have avoided lines twice by coming right at the opening of lunch. Servers are very attentive and polite. Tips: bring disposable gloves to wear! And avoid lines by arriving right at opening time.

    (4)

  • Carmel S.

    We come here often... it's the dang 'shabang' sauce that keeps us coming back. We've tried a few other places that are similar in type of food (not saying no names, saving that for another review) and nothing compares. The wait time can be ridiculously long on the weekends, but it's worth it to us. Mind you we've had problems in the past with the to-go service (hence the minus 1 star) but they've made up for it. Since then I can tell a major difference in the service. the dynamics changed in the format your order is taken, and it's consistent. *Kudos* to whoever took charge to upgrade that cause it's really working for you. So by the time you read this I'm sure you've read through at least a handful of reviews that tell you that the food comes in plastic bags, bibs are a must, and you eat off the table... which is also a brilliant business concept to keep the overhead expenses to a minimum. What -we- order: Fried Catfish Fried Oysters RICE (kudos) Shrimps Lobster *King Crab Legs (My personal favorite) in whole shebang mild sauce Dos Equis (green bottle) (kudos) The sweet potato and seasoned fries are pretty good too. Oh... and in case you missed the memo, not ideal to take a first (or second) date here. Bibs, eating in savage form and smelling like seafood seasoning is a few thousand notches below appealing. Unless you're into that kinda thing?? LOL Go Go Go.... you'll thank me later! =) On a side note: If I know I'm coming here I will bring latex gloves from home. It really helps with gettin' down with the crab. I've gotten weird looks before but by the end of the meal folks are wishing they did the same thing!! (no smelly hands)

    (4)

  • Damien S.

    Seasoned like west coast Cajun food. My fams from Louisiana so they'd be particular about Cajun seasoning. I'm from CA, I don't care. Good food. Check em out

    (4)

  • Ben T.

    Love this boiling crab. The service is super deserving of 6 stars. They start off by bibbing you, and anytime you ask for anything, they will get it for you immediately. The wait can be long sometimes, but luckily there is a market around the corner you can explore in. I like their shrimp and clams, the whole sha-bang is the flavor to get. Throw some cajun fries on the side and you're good. The best has to be the raw oysters though. A tiny bit pricey, but then again, raw oysters will be expensive anywhere you go. The difference is that the raw oysters here are fresh and delicious. If you are a seafood lover, you must order some oysters and live a little!

    (5)

  • Tianna W.

    Very good food that my coworkers got me going to! I have been maybe 10x so a review was needed. Theres been some misses sometimes with customer service, but food is good and spicy. I order the xxx sauce with the whole shagbang, and the kitchen doesnt accept it back if too spicy. I eat it real slow. Weekends the wait can be 2hrs! Thats too long for me to wait to eat, so week days I prefer with little or no wait time. My favorite are the sausages, shrimp, fries, corn and chicken strips! Get the rice! It keeps you from ordering everything above at one time. I wish they had chicken thighs to boil :-)# I minus 1 star because something temperature of my food was cold. I was told it was done so to not overcook but I appreciate if it was warmer when delivered. Unlike firehouse across the street, they dont have happy hour.

    (4)

  • Hong N.

    5 stars for their food. Boiling crab is life... everything there is good. My family go here at least once every two weeks. 0 stars for the new workers. Rude af! But I can care less about them. I like the original workers better... the new one lacks and does not know how to do their job right... which is have good customer service.

    (5)

  • Janelle R.

    I've been here a few times before and it was overall ok. But the trip I am writing this review for now was a total miss. The one star tonight is for the cajun fries, which are always good. I would have given this zero stars if I could and if the cajun fries did not satisfy. I don't know what happened with my table's batch of shrimp this particular night, but it was not good. I do not believe it was cooked well because we all threw up right when we got home, and the next day also. The service was not all that great either. We were seated in a corner booth and kept getting passed by and no one seemed to check up on us. One of my friends had to walk up to a waiter because no one came to give/offer us water refills. It just was not a good experience.

    (1)

  • Crystal H.

    This took place 2-3 years ago. Just setting up my account. Service was horrible!!!!! Today my boyfriend and I met up with his family for lunch. I'm a vegetarian and there was nothing on the menu that I could eat so my boyfriend and I ran down the street and grabbed something for me real qucik. One of the waitresses told me there was no outside food or drinks. My family explained that there was nothing on the menu for vegetarians and in response they told me I could eat corn or fries and spoke to us very rudely. A girl came over to the table that looked like she was about 18 years old and was also very rude saying she was inforcing store policy and she was going to take the food away or I needed to put it away. My boyfriends family was practically done eating because we drove all the way from San Francisco to Sac which we told the girl so it wouldn't have hurt them to let us take the table up for another 10 minutes when the bill was well over $100. We asked the young rude girl to speak to a manager and she said I am the manager, as she continued to try and argue with my family. Obviously she has no manager experience, I'm a server in a restaurant myself and you do NOT speak to customers like that. That was our first and last time there period. P.S. it smells bad and everything is in plastic bags.....real classy.

    (1)

  • Smash T.

    I loved it! I ordered a pound of garlic shrimp and calamari, it was delicious and the service was also good. Ordered another lb Togo for mom and asked for it to not be spicy. When I arrived home it was Cajun. Mom wasn't happy at all and that kinda sucked which is why I took 2 stars, I tried to eat some so it wouldn't go to waste but it was way too hot, $12 bucks in the trash :-( those poor little shrimp died for nothing) other then that I really love this place and will happily return but will double check my take outs :)

    (3)

  • Tiffany N.

    Been here a few times and usually my experiences are good ones. Haven't been to the other ones since I'm located in Sac though. I usually get a pound of crawfish ragin' Cajun medium with mild Cajun fries and I'm never disappointed. Food comes out pretty quick, and servers are pretty good and refilling your drinks and what not. I know a lot of people complain about how they don't give you bowls to place shells in. However, sometimes my orders are double bagged, so you can always use the second bag if you don't want your shells all over the table, but I think that's half the fun. The wait for this place is always ridiculous. If you're lucky and go early you might get in right away. Other than that, be expected to wait at least 45 minutes for a table. Sometimes when they are really busy I have to ask two or three different waiters/waitresses for something before receiving it.

    (4)

  • Patricia G.

    One of thee shortest waits I've ever had at Boiling Crab. Was it that maybe we were there at 630? Or was it just a slow New Year's Day dinner rush? Either way, I am not complainging! Just a quarter of my family was at dinner tonight; party of 5. Ordered about a total of 4lbs of shrimp, a crab, two pounds of hot links, 4 corns and mild fries. Truly was amazing and satisfying. Wait, did you know there's a Triple X Hot?? Yeah, never fails that my father ALWAYS gets the hottest of the hot. Thanks for the quick and friendly service!

    (4)

  • Ellen L.

    Horrible service! Waited for 2 and a half Food is bad. One time deal for us. Never coming back!

    (1)

  • Gina G.

    I checked out the menu and reviews here on yelp before deciding to go there. We were thinking about going to Joe's Crab Shack, but this place seemed interesting enough. When we first got there at about 6:45 PMom a Monday. The line was out the door and we got put on the waiting list. They said it'll be about 25 minutes but it was more like 10. We ordered 1lb shrimp with medium spicy whole sha-bang sauce, 1 crab with the med whole sha -bang, 1 lobster with the mild garlic sauce, 2 cups of Gumbo, 1 with rice, 1 without and no sausage and 2 pieces of corn. I also ordered rice , but I didn't need it. The first thing they brought us was the shrimp and corn mixed together in the sha-bang sauce. I didn't even take a picture because we were too busy enjoying it. They were big , the sauce was perfect and the corn on the cob was so good! Next, they brought us the Gumbo which was piping hot and full of flavor! That would've been a complete meal right there but since it was our first time here, I wanted to taste the crab and lobster too. The dungenous crab was small for the price, one crab for $26 at $15/lb. It was good but not worth the price. My lobster was $47 @ $20/lb and it was huge! It was also pricey, but since I don't order lobster everyday, I guess it was worth it. It was a better value than the crab. The Garlic Sauce was good but I liked the Whole Sha-Bang sauce better. But the winner of the night was the shrimp with corn and the Gumbo. We will definitely come back for that. The pound of shrimp was $11 and a nice portion too. It was $110 by the end of the night but we did enjoy our food. It is not a fancy, dining atmosphere, but the food is good. Also, our server Lillian was great and the hostesses were friendly.

    (4)

  • Kimberly S.

    I absolutely love this place! There is a time & a place to get down a dirty when eating and not having to feel guilty about it and this is definitely the place. Do not wear fancy clothing I warn you, but if you are like me, and use a ton of napkins you'll b fine lol. There is a LONG wait so I suggest arriving early since it is first come first serve, no reservations. Seriously though, this is great seafood boil people & with all the sides (well most) that traditionally come with it. I personally love the Shrimp and Gumbo, but trust me when I say watch the level of heat you order lol. They have distinct flavors and heat levels and even the mild can give a kick if you don't like spicy food. I happen to love this place and it is worth the wait and time just to enjoy it. Bring friends, family and enjoy a messy but highly satisfying lunch or dinner. I first found this restaurant in San Diego and am sure glad they have one up in Sacramento!

    (5)

  • Ashley M.

    My husband and I visit at least once a month. We always get 2 lbs of shrimp with sausage, corn, and potatoes. And the whole shabang for seasoning. My husband also gets the gumbo....I don't personally like it, however, he loves it. There's a new seafood place that opened around the corner, and it sucks. I made the mistake of trying them one day just to compare, and Boiling Crab won. #JustBeingHonest

    (5)

  • Ashley B.

    I'll start by saying I looooove seafood especially fresh seafood! Doesn't get any better. I give this restaurant 3 stars because I don't feel it was the freshest it could've been. It has a young hipster vibe to it with writing all over the walls. That's fine it felt fun and comfortable. Definitely not a place you need to dress up to go. It is kinda loud in there with music going and tables very close together. It's not a place to have an intimate conversation or anything romantic. Our appetizer.. Raw oysters on the half shell I prefer to eat raw oysters on a saltine cracker with some hot sauce and horseradish. Here it was a hot cocktail type sauce, no crackers, and some limes. The only time I eat limes is if I'm taking a shot of tequila. So that was a bust. Don't get me wrong the oysters were good, not the best I've ever had but they were good. Our entrees.. 2lbs of crab and catfish with fries (Both shared between the two of us) The crab was good but didn't seem very fresh and certainly not the freshest I had even eaten that week. The crab was seasoned nicely, we picked the rajun cajun seasoning which was a bit spicy for me but I liked it. The seasoning of the crab totally makes up for the fact that there isn't any kind of dipping sauce. They do have several seasoning selections like, rajun Cajun, lemon pepper, garlic butter, or the whole shebang which is all of them. Garlic butter seems like it would be a good choice but we didn't try that. Maybe next time. My boyfriend also ordered the fried catfish with fries. The fries were all that was really eaten from that entree. The catfish was dry and wasn't very good. I'm from the south and love catfish and also have manners but couldn't help but spit it out into my napkin. I really did not like it at all and he didn't either. We of course didn't finish our meal and took the rest of it Togo. The catfish stayed. I will eat here again it was a decent seafood meal much better than some of the larger chain seafood restaurants like red lobster. All the staff was friendly and the food was decent but if the food was better my next visit I would definitely up my star rating, as for everything else it was wonderful.

    (3)

  • Noelle B.

    Why people love this place so much I will never understand. I GOT FOOD POISONING!!!!! The worse food poisoning of my life that took me out of work for 3 days and required a hospital visit. Bad bad bad. And another friend told me his dad got food poisoning here too. Not to mention that my husband and everyone we know always gets the bubble guts after eating here and/or an episode of diarrhea. DONT DO IT.

    (1)

  • Mostafa I.

    what a great taste.if you looking for real crab meat go to this place ,affordable price ,specially king crap ,,,,,,,,,,,yummy its spicy ,Make sure to book early cause no place to sit its full.......thank you

    (5)

  • Maria M.

    The waiting is 45 mins. - 1 hour. We drove a hour and forty minutes. We got here and there is no waiting area for all of us the customer. Atleast, make some space for the waiting area. Since we are just standing by the door or outside of the place. It is way too crowded.

    (2)

  • Angela S.

    I had the one pound of crawfish and got the Cajun seasoning which was spicy. I recommend the take out because it's faster. Next time I will try the whole sha-bang. They should move to a bigger facility.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :3:00 pm - 10:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    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
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

The Boiling Crab

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