Coming from Maine, it's hard to impress me with seafood. I can't say much about Lobster as I haven't had it here yet, but the chilled cracked crab is a must. Pros: Food Cons: Parking

Coming from Maine, it's hard to impress me with seafood. I can't say much about Lobster as I haven't had it here yet, but the chilled cracked crab is a must. Pros: Food Cons: Parking
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I enjoy eating at the Crab Cooker .I Love there FISHERMAN'S BREAD and the best CLAM CHOWDER Ever! The waitresses are extremely friendly and everyone - even the cooks - seem to be enjoying their... More

I enjoy eating at the Crab Cooker .I Love there FISHERMAN'S BREAD and the best CLAM CHOWDER Ever! The waitresses are extremely friendly and everyone - even the cooks - seem to be enjoying their time there. It's crowded at both lunch and dinner, so either go a little early for dinner, and later for lunch. It has been there since 1951 In Newport Beach. Great Place. If you can look past the plastic dinnerwear, you'll be fine. The prices are very reasonable for serving fish.
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When i was little,i ate here and i loved it! The potato with the red sauce and the rice was excellent!! Even though i haven't gone here in years i recommend this place to everyone who happens to go... More

When i was little,i ate here and i loved it! The potato with the red sauce and the rice was excellent!! Even though i haven't gone here in years i recommend this place to everyone who happens to go to Newport Beach!
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I was told that this place had the best clam chowder. I thought it was mediocre. My fish salad (like tuna but not tuna) was simply OK. The bread was great and the service excellent. Very... More

I was told that this place had the best clam chowder. I thought it was mediocre. My fish salad (like tuna but not tuna) was simply OK. The bread was great and the service excellent. Very inexpensive. It is in a great location - nice area to walk or bike around and explore.
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Let's get this straight. Crab Cooker is the hands down place for the World's best fish. My wife and I have been regulars here for years. If you like fancy-smancy entrees covered in a brazillian... More

Let's get this straight. Crab Cooker is the hands down place for the World's best fish. My wife and I have been regulars here for years. If you like fancy-smancy entrees covered in a brazillian mango chutney foo foo sauce, go somewhere else. This is fish as God intended it to be eaten. Simply grilled, lightly brushed with butter and seasonings. All served on a paper plate. Yes, a paper plate. It's as if your best friend was the Gorton's Fisherman and you were having dinner at his place. I've been lucky enough to travel all over the World and have had some very good food, but nothing compares to fish at Crab Cooker. And the funny thing is that I'm not really into fish. Guess what?... CC is the only place on Earth I've ever ordered fish. If you haven't had their romano-cheese mashed potatoes or their Maryland crab cakes (yes, even if you're from Maryland), you haven't lived...
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Used to live in the area and went several times a year. Go for an early or late dinner and parking will be easier and no/hardly any wait. Park on the little island in the middle across from Woody's.... More

Used to live in the area and went several times a year. Go for an early or late dinner and parking will be easier and no/hardly any wait. Park on the little island in the middle across from Woody's. Be careful crossing the street. I don't know what everyone is complaining about, if you go on a weekday or at a less busy hour, the max you'll wait is probably 10 minutes. The waitresses are never rude. They're just old and no-nonsense and will joke around with you. If you want alcohol, order a beer. Who would order wine at a place like this anyways? Crab cooker is like a seafood shack with four walls and a bathroom. Love it. The super hard sticks and rolls are supposed to be that hard. I've had a fresh bread stick and it's not the same. Always get the catch of the season. The legs are huge, the scallops are perfect, local lobster is a must if you're a tourist. Don't order shrimp. I've had seafood from places like New England, Florida, and San Francisco and this place has THE best Alaskan legs and lobster. The chowder has beautiful chunks of clams, not your sodium-loaded canned soup in a china bowl. Excellent sides too. Although I think the rice is like boxed rice, it's still flavorful, scalloped potatoes have a perfect crusty shell, cole slaw is not drenched in mayo, and for some reason, the plain tomatoes are so flavorful and ripe. I wish they put more on the plate though. Now I'm used to fancy but cheap seafood prepared Chinese banquet style with lots of flavors and garlic so my palate is bored by "American" seafood, but Crab Cooker definitely knocks down Boston. The Tustin location's chowder has too much potato and is too sour. Support your local economy and go to Newport. Can't trust "seafood" from a town with no water. Pros: Fresh seafood, taffy, send someone a postcard, working for your food Cons: Hosts are kind of jerks, haven't been in the bathrooms yet
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There are plenty seafood options. We had the clam chowder, smoked albacore, crab cakes (yum!!), local lobster, Alaska king crab (wow!) and mahi mahi (today's catch). Their clam chowder is Manhattan... More

There are plenty seafood options. We had the clam chowder, smoked albacore, crab cakes (yum!!), local lobster, Alaska king crab (wow!) and mahi mahi (today's catch). Their clam chowder is Manhattan style (red) and kind of like thick minestrone soup with clam. If you are looking for New England style clam chowder, they don't serve that. The seafood is fresh and cooked with minimal spices (cayenne, salts and some peppers) so you can actually taste the seafood. Their crab cakes are also very good. They are coated with a very thin layer of flour with some lemon juice and tartar sauce. The atmosphere is like a pub and there is no presentation on your food. They are on paper plates with plastic utensil. If you only care about the quality of food, this is definitely the place. The parking is metered and limited. Writing this review makes me hungry again. Time to visit the crab cooker again! Pros: Fresh seafood. Good price with decent quantity. Cons: Limited parking space
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Sorry to disagree with others posting reviews of the famous crab cooker, but in my opinion they are dead wrong. There is a reason this has been a Newport Beach Institution for so many years. I've... More

Sorry to disagree with others posting reviews of the famous crab cooker, but in my opinion they are dead wrong. There is a reason this has been a Newport Beach Institution for so many years. I've eaten at the crab cooker a zillion times and its delicious. Matter of fact, I drive all the way from LA to eat there. Go early to avoid the lines (no reservations). Dress is casual, go after a long day at the beach in your shorts if you want. Yes they serve on paper plates and with plastic forks. Order the shrimp and scallops on a skewer and you won't go wrong. Or, order the lobster -- super cheap for a nice portion of broiled lobster already out of the shell. Also, order the red clam chowder and a loaf of their hot bread. Take home some chowder too. Pros: Excellent seafood and excellent value Cons: Long lines during the evening rush hour, so call ahead and ask what the wait is.
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Casual dining, you eat on paper plates with plastic utensils. Hands down the BEST king crab! Great manhattan style clam chowder and fisherman's bread. A must go!!! PROS: Great food CONS: Lines can... More

Casual dining, you eat on paper plates with plastic utensils. Hands down the BEST king crab! Great manhattan style clam chowder and fisherman's bread. A must go!!! PROS: Great food CONS: Lines can be long at times...very busy restaurant
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I remember going to this place when i was very small. i remembered it was fun, good food, all around wonderful. I went just a few weeks ago to see how the place was doing after all these years and... More

I remember going to this place when i was very small. i remembered it was fun, good food, all around wonderful. I went just a few weeks ago to see how the place was doing after all these years and its not as good as it used to be. As a matter of fact it is boarderline terrible. The service was awful. The waitress was an older lady with such an additude. I thought she was gonna yell at me for what i ordered. The food took forever and we didnt even get what we ordered. I asked if they had this soup that i remember having a long time ago they laughed at me and made me feel stupid for asking. Lastly they dont even have real plates or utensils. There were paper plates, plastic utensils and you have to ask for water... if you dont ask you wont get. It seemed cheap and like a low budget place. The food was ok, I have had better fish at mc donalds though. and the portions are very small..we left hunry and went to a Burger King. Also they have a little container with these round ball-like crackers onthe table for the guests to eat but those sit there all day, day after day. They do not replace with fresh ones at the end of the day. They were so stale I can only imagine how long they have been sitting there. i guess they refill it when it is either empty or when its so hard you can play golf with it!!?? Cons: too pricey for what you get
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