Joe’s Crab Shack

I ate here last night with my roommate. We both have wanted to try Joe’s for awhile now because we pass it all the time and both enjoy sea food. We also love all foods and are not picky. We got there and the staff was friendly so I ordered some clam chowder and he got some calamari. The chowder was cold but I was hungry so I finished it. The calamari was good but nothing that any pizza place could make. For the main course I ordered the Ragin Cajun pot and my buddy got the classic steam pot. The food was lukewarm and really nothing special. Both our dishes looked the same. The shrimp were overdone and the crab was… well edible. I like my food to be temperature hot and I feel like they just make a bunch and let it sit. The end bill was over $ 60. For $ 60 I could get a very nice steak dinner for two. When I got home I was feeling sick and spent a long time in the restroom before going to bed. I still feel sick today. I recommend to avoid Joe’s. The price is high and the quality is low.

Came here on a Saturday, the wait was about 15 mins at the max, the waitress Antoinette was very nice and informative. Great with recommendations, I ordered the Cajun pot and it was very very good, unfortunately i didn’t get to finish it all, crap legs and entire pot were perfect and awesome. I also recommend the stuffed mushrooms appetizers! they were amazing! The drinks were awesome as well. Great place you’ll love it.

What a waste of money, I can only speak for the steam pot with lobster claws. It wasn’t filling and the lobster was so over done I couldn’t even bite it off??? The tiny bit I did get off on the second round the waitress brought to me tasted disgusting and again tough. I paid $ 26 for seasoned potatoes…

I ordered a bucket of crabs for the whopping price of 32 dollars and received minimal crab legs to say the least. If you want bang for buck… this is not your place. I was sorely disappointed n will not return.

Average at best. Ordered the crab dip based off reviews and was very disappointed. I tasted more crab in the rice I had than the crab dip. The dip was more of a cheese dip. The dish I ordered was average at best. When I spend over 40 dollars for one person you should not be disappointed. I would have enjoyed my seafood being steamed at Farm Fresh a lot better and it would have been at least half the price.

We usually get the steampot entrees and they’re pretty good. It seems lately that their portions have been dwindling (i.e. small amount of potatoes, etc.). However, nothing has changed when ordering their lobsters. In fact, I wonder if they’re serving illegal lobsters because they are so small they don’t even classify as «chicken lobsters» which are no more than a pound. You can tell because the claws on the lobster they serve are very small and the tail might be around 3 oz (i.e. the size of the lobster tails they serve as Red Lobster). So, don’t bother buying any entrée at Joe’s Crab Shack that includes lobster… very disappointing!
Even though you’re paying the price of at least a pound and a quarter lobster. Joe’s Crab Shack gets the lobsters that don’t sell on the market. Oh, and no public WiFi… get with the program Joe!

I haven’t been to this place in years. My friend and I were driving around in Chesapeake and decided on this place. The inside and outside are quite over the top in flair and odd décor. I didn’t really like the buckets they use for everything. I get that it’s a sea theme, but the bottom of my paper towel roll was all wet and I certainly hope that was from having washed the bucket and not mystery moisture. Yuck. My good friend enjoyed her snow crab legs, there’s several ways you can get yours and it comes in a big serving with a big bib! I was a little limited on what to order since I didn’t want fried food or work food (I’m not sitting through three crabs worth of legs cracking them open). I usually get salmon (safe) and decided to try the mahimahi instead. It was over cooked and over seasoned. I’m not even sure it was mahi. The rice was boring. They did made a damn good Bloody Mary with lots of olives and lemons to munch on while I waited for my friend.

I’ve been here a few times. Nice place to grab seafood in the area. I love the crab pots. They give you lots of food. You’ll definitely leave full.

This was my first time eating here; what a trip it was too. First off I loved the look on the inside. Very vibe with the fisherman, and it accented with beach décor, beautiful. Our waitress was very nice and sweet.
I ordered a side salad with a signature bowl of the New England clam chowder. It was good but felt it could have been served warmer. I had to send it back. I felt bad doing it. But I wanted what I payed for. The waitress was so nice she had them remake it promptly. I tried a jalapeño shrimp from my friends plate, it was so good.
My friend and I didn’t forget about dessert. I got their key lime pie. Yum! Need I say more? It’s worth it, trust me.

I always have a fun time when I’m here. Last night I had my birthday dinner. I had the Samuel Adams crab pot. It was perfect as usual. I also had the crab stuffed mushrooms like I always do for an appetizer. Their mushrooms are honestly the best I’ve ever ordered. I also had some of my husbands sampler appetizer which had calamari, crab dip, and cheese sticks. I will definitely be coming back.

I’ve been to quite a few Joes crab shacks and this is by far the BEST one around Hampton roads.
We went during Veterans Day because the lines were outrageous everywhere else where there was free food. Lucky for us it was Wednesday and it was ALL YOU CAN EAT SNOW CRAB LEGS FOR $ 29.99!!!
Joe’s Crab Shack just changed their military discount to everyday!!! 15%!!! Everyday! Yessssss!!! So we got the AYCE crab legs for like $ 24.60 which was a steal and they were very fresh!!! They bring plenty of butter as well. When you’re ready for a refill they’re quick to bring it out and those are super fresh and hot.
We also had the sampler appetizer. It had crab jalapeño balls, crab dip and calamari. The crab dip was soooo good and so were the crab jalapeño balls. Not a big fan of the calamari.
They restaurant was busy but it was controlled. The staff are very friendly. Food was very good. Bathrooms clean. Not 1 thing bad I can say about this place. Best joes around!!!

My meal was a bit overpriced, but had a decent amount of seafood that was prepared well. Being a dish that featured Old Bay and me growing up in Maryland, I expected there to be much more Old Bay seasoning. The flavors were there and would probably be fine for most, but I wanted more punch!
I ate at the bar and was happy to be able to watch MNF while eating. The bartender was extremely nice, very friendly, and attentive to our needs. Doesn’t hurt that they have very attractive staff, but I was disappointed that there was no dancing by them as I had read in many reviews.
Overall it was a pleasant experience and I will return to try some of the less expensive fare.
Returned again the next day (mostly because it was the closest pace to eat and I have to check out at 3:00 am). The food was good but what I really enjoyed were the friendly customers. Had great conversations at the bar with some of the locals.
If you are with a group, one appetizer is enough for two.

When my family walked in the restaurant there was a sour vinegar like smell. I wanted to try something different this time, so instead of the steam buckets I usually order I ordered the 33 shrimp. It wasn’t that good, it was salty, and fries were cold.
Usually the steam buckets are usually good, but I didn’t order it this time. I don’t think i’m going to try this place again because of how the restaurant smelled and any other food besides a steam bucket was good. It’s not worth the money (for example, an extra side of corn on the cob is a little over $ 2 bucks but you know they easily paid maybe about 40cents per corn if not less). Service was good this time, usually it’s a hit or miss.
I am taking my business to other seafood restaurants, or another Joe’s that has better reviews.

Love Joes! I tooked my sisters for the first time, we where hungry for seafood. The crab legs where cooked perfect! I love the Cajun steam pot! It’s so delicious and spicy. We also got the crab nacho, it was ok. Too many chips and not enough crab dip. Prices are good, and we had an awsome waitress «Kris» she was great! Refill always on time, great sense of humor and explain everything about the restaurant. Joes is always a must go place when hungry for seafood :)

Amazing. Everything was amazing…
Ashleigh is one of the best servers I’ve ever had.
The food was mouthwatering.
Great family restaurant.
I can’t wait to go back.

Food was pretty good. A lot of fried options on the menu. Our server was not as attentive as I would have liked but she got the job done. Good place to bring your family or whomever.
Lots of seating is available! Decent sized restaraunt and there is seating available outside! This would be a nice place to eat on a nice day.
I ordered the southern stuffed shrimp with broccoli dirty rice and hush puppies. My friend also ordered crabs and they give you a bib to wear which is nice. No need to worry about wearing your best clothes.
They have an extensive drink list and although I did not have any dessert — they have pictures on the menu and it looked very good! Definitely will try one next time I’m back.

I don’t like giving 2 stars but I will when it is deserved. and it was very much so deserved. so the waitress was really no where to be found most of the time we were there. there was barley any crab in my crab pot and the shrimp was so over cooked I couldn’t eat it… come on! I should have just takin my mom somewhere else:(*if captain Georges would have been open we would have most definitely gone there* the one good thing though I have to say was the great balls of fire or. i think that’s what they are called. they were on point. other than that I wasted my money

Not worth the money.
This Joe’s Crabshack seems to be undergoing a makeover, which makes the dining experience lackluster. All the quirky kitschy items have been removed from the walls and ceiling, but they have not committed to a style yet, leaving the place looking like a dive. It is too ugly and nasty inside to be a clean fancy restaurant, yet its not ugly enough to be loved for its quirky charm.
The environment is lackluster, as is the food. The 1 ¼ lb Chesapeake crab steam pot BARELY had any Old Bay seasoning on it. The crawdads were fine. We had to ask for butter as it was not brought out with the crab. It was more like at $ 10 meal than a $ 30 one.
The place was completely empty when we went at dinner (6:00), which lead for a quick service, but left us having an eerie feeling. It was like everyone knew something bad about the restaurant and stopped dining there. It was like we were not in on the secret.
Spend your money elsewhere.
This place is long gone from the old Joe’s Crabshack where it was vibrant, bustling, quirky and had a line out the door.

I was excited to eat here. I love crab. So I was disappointed with the service and number of crab legs in my pot. The picture of my steam pot did not match what was served. I ordered the Crab Daddy with the King, Queen, and snow crab. I got 2 king and 2 queen legs with the rest being snow crab. For the price: it should have had more king and queen legs. Also there was not a lot of Old Bay seasoning on my legs.
The server was not attentive to our table. So I paid $ 2.50 for a single drink that should have come serveral refills. The twice baked potatoe was lukewarm at best. My hush puppies weren’t served with my meal. We had to ask the server to bring them.
It was nice the manager came by the table… but it was immediately following the food being put on the table. It would have been nice if he had waited for us to eat a few bites.
I would guess that there are better seafood restaurants in the Chesapeake Bay area.

I ate here while working in VA. I’ve always seen these places advertised, but they aren’t in my area back home. That being said, of course I had to try it and with one of the people I was traveling with talking it up all the more I was excited to finally go.
I got one of their steam pots. They seemed to be signature to the chain. It had crab, clams, shrimp, potatoes, corn, and maybe some other bits and pieces to it, but to be honest I really didn’t care for it. Not because I don’t like seafood, not because I didn’t like the setting, just for the sheer fact that I had this glorified version of the food from all the commercials that when reality set in after ordering and trying things out for myself I felt greatly disappointed.
It could have been the location, but I really don’t think so. It just isn’t what was advertised. I’d try it again if I ever come across another one, but it would probably be off someone else’s suggestion.