when me and my wife got there it should been apparent to us to leave because it was Friday night at 7 pm and there was only about 10 people in the entire restaurant but we had eaten here 2 years before and it was good. we ordered an appetizer and by the time it got there it was cold so we ordered our entree, which was a steam pot and when it got there it had about 4 crab legs the size of small pencils and a lobster tail that was like eating an old shoe so we kept digging and found 3 shrimp and one piece of what I assume was sausage. Needless to say we had to go get something to eat after we left there. we will definitely not be going back there.
(1)
David H.
We have visited Joe's in past, it was good as always but not great. If you go in pretty weather there is an outdoor playground that will entertain the kids.
(4)
Julie J.
First of all I KNOW better and still went because it was a friend's birthday and if I wanted to be at the celebration this is where I had to go. I will say that the server was very nice and really good to accommodate our large group and all of our separate checks. It was not his fault the food is so bad. Before I arrived I thought that I would play it safe and get something other than seafood. I grew up on the coast and I rarely if ever eat seafood out in Birmingham unless it's a Frank Stitt restaurant, Ocean or Fish Market. This does not make me a snob - just enlightened as to what fresh seafood should taste like. With that said, I got caught up in the moment and gave them the benefit of the doubt. Appetizer - we had the sampler... crab dip was bland, the "balls of fire" were pretty good but not very spicy but actually quite mild, and the calamari was rubbery. Entree - AGAIN.. I know better but ordered the King Crab pot. Ugh, absolutely awful. I'm sorry, but the flavor was terrible and no amount of butter was going to help. I ended up leaving the majority of it behind and I wasted my money. If I'm invited back to another dinner, I will stick with the beer or try one of their signature cocktails and politely decline to eat.
(1)
W D.
Searching for places to take a friend out to dinner who's allergic to wheat/gluten I came upon Joe's online and they have a gluten free menu. I took the time to call in the afternoon and speak to a manager about how they prepare the food. She explained that they don't have separate "prep" areas for the gluten free menu as it's all steamed whole so no prep required for the GF menu. So we go and upon sitting down the in store GF menu has a statement the online one didn't "All items share cooking hardware" or something of the sort. So we inquire to the waitress and she immediately says, I dunno, let me find the manager. Manager comes over after a 10 minute wait (I'm assuming he needed to wait a full minute for every customer currently in the place!) And explained that they have 3 boilers and none of them are designated for cooking gluten free and he's "never run into" someone who needed Gluten Free for medical reasons so he can't say wether it would be safe. He offered to empty one of their boilers. We decided to go somewhere that takes food allergies more seriously instead. The point of taking the time to talk to someone was to avoid this kind of waste of time!! Bad customer service or bad training????
(1)
Jeff D.
I'm not quite sure what made me return to this chain of failure or how the health department has not come down hard on this company. This location like many others in the U.S. is filthy everywhere from the ground up. crusty silverware is the least of your worries if you have the misfortune to be stuck dining here. The smell of vinegar A1 and garlic all regurgitated together is part of the so called comfy atmosphere along with rancid butter soaked booths chairs walls. I get it people want to eat crab somewhere there kids can dine as well. This place is gross get out while you have a pulse.
(1)
Lisa D.
I want to give my opinion Joe's Crab Shack. I love the restaurant, the staff, food and delicious specialties drinks!!! The restaurant is very clean, the staff very sweet and accommodating. The great people who I came into contact with on my visit there for my and husband's 14 wedding anniversary were all super great. I could not have asked for better service from any other restaurant. So when you go, especially after reading some comments on Joe's Crab Shack, think about the day/night they've had. Many people go to Joe's to celebrate for many different reasons. I want to say a great big thank you to all that helped my husband, daughter and myself enjoy a very nice night. And thank you to one of the best Assistant General managers ...Rodney Newby. Everything was made even better by the atmosphere of this wonderful place to eat and celebrate.
(5)
Brandon M.
I've been to Joe's before and it's always good. The prices are a little on the high side, but overall they are ok. The service was a bit slow this night I came and we didn't get our appetizer we ordered. The crab claws were great, especially the dungeness ones.
Like another reviewer has stated, the waitress had to come back and get our drink orders a second time. I ordered the coconut shrimp which doesn't compare to Red Lobster's at all. At least the service was good.
(2)
Clay C.
When I walked in I immediately slipped in a pile of throw up (just my luck). AND on walking out after I had finishes eating, it was still there! Completely disgusting. That incident kind of made me lose my appetite slightly but I decided I would trek onwards. Little did I know of the devilish things that would occur soon after. We were seated after about waiting 45 minutes (there were empty tables everywhere). Our table was covered in a thin layer of grease and I don't think it had been cleaned (maybe ever?). Our waiter was extremely high, you could literally smell the weed on him. He kept mixing up "sir" and "ma'm" (I was with my girlfriend) when talking to us, it was actually really humerus. He didn't even realize he was doing it. I got the bean town bake, it was disgusting. The menu said it was lobster, clam, shrimp and sausage. But there was something peculiar about it; there was another kind of mysterious vegetable (I'm guessing?) in it cooked in what I think was A1 sauce? No bueno. My girlfriend got a caesar salad, there was bad lettuce all in it, she barely ate any of it. There was no silverware on the table so we asked the waiter and it took him about 20 minutes to get back to us (probably smoking weed in the back we figured). So about half way through the meal, we started hearing some yelling coming from the back. It progressively got louder and eventually a really angry guy emerged from the kitchen I'm guessing and immediately went up to a table and, with the swipe of his arm, knocked everything off the table onto the floor. And then he walked out the front door. It was a freakin mess. What shocked me completely even more was that no one ever came to clean it up....? At this point we just wanted to leave, so that's what we did. We paid and left!! Upon leaving we saw the man who was yelling and making a mess being arrested in the parking lot. I had almost written Joe's off completely after seeing their completely sexist commercials but I think this officially did it for me. I have never had such a bad dining experience... but it kind of makes for a good story I guess.
(1)
Ben O.
Fail after fail after fail. I wanted to buy a gift card, so I went to the gift shop (and the ludicrous fact that a chain restaurant has a gift shop tells you something about their overvalued self-esteem). They directed me to the bar. At the bar, I repeated my request and waited 10 minutes. The bartender eventually returned and apologized for not having remembered that their safe was stuck, so they wouldn't be able to sell any gift cards until after the weekend. So we ordered dinner, and when it came out, Jodi was given the wrong entree entirely and my Cobb salad had been festooned with niblets of corn. We sent both back (I can't eat corn, it wasn't listed in the menu, and it doesn't usually come on a Cobb salad), changing my order to an assortment of side items. The server returned a minute later to ask me again what my new order was, because she had forgotten on the way to the kitchen. Isn't that the point of a system of writing -- to preserve knowledge beyond the limits of memory? And I know she was at least minimally literate because she wrote her name for us on a piece of paper towel with a marker. Bless her heart. And what I eventually got wasn't even very good. OK, the broccoli was flavorful, though its flavor was mostly that of melted butter and salt. And the onion strings were piled high. But the cole slaw had very little flavor at all -- it just tasted like wilted wet cabbage. Usually the saving grace of such a crappy restaurant is that you can afford to get drunk enough not to notice. But when an $8 cocktail only has one shot in it, forget about it. I would have been happier with the service and food quality at my hotel's vending machines.
(1)
Curtis S.
I can't believe there is only 2 reviews on this restaurant and both are bad. This is the ONLY place I go to for seafood. Their Steam Pot for 2 is awesome. It's a little pricey, but is well worth it. We get full every time. The Lobster Pot is soooo tender. Their sausage is the best I've ever tasted. The atmosphere is cozy and the waiters are always friendly and fast. I have to admit I could do without the corny dancing they make the poor staff do. You can tell they hate to do it. I have them make be an extra spicy Tequila Bloody Mary and it's to die for.
(5)
Sheri P.
More like Joe's Crap Shack. No, 2 out of the 3 times the service was terrible AND I got food poisoning from I think the salad. BUT, the 3rd time (I had to go for a graduation party) we had EXCELLENT service. I love going to Joe's in cities near water because the location is always overlooking boats and fun scenery. This location is on 280 and has a great outdoor area and jungle gym. I would go back for a large party soon, or with friends that have children. It is VERY casual and a place where you can relax and have fun with your friends. The prices are not cheap but the portions are easy to share. I think it is a great place to go if you have country friends. My friend ordered the calamari and I was impressed. It was not greasy, rubbery, or heavily fried. I also had a glass of the house wine that met my approval and the mixed drinks looked fun but I did not sample any.
(3)
James R.
Great food and great times. Needs Jimmy Buffett music.
(4)
William M.
The service from the original waiter was short and to the point but she did get most of the order right minus one minuet thing. The food was fair enough and about what you should expect from a standard chain restaurant. However, one of the other waiters that brought out a few items to us was rather curt and passive, merely dropping the items (check from the order and to-go cup of water) in a rather disinterested, slightly annoyed manner. One of the managers came over a few times and made sure that me and my party were taken care of. It's an enjoyable food spot as casual place for a decent sit down meal if it is not too crowded.
(3)
Angela T.
My family came to this location in Birmingham Alabama for dinner. The restaurant was quite busy. The service was above average however I can see why the rating is a two star. Nothing spectacular about the food. And I don't like fishy smell like fish. The hush puppies have a kick to them. I think those are my favorite. I ordered classic snowcrab legs plain steamed they had other flavors as well
(2)
Blake B.
Disgusting, don't waste your money! There are plenty of places to get better seafood around Birmingham than this place! Overpriced and the lowest of quality!
(1)
Jennifer T.
I only gave this a star because I have to. We waited for ever for our server. Long story short, our bacon wrapped shrimp were burnt. We complained and they recooked the shrimp. The bacon was then undercooked. We were afraid to eat it. Not going back to this location.
(1)
Usama A.
Although the place was packed and the service was fine, the food itself did not taste good. There was loads more fried foods than we expected.
(2)
Jason S.
Bland seafood, mediocre service. Large crowds with lots of crying toddlers. Herd 'em in and get 'em out. Well-overpriced. Won't be going back.
(2)
Bebo F.
This place sucks. Terrible food, lousy service, and awful atmosphere. Don't go here.
(1)
Brett W.
Food is good as always, service was excellent. Waiter was very attentive & I brought leftovers home & couldn't wait to eat them later. I'll go back again even though it's a little pricey.
(4)
LaShanndylon S.
My husband and I arrived at 4:16pm and we were greeted at the door upon entrance. Our waitress came over and introduced herself quickly and served us our drinks. We looked over the menu and ordered our food and we received our food rather quickly. Lord and behold the food presentation was not fit for even a family reunion of sewer rats to dine! Once the food is on the table the waitress says I can't do anything about the food and manager has to come over. I was upset and shocked at her comment. My problem was you seen this, you prepared this and looked at it and still served this to patrons??!!!!. PEOPLE PLEASE DO NOT EAT HERE!! PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! JOE'S CRAB SHACK HAS GONE STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN AND THE OWNERS NEED A LIFELINE HOOK TO PUT IT OUT OF THE WATER. WHAT A WASTE OF FRANCHISE DOLLARS!!!!!! Do not use gift cards cause their system adds 20% to the bill and it takes a couple days for it to fall off.
(1)
Derren J.
Our waiter at one point and time forgot about us and I sat with no drink for over 10min. Ashley was her name. I've had way better service than this! Doubt I'll be back!!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Tony C.
when me and my wife got there it should been apparent to us to leave because it was Friday night at 7 pm and there was only about 10 people in the entire restaurant but we had eaten here 2 years before and it was good. we ordered an appetizer and by the time it got there it was cold so we ordered our entree, which was a steam pot and when it got there it had about 4 crab legs the size of small pencils and a lobster tail that was like eating an old shoe so we kept digging and found 3 shrimp and one piece of what I assume was sausage. Needless to say we had to go get something to eat after we left there. we will definitely not be going back there.
(1)David H.
We have visited Joe's in past, it was good as always but not great. If you go in pretty weather there is an outdoor playground that will entertain the kids.
(4)Julie J.
First of all I KNOW better and still went because it was a friend's birthday and if I wanted to be at the celebration this is where I had to go. I will say that the server was very nice and really good to accommodate our large group and all of our separate checks. It was not his fault the food is so bad. Before I arrived I thought that I would play it safe and get something other than seafood. I grew up on the coast and I rarely if ever eat seafood out in Birmingham unless it's a Frank Stitt restaurant, Ocean or Fish Market. This does not make me a snob - just enlightened as to what fresh seafood should taste like. With that said, I got caught up in the moment and gave them the benefit of the doubt. Appetizer - we had the sampler... crab dip was bland, the "balls of fire" were pretty good but not very spicy but actually quite mild, and the calamari was rubbery. Entree - AGAIN.. I know better but ordered the King Crab pot. Ugh, absolutely awful. I'm sorry, but the flavor was terrible and no amount of butter was going to help. I ended up leaving the majority of it behind and I wasted my money. If I'm invited back to another dinner, I will stick with the beer or try one of their signature cocktails and politely decline to eat.
(1)W D.
Searching for places to take a friend out to dinner who's allergic to wheat/gluten I came upon Joe's online and they have a gluten free menu. I took the time to call in the afternoon and speak to a manager about how they prepare the food. She explained that they don't have separate "prep" areas for the gluten free menu as it's all steamed whole so no prep required for the GF menu. So we go and upon sitting down the in store GF menu has a statement the online one didn't "All items share cooking hardware" or something of the sort. So we inquire to the waitress and she immediately says, I dunno, let me find the manager. Manager comes over after a 10 minute wait (I'm assuming he needed to wait a full minute for every customer currently in the place!) And explained that they have 3 boilers and none of them are designated for cooking gluten free and he's "never run into" someone who needed Gluten Free for medical reasons so he can't say wether it would be safe. He offered to empty one of their boilers. We decided to go somewhere that takes food allergies more seriously instead. The point of taking the time to talk to someone was to avoid this kind of waste of time!! Bad customer service or bad training????
(1)Jeff D.
I'm not quite sure what made me return to this chain of failure or how the health department has not come down hard on this company. This location like many others in the U.S. is filthy everywhere from the ground up. crusty silverware is the least of your worries if you have the misfortune to be stuck dining here. The smell of vinegar A1 and garlic all regurgitated together is part of the so called comfy atmosphere along with rancid butter soaked booths chairs walls. I get it people want to eat crab somewhere there kids can dine as well. This place is gross get out while you have a pulse.
(1)Lisa D.
I want to give my opinion Joe's Crab Shack. I love the restaurant, the staff, food and delicious specialties drinks!!! The restaurant is very clean, the staff very sweet and accommodating. The great people who I came into contact with on my visit there for my and husband's 14 wedding anniversary were all super great. I could not have asked for better service from any other restaurant. So when you go, especially after reading some comments on Joe's Crab Shack, think about the day/night they've had. Many people go to Joe's to celebrate for many different reasons. I want to say a great big thank you to all that helped my husband, daughter and myself enjoy a very nice night. And thank you to one of the best Assistant General managers ...Rodney Newby. Everything was made even better by the atmosphere of this wonderful place to eat and celebrate.
(5)Brandon M.
I've been to Joe's before and it's always good. The prices are a little on the high side, but overall they are ok. The service was a bit slow this night I came and we didn't get our appetizer we ordered. The crab claws were great, especially the dungeness ones.
(4)Nate J.
I can now say that I am officially DONE with this place. I've always tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, but my family's Mother's Day dinner there was less than satisfying. First off, we waited for a very long time. I get that. They were busy. I didn't mind that as much as the cranky seniors I was there with. Anyway, once we finally sat we had our drink and appetizer orders taken. It took over half an hour to get our APPETIZERS and they were cold. I'm not talking room temp, I'm talking COLD. We finally get our meals another 30 or so minutes later and they as well were cold and one person's meal was COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. He then waited for his for at least another half hour and was finally able to eat loooooong after the rest of us were completely done eating. The retarded pageantry and clichéd musical "performances" cannot save this abysmal excuse for a restaurant. I will not be back. I'd rather have Captain D's.
(1)MJ W.
Like another reviewer has stated, the waitress had to come back and get our drink orders a second time. I ordered the coconut shrimp which doesn't compare to Red Lobster's at all. At least the service was good.
(2)Clay C.
When I walked in I immediately slipped in a pile of throw up (just my luck). AND on walking out after I had finishes eating, it was still there! Completely disgusting. That incident kind of made me lose my appetite slightly but I decided I would trek onwards. Little did I know of the devilish things that would occur soon after. We were seated after about waiting 45 minutes (there were empty tables everywhere). Our table was covered in a thin layer of grease and I don't think it had been cleaned (maybe ever?). Our waiter was extremely high, you could literally smell the weed on him. He kept mixing up "sir" and "ma'm" (I was with my girlfriend) when talking to us, it was actually really humerus. He didn't even realize he was doing it. I got the bean town bake, it was disgusting. The menu said it was lobster, clam, shrimp and sausage. But there was something peculiar about it; there was another kind of mysterious vegetable (I'm guessing?) in it cooked in what I think was A1 sauce? No bueno. My girlfriend got a caesar salad, there was bad lettuce all in it, she barely ate any of it. There was no silverware on the table so we asked the waiter and it took him about 20 minutes to get back to us (probably smoking weed in the back we figured). So about half way through the meal, we started hearing some yelling coming from the back. It progressively got louder and eventually a really angry guy emerged from the kitchen I'm guessing and immediately went up to a table and, with the swipe of his arm, knocked everything off the table onto the floor. And then he walked out the front door. It was a freakin mess. What shocked me completely even more was that no one ever came to clean it up....? At this point we just wanted to leave, so that's what we did. We paid and left!! Upon leaving we saw the man who was yelling and making a mess being arrested in the parking lot. I had almost written Joe's off completely after seeing their completely sexist commercials but I think this officially did it for me. I have never had such a bad dining experience... but it kind of makes for a good story I guess.
(1)Ben O.
Fail after fail after fail. I wanted to buy a gift card, so I went to the gift shop (and the ludicrous fact that a chain restaurant has a gift shop tells you something about their overvalued self-esteem). They directed me to the bar. At the bar, I repeated my request and waited 10 minutes. The bartender eventually returned and apologized for not having remembered that their safe was stuck, so they wouldn't be able to sell any gift cards until after the weekend. So we ordered dinner, and when it came out, Jodi was given the wrong entree entirely and my Cobb salad had been festooned with niblets of corn. We sent both back (I can't eat corn, it wasn't listed in the menu, and it doesn't usually come on a Cobb salad), changing my order to an assortment of side items. The server returned a minute later to ask me again what my new order was, because she had forgotten on the way to the kitchen. Isn't that the point of a system of writing -- to preserve knowledge beyond the limits of memory? And I know she was at least minimally literate because she wrote her name for us on a piece of paper towel with a marker. Bless her heart. And what I eventually got wasn't even very good. OK, the broccoli was flavorful, though its flavor was mostly that of melted butter and salt. And the onion strings were piled high. But the cole slaw had very little flavor at all -- it just tasted like wilted wet cabbage. Usually the saving grace of such a crappy restaurant is that you can afford to get drunk enough not to notice. But when an $8 cocktail only has one shot in it, forget about it. I would have been happier with the service and food quality at my hotel's vending machines.
(1)Curtis S.
I can't believe there is only 2 reviews on this restaurant and both are bad. This is the ONLY place I go to for seafood. Their Steam Pot for 2 is awesome. It's a little pricey, but is well worth it. We get full every time. The Lobster Pot is soooo tender. Their sausage is the best I've ever tasted. The atmosphere is cozy and the waiters are always friendly and fast. I have to admit I could do without the corny dancing they make the poor staff do. You can tell they hate to do it. I have them make be an extra spicy Tequila Bloody Mary and it's to die for.
(5)Sheri P.
More like Joe's Crap Shack. No, 2 out of the 3 times the service was terrible AND I got food poisoning from I think the salad. BUT, the 3rd time (I had to go for a graduation party) we had EXCELLENT service. I love going to Joe's in cities near water because the location is always overlooking boats and fun scenery. This location is on 280 and has a great outdoor area and jungle gym. I would go back for a large party soon, or with friends that have children. It is VERY casual and a place where you can relax and have fun with your friends. The prices are not cheap but the portions are easy to share. I think it is a great place to go if you have country friends. My friend ordered the calamari and I was impressed. It was not greasy, rubbery, or heavily fried. I also had a glass of the house wine that met my approval and the mixed drinks looked fun but I did not sample any.
(3)James R.
Great food and great times. Needs Jimmy Buffett music.
(4)William M.
The service from the original waiter was short and to the point but she did get most of the order right minus one minuet thing. The food was fair enough and about what you should expect from a standard chain restaurant. However, one of the other waiters that brought out a few items to us was rather curt and passive, merely dropping the items (check from the order and to-go cup of water) in a rather disinterested, slightly annoyed manner. One of the managers came over a few times and made sure that me and my party were taken care of. It's an enjoyable food spot as casual place for a decent sit down meal if it is not too crowded.
(3)Angela T.
My family came to this location in Birmingham Alabama for dinner. The restaurant was quite busy. The service was above average however I can see why the rating is a two star. Nothing spectacular about the food. And I don't like fishy smell like fish. The hush puppies have a kick to them. I think those are my favorite. I ordered classic snowcrab legs plain steamed they had other flavors as well
(2)Blake B.
Disgusting, don't waste your money! There are plenty of places to get better seafood around Birmingham than this place! Overpriced and the lowest of quality!
(1)Jennifer T.
I only gave this a star because I have to. We waited for ever for our server. Long story short, our bacon wrapped shrimp were burnt. We complained and they recooked the shrimp. The bacon was then undercooked. We were afraid to eat it. Not going back to this location.
(1)Usama A.
Although the place was packed and the service was fine, the food itself did not taste good. There was loads more fried foods than we expected.
(2)Jason S.
Bland seafood, mediocre service. Large crowds with lots of crying toddlers. Herd 'em in and get 'em out. Well-overpriced. Won't be going back.
(2)Bebo F.
This place sucks. Terrible food, lousy service, and awful atmosphere. Don't go here.
(1)Brett W.
Food is good as always, service was excellent. Waiter was very attentive & I brought leftovers home & couldn't wait to eat them later. I'll go back again even though it's a little pricey.
(4)LaShanndylon S.
My husband and I arrived at 4:16pm and we were greeted at the door upon entrance. Our waitress came over and introduced herself quickly and served us our drinks. We looked over the menu and ordered our food and we received our food rather quickly. Lord and behold the food presentation was not fit for even a family reunion of sewer rats to dine! Once the food is on the table the waitress says I can't do anything about the food and manager has to come over. I was upset and shocked at her comment. My problem was you seen this, you prepared this and looked at it and still served this to patrons??!!!!. PEOPLE PLEASE DO NOT EAT HERE!! PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! JOE'S CRAB SHACK HAS GONE STRAIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN AND THE OWNERS NEED A LIFELINE HOOK TO PUT IT OUT OF THE WATER. WHAT A WASTE OF FRANCHISE DOLLARS!!!!!! Do not use gift cards cause their system adds 20% to the bill and it takes a couple days for it to fall off.
(1)Derren J.
Our waiter at one point and time forgot about us and I sat with no drink for over 10min. Ashley was her name. I've had way better service than this! Doubt I'll be back!!!
(1)