Crustacean on Polk

During my recent trip to San Francisco, my friends and I dined at the Crustacean Restaurant, experiencing what I consider to be the finest seafood meal of my life. I would give it a six-star rating out of five. The service was exceptional, characterized by prompt attention, friendly smiles, and unobtrusive professionalism. The food was is absolutly incredible and the manager exhibited consummate professionalism.

Sister restaurant to Thanh Long, home of the OG Vietnamese-American garlic noodles. I had high expectations because a copycat recipe is in my home-cooking rotation. I wanted to see what the “correct” end product tasted like. Unfortunately, I far prefer my homemade version. The noodles here have absorbed the butter instead of emulsifying it into a thick sauce. The entire dish was soft with little chew, and felt greasy rather than silken. The crab was quite nice with giant chunks of meat. The coconut shrimp was hard and rubbery, severely overcooked. Overall, this was a nice meal and I’m glad I went, but I’m not keen on returning. Go here mainly for the crab.

The food was average at best...overpriced, service subpar. Crab were decently sized (still well seasoned), noodles were cold, cheesey crab puffs had the consistency and taste of a grocery store product. The Restaurant physically has not been maintained the elevator was out upon my arrival. I was excited when I booked the reservation as I recalled past visits. I was disappointed. Also, pay attention to your bill. Like a lot of SF and East Bay restaurants they slide some sort of service fee / or employee xyz fee.

The food was delicious, but we got the butter garlic crab plus the butter garlic noodles. It was too overwhelming in butter garlic, and the taste got boring after a bit. Good thing we ordered a side of the tamarind sauce to dip 😋.

Visited this location on a Sunday evening. I had reservation but arrived early and was immediately seated.. they do not have parking but they gave me parking info when they called to verify my reservation. My fiancé and I were celebrating a recent engagement and this was an intimate setting. I order one cocktail drink and the roast crab with seafood rice and he ordered the prawns and garlic noodles. We had jumbo prawn wonton for appetizer. Our total bill was around $219 tip included. Gratuity is already factored into the bill. I love this place and plan to revisit whenever I come back

Well we were so happy to get into town and could not wait to go this this restaurant. We’ve been going to the one in Beverly Hills for years and just love the food, the service and the ambiance of this place. So when we stepped into this place it started off nice but was very underwhelming. The first thing we had was the beef skewers and well the meat did not taste very good at all. We also ordered and dish of Anne Garlic Noodles and well let’s just say this is not at all like what we get back in Los Angels. These were dry and cold. My wife order the lemon grass chicken and well the chicken was overcooked and grizzly. I had the steak dish which was good . If you been to the one in Los Angels don’t waste your time going here. Very disappointed.

Food was ok. Noodles are overrated. Crab was flavorful. The towels they bring at the end are super hot 🥵. Remember you have to find your own parking and the restaurant is in an interesting area. Be careful walking around

Food was quite tasty and service was attentive and efficient without being ever-present or overbearing. Cocktail specials were tasty and reasonably priced, and we did not try the crab. Unless you count crab cakes; very tasty and crabby in a panko breading. Greens were well dressed. The garlic noodles kick butt. The short ribs and bok choy were acceptable, but our least favorite dish. They didn’t have the unctuousness one would expect in a short rib; they weren’t exactly dry, but something was missing, and the glaze needed additional reduction. Crabs were too messy since we had an after-dinner event. Area parking isn’t too bad if you get there after the workday and before the night crowd. We had a concert at a nearby venue (the Regency Ballroom for Modern English & Human League), and pulled into a metered street spot at 5:53…that had 7 minutes of time left…and metered parking ends at 6! Woo hoo! The space was directly across the street, and about a 5 minute walk to the Regency Ballroom. Excellent experience overall.

The food here was amazing. I always get the garlic, roasted crab and the garlic noodles. Absolutely love this place very very good food very amazing. Great customer service and always gets us in and we drive about two hours to get there for special celebrations and birthdays. Try the garlic, roasted crab hole and garlic noodles definitely will not go wrong there Has great ambience with an evening date night mood. Or even out with friends girls night dinner mood all types definitely a great atmosphere.

Shrimp toast Awesome Crispy Roll. Nice loved the veg salad that comes as a garnish side Garlic noodles. very Awesome Roasted prawns. On the fence they were over cooked and hard to get from shell. But tasty. The service was top notch! The manager and servers were attentive and helped me with my Togo order. Will come back to try more stuff. The crab looked incredible

The food was Amazing. We laughed and had a good time. It was a good way to build relationships

Food is not the same anymore and they open at 5 pm and last seating is at 630 but they close at 8 PM this makes no since and the ambiance is just ok

The best Dungeness crab I have ever had. Customer service and food were amazing. The ambiance was beautiful.

Went for my mother in laws birthday dinner and the food was great. The service was even better, they were so attentive. They do charge a 20% gratuity charge on every bill and tell you up front they charge it but not how much, not complaining tho since the service was GREAT.

Everything was very good... the service and specially the food was awesome... can't wait to go back.

A true Bay Area OG establishment. Crustacean has been around for so long, my parents used to go here when they were still dating. Get the crab and garlic noodles, the prawns are not worth it in my opinion. The crab is so good, there is nothing like it.

Came here mainly for the Thang Long garlic noodles (and friends of course) I'd so often try to recreate at home and was not disappointed. Very delicious seafood and noodles for a reasonable price. Would come back for seconds off the garlic noodles. Crab was also delightful. Server was kind and it was lively inside.

Service was good The food was average at best, although to note we didn't have the dungness crab, a very popular choice for the other dinners

Food was really good and customer service was nice and fast. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted and seated immediately. I ordered the roast crab, seafood fried rice and the garlic noodles - 10/10! Great flavor and size was shareable. The inside is beautiful and a nice place to dine in. Take out is available as well but this is a nice place for a cute date night.

Food is great and all that, just ticked about trying to contact them outside of calling.

A friend's coworker suggested going here for great seafood in San Francisco. I must admit that as we ascended the flight of stairs leading to the restaurant, we were very suspicious of the recommendation. Lol! However, we decided to give it a try because we already had reservations and we were hungry. Boy - were we wrong to judge a book by its cover! The food was amazing! Well, specifically the crab. I still think about the amazing roast crab and garlic noodles I ate. I typically stay away from crab because I've largely been unimpressed by the ones I ate in the past and the whole eating process just feels like more work than it's worth. I'm definitely glad I gave the roast crab one more chance. I'd like to return again for the crab. On another note, our waiter was also funny and personable. It was a surprisingly fun experience.

Very flavorful with attentive service. My son and I ordered appetizers and the waiter looked a little shocked that we wanted mains - this made me laugh a little. Calamari and roasted crab were both wonderful.

Best crab in the city hands down and the garlic noddles were so good. Crustaceans never lets me down always good service and the food is always hella good

Have been dinning at Crustaceans for over 20 years , food is always good ( crab prices are very high now ) but still good . Service is always excellent and it's always easy to make a reservation.

It's a must visit when in San Francisco! The garlic crab is amazing and the best dessert I've ever had is the baked Alaskan. You will not be disappointed!

This is one of my go to SF spots. Been coming here for 15 years and will always frequent it. The food is always excellent, service is perfect and the restaurant is clean, classy and well kept. The garlic crab is a must as is the calamari. I have tried almost every appetizer and they are all exceptional. Nothing but great things to say.

Absolutely loved it here! I visited during Restaurant Week, and while the menu was a bit different than expected, I still had a fantastic experience. I usually stick to my favorite dish, but this time I skipped the mussels on bread--next time, I'll definitely be ordering them. Overall, a solid 9/10! Can't wait to return.

Crustacean is a must-try, for their crab! The buttered noodles are delicious, though you could easily make something similar at home. But the crab? Absolutely phenomenal, with flavors unlike anything I've ever experienced. Don't miss out on this unforgettable culinary delight!

Visited the original Crustacean while visiting San Francisco! Went with my family after we spent the day in Napa. To me, the outside is unassuming and it's located on the second floor. Inside, the restaurant is deep with lots of seating. We were greeted and seated immediately. Well if you come here, you have to order the crab--it's what their known for here! I ordered the roasted (Dungeness) crab and their famous noodles! It was delicious--bring your appetite! I wasn't able to finish but thankfully, I had help! Ambiance was nice. It was quiet and lighting was in between dim and relaxed.

Staff were very kind and attentive. Food was delicious! Especially the garlic crab! Order some bread too! Once you finish the crab, you will really want to use the bread to continue enjoying what's left of the delicious butter from the crab remnants.

Walked in with my family of 5 at 445 on a Saturday with no wait. I haven't been here in a while, they used to have white table cloths and would do the crumb scraping thing, but I guess not anymore? Maybe a Covid change? I kind of thought that made it extra fancy and also there usually was a waiter just hovering to see id something was needed. Not quite that level when I visited which was ok with me since I wasn't looking for fancy, but I hope they do that during prime time dinner Crab puffs Mango salad Shaken beef Roasted crab Roast Salmon I enjoyed the mango salad, nice freshness to offset the heaviness of my entrees. Shaken beef was nice and soft, the sauce made it almost sweet. I think a little salt would have made it pop Roast salmon was delicious, my family loved it. The soy ginger sauce was balanced. Roasted crab was the star! Garlic butter pepper, i wish I was eating another right now overall a great dinner, just a little surprised in some of the small changes. When I went it was very spacious, almost empty, but it was also an early dinner. I would definitely come back

Always the best crab and garlic noodles anywhere. Yup, anywhere. Will not disappoint!

Garlic roast crab and noodles. There is nothing more to say. TREAT YO SELF! This place will forever be a favorite for crab. The service is great and the staff is attentive. Other notable mentions: Green lip mussels, garlic steamed vegetables, shrimp crab toast Watch outs: the price keeps going up and they add mandatory 20% gratuity to your bill

I was wowed by all their food. Everything is delicious and nothing like I ever had before. Service is great and ambiance is good too. I will definitely come back.

The service was excellent but the food quality could use a refresh and the ambiance should be more in line with the Crustacean in BevHills

The food was pretty good but i wouldnt recommend the Grilled prawns. I WOULD recommend the crab lol it was great and the garlic noodle was so delicious. I over ate, well we all actually did. The service was great we had a reservation which i highly recommend. The atmosphere is pretty chill and you dont have to dress fancy or anything but to each their own. I dress up everywhere lol the building is confusing but its upstairs, but compared to Thanh Long, i prefer Thanh long because of the location.

Finding parking wasn't too difficult w/all the parking garages around. Very good services, Sweet ambiance And delicious good despite the price.

Went here for a family member's birthday; food was a 7/10 overall; the garlic noodles and the shaken beef? was a solid 8/10, but the most expensive item, which was a whole dungeoness crab in white wine, was extremely disappointing as it was quite bland (could barely even taste any sort of wine flavor) and tasted like it was just poached in water only; at best, a 5/10 and that's only because its crab and crab is awesome! Definitely not worth the 80+ dollars we spent though. Service and ambiance were both great. Overall, this is at best decent to good food with great service and great ambiance but also very much overpriced. I personally wouldn't eat here again because I don't like eating overpriced food but I could see someone who doesn't care about prices and just wants to eat some good southeast-asian fusion food liking this spot.

Came by nov,27 for gaylons birthday we all had good time I got the tiger prawns with garlic noodles was delicious also got a Moscow mule it was very light really too light the waitters were nice also thanks

Food was not fresh!! It was reheated and both the roasted crab and shaking beef was not up to par. I sent my food back and did not want them to remake it.

This food was amazing. Start with the best garlic noodles ever! I'm in town visiting after being away for several years. And a good friend brought me here and ordered some awesome secret kitchen stuff. The service was awesome. The waiters were attentive and friendly and though a little hard to understand once or twice he was quick to repeat. The food was next level! My friend ordered us the crabs and garlic noodles and wow! Butter garlic old bay and crab! Done! We had an anchor steam to go along with it. (Sad anchor steam was bought out) and the noodles were soooo good. It was chill and pretty quiet and just a great spot. Right off Polk and California.

Amazing service, amazing food, and always great ambience! My favorite restaurant every year coming

Crustaceans is a restaurant that has deservedly stood the test of time. I have been coming here more than 30 years The standards are high and the food is great. The roast crab is their signature dish from the secret kitchen. Of note is the garlic noodles. Papaya salad before the crab is a nice starter.the service is very attentive The decor was redone approximately 10 yrs ag

The good: Crab was excellent The not so good: MANDATORY $75tip and they didn't acknowledge the "birthday" which I wrote in the comments of the reservation.

I hadn't enjoyed Crustacean in over 30 years and I had heard that it wouldn't be the same. Few restaurants have that kind of staying power and I for one was hoping their roasted Dungeness Crab remained just as wonderful as I remembered it! What a relief! As buttery and garlicky as my taste buds had it - it didn't miss a beat. The restaurant was crowded and service was spot on. The garlic noodles were the perfect addition and my partner's salmon was perfectly cooked. I wish Crustacean another 30 years at least!

Visited Crustacean with a few friends during restaurant week on a whim, and found it to be quite solid! We were seated fairly quickly for walk-ins, despite it being near peak dinner time and the waiters were incredibly polite! The ambiance was quite nice, and seems like it'd work great as either a short date spot or even a business dinner with some colleagues. As for the food, we ordered the Royal Tiger Prawns which came with garlic noodles, as well as a roast crab per person! Royal Tiger Prawns: Incredibly buttery and smooth, I've never had Tiger Prawns before but these were an excellent introduction. The garlic noodles were a tad on the salty side, but I still gobbled them all up! 4/5 But if you're coming to a restaurant called Crustacean, you better order the crustaceans! The Roast Crab was awesome, it was seasoned to perfection, absolutely dripping with flavor, and I was eagerly cracking open more legs as I ate up the last. A definite must get, if it's in your price range. 5/5 Overall, Crustacean is a solid spot that did not disappoint! If I'm ever feeling crab again, I'll definitely be revisiting.

I loved the garlic noodles and the waitresses and waiters are super friendly, in my experience everyone that worked there was friendly -5 Star Hero

Absolutely the number one place when we go for whole crab in the Bay Area. The staff is great. The food is delicious beyond belief. We have garlic crab with garlic noodles, a green salad, and some wonton prawns. They also have a full bar to meet anyone's needs. Tell them Mark from Turlock sent you...

Definitely NOT the same Crustacean I used to frequent years ago. The food does not taste the same and the restaurant decor is lack luster. The Staff was nice, but definitely not the same service as in the past. With a 20% tip added to the bill, you will not get top notch service. Bathroom was not clean and what happened to the valet service? Anyway, very expensive for an okay meal. Sadly, We won't be going back.

So I want to start off with a positive. The food was hands down incredible. The crab was so good, garlic noodles were delicious. The only reason I'm giving a 3 star rating is the service was horrible. We went for a late New Years celebration along with celebrating our anniversary. We made a reservation and when we arrived the owner or manager I am not sure sat us. He did recognize that it was out anniversary and told us he would advise the waiter. We never received water the whole meal after asking for it when we first sat down. The waiter never came back to check on us and someone else brought our check. When the check came they automatically added gratuity and that makes sense why they never came back. An easy tip for them and crappy service for us. We each had a drink, shared the crab, shared the garlic noodles and some shared some shrimp tempura I think that was what it was called and with automatic gratuity and fees it was $180! I was baffled. I will not be going back there unfortunately especially since the food was great.

I decided to stop by on a Thursday when they opened. I use to come often years ago. I came once after covid it was okay. My mom was craving the crab so we came back. The service here is always great but the food has never been how it was years ago. They do include a 20% tip on your bill. Food: Crispy Rice Paper Rolls 10/10 Garlic Crab 7/10 garlic noodles 10/10 tiger prawns 6/10- it was too charred shrimp fried rice 8/10 Drink: I ordered a mocktail the ginger one barely had flavor i tried the sparkling grape it was good but not worth $10 Honestly for the price and the food now I probably won't be back. My favorite part is the hot towels they give you after your meal.

DELICIOUS! We came around 615 on a Tuesday not very many people there we got excellent excellent excellent service ! Lemon drops for delicious crab delicious garlic noodles the best!

What a fantastic meal! We were enjoying a fun date weekend with some friends and they made reservations at the Crustacean. Settled atop the corner of California and Polk in San Francisco is this beautiful restaurant called Crustacean. A must if you're visiting San Francisco! We enjoyed the famous Crab (Tamerlan Crab)! We also had the An's garlic noodles and sea bass. So good so satisfying. Come ready to eat and don't be afraid to get messy. It's more fun when you do!

This place had some of the best garlic noodles I've had in a long time, but the crab are to die for. The parking isn't amazing but to be expected considering the location. The place was a lot nicer indeed than I expected. I met friends here for dinner and we actually ordered a bunch of noodles and a couple crabs and it was sufficient. The crabs come bathed in melted butter I couldn't get enough! But those garlic noodles WOW! So tasty for sure. They were cooked perfectly and packed with garlicky flavor. The drinks were flowing and food was phenomenal. The ambiance of the place was very nice and relaxing. The service was great, as soon your your bowl was filled with shells, it was replaced so quickly you hardly even notice. This is a place I can't wait to return to very soon:)

Best garlic roasted Dungeness crab and garlic noodles in SF and all of the Bay Area! I rate the food, service, and ambience 5 stars. However since the pandemic, the price of their crab has increased dramatically to now almost $90 (tax included) per crab according to a staff member when I called the restaurant during crab season 2024. For this, I rate Crustacean 1 star. I will not go back until the price goes back to normal and will update my rating back to

The restaurant had a nice ambience. We were seated at the exact time of our reservation and did not have to wait around, which was great. I was disappointed by the food. Portion sizes were extremely small. We ordered 7 dishes to share between 5 people and it was still not enough. Overall flavor was lacking, especially the crab which is what I was most excited for. Garlic noodles, shaken beef, and roast salmon were good. Mussels, tiger prawns, and crab (roast crab slightly better than drunken crab) were just okay. Our waiter was also awkward. When we asked for his recommendations, he only told us 1 dish and did not even explain what was in it or why he was recommending it. On top of that, we kept having to ask for extra sets of utensils, straws, bowels, etc. because he kept giving us the wrong amount. On the bright side, cocktails were tasty and strong, not watered down like most restaurants. I recommend the lychee martini.

Saw a man urinating outside the window. Niceeee. When you are greeted with "Tip is added to the bill already, you do not need to tip" you know service is going to be poor (and it was). Ambiance: Give the prices and ala carte dining options, I assume Crustacean's goal is supposed to be upscale? However, child at the next table screaming their head off at the next table, gave more "Disneyland vibes." And the adjacent diners eating crab legs with plastic bibs, gave more "Bubba Gump vibes". Overall: Tasted like expensive Panda Express. Both meals were over sauced. Poor service. 10/10 would not recommend. Parking Tip: Good luck. VegViews: None.