On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
Food - 4/5
Service - 5/5
Price - 3/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Best Dish: Steampot (Think it was the orleans?)
Came here with some relatives visiting from Chicago and they actually wanted to come here. I recommended a few non-chain spots, but they were determined to eat at Joes. I haven't been to Joes in roughly 5-6 years, but didn't have high expectations.
The Pros: I really like the cheesy atmosphere and the energy of the place. Not something I want to experience at every meal, but it was fun and energizing. Our waitress, Chelsea, was great. Super attentive, funny and she kept us in the loop when our order took longer than expected, which was fine because it was busy and these things happen. Nobody at our table had any complaints about the food. Although, I did here a guy at a neighboring table gripe his food, but maybe he was just an a-hole.
The Cons: Pricey, which if the food were a little better I would not gripe about, but if 3 people are going to drop over $100, you expect something pretty grand right. Again, the food was fine, but not as fine as it was priced.
So my cousin visited from Fresno last weekend to celebrate her 17th birthday in the city. Just so happened to be the weekend of the Bay Bridge closure. Spent waaay too much time maneuvering around the bay using San Mateo Bridge and driving up.
I asked my cousin Chelsea during our shopping extravaganza where she wants to eat for her birthday dinner: "Well...my friends said that I should try Joe's Crab Shack." I think we were on the same wavelength because I was just going to ask her if she was in the mood for seafood. lol Funny how that works.
Shannon was an awesome, attentive waitress. Food was good as usual. Chels was like, "Can you share a steampot with me?" I told her, "I have a feeling you can eat one on your own, but I'll eat whatever you can't finish." Sure enough, my skinny, tiny cousin ate all her crab, corn, shrimp, and potatoes. Oh, to be young and have a fast metabolism!
I got this seafood platter that had fish and chips, onion rings, shrimp scampi, and a crab cake. It didn't seem like a lot of food for 20 bucks. I was imagining having to take a doggie bag home for that amount, but I ate almost everything.
Just when we thought dinner was over, Shannon came over with a feather boa and a princess crown and put it on my cousin. She made her stand up and do her best Miss America walk while everyone sings Happy Birthday. lol Awesome moment....
On our way out, I got Chels a "Bite Me" Joe's Crab Shack shirt since I remembered her saying she always sees her friends wear them to school. She loved it!
Overall, a good time with my little cuz, who's like the little sister I never had.
"Eat at Joes!!"
Ever since my mom saw the commercials for the new boiler pots, she's been obsessed in…
Read more »
I love self-explanatory restaurant names like Goood Frikkin' Chicken. Although not quite as descriptive, Joe's Crab Shack comes pretty close...if I had my druthers, Joe's would be renamed Fab Crab.
Don't go to Joe's just looking for a meal, though. To get to the good stuff, it's best to dive into the whole experience. That includes loud 70s/80s music and intermittent choreographed line dances by the wait staff. Hint: make sure to get your check before the dancing starts, otherwise you'll be stuck for a while.
Oh, yeah. You'll also hear them screaming out things like, "Someone's got crabs!!" and "Crab Facial!" every five minutes.
Beyond some exec's idea of 'good customer service' schtick is the best crab I've had in San Francisco. Served in a giant bucket (with prices to match), it was worth every bite. We also sampled the crab nachos--$5 during Happy Hour until 7:00 PM. Large portions, but crab dip rather than crab chunks graced the chips. Crab cakes were good, but not as crab-filled as Blue Mermaid Chowder House down the street.
On a clear night, the views are incredible and you can see all the way to Marin's Mt. Tam. Definitely request a window seat so that you can watch the famous Tree Guy scare the bejeezus out of tourists.
Bottom line: go here when you're jonesing for crab or have a big loud group.
joe's crab shack= joe's crap shack. Their seafood is not fresh, overly seasoned or under seasoned!!! The textures of the crawfish, shrimp, and crab were just all bad. The reason why I gave them 1 extra star was because I enjoyed my corn and my potatoes... that's it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder if the owner knew how poor the quality of their food is. How sad.
The last time that I visited this place I swore that I would never come here again. Well, never say never...The food is fried, fried, and deeply fried! However the drinks that kept on coming our way and the view of the bay made this tourist trap fun.
Wow why such a low rating?
I love this place! Friendly service, fast seating, HUGE cocktails for the price and cute bibs with writing!
I appreciate getting all the utensils ready for the crab/crawfish feast we had coming and feast we had!
The west coast steam pot was so awesome. Red potatoes with melted butter, yum. The corn was cooked just right. The crab legs, YES! Seasoned to perfection. I took some home and devoured them the next day!
I think this place should at least be at a four! Come on peeps!
Oh, but parking is harsh. For the 2 hours we were there we parked in a lot across the way for 12 bucks :( I wish they validated at least for non-touristies.
:(
Despite all that, I wanna go back with a group of people, carpool and split the parking fee so we can dine again!
I have been to a few Joe's Crab Shack in other areas before and always had good food and service. The location in SF is a disappointment to the 10th degree...the food was lousy...way too salty and the service sucked when I complaint about the food, they just brushed it off like, oh well.... I would not recommend this location to my worst enemy! It really should be NO stars...
When we were in san fran we were on a mission to have seafood everyday. Since our hotel was in the wharf, we thought this would be easy, it wasnt. Near they end of our stay we found this place, it was alright. We had the surf and turf burger, and also the fish wrap with corn and bean relish. The food is similar to what u would get at any chain restaurant. Given the chance i probably wouldnt go back.
Decent food. Great service. However I've had buckets of freshly boiled crawdads, shrimp and other seafood in Austin and New Orleans and Joe's unfortunately just can't compare. What Joe's does have going for it is that it is a tourist destination in the Fisherman's Wharf area of SF. The lively atmosphere can bring on a serious headache after awhile, but if you're into places that make their servers line dance every 15 minutes, Joe's is for you.
The large group I went with ordered multiple orders of the following:
Crispy calamari appetizer
House salad
Caesar salad
East Coast Platter
The New Orleans Pot
Crab cake dinner
See here for the full menu: http://www.joescrabsha...
I got to try all of the above and conclude that my fave dish was the calamari. Even though the New Orleans Pot came chocked full of crawdads, sausage, and shrimp, it was unfortunately under seasoned. The East Coast platter was pretty good. I polished off the crab cakes first and most of the fish. The chips were dry and I have no memory of the crab stuffed shrimp so that tells you how good that was. The house salad was typical mass-made salad fare.
The highlight of the evening was probably our server. I wish I would have gotten her name because she handled a party of 11 without breaking a sweat. Props to her. She didn't try to upsell us anything and was super honest about which beer order was more worth it (the bucket o' beer, in our case).
The hurtin' came when the pleather folder landed on our table. I thought the prices were a bit steep. I think the pots were $26 each and the entrees also about the same. In the end, I probably should stick to my one rule of thumb as a person who grew up in SF: leave the loud chain restaurants to the tourists who are passing up an opportunity to eat at more original restaurants all over SF. I'm not hating on Joe's (well maybe just a little) but I definitely think I could have done better with my money.
Hey, if you don't like waiters and waitresses that dance every 30 minutes, and if you're short on cash, then don't come to Joe's! It's a pricey, touristy destination that really works well for large parties and celebratory events. The people who give Joe less than 4 stars just don't get this place.
The crab steamboat is amazing. If you have 3 people, one Steamboat for Two with some sides will be plenty for lunch. Or if you can eat a lot, try the same for two people! Shrimp, sausage, and sweet corn come with the steamboat, and it's quite a big portion. I especially like the Garlic flavor on the crabs here.
Favorite parts of the meal are the dancing servers, the Let's Get Crackin' bibs and the crab. If you come to Joe's, get the crab, and don't bother with the other entrees.
This place gets packed and you'll have to wait for 2 hours or more on the night of Valentine's Day, but on normal days, there's plenty of space if you get there before 12 for lunch and before 6 for dinner.
The servers are amazing too, so tip well!
Joe's Crab Shack had me hooked from the jump. A friend told me about it and then I kept seeing commercials on TV. So I finally had went on over there and have been going back ever since. The appetizers are hella good. My favorite is that nacho crab dip which is a killer. I yearn for that everytime I think about JCS. I like their creative drinks and the food period is good. I probably would of gave 5 but the only thing I dread is the parking. Every once in a while I'll get lucky and won't have to pay dollars for parking but yea its a great place and has great prices. Like the guy from the Men's Wearhouse says, "I guarantee it".
Yes, I realize I'm from the bay area and am giving one of the most tourist-y restaurants 4 stars, but oh my god it was fun.
We came here for my Nana's birthday and not only did the entire waitstaff dance and announce that everybodys table had crabs, but outside our window was The Bush Man. I watched him scare out-of-towners, old people, babies, and european tourists for an hour and it never got old. I also calculated that he makes about $30 an hour. I hate my life.
As for the food, my coconut shrimp was greasy but it was still pretty good. They also give you huge portions so I bagged half of it up and gave it to a homeless man. Instant gratification and free entertainment, what more could you ask for?
LET'S GET CRACKIN! LOL The Shrimp Was Sooo Good....I Thought This Place Was Pretty Good...Friendly Environment....Good Music! Next Time I Go I'm Getting The Crab Cause It's Gonna Be ON AND CRACKIN! HAHAHAHA
I'm honestly shocked that Joe's has such a low rating...
I love their crab pots! I went there yesterday, since I was craving crab and tried the West Coast pot... Sooooooo Yummy! On top of which, our waitress was really attentive, I've never had a bad waitress at Joe's. My Titanic Tea was definitely nice and strong thanks to the Brotha behind the bar. The restaurant was vibing with good oldies, like usual... So how can you guys be so hard on them.
I mean I hate Fisherman's Wharf like any other self respecting person, but this is a perfect location for them. I'm sure unlike a lot of other restaurant's these guy's aren't hurting for business. Unlike a lot of other restaurants you wont find happy waiters, who will dance for you and put on a show with disco lights and all. Yes, some things can be a little less greasy like my favorite stuffed shrimp, but hey is it really their fault you and I choose to continue to order food which we know is fried, stuffed, or cooked in some other unhealthy manner. They have salads you know...
I will continue coming back here. This place is Crabtastic!
Took a bunch of my students that I advise here for dinner during a conference. What a fun experience! Great for groups and our waiter was extremely fun and accomodating.
During certain songs the staff do a dance and of course being the rambunctious group we are (ok that I am) we got up majority of the times and danced along. Most places might make you feel like a loser for doing so but the staff loved it and encouraged us to join in.
Most of us got the steamer pots and mine was more than enough for one person. Did not really need the sausage and corn that came with the crabs and shrimp but was a nice accompaniment. Get the pot as they are plentiful and delicious.
Ok, I know I shouldn't be eating at Fisherman's Wharf (unless it's plain ol clam chowder) but it was a friend's bday and for SOME reason, homeboy wanted to Eat at Joe's, so there we were.
EVERYTHING is fried. Absolutely everything. I found it to be greasy, inedible and crazy overpriced. I'm not one to not my food and neither is the hubby, but we ended up giving our leftovers to a homeless guy (so it worked out for him, i guess). This places sucks.
Maybe we ordered the wrong things. I almost ordered a steam pot but it looked like too much food for one person and Wendy didn't feel like lobster so we opted for a few appetizers to share between us.
The clam chowder was okay. Nothing special. The crab nachos were greasy, too cheesy and drenched in a greasy cheese sauce. I couldn't find a decent hunk of crab in the entire dish, only soggy slivers. The calamari was over breaded, over fried and almost tasteless.
We both actually had unsettled stomachs afterwards. It's too bad because we expected more. Maybe if I give it a second chance, I will go for the steam pot. Maybe. I rate it 1.5 stars but give it 2 in the hopes that they really have better food than what we ordered.
LOL, this place is such a tourist trap. It's not horrible, but I wouldn't come for a second time because one should rather spend their $25+ on better seafood elsewhere. It's interesting to experience for the first time because it's a loud and fun environment and the servers dance every 30 mins or so. Their seafood pots are too salty. I do believe it's overpriced for the quality, but it's a total tourist destination sooo yeah. It's cute how they put bibs on you when you order crab.
The food's like any other greasy, diner chain. Comes out fast and greasy and tastes as good as it looks.
I got so drunk here. We got two very overpriced pitchers of beer and on top of that we were taking shots of 151 that we brought in with us.
Our waiter, Micheal, was VERY nice and put up very well with four VERY drunk and stoned people. He took our picture here! and let us photograph him too! What a stand-up fella. You could tell he was very experienced with customer service. Based on Micheal alone, this place would get 4 stars!
We only came here because it was late and we were drunk and had the munchies. Would have gone somewhere else had we been in a better state of mind.
Holy shit, we spent a lot of money here.
Joe's Crab Shack is exactly what you expect it to be: loud, pretty high energy & waitresses who double as dancing queens.
I always have a really good experience when I go here (except for the time when none of the shop owners would give me four quarters for a dollar to feed my meter unless I bought something & a meter maid was passing by. Don't get me started on that story...) Usually, we are seated right away & seated by the huge window over looking Jefferson Street where "tree man" entertains us by scaring unsuspecting tourists walking by, map in hand.
You gotta have a sense of humor to enjoy the Joe's Crab Shack experience. Put on the bib, sing along to the hits from the 90's & smile at your waitress while she's dancing in the isles.
Food is so-so. Crab cake is a mixture of lump crab meat & pieces of crab. Steam pots offer A LOT of food & the BBQ rub on the crab is very tasty. Their crab stuffed shrimp is really greasy. Fish & chips were ok. I recommend their dungeness crab in a bucket. It's messy, it's good, its simple food & you get a workout cracking those legs! Their desserts are better than your average chain restaurants', especially their key lime pie and sea turtle sundae.
Prices are typical for a tourist trap area. As long as you don't take dinner too seriously, you'll have a good seafood dining experience.
Yes I did manage to eat while on my beer tour.
Me and the Jersey crew stopped here mostly because we see the commercials all the time and had never been. Looks like their marketing paid off.
The menu has your typical seafood selection, shrimp some way, oysters some way, fish some ways, and crab some ways.
I opted for the East Coast Platter which was fish and chips, crab stuffed shrimp, a crab cake and fries. It took all my energy to put down all the food so the serving was good.
The waiter we had was on a good start we ordered 2, 22 ounces of Sam Adams Summer Ale (finally I found it). He told us ordering a pitcher was cheaper. Score. We order the pitcher.
We start to eat and our waiter disappears. The bar tender came by and asked if we were alright and we were.
Then we finished our food and no one came to check up on us.
Then we finished our beers and no one came to check up on us.
We sat around for a while just waiting for someone to come by and bring the check and no one did.
Finally, I caught the bar tenders attention and asked for our check.
The place was full and people were waiting to be seated you would think someone would want to turn tables.
Oh and one of those stars is for Summer Ale on Tap.
Tourist Trap Chain... but I have been to other Joe's Crab Shacks in other areas that were a lot better than this one.
The drinks here are majorly watered down and the food never seems to be up to a decent standard...
Plus, the service is very complacent and if you go to other Joe's Crab Shacks especially in So Cal all the service people are bubbly and dancing around to the little dances they have to do....not so much at SF.... they all dance like their feet are glued to the ground, not very entertaining.
We came here to kill some time before meeting up with some family stopping off from a cruise ship (Pier 33). Since it was in the middle of the afternoon & on a weekday, the waiting time for seating and food service were very quick!
The menu looked really good. The taste however was par to a Hooters or Red Lobster. Nothing really jumped out and WOWed us. But we were satisfied with the good meal. I love the buckets for your food scraps/waste. It keeps my eating area open & tidy. Our waitress was cute, friendly, and very attentive. Kinda went over board always asking if "we're ok" or "still working on that"...! hehehe...
( + ) Elevators for strollers, Ice- chilled beer mugs, Clean bathrooms, Spectacular view of the street entertainers and marina...
( - ) Not allowed to roll our stroller by the table, Hourly staff dance= (lifeless), no parking validation...
PS Private parking lot in the back was only $7.25 Flat rate. Safe, spacious, and video monitored.
Played the tourist part when we ate here. Good steamed pots of crab...great show of dancing waiters and waitresses...quick service and quick food. Overall can't complain much.
A bit pricey though...but it's not like you're regular janky crab shack...i mean, the waiters DO dance.
Try the Coco Colada...its YUMMY!!!
Joe's Joe's Joe's the good thing about this place is that they sell decent seafood but does not compare to other local restaurants on the quality. I ordered a crab pot with old bay seasoning and to my surprise was not bad at all. The crab had a lot of meat on it and nicely seasoned but eat it fast or you will be eating cold food, since it looses the heat quickly. the service was great but the dancing show they have gets old fast. The place was clean considering the amount of people at the time. the restaurant is moderately priced for the food you get but i would still stick to the local joints rather than the chains but that's my opinion.
Legend has it, that if you watch the employees eyes when the disco lights come on. You can sometimes catch a glimpse of a piece of their soul dying.
The infamous Joes Crab Shack. We came here on Fathers Day, at my dad's request. Upon walking in we were greeted and informed there was a 10 minute wait. But we were seated after 5. Great. We met our waitress Sharita, she was very courteous despite our party not really paying attention lol. We all ordered the different platters like the Orleans, Suset Grilled, The Long Islander etc...
The food was okay, but much overpriced in my opinion. I think the atmosphere was great, the waiters are very friendly and energetic. I wouldnt go again, due to my belief of overpriced food, but the experience in general was A-OK. It is much too close to REAL San Francisco seafood spots such as Aliottos, Scoma's, and the Franciscan, so it would be hard for me to go here again.
Oh you foodie naysayers! You clearly cannot appreciate the Midwest goodness which comes when eating at Joe's Crab Shack.
Yes, they scream "Look out! There's a shark in the water!" when they deliver you your blue "Shark Bite" vodka drink.
Yes, the serve all drinks with weird accroutments like palm trees made of pipe cleaners and odd Tiki figurines made of neon pink plastic.
Yes, they make you wear a bib.
Yes, the servers enthusiastically dance every fifteen minutes or so to varied cheesy songs (It's Electric! Bug-a-bug-a-loo-loo!)
Yes, they force people who are celebrating a birthday to wear a clown wig and rock out on an inflatable guitar.
Yes, they serve many meals in pots with lots of melted butter and a crab claw thingie to open the crab legs that says "Stolen from Joe's Crab Shack."
Yes, if you eat here you will feel like you have a food baby named La Shonda residing in your belly.
These are all the reasons why Joe's Crab Shack is AWESOME!
Granted, it's not fine dining. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But, it's hearty seafood fare at a pretty cheap price. I disagree with those who say the quality of the food is poor. I am an epicurean and I think the cuisine at Joe's is quite choice.
In layman's terms: I know my foods and Joe's is mighty tasty.
But, then again I am a foodie who loves tuna noodle casserole in addition to fois gras. I also groove on bacon dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as much as I enjoy fine sashimi.
Judge all you want; but, I have to say that the friend (a former Yelper) who suggested we go to Joe's this evening to appease our mutual homesickness for the simplicity of the Midwest state we are both from really hit it out of the ballpark with her choice. I was all kinds of giggling and clapping my hands while sipping a coconut drink with pipe cleaners in it, wearing a bib with butter running down my chin happy.
'Scuse me now, I have to go give birth to La Shonda.
People are really funny.
You expect fine dining presentation from a place called Joe's Crab Shack?
You think $25 is a lot of money to pay for a huge pot of seafood?
You expect great service from a place where they make the waitstaff dance?
You expect too much.
I thought this place was great. BF took me here for an impromptu date on Sunday because the weather was gorgeous and why not go down to the wharf?
I decided on the steam pot which has half a snow crab, half a dungeness crab, some shrimp, a whole sausage, a piece of corn and some red potatoes. The BF went with a big plate of deep fry.
I discovered early on that the little cracker thing they give you only works so well, and the best way to get into the crab is to use your teeth.
The crab was sweet and delicious with the old bay seasoning. The shrimp were a touch overcooked but still tasty, not like the pile of mushy shrimp I got at Coco's Crawfish. Plus, the sausage was really tasty, I would've eaten that with some mashed potatoes and been totally happy.
You may think it's cheesy, overpriced or low quality. I think it's a great place to get not too expensive seafood that's pretty damn tasty.
On a recommendation from a friend we ended up here after King Tut's tour. After quiet museum whispering it was refreshing to yell out, "I got crabs!"
Wait staff dances and appear to have fun. Bartender Noel was GREAT! Fixed us up with a beer for me and some fruity concoction that my wife said was the best Mai-Tai she ever had (but it wasn't a mai-tai, dear!)
We had the bucket o crab with a mix of Chesapeake and garlic flavorings. WOW. Tasty, messy goodness. The rub gets on your hands and mixes well when you are cracking crab. Missy, our waitress was perfect.
Yeah, it's pricey and touristy. But the crab is fantastic and the atmosphere is fun. If you have to do touristy things at the wharf, then this is your best bet.
My husband and I eat at Joe's Crab Shack all the time when we go to Fisherman's Wharf. It's one of our favorite Fisherman's Wharf restaurants -- casual, fun, excellent steampot crab (especially the Sunset Fire-Grilled Steampot) and great service. It's good for group parties and they do some disco dance thing every 30 minutes where the disco balls in the dining room light up and the waiters/waitresses dance! A steampot crab feast for two is only $50! It's not the most formal or classy place to eat, but definitely a good restaurant for those who just want to eat good crab without all the wait and fancy table linen.
Food was pretty good, I had the coconut shrimp and Bill had the Steamboat, we didnt realize how huge it is. It's pretty pricey, but you pay for the entertainment. The waiters and waitresses stop everything they are doing and start dancing every 30 minutes its pretty entertaining!
HAHAHAH!!
When searching for this place on yelp, I unconciously typed in:
"Joes Crap Shack" and rightfully so.
Of course this was the #1 hit.
I was called in by that steamer commercial on TV. I thought Hmm. finally an interesting dish that may not make me throw up.
I was WRONG. The whole $30 plate was basically seafood boiled in a plastic webbing then plopped onto a white plate, The whole debacle is placed into a "steamer pot" and them a paper cup of butter. WTF?:? Are you kidding me. For 30 dollars I want MAD CRAZY presentation, not to be reminded that I was conned into coming here in the first place.
I ordered the Crawfish. Ihave eaten crawfish for some time and these ones were prepubescent crawfish. A complete ewaste fo time and money. Served with sorry potatoes and a sausage I think I recognize from Smart & Final. I got some Pop rocks drink, I have no idea what came over me. All i knew was that about 10 minutes later, yes the drink took that long, I was covered in sticky wet Pop Rocks. And the drink flavor was not interesting.
My date had the 3 crab combo, it was three half crabs in the plastic webbing again and the same crap presentation. We canned almost $100 in that shite hole and will NEVER COME BACK AGAIN! Not even in different cities!! If this is the waythis chain chooses to run, I choose to run the other way!
On the other hand our waitress was very nice and fun. The food SUCKED!
This review is for Tom R. who notices how many chain restaurants I eat at..... But it's not my fault my friend had never been and wanted to go.
So we arrive and have a short wait, which was fine because we didn't have an agenda for the day.
Food:
Crab Fun Do- a lot of crawfish and little crab. It was ok, but nothing I would order again.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms -They were overflowing with crab and the sauce and cheese were good, but the mushrooms were almost non-existent.
Steam pot for 2 -t was good - the crab was good (Its crab season it should be) I didn't really eat much besides the crab because I didn't want the sausage, potatoes or corn it also came with. There were shrimp also thrown in and it was the peel your own.... I don't know why but they smelled and tasted like buttered popcorn. It was odd.
The entertainment was the best part because my friend was amazed at the way some of the waiters and waitresses were dancing around. Some really get into it and others you can see are being forced to participate,
I won't come back if I have to pay but I will say that I had some good crab and better company that day.
me and my bf went there this labor day.. we always walk pass it whenever we go to the pier, but that day we were felt like giving this place a shot. it was a fun experience, waiters are nice, they dance, and the table a few steps away were celebrating someones bday. they seem to really be enjoying themself. as my first time i give this place 2 thumbs up! i had a strawberry mango smoothie witch had a kick of cinnamon!!!!! Mmmmmmmm!!!!! and my bf had a pina colada with was off the hook! hahah anyways recommend it when u wanna have a fun time!
** prices were a bit expensive**
I'm not a seafood person but that's not why Joe's star scores are so low. I mean I can find something to order at a Seafood place in a pinch. It's just that this is one of those place that capitalizes on knowing its popular name will bring the consumers and doesnt bother to really deliver on the food and service.
I do think that it is kinda funny how they make the bday person dress up. Especially when they put a dress and boa on the men. LOL
Wow, this place doesn't seem like a "2 or less" star restaurant. I guess it is hit or miss...
After a ferry ride to and from Sausalito we decided to try Joe's Crab Shack. It is a bit overpriced. Their crab/seafood combo pots are a bit pricy for what you get... It was fresh though, so no complaints.
Some interesting tidbits...
- VERY LOUD restaurant
- Expect a wait
- The wait staff is exuberant to say the least
- The wait staff/hostess/host dance every 45 minutes...
- Don't expect to be able to share food
- If it is your birthday and you're a shy person (don't EVER EVER come here for a birthday dinner/lunch) if you do, just don't mention it or you'll probably be embarrassed while everyone else is amused.
I don't know if I'd ever come back, but it was a nice, yummy experience. =)
MY fiance was extremely disappointed this time around. Our server was genuinely nice, although it was hard to understand her with her thick accent. I believe her name was Hedwig. We got the King crab legs in the steam pot and he got a small Blue Moon beer. Our order only came with 4 legs, 1 corn on the cob and two potatoes, the legs were not as large as the ones at Boiling Crab though, and it cost $30, I believe that part was the most disappointing. I don't think We're going to make the trip all the way up to SF for Joe's anymore, when we could stay local for some boiling crab! ): BOO!
A bit expensive, BUT what do you expect? It's SEAFOOD! and Seafood is almost always $20 per person.… Read more »
My friends and I came here for a friend's birthday. They were able to accommodate our large group (25?) so they definitely get points for that. I have to say, though, that their food is only mediocre for the price that they charge. The waiters also do some weird dance when some song comes on, which seems a bit unnecessary (after doing the dance like 3 times during our stay!) I think I'll try some other spots in the city when I want some crab/seafood.
We were passing the afternoon away watching the infamous "bushman" scare the crap out of unsuspecting tourists until I noticed we were standing in front of Joe's. Why not grab a bite while enjoying local antics? I had heard a lot about Joe's but had never ventured inside.
As much as I wanted the bucket of snow crab it was a little pricey for an afternoon snack. We settled on the crab stuffed mushroom appetizer, also overpriced. It tasted fine, I just expected more crab for $10, it is located on the wharf after all. We weren't planning on ordering anything else but I saw the listing for banana foster (one of my all time favorite desserts)! Just as SUPER excited as I was about ordering it, I was SUPER disappointed when it arrived. It was a cheap imitation. It's the sugary, sweet, rum filled glory of the banana foster sauce that makes it special. Joe's presented me with an ice cream filled crepe lightly drizzled with chocolate and carmel with bananas on the side as an after thought.
To make matters worse, the service wasn't very good even with a manager encouraging our server to get a move on.
Special Truffle Menu & Prix…
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
Category: Seafood
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Here is a list of places that Ive had such bad…
Places I hate. Sometimes I go back though.. & I…
When I first moved to SF, I lived by Pier…
After 8 wonderful years, I moved away from SF a…
