theBoil

Seafood restaurant · Greenwich Village

theBoil

Seafood restaurant · Greenwich Village

3

17 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10003

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Highlights

Seafood boils with special sauce, known for large portions  

Featured in The Infatuation
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17 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10003 Get directions

theboilny.com
@the.boil

$50–100 · Menu

Reserve

Information

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17 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10003 Get directions

+1 646 833 7110
theboilny.com
@the.boil

$50–100 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Aug 19, 2025

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@infatuation

The Boil - Review - Lower East Side - New York - The Infatuation

"The Boil is a Lower East Side attempt at a New Orleans hangout. The room is packed with big, boozy groups, the menu is full of fresh seafood, and the bar has Abita on tap. You order shellfish by the pound and Cajun seasoning can be found on pretty much everything. Hell, there's even a fleur-de-lis on the wall, and I'm pretty sure those can't leave the city unless the NoLa mayor officially signs off on it. Oh, you can buy those anywhere? They sell them in those year round Halloween stores, for no apparent reason? There are like 400 girls in Maryland that have a fleur-de-lis tattoo because it looked cool and they were drunk in Ocean City? My bad. That's good to know. Because New Orleans is a dream. And The Boil kind of sucks. The menu at The Boil will have you ordering crawfish, shrimp, lobster, and crab by the pound, with your choice of sauce and heat. It's a perfect blueprint for hands on eating with a side of beer - except just about none of it works. The seafood itself is decent, and eating out of a garbage bag is fun, but everything else is a step in the wrong direction. The garlic butter sauce is thick and overpowering, masking the taste of the seafood. And the heat index is a joke. The hottest level ("fire") is sadly unintimidating, even if the waitstaff acts like an order of it will leave you seizing on the floor. The only way to do The Boil right is to ignore all the bells and whistles (and asterisks on the menu) and go with seafood in Old Bay. Full stop. Two pounds of shrimp with nothing but Old Bay is a legit meal here. Ditto the crab and fries. The problem is, waiting over an hour to eat Cajun fries isn't much of a setup. Especially when the entire experience is tainted by everybody wearing plastic gloves as they eat. (You know, because we're being diligent around here.) Nothing says "never been to the bayou" like rocking surgical gloves to protect your no polish manicure. I'm not even sure they'll let you do that in Ocean City. Food Rundown Catfish Sliders Big strips of fried catfish on slider buns with some slaw. There's not much flavor here, and they could certainly use some hot sauce, but a solid app nonetheless if you like catfish and/or being catfished. BBQ Shrimp Basket The same shrimp as you'll get with your by-the-pound order, but these come in a BBQ sauce. The sauce is whatever, the shrimp are pretty good. Take it or leave it, you're not missing much either way. Soft Shell Crab Basket One soft shell crab in a basket. You've had better, you've had worse. A safe order. Cajun Fries French fries in Old Bay have never been a bad thing to eat. Ever. Gumbo Soupy, and lacking in any real smoky flavor. Please don't fool yourself into thinking this is what gumbo should taste or feel like. Corn The corn is nice, but comes swimming in melted butter. Now, we're not one to hate on buttery corn, but when everything else is smothered in butter, a little fresh corn flavor wouldn't be the worst thing ever. Shellfish by the Pound (Crawfish, Shirmp, Dungeness Crab) They are all good, and the shrimp and crab are particularly nice and meaty. If you wake up hankering for shellfish in Old Bay, this order will do you right." - Ben Kopelman

https://www.theinfatuation.com/new-york/reviews/the-boil
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@infatuation

Where To Eat Outside In Jersey City & Hoboken

"Like their two spots in Downtown Manhattan, The Boil’s location in Downtown Jersey City is offering outdoor seating every day. Try one of the massive seafood combos, which include things like king crab and crawfish or lobster and head-on shrimp." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, matt tervooren

https://www.theinfatuation.com/new-york/guides/hoboken-jersey-city-restaurants-outdoor-seating
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@afar

Where to Eat in SF’s Chinatown, According to Brandon Jew - AFAR

"Known for large portions of affordable Cantonese dishes, this neighborhood favorite is especially popular for cheung fun (steamed rice noodle rolls) with options ranging from egg and shrimp (a recommended pick) to barbecue pork and bitter melon. Cantonese is commonly spoken here, so pointing at the menu is part of the experience." - Mae Hamilton

https://www.afar.com/magazine/brandon-jews-favorite-places-to-eat-in-san-franciscos-chinatown
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Jamie Chin

Google
The seafood here is very good. They do it just right. Most seafood boil places over cook the seafood and the corn( you can tell by the pic below the corn is not over done). TheBoil did not. Everything was done perfectly and it tastes delicious 😋. Service was good. This place deserves a 5 star rating.

Brie Woods

Google
The food here was amazing packed with flavor and worth the drinks. Drinks were also super good and came in cute mason jars. To top it off Carmen was one of the best servers I had definitely 10/10. She was super friendly and inviting. Really made us feel welcomed. I will definitely come back here especially if she’s my waitress. 🎉🎉🎉

Joell Millington

Google
This place is 10/10. Service and food one of the best places I’ve been to in a while. Our server Carmen was so sweet and knowledgeable. Thanks to her they have mocktails and one with ginger beer. Was very truthful about portions size since we came as a party of 4. Carmen you made the visit a 1000 times better. Well appreciated. We will definitely visit again

Lynette Liu

Google
Best value and flavor: headless shrimp(more fresh). Snow crab and dungeness crab are merely fine. If you love spicy order at fire(pretty spicy//numb tongue) or spicy(mild level spicy). Fried calamaris good. Oyster is okay happy hour price a dozen for $15.

Jenny Tb

Google
I LOVE the boil! ❤️ I just had their live crawfish and it is to die for! Highly recommend doing a dry rub. It was so JUICY! You have to pair it with a nice crisp lager! ☺️ The music was on point and staff are friendly.

Rachelle Yao

Google
OMG!!! This is the best seafood boil ever! I even asked my BFF to eat here again before my flight. The seafood was huge and tasty! I love the sauce; it has the perfect taste I was looking for. The waiter was very accommodating. I love how this place isn't too crowded. I ate very comfortably. The location is great, near the train station. I'll be back for more! 🦞🤤😋 #SeafoodBoil #Foodie #BestFriend #Travel #TrainStation #Restaurant #Food #Vacation #Sauce #Waiter

Ellen Huang

Google
Do not come here for happy hour oysters! The oysters were small, tasted not super fresh, and in general were not great. I really liked their happy hour margarita though. Fried calamari was also pretty good. I also tried the mussels seafood boil, lobster roll, and soft shell crab basket on another occasion, thought everything was ok but nothing exceptional. Note that they are cash only.

keebs05

Google
This is the second and last time this place will disappoint me. 1lbs king crab legs was actually only 0.87lbs. And just skinny legs. So real meat was so little. Taste is also bland, they they change chefs/mgmt ? Total cost over $120 with tax/tip.
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Betty Y.

Yelp
Came here for Valentines day with my sister. It was our first time at this location. I had been craving it for a while but never had the chance to visit. It has been very difficult to make time especially after they location at Chrystie Street shut down. It was right by my work place ): Nonetheless, this was no disappointment. The staff was great. I loved their cheerful attitude. It was fully booked that day (no surprise) so I was not able to make a reservation for a reasonable time. However, we got seats by the bar table rather quickly. I wish they had a combo for shrimp and lobster but oh well. We ordered shrimp x crayfish and lobster x crayfish with garlic butter sauce (the best) and split it amongst ourselves. I will definitely find the time to come back again with my sister in the future to hopefully munch on some oysters and crabs. Can't wait.
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Sandra S.

Yelp
I was so sad to find out that the Grand street location has been closed for awhile. This one is the only location in Manhattan (they have 1 in queens + brooklyn). We were craving for Cajun seafood so we came here. We ordered to share: 1) Mac & Cheese, 2) 6 pieces of oysters, 3) snow crab w/ jumbo shrimp in the boil sauce, 4) rice Out of all the foods we tried, the oysters were the worst (super small and did not taste that good) + the mac and cheese was so-so. The snow crab was ok & did not have much meat. The jumbo shrimps were great + the boil sauce was amazing. I added rice into the bag of sauce + it was even more delicious! Staff was very attentive and friendly. I do think that the quality of their foods has gone down. P.S - they added 20% gratuity/hospitality service fee to our receipt so just make sure to look at your receipt before paying the final bill. Cash only
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Queenie H.

Yelp
Great spot to have some happy hour drinks and have some seafood! They have great happy hour specials every day of the week. We went on a monday and they had $1 oysters and clams and $10 margaritas. We shared a boil with snow crab and shrimp and added potatoes and corn on the side. It was the perfect amount for 2-3 people to share. The workers were very on top of the service and constantly made sure we had what we needed.
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Darlene D.

Yelp
Over priced and small potions. 3 stars for the atmosphere which is cool. Bill was insane and I still left hungry.
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Giselle G.

Yelp
I came here it was amazing; still the same way delicious taste as I remembered when I first went there. The service was great. The waiter was really nice and the food was delicious. They do not give as much sauce as they use to give. I enjoyed having the same sauce with the same combo. The place is nice and open; they give a beach side eatery vibe. The tables are wooden and they provide bibs. It is nice to see they kept the quality.
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Aj L.

Yelp
We had such a great time here Our server " LaMOON" was so kinda and amazing The food was amazing!!! Well seasoned crabs... The crab cake was also good (but not my favorite) The ambiance was truly beautiful They have a big BAYOU sign in the ceiling that gives you that sea vibe. Love how clean the bathrooms are and the big vintage sink The only negative is that they only take cash! That's no bueno lol Overall, we had a good time And we will definitely be back
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Abbey N.

Yelp
This place made me speechless. I was welcomed by the staff and the vibrancy. The staff was particularly nice, they made sure we were eating well, had enough gloves, and wiped. Food was prepared very quickly as well. I love how the staff allowed us to try different samples of beer. I personally had Barrier Honey IPA (I think that's the name, but it was def IPA) correct me if I'm wrong . My friend Heineken, but it wasn't the traditional one . Anyway, back to the food. We ordered half a dozen of raw oysters (soo fresh and sweet and it was happy hr so it was half the price). Then, fried calamari, 2 queen combos (one with garlic butter and one with Cajun) and 1lb of crawfish . I love seafood so Everything was amazing, I had a great time. Thank you to the staff!
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Kevin S.

Yelp
The food was pretty good to say the least. Unfortunately the owners horrendous attitude and deminur spoiled everything that night. He was very obnoxious and gave me lot's of attitude. I will NEVER come back here again
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Ulrike W.

Yelp
Stopped by for a Crab Cake. I heard it was good, and yes it was. Delicious. It's a large, rustic spot with wooden tables, I can see how a seafood boil would be fun here. The bartender was awesome, made a great Cosmopolitan!
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Victoria L.

Yelp
Decent shrimp and flavor (nothing compared to LA's). Catfish basket was alright. Crab cake is a little ridiculous only getting one (even though we were notified). There were potatoes in the shrimp bag which is good for flavoring and a good filler but I hope they aren't counted into the shrimp weight even though it felt like it. May be Good value but I haven't tried many shrimp shacks in NYC. The decor of the place is pretty neat and does feel like you're on the ocean. It was a good time.
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Mike H.

Yelp
Went for my bday dinner. They easily accommodated a reservation for our party of 11. You order appetizers and seafood with a selected sauce and spice level. They bring you the seafood in bags with the sauce, roasted potatoes, and corn cobs inside. You put on a plastic bib and plastic gloves and proceed to eat everything with your hands directly on the paper covered table. Got a hurricane and it was very sweet and strong. It was mostly ice I tried the mac and cheese, gumbo, pasta, and Cajun fries. The mac and cheese and gumbo were bland, the fries were good but not my favorite, and the pasta was quite good. The pasta had some rich cream sauce that was really good. We shared lobster, snow crab, and shrimp, and crawfish. I really liked the lobster, the crab tasted good but didn't yield much meat, the shrimp is great because it's shrimp, and I didn't like the crawfish. The corn was tender. My favorite part was eating the roasted russet potatoes that soaked up the sauce in the bags
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Kayla B.

Yelp
I love seafood boil so much and you won't have a better experience than here! They charge by the pound, have a hearty amount of potatoes & corn included, and we got a good amount of steamed rice on the side. The service was also *chef's kiss* and were very accommodating to our odd requests. I wanted to put the food on the table (we didn't end up doing it) to make it easier to share so they gave us extra plastic to lay on the table. They were also fast and made sure you got your food without waiting too long within your 90 min reservation. Great amenities with a sink by the dining areas and every table feels private. Honestly 100% recommend this if you're looking for high quality seafood boil. BRING CASH!
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Kevin J.

Yelp
Excellent food, service and restaurant is quite clean. They have a bar in the restaurant as well. I got the Snow crab and crawfish added shrimp head off with the boil seasoning. Also, had the crab cakes pretty damn good as well.
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Chin T.

Yelp
The staff were very friendly, one of the them even opened the door as we walked in. I ordered take out, the server was very nice and verified the last four digits of my phone number for confirmation. I ordered 1 lb shrimp garlic butter, mild spicy the sauce was very flavorful, it came with utensils, gloves and an apron/bib so you don't get your sauce on your clothes when you eat. There were plenty of shrimp, potatoes and one corn cob. I would highly recommend coming here again!
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Emilia R.

Yelp
The boil is a great interactive food experience that allows you to be as messy as you want while eating quality seafood cooked to perfection. I have been many times and finally had clean enough hands to take pictures this time. We started with the Cajun wings and Mac and cheese. My only complaint here is that for how much it costs, they are using plastic forks for us to eat with. Not only do I find this incredibly wasteful, I feel as though they are not very useful in a seafood restaurant, especially when you have to break open your own shellfish. I ordered a pound of snow crab legs and a pound of shrimp. You're able to order heads on or off and they offer many different combos with the option to trade the crawfish for shrimp. They also do offer a few tools to help open your crab legs. The music in this place is always bumping, service is speedy and you can usually always get a table without a reservation. Like always, I will be back again!!!
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Sofyan S.

Yelp
Food (4/5): Most of the dishes were good although a bit expensive and the lobster was a bit lackluster. We came a group of 7 and ordered several pounds of headless shrimp, lobster, crab cake, Cajun fries, garlic bread, lobster roll, and various lemonades. The shrimp with the garlic butter sauce was really good and I personally prefer it over the boil special sauce which some of my friends got. I also liked the crab cake and Cajun fries. The lobster roll was delicious but it was really expensive for such a small portion. The lobster itself was a letdown because the meat tasted a bit tough and overcooked. Service (4/5): Overall good service. The servers weren't super friendly and didn't check up too frequently, but they helped when requested with no issues. They helped our group take photos and got additional items as requested. Ambiance (5/5): Nicely themed seafood restaurant with tons of space. I liked the nautical decorations. There is a nice bar area as well as lots of seating.
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Leesh D.

Yelp
I haven't been to the boil in years however they didn't disappoint! There is absolutely NO substitution for seafood boils! If you want the OG, come here! I celebrated my birthday here for this visit. I booked through their website which was simple. My son and I ordered the chicken Caesar salad and two boils. Everything was tasty. They even sang hbd to me!
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Miata L.

Yelp
I'm from Texas so both the Cajun sauce and the price for the seafood were disappointing.
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Mathew S.

Yelp
Store had the doors closed at 11:15pm when it saids it closes at 12. Waisted a trip so It would be nice that they post the actual hours of service.
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Veronica H.

Yelp
The best crawfish in NYC, coming from someone who grew up having crawfish boils in her backyard and doesn't use gloves to eat them. Nomz: Crawfish are my thing and these are always fresh. I've been to other places in the city where I can immediately tell the crawfish have been frozen, no bueno. I get 2 lbs of the boil special spicy, so much flavor. I then get sausages on the side and mix them in with the extra sauce at the bottom of my crawfish bag I really like the gumbo too! Spicy, flavorful and delicious. Oh and you can't go wrong with the Cajun fries. Drinks: I keep it simple, modelo to control the heat that Cajun food brings. But they have a beautiful bar that can make you whatever your heart desires. Service: Excellent, multiple people coming by to get you anything you need at all times versus having one waitress/waiter. Ambiance: This place is soooo big for NYC. It honestly feels like you could be in Louisiana or Texas, the decor is so in theme, even the restrooms! Saw a group of 16 in the bigger part of the room, so good for big groups. Nope or Dope: DOPE, I don't care if crawfish are $20 dollars a pound, take my money! This place is so good!
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Amanda H.

Yelp
We had a great experience at The Boil! We ordered the lobster and shrimp combo B, with medium spicy boil sauce. This was definitely a highlight. The snow crab and butter sauce was amazing as well along with the garlicky broccoli. The bags came with corn and potatoes mixed in so that was also a bonus. It was an adventurous and hands on dining experience for sure. I wore the gloves provided by the restaurant, my friends did not. The staff was very attentive when needing to change gloves, needing napkins etc. Everyone left happy, full and with clean hands. We all had a great time and loved our food, drinks and the excellent service and fun vibe. Get ready to get messy it's worth it.
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Cassandra W.

Yelp
PRO TIPS: get the garlic bread so you can dunk it in leftover sauce. and get theBoil special sauce, always. you can thank me later. the boil is probably my favorite seafood boil in town. my boyfriend and i have been to the jersey city location SO many times! but this time, i went to their noho location with some friends because i heard they have new summer drinks on the menu. i loved that most of the new drinks come in mocktail form with the option to add alcohol. it's so great for people who want to try them, but don't want to get lit on a weekday LOL !!! NOTE: these summer drinks are ONLY available at their noho location! what we ordered (* = my faves): - drinks: crescent city cooler, big easy elixir*, guava mule*, island breeze* - raw oysters - combo A (crawfish + shrimp) with theBoil sauce* - catfish basket* - fried calamari* - mac n cheese - add-ons: garlic bread*, vermicelli the new drinks are so cute, all names are NOLA-inspired and we even had the chance to try an off-the-menu drink. big fan of the fun tropical flavors! crescent city cooler = watermelon & mint big easy elixir = lychee & pineapple guava mule = guava & ginger beer island breeze = assorted tropical fruits & prosecco in case you're wondering, yes we we had a GOOD TIME. oh and the catfish basket? phenomenal. the catfish was crispy on the outside but still flaky on the inside. yum!!!
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Akime D.

Yelp
BEWARE! We noticed after reading the menu that they automatically charge a 20% hospitality fee for all purchases over $20. We were told in the restaurant that this location is CASH ONLY. Which they don't state online or anything. I wish I knew that ahead of time because I did not bring any cash. Luckily they had an atm with a smaller service charge ($2.99). We ordered Mac & cheese and a lobster roll as appetizers and the king combo for our main course. The appetizers were good but the portions were very small and not worth the price. The king combo was delicious and the perfect sharing size. The staff were all very friendly and attentive.
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Stephen T.

Yelp
Crawfish. Must. Shrimp and Crab legs. Must. The house Boil sauce is a must!!! Go with friends so you can try each other's food because there is a lot on the menu to devour. The decor is sick. You've got boats, fish net, floats... all reminding you of how the bayou would look like. The service is awesome too. If you know what you want, you'll have your food in no time.
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Susan L.

Yelp
Came here on a weekday night with a friend and so happy we got a table right away. Service was attentive 5/5; always asked if we were okay and always gave gloves and wipes refills. We got the oysters; Cajun fries; clams, and shrimps. Oysters 5/5; so big and so fresh! Would get it again! Clams 5;5- They were worth the money and the spicy ness wasn't even spicy as well! I finished in less than 20 minutes & even had to get a second round! Overall, 10/10! Would come back to this location and they have a gratuity of 20% because of covid. Tip; they're a all cash establishment so better to get your cash outside. However, if you forget to get cash there is an atm near the door with a $2.99 fee.

Stevonne M.

Yelp
I really wanted to like this place but I didn't the hostess/waitress was very kind the music is great but the food 1/10 my appetizers were so bad I didn't even order an entree I left definitely not worth the hype sorry
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Jason R.

Yelp
I generally avoid places that do not accept card like the plague, however, it was the choice of the birthday lady so I chalked it up. What I found most awkward was as I was booking the reservation via Open Table, you need to put your credit card or Apple Pay info and you're charged in the event of a no-show-- I'm still confused about that, but moving along..: I arrived well before my reservation but since it was a Tuesday and it does not have the normal huge crowd, they allowed me to sit down, which I appreciated. I helped myself to a couple of drinks the margarita wasn't that great but the first drink was awesome. I'm not a seafood eater so I had sliders with fries and also helped myself to their macaroni and cheese while I waited. I would say the mac n cheese was edible, but that's about it. On a good note, the sliders were excellent. I did not partake in the lobster but they seemed to throughly enjoy the seafood boil. Another note, as we had our minor child present, I was happy they played edited music so it could be considered kid friendly. Overall, I was pleased with the food, the staff was cordial and helpful, but I did find their prices to be a little on the high side and the fact that they don't take cards, in this day and age, is a major turnoff. Also, as I was celebrating a birthday it would have been nice if they had at least one or two dessert options-- I saw a menu that had chocolate cake, perhaps that was an outdated menu. Nonetheless, I'd rate them a 3.5 and say it's surely worth a visit-- just don't forget to visit the ATM prior to your arrival.
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Devina H.

Yelp
Love this place. Have been numerous times. Food is great. Drinks are great. Service is great. Doesn't have an overwhelming smell of seafood. Good for a date night or with friends. It's a cash only spot but they have an ATM right there.

Angel B.

Yelp
I don't recommend because they charge you a 20% commissions fee. The service was horrible. The pictures be sent for itself how the food was presented. The only thing I really personally like was the bro, but besides that they charged me a dollar more than what they're supposed to charge just to have an extra sauce on the side is supposed to be charged four dollars, but they charge me five and then they gave me extremely small container not in the usual size that they are initially supposed to give you. On top of all of that the service provided is a scam because they tell you that is a 20% commission fee when you're entering, but the only key thing is nobody has mentioned that from the moment we walked in the door until we received our receipt, they mentioned it. Very deceptive. Despite the deceit, I was very shocked to see that my food was burned despite the price I'm paying for it..
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Brianna R.

Yelp
Hands down the best boil place in nyc, they are a bit on the pricey side but it is definitely worth the price. From their sauce to the crab legs the whole things is a 100/10 . The crab legs are cleaned well and are huge and meaty. They also have great calamari.
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Katie A. O.

Yelp
sad that the LES is closed down and the boil used to be serve some amazing Cajun food. the staff are friendly but lately their food is lacking flavors. the price has gone up due to inflations.
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Joshua A.

Yelp
Been a loyal customer since they opened. It's really good where else can you get anything like this in nyc. Always get the king crab light to medium Cajun
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Steph S.

Yelp
We decided to order the Boil delivery for Fat Tuesday and it was such a fun experience! Definitely probably easier to eat there in person but we enjoyed making an evening of it at home. The delivery took much longer than expected but I'm sure it must have been a busy evening for them... What we ordered: - King Crab Legs - AMAZING! While there isn't a ton of meat in crab legs, it was some of the best crab meat I've ever had - 1/2 pound shrimp + lobster - so so good. The Boil Special sauce is soooo tasty, and it literally comes swimming in it (I almost wanted to just keep the leftover sauce - it was THAT good). Soft Shell Crab Basket - quite fishy, neither my husband and I were huge fans; the fries were also pretty cold by the time we got them so we didn't eat - Mocktails - WOW! I honestly did not have super high expectations for these but they were SO good. My husband and I each got a diffferent plavor - one was passion fruit and one was mango - and they were the perfect complement to the seafood. For those looking for a non-boozy option - would highly reccomend!
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Christopher O.

Yelp
I always get the crab legs here! They never disappoint at all! The service is great! I love the hospitality of everyone here! Also the music is great. I dance while I'm breaking my claws. Definitely the comfort food I need when I have had a long week.
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Meghan C.

Yelp
Great sauce love to eat everything here. The lobster roll is pretty good, as well as the oyster(my favorite), and obviously the combos are good.
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Justin C.

Yelp
For someone who doesn't care all too much about boil places in NY, I must say the original spot that started it all still reign supreme. Although similar in tastes among the plentiful boil options NY has to offer, The Boil takes the cake for me. It's definitely all in the sauces and TB has the dankest of them all. The sauce is crack, you could literally put it on anything and it'll be fire. This location is less chaotic than the original spot but quality is still up to par. Clean and spacious, the perfect environment to get messy and dirty with your food which is all part of the experience. I personally go for the shramp as it's the best bang for buck for quantity, it's just science brah. I also typically order extra saus because well, that's really the star of it all and who wouldn't want breathe so garlicky hot you taste it for the rest of the day?! I find it gives me the confidence to talk to people way more so introverts eat up. If you want to spice up your life with a bit of flavor, this is it, but you'll need to look passed the cash only policy which is the only inconvenience this place is, especially when it's not a budget meal. 1 star off for dirty hole in the wall tax antics in a not so dirty hole in the wall establishment, otherwise would 12 out of 10 recommend. stay fat mother suckers
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Patrice M.

Yelp
Situated just blocks from Washington Square park and easily accessible from the N/R 8th st train station, The Boil, aka The Boil Waverly is quite a gem of a place. The scent of spice and Cajun flavors that punched me squarely in the olfactory organ was reminiscent of a cartoon character floating on a wave of scent that stops them cold, beckoning them towards it. This is exactly what you want to smell at a seafood establishment. I hope the food lives up to it. Because my bestie was late, I had time to sit and take in the atmosphere. 38 minutes as of this writing. The staff is so nice, relieving how awkward I feel sitting here in this giant ass booth alone. (Do I sound salty?) I digress. But because she is 41 minutes late, I had to ask for help with my temporary loaner phone (iPhone, ewl) and she brought me a charging device! I had no idea they offered that and would've never inquired. That was great to know since I've been entertaining myself with YT and online puzzles while simultaneously draining my battery . I'd never have known this had my friend not been 44 minutes late. They have a QR code for the menu but, because I was having technical difficulties they provided a paper menu. (I provided pics) The staff is so nice. I believe they think I got stood up on a tinder date (I see the "oh you poor soul" in their eyes) but it's just my pal that's now 48 minutes late. This was her idea. She picked it and invited me out. (Should I swipe left on this friendship?) The Boil has a nice laidback atmosphere and looks like a nice place to grab a few drinks. I'm not much of a boozehound but the bar looks substantial enough. (Then again, what do I know?) I've watched my share of couples and groups enter. Eat. And leave. And enter. Eat. Leave. Rinse & Repeat. No Fabric Softener. 52 minutes in and I am sure I look hella sus (but cute) sitting here nursing ice water (which has long melted and is now room temperature slag) I busy myself vacillating between the menu choices. Too much time + too many choices = meltdown Maybe I have undiagnosed adult ADD? 56 minutes in and my acquaintance finally arrives . Suitcase in hand. (!). (Am I being Punk'd? Where's Ashton Kutcher?) I had to guide her in from the train (but SHE picked this place!) Anyway by this time I'd talked myself out of a boil bag and chose a few items off the appetizer menu. NOTE: THIS IS A CASH ONLY BUSINESS! THIS IS CASH ONLY! CASH ONLY! OK? So don't come without cash, ok ? YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! I ordered the calamari, and soft shell crabs with seasoned fries. Then sent the squid back, because...reasons, and swapped it for a crab cake. Now, as a Northerner with deep fried southern roots, a frequent visitor to Maryland's Inner Harbor, and New Orleans, I KNOW seafood, and I LOVE seafood! And as a Southern raised Northerner, mama always said to focus of the positives. Soooo...the seasoned French fries were amazing. 10/10 would recommend the seasoned French fries. The seasoned French fries were great with the red sauce. I loved the seasoned French fries The kinda familiar looking person sharing the booth with me; you remember, the late one; had the crab boil, which she liked. Ugh! Should've had the daggone boil! They add a 20% fee (tip) to your bill, so my poor beleaguered (albeit very nice and professional) server got less than if I were tipping freely. I'm a generous tipper (because although I, personally don't suck as a customer, most customers suck) but I get it as sucky people don't tip. The bill comes & the lady sitting with me puts down her CREDIT CARD! ‍*insert silent scream* It was quickly resolved thru the ATM conveniently located near the front door. All in all it was a nice day out and the stranger who shared my table was tolerable. But honestly save your coins and go elsewhere. And did I mention how much I loved the seasoned French fries? (Mama would be proud)
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Irene E.

Yelp
A pretty good place for seafoods but cash only. Not even debit card. It's our second dinner. We've crawfish in special seasoning, which is the better of the two, and clams in garlic pepper - it's so huge, too chewy. Not sure the Americans prefer big but I prefer smaller clams, like LittleNeck. The corns are tender and sweet, and the potatoes hits the spot.
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Yemi C.

Yelp
This restaurant was recommended by some great co-workers. Perfect for ladies night, dates, families and friends. Plenty of seating both at the bar and tables. The service was great and so were the drinks We four enjoyed our meals. Great time! Street parking
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Kenny Z.

Yelp
Before you read anything else, make sure the only sauce you get is theBoil Special, which is a combination of all the other sauces (garlic butter, o'bay, raging' lemon pepper). Also, shrimp head-on for the extra juice/flavor. The atmosphere here is amazing, there's booth style seating for smaller parties, as well as tables and even a small bar area for those looking to grab a drink. Our waitress was super nice and even gave smaller gloves for those who needed it in our party. We started off with oysters and Cajun fries for our appetizers. The oysters were plump and juicy, the fries were well seasoned and paired well with the tartar sauce. We got 4 Queen combos total, each with 1/2 crab body + legs and 1lb shrimp (we swapped out all the crawfish). We got 2 mild and 2 medium spicy level, but I'd definitely recommend medium since even that wasn't really spicy (and I personally have like a 6/10 spice level tolerance). All in all, a great spot for group meals. Definitely recommend!
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Yvelisse A.

Yelp
I was pleasantly surprised by all the parking available on Sunday near the area. Upon entering, we were greeted and seated to our liking. The waitress was great and offered helpful recommendations when asked for her opinion. The food was great. Never had crab legs or lobster tails with so much meat.
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Amy M.

Yelp
First...this location is open for lunch on weekends!! Also Happy to report the quality of this place have not gone down after all these years and the pandemic. They take cash only and charge a 20% service fee. Normally I am not a fan of places that charge 20% service fee but the service was definitely great on this visit. This visit We got shrimp with head in boil sauce and clams in garlic butter. Both sauces were delicious as always and my dining mates got rice to eat the leftover sauce. The clams were very meaty and tasted fresh. The shrimps were also fresh and not mushy. I have to say I tried many places since The Boil and this is still the way ahnds down. So if you like seafood boils, come here the OG and taste the best!
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Brittney P.

Yelp
This place is definitely a fun place to eat for seafood lovers. Suggest making a reservation because it gets fairly busy. They only take cash but there is an ATM there. The wait staff is friendly and informative. The only thing I thought was silly is the sides. We ordered garlic bread to come with our meal and it was basic slider buns toasted with butter and a little garlic on them. There is no way it was worth what we paid for it. This should've been something served for free at that point. The gumbo was delicious and all the seafood was fresh and tasty.
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Ahiliya N.

Yelp
I'm a southern girl at heart, so I try to hit up a seafood boil in the city once every few months. This time, my friend and I decided to try the boil. One thing to note is that this place is CASH ONLY! They do have an ATM in the restaurant, which wasn't working, but they made sure to tell us before we sat down. During Happy Hour, the drinks are BOGO and you can redeem your second drink anytime you are still seated. We started with the frozen mango margaritas, which were yummy! They were strong, however, and it was a little hard to drink them from the straws they provided. For the second drink, I got their lychee mojito and my friend got their punch. We just couldn't even finish these drinks because they were so strong and bad. If I had to return here, I think I would either not drink or stick to beer. One positive here is that they do allow you to take the drinks to-go! Food-wise, we ordered the cajun fries. They were so crispy and flavorful. They were well-seasoned, too, which I really appreciate. We got the King combo for our boil, which was king crab and shrimp with the house seasoning. I thought their special seasoning was one of the best I've had at a seafood boil and was genuinely very impressed. The shrimp were fantastic, but I do think they boiled the crab for too long because we couldn't crack the shell with the crackers and had to end up biting them, which cut the inside of my mouth. Overall, I really enjoyed the flavors and vibe here. I would just recommend staying away from their potent, and not in a good way, drinks!

Jeff B.

Yelp
Be aware it is CASH ONLY. The atm is kinda broken and would not take my friends card. The space is really open and has a lot of nice decorations. The food was well seasoned and came out in a timely manor.
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Kristi L.

Yelp
Really enjoyed my first seafood boil experience here the other day. Service was incredibly friendly and fast. From host to waitress to busboy, everyone was a joy to interact with. During the pandemic, they have outdoor seating with plexiglass dividers and hand sanitizer. They sanitize between customers, and staff all wear gloves and masks. The bathroom was also sparkling clean, which is always appreciated. My boyfriend and I both ordered the 1lb shrimp (headless) and 1lb crawfish combo with garlic butter. We ordered mild, but the crawfish is probably boiled in some kind of seasoning, because we could definitely taste a little kick when we sucked on the heads. Mmm... brains. The shrimp were all massive and pretty easy to peel. I sort of wish they had also been boiled in some kind of salt or other seasoning. The garlic butter was an absolute necessity. You have the option to order your boil with no sauce, but it seems like a very bad idea. Just wait to come here until you're ready to splurge. ;) I loved the decor in the restaurant. Moving to NYC from Florida, I really appreciated the upper-scale look of the place. It didn't feel like one of those seafood places you suspect will give you food poisoning. You know the ones I'm talking about. Your grandparents probably took you there, and you were the only young person in sight. That place. The Boil is cash only, but there's an ATM in the front vestibule with a $2.95 fee. Not too bad. If you love seafood, I highly recommend The Boil for the experience, quality, ambience, cleanliness measures, friendliness, oh... and the passionfruit frozen margarita is a MUST.
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Leilani S.

Yelp
For one pound of shrimp there's actually a lot! I recommend adding extra potatoes and sausage (it comes on the side and it's enough for 2 people to share the extra sides) I wish there was more sauce in the bag instead of having to pay extra for more sauce The drinks were good and strong The garlic butter sauce was good and the the sauce that was the mixture of everything was good I give it a 3/5 because they do not devein the shrimp for you. I spent more time deveining the shrimp and but the time I was done my sauce was staring to harden bc all the butter. Not as enjoyable when you have to devein each shrimp one by one. They are cash only and gratuity is included no matter what size the party another reason why I put one less star. Basically an automatic tip no matter what the service you received
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Prashant C.

Yelp
Dining at The Boil was an absolute delight, thanks to the incredible waitress, moon Her warm hospitality and thoughtful recommendations made the experience truly special.
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Keith B.

Yelp
Ok it's been 5 years since last visit To the point king crab legs still awesome Oyster fresh Good gumbo The crawfish not good at all out off season & frozen n that case take them off the menu ‍ 3 stars because the crawfish where BAD Will still come back for the king crab garlic butter sauce with old bay