The Boiling Crab

I’d been wanting something spicy and carb-heavy for a long time, and this place absolutely hit the spot. Great for sharing, with spice levels to suit everyone. We tried the snow crab legs, shrimp po’ boy, and lobster rolls — the lobster rolls were the crowd favourite! It is on the pricier side, but totally worth it for the quality and flavour. Highly recommend, and I’ll definitely be visiting again!

Ordered to go. Out of 7 clams, 4 were not open. Make me question the freshness. Flavor was okay, but for seafood, the clam quality really matters. Hope this was just an off day.

We walking in around 9 pm they were sat down immediately. The restaurant closed at ten but our server never rushed us and even let us stay longer to finish our meal. They have offers every day and on Thursday we had get fries free with 2lbs of seafood. Got a pound of shrimp and a pound of mussels at a medium spice level of the Cajun seasoning with corn and sausage. Everything tasted amazing and the fries were also dusted with the seasoning. The mussels were so fresh I even found a baby crab in one of them. A must check if you like a seafood boil.

we had a great variety of seafood options and from shrimp to shellfish. love it the taste was exactly what I expected. true cajun flavor is hard to skip. We had an amazing time with all the sides and crab fries.

I've been meaning to try the Boiling Crab for a while now, and I'm glad I did! The service was great and we got to try a lot of items Great, would get again - The clam boil was delicious! The clams were big and perfectly cooked, soaking up a lot of flavor from the sauce. - The fried shrimp basket was great! They had a nice BOGO50 for shrimp (we also got a shrimp boil). Good, might get again - The gumbo had good flavor (on the salty side) and good toppings -- I just wish there were more toppings! Especially the okra... We got it with extra shrimp for +50c. The soup consistency is a bit thin but I liked it overall. - The sha bang bang scallops were quite interesting! I think I would prefer getting fried scallops over having them in the sauce. One of my dining partners liked this the best. - The crab fries were my friend's favorite dish! Meh, wouldn't get again - The shrimp boil was alright -- the shrimp is the type that gets overcooked easily, and we got it head on. The sauce doesn't really get into the shrimp. I liked the fried shrimp and the shrimp in the gumbo better than this. Overall a very solid option for seafood -- I know where to go for delicious Cajun clam boil!

The sever we got was the rudest person I've ever seen. The rest if the staff was very friendly and helpful but the server that took our order was not nice definitely not the person you want serving your table on your birthday. The food was good, it's pricey and I'll hopefully be able to eat there next year on my birthday again. I wish I do t get the same server.

The servers were very kind and the food was great! Gumbo was excellent. My only complaint would be the portion size for the fried oysters :(. They’re $14 and you only get at most 8 fried oysters. They’re were delicious though… I was just disappointed in the amount. My review would be 4 stars if the portion for the fried oysters was larger/ more cost appropriate.

Had shrimp, clams, and mussels with the Whole Sha-Bang sauce (all 3 sauces mixed), and it was absolutely fire! Get the chips, don’t skip them! They were 1000/10

So happy to see the Boiling Crab in the east coast! I still remember going to its CA location a decade ago, and waited in line for hours for the first time to try the food. It was so good that I went back the next day, again waited for an hour, to try the food again. It's messy, so be prepared. It's also super delicious. I always bring my own disposable gloves, just so it's easy to eat and then maybe take a break and then put on new gloves to continue eating. The menu is simple, so it's easy to decide what you want. Highly recommend this place.

Cute little spot! Parking wasn't easy, but we managed to find a spot on Mass Ave on a Sunday afternoon. We loved the free fries offered for checking in on Yelp. Everything was priced by the pound, so it can get a bit pricey. We tried the original Cajun seasoning, which was okay but quite salty. I wouldn't recommend adding extra seasoning -- it was a bit much. We ordered non-spicy and added extra for medium spice. Overall, I'd give this place an 8/10.

As a college student in Boston craving seafood boil, The Boiling Crab in Cambridge is a great choice! I got the "Taste of TBC" combo deal, where I got a large bag of shrimp, corn and mussels with delicious fries on the side. The service was adequate and they were very helpful breaking down the prices for their seafood offerings. I do wish they checked in a bit more as I often had to call them to request for water refills. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very nautical and whimsy, which was nice. I can see lots of people from different backgrounds (college students, families, elders) enjoying eating here.

I've had a lot of seafood boil before and I have to say this place is great! Plus, the medium actually has kick to it, which I loved. And they have hard boiled eggs as an option to add on, I've always wanted to try seafood boil with eggs after watching a mukbang. Not only was the food delicious, but the staff was attentive and nice. The decor was cute and seatowny, would come back

Clean, cozy space. Server was exceptional. The Christmas decorations were a nice touch.

We had lobsters all around -- so delicious! The Cajun fries were really good, and everything came loaded with garlic butter. Tasty cocktails too -- a great meal all around!

Hanging with friends! The service is great and server Angie has been so helpful. So excited to eat!

Okay besties, gather round because I just had a spiritual awakening at The Boiling Crab in Harvard Square. First of all, the vibes? immaculate. The minute you walk in, it's giving "we're about to get messy and have zero regrets," and honestly that's the energy I want for my life moving forward. I ordered the Whole Shabang because obviously I'm not a coward, and when I tell you this bag of seafood had me kicking my feet like I was texting my crush?? Bro. The sauce was so good I considered writing it a love letter. The shrimp? PERFECT. The corn? CRUNCHY JUICY MAGIC. The potatoes? Healing my inner child one bite at a time. Also shoutout to the staff because they were lowkey the MVPs, handing out bibs like "we know what's about to happen, good luck soldier." We sat there looking like messy little crab gremlins and they STILL checked in on us like absolute angels. If you're in Harvard Square and not coming here, I fear you hate joy. Run. Don't walk. And wear black because the splash zone is REAL. 10/10 would let the Whole Shabang ruin my life again.

Loved the flavors of the sha-bang shrimp! it paired perfectly with the side of white rice. Also would recommend the cajun fries, well seasoned and crispy. Inside is very spacious and can seat large groups.

It's unfortunate that the prices here are so steep, especially considering it's not a Black-owned crab boil or a spot that incorporates Cajun culture. The drinks were disappointing--do not recommend the hibiscus mule. It was awful, and they still charged me for it, even after I had to remind them to remove it from the bill. Meal 1 - Oysters: They didn't have the fresh, briny taste you'd expect. They were fine, but nothing special. Meal 2 - Calamari: The calamari was tough, and there wasn't much of it. The seasoning was lacking, but it was okay overall. The boil itself was tasty, but I still think it was overpriced. This feels like a one-time visit kind of place. The prices weren't clear, and there were too many stipulations on portion sizes--like only being able to order shrimp in half-pound increments, which didn't make much sense. Other places give more accurate pricing. If you're craving NOLA and a good boil, you'd probably be better off booking a flight. It would be much more satisfying.

Fantastic ambience; cool vibe , warm, cozy, definitely feels homey. A great selection of fried seafood items.! Really a delight !

This is one of the more flavorful food spots in the Cambridge area. As someone who generally eats extremely spicy food, the spice level here is great. The servers are so friendly and service is quick. I always love coming here!

Sometimes I crave fried seafood but don't feel like going to a fancy dine-in establishment for that. Thankfully, there's Boiling Crab, and it hit the spot! I got the fried soft-shell crab basket with Cajun fries, and it was absolutely delicious; perfectly portioned and affordable, too. Shoutout to Maisa, who was an incredible server! She was so kind, accommodating, and super knowledgeable about the menu. She needs a raise! I'll definitely be coming back and hope to have her as my server again.

love a good seafood boil place and this did not disappoint. the snow crab and shrimp were fresh and delicious and I would stick to these! the fresh crawfish was alright. the whole sha-bang sauce was a great choice that combines all of the sauces. mild had a decent kick while still being very flavorful. crabber fries with lemon and pepper were excellent. I just wish they had garlic noodles as a side too

So good! This might be a bit of a hot take, but my favorite item here is actually the hard-boiled eggs in the Whole Sha-Bang seasoning -- I'd be happy with just those. They've got all the classics: crab, shrimp, mussels, clams. If you're getting shrimp, go with the headless option -- it's a better deal. The staff was great and really accommodating. We had mussels that didn't have much meat, and they quickly replaced them with clams and made sure we were taken care of. It's a fun, hands-on experience with just the right amount of spice. Definitely on the oily side, so not an everyday meal, but perfect when you're craving a seafood boil. This location is solid and homey -- hoping they add scallops to the menu soon.

The food was a 10/10! Also let me just mention the service was amazing! One of the workers "Angie" gave us the best experience! I come here pretty often but this was the first time I was given recommendations!! She was very helpful , nice , and checked up on us to make sure we had everything we needed! She's such an amazing person and made our experience the best!

We dined at Boiling Crab a few times and every time is great! The atmosphere is so lively and welcoming. This time Val was our server and she was very friendly! We ordered the TBC Combo which comes with 1 lb. of Boiled Shrimp, 1/2 lb. of Mussels, 2 Corns and Crabber Fries. Every was cooked fresh and tasted amazing. 5/5! We will be back!

the student deal is the BEST EVER they have the CRISPIEST FRIES. I come here at least once a month for shrimp

really yummy i love seafood boil and vibes r good n i love my friends service is good and fast too!

Amazing and fast service. Great prices for a good amount of food! We went on Friday to order the BOGO shrimp and the staff were very nice and explained the discount well. Definitely will come back.

$80 for two snow crab clusters. With prices like these, I hope the crabs are getting a cut. It's also endlessly infuriating when a place has a spiciness scale and the hottest setting is like they had an extra crank of black pepper. Where's the calibration on this stuff? Do they just ship it to some suburban mom and ask her for a rating? Service was super nice, I feel bad giving this review but I would rather go diving for crabs than eat here again. In the Charles. Right now.

wonderful !!!!!! it was so much fun and it was so good and yummy thanks so much

My favorite place for Louisiana style seafood boil. I have been enjoying the TBC experience for many years now. I am so happy that they have opened their franchise in the Harvard Square in Cambridge MA. The inside is about 3 levels with plenty of seating with choice for a booth and is good for big groups too. This review is for the Cambridge MA location only. Quick seating, and quick service. You can order seafood by the pound at Market price, their best is any crab, The chicken wings are great ask for Lemon pepper with a side of chilled beer. Don't miss ordering the shebang bang shrimp, we had got three orders of it, as it is so deliciously made, Make sure you ask for the whole shabang for the sauce, and try the spicy level xxx if you could and it gives a nice kick to the flavor. Best combination to order Shrimp, clams, Crawfish, sausage, and corn with the spicy whole shabang sauce . And it is finger licking good. I would recommend this one thing to the restaurant. Make sure the shrimp are deveined as it is not good for health when consumed. If you are in the Cambridge MA area don't miss this restaurant. Highly recommended.

I have to be honest with you all - when my friends decided this would be the spot to celebrate two birthdays in one, I was a little skeptical. Don't get me wrong, I generally enjoy seafood, but not cooked shellfish. Especially when I have to get my hands dirty and deal with shells and cartilage... just not a fan. Yet: 1. This celebration wasn't about me. 2. Life occurs outside the comfort zone. 3. I did see some items on the menu I would've found agreeable. All this in mind, The Boiling Crab ended up being an overall fantastic experience! I ordered She-Bang Bang Scallops Medium Hot, and a side ("Extra") of Gumbo with Extra Sausage. The scallops were fantastic! They were fried ever so gently to have a gentle crispness and supremely tender interior. They were also not overly fishy - too many places seemingly use the same oil for everything, and if that's the case here, I couldn't tell. The sauce, though, is what took them to the next level. It was phenomenally savory, not overly salty, and had a proper heat! To be fair, while I ordered them "medium" and they were more "hot," it was agreeable to my heat loving self regardless of nomenclature. Rice was a nice touch too to help sop up any excess liquid fire-gold. Since the scallops weren't all that filling on their own, the gumbo hit the right spot in rounding out the meal. While maybe not quite as good as what I had in NOLA proper, it was respectable in its own right. Savory, hearty, appropriate salt level, and well balanced (esp with extra sausage). But wait, there's more! There are two more areas where The Boiling Crab shines! One is service: Our server, Angie, and the overall team were fantastic. She was knowledgeable, and perfectly attentive for our group. Food came out very fast, too. Bonus points because we were a group of eight! Second is value: There is no denying seafood is expensive on its own, and even more so when dining out. Considering the quality, I would say the value at TBC was excellent! Thus, despite my initial hesitations, TBC left a glimmering first impression, and I look forward to returning, and maybe even bringing family to share in the awesome!

I started off with soft shell basket. It came with 2 crabs cut in half with Cajun fries. I wish there more but I suppose they need to make a profit I felt like I was near the ocean. There was a lighthouse in the dining room. The fries had some Cajun spice on them. I had them mild which was plenty hot for me. They had other choices available. Because of the way the dinning room was decorated, there was nothing to absorb the noise. The floor and walls were wooden so the sound carried.

Food was good. Waitress was cool, her name is Juliana. Place was clean and had really good energy. Food and drinks were ok as well. Prices were reasonable as well.

so good !! angie is great !! great vibe here and good service the decorations were so cute too!

This review is solely for the Sha-Bang Bang Shrimp (I went here once LAST YEAR to try their shrimp seafood boil and I was a bit disappointed in the way it was cooked, but I am very open to giving it chance again) I tried the Sha-Bang Bang Shrimp at the Cambridge food festival and I'm so glad I did because it's something I never knew I needed. They have Student Promos and I saw it had Sha-Bang Bang Shrimp for $10 if you show your student id! It was honestly perfect and SUCH A STEALL BUT you can still get the shrimp plate at regular price (for $13)! The worker serving us was so nice and attentive and made everything amazing and the place was super clean. Sha-Bang Bang Shrimp: ONE WORD GARLICKY the shrimp has a crisp, tossed in their super flavorful sha-bang sauce! You can get it in 3 diff spice levels and I love eating it with the rice. If you love fried shrimp and garlic this is for you *TIP: GET A SIDE OF GARLIC AIOLI TO DIP Crabber Fries: Their fries are so crispy and seasoned. You can get it seasoned in Cajun or Lemon Pepper, but we did Cajun. I think next time we will do Lemon Pepper since the shrimp is already super seasoned and had the Cajun spice as well. The crab they use isn't crab imitation and their garlic aioli drizzled on top is perfect

The food and service were good. The restaurant was easy to find. Angie was a great server and explained all the nuances of how to order very clearly.

I've tried 4 different locations now! Had a great time and had attentive staff. Got snow crab legs, shrimp, gumbo, fried oysters, and cajun fries. Got the whole sha bang for sauce, mild. My feedback would be to make the sauce less salty and mild was definitely more spicy than I have had at other locations. Still a wonderful time and glad they have a location in Cambridge now!

We came at a good time (day before July 4th so there was no wait. But we made a reservation anyways just in case. Our server was very friendly and took time to go over the mention and gave good recommendations. We ordered onion rings (crunchy and crispy but not too hard, we got this in lemon pepper and was really flavorful), fried oysters (these were a bit small and not much flavor), fried soft shell crab came with fries (our server brought over a garlic aioli sauce to dip the crab and it was delicious, went together very well), crab dipper fries (crab meat over fries), for the seafood boil we got mussels, shrimp, corn and potatoes (we did the medium garlic sauce and the sha-bang). The highlight and also something different that they have that the other places don't, they give you a fresh lime to squeeze into a saucer filled with salt and pepper. It's simple but adds great flavor (helps with the spiciness as well) to the shrimp (or any seafood you have). Inside is very clean, casual and has everything you need: gloves, bibs, napkins and wet naps.

Going for their buy one get one shrimp deal on Fridays is the move. The sha bang bang shrimp was nicely fried, not too greasy, and a decent portion. The drinks seemed to taste water downed and fairly sweet. Lastly, it's nice that the crab boil bags are truly customizable and delicious.

Fantastic food and drinks with top-notch flavors, complemented by exceptional service from Lorena and Fernando!

I have some feedback to give regarding food. I love their customer service and staff! Super attentive to customers' needs. However, I feel their culinary food preparation needs some work. I came here on a Tuesday evening. Ordered -1lb shrimp The Whole Shabang Medium -1lb shrimp The Whole Shabang XXX -1lb Mussels The Whole Shabang Medium -Fried oysters -Cajun Fries I wrote this on my previous review, but I think they should put more sauce in the seafood bags! My shrimp came out so dry and sauce-less. It made my experience underwhelming. Also, I ordered XXX spicy for a reason, and it was NOT SPICY AT ALL! It was almost as spicy as the Medium level spicy... If you're going to sell a spice level to the maximum, I think you should make it spicy all the way. The Mussels came out so dry. The sauce and seasoning coated the outside shell of the mussel, but the inside was plain steamed because no sauce got into the mussels. What's up with that? The fried Oysters were very underwhelming as well. For the price point, it came out to be such a tiny batch of fried oysters. Also, my partner and I agreed there was a funky smell to the fried oysters-- maybe the oil used to fry them in was old?? Overall, there needs to be MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS in the quality of food they serve. Props to their service team, b/c service was on point, but the food made us unhappy and underwhelmed..

I love love love how I got in at 5 pm and there WAS NO WAIT! Quickly sat down. The downside, there are no combos, now I can't remember if other bay area ones offered combos, but this spot is independent orders. They also do not have garlic noodles! But, had a good time with raw oysters, and shabang combos of shrimps, mussels and calms. Good meal. My one meal of the day. I'm satisfied. If I'm ever in the Harvard again... I will be back.

Came here the beginning of the year it was actually good no complaints. BUT I recently returned and I was very disappointed with the quality of the food. I ordered the boil with shrimp nd snow crab , the shrimp tasted undercooked and the crab legs had a fishy smell that threw me off. Maybe in the future I can come back and get a better experience but for now I'm disappointed.

This is finally here from its popularity in California. We're surprised it's not as busy as in California. Maybe it's not as well known or not as advertised? Or lack of word of mouth? In any event, it is a must try for students in the area.

We weren't here for very long as we only stopped in to escape the rain. We did however order some beers and a basket of bang bang shrimp. The bang bang shrimp was really really good and when we mentioned to our server it was one of the best we had ever had we were shocked to find out they didn't know that was a popular dish in other areas of the country. The shrimps were packed with flavor and paired perfectly with our beers.

The shrimp were so big and juicy. After taking the shell off, try dipping them back in the sauce in the bottom of the bag. We got the whole sha-bang sauce in mild, and it was super flavorful without being too spicy. The crabber fries were also delicious.

This was kind of a random stop. It was raining during our Harvard tour it was raining after our Harvard tour. We were wet and needed a snack but more so a drink and so many places were full but The Boiling Crab would take us in. Again we were not all that hungry and needed a drink. They don't have liquor but a beer will do the trick. For food we got the Sha-Bang Bang Shrimp. Now I was expecting the normally Bang Bang Shrimp that most or used to but this was so much better. For $12 you get 10 large shrimp in a sauce that is so much better then your typical bang bang. Not the normal popcorn cut up shrimp BS. They were cooked perfectly and the flavor was so good. A little sweet but with so many spices but not too spicy. I told the group after that this was so far the best food I had had in Boston during our trip. For sure a lowkey place you have to check out.

good ambiance The server's are nice and the ambiance is ok . I can't really talk much about the food cause I haven't try it yet but I do not like the fact you don't know how much the food is until you done eating and ready to pay because they don't put price for the seafood's. So you don't know if you getting charge the right price or not cause they pick the price when they weight each seafood to make the combo for

Delicious experience! Highly recommend! The price was so worth it. The place had an old fashioned and cozy design.

AMAZING FOOD. The shrimp with the shabang sauce was amazing. Also really liked the snow crab with the shabang sauce. Our server, Jorge, was very nice.

The lobster in their special spicy bang sauce was wonderful. We dipped our shrimp, onion rings and fries in the sauce. Do yourself a favor. Add corn and eggs. You'll thank me for it. Outside of beers their drink menu is limited, but what they have is legit. I had the margarita refreshing for the hot day and delicious. It was a perfect experience made even better by our waitress. She was timely with the drinks. Made perfect suggestions. A good spot close to the action but tucked away.

We had a fantastic time. This was our first time and our server Andrea explained everything and how to order. We had a party of 3, and we ordered a pound each of clams, mussels, and shrimp and a lobster. The food came out very quickly and we ended up ordering a second bag of seafood. We also had some onion rings and rice on the side, which complemented the seafood and the sauce very well. Thank you Andrea for a great experience! We will definitely be back.

soooo good our server was so kind n explained the whole thing to us. even offered to take pictures of us! everything was so fresh it was incredible

Visited Boiling Crab during their opening week and was treated with such kindness by Jess and our amazing waiter (Black male with K tattoo--apologies for forgetting his name!). We came a couple hours before closing with a large group that just kept growing. We were nicely greeted at the door, we were swiftly seated, and our orders were taken promptly. Since BC was still celebrating their recent opening, all guests received a half pound of shrimp on the house. I ordered the shrimp with The Whole Sha-Bang (Mild). The seasoning had a slight spicy kick. I tried someone else's Triple X (spicy) and their shrimp had a lot of kick lol. I'd recommend "mild" if you don't enjoy spicy food. I ordered the lemon pepper wings, regular order of fries, and two margaritas. The wings were solid. The wings, however, were a bit on the larger side of the spectrum than I would have preferred. They were nicely seasoned though. As an Atlantan who loves his "lemon pepper and hot" wings, these wings were a pleasant surprise coming out of Cambridge. I ordered two margaritas w/ sugar (I recommend the sugar over the salt. I typically order a salt rim, but sugar complements this marg very well!). The margs were not as potent as I would have wanted them to be. A few of us wanted an extra shot in our drinks, but the restaurant was unable to provide such service. We later discovered that the margs were made out of a "sake-infused tequila" because BC does not have a liquor license and only sell beer and wine. BC was found in Texas and have a few locations in California. The manager/owner (cannot recall which one), was extremely kind and hospitable. He checked on our very large group and made sure our food was cooked and prepared accurately. We enjoyed our time at BC. The people here are extremely cool and welcoming. I'll definitely return!!!

I got the fried shrimp bowl and lemon pepper fries it was incredible (and so cheap?). Service was great and they kept checking in on us because it was our first time. I'm honestly surprised this place isn't packed out more

Service was amazing and the waiter was super engaging and fun to chat with. The ambiance felt a little crowded but I could understand that for a place that can get packed easily with over an hour wait.