Pete was amazing ... everyone is so nice and the food is amazing !!! My mom has been dreaming of coming so she is very satisfied.

Our server Dianey did a fantastic job in serving us! Really goes to show how much care these servers have here!!

Our waiter Pete was so nice and outgoing we had the best time eating here ❤️❤️

Everything was great but they are apparently understaffed so it was hard for our server to keep up. Other than that, no complaints! 😊

Our waiter (pete) was great n made sure we had everything we need. He’s an amazing waiter

This was our first time at Surfing Crab. I had a really great time. Our server Abby was very helpful and attentive, abby did a great job helping us with what to order she was very knowledgeable about the menu and helped us decide what to order. We will definitely be coming back.

For my first time trying a seafood boil 10+/10!!🫶🏾 I had the daily special ($30.99) which was 1/2 shrimp, 1/2 crawfish & 1/2 snow crab the 2 potatoes, 2 corns & good amount of sausage slices!! With surfing special seasoning but if you like spicy you should get the next one up from medium because it wasn’t really spicy & i just added some boiled eggs ($1 each). My gf ordered a half & half basket with catfish & chicken and fries includes ($13). Totally recommend and thank you, Preston for your great service!

Food was amazing and service was even better felt very comfortable nadine was bartending for us such a sweet girl definitely coming back

Love this place! Hush puppies are a1. Only restaurant I’ll eat crawfish at in the valley. 10/10

The food is amazing! Went here for the first time and was worth every penny!!

Great tasting seafood hands down. Excellent service with reasonable prices. Try the "McAllen Special." You can add three additional lobster tails for only 48 bucks. The food was so good. The customer service was excellent. Moving from California to the RGV was definitely a blessing. The RGV is a hidden gym. Thank you for a great dinning experience. My family will be customers for life. Don't forget to leave a great tip. The servers at the Surfing Crab go out their way to make sure you have a great dinning experience. Show your love. God will bless you for your kindness and thoughtfulness towards others.

+2

Preston was our server and he was friendly and attentive. He had a smile on his face! The food was delicious and very well served. The Daily Special was a great choice. The Bahama Mamas were very good!

Our server Eduardo was so nice, and took care of everything we needed and asked for! Food was so flavorful and came out quickly!

Love the food here so bomb! Our server Angie did a beautiful job at recommending food to our liking, and had the best attitude throughout our meal. Definitely recommend

It was my first time here and it was sooo good! I will definitely be coming back with friends and family! I had the appetizer sampler to start off and our server Ruby was so great explaining the different options and substitutions on the menu! She was extremely attentive and my entree was out super quick! I had the Texans Special which had 1lb of Snow crab and 1lb of shrimp with sausage and potato! 10/10!!!

First time here...I had the pleasure of dining here at The Surfing Crab on Nolana Ave in McAllen, this evening. I sat in a booth in the bar area where our waitress/ bartender, Amanda, took wonderful care of us. With an incredible mix of 70s and 80s music playing thru the bar area, I started off with an with ice cold Crawford Bock from the draft. My curiosity took me to a bowl of the New England clam chowder where the broth was rich and had plenty of flavorful clams. I decided to go for the flounder po-boy sandwich, which I found superb...the bread was fresh, the flounder was incredibly moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Served with incredibly crisp French fries, my meal was fantastic. I did down two of the ice cold Crawford Bock from the draft with my meal. First rate food and service! Check em' out! Thumbs UP! 👍

+2

I try to come to surfing crab once a week for either lunch or dinner. There is a reason for that. The food is absolutely amazing. The service is incredible! I have had only great experiences here and that is why I claim this as my absolute favorite restaurant in the entire valley! Food and drinks are quick to arrive at your table thanks to the amazing cooks and bartender. My go-to server Damian is always sure to be attentive and very kind. I vouch for Surfing Crab whenever I recommend a great place to eat at. It is a must!

Surfing Crab McAllen – Review Surfing Crab McAllen is a popular seafood spot known for its lively atmosphere and delicious Cajun-style crab boils. Pros: - Fresh and flavorful seafood, especially the crab boils - Generous portions, great for sharing - Casual, fun vibe with friendly staff - Good variety of sauces and sides Cons: - Can get messy—be prepared to get your hands dirty! - Sometimes wait times are long due to popularity - Not the best option if you prefer quiet dining Overall, Surfing Crab McAllen is perfect for seafood lovers looking for bold flavors and a casual, energetic dining experience. Rating: 4/5

Okay so when we walked in I needed to charge my phone so, I asked the lady at the front if I can charge it then while I was plugging it me and her were making jokes about trading phones! Then when we sat down we placed an appetizer of calamari which was very good. Then we got the mcallen combo which was also very good 10/10 if you wanna order it you have to ask for it, it’s not on the menu. Only reason I rated it a 4 is cause I would NOT recommend fried items. They don’t fry it well at all. Our waiter Daniel Robes was very nice and accommodating and of course Jan which was very nice, she works at the front and she took pictures of us and let me charge our phone she was very joyful! The atmosphere is great there’s art everywhere and lights they even let us draw on the walls! Would 10/10 recommend and as always remember to tip!

Usually love surfing crab but had a terrible experience. My food had excessive garlic, potatoes and sausage were covered in them. Asked for lemons, took more than 10min to get and they only had limes which didn’t go well with food and had no juice. We were sat underneath vent, was too cold by the time I got the limes food was already cold. Asked for a level medium spice, not spicy at all.

Excellent service, amazing staff and environment is so relaxed and welcoming. Aby was an amazing server, super attentive and on top of everything. Will definitely visit again!

You’re the best Pete!!! Recommendations were on point and food was delish but your service made all the difference! Thank you!!!

The food was really good, everything was really good!! The server Chantal, was so efficient and funny! She gives us a really good time!!!

aby is wonderful! I always come to surfing crab and as soon as I walk into the bar she has my beer ready, She makes the atmosphere great!

Great food and service, me and my family had a good lunch. Shoutout Valeria for the hospitality and service!

We LOVE Surfing Crab 🦀 We eat there at least 4 times a month. Great service, Awsome food and great Atmosphere as well. Highly recommend them.

Everything about our dining experience was 5 star. Food, service and ambience was excellent. Nadine our server made it extra special with her positive and enthusiastic attitude.

My go to when I’m craving seafood or when I’m a bit hungover . The place is fast and the food is delicious, always the same consistency. Surfing crab is always packed so I tend to go sit and the bar and enjoy the daily drink specials while I wait . The bartenders are friendly and make the experience even better ! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants, I go at least once a week with the amazing Lunch specials they have from 12-3 pm ! Must visit if you haven’t done so !

Great food and service. My favorite part was when 5’2” Steven Franz walked in and wanted to sit the bar and then proceeded to try and play dumb like a TABLE for two was where he was going to sit. The hostess told him and his man bun from 2014 that his seats were at the bar.

Love this place. Always sit at bar top and order McAllen special. Food is always good, and service is always excellent. Bartender Sam is always attentive and quick with serving hers. Good job surfing crab.

Usually the food is on point but today the food was missing butter and seasoning flavor… I had to ask for an extra butter/seasoning mix cup and was charged extra. Nonetheless, that was the only thing missing. Customer Service by our waiter Damian was great! Super courteous and outgoing, plus our food and drink order was all accurate! Thank you Damian for making our Girls Night Out a great experience! 👍👍

Pete was an amazing server, he went above and beyond, make sure to ask for Pete! Atmosphere was amazing! Food was great and made my Birthday feel special!

My son and I had lunch there and we had the daily specials..our server aby was very helpful and knowledgeable in helping us choose a special w enough food for us both. We were pleasantly surprised when the food arrived..it was steaming hot and it was sooooo much food! It was one of the best boils we’ve had! We will definitely be back! Great food and awesome service!

Celebrated my birthday here and Pete took care of us and it couldn’t have been any better!!

Robyn was super nice and got us seated quick. Even though it was busy, she stayed friendly and helpful. Great hostess!

Went in the other day and Raquel was our server, she was super friendly, funny, and attentive. Food was amazing too, but her service is honestly what stood out!

This is my favorite place to eat! Jen and Sam always make it such a wonderful experience. We come back for the extra mile service and yummy fresh food.

Our server was Damian who was AWESOME! Even taught us how to open up them crab legs and lobster tail the right way! Very friendly atmosphere! Will b back soon!

Food was amazing. Our waiter Pete went above and beyond. Highly satisfied. Would def recommend

Good place, pretty affordable price, i was having lobster tail with noodles and it was so damn good, and the good thing is they’re gonna have a live crawfish. Definitely cant wait!!!

+6

It was SO GOOD just wish spicy had more spices kick to it! Definitely gonna try fire next visit 😮‍💨our waiter was nice, place is SUPER COLD IN THERE so take a sweater if you don’t like that 🙂

Genuinely enjoy when Pete is my server everytime. Emensly attentive, takes care of the table everytime I've been here with company. Would ask for Pete everytime if could ☺️☺️☺️

They have plenty of items to order from individual to combos to big platters. Seafood is great! We stick with the trio platter all the time but it was our first time having a show for ordering but it was hot and tasty! We get it garlic butter 🧈 mild. Video would not show to up load sorry but it was a great seafood 🦞.

Nowadays, it's hard to find an establishment that puts their customers first. Upon my visit today, Gloria did an amazing job and was on-top of everything, I was there for a to-go order and noticed she was not just managing the location, she was actually helping her staff and attending her customers. This is what you call great leadership. Not only did she put her customers first, but she was demonstrating great effort and teamwork. The food was delicious, and the presentation was even better. I will definitely be coming back 😊 Keep up the good work & once again. Thank you, Gloria & and staff, for making my visit an unforgettable experience 🙌🏼

This was our first time here. We were greeted as we walked in. Restaurant was clean. The ambiance was very relaxing and great music, 80's songs! Our waiter was very attentive. The food was delicious! We ordered Shrimp Boil, side of Cajun fries, fried rice, and PoBoy Grilled Flounder. We will definitely be back!

I celebrated my birthday here with my family and our experience was very amazing. Our server Pete was very charismatic and attentive ! I recommend this place if you like seafood boils <3

We visited from Michigan and really enjoyed the seafood experience. I do not eat seafood, but my husband loved it. The servers were amazing and took the time to explain the dishes and make recommendations. Highly recommend if you are a seafood freak. Food was delicious and portions were generous. No worries if you are not into seafood....their hamburgers are also excellent!

Gregorio Castillo

I went to dine with the family and Danny the waiter gave us a great time. atmosphere was great, prices very manageable. The parking lot very easy to handle. I have great time with my dinner, advisable, great taste and a good recommendations from Danny. I will comeback soon!

Ez Ortiz

Ashley the host was great, super sweet, great attitude, friendly matter fact my phone was dead when I walked in and by the time she sat us down it was fully charged, crazy, I know.. must've been her energetic, positive Aura.. Should've been a server to serve yall up some more 5 star reviews... I'll be back 🤤

Shanelly Bazaldua

We had a fantastic experience thanks to our server, Dianey! She was attentive, friendly, and genuinely made us feel welcome from start to finish. She checked in at all the right times, had great recommendations, and kept everything running smoothly. Service like this truly makes a meal memorable—thank you, Dianey!

Claudia Cardoza

From the moment we sat down, our server Dianey provided outstanding service. She was knowledgeable about the menu, made thoughtful recommendations, and was incredibly attentive throughout our meal. The food was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly timed. This is the kind of service that keeps you coming back.

Miriam Alvarado

If you're looking for the ultimate seafood fix, this is the spot! The seafood boil was incredible—perfectly seasoned, fresh, and arrived steaming hot. But what really made the night was our server, Dianey. She provided absolutely excellent service from start to finish. Dianey was super attentive, made great recommendations on the spice levels, and made sure our drinks stayed full the entire time. If you go, definitely ask for Dianey—she’s the best!

Janel Vela

Great Food and Customer Service, We love their food, my go to is their Jumbo Shrimp Fried Rice with a side of surfing crab spicy seasoning, it's always a must when we go. Plus The Bartenders Joe and Aby are Awesome, we enjoy their company. Highly recommend going here

Rachel Gutierrez

Pete was an amazing server at Surfing Crab! From the moment we sat down, he was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. He explained the menu well, checked on us at the perfect times, and kept the vibe fun and welcoming. Our food came out great, and Pete definitely made the experience even better. Ask for Pete if you go—top-notch service!

Mel Kaylina

We ate at Surfing Crab last night for the first time and we had a great experience. The food was top-tier, and my server, Raquel, really stood out. She was extremely nice, welcoming, and even taught us how to properly crack open our crab legs. She checked on us at the right times and made sure we had everything I needed. I’d definitely come back again!

Justin Pena

Came in for my wifes birthday. Everything was great. Pete our server was excellent. He was very efficient. I was suprised how fast the food came out.Ty for the great dining experience. Highly recommended.

angie rosales

Love the food in this place, I’ve tried that other place by the highway, but nope, not even close. This place is clean and we don’t have to share our pics with other guests at our table. And to top it off, Sam the best bartender we’ve ever met. She’s attentive and has an awesome personality, sat at the bar and had an awesome time. Gooooo Sam

Norma Pena

Today I went by with some friends and I really enjoyed it. Bartender Sam did such an excellent job! I asked for some drinks and she was very attentive and always with such pretty smile. I would recommend this place 100%. If any of you guys go ask for Sam bartender excellent service.

The Guvna

This place does not disappoint! Love to get the 2lbs. Headless shrimp and shrimp fried rice. And wait staff always offers the cheaper option which I get my shrimp boil with sausage, corn on cob and red potatoes! Place is always clean.

Toby Estman

I loved my birthday meal here, and even got to have some cheesecake as a gift from the restaurant! Had a great time with my family, and be prepared to get your hands dirty, because it's all so good!

Luis Pecina

Really great food and service from all staff in general! First time coming and will definitely come again! We got food for two and it was well served :)

Jim & Meli Fulton

My wife and I decided this was the place for lunch today. Great dining experience, as usual. We enjoyed our company since I had been away for awhile. Was a bit surprised with the bland taste of the fried shrimp this time tho. Not sure what happened to this batch. 🫣 Honesty is the best policy. Fried pickles were the 💣 My decision on the fried rice was the correct one to make 👏 (even with out the Yum-Yum sauce in it) It's not really the time for Crawfish (for ME anyway, cuz I love 'em) and I'm craving them. They weren't too busy and our wait time was a bit longer than usual. Other than that, great food. Come try it for yourself.

Food was delicious , Clean restaurant and everyone was friendly. Service was a bit slow as far as refills on drinks , getting straws, lemons, ect.. Most important for me was the taste and quality of food, which was on point! Definitely recommend and will be returning.

The food is Amazing! Definitely worth the wait time. It was our first visit and we will definitely come back again. I would have rated 5 stars if our waiter was good but unfortunately he was not very attentive and forgot stuff. But the food is to die for so I will come back. Hopefully the next waiter will be better. Added photo of food dish after since most post of the food when it arrives.

As soon as our server saw us sit down, she asked if we were ready to order which i think can be a little rude but then also she didn't come back to fill our drinks. The food was good, the crab felt like it was missing some of the meat

Service was great! Ray was a standout server. Just there for lunch, first time. Fried shrimp basket with fries was perfect. Shrimp fried rice was awesome! Mexican shrimp cocktail was lacking in 2 things…. No tortilla chips ( just saltine crackers) and the sauce needed a little something- maybe a change to their recipe?

We visited on a Sunday evening, and despite the crowd, the atmosphere was welcoming. The seafood combo was bursting with flavor, making the wait well worth it. I didn’t really like their signed walls everywhere. They kind of look weird.

My daughter visited us from NY and wanted seafood so we went here for lunch. The ambience was very nice and our waiter Daniel was very helpful and knowledgeable and recommended the house special fried rice which was VERY delicious. We got the Tuesday daily special (1/2lb crayfish 1/2lb shrimp and two crab legs) Cajun style. The fried calamari wasn't so good, a bit tough, could've been more crisper. We also requested that we did not want the sausage with the seafood, but they put it in there anyways which was disappointing. But other than that service was great! The margaritas could be a little more spiked up...lol

+4

The food quality and service were excellent. Despite a full house on Saturday, service remained efficient. The flavors were well-balanced, avoiding excessive spice to accommodate our children. Overall, this establishment provides an exceptional seafood boil experience, with particularly noteworthy appetizers.

The food here was honestly so good. Everything tasted really fresh and super savory, and they have some great specials going on right now. The prices are really good too for the quality of food you get. The only downside was the service. Our server, Olga, didn’t really check up on us much. When she finally came by we asked for a refill, but she forgot and we had to wait a few more minutes until we saw her again to ask a second time. Other than that, the food was delicious and I’d definitely come back again

Fusako P

I love this franchise and we decided to try this location since we were in the area. It was pretty busy considering we came on a Sunday afternoon but we were still seated immediately. Service was outstanding! Our server made sure we had everything we needed and kept checking up on us, without being too overwhelming. The food was delicious, but my boil was a little bit salty but it was still tasty and nothing my side of steamed rice couldn’t neutralize. I added on two eggs to it as well and they were slightly overcooked, but like I said, my plate was still delicious nonetheless. My boyfriend got the fried fish basket and his fries were a little too heavily seasoned according to him. But the fish, no matter which location we’ve been to, has always been perfectly crispy, battered perfectly and finger licking. Overall will be back if in the area. Those small quirks are not enough to deter us from one of our favorite restaurants!

The food is good but the customer service is terrible. The two ladies at the front lack friendliness and customer service skills. No hello, not a thank you or please have seat while we call you or please come with me or enjoy your meal.

The food was great, but our service was horrible!!!! She took our order, I ordered lunch boil #1 with tails off. I got tails on. She forgot our drinks we had the food & had to ask another waitress for our drinks. If I go back I'll make sure we don't get that waitress.

First time here. Pasta do not recommend over priced for a dish with absolutely no flavor spaghetti sauce that's way to watery, to the shrimp and mussels with no flavor. Shrimp boil with three sauce combo mild in spice, had no flavor lacked spice. The sauce was watery does not hold to anything on the platter. Calamari basic at best.

POOR SERVICE DURING BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION I am writing to express my disappointment with the service my family and I received during our recent visit to The Surfing Crab while celebrating my mother’s birthday. Our server was disengaged and dismissive from the start. When we mentioned it was my mom’s birthday, there was little acknowledgment. When my sister later asked if the staff could sing, we were told everyone was “too busy,” and no effort was made to follow up. While waiting for our check, the server never returned, and my sister had to get up to locate her. What made this especially upsetting was seeing another table receive a birthday song as we were leaving. This made us feel overlooked and unfairly treated, possibly because we were a smaller group. This experience took away from what should have been a special celebration. I hope this feedback is addressed so all guests receive the same level of service and respect.

Decided to try this place out with some friends. Arrived and at the table the server took a while to greet us and get our drink order. While we were there at the restaurant we didn’t get refills until the end when he came back around. Mind you our drinks have been basically empty since our food arrived. Maybe he thought because we were younger no tip was going to be given but I also work in the service industry and know when to appreciate good service. The lobster tails were over cooked and felt rubbery. Which I understand is not his fault. Everything else was fine the noodles in the sauce tasted delicious and the shrimp as well probably won’t come back maybe only for the shrimp and noodles wouldn’t want overcooked food and bad service again.

Balkan

Horrible food. Tried this place for the first time, ordered the (8!) fried shrimp with fries. The shrimp had no flavor and were fried with a kinda gross batter. They were tossed on top of the fries which ruined any crispness the fries might have had in an alternate universe. Just a horrible meal. The bathroom smelled awful but looked clean. The booth was cozy and the waitress was sweet and efficient. But the food was unacceptable so I won't be back.

Angel Aguilar

The food came out in about 3 minutes,which was quick but the food wasn’t even warm. I ordered extra boiled eggs and the extra ones came really cold as if they used an old order that was sitting for a while.I could tell they just added the eggs on top of the old order and brought it to us …they didn’t even bring it in a bag so they could pour like they usually do , they brought everything already served in a tray.I don’t like to complain but that experience just wasn’t it,and the service wasn’t the best either …they only refilled beverages once towards the end which we had already lost our appetite by then.

C M

First time ordering from this restaurant. I ordered the Jumbo Fried Shrimp basket and an order of spring rolls. The shrimp was over cooked and chewy. Batter was not crispy it was burnt in some areas. It always felt like I was eating fried chicken. The price was reasonable and the customer service at the to go counter was excellent. I was very disappointed that out of 8 shrimp I could only eat two even over cooked and had to pick at the rest and toss them. I don’t know if I would go back. The spring rolls were just ok.

Saw and heard the manager telling a server stuff out in front of everyone. Very unprofessional, and made me want to get up and leave!!

Update your restaurant hours. Rude hostess refused to seat us at 9:45pm even thought restaurant hours state closing time is 11pm.

When for an online order and they told me to wait for 5min 20 min pass and they had the order ready but didn’t tell me nothing so for you all there were they put the food in that shelf 👍🏽 so you could know the order is ready

The manager of this place to be specific is very unprofessional disrespectful and try’s to take advantage of her position she does not treat customers I asked her one question and she acted very dumb about it than I heard her talking to her workers and I feel so bad for them. They had it 10 times worse she obviously abuses her position and needs to be fired @ Gloria

i ordered my food on doordash last night, and only my mom and i ate, we have been throwing up non stop since last night. it’s weird because we’ve eaten here before but nothing happened till last night that we started throwing up.

Service takes awhile, food was not good, old crab old crawfish, lobster overcooked, shrimp overcooked, hospitality is poor. Management is poor. Mambos seafood OVER this restaurant.

Gone a few times before, the food is good but the hostess and whoever answers the phone are terrible. They are rude and this time they practically threw us out when we showed up at 950pm and they said it was closed. The restaurant was full and they close at 1030pm. This was very demeaning to my wife and me. We left feeling discriminated, we left ashamed.

This place is vile. The restroom smells absolutely HORRENDOUS, like something has been rotting there for days, and what’s worse is that the staff clearly knows and does NOTHING about it. The smell seeps out and ruins the entire dining experience. It’s nauseating, embarrassing, and completely unacceptable for a restaurant. How is this allowed? Basic hygiene is literally the bare minimum, and this place fails miserably. If you can’t keep your bathrooms clean or at least ADDRESS a problem this bad, you shouldn’t be serving food. Customers shouldn’t have to hold their breath or gag just to exist in the same space. The fact that no one bothered to fix it, clean it, or even acknowledge it says everything about how little they care. Disgusting, negligent, and unprofessional. I will never be back, and I strongly suggest others stay far away unless you enjoy the smell of filth with your meal.

The food is edible but the service sucks. We had a waiter add their tip in our receipt. When we went back, the manager Gloria kept rolling her eyes at us while the cop wrote his notes for the police report. So if you do decide to eat here make sure you write in the total in your receipt.

Never ever in my life had I had worst costumer service , the girl who was serving us made us wait 20 minutes + to order a drink then she kept passing by us while she served the people over us ! They kept ignoring us never bought us re fills never checked on us once ! I had better service at a taco truck than a place like this!

I went to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and I mentioned to the waitress that we were celebrating a birthday. They sang happy birthday to other people and when I mentioned it to her she’s was like “they are busy” and as I was leaving they sang happy birthday to other groups I left sad and disappointed and I still tipped

Really enjoyed going to this place but yesterday will be the last time. Sever took a while to take our drink and food order which is ok. That was not the big issue. I ordered a boil and the order took a long time to come out. I had to ask the server to check on it, not sure how long my order was sitting for but when the server brought my food it had a big fly. So yeah won't be going there anymore.

Juan Vela

Theres was absolutely nothing wrong with the food. But the service was less than acceptable. We waited a long time before our drinks were ordered... all the waiters were just in a corner talking... i had to get up and refill my glass myself... after taking our food order, the waiter revisted us just once... definitely NOT coming here again.