The Boiling Crab | Glen Waverley — Restaurant in Melbourne

The Boiling Crab – A Seafood Lover’s Delight in Melbourne

If you’re seeking an authentic and immersive seafood dining experience in Melbourne, The Boiling Crab is a destination that should not be missed. With locations in both the CBD and Glen Waverley, this establishment brings the vibrant flavors of Cajun cuisine to Australian shores, offering a unique and interactive way to enjoy fresh seafood. 

Atmosphere and Ambience

From the moment you step inside, The Boiling Crab captivates with its lively and nautical-themed decor. The casual setting is designed for communal dining, encouraging guests to roll up their sleeves and dive into a hands-on feast. The cheerful atmosphere is both inviting and unpretentious, making it perfect for gatherings with family and friends.

Menu Highlights

The menu boasts an impressive selection of seafood, including options like king crab, lobster, scampi, and baby octopus. Diners have the flexibility to choose their preferred seasoning and spice level, tailoring each meal to individual tastes. The Cajun seasoning is particularly noteworthy, delivering a robust and spicy kick that complements the natural flavors of the seafood. 

One reviewer shared their delightful experience, stating, “All the seafood was so fresh and delicious; we started with the oysters and then followed up with the scampies, baby octopus, and finished it off with the lobster.” 

Service and Experience

The staff at The Boiling Crab are known for their friendliness and efficiency. They take the time to explain the menu and dining process, ensuring that even first-time visitors feel comfortable and well-informed. The unique practice of serving seafood in bags, which are then poured directly onto the table, adds an element of fun and novelty to the meal. 

A diner recounted, “A very unique experience and definitely a must-try! The staff are very polite and efficient with their work and describe everything clearly and with great detail.” 

Conclusion

The Boiling Crab offers more than just a meal; it provides an engaging and flavorful journey into the heart of Cajun seafood cuisine. Whether you’re a seasoned seafood enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this restaurant promises a memorable dining experience that tantalizes the taste buds and invites you to embrace the joy of communal eating. 

Highly recommended for those looking to indulge in a seafood feast that’s both delicious and...

This is a really delicious seafood place with a large variety to choose from.

Bangin combo for $80: This is a really great mix of seafood for a reasonable price. You got to try a bit of everything. We got the whole ShaBang sauce with medium spicy, and it’s really delicious. You can taste the spiciness but it’s really savoury at the same time, and pairs really well with the amazing seafood. I like the bunch of clams and mussels in there, they were really good! Baby octopus was alright, nothing too special, but the rest of the meat was amazing.

Shrimp (half-serve) for $22: We got more shrimp as we like it and it’s amazing. The garlic with cajun sauce is outstanding, I was eating every shrimp with a little bit of the mince garlic and it’s so flavourful. The portion for this was decent as well.

Fried fish basket for $15: The fish is really good. You get two pieces for the small, but it’s fried really well. The inside isn’t tough or dry at all. The sauce it came with was pretty good as well.

Chicken tender basket for $15: I thought the chicken tenders were alright, I mean it’s a seafood place. But the barbecue sauce or whatever sauce it came with was really good. For these two fried stuff, the chips they came with were really crispy, well seasoned, very nice carbs when taking a break from the seafood.

crab fries for $28: I thought this was okay. It doesn’t really taste anything fancy, just some crab and chips. The sauce I felt didn’t really incorporate the crab flavours much, so it just tasted like crab and chips. Maybe it’d be better if the crab was made creamier, I’m not sure.

Bay bug for $29: This was for 1x bay bug and it’s actually really good. The meat was nice and soft, really easy to separate from the shell, and tastes really good the with sauce.

Blue crab for $20: This was really good too. I ate the gills (I’m not sure if i’m supposed to) and found they have a really nice texture, almost like roe where it pops in your mouth. The crab meat itself was really good, and pairs really well with the sauce and seasoning.

Overall this is an amazing seafood experience, eating with our gloved hands on the table was really fun and tasty as well. The staff were really nice, tables were big and spacious. EatClub also gives a 20% off so it’s pretty decent value as well. I highly recommend trying this place, especially if you...

Recently, I took the time to carefully compare two seafood restaurants with similar styles: The Boiling Crab and Krabby's Crab Boil located at Knox Shopping Centre. Both restaurants specialize in seafood, offering dishes like shrimp, crab, corn, and potatoes, all served with signature dipping sauces. While their concepts are alike, there are noticeable differences in the details. Here’s my detailed comparison.

Freshness of Ingredients: During my visit to The Boiling Crab, the freshness of the ingredients was somewhat disappointing. The King Crab legs we ordered were noticeably not fresh—the meat was soft and lacked the firm texture it should have. Even my child could tell the difference. In contrast, Krabby's Crab Boil delivered much fresher ingredients. The crab and shrimp had a firm, satisfying texture, making the overall experience more enjoyable.

Dipping Sauces: The dipping sauces are the soul of this type of dining experience, and Krabby's Crab Boil excelled in this area. Their sauces were exceptionally flavorful, particularly the Butter Garlic and Black Pepper Sauce, which were rich and complex, elevating the seafood perfectly. While The Boiling Crab’s sauces were decent, they felt a bit bland in comparison and lacked the memorable punch that Krabby's offered.

Other Dishes: Beyond the seafood, Krabby's Crab Boil also impressed with their other menu items. Their fried rice and crab porridge were standout dishes—the crab porridge, in particular, was rich and flavorful, and my child loved it. On the other hand, The Boiling Crab’s side dishes were simpler and didn’t leave as strong an impression.

Conclusion: Overall, Krabby's Crab Boil outperformed in terms of ingredient freshness, sauce flavor, and the variety of additional dishes. While The Boiling Crab isn’t bad, Krabby's Crab Boil provided a more satisfying dining experience, and my child clearly preferred the latter. I hope The Boiling Crab can put more effort into improving the quality of their ingredients and innovating their menu. In a competitive dining market, continuous improvement is essential to winning over...