Crab Hut

Came to the downtown location for the first time and service was very good, the hostess informed me there is a 18% service fee already added to the bill, I thought that was nice of him to give us the heads up. The seafood boil was good as well as the drink for 2. Crispy calamari and fries is a must and the jambalaya was very flavorful. World definitely come back again.

Few things are more disappointing than spending over $200 on a truly underwhelming dining experience. From the moment we arrived, the limited food options were a red flag. When I requested a simple side of rice, the server flatly said “no.” I asked again, clarifying, “You have rice, so could you serve it in a small bowl?”—but was met with the same unhelpful attitude. As someone who works in the restaurant industry, I know how easy it is to offer a reasonable alternative or at least make an effort. Unfortunately, our server seemed completely uninterested in providing even basic hospitality. Perhaps that explains the mandatory 18% service fee—because without it, gratuity might be hard to come by. Service was slow, and the food simply wasn’t good. I had high hopes for the beignets to end the meal on a better note, but they were a letdown too: dense, flavorless dough balls served with rock-hard ice cream I had to cut with a knife. And not a proper knife—plastic. Everything came with plastic utensils and paper plates, even for dessert. For a restaurant with such high prices, this felt more like a poorly planned picnic than a premium experience. I’ve never encountered anything like it before, and I truly hope I never do again.

Chain sea food restaurant that the taste might vary from one location to another. It is a good choice if you’re a seafood person. It combines the experience of eating seafood and the experience of eating the mixture of seafood in one bag. Worth to try

This place didn’t disappoint. It was worth the 105 price. The waiter was amazing and pleasant to talk to and was very attentive

Everything was great! Food, drinks, atmosphere! My daughter got the whole lobster 🦞 and a side of crab Rangoons. husband and I shared crawfish boil...

Delicious! And a wonderful experience. This restaurant is more about the experience of the meal than the meal itself. And, the seafood is exceptional. Select your items. We chose crab and shrimp. Added lobster. They come with some potatoes and corn. Your sauces and your heat level. They bring everything to the table in a bag. Dump and go for it! A fun night and delicious food. A bit on the pricey side, but worth it.

Came to San Diego for vacation with my family was recommended crab city Cajun seafood and bar exceeded a beyond expectations. Customer service was excellent service was excellent. I highly recommend you come and eat here. The bathrooms were very clean. Nubia did an amazing job keeping everything great thank. Liz was an exceptional sever

LOVE this place! We ended up coming to this place twice during our 10 day vacation in San Diego. Yes, they have the 18% service charge, but the wait staff definitely deserves it. we had a great time, the seafood is so fresh, the calamari is so awesome. The second time we went back we caught them at happy hour, and we took full advantage. We are from the Bay Area, but if we lived in San Diego, we would definitely be regulars. The food is awesome, service was excellent, and the price is very reasonable. Our family had a great time. I loved that the restaurant gave us disposable gloves (the environmental part of me hates this), which kept our hands clean and non-fishy smelling. Hubby's gloves broke both times, but he was busy cracking crab claws for the kids. if we are ever in San Diego again we will definitely be back!

We went on a weekend evening a little later than usual for dinner and had minimal to no wait. Great atmosphere, food, and service. We shared a seafood bucket among two people, which was a large portion certainly enough for at least 3. Great experience overall. The only downside is a small parking lot shared with multiple other restaurants in the same plaza making parking a challenge.

Came here with my boyfriend for a seafood boil craving, and while we were seated right away (which was nice -- no wait at all), the overall experience left a lot to be desired. We ordered the Bucket for One, which comes with a mix of seafood, corn, potatoes, and sausages, along with two steamed rice. I've been to plenty of seafood boil spots, and honestly, there was nothing that really stood out about this place. The flavors were just okay -- nothing memorable. It was actually my boyfriend's first time trying a seafood boil, and I was hoping this would give him a great first impression, but unfortunately, it fell flat. For the price we paid, plus the automatic 18% service fee (which they are upfront about through signs and on their website), I just don't think it's worth it. There are other seafood boil spots with better food and better prices. On top of that, when we asked for the check and two to-go boxes, it took an unusually long time. During that wait, we had enough time to use the restroom, watch other tables get their orders taken, drinks served, and food brought out. Even another table that asked for to-go boxes after us got theirs right away, while we were still waiting. To be fair, the servers were friendly and checked in on us to make sure we had everything we needed, but the combination of average food, high prices, and slow service (especially at the end) made this a one-time visit for us. Definitely won't be coming back.

They say come prepared for a mess if you're going to get the bucket and this is accurate. The service was quick and nice, server checked in throughout the meal despite a busy time. We opted for the biggest option, the lobster giant seafood bucket (Go to Town - Lobster). You can choose your side, and we opted for garlic cheesy bread. There is a lot of food here. One whole lobster, many king crab legs, lots of shrimp, crawfish, mussels, clams, sausage. And potatoes and corn to fill. It's supposed to feed 3-4 and by all rights it should but we came hungry and love seafood so we managed everything. They have kids meals here too, as my 10-year-old was nervous she might have to eat any protein or non-carb. Kids can choose nuggets, mac and cheese, or clam chowder. Also they get fries and apple juice. Overall we really enjoyed our meal. They do bring a bucket and you get a giant bag of seafood you can dig into with crab crackers and tools. They also offer sauce options so we will likely come back to try this again!

So freaking yummy! Parking was a little rough but totally worth it. I'm already craving my next visit.

Service and food are always great! The servers here are always so friendly. The only downside is the 18% gratuity charge.

The service was great, and the food was good -- nothing noteworthy, though I have tried a lot of seafood boil spots so I know a great spot when I taste it. The main thing is that the prices here are outrageous! I spent $30 on 9 headless shrimps. Again, I've been to many seafood boil restaurants and I have never paid that much for so little. I also used to live in SF where things are generally more expensive than here, and no seafood boil was priced like this location. My partner also got the sample boat which was huge! He liked everything in it and it was also quite pricey, but more worth the money than the shrimp I got.

10 minutes at a table with no greeting and it was darn hot in there. No thanks. I am not giving this place a dollar when our bill would have been over 250 for 3 people.

The food and attention is very good. What I did not like is the abuse for the customer at the time of paying that they charge him directly something that should not exist in any restaurant that is the so-called: Service fee which is the "18%" which is for the restaurant and the waiter they take away the benefit of receiving 18%, 12% etc... therefore the customer is not very satisfied since not all customers can pay more than 10, 12 or 18%.

Forgot to take a picture (I know a cardinal yelp sin), but when I tell you, I was pleasantly surprised by the seafood spot in the gaslamp district I mean it! As a DMV native, I'm always careful of seafood on other places, but this spot proved me wrong! This was one of the best seafood boss I have ever had. The crab legs were juicy and meaty the sauce was amazing. The drinks were great and the atmosphere is perfect for casual dining experience when you are ready to eat and shout down. I will absolutely be back whenever I am in San Diego

Charged me $104 for an uncleaned Dungeness crab without first mentioning the price. Zero flavor despite ordering it hot. Drinks were also extremely light on the booze. Only redeeming quality was the server but she was really unsure what a Dungeness crab even was (it's on the menu).

ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Skimpiest crab boil I've ever had in my life. Food was horrible and it made my stomach hurt.

We hit the happy hour. Wings were good and a deal at 75 cents each. Oysters were mediocre but that gonna depend on the source. Popcorn shrimp was good. If you can't tell, we hit the happy hour menu. Service was fine and overall a decent experience. Nothing exciting but nothing bad. Good place to hit if you feel like taking it easy.

Love this place. I had the lobster Cajun style TKO spice / hot level. Lobster and corn were delicious. Service is always on point here. Merry Christmas Crab Hut

Crab Hut is hands down the best comfort food! Order - All the flavors are on point but if you aren't getting full house you're doing it wrong. You also need to order their fries & dip it in the sauce! Service - The service is always super fast even during rush hour. My husband & I were helped by Jennifer & Jaclyn who were very accommodating & super sweet

Visited this place yesterday after it was recommended by a friend and we were highly disappointed. First off they charge you a 18% service fee before they even seat you. They ask do you accept this service? Well do I have a choice? If a restaurant has a service fee added be prepared to have crappy service ! And guess what, we had crappy service. Took 15 mins before we even got greeted by our service to order water! Ridiculous! The food was OK, but my main complaint is the service! And the service fee! We won't be back to this place! Sorry not sorry

Delicious cajun style seafood boil in downtown San Diego. One can learn a lot about what a restaurant has experienced in the past, by the communication that they give (and re-give). In our case, it was the fact that they charge a 18% service charge (i.e a mandatory tip) to all party sizes. That really isn't that unusual, but our hostess made sure we got the message before we got seated. When we then brought up our menus on our phones, via the scannable QR code, this message was given again as a pop-up. Really no excuse not to see that. I also read that there was no refund if one orders the wrong spice level of the food and wanted an exchange. Yeah...can't imagine if someone orders $300 worth of seafood and wants a refund because it was too hot. Anyway, we've been to a lot of different cajun style bagged seafood places and we didn't want any leftovers, so we kept it small for the two of us. However, things changed a bit when we realized it was happy hour and Crab Hut has great value for what they offer. Buffalo wings are 75 cents a piece (minimum 6), which is a great deal, and the wings were very good. No breading, just large chicken wings deep fried, and then tossed immediately in classic buffalo sauce. There isn't any choice in sauce...it's classic buffalo. It was served fresh, and the spice level was what we expected: between medium and hot. It came with celery, carrots, and ranch dressing. Honestly, if you like buffalo wings and a lot of it, this might be the place to go for that fix. But we came for the seafood boil, so ordered just 1/2 lb of head-on shrimp ($12.85) along with 1/2 corn (3 coblets for $6.91), mixed in the Full house (mix of all 3 sauces of cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter. We were warned about the hotness so got the 1/2 medium (between medium and mile)...and it was still very hot...almost too hot for us...medium would have been too much. I ordered a small bowl of steamed rice ($5.05). Drafts were $6, so we shared a Latitude 33 Blood Orange, which really helped to cut the spiceness. When the boil came, Jenny offered us disposable gloves and a bib, along with wet naps (if we didn't want gloves). She was excellent the whole way through, always arriving when we needed her help. For once, we ordered the right amount of food and didn't have any leftovers. Comparing it to the other cajun seafood boils, I think this belongs in the upper half. The quality of the shrimp was good (though like other places, the sauce will actually continue to 'cook' the shrimp as it sits in the bag, causing it to become mealy after a while). The price of the add-ons (potatoes, corn, and sausage) was a lot more expensive than the other places. The sauce was very good, but not 'between mild and medium'. And the service was exemperary.

hut Fresh, flavorful, clean!  We both ordered the Bucket for one, which is a mix of types of seafood; including crab, mussles and clams. I ordered level 5 out of 10, I would say that is mild but there mild scale is 8 out of 10! So FYI there scale of hotness is not what you may be custome to. Service was super attentive. We sat right away and our food arrived quickly as well. The service gave us plenty of sauces, spicies, and lemons. Even extra set of gloves for the mess. Great experience overall. It's a perfect spot for a casual but tasty date, family outting, or if your just looking for some quality seafood.

Came here during Comin-Con week. Made it just in time for happy hour. The seafood boils are a little on the pricey side, but the service was fast, had decent portions for the fish, and the flavor was great. Overall a great pick for lunch or dinner.

The food was awesome!!!! Sauces were delicious. The servers are very friendly and prompt. If you can find parking or take an Uber. This place is absolutely worth it!!

WORST Customer service ever wasn't welcoming when we walked in turned us down altogether bad service will never go there again

Pretty good for a seafood boil. They had a huge menu with tons of seafood and really great and large cocktails! The seafood itself was very good and tasted fresh, I ordered mild for my spice and it was still really spicy. My friends ordered medium and they were dying, the medium is definitely very hot. Just a warning! The house seasoning was okay, but I think I'd try a different one next time. The crab was sooo good and just melted in my mouth. Food was really good but I wish the portion was larger, I was able to finish my boil without a problem. Overall a pretty good spot for seafood, just be prepared for the spice level and the seasoning you'll want.

Decided to try this place because we really enjoy seafood and figured what better place for that then a seafood focused restaurant in San Diego. Because we weren't too hungry, we decided to get the Sampler Boat. The three of us were impressed with the size of the sampler. There were lots of fries and okra and 3-5 pieces of the seafood included in the sampler. The calamari was WAY overcooked and was tough to eat. The crab poppers didn't have any crab profile and tasted more like straight cheese poppers. The fish and shrimp were very good and cooked perfectly, but unfortunately they were sparse. Our waitress brought a variety of dipping sauces for us and checked frequently to make sure we were okay. The couple next to us were having one of the restaurants Boil Specials. It looked very good, but the prices of those offerings were outrageous. The thing that upset us the most was the automatic 18% "service fee". They make sure you know upfront about this (in numerous ways), but come on. This practice needs to end and get back to earning a tip. The prices charged at this place should more than cover their costs. I think we'll find much better seafood on our trip.

Good food, friendly staff, good prices. We enjoyed our time there. Good portions. We would return when in San Diego.

We went here for mothers day in the evening. It was not busy. The manager was not friendly when we walked in. Our server was great, but we ordered no sausage in the SNS combo and there was sausage in our first order so they had to remake it. The manager came to clean the table next to us and barked at us for using a chair from that table when no one else was sitting there. We had accidentally spilled water and no one came to clean it up. The food was good though except some of the crab legs were empty. I won't go back.

We had okay service, we had different people come and go and had to ask for our server at one point because no one came by. We always get the SNS but our family got different items. The pasta was described as bland and not enough flavor but the wings were good and fell off the bone. The service fee is what makes us not come here often because $16 added onto our bill is ridiculous.

I REALLY enjoyed this place. It's located centrally on Broadway in Downtown San Diego, so parking may be tricky, but the place isn't hard to find. . Upon walking into the venue, it is extremely spacious with five large sections and two bars. It's also spotless and has a bunch of cool, funky nautical and sailor artwork on the walls. The bathrooms are also huge and clean which is rare for many downtown restaurants. . We came in on a Monday afternoon so there weren't many other patrons. We got a four top table in one of the sections near the door and the first bar. I can't remember our server's name, but she was a bright and bubbly brunette Asian woman & gave us an appropriate amount of time to peruse the epic menu. They have all things seafood! And a pretty decent happy hour with $9 cocktails. . We got a dozen oysters to start, my partner ordered a modelo and for myself a piña colada. For someone that avoids frozen drinks due to the brain freeze that comes with it, this one was pleasantly balanced. It was mildly sweet and the ice was finely crushed minus the extreme chill. For our main course, we split a pound of the seafood boil that came with crab, shrimp - minus the head (there's a surcharge for this), corn and potatoes and got garlic bread on the side. I haven't tried many seafood spots, but this was one of the better ones. The pound was enough for the two of us and was well seasoned and warm the entire time we were eating. Our server was attentive and made sure to check on us several times throughout our meal to replenish our drinks and supply condiments. I REALLY wanted the Cinnamon Beignets for dessert, but I was stuffed from all the food. . I was skeptical to come here because seafood is pricey, but the happy hour pricing was decent. For the two of us it was ~$130 with tip. Good Cajun food in San Diego is here!

I haven't been coming here for years now. we have celebrated birthdays and have work luncheons. The food is great for the price. I don't recommend the drinks at the bar but a good beer or a wine is fine. They got a happy hour where you can get a dollar oysters. The staff are always attentive and the restaurant is cute inside. My go to is a pound of shrimp with the house sauce and if I'm feeling fancy, I'll get an extra lobster tail on the side... we have had everything on the menu and everything is amazing. You won't be disappointed if you try this place.

Really great crab ragoons and the lobster and shrimp bag are a must try. The mango daiquiris is amazing definitely need to Uber after!

This is a good restaurant if you want to get your hands dirty They have happy hour Monday to Friday 3 to 7 PM. On happy hour I got half off oysters, beers and $.75 hot wings. I like to get 1 pound of shrimp with rice and for the sauce I get everything on it. I always have leftovers because it is a lot of shrimp in 1 bag. Tips: they add 18% gratuity for the tip and parking is hard

Food was great. I got crab legs and they were great! My wife and I went here for our 45th anniversary and enjoyed it lots. She looked so nice. The service was slow, but they apologized and made sure we liked everything. Felt like a real crab shack. 8/10

Solid seafood with a reasonable price and very generous portions. I had the Jambalaya which had plenty of shrimp, sausage & chicken with a nice spicy finish. My wife had the gumbo which was good as well. Would definitely go back.

I've heard about this place soooo many times but never been. Yesterday was the first time i came here with a few of my shipmates. The food was soooo yummy!! Our server Lucy was sooo sweet and did such a wonderful job. I'll be back for sure.

I seriously love crab hut and have been coming here for years. I love recommending this place to people and the SNS combo is perfect for two with an addition of rice. Coming here is not just great food but a fun experience too. Get to put on a bib and gloves, then dig in!

Food was good. I had their seafood creole, which had lots of clams and mussels as well as shrimp. The sauce was yummy and filling.

I love this spot. I go to the one in Mira Mesa, and I am never disappointed. I brought my mom here because she literally just found out she loves crab legs. So why not? We usually go to a different place but I thought why not try this one since it has a more southern feel to it. The food is delicious. The seasonings they use are a great blend of cajun and spicy. The corn is so soft and the sausage and potato are great. Everything about this place is great. For service, they do automatically charge a % fee for the tip. The service wasn't that great but I was more interested in the food and wanted my mom to have a good time. In the end, the manager did make up for the service we received. Will definitely go back. It is a little pricey but worth it.

** My Number 1 of 3 Cajun Seafood Restaurants in San Diego ** Outstanding Food. When it comes to Cajun Seafood, Crab Hut is a must try. Their seafood, seasoning and spice choices are amazing and very delicious. My tolerance to spice is very high but this definitely packs a punch is heat. Fair Service. The service is very well balanced for amount of servers and customers. The ability to make reservations is very useful and allows the freedom to plan out the event and walk around Downtown until we're notified via text. Typical Cajun Vibe. Very well lite, adequate seating and pricing is justified. Tables are distance for privacy. ** Overall, amazing dining experience. Highly recommend!! **

Omg!! Soooo good. Parking is a nightmare. Had to order pick uptook ot back to hotel.. flavor was great..we got medium cajun..corn was good..crawfish nice size..hot wings were flavorful..service was helpful and nice..this was our 3rd time here. Didn't disappoint..

The food was a little pricey but worth it, tastes amazing! The staff was super accommodating with our large group. The place has nice set-up with huge windows looking out the street.

Food was good but overpriced. Got the fish and chips appetizer which was actually a meal. They will do cajun fries for an upcharge. Cajun fries were flavorful and freshly made. However fish wasn't prepared correctly as the breading fell off the fish. Service was excellent and location was on the main drag

Delicious!!! Location was great, parking easy and service excellent. Took my granddaughter out for her birthday and she absolutely loved it

Services sucks! Tried making an order over the phone and the guy, hung up the phone! I'll keep my tip today.

First, I am going to acknowledge that we came in at 9 pm on a Tuesday. It was our daughters birthday and we all work late so we were there 15 minutes before last seating and was out before 10 pm. Here is the reason why they get 1 star. My husband ordered the fish and chips and it tasted rotten. We eat catfish and know when it is bad and this one was horrible. They took it away and did not offer him anything else to eat. Therefore, we paid almost 200 and my husband left hungry. No acknowledgement or even anything. I feel like this was unacceptable. Have eaten at the one on Convoy and Mira Mesa. We will never come to this one again.

My husband and I were visiting SD from SLC and stumbled upon this restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing. We tried other seafood restaurants but this was our favorite. The SnS boil was so good that it was the only thing we ordered all three times we were there. Great service too.

Definitely the customer service great ., Tony t recommendation and guidance with the menu was very knowledgeable and definitely will recommend to my family and friends ask for Tony T . Food delicious well balanced flavors

We went early to beat any crowds. It has a crab shack feel inside and was clean. The food was amazing - I got a medium cajun seasoning and my husband got butter garlic. The crab was cooked perfectly and was a generous portion. Definitely will go again next time we're in San Diego.

Oh my goodness. So I haven't yelped in years but I wanted to take a moment to point people in the right direction in terms of this establishment...it was fantastic! The calamari is hands down the BEST calamari I've ever had. That was just the appetizer! Had jambalaya and I was full after about 4- 5 bites. I highly recommend if you're feeling some Cajun!

My first time at crab hut was everything I wanted it to be and more!!! My girlfriend and I decided to get the Seafood Bucket with a mild sauce and it was delicious. Def would recommend going here

First time here today. A coworker was having this for lunch one day so I thought i would try it. I ordered the S N S. The flavor was good. The only thing I didn't like was poop/debris left in the shrimp (which isn't harmful to eat but is unsightly) and the potatoes they used were going bad. They were covered in dark spots through to the inside and tested funny.

I want to give a shout out to Mindy at the downtown Crab Hut!!! I order food for pick up all the time and I always recognize her voice when she answers the phone because she is SO pleasant and so helpful! Even looking up my previous orders when I can't remember what level spice I always get. I can tell she really enjoys her job! I wish every restaurant had a Mindy! The food here is AMAZING TOO!