Always 5 stars at the Crab Cooker! Our favorite placeđđ
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Hornick Chefâs Apprentice
Category: Fish House and Local Icon. This place is so much of a Newport Beach institution that itâs featured in a painting on the wall, the original of which hangs in the Hilbert Museum on the Chapman U campus in the City of Orange, and was even acted out in Newportâs annual Pageant of the Masters. So whatâs the restaurant like? Itâs sharkingly good (there was a huge taxidermied Great White shark hanging over our table). The first thing you see upon entering is the fish counter/display for purchase and home cooking. From there, proceed to the shark-dominated dining room with the aforementioned painting, the photo of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra dining there, seafood-themed stained glass above the street level windows, hardwood floors, Tiffany-ish hanging lamps, lifesized mermaid lamp, and fun, fish-related things wherever you look. Thereâs a similarly themed dining room perfect for private parties, and beyond that the rear dining room with raftered ceiling and fans, and a wall of nautical mementos. All of this, combined with booths and tables with banquettes throughout, make this neighborhoody seafood joint exactly like you would expect. You can even view the busy kitchen through the glass to see the giant, namesake cookers. The crabs and all of the other seafood are sharkingly fresh: crab (of course), shrimp, fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. I can vouch for the clam chowder (Manhattan), shrimp skewer, soft shell crabs, crab cocktail, and grilled halibut special. All delicious and all well prepared. Almost all wines were under $40 (our sweetspot for restaurant wines), with a couple under $30. Excellent service. YouTubeâs Chefâs Apprentice
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Courtney Sager
First, I was really looking forward to their oysters. The price looked great, however they only serve oysters October through April. As all the other restaurants around them serve oysters at this time of year, I thought this was kind of weird. I settled on their soft shell crabs which I donât recommend. I chose the sides: sliced tomatoes (?? weird side) and their âworld famousâ cheesy potatoes. There werenât great options for sides. The potatoes tasted like rubber. I just knew it had been sitting out for a while. When we left the restaurant I walked by their grill and I was right.. multiple potato clumps just sitting on their grill. My friend ordered their clam chowder, and after a couple bites found a bug in it. We told our waitress and she apologized and offered a new cup. My friend said no thank you since her stomach had turned from this. The cup was still pretty full. After we got the bill, the clam chowder was still on the receipt. At this point we were so over this place we just wanted to get out of there so we left without saying anything. Needless to say, this was the only bad part of our trip to Cali. We immediately went to a new restaurant to turn the night around. Iâm giving two stars because the bread (that we paid $5 for lmao) was good and the waitress was sweet.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
RM Wright
This place is charming; gives old-school Newport vacation. The crab cakes were my fav. What made my experience so great, though, was the server, Amelia. She went above and beyond, and âfitsâ the charm of the place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Tom Karren
Love this place. My favorite chowder from anywhere. Grilled fish is very nice. Always a fun/casual vibe.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Valerie Mackey
Itâs a shame. Been going to the crab cooker for a long time and a good friend of mine was dear friends with Bob. I went there on Monday and got my usual. They were great. I took a friend for the first time she got the crabcakes. Crab cake shouldâve been to die for since the name, crab cooker, unfortunately, they had so much filling in them and very little crab, and then they put a coating around it and deep-fried them. Very disappointing and unfortunately, the server just defended the crab instead of apologizing and offering something different. Also, you always used to get a piece of taffy once you left youâve taken that away. Silly thing, but can you not afford a piece of taffy anymore. We wanted to buy the taffy and you did not have it available. You have some new flavors instead of the original. Again, disappointing. The place was not busy Like it always is and unfortunately, I understand. You no longer give bread with a meal either.
I love this place. Normally I just get a point of the smoked albacore and cooked shrimp cocktail to go but this time I ate I. The restaurant. Clam chowder was excellent as was the fish and skewers pictured.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Baes
Excellent. Freshest seafood in town.
Recommended dishes: Seafood
Eudochia Cristina Tomascu
Janet and Skylar made my lunch feel like home! Both so kind and ready to help, the fact that the food was divine was a huge bonus! Would choose the Crab Cooker for all my meals in a heartbeat!
Great chowder and smoked fish. I take it to go and head to the Wedge
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Andres
Crab Cooker in Newport Beach looks charming at first, but sadly, the food tells a different story. This isnât a proper seafood restaurant â more of a casual diner setup, but with restaurant-level prices and low quality. All plates, glasses and cutlery is single use and thrown away.
We ordered 2 crab cakes $18 per plate, deep-fried in what tasted like reused oil â soggy and lacking flavor. The *clam chowder* (tomato-based, not creamy) was honestly the worst Iâve had anywhere, Wholefoods is even much better. Our server was friendly and upfront about the chowder being different (tomato base), but it still didnât taste like clam chowder at all â just a bland tomato broth with tough pieces of clam.
We also had fried calamari and 3 lemonades. Total bill $90 before tip. For that price, youâd expect fresh seafood. Sadly, this felt more like a (tourist) trap with nostalgic branding.
Our waiter was kind, but it doesnât make up for food that just doesnât deliver. Many reviews mention the same issues â poor food quality, small portions, and high prices.
Plenty of better seafood spots in Newport Beach. Skip this one.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
David Hazar
I wanted to round up on this one, but couldn't bring myself to give it a 5. This is a Newport Beach classic. However, with so many more restaurant options these days, the bread is just OK and you have to pay separate for it. The salmon meal was fine, but the tartar sauce isn't my favorite. The King Crab was actually really good, but expensive (although fairly priced for the quantity). I have to agree with the overall consensus that this is a below 4.5 star experience. But, above 4 keeps you on the list in my book. Especially with all the nostalgia.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jace Brooks
The atmosphere is top notch - relaxed, interesting decor, and clean. The food was delicious - we ordered the fresh halibut and sea bass. The cheesy potatoes and rice pilov were great sides. Service was 5 star. Thank you from Dayton, Ohio!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Teresa Ross
Relaxed atmosphere on Newport coast. Food was delicious and reasonably priced for location. Clam chowder is Manhattan style in case you're looking for new England style...
Always 5 stars at the Crab Cooker! Our favorite placeđđ
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Category: Fish House and Local Icon. This place is so much of a Newport Beach institution that itâs featured in a painting on the wall, the original of which hangs in the Hilbert Museum on the Chapman U campus in the City of Orange, and was even acted out in Newportâs annual Pageant of the Masters. So whatâs the restaurant like? Itâs sharkingly good (there was a huge taxidermied Great White shark hanging over our table). The first thing you see upon entering is the fish counter/display for purchase and home cooking. From there, proceed to the shark-dominated dining room with the aforementioned painting, the photo of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra dining there, seafood-themed stained glass above the street level windows, hardwood floors, Tiffany-ish hanging lamps, lifesized mermaid lamp, and fun, fish-related things wherever you look. Thereâs a similarly themed dining room perfect for private parties, and beyond that the rear dining room with raftered ceiling and fans, and a wall of nautical mementos. All of this, combined with booths and tables with banquettes throughout, make this neighborhoody seafood joint exactly like you would expect. You can even view the busy kitchen through the glass to see the giant, namesake cookers. The crabs and all of the other seafood are sharkingly fresh: crab (of course), shrimp, fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. I can vouch for the clam chowder (Manhattan), shrimp skewer, soft shell crabs, crab cocktail, and grilled halibut special. All delicious and all well prepared. Almost all wines were under $40 (our sweetspot for restaurant wines), with a couple under $30. Excellent service. YouTubeâs Chefâs Apprentice
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First, I was really looking forward to their oysters. The price looked great, however they only serve oysters October through April. As all the other restaurants around them serve oysters at this time of year, I thought this was kind of weird. I settled on their soft shell crabs which I donât recommend. I chose the sides: sliced tomatoes (?? weird side) and their âworld famousâ cheesy potatoes. There werenât great options for sides. The potatoes tasted like rubber. I just knew it had been sitting out for a while. When we left the restaurant I walked by their grill and I was right.. multiple potato clumps just sitting on their grill. My friend ordered their clam chowder, and after a couple bites found a bug in it. We told our waitress and she apologized and offered a new cup. My friend said no thank you since her stomach had turned from this. The cup was still pretty full. After we got the bill, the clam chowder was still on the receipt. At this point we were so over this place we just wanted to get out of there so we left without saying anything. Needless to say, this was the only bad part of our trip to Cali. We immediately went to a new restaurant to turn the night around. Iâm giving two stars because the bread (that we paid $5 for lmao) was good and the waitress was sweet.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
This place is charming; gives old-school Newport vacation. The crab cakes were my fav. What made my experience so great, though, was the server, Amelia. She went above and beyond, and âfitsâ the charm of the place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Love this place. My favorite chowder from anywhere. Grilled fish is very nice. Always a fun/casual vibe.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Itâs a shame. Been going to the crab cooker for a long time and a good friend of mine was dear friends with Bob. I went there on Monday and got my usual. They were great. I took a friend for the first time she got the crabcakes. Crab cake shouldâve been to die for since the name, crab cooker, unfortunately, they had so much filling in them and very little crab, and then they put a coating around it and deep-fried them. Very disappointing and unfortunately, the server just defended the crab instead of apologizing and offering something different. Also, you always used to get a piece of taffy once you left youâve taken that away. Silly thing, but can you not afford a piece of taffy anymore. We wanted to buy the taffy and you did not have it available. You have some new flavors instead of the original. Again, disappointing. The place was not busy Like it always is and unfortunately, I understand. You no longer give bread with a meal either.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
TOURIST TRAP!
If you actually know good food and expect quality when paying $25+ per entrĂ©e, avoid this place. The food was underwhelming, overpriced, and clearly aimed at tourists who donât know better. Honestly surprised by all the 5-star reviews.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I love this place. Normally I just get a point of the smoked albacore and cooked shrimp cocktail to go but this time I ate I. The restaurant. Clam chowder was excellent as was the fish and skewers pictured.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent. Freshest seafood in town.
Recommended dishes: Seafood
Janet and Skylar made my lunch feel like home! Both so kind and ready to help, the fact that the food was divine was a huge bonus! Would choose the Crab Cooker for all my meals in a heartbeat!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great chowder and smoked fish. I take it to go and head to the Wedge
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Crab Cooker in Newport Beach looks charming at first, but sadly, the food tells a different story. This isnât a proper seafood restaurant â more of a casual diner setup, but with restaurant-level prices and low quality. All plates, glasses and cutlery is single use and thrown away.
We ordered 2 crab cakes $18 per plate, deep-fried in what tasted like reused oil â soggy and lacking flavor. The *clam chowder* (tomato-based, not creamy) was honestly the worst Iâve had anywhere, Wholefoods is even much better. Our server was friendly and upfront about the chowder being different (tomato base), but it still didnât taste like clam chowder at all â just a bland tomato broth with tough pieces of clam.
We also had fried calamari and 3 lemonades. Total bill $90 before tip. For that price, youâd expect fresh seafood. Sadly, this felt more like a (tourist) trap with nostalgic branding.
Our waiter was kind, but it doesnât make up for food that just doesnât deliver. Many reviews mention the same issues â poor food quality, small portions, and high prices.
Plenty of better seafood spots in Newport Beach. Skip this one.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
I wanted to round up on this one, but couldn't bring myself to give it a 5. This is a Newport Beach classic. However, with so many more restaurant options these days, the bread is just OK and you have to pay separate for it. The salmon meal was fine, but the tartar sauce isn't my favorite. The King Crab was actually really good, but expensive (although fairly priced for the quantity). I have to agree with the overall consensus that this is a below 4.5 star experience. But, above 4 keeps you on the list in my book. Especially with all the nostalgia.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The atmosphere is top notch - relaxed, interesting decor, and clean. The food was delicious - we ordered the fresh halibut and sea bass. The cheesy potatoes and rice pilov were great sides. Service was 5 star. Thank you from Dayton, Ohio!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Relaxed atmosphere on Newport coast. Food was delicious and reasonably priced for location. Clam chowder is Manhattan style in case you're looking for new England style...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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