The Boiling Crab

We visited The Boiling Crab in Los Angeles in 2025, and while there are a few things you should know before you go, this place is absolutely worth it if you love bold, flavorful seafood and don’t mind a bit of a wait. Parking Let’s start with parking—because in LA, that’s always half the battle. The good news? There’s plenty of parking in the underground structure, and Boiling Crab validates your ticket for up to $15. So even though the garage might say $20, you’ll only end up paying $5 out of pocket if you dine in and get it validated. That’s a solid perk and makes the trip much more stress-free. The Wait Now, here's the downside: the wait time. Expect to wait anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to be seated. That’s right—even on weekdays or slower times, this place draws a big crowd. And honestly, it makes sense—the food and experience are just that good. That said, come prepared: Get on the waitlist early if possible (call ahead or check if Yelp Waitlist is available). Bring your appetite and patience—you’ll need both. During the wait, the area offers a couple of great spots to explore: 85°C Bakery Café is right next door—perfect if you want a little pastry or iced coffee while you wait. HoneyMee, a Korean-style ice cream shop next to the bakery, is also a fun stop. Their desserts are top-notch and great for killing time. The Food Once you're seated, it’s game time. The seafood is phenomenal. We ordered: Lobster, shrimp, mussels, and clams – All cooked to perfection. Their signature seasoning mix (“The Whole Sha-Bang”) – Bursting with flavor, spicy, garlicky, buttery goodness. Steamed rice and Cajun fries – Great side pairings to balance out the rich seafood. Appetizers and soups – Also flavorful and generously portioned. Whether you're a fan of spice or prefer something mild, you can customize your order to your heat tolerance, which is a nice touch. The seafood is fresh, the sauces are bold, and you’ll want to lick your fingers when it’s all over—and that's encouraged here, given they give you gloves and bibs for the full messy experience. Service & Atmosphere The staff is friendly, fast, and attentive. Whether you need more water, extra gloves, utensils, or anything else, they’re quick and polite, even during the rush. The atmosphere is casual, loud, and fun—perfect for groups, friends, or even family outings if you don't mind a bit of a mess. Final Thoughts Pros: Incredible seafood Excellent service Fair parking situation with validation Casual, fun vibe Great nearby snack options during the wait Cons: Long wait times (plan ahead) Not much else to do nearby if you don’t want sweets If you’re looking for a top-tier seafood boil experience in LA, The Boiling Crab delivers big time. Just don’t come starving and expecting to walk right in—this is a place worth waiting for. Highly recommended! Just be strategic with your arrival time, and maybe grab a sweet treat while you wait.

This food was really good! The sauce was amazing! I ordered the snow crab boil and fried shrimp basket was an appetizer… delicious! The food came out fast although, the wait was like an hour -service was good. I spend around $78

valet parking for only 5 dollars/3hours with restaurant validation . That’s really great. The food is also great. Eggs in seafood is so so nice.

Great experience at Boiling Crab! The food was on point cooked just right. Service was friendly and attentive the whole time. We had a minor issue with the order, but the staff handled it quickly and kindly, which really stood out. Would definitely come back.

Absolutely incredible experience! The Boiling Crab has quickly become one of my favorite spots for seafood. The king crab and shrimp are hands down the best I've ever had — perfectly seasoned, juicy, and packed with flavor. The fun, casual atmosphere makes it a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. The staff is friendly and attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. If you love seafood, especially crab and shrimp, this place is a must-visit. Highly recommend!

DELICIOUS- we had a late lunch here today. We loved every morsel of food we had. For two people we had: a lobster, 1lb of crab legs, 1lb of clams, 2 orders of potatoes, two corns on the cob, and rice. We were stuffed but able to finish everything. Be aware they do not take reservations - we waited 20 min. Park dinner time can be up to 2 hour waits. There’s a cute bar next door that we had a beer while we waited. Discounted parking garage on site. Can’t wait to go back!

For a Sunday evening, we only waited about 30 minutes, which isn’t too bad. We were served within 15 minutes and attended to by several waiters. I love the shrimp with Whole Sha-Bang seasoning and Cajun fries. This Boiling Crab is a bit smaller so it can get loud, especially if there are sports games on. Parking is available in the parking structure on the ground level and boiling crab validates, so it was $5 for us for about 1.5 hours.

first time having seafood in this format, they are delicious!! they smell so good and we only rmb to take photos after finishing lol we had crab leg (good), clams (very good), corns and potatos (superb) be prepared to wait ard 30 mins

Great Food! We had shrimp with rice. The ambience was great - ship and fishing theme. The service was great and friendly. The food was delicious! The only downside was the wait time, we were a group of 4 and waited for about an hour. It was a weekend and we arrived early like 6.30ish. Will recommend booking in advance. It was totally worth it!

Food is great....service is great!! At times overcrowded, but food is great so more people is bound to happen.

Great service I love this place and the servers are always nice and the food is always fresh.

Food was out super quick and delicious Ana was our server very friendly and positive attitude Love how they have TVs on Restroom was clean

This was a last minute hankering and hit TBC'sTo Go location. The staff here is SO nice - from when we phoned in our order and then picked it up - nicest staff. We went with a quick 1 lb or crawfish (ragin Cajun) and 1 lb of mussels (garlic butter) - ! Staff sold me on The Whole Sha-bang and it was bangin! Hope to get a seat at the location next time.

As a seafood boil lover, this experience disappointed me. Got 1.5 pounds of head on shrimp, 1 pound of frozen crawfish (they did not have live ones), and 1 pound of snow crab legs. This was after waiting for 1 hour to get a seat. The flavor of the Shebang sauce was amazing and truly made the meal, but the seafood was heavily underwhelming. The shrimp was very hard to peel - likely because it was slightly overcooked. The crawfish was good but I could tell it was frozen; unfortunately I could not get the live ones. The snow crab legs were probably the worst - for some reason they were VERY salty, so much so that I couldn't even finish them. As a whole, the meal was still good, but definitely not worth the price at all. I highly recommend not getting the snow crab legs. Nevertheless, the service was great and it's a family friendly environment.

Stopped by here last weekend for a party of 3 around 7pm. We signed up for the waiting list and said it'd take about an hour. We walked around the plaza and hmart across the street to kill time. Ordered 1lb of shrimp for $16, rice for $2.50, and a basket of crab fries (half order) to share $9. Their medium sauce was pretty good! Wish they added more garlic to the sauce like Crab Hut. The shrimp and crawfish were huge compared to other seafood spots I've tried. Definitely would come back!

We were seated right away for a Party of 2 at 5:30 PM on a Wednesday Night. The Sha-Bang 1 Lb Shrimp, with Eggs, Sausage & Corn! With some rice & Calamari. My bf got Snow Crab & Clams & Potatoes. Also Half-Dozen Fresh Oysters and 1 Soda. Very flavorful and worth the money. Total was $122 Before Tips. Flavor is 10/10 Service 10/10 Will come back again if we're ever in LA!

This is the best seafood boil restaurant. I've try others but it doesn't taste like this one. It's always packed with a wait list of about 45 minutes so be prepared to wait.

Literally so SLOW, how are you going to leave me hanging on call for 30 mins just to place an order for take out, Im clearly placing an order to not have to wait over an hour to get seated at the restaurant.

We ate there on Saturday at 5 pm. My brother joined the waitlist on yelp and they seated us within five minutes of arriving. The food was delicious as always. This is probably the best service boiling crab that I've been to. They are very attentive and super nice. The bathrooms are small and I'm used to having an area where you can wash hands.

This spot was good, we got seated quickky and our waitress Ana was super cool. Lijed that food came out super quick and it was very tasty. Ambiance was cool too, i enjoyed watching soorts on the many tvs they had.

The crawfish was good and sauce was good. I wish it came with potatoes. The service was fast and they gave me water quickly. The place was also really busy. We waited 30 mins to get sat but that was expected. The place was clean tho.

Came here for dinner after watching a movie with my family, we didn't wait that long,and the service was ok.

Service and ambiance is great. The food was delicious. Only thing is that once we were told we were gonna be seated, we had to wait a bit more. but besides that great.

We waited 1 hour to be seated on a Thursday evening. The restaurant was packed inside and out with people waiting to be called. They take your number and text you when your table is ready so you can go walk around and come back. The servers and host are really nice and explain everything to you. The food comes out as it's prepared I just wish all my food came in the same bag together and not separately. I ordered shrimp, potatoes, snow crab.

Great food and atmosphere. Usually always busy and they might need more help since the service can take awhile. Food comes out quick but might have to wait awhile for a second or 3rd drink. Men's bathroom was very small. They have a to-go area right next door. Street parking is metered at 15 minutes for 25 cents but street is always busy. Parking underneath with validation for a few dollars for first couple of hours.

Food is always amazing staff is always friendly and willing to help the atmosphere is clean no issues at all.

My daughter and I love this place! She gets to get messy while eating healthy. It's truly a bonding experience if you eat with your hands The service is great and so is the food. Not to mention that their prices are fair. The only thing I would suggest if you go there on the weekend, is to get there early and not at lunch time. You can be waiting for a little bit it's definitely worth it!

We absolutely love this branch and always make it a point to stop by whenever we're in the area. It's just amazing--10/10!

Service can be improved by putting someone at the front who has experienced. The wait was too long and supposedly the person in charged had not never counted all of us and we were just waiting there the whole time and never called us in till we checked and the manager instead of helping was so rude and unprofessional and plus we had to be split in two tables which was not nice.

The service was great! We waited about 30 mins on a Tuesday night to be seated. Once we ordered the food came out very quickly. The waitress was friendly and helpfu. W Also, there's parking downstairs. We paid 5 dollars with validation and it's better than driving around ktown when you're hungry.

I loved Ana. Sweetest server. So attentive. Once I come back I'm definitely asking for her again

Absolutely horrible Jay the general manager was so disrespectful after waiting an hour with my special-needs sister, and she she was needing special accommodations in order to get seated. He then clearly said that he wasn't a doctor, but then continued to say she looked fine after she was in distress from being in the car for so long. He was insensitive and extremely disrespectful. Lost a long time customer today!!!

I rarely ever leave reviews! But this time I was a bit disappointed on my food. The mussels were too salty. I order them lemon pepper and butter no seasoning and my shrimp tasted cold and not hot how I always go get them when I do take out. I wasn't late to pick up my food at all for my shrimp to already be getting cold. Maybe is just my preference that I like my hot hot!

Dear Mr The Boiling Crab I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to express my concern regarding the wait times I have experienced recently when seeking. I waited over an hour to be sat with my party of 6 while a huge party of 10 got seated before us. When my party of 6 arrived an HOUR earlier no BS OVER HERE. This has impacted my overall experience, and I believe that improving wait times could significantly enhance customer satisfaction. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to seeing improvements. Thank you for your time. Best regards, The Diddler

Me and my mom came down to LA for competition and saw this place online. Food was delicious and came out within like 10 minutes and staff was very polite and helpful. 100% recommend

The wait is very long and they close the online waitlist after a while but it does always hit the spot. If you don't want to wait you can go to the to go place but the restaurant is a vibe. The toilet seat was broken when I used it though lol.

The food was great like always. Wait times are always long but it's worth it. Loved the snow crab legs. Wholeshabang non spicy

Food is fresh and hot. Employees are friendly and helpful. They all work as a team which is GREAT!!!

I mean you can't go wrong with BC. I've been going since they first opened and was a tiny spot on Euclid. I do wish they cleaned their shrimp. I avoid the shrimp for that reason. But no imitators beat their flavors that's for sure

I ordered here a few weeks ago and usually always order their King crab legs which are usually a big hit and I think the price is very fair compared to other places . However this last time I also ordered a lobster which I never do, and the crab legs were still consistent and good but the lobster was gross , it made me sick nd my whole family sick idk what it was but it was bad. I wish I would've never ordered the lobster because now I dont think I can order anymore and this was my favorite king crab spot :(

Amazing! I got the lemon pepper spicy with shrimp, mussels and lemon pepper fries. Service was quick. The to-go side is a little crazy but the food was ready in a reasonable time.

Totally what I expected! Went with my wife and we got down and dirty! lol make sure to put those gloves on and enjoy this delicious seafood place!. Every bite is amazing! Got the shrimp the first time but will be getting crab legs next time forsure . Calm place but still can have fun!

Super great food! We have tried so many boiling crabs and this one was extra great. The server Rose was absolutely great and the other servers help out as much as possible. Service was great. The ambiance was nice it is a small intimate restaurant but overall great experience.

Our Server Ana was great !!!! Loved her energy and made us feel very comfortable her service was amazing she needs a raise ! The parking garage I don't know if they work for the whole plaza but don't leave your car there. It's $20 to self park your own car?!??? And the workers drove my car really fast through the parking lot even though it's only 5mph in parking lots, very unprofessional.

Food is so delicious, waiting time can be long but personally worth the wait. Service is good, and ambiance too.

Always good, well.. only bad once (so far)... besides that always good. I always grab to go... I always get medium spicy whole shebang... so delicious. I appreciate the extra lemon and wax paper. Good place... and great sauce. Worth eating at...

Wait time too long? Order to go and enjoy your food and beer at cafe home with Mama! She has great customer service and she will make sure you and your party are being taken care of!!

Honestly I recommend the one in Rosemead, this location disappointed us with not having any crabs or cocktails. The wait was longer than expected, only restroom and you have to make a line. Comparing to the other one in Rosemead is bigger and you don't feel overwhelmed or in a tight place. Will probably try again. Not sure

Good spot food is always good. Great service waiters check up on you frequently. Ambiance ok didn't care much for graffiti decor.

First time going to The Boiling Crab and while the wait was long due it was worth it. The service was great and very helpful in helping us with the menu and would definitely come again.

Me gusta el ambiente, tienen todo el equipo para entrenar. Me encanta pork queda cerca de mi casa

The food is great, services is great atmosphere is great. Parking is bad bad. Don't park on wilshire , your car could be towed.

The staff was very friendly and patient, we went during peak hours and they had our table ready at the estimated time that was given. Food was delicious, but they were out of snow crab. Definitely need to return to give it a try.

Soo good!!! The flavor was great!!! And the service was outstanding. Our server checked on us so many times and always made sure we were served. It was quite busy but still got great service also the atmosphere was what you expect of a seafood boil place! Familt friendly :]

Aside from the long wait we love coming here great food good staff always hits! Good music. We come here once a month and its a drive for us torrance is the closest but the wait time is also insane

Our waiter was super friendly and helpful. And the food was amazing . It's a must try place .

Food was great, the place is nice and pretty big so that's why we appreciated Dylan very much for being so quick and super accommodating when our server was busy or backed up. The service was amazing such friendly staff can't wait to return again :)