Reviews of Karai Crab (Restaurant)

Mark Behrens

Really good large shrimp at very reasonable prices. Good side dishes.

Isis Comma

Get the chicken, it's to die for. Cozy spot indoor and outdoor seating. Super friendly staff. Will be back!

Crispy Ringo

Kinda pricey but still bang for the buck.

Gaby Grajales

Spicy and delicious! We had the king crab legs, lobster and sampler with karai + cayenne and was enough for 3 hungry adults. We closed with pineapple ice cream!

Amanda C.

Fantastic food! Great portions and super friendly people. I’ve had crab all over the world and the Tropical Hawaiian is undoubtably the best flavor I’ve had. The fresh garlic is a great touch! My husband had Karai flavor with cayenne heat which was amazing too. We both had the snow crab, he added sausage and I added potatoes. We were very full. Highly recommended!!!

Jenny Lo

Great setting, however the crab & seafood were just ok.

Burt Robl

Jon was really cool. He and the wait staff made it a fun time. Priced really well Especially compared to other places. Some of the best seafood my wife and I ever had. The garlic noodles were really good. Plus you get a surprise at the end.

Denney Rowcliffe

Recommendations- chicken wings!! Especially if you like Cajun/spicy. Great flavors with a nice kick to it. We loved their special seasoning with the addition of habanero. Definitely recommend their crabs too. Everyone there was super friendly and accommodating!

Rose Parker

We stopped to eat at Karai Crab. Still a great place to enjoy seafood and drink with friends. Found out they might be moving soon because the closing of Willows. Get your seafood fix now.

Yenma Herb

Karai Crab was one of our favorite restaurants during our recent trip to Hawaii! We tried to get a reservation ahead of time through Open Table but it always looked like it was booked. We rolled the dice and showed up right when they opened which was the right decision. The parking was a little confusing because we didn't realize that Karai Crab and its sister restaurant, The Willows, shared a parking lot. Be sure to bring in your parking ticket for validation. We ordered snow crab legs, king crab legs, and a dungeness crab. We also ordered garlic noodles as our sides. The drinks were delicious! We ordered mai tais, beer, and a lychee drink. It was a bit on the pricey side, but worth it! Definitely recommend stopping in.

尾形高士

Super delicious spicy crab

Miranda McGraw

We got the snow crab and it was delicious!! My husband and I are from south Louisiana, so we eat seafood frequently, and never find good seafood outside of the south. But here.. they’re doing it right! The crab is more authentic than some places in Louisiana! The staff was so friendly and fun. Everything we had, from appetizers to dessert was on point. We will definitely be here again.

F A

Taste so normal not worth the time and the money BC is the best. Service so good though

Christi Maumau

Had a terrific dinner! Visit soon they will either close or move at the end of January.

Amanda Romero

Absolutely amazing staff. They welcomed us in and even gave us a surprise desert for being from the main land. You better believe if I make it to Oahu again I will be coming back here. Food was amazing as well!

Bre Jones

I really enjoy my food but the seasoning could of been alot better but not bad. I did however love the staff so friendly and welcoming. Very chill out location would definitely come back

Paul Voronin

Wonderful service! Meet the owner and he was wonderful! He gave us ice cream on the house just because. This is an awesome locally owned restaurant. And the food was great! (The King Crab is a little pricey)

Yuki T

If you like shrimp and crab, you have to try here. Lobster is really good too. And the staff is great! We love going there.

Sariah Kaakimaka

The energy and outside seating was awesome. Our server and host were both very pleasant and patient. It was my first time there and we typically go in with little or no expectations. The margarita was great. However, it seemed like most of the food was overcooked and over seasoned with salt or garlic salt. We got miso clams to start. Then ordered the "no mess" shrimp with King crab with Karai sauce. We ended up dipping the meats into the miso sauce to get some salt off. It actually tasted really good afterwards. Lastly, we ordered the lobster tail with butter garlic sauce. I haven't had lobster in years and was really excited to try it. However I was pretty disappointed. Almost the whole lobster was rubbery and the sauce tasted like the karai sauce. Not sure if they made a mistake on the sauce or if all the sauces are similar. I honestly wasn't going to leave more than 1 star but our server was super nice and never let our drinks run out. I can't say that we will be coming back here.

Arman Amiri

Well worth leaving the resort area for this! Super affordable too. The Karai Combo has shrimp, sausage, potatoes, clams, mussels, and corn for $25. Great for two people who eat medium to light. Too much for one though. We added the snow crab which was three huge pieces for $32. Together tons for 2 people.

Zyir Amil

Amazing!!!! Loved everything, great food, great service, great atmosphere! Vibes!

Raleigh Hawes

Good food, nice people

Chris Hamachi

Food was tasty. Worth trying.

Dana B

Awesome... loved the patio seating during a rain storm in April 2018....while gobbling down crabs..... what a good experience... Really enjoyed it...

Annalisa Beery

There food is amazing. The sauce on the karai shrip mild was so amazing I was licking the bowl. It's great for $14. Plus free orange ice cream that is delicious. Great service. Get a reservation because it's the best sea food on the island.

music Krayon

GIRL'S CRAB NIGHT! My Nieces and I have an annual(formerly bi-annual) crab night tradition dating back to 1994. It started with the eldest niece of the 2. Many years later, of school, then college in California, marriage, a master's degree, 1, 2, then 3 children, plane rides home, shopping, visiting family, etc... you get an exhausted mommy & an older aunty. So recently, instead of the usual crab night at my house, we decided to endeavor to search for the best place that would prepare the crab & more for us. This year it was Karai Crab, sister eatery to The Willows. The search is over! We found it! It is now our favorite crab place, & where we will return to for our "Crab Nights"! Safe to say favorite eatery period! The staff is so warm & friendly, from Kalani the host that greeted us at the door & seated us in the absolute coolest place in the restaurant! Outside where the ambiance was perfect! Open air covered seating area designed to look like it was mounted to a double hull canoe, floating on the water with tranquil little water falls. He lingered a little while to listen to our "Crab Night Tradition" story. He also came back later to check on us, talk story a little & say goodbye when the front of the house was no longer hectic. Daniel our waiter was very nice & knowledgeable, answering questions & offering suggestions, checking on us to see if we were ok, or needed anything. John is very sweet & made it fun for the kids, engaging them with a "Who wants a surprise!?" question. To which hands flew up waving with excited "I dos!" being called out. John took them on a little excursion to the soft serve ice cream machine at the buffet in their adjacent sister property "The Willows". They got to choose from pineapple, raspberry, vanilla or vanilla swirled with either of the 2 fruit flavors, and he had no problem when one of them couldn't choose & let him have 2 choices. Now, the FOOD! OMG! THE FOOD!! We all ordered King Crab. Different sauces, but all mild. I asked for my butter garlic sauce to be on the side, as I'm enough of a klutz already & wanted to try to prevent personal injury, (which has happened more than once at our once homespun "Crab Nights"). Plus, sometimes I like a bite here and there with nothing else but a crab's natural flavor unadulterated tastiness! Works for me & cleaner hands to boot! We also got various sides. Love love love the sweet potato fries! Crispy flavorful sweetness of an orange fleshed sweet potato, with a perfect salty goodness & just enough spicy heat. Also ordered French bread. Very yummy & nicely chewy. Even better once I dipped it in my garlic butter. The French fries were crinkle cut & crispy on the outside & soft & warm on the inside. If you are getting them for your kids though, you might want to ask them for salt only, as it does have a bit of heat which might be too much for kids unless they are accustomed to spicier than normal food. Oh btw... us big kids also got to go get ourselves some ice cream. I too couldn't decide & got to get 2 cups of the 2 swirled flavors! NICE! The food was excellent. The staff so so spot on with making everything so 'olu'olu (comfortable) that you can almost feel like it must be your birthday! It was the perfect night, with my sweet precious nieces, meeting all of our hopes, dreams & expectations!

Sreeparna Gupta Das

Omg!! Awesome seafood

Jessica Fredericks

As others have shared, driving up we weren't sure what the ambiance would be like, but it was lovely!! We sat over the pond with the sound of the waterfall behind us. The wait staff was attentive and friendly and the food was FANTASTIC! If you like garlic Karai Crab is the place for you. The soft serve ice cream surprise was a wonderful touch and so appreciated by the kids. We can't wait to come back!

Kawika DelRosario

Not all crab places are the same. Some over boil the crab and you're left with nothing. These guys are tops! They give quality all around! Great experience and food

Juanita Alexander

So we Googled some restaurants to find crab legs. Well this is one of the main places that popped up so when we went there. We did not know we had to have a reservation and this was at about 5:15 -5:30 and they told us that we would have to come back at about 8. We had just got dropped off by a cab. I was devastated!!I was very disappointed that they couldn't try to help us out since we had traveled so far

paigeiffer

Awesome find. It doesn't look like much when you first walk in, but the exotic deck and atmosphere is really fun. King crab was amazing in garlic butter. Shrimp was also fantastic. Heat scale is accurate so be careful. Server was extremely helpful. Best experience so far.

Lynne Oliver

The food was excellent. The Karai sauce my husband couldn't stop raving about it. Excellent servers. They were always taking care of anything we needed. This place is better than a spot we eat at in Vegas. If you love crab you should try this place.

Ryan Lee

Best crab and friendly staff like family.

Crush Diamond

You want amazing King Crab? Come here! Ask for gloves and scissors-staff is more than happy to accommodate whatever you need- as it can, and will get messy. This place is wonderful, helpful, delicious! I definitely would get the KING CRAB...best on the the Island. All Sauces are excellent. On our honeymoon, the last night we wanted a romantic meal outside and yummy seafood! The restaurant went above and beyond for us to enjoy a beautiful night outside and even brought out a complimentary fudge brownie sundae for congratulations on tying the knot. Thank you Karai Crab!!!! We WILL be back!

Rick Cookemboo

This place was absolutley amazing. The service was impeccable and the food was a 20 on a scale of 1 to 10. This is a must if you come to Oahu!!

Sky C

We've been to Honolulu three times and each time we've come back to Karai Crab. The first two times was great! Great food. Great service. The last time we went, the service was not the same. They didn't have sparkling water so they offered Gingerale. When I said I would just have plain water the server gave us quite a bit of attitude. After that, we just decided to leave. Really disappointed.

Edie Paguyo

Was ono...

Debbie McNutt

Food is good but pricey for the amount you get. Staff is friendly and attentive. The ambiance is like sitting in a strip mall restaurant. Not what I'd expect when dropping $150 for a meal for 4 people (with tip). The condition of the hand washing station and bathroom door looks as if they have not been cleaned in months. This was the first and probably the last time I'd eat here.

Dan LeBlanc

Fantastic seasoning. Cheap valet parking ($3 with validation) or you can park in a nearby lot and walk a few minutes. Order some rice or bread to sop up the awesome seasonings at the bottom of the serving bowls. Complimentary ice cream after dinner. Call at least a day or 2 ahead because there’s limited space and there’s typically no room for walk-ins.

m m w w

Amazing Hidden Gem! We arrived just before they opened and were surprised at the nondescript location. Yet when we were seated it had a lovely quiet atmosphere only exceeded by the food served to us. Drinks were strong and served quickly. The owner even stopped by to chat with us and take a snapshot when he found out we were visiting from NJ. My wife claimed the snow crab was the best she's ever had. My easy to eat spicy shrimp in Karai sauce was amazing. Unfortunately we didn't discover this spot until the night before we were relocating to the Windward Shore or we would have returned more than once. Highly recommended!

FRANK JOHNSON

The food and service were very good.

Ge Nu

Wonderful place to eat they have the best seafood.

Ann Vogler

Sit outside! So beautiful at night. The food was amazing! One of the best restaurants we went to in Honolulu area. We ordered a lot: crab, shrimp, clams, stuffed sausage, mushrooms, corn on the cob, garlic noodles, and loved every bite. We will be back!

Justin Ching

This is a great place to get a whole bunch of seafood in some really good garlic and butter sauce. There are a ton of varieties to choose from and you can get a little messy. They do supply you with a little plastic bib to minimize the amount of mess you could potentially create. They offer a lot of sides with your meal. I recommend the bread with whatever seafood you select. Just dip the bread inside your butter sauce and enjoy butter heaven.

erin kapiko

Great seasoning for crab. You also get dole whip for dessert.

Maia Moua

Management and staff need to recognize when they are wrong. At the expense of our patience, My family of four ended up bailing after wasting thirty minutes of waiting due to their dismissive attitude and arrogant lack of service. These folks lied to us and deflected their mistakes onto us as they gave our reserved request to be seated outdoors to accommodate another party of five. If there is a response to My posting, the manager will be accurately combative, dismissive, arrogant and defensive because this is the behavior we received that night from him and his staff. We arrived twenty minutes prior to our reservation because upon booking telephone reservations with the manager, he explained how the kitchen has last call for all food and beverages@ 8:30 PM and he asked if I request indoor or outdoor seating. 8PM reserve for four, outdoor seating is what I request. When we arrive on 3/29@ 7:40PM, we didn't receive any of that preference. We waited thirty minutes to be seated in a cramped front room by the entrance as they just gave our outdoor seating away to a party of five. 8:10PM: As I asked the manager@ the host stand how long to be seated in outdoor area as originally requested, he states "I took your reservation and you didn't request outdoor seating..." So this guy took the time to explain to Me how his kitchen closes promptly@ 8:30PM with last call on all food and beverages yet he didn't ask for My seating preferences... Such Lies!!! I DID tell him I wanted outdoor seating for four guests when I booked the reservation. Your staff gave our table away and now you can't admit that!!! Don't blame Me for your business mistakes... His claim was incorrect because the telephone reserve process was exactly the same in Jan 2019 when I booked and dined with them then. The front dining room is very small and I would never request to sit there unless I was just a walk in. This is exactly why I book vs walking in to dine. I simply let him know that he was incorrect because when I spoke to him about reservations, I specifically request outdoor seating@ the time he set up My reservation. I refuse to entertain his combative attitude especially in front of My family and in front of other patrons dining in this small entrance. Your Crab is not worth the argument and the $200+ Without our additional tip, it would have cost us to enjoy four orders of Snow Crab, appetizers and beverages... The male host we initially checked in with upon arrival even informed his manager@ this time that we DID have outdoor reservations when he checked us in@ 7:40PM. Seeing as how they decided to steal our reservation time and give it away, then to disguise this act of operations as if it was My mistake is Wrong. I told the family were leaving. The manager stated the table would be ready in five but I declined on waiting based off the principle of the matter. My family was disappointed and hesitant to leave because they were hungry and because we waited so long to be seated but we all left anyways based off the abrasive attitude of the boss. We went back to our suite and ordered in room dining from the BeachHouse@ the Moana. That was an Excellent meal.

Melissa Jones

If only i could bring this place home with me..best Crab ever!

Jason King

I've been searching for the best place to get crab in San Diego, so we decided to check out the crab options in Honolulu on a recent vacation. Thanks Yelp for this amazing suggestion. We decided to go with the Combo option and added a Snow Crab portion. We also ordered the garlic noodles. The noodles came out in advance of the seafood, and they were gobbled up quickly. They were right at the edge of being too garlicky, but honestly, that's a hard line to cross in my opinion. The huge bowl with the combo seafood and a massive amount of crab almost caused the table to groan, but what a glorious sight. The husband ate the clams, mussels, shrimp and sausage in the bowl, while I focused mostly on the crab. We're a perfect match in that regard. I usually prefer my crab simply boiled/steamed and served with drawn butter and lemon. This night I decided to go with the house style and everything was delicious. The service was outstanding and I found it to be a great value for the price.

Roshan Anand

Excellent spicy crab

Toan Chung

Delicious! Wonderful wait staff!

Gang Wang

The shrimp was great. The $25 combo was fantastic. My younger son didn’t like seafood and ordered chicken wing. He said “it’s the best chicken wing in my life”

Jacqueline Washington

We started with a simple and super fresh house salad and delicious chicken wings, followed by a plate of French fries, which were ok, probably frozen but delicious nonetheless. Afterwards we shared 1 order of spicy shrimp, 1 order of snow crab and 1 order of clams. Everything except the clams was a generous portion. Beware that when they call something spicy, they really mean it!. We love spicy food and ordered everything with habanero spice level, which is the 3rd spiciest out of 4.

Devon Downes

Went here on my last night in Honolulu. Seafood was well seasoned and tasty. Food came out fast and the waitress was super nice.

David Rodriguez

Awesome food and service.

James Reid

Eat....here... The manager Jon came to all the tables and was more than cordial with his guests. Our server, Grayson, was impeccable. I have been on this island for over 4 years and this is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had!!! I cannot wait to go back!

blackbart821

The combo seafood bowl was amazing!!

Wei Leng Teoh

Amazing shrimps more so than the crabs. Crabs were good. Jon was great with the service, friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this place for fresh seafood.

Tony S

The wait time was pretty bad when I went. Everything tasted okay to me, but everything was overpriced.

charlonda anderson

This place is awesome from the great customer service, to the inexpensive prices, and the great tasting food. Linda, Thomas, and John gave impeccable service.

cfyhgijolkp hiujhgjhik

The best crab legs I have eaten..perfect sauce, service was great. If you are in Waikiki, you must stop by this joint!!.

William Clove

We had wanted to try lobster somewhere and chose this place for dinner. It's a hole in the wall kind of restaurant and it took us aback at first. We got the fried catfish and fries appetizer and the lobster with garlic butter and the karai sauce on the side to try it. We also got some corn and their French bread. And the pomegranate lemonade. (We were hungry). The catfish was great, we really liked it and would get it again. So was the lemonade. The corn was good; the bread a bit dry. The lobster was good too, but lobster, as it turned out, was a little disappointing to us as a food item. Maybe we need to try lobster elsewhere to really fall in love with it, but as it was, it was good but not a big deal and not worth getting--we liked the catfish better. All in all, the food was pretty good (and unbeknownst to us included a free trip to a small dessert buffet, which wasn't much but came as a nice surprise), but nothing to brag about and nothing to really go back for. But we liked it. Where this place really shined was in its customer service, to be sure. We had walked from our hotel and it was late when we were finished, so the waiter called us an Uber to get us back to our hotel--and paid for it! That was totally unexpected and above and beyond. I'm not saying you should expect this, and I wouldn't go back expecting this again, but it was enough to really make an impression on us. Thank you again!!

Yuki Hayashi

We ate outside and the atmosphere was great with live music. I was looking forward for the sauce they mix with the crab,but it taste too strong and didn’t match with the light flavor crab.

Kok Wai Chan

Nice place for crabs and prawns. Worth to try if you’re nearby.

Austen Lee

A warm vibe with excellent food and service. Don’t miss it!

ml2012 dms

Fun for friend and family dinner, attentive staff, clean, the soft serve ice cream dessert a bonus!

Soriana Sanchez

Service was incredible and the food was so good

Valyn Hernalth

The outdoor seating area is amazing, and unexpected. The food was great. Our service was top notch, even with the kitchen remodeling and one server and covering 20 people. The owner was there to to make sure we were satisfied with the meal and service. This was well worth the 1 hour drive it took to go from our vacation spot to there just to eat

Thomas Nimtz

Excellent spices. Loved the cornbread as well.

Bridgette Y

Yes for seafood!!!!! Great flavors! Had the karai combo with the karai special seasoning and no spice, due to the person I was with not liking spicy food. I was sad but carried on. An employee (manager?) walked by and asked what spiciness we had and he must've seen the sadness in my face because he offered to bring me a side bowl of the cayenne spice level!!! Oh man it was phenomenal. Perfect ratio of spice to flavor. Also had side dishes of sweet potato fries and garlic mushrooms. Everything was perfect. Will be back!

D'Shaun DuBois

Food was amazing and portions weren't to stingy. I would definitely bring my family back! Server forgot an order but claimed we didn't order it. Man up to your mistakes, we all have them.

Tesra L.

Outstanding service and outstanding food

Ziyan Zhou

Best spicy spice I have ever had in my life! Excellent food as well as service

Steve Scott

We came here to enjoy a great seafood meal. The meals are great, but the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. For a better experience we should have gone to their parent resturant, The Willows. I've been there and it's has a great Hawaiian ambiance and it's connected to the Karai. The wait help was great! We just didn't expect to be in a small white room with cafeteria style table seating and no ambiance whatever. Get the buffet next time at The Willows.

Lauren Boyd

A+ in my book. The staff was beyond friendly and attentive! The food was out of this world along with the great prices. Been a few days since I went and still talking about it. Great value!

C R

Everything was cooked perfectly! Juicy, and flavorful. Nothing was dry. We had the combo with shrimp, potatoes, clams, mussels and sausage and added the snow and king crab legs. Also chose the karai sauce. Need to go back again. Found my new favorite place!

Jessica Campbell

Don't be fooled by the outside of this restaurant. It is WONDERFUL and by far one of our favorites places on island. Be sure to make reservations to sit outside. The area is beautiful!! My son and I both ordered snow crab, my husband had king crab, and we all had garlic noodles. Everything was incredible! We all agreed that this was the best crab we have ever had -- from the quality to the preparation. The staff was equally as wonderful. They made us feel at home, were very attentive without being intrusive, and had a special tasty surprise waiting for us after dinner. We will certainly be back in the very near future.

Chaz Bradley

Good food great drinks, really nice atmosphere!

Jocelyn Jacobsen

We have been on the island of Oahu for 8 days and I am so sad we just now found this gem. Hands down, best food I have had in Hawaii! The food was beyond what I ever expected and the service was even better. If you are in Honolulu, don’t pass up this gem!!

Adel Youssef

Very good service, reasonable price but on the high side given that we are in Hawaii and fresh seafood should be cheaper. Food is oily and buttery (too much). Won't come again

Jennifer Threatt

We had an amazing experience at Karai Crab and would highly recommend to anyone visiting Honolulu! The waiter was extremely attentive, answered all of our questions and made suggestions. The owner came by numerous times to ensure we were satisfied. The food was DELICIOUS!! And a good sized portion! Don’t miss out on this!

Nasser Al Khalifa

Walked in thinking it was a a small 5 table restaurant until we were escorted to the dinning area and it turned out to be a very big restaurant. The service and staff are excellent he crab and appetizers were amazing. Definitely a place worth going to.

John Simmons

Crab legs were cold, wings weren't cooked well (tasted frozen). Not sure what the buzz is about this place?

Rachel Hurtado

It's a beautiful restaurant and the staff was very friendly. The food was so delicious and there was plenty of it.

Su-Yong Lee

Aloha ! Surely the Best Crab and Seafood House in Honolulu!! Just Try it !!!

Rene Reiner

Good seafood. I recommend Karzai crab. And guava tea.

Ora Lawless

One of the best restaurants if you are looking for seafood. Don't leave the island until you try this place!!!

Jason Hitchcock

Absolutely one of the surprises of our vacation. A small and inconspicuous shop which hides a hideaway outside dining area which is amazing. Not only was the staff relaxed and helpful, but the owner seems like he loves what he does. It all comes out in the food, we all had crab and a half dozen addons along with alcohol and still escaped under $50 a person after tip. Over all a real gem and I strongly recommend it if you're looking for good crab legs in Waikiki!

Ward Kawano

Reservations is highly recommended. We love the garlic no mess shrimp as it already comes without the shell. The house salad has a nice citrus tasting dressing. The fries are tasty along with the calarmari. Recommend ordering the house Pinot Grigio wine.

Heather Thomson

Bummed we didn't get to try this place. Empty when we arrived, but they said they were expecting a large number of reserved groups soon. Sounds like you need reservations even on a quiet Tuesday night. Plan ahead if you're hoping to get in!

Mark Smith

They said they got their idea from Hot and Juicy Crawfish when they were visiting Vegas. :)

Mattie H

Absolutely Delicious! The staff was personable with lots of Aloha. I live here and it's the best meal I've had only had 2 great dishes and this ranks #1. Sit outside the Botanical Garden is beautiful. What a jewel in my own backyard. I can walk here and will atleast once a week for dinner. The music was even enjoyable. Prices is affordable.

Sandy Rezentes

Cajun seafood restaurant part of Willows. You can make your dish as hot as you want. We liked eating inside with cool AC. Our favorite was the standard mixture of potato, corn, clams, mussels and shrimp. We added snow crab. There is also a sink nearby!

Stephanie Young

Service is beyond Excellence as well as the Food. Their Fried Garlic Noodles, steam Broccoli, Mini Bread w/garlic butter dip sauce and don't forget #1 KING CRAB my FAVE ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️. Need to Experience this Restaurant and it's Friendly Staff. Mahalo

tommy n

good food my complaints are that there was less clams than shrimp which is strange since clams have less meat and were more expensive. sauce was good, shrimp was a little flavorless but that's just because the seasoning is all on the shells and you must peel them garlic noodles are a must free ice cream at the end too.

Fei Oktaviani

This place is offering good Cajun seafood platter. Their combo (includes shrimps, mussels, clams, potatoes, sweet corn cobs and kukui sausages) is always good. You can choose add more seafood like more shrimps or crab legs and what kind of seasoning and how high the level of spiciness (*habanero level is pretty good spicy) or if you feel you can face the ghost pepper level, then do it. The side dishes like their garlic noodle and sauteed mushrooms are pretty good. But from all of that I LOVE their calamari!! I never like fried calamari because most of them are rubbery or too chewy and greasy BUT Karai Crab calamari is the BOMB! So fresh it's very tender and they're not greasy at all! I only eat Karai Crab's calamari, other places NAH! The customer service is always nice and on point. Too bad they're going to close the door since the partner restaurant, The Willow was already closed permanently. Their last open for business is until the end of February 2019. I hope they can find new location and reopen the restaurant. Wish Karai Crab all the best!

Jennifer Rodriguez

Was recommended this place, we took an Uber from our hotel downtown Waikiki and arrived a little past 8PM. We weren’t greeted at all, the guy didn’t even let us in, all he said was that they take the last customers at 8PM and last call is at 830PM. So why don’t they change their hours online? Wasted a whole 30 minutes of my time!!!! Worst customer service, first impressions is important for a restaurant!

Kevin Loh

Absolutely enjoyed the crabs. Great hospitality from the owner. Left me a good memory of Honolulu, Hawaii! Definitely coming back again. Cheers

Amy Pei

This was one of the best meals in my Hawaii trip :)

Trung Huynh

Little too pricey and the food was ..ok

OFB Productions

Food is tasty. Service is spotty. Some orders got screwed up. People who came in later got served first. Overall it's not a bad experience but it could be better.

Jaime

HANDS DOWN, THE BEST! I googled seafood restaurants and Karai Crab came up with the highest ratings so we went there. We are so glad we did. The customer service was amazing. Shino, the Crab Executive Officer was very funny and friendly. I haven't even gotten to the food! The seafood was so fresh. We got the Karai Special seasoning in our combo bowl and I could not stop licking my fingers. It was a lot of food and two of us shared it for an unbelievably low price. It is so good we made reservations to come back tomorrow. I forgot to add that the drinks were SO GOOD! I took the time to write this review because the only reason I came here was the great reviews. I had to pay it forward.

Paula Okano

It's really not as much food as we would have liked it to be. It only seems that way because of the crab legs. Once you get the meat out of the crab, it's not a whole lot. The whole experience was pretty messy. I wish they would have provided bowls of water to wash your fingers afterwards.

Monica Embrey

Amazing food!!

7mny Alenzi

I gave it one because of the decor but if there is zero stars then I’ll give it to them because the food is very bad and the special seasoning is not good but the service is good I prefer going to B.C than going to this restaurant

Milton Gardner, Jr.

The best crab legs I've ever eaten.

Ali C

Fresh seafood with a variety of flavor and spiciness options. 4 crab options. We tried the Karai Seafood Sampler $25 with sides of garlic noodles $7 and steamed broccoli$4. Good amount of food for 2 with the sampler (head-on shrimp, mussels, clams, sausage, corn on the cob, and boiled potatoes). Garlic noodles were a little salty and oily, but tasty. Steamed broccoli was much appreciated after the oily noodles. Complimentary soft-serve dessert from The Willows next door (Hawaiian buffet). 3 flavors available tonight: vanilla (on one machine), pineapple & raspberry + swirl option (on second machine). Cup or cone. Outdoor seating available in shared space with The Willows, but it was raining too hard for us. Negative: Hostess told us the wrong beer type, even after she checked so we started our meal with the wrong beer expectations. Sad.

Kurt Baumann

This was hands down the best crab of my life! From beginning to end, I enjoyed each bite. The seasoning on the crab combined with the butter and garlic was just fantastic. Garlic noodles are an amazing choice for a side as well. I’m so glad we found this place during our vacation!

Eric Tan

I was a little disappointed when we arrived. Seemed to be just tucked into a neighbourhood with nothing else commercial around. Not to be deterred from the appearance, we gave it a shot. The food was great. The crab, shrimp with their special karai sauce was excellent. The server didn't seem to know much about the menu. Go for the food, if you like crab and shrimp, not the atmosphere. Sit outside cause of you sit inside, it feels like you're in a dingy hole in the wall Chinese restaurant.

Kevin Maddox

Absolutely fantastic! It was so good we came back twice! You have to try the calamari as an appetizer and the snow crab. Huge portions!!!

Yunias Dodson

Amazing Amazing Amazing food. The place is super nice and beautiful and the staff is great. I would definitely go back.

Dewendra Singh

A little out of the way, but worth it! Choice of nice spicy seafood - lobsters, king crab, Dungeness crabs etc

Debra Caracol Person

Awesome! Service and food was the best! The staff was always providing us with wroth impeccable attention! The crab and shrimp portions were huge! ..will definitely be back !

Danielle Morrow

Wonderful food and wonderful service!!! The staff was fantastic and very attentive. The owner made us feel like VIPs and stopped by our table several times. Food was so delicious, we ate there two nights in a row.

Amy Hong

Been on Oahu for 6 days and this was the seafood I've been craving since we landed. It's pretty busy here - we got a reservation an hour ahead of time and got the last available time slot on a Wednesday evening.

Brittany Sweet

Must go for dinner! This hidden gem is the perfect place to eat some seafood for a reasonable price. (Obviously crab is more expensive). I got the no mess shrimp (awesome) with garlic noodles and cheesy bread. This place has a local vibe and it is worth going to!

Haixing Wang

This place is in the middle of nowhere. Total hole in wall. Free parking right across the street. Food and service are both excellent. Crab legs cannot be bought with a combo and it's always market price. When i went it was $35 per pound and half. Combos are available for $25 for shrimp, mussel, clam, sausage, potato and corn. I recommend karai special for sauce. Well seasoned and very yummy!

Huckleberry Dawg

Bet money!?

Shantina smith

This place is the best place I’ve eaten at since being in Hawaii...2wks so far. I could not find anything good to eat, not even the food trucks. This place has flavor, reasonable prices and the food is awesome. I highly recommend.

Missfatimaj D

First time coming here was in September 2017 while on vacation! I couldn’t wait to move here to be able to enjoy it when my tummy craved it! My favorite seafood spot on the island ! My hubby even enjoyed it as a first-timer

Janette Jones

Good food and great service

Enrique P. Crisostomo

The food was really great I really enjoyed the crab the service excellent but unfortunately I cannot afford to go back again it is way out of my range but once in a blue moon you got a splurge

Karla R

It was great, waiter Greyson was polite and professional. Loved the atmosphere. When they move locations I will be there to check it out. Thanks for the good meal.

Gym S

I was excited to learn about the place and even more so that they are open all Feb. Went last night and it exceeded expectations. From the friendly excellent service to the tasty and well seasoned crab. Would recommend and would go back.

alvin w

Visited here twice in a row! Great food and great service!

Ethan Densley

Hands-down the best crab legs I have ever eaten. Be prepared to get very messy, but they have a hand-sink beside the restroom. The owner was exceptionally nice and helpful, and treated us to Dole Pineapple icecream (delicious!!!). I loved it so much I had to buy a t-shirt.

Anitra Brazell

Had a wonderful time here. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was homey. They played good music over head and our waitress was super attentive and friendly! Totally enjoyed our experience and will be back soon!

Steve Moore

The food was really good and the service was great!

Garrick Sturgill

Every year I come here at the same time of year and it's a priority to eat here at least once or twice!

Czarliz Bernardino

For our last day in Hawaii, we decided to eat here and it was all worth it! The King Crab was the best and also the Seafood Platter is what I would recommend, Service was great and owner was super nice.

Emily Barber

One of our favorite restaurants in Honolulu!! We bring all of our visitors here, and everyone is always so pleased with it all.

Coco Ward

Huge portions, great flavors.

Tiah Spear

Great costumer service! I was expecting some bomb crab but it was just decent and fresh. Still on the search for the best legs in Honolulu

Amee Eady

Awesome food and amazing staff!! Wish we had one in Texas

Jessica Brandley

Karai Crab is the best seafood spot on this island. Trust me...... We have been to so many spots.

Michael M. Westfield

Wow, what a Hidden Gem! Doesn't look like much from the outside but very peaceful and lovely setting for dining. Even though they were out of Dungeness crabs, the other options were great. Good choices for flavoring and heat. (I tried the no shell shrimp in Karai sauce with cayenne-level heat... perfectly delicious! Wife had snow crab in mild garlic and was too budy devouring it to say how good it was!) Owner stopped by to chat and take a snapshot. Service was attentive and friendly. Definitely recommended!

Thao Nelson

Delicious seafood--Karai combo (shrimp, clams, mussels with corn on the cob and potatoes), beautiful setting and nice ambience with excellent service. Very pleased with our experience tonight. We even got free ice cream as a bonus:)

Heather Bowman - Pilkington

Had an incredible last night dinner here. It was amazing. Had shrimp and crab with my choice of spiciness with local corn and bread. House cabernet was great and atmosphere and management top notch!

Vivian K

Friendly staff, good crab, good spice.

Sharon DeLoach

Great food! Service was awesome.

Benzo B

The crab was delicious the seasonings were delicious the garlic noodles were super tasty. I love when I walk in and see bibs waiting for me on a plate. We needed them :-) definitely recommend. Beautiful little walk in the courtyard as well. Staff was super friendly and awesome

Gavin Jay

This place was a little bit away from Waikiki Beach but not that far maybe 20 minutes walk. I wanted to go because I wanted to experience something more local unless mainstream like everything else on the Waikiki Beach strip. it was exactly what I was looking for absolutely epic food and more of a local experience. Highly recommend this place and I will definitely go back next time I am in Honolulu.

Jennifer Quintana

Incredible food along with incredible service. It's a must!

Alan Van Zee

Don't get freaked by the atmosphere, their food is awesome! It would be 5 stars if the interior was better. Best cajun crab foods in town.

Row Kam-Nakayama

crab sweet & fresh, plenty good size shrimp, corn sweet, good variety of shellfish. fun eating with fingers & getting all messy

Jeremy Campos

If you've been craving crab, then you definitely need to stop by here! The karai seasoning is what we went with, and it made this probably the best crab eating experience that I've had. We also had the garlic noodles, which were on point, as well some corn and bread to dip in the oil leftover from the crab. Definitely want to come back, but it can be a little expensive based on the market price, and I'd reccomend calling ahead if that is something you're worried about; the crab will be worth the price regardless though, trust me. Parking is available right across from the restaurant; the lot is called "The Willows Parking".

Danielle White

Great portion sizes had the snow crab combo and couldn't finish it.

Erica Delarosa

Chose this place at random to have dinner before a wedding. Ended up one of the bext dinners i had while on vacation. The staff was great and friendly got free dessert as wedding party gift. The food of course was delicious.

Andrew Gillespie

Best place in Honolulu for crab. Great alternatives if you want something else. Super friendly staff!

Meredith Brooks

We made reservations to eat here and were excited about trying their crab legs. We drove up to the restaurant and couldn’t believe how scary the neighborhood was that we did not stop or go in. Very scary and dangerous looking neighborhood! I’m writing this review to let others know what they are getting into. If we would have known ahead of time we wouldn’t have wasted our time driving 45 min to get there!

Roberto Fernandez

The best meal of my entire life. Seriously, nothing beats the meal we had here. Get the garlic noodles, they'll be the best $7 you ever spent. After that, you can't go wrong with the shrimp or crab. We got the shrimp and snow crab and both were heavenly. Besides the incredible food, the waitstaff was the best. Whether it was starting friendly conversations or getting us extra drinks, they were the nicest we've experienced in Hawaii. I wish I could give this place 10 stars! I'm already dreaming of coming back!

David Duncan

OK....Forget my first post, Soooo love the flavors. I'm back in the South with a low country boil...Great parking, service with a smile and THE SEAFOOD....a must visit and eat. I love the seasoning, my favorite place now.

ad

Yummmmm.. Perfectly Flavorful Seasoned seafood. Friendly Aloha attentive service. Nice covered outside seating patio, and the music is on point. I enjoyed the crab leg combo, which came with three clusters, six head&tail shrimp, muscles, clams, two potatos, and two small corn'on'the'cob, along with bacon cornbread. Yummmmm. The seasoning with garlic coconut&pineapple is a must try... so good! Throw on your bib, and dig right in! Finger'lickin' is a must! Annnd have dessert even if you're full!! The pecan tarts are just the right size.

John Chase

Beyond amazing! Both flavors and service! Easily the best crab on the island. They are moving to a bigger establishment soon! I wish them the best of luck! This will be a regular stop on every visit to the island for me!

Clint French

Great food! Definitely go there!

Rebecca Puetz

Food was absolutely amazing!! Everyone is very nice as well! Best crab legs that I have ever had!

Alex Lee

So unique, such quality seafood. Awesome service as we were greeted and checked up upon by the Crab Executive Officer (CEO), himself. Definitely worth checking out while on vacation!

Pakho Cheng

My girlfriend and I shared the seafood combo and garlic noodles. They both tasted awesome, and the price was reasonable. Staff over there were also very friendly.

Candy S

Very nice waitstaff and beautiful outside seating area. Shrimp was good but a little overcooked for my liking but good flavor. After years of working with seafood the best tip I've learned when shrimp resembles a C your good when it turns into a O it's overcooked.. But I will go back and try the crab . The free soft serve is a great bonus .