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Food - Crawdads on the River, Sacramento, CA

Crawdads on the River

4 (65)
$30 and under
American
1375 Garden Hwy, Sacramento, CA 95833-9735

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A photo of Crawdads on the River restaurant

Crawdads on the River

4
$30 and under
American
West Sacramento

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 9 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for scenic views
  • Lively
Crawdads on the River, located in Sacramento, California, is an ideal place for riverside dining. You can drive in or sail in on a boat to take advantage of the wonderful views of the river on the deck. Crawdads on the River also hosts private events, which makes it an attractive spot for those looking to host a large group of people.

There are a few selections on the menu at Crawdads on the River that have a Southern feel to them, like the Louisiana gumbo or the jambalaya. You can also find some handheld treats on the menu, such as the pulled pork sandwich or the blackened fish tacos.

Please note that we welcome walk-ins anytime and save space for you to walk in.

Additional information

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Crawdads on the River.

4

4.0
(65)
  • 3.9Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 3.8Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Sacramento / Sacramento Valley

    Great for brunch

  • Sacramento / Sacramento Valley

    Hot spot

  • Sacramento / Sacramento Valley

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Sacramento / Sacramento Valley

    Great for scenic views

  • Sacramento

    Great for brunch

  • Sacramento

    Hot spot

  • Sacramento

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Sacramento

    Great for scenic views

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Crawdads on the River offers a "beautiful setting" with lively ambiance and stunning river views. Patrons praise the "friendly staff" and "fun atmosphere," perfect for enjoying drinks and music. While there are some inconsistencies with food quality and service speed, the overall experience is often enjoyable, especially for returning guests.
65 Reviews
  1. Stephen

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 19 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful setting, good service and the food was great.

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  2. Teresa

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 16 October 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was great from hostess to server. Loved sitting along the river. Atmosphere lively and happy. Food and cocktails just ok.

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  3. Rachel

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 27 September 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    They acted like they had no idea/concern that I had booked a table for a party of 8. At first they tried to squeeze us into a small booth with very dirty seats until I protested and told them where we wanted to sit. Then we waited while they pushed two tables together to accommodate us. When I drop almost $700 at a restaurant I expect better. Luckily, their food and location redeems them and the birthday girl had a great time.

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  4. Sandi

    San Francisco Bay Area16 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 20 September 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We love eating here.. The food is great, drinks are cold and you can’t beat the ambience!

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  5. Shawn

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley1 review

    1.0

    Dined on 14 September 2026

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The Jambalaya was pretty disappointing. Only 4 shrimp.almost no rice. I thought it was soup. The bill had 4 items that didn’t belong on it. That took about an hour to resolve and then it did t get resolved they. Pulled my card twice. After an hour I said they should just comp us the drinks or meals and the waitress offered to take $20 off. I felt that was an anemic offer. My whole group had waited til this got resolved. 5 people waiting for an hour for $20…I wasn’t happy about the food or service or the bill. They told they had corrected the issue and I was only billed once. When I got to my car and about a mile away the incorrect bill showed up on my statement as well. I asked for a call back from manager to fix it and so far I have had no response. I’ve been going to Crawdads for decades so the whole experience was a big let down.

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  6. Rose Gold

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 4 September 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Have been to Crawdad’s many times and it never disappoints!

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  7. Coni Gold

    San Francisco Bay Area26 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 31 August 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was an exciting dining experience on the water. Scenery, customer service, super menu and the crawdad bucket was a treat. The only drawback was it that it was a bit of a walk for a slightly immobile person. The walk was worth it. I would definitely recommend Crawdads on the River.

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  8. John

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 30 August 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I like Crawdads. It's a fun place to go, especially when there's music. I've taken my boat. The boat assist is great! The staff is friendly, the crowd and ambiance is fun. But, the food is just ok. Calamari was soggy, clam chowder was just ok, the wedge salad looked like old lettuce thry cut the real bad stuff off... not fresh at all. BLTA was pretty good! Fries are good. Steak sando was pretty good. I didn't like that they placed the water putcher on the trash can, the pitcher they used to refill glasses. A big no no. They just need to step up the food quality for the price. Just trying to be helpful. I'll keep going

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  9. Susan

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on 30 August 2026

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    We arrived for our reservations and they mad us wait for a table, but then they seated us and the table was still dirty with something sticky and wet on the table along with a puddle of something still on the table, so I asked our Waitress, Zariah H. if we could get out table cleaned off and she did. Then we ordered our food and it took about an hour just to get our food, then as we started to eat our food, we were disappointed with the taste of the along with the drinks that we ordered, which was Iced Tea and Lemonade. We will not be coming back or recommending this restaurant to any of our friends. The service, the food and the atmosphere was all horrible. Date 08/29/2026 at 6:01 PM It sucked!

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  10. David Gold

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 August 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Server came by every few minutes to ask if we wanted to pay when clearly a buddy and I were catching up. I finally said I’d tip her well and she caught the hint. Her service was excellent and there were plenty of available tables. I do recommend going. The jambalaya was great!

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Additional information

FAQs

For the riverside views and a lively sunset, plan an early evening visit, guests repeatedly praise the beautiful sunsets from the river deck; for a calmer meal, Monday evenings (one guest arrived at 5:30 PM on a Monday and found plenty of tables) tend to be less crowded.

Yes, Crawdads on the River is family‑friendly: guests describe visiting with children (including groups with multiple kids), servers who were attentive to families, and children enjoying menu items like the cheeseburger and shrimp.

Crawdads on the River tends to draw busy, energy-filled crowds on peak visits, guests report waits and even reservation backups on holidays like Father's Day, while Monday evenings have been noted as quieter with plenty of tables available.

Crawdads on the River is a riverside, high-energy spot with live music, laughter, and beautiful sunset views from the deck; an enclosed porch is available for cooler days or when you want a slightly cozier seat.

Casual Dress, comfortable, informal clothing is appropriate; nothing formal is expected.

Sundays are a popular choice, guests often visit for riverfront brunches and lively Sunday/Easter afternoons, making it a scenic, energetic day to go.

Some menu items come in generous servings, guests mention the Cajun pasta's portion was satisfying, and a bucket of crawdads is reported as big enough to share between two.

Yes, Crawdads on the River’s riverside seating and sunset views, plus several positive Valentine’s Day visits, make it a lovely option for a special evening.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Sacramento / Sacramento Valley
  4. Sacramento
  5. West Sacramento

Make a booking

A photo of Crawdads on the River restaurant

Crawdads on the River

4
$30 and under
American
West Sacramento

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 9 times today
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