SAN MARCOS — A line of over 100 hungry people formed outside The Boiling Crab in San Marcos on June 19, eager to chow down at the newest location of the popular Cajun-inspired seafood chain.
Once inside, bib-clad residents feasted on crab legs, lobster, shrimp and crawfish by the pound in the form of a family-style crab boil.
The new restaurant on Knoll Road is The Boiling Crab’s second location in San Diego County, with the other located on Mira Mesa Boulevard in San Diego.
San Marcos resident Adalberto Astudillo said he was the first person in line Monday, arriving over three hours early to the 3 p.m. grand opening. While he has been to the Mira Mesa location, Astudillo said he is thrilled to have one closer to home.
“I was so excited. It’s one of my favorite restaurants,” he said.
The property at 110 Knoll Road has been home to several restaurants in the past decade or so — most recently burger restaurant Slater’s 50/50. Before that, it was Cool Hand Luke’s Wild West Grill and Original Roadhouse Grill.
After spending the past few years establishing new locations along the East Coast, leaders at The Boiling Crab hope the North County location will be a long-term success.
“Our growth into San Marcos is a natural move to meet the demands in the San Diego area,” Boiling Crab spokesperson Winnie Vu said. “Many of our guests travel from different parts of San Diego County, including San Marcos.”
The opening of the new restaurant drew families, couples and even Boiling Crab enthusiasts from outside the county. Yolanda Bautista took the day off work to travel from Garden Grove in Orange County, carrying a red crab-shaped purse and sporting a flowery hairpiece with the restaurant logo.
Things get messy when you’re eating crab legs with your hands, she said, but it’s worth it.
“This is the way you have to have it. You get down, get dirty and really get yourself into it,” Bautista said.
The Boiling Crab is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, and noon to 10 p.m. on weekends.
