Welcome to The Boiling Crab San Jose
At The Boiling Crab San Jose, we celebrate the vibrant flavors of Cajun and Creole seafood. Nestled on Curtner Avenue, our restaurant boasts a lively atmosphere and a menu packed with enticing options. From our signature Whole Sha-Bang sauce to succulent dishes like Shabang Bang Shrimp and golden-fried soft shell crabs, each bite takes you on a flavorful journey. We pride ourselves on exceptional service, ensuring that every dining experience is memorable. Whether you're enjoying our famed Cajun wings or indulging in a seafood boil, each meal embodies comfort and camaraderie. Dive in and share the joy of delicious seafood with us!
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71 Curtner Ave Suite 20, San Jose, CA 95125 Hotline: (408) 297-2322
The Boiling Crab San Jose provides a vibrant and immersive dining experience that transports seafood lovers straight to the heart of Cajun cuisine. Nestled at 71 Curtner Ave Suite 20, San Jose, CA 95125, this bustling establishment combines a lively atmosphere with a menu brimming with mouthwatering, fresh seafood that defines the Cajun/Creole tradition.
As soon as you walk in, the delightful chaos of laughter, lively conversations, and upbeat music hits you. The decor blends a playful charm with nautical-themed elements, setting the stage for a truly unique seafood adventure. Guests can expect a bit of a wait, especially on weekends, but with an efficient Yelp waitlist system, you can easily add your name while enjoying other local delights.
The culinary journey here is initiated with a vast selection of seafood options, but make no mistake—what truly steals the show is the infamous Whole Sha-Bang sauce. This signature sauce elevates every dish, from succulent Shabang Bang Shrimp to rich and flavorful gumbos. Patrons rave about the combination of garlic and butter that defines this sauce, and it pairs beautifully with dishes like the fried shrimp and classic crab boils.
- For Appetizers: The 6 Pc. Lemon Pepper Wings ($12.50) and Fried Oysters ($13.00) come highly recommended. The wings are crispy, coated in zesty lemon pepper seasoning, while the oysters are a true treat—hand-battered and fried to crispy perfection.
- Signature Dishes: Indulge in the King Crab Legs ($95.00), sourced from the Bering Sea. Each succulent leg is a testament to the skill and care that goes into their cooking process, served with the house's signature sauce for an unforgettable experience.
- Gumbo & Chowder: The Cajun Chowder and Gumbo offer a rich, flavorful experience that is a must-try for any seafood aficionado. The combo of spices, tomato, and cream makes for a hearty treat, perfect for those cooler San Jose evenings.
The response from patrons like Tiffany C. highlights the attentive service, with servers guiding you through the menu and ensuring your dining experience flows smoothly. Many guests return for the consistent quality and service, as seen in reviews praising both the food and the friendly atmosphere. One common thread in these reviews is the deep satisfaction of every seafood boil, often served in generous portions that leave diners eager to come back for more.
Whether it's a casual dinner with friends or a celebratory meal, The Boiling Crab San Jose delivers not just on flavor but on the overall experience that captures the essence of Cajun dining. The interactive, slightly messy experience of cracking shells and savoring the seafood is complemented by a lively ambiance that makes every visit memorable.
In conclusion, if you find yourself in San Jose and craving a seafood feast, look no further than The Boiling Crab. The rich flavors, engaging atmosphere, and exceptional service will certainly make your dining experience one to remember.
It was our first time dining here for my mom's birthday and our server Jackie helped us out. She walked us through the menu and placed our orders quickly. Ordering was well paced throughout and she picked up our plates swiftly. No complaints with waiting nor a cluttered table. Restaurant is cute and vibrant. We enjoyed topping off the dinner with the wings, sweet potato fries, and 2 lbs of king crab legs. :) This place did not disappoint and I will dine again soon with a different party.
I love Cajun seafood boil and boiling crab exceeded my expectations. For two we ordered 1 lb shrimp, 1 lb live crawfish and 1 lb clams w/ potatoes, corn, steamed rice and sausage w the whole shabang sauce. It was so much food!! The sauce was so flavorful with lots of garlic and butter. I loved the lemon and salt pepper mix for dipping. The steamed rice complements the savoriness of the seafood. Our server was super nice and friendly. I really recommend this place (-:
The service here is always great and understand people want rice although I was with mainly Americans which is hilarious. The sauces are saucy and a little on the greasy side but it's expected tbh. The fun and extravagantly funny fun decor certainly adds to the place. Think shenanigans meets red lobster.
I haven't been to boiling crab in well over five years and it was absolutely amazing going back for the first time in so long the whole shebang hits every time I got a pound of shrimp and a pound of mussels. Unfortunately, the clams were sold out because it was an insanely busy Thursday evening. The ambience is always a vibe, except the music was a little low . Our waiter was so nice and helpful! 10/10 can't wait to go again They Hella hooked it up with some extra sausage also!!! The girls loved it
Great food great ambience , workers are friendly and polite . Time for sitting does take a long time
Till this day, BOILING CRAB never disappoints. My seafood boil cravings will always be satisfied here & only here. SF to SJ is crazy, but hey anything for a happy belly ;) Service is always amazing. Suggestions for the owner: It would be nice if the business offer Yelp check in within a 3-5 mile radius from the restaurant.
My sister and I love coming to Boiling Crab as it brings us both a sense of nostalgia to when she would visit me in college during her summer break. We first had Boiling Crab in Los Angeles and the flavor is consistent no matter which location we've visited. We came for dinner on a Friday night and the wait was ~1hour. They don't take reservations, but there is an iPad with a Yelp waitlist that you can add your name to. Note, you do have to be at the restaurant in order to add your name to the waitlist. When we visited on 1/17/2025, frozen crawfish (they didn't have live available) was $14/lb, and shrimp was $16/lb. We added 2 corns ($1.85/each), and a sausage ($7.50/link) to our bag. We recommend the Whole Shabang sauce. Rice is a must for us and was $2.50/bowl. We also ordered their Fried Catfish ($13) and Fried Calamari ($10). I don't recommend the catfish at all as it was extremely dirty tasting. However, I hear that is what catfish typically tastes like so if that is your forte, be my guest. The calamari was fine, but nothing special. We'll stick with the non-fried options the next time we visit. This restaurant is extremely popular and there were people of all ages (infants - elderly) dining when we visited. It can get a little messy and they do offer bibs and gloves if you want to use them. There is plenty of parking available as it's located in The Plant Shopping Plaza. Minus one star because the automatic gratuity calculator is calculated on the post-tax amount. I don't have a problem tipping, but please be aware that tip is calculated on the pre-tax amount.
My friend and I have been to this location numerous times and the food is always wonderful and (obviously) we keep coming back. After a workout, we decided to treat ourselves to some crab and cajun fries. The wait wasn't too bad, even though there were several parties (including two 10+ groups) ahead of us. Overall, we waited about 20 mins before being seated. Of course, this was the middle of the week, so I am sure the wait would have been much longer on the weekend. The place is always bustling - loud music, people talking and laughing, delicious food and staff running back and forth. Our server was great and made sure to take good care of us - checking in with us often and asking if we needed anything else. The 1 star off this time was for the quality of crab legs. We usually get the same order, but for some reason, the crab legs this time seemed less than usual. We realized that the crab cluster had less meat than usual and was somewhat shriveled - if that makes any sense. It just wasn't the usual juicy crabmeat that we were accustomed to. So we added an order of shrimp to pad our appetite and that seemed to do the trick. Hopefully this is a one off and doesn't happen again in the future. The cajun fries were amazing as always!