Imperial limosuine

Ok guys good service and good food is THE CRACKED CRAB! Welcoming us, serving us and the food was on point! This is one of Pismo’s gems for sure. The Clam chowder is literally the best!

Cindi Kolec

We have gone to this restaurant several times and we love it! The food is always excellent and the staff are informative and helpful. The Chef always comes in to greet his guests and is very friendly. The only real negative (a small one) is that one server insists on putting the bibs on the customers but there are those of us who prefer to make our own decision on the bib.

Andrew Gaddis

We came to Cracked Crab in Pismo Beach to celebrate a birthday, and Lisa seriously made our night. She joked around with us, totally matched our vibe, and made the whole experience feel fun and relaxed. Even though the place was busy, we never felt rushed, which we really appreciated. The food was yummy, and everything just hit the spot. Lisa’s energy and great service made it feel like more than just a meal. Would definitely come back—thanks, Lisa, for making the birthday extra special!

David Hurd

We had a wonderful dining experience from start to finish. Our server, Lisa, was incredibly friendly and attentive, and she really made the meal feel special without ever being intrusive. We ordered The Big Bucket for Two, which is definitely a splurge, but well worth it if you enjoy seafood. The portion was generous, everything was fresh and flavorful, and it felt like a great value for what you get. I was dining with someone who isn’t usually a seafood person, and even he was impressed - especially with his New York steak, which was cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. Between the excellent service, great food, and relaxed atmosphere, this is a place I’d happily return to and recommend to others.

James Byrd

I visited The Cracked Crab on Sunday, December 28th, for an early dinner at 4:00 p.m. with my elderly mother, hoping to beat the holiday crowds. Unfortunately, I misjudged—the restaurant was very busy. That said, our waitress, Lisa, was absolutely exceptional. Despite the rush, I never once felt that our experience was impacted. Lisa was incredibly patient with my mother, who had quite a few questions and special requests (if you’re reading this, Lisa—sorry!). She made us feel like regulars, even though it was my first visit. On top of the great service, the food was delicious, and the casual yet polished atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for. Highly recommend!

Rei Alexandra Aoyama

We order a bucket and it was better than I expected. The crab and shrimps were fresh. The server brought the bucket out and "dumped" it on the table. It was great. Highly recommended.

Leonid Ganapolskiy

On my drive to Irvine, stopped for lunch, place and food are awesome, my new favorite at Pismo Beach!

Pam Roach

Great bucket for one that feeds two easily. Corkage on Tuesday free. Server was very good.

Jessika M

Everything about this place is amazing. Our waitress was phenomenal, the food was heaven. We loved that the owner even came by to check on Everything. I highly suggest that you don't miss out on this memorable spot when in Pismo.

Simone McCaleb

This place was fantastic! Great service, very clean, and top notch food. We visit pismo often but have never tried the Cracked Crab. Safe to say we will be back every time we visit! Brandy was our server, she was very gracious and polite. She made our experience very comfortable, especially with a us having a young child, it can be rare to feel welcomed. I got the King crab dinner, 10/10, crab was cooked perfectly and it was the perfect serving for the price. My husband got the shrimp pasta and he said it was also a great choice. If you are in Pismo skip Ada’s and spend the extra buck at Cracked Crab!

Kathi Onthenet

We were lucky it wasn't the weekend, because we got a parking spot right out front and there wasn't much of a wait for seating at dinner. I had the bairdi crab and my husband had the chicken (he is NOT a seafood fan). My food was excellent, and my husband said the chicken was very good, and much better than expected since this is a seafood restaurant. The waitress was excellent and really fun, she put my bib on when she brought me the crab-eating tools. The crab was firm and moist but not waterlogged at all. The shells snapped and the meat pulled out cleanly so it was really easy to eat, and I didn't need anything but the cracker to get to every scrap of meat. I heard people around us talking, and someone commented that their steaks were very good, so they must have chefs that know more than just seafood. So just GO!

Catherine Norcom

I love the cracked crab! The sourdough rolls are fantastic, service is great, and the food can’t be beat. Get there early to avoid a wait.

Girlie Street

After a lovely day at the beach, we searched for the top seafood restaurants in the Pismo area and were delighted to find this exceptional restaurant. Although the restaurant was packed, leading to a wait of roughly half an hour, our server Brandy's exceptional service made the experience worthwhile. Her attentiveness, knowledge, and dedication to ensuring our needs were met exceeded our expectations, making us look forward to returning to this outstanding restaurant whenever we visit Pismo. We ordered calamari for appetizers; it was alright. Then we ordered a Big Bucket for two for our main course and shared it among our family of three; it was sufficient and good. I suggested that they offer jasmine rice, though.

Christina Flores

First time visiting and the food was amazing!! So many choices but with my server, Tabitha’s help, I ordered the clam chowder, steamed clams and Alaskan Bairdi Crab dinner. The food was excellent, but the clams were to die for!! Served in a white wine cream sauce with a perfect kick of cracked pepper! So perfect to dip the delicious sourdough rolls and even enhanced the crab meat which was delicious in its own right. Couldn’t get enough of it! Generous servings too! Can’t wait to come back and try some of the other offerings. Highly recommend, but be aware, the place is small so they don’t accept reservations and there is always a line. Fortunately for me, the line on a Tuesday evening (around 5 pm) was not long. Thank you Tabitha and everyone at the Cracked Crab!!

+1

David Vogel

So good that we had dinner here two nights in a row! First night's dinner was the crab boil. Just enough Old Bay seasoning and not salty. We ordered the one person portion plus the steamed clams. The sauce that came with the clams should be sold separately... It was that good. Second night was their Ciopinno plus more steamed clams 😁 the staff helping us both nights were awesome and attentive. Great dining experience!

My favorite place to eat in Pismo! The bucket for 2 is amazing. Make sure you upgrade to the King crab when you order as it is the best. The service is always great and the food is always amazing! Wo…

My favorite place to eat in Pismo! The bucket for 2 is amazing. Make sure you upgrade to the king crab when you order as it is the best. The service is always great and the food is always amazing…

My favorite place to eat in Pismo! The bucket for 2 is amazing. Make sure you upgrade to the King crab when you order as it is the best. The service is always great and the food is always amazing! …

Excellent food ! Even better customer service! Staff and owner are very friendly. Definitely will be back!

Excellent food ! Even better customer service! Staff and owner are very friendly. Definitely will be back!

Excellent food ! Even better customer service! staff and owner are very friendly. Definitely will be back!

So we are at cracked crab for the first time right now. And it is a great experience! We wanted something different we always come to pismo and get fish n chips or clam chowder at the pier. We'll t…

So we are at cracked crab for the first time right now. And it is a great experience! We wanted something different we always come to pismo and get fish n chips or clam chowder at the pier. We'll t…

Great service for a party of 8 without reservations. Great food too, we had a vegan with us and she found plenty to eat.

Wowsy wonderful place for seafood!\n\nHad a 30+ minute wait-definitely worth it.\n\nSmall and intimate place and it was buzzing!\n\nFood was incredible!\n\nLoved seafood hack to try everything.\n…

Wowsy wonderful place for seafood!\n\nHad a 30+ minute wait-definitely worth it.\n\nSmall and intimate place and it was buzzing!\n\nFood was incredible!\n\nLoved seafood hack to try everything.\n\n…

Great food and great atmosphere. \nBest crab outside of Alaska ! \nHighly recommend!

The food was amazing, as was our waitress Angel! There were 3 of us, each ordered something different. I had the shrimp tacos, they were so good! Can't wait to go back!

Food was amazing Service was really good. and the ambiance is so cool.definitely recommend to come here

We had a loooooong line when we went in, but that's reasonable because we didn't have reservations. The food was all delicious and flavorful, with lots of fresh seafood. Our waiter Tabitha was very…

An amazing spot for your crab cravings. They feature plenty of varieties of crab. Lots of delicious other fare as well. The don't take reservations so arrive early or prepare with patience. It's ve…

I saw the Crack Shack road sign on the 101 and decided to stop in. I’m so glad we did. My family had a fabulous lunch, not to mention the best cioppino I’ve had since my childhood living in San Franc…

Awesome experience, get the Big Bucket dumped on the table and enjoy! We got there a bit after 7pm day before Thanksgiving and got the last open table. Had a feeling there was a significant line aro…

Excellent soups - the crab bisque and the clam chowder were very very good. The place is not that big (seats 50, maybe) and there was a small line outside but they offered to sit us at the bar, which…

Excellent soups - the crab bisque and the clam chowder were very very good. The place is not that big (seats 50, maybe) and there was a small line outside but they offered to sit us at the bar, w…

Excellent soups - the crab bisque and the clam chowder were very very good. The place is not that big (seats 50, maybe) and there was a small line outside but they offered to sit us at the bar, whi…

Excellent soups - the crab bisque and the clam chowder were very very good. The place is not that big (seats 50, maybe) and there was a small line outside but they offered to sit us at the bar, whi…

Ate at a handful of spots in Pismo and this was one of my favorites. Family vibe, great menu, excellent service. I took too long to write this review, but I believe my server’s name was Gaby. I w…

We always get the crab and then devour everything that is dumped on our table. It's not fancy but then the place would be a mess if they took that approach with cracked crab. A very diverse cro…

Outstanding everything. calamari strips were excellent, the clam chowder was also very filling and great. Very impressive salad with the clam chowder. Homemade key lime pie was a generous porti…

Great spot for a fun night of casual but delicious seafood. The seafood is fresh and cooked just right. The prices are fairly reasonable with a good wine and beer selection.

Great spot for a fun night of casual but delicious seafood. The seafood is fresh and cooked just right. The prices are fairly reasonable with a good wine and beer selection.

This restaurant on price Street is a short walk from the centre of town, but definitely worth seeking out. Beware - the portion sizes are very generous. I had a gumbo bowl, and my wife had a cr…

Shrimp and chips, clam chowder and sourdough rolls, bucket for two! This place is fantastic! Low-key and friendly. Be sure to make a reservation.

Absolutely 💯 More then I expected, crab, corn, potatoes & shrimp sausage!! Omg! On point FLAVORS! Just great. Definitely come here, you will enjoy everything about your visit.

Joel R

My wife and I had lunch here and it was very good. The service from Candace was great and the food was excellent. Definitely a multi person meal as the portions are big. We had the bucket for two and we had plenty of leftovers to go. They pour the food on your table, so just dig in 🤓

Driving back to Los Angeles from San Luis Obispo, we spotted the Cracked crab billboard looming over the highway--and that alone was enough to pull us off the road. Turns out, it led us straight to…

The food was nice. The atmosphere was good. The wait time and accommodations were great because we were a big party of 12.

We were excited to come here as we had fond memories of our first time 13+ years ago. Sadly, food was bland and the quality of the crab and steak not comparable to cost. Server was fabulous. Ma…

We were excited to come here as we had fond memories of our first time 13+ years ago. Sadly, food was bland and the quality of the crab and steak not comparable to cost. Server was fabulous. Manage…

We were excited to come here as we had fond memories of our first time 13+ years ago. Sadly, food was bland and the quality of the crab and steak not comparable to cost. server was fabulous. Manage…

Funky little restaurant No reservations but even though small we were seated right away. Great staff - very friendly. Unfortunately they were out of clams except for the chowder which was delici…

Funky little restaurant No reservations but even though small we were seated right away. Great staff - very friendly. Unfortunately they were out of clams except for the chowder which was deliciou…

Funky little restaurant No reservations but even though small we were seated right away. Great staff - very friendly. Unfortunately they were out of clams except for the chowder which was deliciou…

Excellent food, not too bad on price. I went with the halibut special, which had polenta cakes and sliced-thin zucchini and a nice sauce. With a glass of wine, plus tax, the total was $57. I ate at…

Excellent food, not too bad on price. I went with the halibut special, which had polenta cakes and sliced-thin zucchini and a nice sauce. With a glass of wine, plus tax, the total was $57. I ate at…

The mussels with a white wine cream sauce was the best thing we ate here. Thanks to our server for recommending it! We also ordered the bucket with crab, sausage, potatoes, corn & added lobster, …

Mark Navarro

We tried the crab and seafood, starting with the crab bisque and the seafood bucket for two, which included dungeness crab, shrimp, corn, hot links, and potatoes. While the bisque had good flavor, it was quite watery and could have benefited from a thicker consistency. The seafood bucket was plenty for both of us, but we found the taste to be quite plain, primarily seasoned with Old Bay. We compared it to places like Kickin' Kasian and other Asian Creole crab houses, which is why we felt a bit underwhelmed by the flavor. On a positive note, the service was very pleasant; our server was attentive, and the atmosphere was lively. The music featured a nice mix of laid-back songs from the past, including tracks from The Beach Boys.

My food was meh but the service was great. The calamari breading was soggy and it slid off when we took a bite. They're also not your typical looking fried calamari, they looked more like string chee…

My food was meh but the service was great. The calamari breading was soggy and it slid off when we took a bite. They're also not your typical looking fried calamari, they looked more like str…

My food was meh but the service was great. The calamari breading was soggy and it slid off when we took a bite. They're also not your typical looking fried calamari, they looked more like string ch…

My food was meh but the service was great. The calamari breading was soggy and it slid off when we took a bite. They're also not your typical looking fried calamari, they looked more like strin…

Fish and Shrimp were blan no flavor,the fries were good. Excellent service great ambiance.

This is really a two-and-one-half star review. The Cracked Crab doesn't take reservations, and as it was the week before the 4th of July, we opted for take-out. Bad idea. I walked to the CC from …

Went here 10 years ago and loved it so when I returned last month I was very excited. Unfortunately it wasn't what I remember; the crabs were dry and and the overall vibe of the place felt dated. It also smelled strongly of old shellfish. The staff was friendly though.

Tanya Topete

Well it was nice to be seated so fast but no one ever came back to take our order. Offer us drinks or tell us we looked funny. Maybe the food is good idk never got the opportunity. Servers went to the tables around us and even next to us. Nothing……..