The Boiler Shrimp & Crawfish — Restaurant in Niles Township

I took my boyfriend to Boiler Shrimp & Crawfish since we were craving Cajun seafood, and he had never tried this place before. We ordered a full headless shrimp, crawfish, snow crab, and a half order of mussels. For sides, we added 2 corns, garlic noodles, and a Diet Coke. The total came out to around $135, including the tip. We got seated right away. After ordering and getting our food, we noticed our snow crab was missing. We let our server know, and after checking, he said it was on its way. We asked if it normally comes out separately, and he told us that it actually never got printed on the ticket. Halfway through our first bag, the snow crab came in a separate bag. They didn't bring any tools to crack the crab legs, and since no one checked in on us, my boyfriend got up to ask for them. Unfortunately, on his way back to the table, he cut his leg pretty deep on a sharp edge of the wall near our table. The way the table is set up, there's a hidden edge that comes out awkwardly, and if you're not looking down, it's easy to run into it. We let our server know, just so the staff could consider adding a cushion or some sort of padding to prevent others from getting hurt. The food was good as usual. We both preferred their trifecta sauce over Tasty Crab's, which says a lot. The headless shrimp and mussels were our favorites. They were very flavorful and worth the price. The crawfish were on the smaller side and not our favorite. The garlic noodles were a bit too cheesy for our taste. The cajun fries were pretty good, but got soggy pretty quickly. The meal itself was delicious, but the overall experience was disappointing. We'll likely stick with the headless shrimp and mussels only if we go back, but we both prefer The Tasty Crab for their service, good value, and deals. Small details like customer service really make a huge difference to your dining experience. P.S. They go by market price, which is listed on a blackboard on the wall. The day we went: Snow crab: $45 for full (2 clusters), $24 for half (1 cluster), Headless/Head-on shrimp: $22 full, $13 half, Crawfish: $21 full, $14 half, Mussels: $18...

My daughter had been to The Boiler shrimp and Crawfish before and had a bad experience with the staff, but she told me, “The food was really good, so I’m willing to give them a second chance.” So, we decided to check it out together—and I’m glad we did!

Ambience & Vibe: Right away, I loved the relaxed, chill atmosphere. The music was on point, setting the perfect vibe for a seafood feast. And the graffiti wall? Such a fun touch! I loved the idea of adding your name or a little doodle while you wait—it gave the place a cool, personal feel.

The Food: Now let’s get to the real reason we came—the seafood boils. Everything was seasoned well, the potatoes were big and hearty, the corn was sweet and juicy, and the portions were generous. But let me tell you—the mussels stole the show. Oh wee! They were BIG, JUICY, and packed with flavor—Hook & Reel, y’all better take notes! 😂

And let me not forget to mention the arugula apple salad—absolutely amazing! The fresh, crisp arugula paired with the sweetness of the apple created the perfect balance to complement the richness of the seafood boil. Highly recommend it!

Service: Since my daughter’s last visit wasn’t the best, we were curious to see how things would go this time. Thankfully, the experience was much better. And huge shoutout to our server for keeping those waters with lemons coming! LOL. It’s the little things that make a difference, and we definitely noticed.

Best Part? BYOB. Yes, you read that right. Bring. Your. Own. Bottle. 😩😂 A good seafood boil with your favorite drink in hand? That’s an automatic win.

Final Verdict: I believe in second chances, and The Boiler Crab made this one count. Great food, great vibes, and BYOB? That’s a solid combination. If they keep up the good service, I’d definitely return. 4.5/5 ⭐️

Would I recommend it? Absolutely—come hungry, bring your own bottle, don’t sleep on those mussels, and do yourself a favor—get the arugula...

Me and my boyfriend went late last night to try it out for the first time and we LOVED it. The fried shrimp he ordered was delicious and the shrimp boiler I had was ok (I'm used to TX/LA seafood). Our server was amazing (the polish girl!) and super helpful in guiding us in ordering and eating there. I loved the experience so much that I told about three people about it today and I was even bummed that they didn't open until 4p because I was excited to have it again for lunch. Needless to say, we went back tonight and we had a different experience. My boyfriend ordered the catfish this time aaaand lets just say "it's not tasty". We flagged down a waitress and just asked that they swap the catfish out for the shrimp (same price but we know it's satisfying). We were fine with keeping the fries and everything. He just wasn't happy with the taste of the catfish. Since we had such an amazing experience the day before I didn't think it would be a problem but apparently it was. The guy (not sure his role) said he would check with the chef/manager but told us there was nothing he could do and if we wanted to swap for shrimp, we'd be charged for both. We didn't see a reason to make a big fuss over a $10 meal so we left it alone. I guess I was disappointed in the response and the way that they handled the situation. Essentially they let $10 affect potential future business. In the course of 24 hours, we spent probably $70 and we're foodies who would've probably frequented the restaurant often. In 24 hours, I also recommended the restaurant to three people. I think that customer service and satisfaction should probably be focused on more and that perhaps management should evaluate the loss vs gain next time. In the end, we did get the catfish swapped but the whole experience just left a bad taste...