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Joe's Crab Shack
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
245 Jefferson St(between Jones St & Taylor St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
(415) 673-2266
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
443 reviews for Joe's Crab Shack
Review Highlights
"yummy coconut shrimp is my favorite."
(in 17 reviews)
"We will be back and bringing people too-fun place."
(in 11 reviews)
"My family always gets a variety of steam pots."
(in 13 reviews)
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443 reviews in English
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Review from Marcus J.
2/7/2012
I enjoy eating here when I'm on the wharf. Typical seafood fare, but the prices are pretty good and the portions are plentiful. Sometimes they have pretty good specials which can be hard to pass up. I've never had to wait too long when I've eaten here, so that's a plus for me.
The service has always been more than adequate as well. Can't think of any bad experiences here. -
Review from Iyani I.
Oakland, CA
2/7/2012
I've been to Joe's a couple of times. In fact, I got a couple of pics on my phone, of me in Joe's. LOL The food was really good but if you want the best combination of everything, you have to get the largest and most expensive steam pot that they have. The Bean Town Bake is by the far the best choice to make but that's just because I'm a lobster fan! The staff is funny, upbeat and very compassionate. Although if you don't want to draw attention to yourself, don't tell them that its your birthday. They give you this bib that says the hostess gave you crabs for your birthday and you have to wear it until they bring out your food if you DON'T want them to sing this corny, stupid birthday song to you, in front of the entire restaurant.
Also, don't get the Shark bite because they bring you your drink, then yell "Look out, its a Shark Attack" before they pour some unidentified blurple (blue/purple) shit into this thick large glass, full of alcohol and ice, that gets you FUCKED UP hella fast! Joe's will leave you feeling full, embarrassed and coming back for mo'! LOL -
Review from Tina L.
San Leandro, CA
1/27/2012
This is a tuff one to write as I like and dislike Joe's Crab Shack. But I think it has to do with the location and management. Some of them like in Newport Beach are clean and smell decent and have quick friendly service. Some of them are not as clean and not managed as well. I love crab and Joe's is not reasonably priced because your getting seafood, but then again I think their pot's of fish and such are over priced.
We went to Joe's in SF for lunch and it was okay. For some reason when you walk up the steps to get into Joe's it smell's like dirty old carpet. Not like fish or what you would expect for a Seafood Place but dirty like a very old house that had never had the carpet cleaned or vacumned. Not very pleasant for the appetite.
I know your probably thinking with all the seafood in the city why would we go here, well, I'm really not sure how we ended up here only that we just got to town, we were hungry and thirsty it was the first place we came to.
Ordered the basic steamed Crab pot which had of course Crab, 2 small Red Potatoes, and small half corns, not much was in the pot really?? how expensive are red potatoes and corn could you not add a few more to the pot. It was okay flavored so really no problem there. We ordered drinks another item way overpriced for this place. And not made that good either, how hard is it to screw up a Mohito. Easy I guess it tasted like all simple syrup with minimal run and mint.
At least the service was good and quick but I feel for the staff that have to stop mid service and do the Love Shack Dance. You could just see the pain on their faces with having to do it one more time so the tourist could eat it up and take pics. We are from here so not tourists so tried not to make them uncomfortable. The price you pay to be employed.
Anyway, as I said some Joe's are good some are just okay. -
Review from Alicia P.
Emeryville, CA
2/6/2012
Good good crab and it wasn't all messy. Table set up allowed plenty of space for all the shells and napkins accumulated. Service was spectacular and I really liked the lemonade drink they brought for my daughter. Please try the crab nachos! Sooo good!
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Review from Jason B.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
This place is awesome. I am feelin the atmostphere. On Friday, I went to the one in Sacramento but it wasn't as fun as this one. I love seafood, although the food is great the price is a bit whoa. My favorite dish is the S'more dessert. DAMN! Made me feel like a kid again.
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Review from Mary J.
Castro Valley, CA
Now every time BF @JaRue2011 & I see these silly commercials we can say,"Yeah we hit up Joe's Crab Shack to start our 2012" http://www.yelp.com/bi... Yes, I've lived in the Bay Area practically all my life & never been to JCS. Quite an experience.
AMBIANCE: Laid back, casual, surfer-like atmosphere. Roomy restaurant, & spacious seating for all sizes. One thing of warning, when you first walk through their door, or as you go up the stairs to main restaurant hall, it just smelled fishy to me ...like fresh butcher area seafood, not fresh cooked seafood from the kitchen. Don't let it make you turn around though...good food here. Plenty of windows here for natural light & views!
CUST SVC: Friendly friendly friendly! Reading other reviews, I think we lucked out w/ service & promptness. We were promptly seated on a Sunday 4pm-ish for 4ppl, & thorough follow ups through out our meal. I also read in other fellow reviews about the staff dancing, but completely forgot that while dinning. Soon as "Love Shack" song comes on...waiters & waitress all clap on beat, then they all do their "Love Shack Shuffle". Entertaining; nice to see the staff participate & even those who looked like they enjoy their job & dancing for dinning patrons. Keep up the positive energy team & prompt service!
EATS: Now this being my 1st visit, I wasn't sure what direction to go. BF-J hadn't been here in year's, so it was a long over due revisit for him. We enjoyed our entree selections.
$9.99 Spiked Southern Tea http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** We're all smiles because ...well, do you really need an explanation ^_^
** Tasty, but not a strong spike
** HINT: Order the "Shark Bite" & enjoy the announcement made when you get it!
$10.29 Seafood Fun-Do http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** GET THIS, but suggest you'll need to get extra bread
$3.19 Side of Hushpuppies http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** Corn & bell pepper was nice to taste with each bite
** Crunchy outside & soft inside ...cooked nicely
$18.79 Fisherman's Tilapia http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** I didn't sample this, but "orderee" had no complaints
$18.79 Shrimp Stuffed Crab http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** I didn't sample this either, but "orderee" had no complaints
$21.79 Shrimp Trio http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** BF-J enjoyed this entree! Trio of shrimp all cooked nicely
** Steak fries had nice crisp outside, but soft inside
$21.49 East Coast Platter http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** I opted for coleslaw vs fries; slaw was over creamy or too juicy for me
** Crab cake large chunks of crab, crispy cooked cod, stuffed crab shrimp was fulfilling, & onion rings crispy & not over seasoned
** Very tasty dish that I'd get again!
$8.49 Key Lime Pie http://www.yelp.com/bi...
** BF-J & I shared this "square"
** BF-J didn't like the crust; tasted over cooked to him
** Overall tasty & enjoyable; I'd get again
FINAL TAB: So our dinner tab came to $178.32 for 4 alcohol drinks, 1 app, 2 sides, 4 entrees, & 2 desserts http://www.yelp.com/bi... Overall, it was a tasty, entertaining, & nice 1st time experience for me & revisit for BF. -
Review from Christina B.
Oakland, CA
1/25/2012
My mother and I have celebrated our birthdays there for the past few years, with a few close friends and family and had a blast. We were finally informed that if your party is larger than 10 you could make reservations...well I initially had a party of 15 and made the reservations a week prior. Long story short, I called 3 differents days to confirm my reservation (because the first time I called they didn't have it) spoke to the manager, Harvey and all. My reservation was for 6pm on a Saturday, I even called around 3:30 that very day to confirm after receiving a confirmation text message the night before...and I'll be dog gone we get there and I'm am NOT on the friggin list!
This was my birthday dinner and they messed it up royally!!!! (The free appetizer was thoughtful, but not enough) I ended up calling some of my party telling them not to come, because I knew it would be a while before they could seat such a large party. THE WORST EXPERIENCE EVER...I will never go back with a group!
I normally like the food, but I think the experience put a bad taste in my mouth and I just did not enjoy any of it. -
Review from Bunny G.
San Jose, CA
2/3/2012
My family and I LOVE Joe's Crab Shack...I"m not sure if it's the super yummy crab (which is always super yummy), the dancing they do eveyr 45 minutes or so, or the people watching we get to see while sitting near the window. It's always a for sure bet when we are in SF...actually, we just drove up to Joe's Crab Shack from San Jose JUST to eat there. Drove in, ate, turned around and went home. Love it!
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Review from Cari A.
Cathedral City, CA
1/17/2012
I love the atmosphere in Joe's Crab Shack. I have been to several different locations but the one in San Fransisco was the first. I visited during the summer and found that the staff were very fun and energetic, they truly seemed to be enjoying there jobs.
I love the seats nearest the window because you can catch all of the dance action. I recommend going during a busy time because you really get the full experience when the place is packed.
The food has never disappointed. I love everything on their menu from the appetizers to the crab buckets. If you are looking for a fun, fruity drink they also have a pretty interesting drink menu but it is somewhat pricy for drinks.
If you go in the evening, near happy hour you often run into a more rowdy crowd.
I feel like you really have to be prepared for the environment and enjoy a busy, loud atmosphere to enjoy this place. If you are looking for a quiet, quaint meal look somewhere else. -
Review from Meg T.
12/19/2011
It's ginna get rowdy in here!
As my first time to Joes Crab Shack I was unprepared for the enormity of noise that will await you at every visit. The incredibly loud music, the parent's-age tipsy men and women doing the macarena, the people who grab you and try to get you to sing along.
For drunk people and positive outlook types this is your space, but for sober and people not feeling well this may not be your game.
I actually found the food pretty good. My nachos were spectacular (especially for the area in price) and I stole piece off my friends crab pots which were delicious.
Our server, Justin, was fantastic and not just because he put up with a group of us, half who showed up more than an hour late and kept changing their minds about what they wanted and then finishing the meal deciding to split the bill 6 ways.
If I were a server I would hate them and wish bad things upon their grandmothers.
Me? I paid in cash :)
All in all a fab experience! I'd come back, but in a more playful and drunk mood to be wow'd by the shenanigans of the shack. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Fremont, CA
15 minute wait for drinks to come out + 1 hour wait for two sandwiches, popcorn shrimp and a bowl of clam chowder to come out during non-peak hours + clam chowder that tasted straight out of a Progresso can + touristy prices = meh, I've experienced better.
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Review from Kendrick K.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2011
Pros:
- If you're in a loud group that is too drunk to really care what you are eating, this is the place.
Cons:
- Poor service for single diners.
- Confused service in general...And in one instance just plain rude.
- Loud beyond belief.
- Poorly prepared food.
I should have followed my first instincts and just stayed away. Joe's Crab Shack is a national chain...And the last time I started up the stairs at this location last year, I was turned away half-way by the dive bar stench of stale beer and some kind of cheap cleaning solution.
I decided to give Joe's Crab Shack a shot again last night, and it was an expensive, facepalm worthy mistake.
When I finally made it up the stairs this time, the first thing that hit me was the noise. The general buzz of a crowd wouldn't bother me too much, but the addition of loud popular-music-from-every-movie-title-or-TV-commerc ial-from-the-last-20-years which makes a "buzz" into an unpleasantly loud "clamor."
I was seated directly below a speaker. I got up and went to the host kiosk to ask to be re-seated away from the speaker. A manager approached me and reseated me...One table away from the same speaker.
My server came after a time and started his Joe's Crab Shack standard formulaic schtick by sitting down at my table, giving me his name and writing it on a piece of paper toweling which he deposited on my table, asking if I've been there before and asking where I was from.
I ordered an appetizer of "garlicky clams" and my server whisked away before I could get a diet coke drink order in.
Then I waited.
And I waited.
My server returned (Now known as Server #1) with Server #2. Server #1 had to go away, but here's Server #2! Server #2 wrote his name down on another piece of paper toweling and deposited it on my table. Again I got the same schtick of asking if I've been there before and asking where I was from. I repeated my appetizer order and got in my diet coke drink and entree order.
It took about 45 minutes to get my simple appetizer and a fucking diet coke. The clams weren't over-cooked, but the garlic "sauce" seemed to consist of about two tablespoons of course-chopped garlic and a bit of water it took to steam the clams open and a sad, slim, single slice or lemon...And that's it.
I like garlic, but when there's that much garlic in a clam dish, I start to wonder if someone is trying to hide bad clams.
I asked for more lemon slices and melted butter because the clams needed acid and fat.
Then I waited again.
And I waited some more.
But by the time the melted butter (not clarified) and lemon slices arrived, my clams were almost cold.
Honestly, when this kind of thing happens, I expect the server or the manager to come up and apologize for such sucky service.
Nobody did...So I paid my check and left. I left no tip. I'll never be back.
Conclusion: Bad food. Bad service. Cheap ass seafood chain. Don't bother.
Scoma's is within walking distance of Joe's Crab Shack, and is ultimately a better value in terms of seafood quality, service and experience while actually not being too much more expensive than this horrible chain.
Ugh. -
Review from Jennifer G.
Fremont, CA
1/30/2012
We had a bad bad experience on this place. It was few years ago and I have been forgetting to give this bad restaurant a review. Anyway, I wished I still have the manager's name and our host. They told me to go to their website and let the corporate know.
Anyway like what everyone is reviewing here, the customer service are bad and so as the manager.
a.) An hour to wait for to get sitted. They wasn't full at that time and there's plenty of space. Half of the restaurant does not have any sits. Keep in mind it was on the weekday.
b.) Another hour to order and hostess keeps passing us before they took our order. Do we look like poor to you. Other customer is getting serves first before the others. The hostess keeps passing us and not even saying hi!. For a pregnant woman like me, they should know better to serve me first. ugh!!!
c.) Then finally ordered and the food is just the worst ever.. WTF... We ordered the bucket crab legs and shrimp just like on TV but hell naw the food is hella nasty. Nothing taste like what they said it was. All the commercial on TV was just a hyped.
d.) Then, when we finally got our bill it was a hundred dollars over.. I'm like WTF did we ordered and there was only two of us...
Anyway to keep long story shorts. It was just a bad experienced for us. I will neva, eva, eva return again. I wished to give you all the details and complaints but there's some racist manager and host up in here. They prioritized others first. It wasn't worth it at all. If I could recall our hostess keeps apologizing but we just told him and keep it professional that we understood. -
Review from Erika G.
Hayward, CA
Updated - 1/6/2012
This is an update on a previous review. The last time I came here my experience was rather disappointing. My mother was visiting from Southern California and we were walking around Fisherman's Wharf so we decided to give Joe's another shot and we were glad we did!
We were sat immediately which was very nice. We requested a window seat which we got right away. Our server Ariel came by in record time and spent a few minutes getting to know us, asking where we were from etc. which we both appreciated and thought was nice to have that personal touch.
Ariel was very helpful with menu recommendations. I can't remember the name of the drink she helped me pick out but it had Southern Comfort and Bacardi Limon with some strawberry in the mix it was a great recommendation and very tasty.
I splurged and got the whole live lobster and crab pot. Ariel even came by and tied on my bib for me and said "Are you ready for this?!" like even she was excited about my lobster/crab shell cracking that was on the way!
Thanks to Ariel and her amazing service I will be back again. In my opinion anyone can serve a table but it takes the kind of service she provided to not only disregard my previous review but to want to make me come back again and again and ask for her personally!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/14/2009
Ok so my Grandmother visited from Fresno and wanted to treat myself my husband and my mother to… Read more »
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Review from Jeff G.
Champaign, IL
2/7/2012
Don't wast your time with this place. The food is big chain food. The service is bad as well. Crab is in the name ,but is not their game. I will not go to another Joe's again.
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Review from April L.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012
This place is definitely for tourists. The atmosphere is friendly and super lively. The workers dance every hour and it's entertaining.
As for food, it's mediocre compared to other seafood places I've been too. I think it's definitely overpriced for the quality of food you get.
As for service, the waiters are über friendly but very slow. Definitely spent more time than necessary just waiting for our check. -
Review from Heather K.
Bay Area
If you love crab this is the place to go!
I've been here numerous times and just love their crab pots. Not only do you get a generous portion of crab with a side of butter, but you get a whole ear of corn and a big fat link of sausage.
I've also had their coconut shrimp which is quite delicious too.
This is a great place to bring the family. It has a fun atmosphere where the servers dance and encourage patron participation.
My only complaint - they remodeled about a month ago and I liked the old kitschy eclectic vibe better! Miss the jet ski hanging from the ceiling..... -
Review from Leslie W.
Richmond, CA
11/30/2011
Environment and staff are great but for the price u pay it's not worth it..
Dinner for 2: 2 Cajun crab n shrimp buckets and 2 spiked lemonade came up to $91.56.. The shrimp wasn't tasty so I gave the 4 that came to my bf the bucket only had corn the 4 shrimps and 2 sets of legs....
Honestly once they removed the lid my b and I said "we should have went to hooters!"
If we go again we will just order the yummy spiked drinks and sit at the bar!! -
Review from Destinie Z.
San Jose, CA
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here on a Sunday with my parents, two kids and my aunt and uncle. We were seated right away which was great. And our server came around pretty quick took drinks orders and told us we'd be dancing. I am personally a very outgoing person so I was totally down especially with the music they had on.
I just ordered water but tried my dad's drinks, he ordered a shark bite which tasted like syrup. The gimmick was cool though especially since I'm a san jose sharks fan. He also ordered a yummy alcoholic tea drink, I loved that one.
As for food I ordered the orleans steampot as my entree and we had the classic sampler to share. The appetizer came out quick and the lobster or crab dip was the best thing on it. Calamari was bland and so was the marinara that came with it. The fried balls of jalepeno or cheese were good, I have no idea what they had in them though haha.
The entree was HUGE. If you really like to eat big portions you can probably finish a steampot but I myself couldn't finish half of it. The Orleans came with crawfish, sausage, corn and shrimp. I'm used to a different style of crawfish (crawdaddy, boiling crab etc.) this sauce was not what I expected and was totally watery and had no flavor plus it was SO overcooked, as was the shrimp. The corn had grit all over it and I couldn't even enjoy it. Sausage was good. Tried my moms shrimp trio and I should have ordered that. Coconut shrimp and stuffed shrimp were so good. Dad really enjoyed his crab, I thought it was overcooked.
The service was great, our servers name was Dominique. The bill was $320 for seven people, two were kids. I wouldn't return here for those prices plus the quality of the food sorry joe's! -
Review from Greg S.
Los Gatos, CA
11/28/2011
Had family in town this weekend, so we did the tourist circuit in the city down by the piers and stopped into Joe's for lunch. There were 5 adults and we shared two large appetizers and three buckets of crab for the table. Was more than enough food for us.
The Ragin' Cajun steampot was a nice collection of crab, clams and shrimp with a nice kick of spice - loved this one. The Joe's Classic steampot was a similar collection of seafood, but was way too salty for my taste. We had two young children with us and they were happy with the selections of the kid's menu, especially the "build your own" ice cream sandwich dessert.
The restaurant was not crowded at lunchtime, but was loud nonetheless, especially when the serving staff break out into their periodical dance routines. I can't imagine how loud the place is when it is really hopping. Service started out really good, but towards the end it was hard to find our servers attention. -
Review from Diane B.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
I sat here reading as much reviews I could before deciding to come here for my birthday yesterday. Even with all the negative comments I gave it a try. My boyfriend & I ordered Crab Nachos to start with & they were delicious! Then we had the Ragin' Cajun Steampot which I thought would be too much to finish but was relieved to see it was a good serving & the Shrimp Alfredo which I got too full to finish. We unfortunately didn't see the every 45 minutes dance that everyone mentioned & the music wasn't super loud like I imagined it to be. I read prior to coming here that if it's your birthday they'll make you dance or whatever so that kept me from ordering a drink because I know they would most likely ask for my i.d. since I don't look like I just turned 23. I def didn;t want to dance! HAHAHA. Anyways the only thing stopping me from giving 5 stars was the lack of welcomeness the server showed us, the guy who seated us was super energetic but the server was meh, act like she didn't want to be there. For a place serving pretty expensive food, I would expect a little more friendly servers.
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Review from Vincenzo N.
Kahului, HI
11/6/2011
Atmosphere:
Located on Jefferson near Fisherman's Wharf. Typical restaurant setting; "seafood" decor.
Food:
Dungeness crab - Awesome. Got it done BBQ style, which was a mouthful of deliciousness. Best description would be the crab was steamed and dusted with a seasoned salt or similar seasoning. O-M-G. With the butter as a dipping sauce, I was in heaven.
Service:
Fast & friendly.
Overall:
If you've done the steamed crab thing at the wharf, head on over and try it BBQ style!! -
Review from Nikki T.
Fremont, CA
1/5/2012
There's a lot of these in the south but not enough here in California. The bucket of crab is just finger licking good.
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Review from Phuong H.
San Jose, CA
10/25/2011
My bf and I ate at Joe's Crab Shack in Anahiem for dinner and had a great experience there and we were craving for the steampots and decided to go to the SF location for lunch. Our seats were great, we were seated by the window, looking out to the pier and got front row seats to see the Bushman - he hides behind some branches/bushes and scares people as they walk by (hilarious, btw).
Although our seats were great and we got free entertainment the entire time (thanks Bushman!), our food was mediocre. My bf the lobster and crab steampot and I got the Samuel Adams steampot, the sausages and corn were yummy but the crab quality was poor. After our meal, my poor bf got a stomach ache a few hours later. -
Review from Jackie G.
Hawthorne, CA
11/16/2011
I LOVED THIS PLACE!!!!
I ate crab for the first time and it was A-MAZING! Not only was the food great but the customer service was friendly :) the noise level is loud but that would only be a problem if are trying to look for a quiet restaurant. Love the dancing that the workers do every 45 minutes! Hilarious entertainment!!
I wouldn't even think twice about returning to this location!! It was truly an awesome CRAB experience -
Review from Jay J.
Vallejo, CA
1/28/2012
the place was very intergetic , food smelled great , my server SUCKED she had the worst attitude , like she didnt wanna be at work , my food was over cooked , shrimp should not be chewey , i didnt eat none but one shrimp and one crawfish one potato and the sausage , told them before my wife was finished that it didnt taste good at all , and i wasent paying $30.00 for something i didnt eat , SOOOO I GOT CHARGED $10.00 for a potato and sausage that i did eat , LOL RIGHT , sent them a email manager called and said i would get a gift cert. in the mail in 3 days , that was a month ago ive called spoken to another manager ans was told id get a call back , bottom line place sucks , i shoulda known better , being a local , shoulda went to scoma's !!!!!!!!!!!!
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Review from Cara K.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place used to be so much better!!
Came here on a weekday with my boyfriend and the place was not busy at all. We were greeted and seated immediately and introduced to our server David. He is very nice and explained how things worked at Joe's Crab Shack to my bf since it was his first time (but also his last).
After we gave him our order, the music started playing REALLY loud and they all started dancing! Pretty cool, but not when you are starving.
We waited 45 minutes for our food after our appetizers and the food was not what i remembered. I took my bf here because i remember it being really good. nope.
We shared the Sample (really good) and he had a lobster & dungeneous crab bucket (not good). The lobster was rubbery and probably dead for a few hours. The crab was ok, but we've had way better.
So, 2 stars for our really nice server. Because it's not his fault that the kitchen takes forever to make food, and the food was gross. But a little advice.. maybe you should put in our orders before you go off and start dancing for 5 minutes. -
Review from Mario B.
San Leandro, CA
1/24/2012
I was going to go to Scoma's or Crab House at PIER 39, but I wanted to try something new. I went to Joe's Crab Shack, because of all the good reviews. I found out fast, U get what u pay for. I ordered a Bucket of crab,shrimp,corn, Also the Crab Stuffed snapper, breaded shrimp & breaded coconut shrimp. The crab was super salty. I sent it back, but when they came with the new one I couldn't taste anything, because my lips were burning from the over salty Cajun spice. My friend's tried the new crab that they replaced & said we choked by coming here. The crab stuffed snapper was dry & tasted like tuna. The breaded shrimp was just ok. I went there tonight bout 7:00 pm... its now 12:15 am & my stomach still doesn't fell good at all. They didn't charge me for the crab bucket. The Manager came out to ask what was wrong with it so I said it was so bad that my lips were burning & my stomach was on fire from the over salty, over cajun spice. It was a big downer for me & my friends. I don't think I'll be trying any other sea food place's in SF other then Scoma's or Crab House at PIER 39.
I wrote this review, because of all the fake one's I read. Now u know the truth... -
Review from Cindy O.
San Jose, CA
1/14/2012
So it's a week before Christmas and my bf decided he wanted to bring me to Fisherman's wharf for a whole day of pure shopping bliss! Well, after 4 hours of walking we were starving! I initially wanted to go to Franciscans but I literally was too tired to walk there so we settled for Joe's. Boy, was I glad we did! I have to say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the service here:) I had really been craving a crab sandwich for a couple months now, and the one that they have here isn't quite what I wanted. I'm so mad at myself for not remembering our waiter's name but he was amazing! My sandwich only came with lettuce, so he brought me tomato, and when i asked for cheese he actually went and melted me some shredded cheese! i didn't even ask for that, that's wonderful service. My bf and I didn't know what to drink, he recommended a few things and the one that i got was to die for, he even mixed them for us! I swear we were two happy campers. I really just wanna say thank you!:)
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Review from Katelyn U.
Anaheim, CA
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
The service was pleasant her name was Bunny, very friendly came around often to ask us if we needed anything , but that day the snow crab legs were not fresh at all, I came to this location all the time when I come down to visit pier 39 its like a hit or miss on the seafood.
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Review from TJ Y.
Davis, CA
10/2/2011
Holy moly what a gimmicky tourist trap lol. When you walk in and the first thing you see is a t-shirt shop selling the restaurant's merchandise...yea. But hey, gimmicks are pretty cool sometimes though.
The girlfriend and I decided to grab a late dinner here. Neither of us were overly hungry so we decided to split a Classic Steam Pot. First time eating crab in a loooong time for both of us, and all I can say is that we thoroughly enjoyed the Dungeness and snow crab legs in the Steam Pot. The pot looked big but we forgot that you only get so much meat from crab legs; we killed that thing and needed to add an order of Crab Nachos and a cup of Clam Chowder to feel satisfied. Clam Chowder tasted run-of-the-mill. Crab Nachos, however, were amazing.
This place can get pretty loud, but in a good way. The waiters started line-dancing to amped up music at one point. It's definitely not a place for a romantic first date, unless you think eating with your hands while wearing a bib is romantic. Our waiter hooked us up with bibs that said "Our server Mike gave us crabs!" complete with an arrow pointing down to the crotch-ular region. Oh, that Mike.
The only negative though: slightly overpriced. We had the Classic Steam Pot, Crab Nachos, cup of Clam Chowder, two beers (22oz Blue Moon and a small Corona Light) and a soda for a total of $62 something. I'd like to come back someday, but I'm slightly reluctant to say if that mini-meal was worth $62...
All in all, a good experience if you enjoy the gimmicks and can afford it. -
Review from Laura H.
Sacramento, CA
12/3/2011
Lets just say i am never coming back here, everything was NO, what happened to saying yes to the customer, we are always #1. and not to mention the prices are high as hell. The Sacramento location in Old Sacramento is 100% better, and always go the extra mile for customers and the prices are cheaper.
-
Review from Gordita b.
Hanford, CA
9/12/2011
3.5
Our server, Peter, was great! He was attentive & funny - he was on IT with the drink refills. I had the classic steampot & I've never worked so hard for my meal in my life! but let me explain - i've never had to crack crab legs before. It took about 3 legs before i got the hang of it. For a newbie like me, I thought the food was good, the atmosphere gimicky & fun. there was so much food that we both were stuffed & still had a few pieces left. And gimicky chain restaurant or not, we were still talking about that lunch days later! -
Review from Starsha B.
Puyallup, WA
12/17/2011
This is our all time favorite restaurant EVER!! Best seafood:)
Make sure to get the shark attack (alcoholic drink)pitcher if your with a group!! -
Review from Viet N.
San Jose, CA
10/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Worth the drive!
Seafood everything!!
seafood + alcohol = happy! happy! joy! joy! -
Review from Jeff L.
San Francisco, CA
6/21/2011
You know what, I'm sick and tired of foodies coming in here and treating every restaurant as inferior unless they've got Madagascan sea salt or locally-sourced organic couscous that was massaged by virgins.
This place is on the waterfront, it's unabashedly fun, and the seafood is their main focus. They don't do crazy- they just do good seafood, and you will not go wrong if you just pick a steampot and roll up your sleeves.
Stay away from their mixed drinks if you're a snob- but if you're a snob, you probably already wrinkled your nose at their name. If you just like seafood though, come in and sit down. The seafood is great, and that's all that matters. -
Review from Evan C.
Guerneville, CA
6/14/2011
When on the Wharf, be sure to visit this sad, greasy chain restaurant. I used to work here, and I can tell you, with 100% certainty, that everything they put on your plate was at one point frozen. Except the salads. Those are warm. This restaurant forces their employees to dance every half hour, and penalizes them, up to the point of termination, if they don't. It's like a busted Medieval Times where scared, employees are forced to dance to Aerobics class music like horrified cows on their last day in the feed lot. The wharf is not the place for seafood, but if you must have some, get a boiled crab from the stands across the street. Want to see a whole crab? Don't ask at Joe's. They don't have whole crabs. Everything comes in pre-cooked so it's easy for all of this delicate seafood to get overcooked.
While there are many bad things about this place, the staff does strive to keep it clean and are, for the most part, genuinely good people caught in the gears of this corporate machine. Good happy hour specials offset the overall pricey and crappy vibe, but only on the weekdays. On the weekends, this place becomes a zoo, and police have been called here. A waitress was even shot at in the parking lot? Look into it. You'll see it's true.
The sizzler of crab, this place is sure to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Unless, of course you have no taste. If so, this is the place for you. -
Review from Stephanie L.
Rancho Cordova, CA
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
After a disappointing experience at Alioto's, my boyfriend and I headed over to Joe's for a late night dinner. The restaurant was still about half full at 11pm, which was suprising to me. The host even recommended we sit at the bar because they were understaffed on that Sunday night.
My boyfriend and I each had a bowl of their clam chowder and shared the fried fish and shrimp dish. Prices were reasonable and while I've had better clam chowder, it was filling and good on a cold night. The fried fish and shrimp was suprisingly good, although the portion of shrimp given to us was kind of small. The breading for both was tasty, not too salty and it complimented the seafood well. While our server/bartender was busy serving other tables and making drinks, he never made us feel neglected.
Overall, 4 for service and 3 for food. -
Review from Mandy R.
Portland, OR
6/16/2011
This is a 3.5 star rating!
The bf and I came here last night for my bday dinner (I know, I know, out of ALL the places I could have gone, I chose here lol). We've been here once or twice before and never had a bad experience.
We ordered:
2 sierra nevadas--5 stars
1 southern spiked tea--5 stars taste, but minus 3 stars for not even getting me buzzed
1 sampler plate--"fireballs" were a 4, calamari was a 3.5 (wanted it a little more crispy), crab dip was a 4
1 Kendall Jackson steampot-- 4 stars, it didn't come with as much crab as the other steampot and some of the crab was overcooked, however the flavor of the white wine sauce was *delicious*
1 ragin' cajun steampot-- 4 stars, the seasoning was really good and had more crab than the KJ
Somehow I had forgotten that they sing and dance here and spent the entire night paranoid that my bf had told them it was my bday and that they were going to make me dance with them. Minus 1 star for having to be in super-vigilant mode because of their embarrassing bday tactics!
Our server (Suzy? me thinks) was super attentive, friendly, and very nice, he was great! No complaints about the service from any time we've been here.
This place is somehow a bit pricey so another .5 star gone. Our bill just hit a benjamin. In my opinion, if I'm eating like a stone age woman with my hands and tools and my bf is eating like a freakin otter gnawing on crab there's *no* way it should be this much lol. But it what it is and overall the food was mostly delicious, the view of the wharf was nice, and thankfully there weren't any "stand out" tourists (minus the two little boys next to us who got those stupid rasta dread beenie hats from pier 39) -
Review from Justin M.
San Mateo, CA
11/15/2011
I hate Fisherman's Wharf and I hate chain restaurants, I tried to avoid them as best I can!!! But when the music got loud and the staff started dancing I looked over at my almost 2 year old son and watched him moving and dancing in his high chair like I've never seen before, it brought a tear to my eye!! I will be going back as soon as possible!!!!!!
