Shaking Crab - Boston Common

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1. D

   Delicious

   New York Area

   119 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   119 reviews

   Dined on February 8, 2023

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   Did not have paper menus that I wanted. Food was tasty. Service was great.
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New England

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on January 1, 2023

   overall2food2service1ambience2

   Waiters were clearly on their phones and not paying attention to us. We had hungry children and needed food sometime soon.
   

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3. SY

   SuttonYaya

   New England

   6 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on December 22, 2022

   overall2food1service1ambience2

   Came in with 2 kids for a pre theatre dinner. Music was cranking with rap and we heard 4 f’ bombs in the first 5 minutes. This location is still operating at COVID scaled down service. Plastic forks, QR code menu. This menu is difficult to decipher online and not mobile friendly. Every time we tried to expand it so the kids could see it went wonky. Kids had a awful time trying to break their food out of the shells with plastic forks so we finally asked if they had real silverware. We dumped the fried pickles out of the paper basket so one of the kids didn’t have to keep fishing in a big plastic bag for her lobster. When we asked about wine we we given a verbal beer list. Under pressure he left to check and said they had a caber-NET and a mer-LOT with no idea of brand. Went with G&Ts instead, seemed safer. No refill on the coke, they sold “the last one”. The fried corn app was mushy and the corn in the bag was almost gelatinous and inedible. The fried pickles were soggy, and onion rings greasy and lukewarm. Overall it was not a great experience, the food was marginal and not worth the prices. Would not return.
   

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4. E

   Explorersoflocaleats

   Chicago

   28 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   28 reviews

   Dined on December 13, 2022

   overall4food4service5ambience3

   Some good platters for sharing. Loaded lobster fries were good.
   

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5. CD

   CindyD

   New England

   8 reviews

   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on December 7, 2022

   overall5food4service4ambience3

   Location was great! The garlic noodles were great! The lobster was a good value but it was served in a plastic bag with the butter sauce in the bag with the shell on the lobster. They shook it at the table. Very messy way to eat lobster. The sauce should be on the side for dipping. I would go again but ask for sauce on the side.
   

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6. MB

   MBruno

   New England

   23 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   23 reviews

   Dined on November 30, 2022

   overall4food4service4ambience3

   Uniquely good seafood. Great cocktails. Chill atmosphere. Be warned though that there are very few choices if you do not like seafood though and the dining room is up a long flight of stairs!
   

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7. AE

   AmyE

   New England

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 16, 2022

   overall1food1service2ambience1

   We had reservations before a show. Walk in and there is a sign to wait to be seated. No one came to seat us. Then a man came in from outside and asked if we were from grub hub. I said no we had reservations. He brought us upstairs and it smelled so horrible we almost couldn’t stay. Mix of seafood and garlic maybe. Took a bit for the waiter to take our order. Chowder was disappointing. Barely ate it. Wouldn’t recommend this place.
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Singapore

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on October 1, 2022

   overall4food3service4ambience4

   Overall the food was good as is the service. Not quite what I was expecting
   

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9. CI

   CarI

   New England

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on September 16, 2022

   overall2food3service2ambience1

   Not very good given how expensive it is………………………….
   

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10. f

    foodieok

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    the food was so bomb. let me put yall on real quick: twin lobster tails, shrimp, potatoes and corn smothered in their moderately spicy garlic butter sauce. i ordered the "life's a peach" cocktail and it was liqaaaaaa but it was the perfect pairing. total was like $65 not including tip and i paid that hoe with ease cause it was just so good. i will be back LOL
    

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11. MN

    MarkNYC64

    New York Area

    39 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on July 16, 2022

    overall3food2service5ambience2

    I booked the Shaking Crab due to its convenience. The whole crab boil is not really by thing but since I was in Boston, I decided to get a Lobster Roll and some chowder. The chowder was okay if a bit watery. A bit too soupy rather than the robust thickness one expects from chowder. The lobster roll was okay if a bit ... chewy. but the flavor was good. The french fries that came with the lobster roll were unremarkable and oddly flavorless despite the layer of some kind of coating. No need to reinvent the wheel, folks. Just give me fries. Brendon was a great, friendly, attentive server, so zero complaints there. I think that since this was my first lobster roll ever, I may not actually like lobster rolls (apparently this caused consternation on my own Facebook page where longtime friends told me how stupid I was for not liking lobster rolls!). all of this would've been an okay experience aside from the fact that the lobster roll was $25!! For a sandwich that i did not enjoy as much as I would a Filet O Fish from McDonald's. Shaking Crab...I left full and broke!
    

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12. JW

    JoanW

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 22, 2022

    overall3food4service2ambience1

    Our waiter was nice but it is obvious there are internal issues such as rodents (rats), slow service and disorganization.
    

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13. AT

    ATyler

    New England

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 18, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    I had a 12 pm reservation here for Father’s Day. My dad was really looking forward to getting some seafood boil but we showed up and the place was closed. It said it opened at noon on their FB page so we tried calling (no answer) and we waited 20 minutes and it never opened. Hugely disappointing.
    

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14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on June 15, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Place was quiet but very good service, super accommodating, and very quick delicious flavors.
    

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    8 reviews

    2.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 28, 2022

    overall2food3service1ambience2

    A bit disappointed. We marked that it was a special occasion and no mention. Service was slow and seemed unorganized. We waited over 10 mins to receive crackers for our crab as the crab grew cold. Food was tasty. Not the best in Boston by any means. Lobster fries delicious.
    

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 22, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Crab was delicious!
    

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17. s

    stephanieb

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fantastic food, great atomosphere!! Can't get enough of it here!!
    

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18. c

    chris

    Montreal

    2 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2022

    overall3food1service5ambience4

    Great service but the food lacked flavor. We couldn’t figure out why the oil had no taste, spice, or seasoning even though we ordered medium on the spice level.
    

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 21, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Food was delicious and I love sea food boils. Wish the heat was more spicy but still yummy.
    

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Bib and gloves Maryland style crabs 🦀 I’ve returned 2x and take out is stellar.
    

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21. M

    Milam

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Went for my 24th bday, and everything was excellent! Seafood was good kids mac and cheese was amazing the drinks were to die for! Highly recommend! Can’t wait to go again
    

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22. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 11, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    I booked a table for 6 for monday 11th of april My suster came to check if the reservation was taken D-day : restaurant closed Incredibly unprofessional to let people book on a close day
    

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23. EN

    EnisaN

    New York Area

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on March 19, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Would definitely recommend this place, especially at night the music is great and the food is even better !
    

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24. AH

    AmberH

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 16, 2022

    overall4food3service3ambience5

    The fried pickles were really good. The chicken sandwich I had tasted a bit weird. I'm not sure if it's because the chicken is fried with seafood or if it were the seasonings. The amount of crab and shrimp was good. My child enjoyed it. We were seated upstairs, which is more spacious than downstairs. We were by the window, which was nice because we looked across at Boston Commons. The server didn't seem to know about the menu when I asked questions. Maybe he was new.
    

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Messiest dining experience I’ve ever had, and couldn’t be happier about it. Don’t wear nice clothes to this, and definitely get the boil, so worth it
    

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26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 5, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing spicy Cajun snow crab legs, the garlic butter is divine, corn is great! Fun for group of friends!
    

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27. SP

    SummerP

    New England

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 26, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    Bathroom was absolutely disgusting. You can tell it wasn’t cleaned in days!
    

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28. RM

    RobertoM

    New England

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Excellent food and service was phenomenal
    

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29. JD

    JimD

    New England

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 5, 2022

    overall2food2service4ambience2

    Overpriced and overfried. I've never seen seafood that black and crunchy and greasy to the point of being inedible. It should've been embarrassing to send it out.
    

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30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 20, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience3

    This was a cool eateries experience with the plastic bib and gloves. The food was great. The restaurant is not very aesthetically attractive, but the food and staff were great.
    

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31. y

    yuriyk

    New Orleans

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 16, 2022

    overall1food3service1ambience1

    they served food in plastic bags! I had to break down the lobster tail sinking in the hot butter with my fingers (they gave plastic gloves, thanks!). Then I had to eat with my fingers taking the lobster pieces and boiled potatoes from the butter in the bag. It was disgusting! And, the bill was too high for this experience> The only positive moment: the tales were tasty. The clam chowder, however, was watery.
    

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32. MS

    MarkS

    New England

    31 reviews

    1.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on January 9, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    The restaurant was closed so we did not eat there yet Open Table is accepting reservations???
    

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33. LP

    LissaP

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 31, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Went here for NYE dinner with our two kids. Got there early and had a great table overlooking the common. Great food and service they did not rush us and we were able to enjoy a delicious fish dinner. The kids loved the noodles!
    

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34. JN

    JackNackle

    Philadelphia

    33 reviews

    5.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    My daughter and I love crab, Shaking Crab was a great experience. Not fancy, don’t wear your Sunday clothes, it’s messy. But if it’s crab you want…or other shellfish, shake, shake, shake it over to Shaking Crab.
    

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35. KM

    KarunaM

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 4, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We tried the fried calamari and shrimp Appetizer. Quantity was really good. Then we tried lobster tail with Cajun sauce. Cajun sauce had a lot of flavor albeit a little spicy. We also enjoyed Seoul sauce with crabs and that was delicious too
    

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36. J

    Jimmy

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 28, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Awesome food and Good service!! Would recommend to Anyone
    

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37. HN

    HunterN

    New York Area

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 23, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Great value and delicious food! The cheesy lobster fries were great!
    

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38. TJ

    TheresaJ

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 11, 2021

    overall2food2service2ambience1

    I was charged twice on my credit card, called and was told I was only charged once so now going thru cc co. To try to get resolved. Seated 15 min after reservation then waited ~10 min before being acknowledged. Once ordered and food received no service, Had to ask for the bill. Crab was very mushy. First time customer, on vacation and was hoping for a great experience, sadly disappointed.
    

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39. SG

    StephenG

    Milwaukee

    30 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on September 30, 2021

    overall3food2service4ambience2

    Disappointing. Was hopeful we would have a reasonable meal, but turned up to a pretty empty place. Not clear where the restaurant was! Turned out to be on a 2nd floor. Menu only online and confusing. Food seemed overpriced for what we had. I’m sure I could find better value seafood elsewhere. This is basically a street-food place in a building. If it was street-food anywhere else on the world it would be 100 times better - consider finding somewhere else.
    

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40. PM

    PatriciaM

    Seattle

    10 reviews

    2.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on September 19, 2021

    overall2food2service1ambience3

    The service was not very good, you had to ask for things multiple times. The guy helping us was nice, but it was as though the entire team was not on the same page. The person who seated us didn't even tell us where the menu was. The lobster roll was more celery than everything else and the mac and cheese had one piece of lobster in the entire paper container.
    

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