The Kickin' Crab - Irvine

I had never visited Kickin' Crab before because I have always been a loyal customer of Boiling Crab.

I really enjoyed our meal here. My friend and I shared the calamari, which was exceptional—large pieces that were well-seasoned and fried to perfection. Then we split a pound of crab with the kicking spice, which had just the right amount of heat and fantastic flavor. I can’t wait to come back again soon!

WOW! Just WOW! This place was absolutely DELICIOUS!! My daughter and I were in town from Denver and met my niece here for dinner last night (11/04/22), and we were blown away by everything! The seafood was incredibly fresh, and the portions were HUGE! Each of our bags must have weighed at least 3-5 pounds! I highly recommend trying the "All In" flavor—I'm pretty sure that's what it's called—which combines all of them; it’s definitely worth it! The staff were also very friendly and attentive. Make sure to check this place out; you definitely won’t be disappointed!

We ordered the seafood in a bag (Seafood Boil) and really enjoyed it. We chose the lobster, crab, mussels, potatoes, corn, and sausage. However, it was quite expensive. Our server didn't inform me about a combo option, so I ended up paying full price for each individual item, totaling $167. I was really disappointed because I could have gotten the $90 combo deal. Additionally, our server didn’t provide a bucket for the shells until I asked someone else for it. Another issue was that they didn’t give us any utensils for opening the lobster or crab, so I had to ask for those and wait again. Overall, I found the service to be terrible, and as a result, I did not leave a tip. The food was delicious, though; I wish it was accompanied by better service.

In the 1970s, Jan Nguyen and her family immigrated from Vietnam to the USA with just a few belongings. They settled in Louisiana, where Jan began working in restaurants and quickly mastered the Cajun cooking style. Utilizing the fresh ingredients available in the bayou, such as crabs and shrimp, she began experimenting with a variety of spices and flavors that were quite different from her native Vietnamese cuisine. Over the years in the restaurant industry, she developed a passion for tasting food and recreating it at home with her own twists. This passion led to her dream of opening a family-friendly restaurant that serves Cajun seafood, which became a reality with the launch of Kickin' Crab in Santa Ana, CA, in 2010. In less than four years, Kickin' Crab expanded to seven locations across Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Santa Clara County, with two additional locations set to open soon.