Oysters on the half shell (finally) and they are huge.......
(5)
Ellen L.
The drinks are either too strong or too watered down, but the fish and chips were tasty.
(3)
Steve W.
Ill give two stars because I actually finished my food and didn't have any complications the next day (if you know what I mean). Went here for a birthday gathering - I would never set foot in this place if it wasn't for that. Aesthetically, its very unappealing. One friend liked the crab (bay style) as it reminded her of the east coast. Can't comment as I had the crawfish steam pot and the crab nachos. Plus I'm from the West. The food was over priced and bland - enough said.
(2)
Darin H.
I had just flown in from Honolulu, and my family took my here as a 'welcome home' kind of celebration. I should have driven back to DIA and got more food off of the airplane. One word: s***hole. Save your money and go buy some crabs and steam them yourself. Or go and get strung out on imitation crab meat if you really, really need to satisfy that urge. Anything is better than this place. It really is like a crappy Disney movie from hell. And if fact, a lot of the experience made me think of the movie "Waiting." Even including where the kitchen staff adds some of their own 'edits' to the menu. I'm not sure how you can mess up seafood this bad, but these guys have managed to do it.
(1)
Amanda A.
After waiting almost 15 minutes for a server to even come up and introduce themselves and get us some drinks we had already decided on our meal choices. The server that finally came up was super nice and very helpful, felt bad for realizing our actual server had never came, he was quick and attentive. However again the wait began, we sat at the table for a good 30 minutes before our two crab pots came out, only to realize they had brought the wrong flavoring. We were famished by this time and they said they would quickly fix the order so it was correct. Again we had a nice little wait, luckily I didnt die of starvation ;-) To cap it all off and why I am giving 4 Stars is due to the fact that #1 the food was super delicious and tasty, #2 the manager on duty was excellent, he completely comped my crab pot ($27.00) for their mistake! I can appreciate any establishment that owns their mistake and tries to amend it!! We also went during one of their fundraisers and were given the opportunity to donate and in return we could receive either a free kids meal (donate a $1), appetizer (donate $5) or crab pot (donate $10). Very good idea and we will be back in May to cash in our free crab pot. Thanks Joe's, we'll be back!!
(4)
Suzanne D.
Overpriced and disappointing. Great atmosphere.
(2)
Lindsay A.
I love my crab legs but this place is a joke. Everything is SO expensive and it's just another crappy chain with crappy chain gimmicks. I am one of those people who takes things for what they are, so I knew this going into it but everything was just awful. Our server would not leave us alone. I like servers that are on top of it, but let us eat our food without hovering and asking us mid-bite if we need anything else. We didn't need anything literally a minute ago, I think we are still ok. I found the same quality snow crab legs at King Soopers for $6.99/lb and was able to pretty much make it taste the same, without the $70 bill. Probably wont be going back.
(2)
Mora L.
7/27/13 I'd like to start out by saying it was "iffy" at first. The computers went down, drinks were slow and wait staff in a panic. Manager tried to get things back on track, but needed to help. He snapped at the bartender (in front of bar) as she was trying to keep up and get out drinks to main dining room, while had little to no help at bar. A lady next to us, waved him down and asked for a drink, and he snapped at the waitress in the middle of a shark bite drink, and STOOD there. Really? In any case, once we left the bar, and the computers got online, the night went great. Food amazing, much better than the one that was in Parker. Server did a very nice job. As I said the manager was not the most impressive person, but the staff did their jobs. Food was good, we'll go back. :)
(4)
John R.
It is hard to review a place like Joe's Crab Shack. We are so far inland that your expectations for fresh seafood can't be that high. Also due to that, there really aren't that many competitors. Even so, we do get a craving for seafood and this is one of the places we usually consider. My favorite part about the place is the food. Unfortunately, I would only describe it as average. I like the fish and chips or getting one of the buckets of crab legs and lobster tails. The food isn't bad, it is just not the best I've ever had. This location has a playground for the kids, so that is a plus. The thing that annoys me about this place is the atmosphere. They can hardly go 5 minutes without someone getting on a microphone and yelling about something. I understand the singing happy birthday to someone, but it is such a production here. Plus it is not limited to just birthdays. It seems like if it is quiet for too long they feel compelled to get up and be annoying. This is not limited to this location. The service is actually pretty quick. The prices seem high for what you get, but not terribly so. I know we'll eat here again when we are mentally prepared for the noise.
(3)
Christine G.
A single visit was quite enough for me, thank you. The food here was not good, and a few hours after eating it, my gut agreed with me wholeheartedly. I almost couldn't make it to a toilet in time. I'm always hesitant to ascribe food poisoning to a particular restaurant, but given my other eating habits that day, I'm 99% certain that my explosive diarrhea was thanks to good ole Joe and his crabs. Never. Again.
(1)
F U.
Food was good.. our waitress gabby was all over it.. we did the conga line lol.now the bad.. hmmm there isn't any lol Okay the bad I should have got 2 pieces of that delicious key lime pie
(3)
Jennifer T.
Why oh why do I yelp if I don't listen to other reviewers? I thought, it can't be that bad. Perhaps a few people just had a bad experience. Nope. We shared the great balls of fire appetizer which was eh. And I would probably like a shoelace if it was battered, fried and dipped in ranch dressing. Then we shared one of their steampots with crab, shrimp, corn and potatos. I thought the crab was fine. My tummy later disagreed with me but I think it was only because everything was drenched in oil. I should have known by the lack of people in the restaurant but I always feel bad walking in and then right back out. So thanks to yelp save yourself from that awkward moment.
(1)
Chef To The Stars O.
Friendly service. . Shared 3 different meals between the two of us. I really enjoyed the apps. . Hoping next time they don't run out of garlic bread ..
(3)
Anastasia S.
First of many visits. Delicious Cajun steam pot! Mmm that butta! Not enough crab for a large appetite. Sampler appetizer, not so good. Great Balls of Fire, spicy n cream, I would order this again. Good service, casual atmosphere. Jungle gym for the kids, large patio area, we will definitely be back w the kids. How they get more stars: -Larger portions for the same price. -Appetizers that are fried in clean oil, they tasted like the oil was old n dirty. :( -Not putting the clean napkins in the trash bucket. -Making sure trash is cleaned under the table before a new party sits down. But still, yummy. We will b back.
(3)
Kate H.
I've been to this location before on another trip to Aurora, it was much better. This time, our waiter was inattentive and spent most of his time chatting with the customer and an adjacent table. When our food finally came to the table, we noticed that a few things were missing from the plates and by the time we finally got the attention of our waiter to correct it, we were a little frustrated. The only positive comment I can make it that my cocktail was pretty good.
(1)
D. R. S.
Joe's Crab Shack in Aurora is exactly what we expect of a Joe's Crab Shack. The music is a little too loud; the floor show (dance routine to Car Wash) was a little cheesy (& needs a new song), but the food (we shared the Ragin' Cajun steam pot) was good (not great if you're used to fresh seafood from either coast -- but this is fly over country). The wait staff for an early dinner (5:25p) was attentive. We got exactly what we expected and will be stopping in again some time in the near future.
(4)
Jason A.
5 stars for today mostly due to our server Amanda. She rocks at what she does. Always a smile on her face and she kept checking on us throughout our meal keeping our drinks topped off. Perfect service. We'll be back and hopefully her area has an open table. Oh and the food was good too.
(5)
Scott M.
Joe's Crab Shack is very confused. It doesn't know whether it wants to cater to kids or adults, and it does a poor job of both. Just judging by the name, you would expect Joe's Crab Shack to be a casual place that serves primarily seafood, and to that extent you would be correct. However, you might not expect the party atmosphere and kid's playground. These are not bad things in and of themselves, but they are executed poorly. The kid's playground is outside, which raises two problems: 1. If your kids want to use the playground, you are forced to go outside and supervise. That is, unless you are comfortable with your kids running around in a fenced-off area of parking lot by themselves. 2. The kids are constantly running in and out of a side-door to and from the play area. This makes for a very cold dining experience if you happen to be seated in this area of the restaurant during the colder months of the year. The party atmosphere: something you probably would not expect from a seafood restaurant. If you are looking for a quiet meal, you will not get it here. There are party lights strung throughout the dining area and fairly loud music playing throughout the restaurant. This can make it difficult at times to actually carry on a conversation. Inexplicably, at one point the entire wait staff gathered in the middle of the room and did a choreographed dance to "Carwash". The food: You may expect a restaurant review to focus on the food, but this particular restaurant doesn't seem to make its food the focus. All in all the food is not bad. In a nut shell, Joe's Crab Shack provides decent seafood and an odd dining experience. I probably won't be going back any time soon.
(2)
Brian H.
Had the lunch fish and chips. More batter than fish. Service was ok but nothing special. Building needs major reconstruction. Won't be heading back to this Joes anytime soon.
(2)
Lori S.
Late review but...we had reservations for our party of eight on Saturday 10/11 and nothing but the best reviews of how we were treated. It started with the reservation..my husband made the reservation for my birthday.He was asked questions about the reservation; dietary concerns, if we had been there before, and anything they could do to make the dinner more special...then we arrived and had THE BEST waiter named Mark. He was fantastic and our drinks never ran dry and our orders were fast and all the crab pots were delicious! Mark helped my birthday become the best one I have had in a long time!!! Everyone in the party had a great time and all were extremely happy with our service. THANK YOU!!! Mark deserves a raise!!! :)
(5)
Jonathan D.
It's Joe's Crab Shack. Big chain seafood so don't expect much in terms of quality or flavor. This particular location has average to below average service plus it is in Aurora My biggest issue with this place is that it is very expensive for what you get. Our lunch was almost $60 for 3 of us. The atmosphere is great for kids otherwise I would have given it 1 star.
(2)
Karen M.
Aaarrggghhh. I guess I have just grown out of these sorts of restaurants, with blaring music, tables seated waaay too close together (so the toddlers at the next table keep jolting you as they scooch out of their chairs, run around the table, and then move the chair back out so they can jump back UP into their chairs and then the baby at the table starts screaming) and subpar food. The glaring anomaly at this restaurant? An amazing - and I mean amazing- server, Kiley. She was one of the best servers I've encountered in a long time, really taking the time to connect with us at the table and going out of her way to serve us. BUT...I am so sorry to say this to Kiley, your amazing-ness can't compensate for the subpar food and fast-casual chain atmosphere. Here's what we ordered: I got a bucket of Queen crab legs - steamed, straight-up, with plain butter. Ms. R ordered the crabcake dinner and Mommykins ordered crab fettucine alfredo. Here's my take on it. Like so many other chain restaurants, Joe's tries to do too much. As a result: fail. The alfredo was dry; the crab cakes mediocre. The one thing that I think was decent was my crab legs. They were cooked properly which is a big deal - too much and the crab won't come out; too little and, well, it's sushi. This is a particular kind of atmosphere and "dining experience" that's destined for a certain proportion of the population. I am not in that demographic. For a hundred bucks, I could have gotten so much more...I don't mean to sound old-fogey, Joe's, but even the hippest of us hipsters want to be able to hear ourselves talk to our dining companions, or, at the very least, our servers.
(2)
Jt B.
Has been years since we have been to Joe's but have enjoyed it in the past. Was surprised to see the E-470 location had closed several years ago. After this experience, I am no longer surprised. For starters we had to wait for a table about 30 minutes longer than we should have, as the hostess had skipped over our name. The manager was rude about and tried to blame us for just not hearing our name called. Food was highly overpriced for the mediocre quality. Waitress was actually pretty good but I am fairly certain her or the manager stole my credit card data for use in Oregon the next day, resulting in me having to file fraud report and get new cards. We will see what the investigation turns up. Would not ever think of returning to this location.
(1)
Ashley P.
I've eaten at many crab shacks over the years. Joe's is always reliable. We always stop on our way through Denver because we know we will leave happy. This is not the best seafood you're ever going to have, but they do know what they're doing. I have had just about every steampot they make and I'm always happy. It's simple seafood, done right. They have good drinks, appetizers, and desserts too. I've never had a complaint and our visit this Memorial Day weekend was no different. It can be a loud place, so definitely not the kind of place to try and have a private conversation.
(3)
Tarena Z.
The server was awesome and friendly. It was really nice to have the manager come out to check on us and refill our water. That was a nice touch. The food was ......OK. The Orleans steam pot was enjoyable.....the corn was a tad salty. The bathrooms.....FREEZING!
(3)
Greg B.
Good food. Good service. Funky atmosphere. The Ragin Cajun Pot is a definite must try if you like a little kick with your seafood. I always enjoy eating at a seafood restaurant that doesn't have a fishy smell permeating the room. Nice open floor plan, great lighting and this location has a play area for children complete with a slide and monkey bars.
(3)
Mean Guy I.
Campy, loud and mediocre at best. Small portions, pricy for what you get... There's a reason they keep closing their restaurant doors one by one. When they first opened there was a waiting list three hours long... Now you could not pay me to go back. Rude wait staff, poor food and over priced.... Whatever happened to sea galley anyway ?
(1)
Sara N.
My wife and I have been to this location many times and everyone has been awesome. The bartender that we normally have during the weekdays Sonja saw us once and we had not been back for a year. When we returned we sat in her section again and remembered us like we where just there the week before! Very friendly and very attentive! Last night we took the whole family out and our waiter was Max. He was awesome and very attentive. Made sure that we had everything that we needed and was awesome with our kids. One of our kids turned to him and said that he was the most awesome waiter ever! And Max told him thank you buddy you just made my night! Come to find out he had a very rude table before us but he didn't let that stop him from being awesome to us. Thank you Sonja and Max for always giving us great service while we are at Joe's
(5)
Alice G.
I enjoyed Joe's crabshack. There, I said it. I know - shocker- this is a big chain in the suburbs... But it was so just fun! Yes, there were a couple of misses too, but in general I was quite amused and enjoyed my experience thoroughly. Here's how it rolled: The Fam took me for a birthday dinner because apparently they quite embarrass their birthday patrons. Once I realized what was going on, I put a stop to that and did not run around on a stick-horse whooping like a cow girl when they sang happy birthday -did not happen. Sorry Fam. First the good: Inside, they have sharks hanging from the ceiling! Sharks! How fun is that? Plus, if you have kids they have a playground, a playground! How fun is that? We sat on the patio, which is covered and has really comfortable furniture. It was quite pleasant on a mid August day. The music was loud and fun. The drink menu is spectacular. And, this is where I really want to give this place 4 stars: they had amazing tiki drinks where you get to keep the glass! I had two Mai Tais and got to keep the coolest glass ever. This was fun. Our food, carefully prepared somewhere else and frozen, and plunged into boiling water and seasoned there in the kitchen, was healthy and quite good. We all enjoyed little steam pots of various crab, shrimp, sausage and other seafood combined with potatoes and corn. It was actually quite a healthy low cal meal. The combo was quite delicious, though the textures of the seafood were a bit mealy just because it had been frozen, but that is forgivable. If you've ever purchased and tried to prepare your own frozen snowcrab you know what you're going to get here. We did not need added butter and the flavors were excellent: We tried the Ragin' Cajun and the classic steam pot and the peel and eat shrimp. The shrimp was high quality. For dessert, we tried the apple crisp and the Key Lime pie. I would not even bother with the key lime pie: It was not good, but the portion was gigantic. The apple crisp was served hot with ice cream with big slices of apple in it , and was quite lovely. All in all, Joe's crabshack is a very carefully well-planned restaurant chain. It is appealing to kids and families, it's casual with fun drinks and music and the food really wasn't that bad at all for a chain. For this particular restaurant, the restrooms were kind of gross and our server was completely clueless. No bibs were offered to us, we had to ask repeatedly for silverware and crab crackers, we didn't get water refills, and she did not know much about the menu. But that's going to be typical for a chain restaurant. All in all, I would go back to sit on the patio, have one of those fun Tiki drinks and a steamed crab pot. If I were in the neighborhood.
(4)
Sara V.
Place is kind of overpriced kind of shitty I rather just buy and cook it myself for that price piece of shit
(1)
Denise R.
Always a good time love eating here. . Lots of seafood which is my favorite love the crab pots several to choose from..
(4)
Danielle B.
If I could give this less than one star, I would. The staff has no clue. Our waitress poured a whole soda on my lap and purse, and then apologized as she wiped the floor with paper towels and then thought it was a great idea to put them in the bucket in the middle of our table as they passed over the top of the other drinks on the table. Disgusting!!!! As compensation she apologized and didn't charge us for our nonalcoholic drinks. Wow, thanks. We constantly had to ask for refills on our drinks. And the Mahi I ordered barely came out warm. To say this place is unnecessarily loud is an understatement. The songs and antics are ridiculously cheezy and irritating. The high side, the Ragin Cajun bucket was salty but delicious.
(1)
Nightowl O.
Love this place, the best crab I've had in Denver !!
(5)
Hugh J.
Now, I've been called "crabby" before, (Haha, get it?) but I must say this was fairly good! However, as my ex-wife Angela tells me, I am a scrawny-armed "weenie" of a man, so I had a hard time opening my crab legs. Luckily for me, my mother took me to dinner and she has the strength of a thousand men, so she cracked those crab legs right open with her bare hands! I enjoyed the potatoes, and the corn was alright. My server was nice, but he laughed at the sight of my crab bib, which seems a little ridiculous because he and mother insisted I wear it. So, despite my lack of upper, lower, and all around strength, and the bib, I was pleasantly delighted with the food! Definitely will come back. (Maybe after a little weight lifting...)
(3)
Max G.
We enjoyed our meal at Joe's. My family had everything from Dungeness crab to crab cakes to salmon to shrimp. All were well prepared. For dessert, we enjoyed the s'mores and the key lime pie. The staff was very friendly and efficient. I wish they had more non-Budweiser beers on draught. A fun restaurant, with good food and service. We would go back.
(4)
Sarah H.
Came back again for the garlic crab n fries. The price went up from $14.99 to $20, but the staff was very accomodating with my special order (steamed crab w/ side of garlic butter, extra garlic aioli), so that was well worth the price increase in my estimation. Also, the snow crab was cooked right this time! Came out hot, didn't fall apart. AWESOME. Way to go, Joe, you've made a fan out of me.
(4)
Dustin F.
Ahhhh....Joe's, how I wish you weren't SO cheesy. The wife and I were hankering for some shell fish and wanted to load up . . . there is no better place around to get your seafood indulgences cured, than Joe's. They have an amazing assortment of shrimp, crawfish, lobsters, crab, etc. I always order one of the crab bakes - comes with multitudes of crab, clams, lobsters, shrimp, sausage, corn, etc. The best part is the price - can't beat it for the quantity. Unfortunately, that's where the fun ends - this place is everything you hate about gimmicky restaurants. The waitstaff introduces themselves with some really terrible one-liner (and then repeats it to every table around you - at least have a few 'go-to's'!); the stop the restaurant and sing songs, like the Love Shack; and they do crazy things if you order one of their specialty cocktails. Unless we are there with a group, which is almost never, we try and sneak our way to the bar, get the shellfish we are craving, have a few beers, and get the he** out of dodge. I will never warm up to the cheesiness, but I do love the food.
(4)
Russ D.
What was I thinking? I have ordered crab legs several times in lieu of my Alaska visits. And it's just not right. Seafood in Colorado? We's a landlocked mountainous people. There ain't no oceans 'round he'ah! There ain't no decent fruit of the sea 'round he'ah! Fresh sea food in the high plains of middle America? Bah! It's a delicacy here. What was I thinking? I have patronized several "sea food" restaurants in the Denver metro area in the hopes of recreating that succulent, meaty and delicious full-bellied and satisfied feeling from my days of old. My days of the not so recent past. Fail! Epic fail! Why I thought I could find hearty and fresh crab legs in Colorado is beyond my comprehension. Dreams. Dreams! I dream of slathering melted butter on seafood goodness. Not anytime soon. Not around here with any degree of freshness and quality. At Joe's Crab Shack in Aurora, I find watery, rubbery, practically meatless offerings befit paupers not a King such as I. I do not want to fight, with the appropriate seafood cracking tools, those prickly crab legs for multiple minutes only to find scrapings of so-called meat as my reward. I look ridiculous as I suck on the hollow crab legs trying to glean whatever nutritional value I can from absolutely nothing! Exorbitant prices for nil! Nix! Nothing! Zero! Bah! One of the disadvantages of living in the Rocky Mountain region is lack of tasty sea food. It's the price we pay for the glorious scenery I suppose. Avoid Joe's Crab Shack. You'll be glad you did.
(1)
S B.
Worst food ever. Also, don't bring your kids here, or anyone who cares about women's rights. Apparently, JCS has a policy regarding birthdays wherein they make birthday woman/man do something humiliating. While this isn't generally my taste, I was particularly angered by the method of humiliation used on the female. The birthday man was made to flap to-go containers with a paper cup in his mouth simulating a chicken while the staff sang happy birthday. However, the birthday woman (who had just turned 18) was told to stand on a platform with her rear end facing us shaking her butt while spelling her name with her hips. This was exceptionally degrading and stripper-esque. What am I as a consumer to think of JCS's views on women? Why was the woman humiliated in a sexual manner, when the man was not? I am very disappointed and angered by my experience at JCS for their horrible, anti-woman values. Also, the food was exceptionally bad.
(1)
Kelly B.
My family members love this place for the most part. I do not eat any form of seafood, so it is a bit difficult to review. I understand that this place is centered around seafood but it would be nice if there were at least 1-2 more non-seafood options on the menu. Normally, when we have gone, its been great. I always order their bacon burger because, well, that's about the only thing that's not seafood (and not an overpriced steak). The last time we went it was really crowded. My bacon burger was still pink inside, though I asked for it to be well-done and...it was missing the bacon! I didn't complain and just ate it anyway. It wasn't bad, just not the same (how can you forget bacon?!). My husband and mother-in-law both said that the rice that came with the dish that they ordered was awful. They said it tasted horrible and even smelled bad. My husband told the waiter and he said that maybe it was "just a bad batch because normally it is okay." My kids both ordered something called Captain's Catch from the children's menu. I was impressed with the amount of food they were given for the price. It was filled with fish, popcorn shrimp and french fries. The atmosphere is really fun, lots of music, dancing and even a small playground to entertain the kids. I've never really had a bad experience here, but when it is really busy, things just seem a little off which I suppose I can understand. Overall, it's a fun place to eat and hang out, especially on a nice day when you can sit on the patio and let your kids play at the playground.
(3)
Gabe F.
Seated next to a door that was opened constantly. Seated directly under a loud ass speaker.Our server was cute but slow and unattentive.And like many of my ex-girlfriendsI tipped her way too much for what she actually did. The crab pot was ok but truthfully I will never go to this place again. The only good thing about the night was my two friends company I was with. Joe's crap shack.
(2)
Lynn B.
We used to love Joes, but came here some 4 yr ago and the food was awful and the wait staff....wait....where are they? Decided yesterday to give them one more try and had the blackened Mahi sandwich, wife had the surf and turf sandwich. Both were really good and Mike the waiter was friendly and on the spot. And the manager came by to see if everything was alright. That's what restaurant mgrs should do with the customers. But, after reading the prior reviews, we must have had the right sandwich on the right day, and it appears Joe's really hasn't changed since the New CEO changed everything some 4-5 yrs ago. Too bad as it used to be reasonably priced and very FUN for the kids.
(3)
Robin M.
Poor customer service. We ended up leaving before they sat us at a table after waiting over an hour with group after group being sat before us...and all that after having called ahead. Don't go.
(1)
Marianne G.
I was there for lunch on a Monday. The hush puppies and fish and chips were delicious. The cole slaw was also delicious. I was disappointed, however, that the dinner consisted almost entirely of fries. I was given literally 5 forkfuls of coleslaw. I ordered the 3 piece fish. The pieces were very small, maybe 6 oz. total weight. Essentially, very little of the good stuff and way overboard on the fries. The service was excellent. I'll probably just go to GB's on Colfax next time I have a craving for fish.
(3)
Paula D.
Love Joes Crab Shack. Fun atmosphere, good crab legs, and good service. Reasonable priced and, considering that we are in the middle of the country, the crab legs are prepared pretty well!
(3)
Jen M.
We arrived to a fairly empty restaurant ......however it took 23 minutes for us to get someone to locate our server so we could wait another 15 minutes for a margarita that cost $10.00 and tasted like NOTHING but water The food wasn't horrible or great. Mostly the service was stupid slow on a weeknight
(2)
Sandra L.
One word. "Horrible" the worst seafood if that's what you call it. It tasted like was taken out of a freezer then put in a microwave. I will never go there again. And the price was way too high for the quality of the food. I even got sick afterwards. Waitress was shocked when I refused a to go box. Why would I take this garbage home. Not even good enough for my dog. You can get better crab cakes from the freezer section at your local grocer.
(1)
LaShawn R.
After living on the East Coast for five years, there isn't much Denver has to offer by way of seafood that'll make you wanna holler in sheer delight. Joe's is adequate to suit my needs when the crab legs craving gets to be too much to bear. I don't get much else here, so I feel like I can't really give a thorough rating. Go with the Queen crab and you won't be sorry. These are larger and easier to crack open than the snow crab.
(3)
Erin M.
Food is great. Mixed drinks are huge. Wait staff was excellent. Parking isn't too bad for it being a shared parking lot.
(4)
Michael C.
Everything is good, I had to ask for a server. Also avoid the carrot cake.
(3)
Topher D.
Been here twice, both times it was very crowded, so it must be a decent place. Both times the food was good, but not great. The service was solid but not spectacular, and the "Moonshine" drinks sucked, but that's just my personal tastes. We got a lot of food for the price the first time (The Fisherman's Feast), but the crab buckets and steam pots were kinda small for the price. We will continue to come back, but this isn't the best place in the world. I don't think I'll be trying the buckets or the steam pots again, though.
(3)
Melissa B.
Very good! Arial was wonderful! Dancing an good music ! Top it off with good food - I am originally from the West Coast and this food was definitely comparable to that right next to the ocean! I also won a t-shirt in a raffle benefiting Autism research!
(5)
Susan R.
We went for oysters on the half shelf but they don't have them anymore so we had crab, clams, lobster, corn, sausage & potato steamed on Samuel Adams. The lobster had been previously frozen & tasted freezerburned & our waiter happily comped an extra crab cluster which was very salty. Staff friendly but food is just ok. Why oh why didn't I check the Yelp reviews beforehand?
(2)
Wade G.
We didn't actually get crab here but the food was decent and our hostess was extremely nice, in fact everyone was very friendly, but the food served bigger meals than we expected and I ended up taking half of my meal home.
(3)
Lux V.
I've already been here a few times, and it's always been the same. The food is nothing special. I'm not a big crab fan so I always try to get fish. The fish almost has no taste at all. The vegetables are junk. Now, the atmosphere is something different. It's loud, obnoxious, and again, loud. Some people might be okay with that, but if you have to lean over the table to talk, that's a little crazy. Overpriced, underserved, bad experience.
(1)
Rachelle W.
Very very very loud. I sat at the bar to eat. They need to get a new countertop, which looked like it would never appear to be clean again, and upgrade the stools. The food was fine. Calamari appetizer was a large portion with a good balance of rings and fewer tentacles. The batter used is very dry and I didn't care too much for the marinara. The mahi mahi: the fish itself was good sized, and only a tiny bit over cooked I would come back for it but I would ask for a modification as I didn't like the mango pico or sauce it was cooked and served with. It would be super with a more traditional lemon caper garlic butter. The off menu pineapple upside down cake was great. A little dryer than home made but it's three layers and huge! Ask for some whipped cream on it. Oh. And the manager, who was serving food at times, needs to stop rubbing behind and inside his ears. That's gross. And did I mention it's loud?
(3)
Elischa S.
Joe's Crab Shack is not by any means the best place for seafood, but it's pretty good for being in a landlocked state. I think the food is more than decent, and I would go as far to say it's pretty tasty. I personally think that Joe's Crab Shack is the best place to work. 1. They get to dance at work. I love dancing. 2. They play songs that remind of great times as I was growing up. 3. Crab legs is my favorite thing to eat in this world, so I can't go wrong here. The service is usually very friendly, and upbeat, which I appreciate because I'm a talker and it's easy to have entertaining conversations with the staff.
(4)
Max S.
First, the food is not that good. I.e., The cracked crab is alright, but nothing to come back for.* Also I believe the veggies are microwaved. Last, the calamari is horrible - it looks like onion rings! Next, the atmosphere is horrendous. It feels like you are in a bad chain restaurant dream, with obnoxious servers dancing around the tables and asking you if you want calamari or popcorn shrimp every five seconds. It really makes you want to leave. Last, the prices are not too bad. A crab is about $20-25 (thus two stars instead of one). * I am unaware of any other restaurants in Colorado that serve whole steamed cracked crabs. If anyone knows a place, please let me know. Thanks.
(2)
Tatyana G.
Never! Do you hear me? Never let your teenager pick where we will eat on his birthday! My son turned 19 on Thursday and asked us to go to "crabby" place. We were there a year ago and hated. Nothing changed. For four of us we ordered 2 appetizers to share and 4 different entrees. They brought out entrees within 10-15 minutes and then appetizers. When I asked if this is something new they offered me to take our dinners back and reheat them when we are ready. WTF? Oh, and they gave us only 3 sets of silverware. I also don't really like someone (servers) wiggling their butt in front of my face. They can dance in some open area. Food was probably Ok, but I was irritated already and could not enjoy. Good bye, Joe! It was our last visit.
(1)
Christina M.
I don't know why everyone is giving this bad reviews! Shrimp? Good! Crabcakes? Good! Even the atmosphere was fun!
(4)
Kim S.
I was really disappointed with Joe's. After hearing great things from people I know, my hubby and I decided to see what all the hubbub was about. Sadly, Joe's fell flat. We waited a good 15 minutes to be seated, when there wasn't much of a crowd to begin with, and while our server was ok, she certainly didn't go out of her way to "wow" us. We decided to split the double dip and a bucket of snow crab. I'm usually nuts over spinach dip, but this one was extremely salty, and had an odd rubbery texture, almost like it had been sitting out for awhile and then microwaved when we ordered it. The crab dip was equally as unimpressive. We really hoped that the bucket of crab would be the star of the show (considering this is Joe's CRAB shack), but sadly, we were doomed to disappointment. The crab was soft, and extremely difficult to crack (a good sign that it's either way over-cooked, or that it's been sitting out.), and when we looked for our server to see if we could get a fresher bucket, she was nowhere to be found. The prices were extremely high for such a mediocre meal. Top the night off with the fact that we both felt a little sick going to bed, and I would say that Joe's has officially flopped. Needless to say, we probably won't be returning. If you are looking for a really good seafood meal, head down to Landry's just off of I-225. The prices are comparable, and the food is infinitely better.
(1)
matthew b.
OK this whole chain needs to be burned to the ground. The food is bland and grossly over priced! And that's the good news! On the bad side YES they will make your children cry on their birthdays! I saw them put a cream pie in front of a child, tell him there was a prize at the bottom of it, pressured him into rooting for it with his face, hands behind his back. And here is the kicker Laughed at him when he discovered there was no prize at all and he was the butt of the joke...on his birthday! And to top it off when the kid started crying they burst into song and dance to cover it up! WTF??? Who payes to be treated like that? Not me not ever again.
(1)
Robert H.
OK, I admit I never get the crab here, or any of their "steampots." I just want halfway decent fish and shrimp without spending an arm and a leg. In that regard, Joe's does just fine for me, I often get the coconut shrimp, or the fried or broiled seafood platters. I've always enjoyed the food. I do HATE the atmosphere. I'd go more often if it wasn't so loud and obnoxious. Disco died in 1979, please stop playing it! Many of the reviews mention service problems; I've never had bad service here, just a couple minor slip-ups that were promptly fixed.
(3)
Connie W.
Standard Joe's Crab Shack. Prices are high but no one else does their BBQ crabs in a similar way. BBQ can be a hit or miss too - some days, it is VERY salty.
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 : Touristy Noise Level : Very Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Kimberli R.
Oysters on the half shell (finally) and they are huge.......
(5)Ellen L.
The drinks are either too strong or too watered down, but the fish and chips were tasty.
(3)Steve W.
Ill give two stars because I actually finished my food and didn't have any complications the next day (if you know what I mean). Went here for a birthday gathering - I would never set foot in this place if it wasn't for that. Aesthetically, its very unappealing. One friend liked the crab (bay style) as it reminded her of the east coast. Can't comment as I had the crawfish steam pot and the crab nachos. Plus I'm from the West. The food was over priced and bland - enough said.
(2)Darin H.
I had just flown in from Honolulu, and my family took my here as a 'welcome home' kind of celebration. I should have driven back to DIA and got more food off of the airplane. One word: s***hole. Save your money and go buy some crabs and steam them yourself. Or go and get strung out on imitation crab meat if you really, really need to satisfy that urge. Anything is better than this place. It really is like a crappy Disney movie from hell. And if fact, a lot of the experience made me think of the movie "Waiting." Even including where the kitchen staff adds some of their own 'edits' to the menu. I'm not sure how you can mess up seafood this bad, but these guys have managed to do it.
(1)Amanda A.
After waiting almost 15 minutes for a server to even come up and introduce themselves and get us some drinks we had already decided on our meal choices. The server that finally came up was super nice and very helpful, felt bad for realizing our actual server had never came, he was quick and attentive. However again the wait began, we sat at the table for a good 30 minutes before our two crab pots came out, only to realize they had brought the wrong flavoring. We were famished by this time and they said they would quickly fix the order so it was correct. Again we had a nice little wait, luckily I didnt die of starvation ;-) To cap it all off and why I am giving 4 Stars is due to the fact that #1 the food was super delicious and tasty, #2 the manager on duty was excellent, he completely comped my crab pot ($27.00) for their mistake! I can appreciate any establishment that owns their mistake and tries to amend it!! We also went during one of their fundraisers and were given the opportunity to donate and in return we could receive either a free kids meal (donate a $1), appetizer (donate $5) or crab pot (donate $10). Very good idea and we will be back in May to cash in our free crab pot. Thanks Joe's, we'll be back!!
(4)Suzanne D.
Overpriced and disappointing. Great atmosphere.
(2)Lindsay A.
I love my crab legs but this place is a joke. Everything is SO expensive and it's just another crappy chain with crappy chain gimmicks. I am one of those people who takes things for what they are, so I knew this going into it but everything was just awful. Our server would not leave us alone. I like servers that are on top of it, but let us eat our food without hovering and asking us mid-bite if we need anything else. We didn't need anything literally a minute ago, I think we are still ok. I found the same quality snow crab legs at King Soopers for $6.99/lb and was able to pretty much make it taste the same, without the $70 bill. Probably wont be going back.
(2)Mora L.
7/27/13 I'd like to start out by saying it was "iffy" at first. The computers went down, drinks were slow and wait staff in a panic. Manager tried to get things back on track, but needed to help. He snapped at the bartender (in front of bar) as she was trying to keep up and get out drinks to main dining room, while had little to no help at bar. A lady next to us, waved him down and asked for a drink, and he snapped at the waitress in the middle of a shark bite drink, and STOOD there. Really? In any case, once we left the bar, and the computers got online, the night went great. Food amazing, much better than the one that was in Parker. Server did a very nice job. As I said the manager was not the most impressive person, but the staff did their jobs. Food was good, we'll go back. :)
(4)John R.
It is hard to review a place like Joe's Crab Shack. We are so far inland that your expectations for fresh seafood can't be that high. Also due to that, there really aren't that many competitors. Even so, we do get a craving for seafood and this is one of the places we usually consider. My favorite part about the place is the food. Unfortunately, I would only describe it as average. I like the fish and chips or getting one of the buckets of crab legs and lobster tails. The food isn't bad, it is just not the best I've ever had. This location has a playground for the kids, so that is a plus. The thing that annoys me about this place is the atmosphere. They can hardly go 5 minutes without someone getting on a microphone and yelling about something. I understand the singing happy birthday to someone, but it is such a production here. Plus it is not limited to just birthdays. It seems like if it is quiet for too long they feel compelled to get up and be annoying. This is not limited to this location. The service is actually pretty quick. The prices seem high for what you get, but not terribly so. I know we'll eat here again when we are mentally prepared for the noise.
(3)Christine G.
A single visit was quite enough for me, thank you. The food here was not good, and a few hours after eating it, my gut agreed with me wholeheartedly. I almost couldn't make it to a toilet in time. I'm always hesitant to ascribe food poisoning to a particular restaurant, but given my other eating habits that day, I'm 99% certain that my explosive diarrhea was thanks to good ole Joe and his crabs. Never. Again.
(1)F U.
Food was good.. our waitress gabby was all over it.. we did the conga line lol.now the bad.. hmmm there isn't any lol Okay the bad I should have got 2 pieces of that delicious key lime pie
(3)Jennifer T.
Why oh why do I yelp if I don't listen to other reviewers? I thought, it can't be that bad. Perhaps a few people just had a bad experience. Nope. We shared the great balls of fire appetizer which was eh. And I would probably like a shoelace if it was battered, fried and dipped in ranch dressing. Then we shared one of their steampots with crab, shrimp, corn and potatos. I thought the crab was fine. My tummy later disagreed with me but I think it was only because everything was drenched in oil. I should have known by the lack of people in the restaurant but I always feel bad walking in and then right back out. So thanks to yelp save yourself from that awkward moment.
(1)Chef To The Stars O.
Friendly service. . Shared 3 different meals between the two of us. I really enjoyed the apps. . Hoping next time they don't run out of garlic bread ..
(3)Anastasia S.
First of many visits. Delicious Cajun steam pot! Mmm that butta! Not enough crab for a large appetite. Sampler appetizer, not so good. Great Balls of Fire, spicy n cream, I would order this again. Good service, casual atmosphere. Jungle gym for the kids, large patio area, we will definitely be back w the kids. How they get more stars: -Larger portions for the same price. -Appetizers that are fried in clean oil, they tasted like the oil was old n dirty. :( -Not putting the clean napkins in the trash bucket. -Making sure trash is cleaned under the table before a new party sits down. But still, yummy. We will b back.
(3)Kate H.
I've been to this location before on another trip to Aurora, it was much better. This time, our waiter was inattentive and spent most of his time chatting with the customer and an adjacent table. When our food finally came to the table, we noticed that a few things were missing from the plates and by the time we finally got the attention of our waiter to correct it, we were a little frustrated. The only positive comment I can make it that my cocktail was pretty good.
(1)D. R. S.
Joe's Crab Shack in Aurora is exactly what we expect of a Joe's Crab Shack. The music is a little too loud; the floor show (dance routine to Car Wash) was a little cheesy (& needs a new song), but the food (we shared the Ragin' Cajun steam pot) was good (not great if you're used to fresh seafood from either coast -- but this is fly over country). The wait staff for an early dinner (5:25p) was attentive. We got exactly what we expected and will be stopping in again some time in the near future.
(4)Jason A.
5 stars for today mostly due to our server Amanda. She rocks at what she does. Always a smile on her face and she kept checking on us throughout our meal keeping our drinks topped off. Perfect service. We'll be back and hopefully her area has an open table. Oh and the food was good too.
(5)Scott M.
Joe's Crab Shack is very confused. It doesn't know whether it wants to cater to kids or adults, and it does a poor job of both. Just judging by the name, you would expect Joe's Crab Shack to be a casual place that serves primarily seafood, and to that extent you would be correct. However, you might not expect the party atmosphere and kid's playground. These are not bad things in and of themselves, but they are executed poorly. The kid's playground is outside, which raises two problems: 1. If your kids want to use the playground, you are forced to go outside and supervise. That is, unless you are comfortable with your kids running around in a fenced-off area of parking lot by themselves. 2. The kids are constantly running in and out of a side-door to and from the play area. This makes for a very cold dining experience if you happen to be seated in this area of the restaurant during the colder months of the year. The party atmosphere: something you probably would not expect from a seafood restaurant. If you are looking for a quiet meal, you will not get it here. There are party lights strung throughout the dining area and fairly loud music playing throughout the restaurant. This can make it difficult at times to actually carry on a conversation. Inexplicably, at one point the entire wait staff gathered in the middle of the room and did a choreographed dance to "Carwash". The food: You may expect a restaurant review to focus on the food, but this particular restaurant doesn't seem to make its food the focus. All in all the food is not bad. In a nut shell, Joe's Crab Shack provides decent seafood and an odd dining experience. I probably won't be going back any time soon.
(2)Brian H.
Had the lunch fish and chips. More batter than fish. Service was ok but nothing special. Building needs major reconstruction. Won't be heading back to this Joes anytime soon.
(2)Lori S.
Late review but...we had reservations for our party of eight on Saturday 10/11 and nothing but the best reviews of how we were treated. It started with the reservation..my husband made the reservation for my birthday.He was asked questions about the reservation; dietary concerns, if we had been there before, and anything they could do to make the dinner more special...then we arrived and had THE BEST waiter named Mark. He was fantastic and our drinks never ran dry and our orders were fast and all the crab pots were delicious! Mark helped my birthday become the best one I have had in a long time!!! Everyone in the party had a great time and all were extremely happy with our service. THANK YOU!!! Mark deserves a raise!!! :)
(5)Jonathan D.
It's Joe's Crab Shack. Big chain seafood so don't expect much in terms of quality or flavor. This particular location has average to below average service plus it is in Aurora My biggest issue with this place is that it is very expensive for what you get. Our lunch was almost $60 for 3 of us. The atmosphere is great for kids otherwise I would have given it 1 star.
(2)Karen M.
Aaarrggghhh. I guess I have just grown out of these sorts of restaurants, with blaring music, tables seated waaay too close together (so the toddlers at the next table keep jolting you as they scooch out of their chairs, run around the table, and then move the chair back out so they can jump back UP into their chairs and then the baby at the table starts screaming) and subpar food. The glaring anomaly at this restaurant? An amazing - and I mean amazing- server, Kiley. She was one of the best servers I've encountered in a long time, really taking the time to connect with us at the table and going out of her way to serve us. BUT...I am so sorry to say this to Kiley, your amazing-ness can't compensate for the subpar food and fast-casual chain atmosphere. Here's what we ordered: I got a bucket of Queen crab legs - steamed, straight-up, with plain butter. Ms. R ordered the crabcake dinner and Mommykins ordered crab fettucine alfredo. Here's my take on it. Like so many other chain restaurants, Joe's tries to do too much. As a result: fail. The alfredo was dry; the crab cakes mediocre. The one thing that I think was decent was my crab legs. They were cooked properly which is a big deal - too much and the crab won't come out; too little and, well, it's sushi. This is a particular kind of atmosphere and "dining experience" that's destined for a certain proportion of the population. I am not in that demographic. For a hundred bucks, I could have gotten so much more...I don't mean to sound old-fogey, Joe's, but even the hippest of us hipsters want to be able to hear ourselves talk to our dining companions, or, at the very least, our servers.
(2)Jt B.
Has been years since we have been to Joe's but have enjoyed it in the past. Was surprised to see the E-470 location had closed several years ago. After this experience, I am no longer surprised. For starters we had to wait for a table about 30 minutes longer than we should have, as the hostess had skipped over our name. The manager was rude about and tried to blame us for just not hearing our name called. Food was highly overpriced for the mediocre quality. Waitress was actually pretty good but I am fairly certain her or the manager stole my credit card data for use in Oregon the next day, resulting in me having to file fraud report and get new cards. We will see what the investigation turns up. Would not ever think of returning to this location.
(1)Ashley P.
I've eaten at many crab shacks over the years. Joe's is always reliable. We always stop on our way through Denver because we know we will leave happy. This is not the best seafood you're ever going to have, but they do know what they're doing. I have had just about every steampot they make and I'm always happy. It's simple seafood, done right. They have good drinks, appetizers, and desserts too. I've never had a complaint and our visit this Memorial Day weekend was no different. It can be a loud place, so definitely not the kind of place to try and have a private conversation.
(3)Tarena Z.
The server was awesome and friendly. It was really nice to have the manager come out to check on us and refill our water. That was a nice touch. The food was ......OK. The Orleans steam pot was enjoyable.....the corn was a tad salty. The bathrooms.....FREEZING!
(3)Greg B.
Good food. Good service. Funky atmosphere. The Ragin Cajun Pot is a definite must try if you like a little kick with your seafood. I always enjoy eating at a seafood restaurant that doesn't have a fishy smell permeating the room. Nice open floor plan, great lighting and this location has a play area for children complete with a slide and monkey bars.
(3)Mean Guy I.
Campy, loud and mediocre at best. Small portions, pricy for what you get... There's a reason they keep closing their restaurant doors one by one. When they first opened there was a waiting list three hours long... Now you could not pay me to go back. Rude wait staff, poor food and over priced.... Whatever happened to sea galley anyway ?
(1)Sara N.
My wife and I have been to this location many times and everyone has been awesome. The bartender that we normally have during the weekdays Sonja saw us once and we had not been back for a year. When we returned we sat in her section again and remembered us like we where just there the week before! Very friendly and very attentive! Last night we took the whole family out and our waiter was Max. He was awesome and very attentive. Made sure that we had everything that we needed and was awesome with our kids. One of our kids turned to him and said that he was the most awesome waiter ever! And Max told him thank you buddy you just made my night! Come to find out he had a very rude table before us but he didn't let that stop him from being awesome to us. Thank you Sonja and Max for always giving us great service while we are at Joe's
(5)Alice G.
I enjoyed Joe's crabshack. There, I said it. I know - shocker- this is a big chain in the suburbs... But it was so just fun! Yes, there were a couple of misses too, but in general I was quite amused and enjoyed my experience thoroughly. Here's how it rolled: The Fam took me for a birthday dinner because apparently they quite embarrass their birthday patrons. Once I realized what was going on, I put a stop to that and did not run around on a stick-horse whooping like a cow girl when they sang happy birthday -did not happen. Sorry Fam. First the good: Inside, they have sharks hanging from the ceiling! Sharks! How fun is that? Plus, if you have kids they have a playground, a playground! How fun is that? We sat on the patio, which is covered and has really comfortable furniture. It was quite pleasant on a mid August day. The music was loud and fun. The drink menu is spectacular. And, this is where I really want to give this place 4 stars: they had amazing tiki drinks where you get to keep the glass! I had two Mai Tais and got to keep the coolest glass ever. This was fun. Our food, carefully prepared somewhere else and frozen, and plunged into boiling water and seasoned there in the kitchen, was healthy and quite good. We all enjoyed little steam pots of various crab, shrimp, sausage and other seafood combined with potatoes and corn. It was actually quite a healthy low cal meal. The combo was quite delicious, though the textures of the seafood were a bit mealy just because it had been frozen, but that is forgivable. If you've ever purchased and tried to prepare your own frozen snowcrab you know what you're going to get here. We did not need added butter and the flavors were excellent: We tried the Ragin' Cajun and the classic steam pot and the peel and eat shrimp. The shrimp was high quality. For dessert, we tried the apple crisp and the Key Lime pie. I would not even bother with the key lime pie: It was not good, but the portion was gigantic. The apple crisp was served hot with ice cream with big slices of apple in it , and was quite lovely. All in all, Joe's crabshack is a very carefully well-planned restaurant chain. It is appealing to kids and families, it's casual with fun drinks and music and the food really wasn't that bad at all for a chain. For this particular restaurant, the restrooms were kind of gross and our server was completely clueless. No bibs were offered to us, we had to ask repeatedly for silverware and crab crackers, we didn't get water refills, and she did not know much about the menu. But that's going to be typical for a chain restaurant. All in all, I would go back to sit on the patio, have one of those fun Tiki drinks and a steamed crab pot. If I were in the neighborhood.
(4)Sara V.
Place is kind of overpriced kind of shitty I rather just buy and cook it myself for that price piece of shit
(1)Denise R.
Always a good time love eating here. . Lots of seafood which is my favorite love the crab pots several to choose from..
(4)Danielle B.
If I could give this less than one star, I would. The staff has no clue. Our waitress poured a whole soda on my lap and purse, and then apologized as she wiped the floor with paper towels and then thought it was a great idea to put them in the bucket in the middle of our table as they passed over the top of the other drinks on the table. Disgusting!!!! As compensation she apologized and didn't charge us for our nonalcoholic drinks. Wow, thanks. We constantly had to ask for refills on our drinks. And the Mahi I ordered barely came out warm. To say this place is unnecessarily loud is an understatement. The songs and antics are ridiculously cheezy and irritating. The high side, the Ragin Cajun bucket was salty but delicious.
(1)Nightowl O.
Love this place, the best crab I've had in Denver !!
(5)Hugh J.
Now, I've been called "crabby" before, (Haha, get it?) but I must say this was fairly good! However, as my ex-wife Angela tells me, I am a scrawny-armed "weenie" of a man, so I had a hard time opening my crab legs. Luckily for me, my mother took me to dinner and she has the strength of a thousand men, so she cracked those crab legs right open with her bare hands! I enjoyed the potatoes, and the corn was alright. My server was nice, but he laughed at the sight of my crab bib, which seems a little ridiculous because he and mother insisted I wear it. So, despite my lack of upper, lower, and all around strength, and the bib, I was pleasantly delighted with the food! Definitely will come back. (Maybe after a little weight lifting...)
(3)Max G.
We enjoyed our meal at Joe's. My family had everything from Dungeness crab to crab cakes to salmon to shrimp. All were well prepared. For dessert, we enjoyed the s'mores and the key lime pie. The staff was very friendly and efficient. I wish they had more non-Budweiser beers on draught. A fun restaurant, with good food and service. We would go back.
(4)Sarah H.
Came back again for the garlic crab n fries. The price went up from $14.99 to $20, but the staff was very accomodating with my special order (steamed crab w/ side of garlic butter, extra garlic aioli), so that was well worth the price increase in my estimation. Also, the snow crab was cooked right this time! Came out hot, didn't fall apart. AWESOME. Way to go, Joe, you've made a fan out of me.
(4)Dustin F.
Ahhhh....Joe's, how I wish you weren't SO cheesy. The wife and I were hankering for some shell fish and wanted to load up . . . there is no better place around to get your seafood indulgences cured, than Joe's. They have an amazing assortment of shrimp, crawfish, lobsters, crab, etc. I always order one of the crab bakes - comes with multitudes of crab, clams, lobsters, shrimp, sausage, corn, etc. The best part is the price - can't beat it for the quantity. Unfortunately, that's where the fun ends - this place is everything you hate about gimmicky restaurants. The waitstaff introduces themselves with some really terrible one-liner (and then repeats it to every table around you - at least have a few 'go-to's'!); the stop the restaurant and sing songs, like the Love Shack; and they do crazy things if you order one of their specialty cocktails. Unless we are there with a group, which is almost never, we try and sneak our way to the bar, get the shellfish we are craving, have a few beers, and get the he** out of dodge. I will never warm up to the cheesiness, but I do love the food.
(4)Russ D.
What was I thinking? I have ordered crab legs several times in lieu of my Alaska visits. And it's just not right. Seafood in Colorado? We's a landlocked mountainous people. There ain't no oceans 'round he'ah! There ain't no decent fruit of the sea 'round he'ah! Fresh sea food in the high plains of middle America? Bah! It's a delicacy here. What was I thinking? I have patronized several "sea food" restaurants in the Denver metro area in the hopes of recreating that succulent, meaty and delicious full-bellied and satisfied feeling from my days of old. My days of the not so recent past. Fail! Epic fail! Why I thought I could find hearty and fresh crab legs in Colorado is beyond my comprehension. Dreams. Dreams! I dream of slathering melted butter on seafood goodness. Not anytime soon. Not around here with any degree of freshness and quality. At Joe's Crab Shack in Aurora, I find watery, rubbery, practically meatless offerings befit paupers not a King such as I. I do not want to fight, with the appropriate seafood cracking tools, those prickly crab legs for multiple minutes only to find scrapings of so-called meat as my reward. I look ridiculous as I suck on the hollow crab legs trying to glean whatever nutritional value I can from absolutely nothing! Exorbitant prices for nil! Nix! Nothing! Zero! Bah! One of the disadvantages of living in the Rocky Mountain region is lack of tasty sea food. It's the price we pay for the glorious scenery I suppose. Avoid Joe's Crab Shack. You'll be glad you did.
(1)S B.
Worst food ever. Also, don't bring your kids here, or anyone who cares about women's rights. Apparently, JCS has a policy regarding birthdays wherein they make birthday woman/man do something humiliating. While this isn't generally my taste, I was particularly angered by the method of humiliation used on the female. The birthday man was made to flap to-go containers with a paper cup in his mouth simulating a chicken while the staff sang happy birthday. However, the birthday woman (who had just turned 18) was told to stand on a platform with her rear end facing us shaking her butt while spelling her name with her hips. This was exceptionally degrading and stripper-esque. What am I as a consumer to think of JCS's views on women? Why was the woman humiliated in a sexual manner, when the man was not? I am very disappointed and angered by my experience at JCS for their horrible, anti-woman values. Also, the food was exceptionally bad.
(1)Kelly B.
My family members love this place for the most part. I do not eat any form of seafood, so it is a bit difficult to review. I understand that this place is centered around seafood but it would be nice if there were at least 1-2 more non-seafood options on the menu. Normally, when we have gone, its been great. I always order their bacon burger because, well, that's about the only thing that's not seafood (and not an overpriced steak). The last time we went it was really crowded. My bacon burger was still pink inside, though I asked for it to be well-done and...it was missing the bacon! I didn't complain and just ate it anyway. It wasn't bad, just not the same (how can you forget bacon?!). My husband and mother-in-law both said that the rice that came with the dish that they ordered was awful. They said it tasted horrible and even smelled bad. My husband told the waiter and he said that maybe it was "just a bad batch because normally it is okay." My kids both ordered something called Captain's Catch from the children's menu. I was impressed with the amount of food they were given for the price. It was filled with fish, popcorn shrimp and french fries. The atmosphere is really fun, lots of music, dancing and even a small playground to entertain the kids. I've never really had a bad experience here, but when it is really busy, things just seem a little off which I suppose I can understand. Overall, it's a fun place to eat and hang out, especially on a nice day when you can sit on the patio and let your kids play at the playground.
(3)Gabe F.
Seated next to a door that was opened constantly. Seated directly under a loud ass speaker.Our server was cute but slow and unattentive.And like many of my ex-girlfriendsI tipped her way too much for what she actually did. The crab pot was ok but truthfully I will never go to this place again. The only good thing about the night was my two friends company I was with. Joe's crap shack.
(2)Lynn B.
We used to love Joes, but came here some 4 yr ago and the food was awful and the wait staff....wait....where are they? Decided yesterday to give them one more try and had the blackened Mahi sandwich, wife had the surf and turf sandwich. Both were really good and Mike the waiter was friendly and on the spot. And the manager came by to see if everything was alright. That's what restaurant mgrs should do with the customers. But, after reading the prior reviews, we must have had the right sandwich on the right day, and it appears Joe's really hasn't changed since the New CEO changed everything some 4-5 yrs ago. Too bad as it used to be reasonably priced and very FUN for the kids.
(3)Robin M.
Poor customer service. We ended up leaving before they sat us at a table after waiting over an hour with group after group being sat before us...and all that after having called ahead. Don't go.
(1)Marianne G.
I was there for lunch on a Monday. The hush puppies and fish and chips were delicious. The cole slaw was also delicious. I was disappointed, however, that the dinner consisted almost entirely of fries. I was given literally 5 forkfuls of coleslaw. I ordered the 3 piece fish. The pieces were very small, maybe 6 oz. total weight. Essentially, very little of the good stuff and way overboard on the fries. The service was excellent. I'll probably just go to GB's on Colfax next time I have a craving for fish.
(3)Paula D.
Love Joes Crab Shack. Fun atmosphere, good crab legs, and good service. Reasonable priced and, considering that we are in the middle of the country, the crab legs are prepared pretty well!
(3)Jen M.
We arrived to a fairly empty restaurant ......however it took 23 minutes for us to get someone to locate our server so we could wait another 15 minutes for a margarita that cost $10.00 and tasted like NOTHING but water The food wasn't horrible or great. Mostly the service was stupid slow on a weeknight
(2)Sandra L.
One word. "Horrible" the worst seafood if that's what you call it. It tasted like was taken out of a freezer then put in a microwave. I will never go there again. And the price was way too high for the quality of the food. I even got sick afterwards. Waitress was shocked when I refused a to go box. Why would I take this garbage home. Not even good enough for my dog. You can get better crab cakes from the freezer section at your local grocer.
(1)LaShawn R.
After living on the East Coast for five years, there isn't much Denver has to offer by way of seafood that'll make you wanna holler in sheer delight. Joe's is adequate to suit my needs when the crab legs craving gets to be too much to bear. I don't get much else here, so I feel like I can't really give a thorough rating. Go with the Queen crab and you won't be sorry. These are larger and easier to crack open than the snow crab.
(3)Erin M.
Food is great. Mixed drinks are huge. Wait staff was excellent. Parking isn't too bad for it being a shared parking lot.
(4)Michael C.
Everything is good, I had to ask for a server. Also avoid the carrot cake.
(3)Topher D.
Been here twice, both times it was very crowded, so it must be a decent place. Both times the food was good, but not great. The service was solid but not spectacular, and the "Moonshine" drinks sucked, but that's just my personal tastes. We got a lot of food for the price the first time (The Fisherman's Feast), but the crab buckets and steam pots were kinda small for the price. We will continue to come back, but this isn't the best place in the world. I don't think I'll be trying the buckets or the steam pots again, though.
(3)Melissa B.
Very good! Arial was wonderful! Dancing an good music ! Top it off with good food - I am originally from the West Coast and this food was definitely comparable to that right next to the ocean! I also won a t-shirt in a raffle benefiting Autism research!
(5)Susan R.
We went for oysters on the half shelf but they don't have them anymore so we had crab, clams, lobster, corn, sausage & potato steamed on Samuel Adams. The lobster had been previously frozen & tasted freezerburned & our waiter happily comped an extra crab cluster which was very salty. Staff friendly but food is just ok. Why oh why didn't I check the Yelp reviews beforehand?
(2)Wade G.
We didn't actually get crab here but the food was decent and our hostess was extremely nice, in fact everyone was very friendly, but the food served bigger meals than we expected and I ended up taking half of my meal home.
(3)Lux V.
I've already been here a few times, and it's always been the same. The food is nothing special. I'm not a big crab fan so I always try to get fish. The fish almost has no taste at all. The vegetables are junk. Now, the atmosphere is something different. It's loud, obnoxious, and again, loud. Some people might be okay with that, but if you have to lean over the table to talk, that's a little crazy. Overpriced, underserved, bad experience.
(1)Rachelle W.
Very very very loud. I sat at the bar to eat. They need to get a new countertop, which looked like it would never appear to be clean again, and upgrade the stools. The food was fine. Calamari appetizer was a large portion with a good balance of rings and fewer tentacles. The batter used is very dry and I didn't care too much for the marinara. The mahi mahi: the fish itself was good sized, and only a tiny bit over cooked I would come back for it but I would ask for a modification as I didn't like the mango pico or sauce it was cooked and served with. It would be super with a more traditional lemon caper garlic butter. The off menu pineapple upside down cake was great. A little dryer than home made but it's three layers and huge! Ask for some whipped cream on it. Oh. And the manager, who was serving food at times, needs to stop rubbing behind and inside his ears. That's gross. And did I mention it's loud?
(3)Elischa S.
Joe's Crab Shack is not by any means the best place for seafood, but it's pretty good for being in a landlocked state. I think the food is more than decent, and I would go as far to say it's pretty tasty. I personally think that Joe's Crab Shack is the best place to work. 1. They get to dance at work. I love dancing. 2. They play songs that remind of great times as I was growing up. 3. Crab legs is my favorite thing to eat in this world, so I can't go wrong here. The service is usually very friendly, and upbeat, which I appreciate because I'm a talker and it's easy to have entertaining conversations with the staff.
(4)Max S.
First, the food is not that good. I.e., The cracked crab is alright, but nothing to come back for.* Also I believe the veggies are microwaved. Last, the calamari is horrible - it looks like onion rings! Next, the atmosphere is horrendous. It feels like you are in a bad chain restaurant dream, with obnoxious servers dancing around the tables and asking you if you want calamari or popcorn shrimp every five seconds. It really makes you want to leave. Last, the prices are not too bad. A crab is about $20-25 (thus two stars instead of one). * I am unaware of any other restaurants in Colorado that serve whole steamed cracked crabs. If anyone knows a place, please let me know. Thanks.
(2)Tatyana G.
Never! Do you hear me? Never let your teenager pick where we will eat on his birthday! My son turned 19 on Thursday and asked us to go to "crabby" place. We were there a year ago and hated. Nothing changed. For four of us we ordered 2 appetizers to share and 4 different entrees. They brought out entrees within 10-15 minutes and then appetizers. When I asked if this is something new they offered me to take our dinners back and reheat them when we are ready. WTF? Oh, and they gave us only 3 sets of silverware. I also don't really like someone (servers) wiggling their butt in front of my face. They can dance in some open area. Food was probably Ok, but I was irritated already and could not enjoy. Good bye, Joe! It was our last visit.
(1)Christina M.
I don't know why everyone is giving this bad reviews! Shrimp? Good! Crabcakes? Good! Even the atmosphere was fun!
(4)Kim S.
I was really disappointed with Joe's. After hearing great things from people I know, my hubby and I decided to see what all the hubbub was about. Sadly, Joe's fell flat. We waited a good 15 minutes to be seated, when there wasn't much of a crowd to begin with, and while our server was ok, she certainly didn't go out of her way to "wow" us. We decided to split the double dip and a bucket of snow crab. I'm usually nuts over spinach dip, but this one was extremely salty, and had an odd rubbery texture, almost like it had been sitting out for awhile and then microwaved when we ordered it. The crab dip was equally as unimpressive. We really hoped that the bucket of crab would be the star of the show (considering this is Joe's CRAB shack), but sadly, we were doomed to disappointment. The crab was soft, and extremely difficult to crack (a good sign that it's either way over-cooked, or that it's been sitting out.), and when we looked for our server to see if we could get a fresher bucket, she was nowhere to be found. The prices were extremely high for such a mediocre meal. Top the night off with the fact that we both felt a little sick going to bed, and I would say that Joe's has officially flopped. Needless to say, we probably won't be returning. If you are looking for a really good seafood meal, head down to Landry's just off of I-225. The prices are comparable, and the food is infinitely better.
(1)matthew b.
OK this whole chain needs to be burned to the ground. The food is bland and grossly over priced! And that's the good news! On the bad side YES they will make your children cry on their birthdays! I saw them put a cream pie in front of a child, tell him there was a prize at the bottom of it, pressured him into rooting for it with his face, hands behind his back. And here is the kicker Laughed at him when he discovered there was no prize at all and he was the butt of the joke...on his birthday! And to top it off when the kid started crying they burst into song and dance to cover it up! WTF??? Who payes to be treated like that? Not me not ever again.
(1)Robert H.
OK, I admit I never get the crab here, or any of their "steampots." I just want halfway decent fish and shrimp without spending an arm and a leg. In that regard, Joe's does just fine for me, I often get the coconut shrimp, or the fried or broiled seafood platters. I've always enjoyed the food. I do HATE the atmosphere. I'd go more often if it wasn't so loud and obnoxious. Disco died in 1979, please stop playing it! Many of the reviews mention service problems; I've never had bad service here, just a couple minor slip-ups that were promptly fixed.
(3)Connie W.
Standard Joe's Crab Shack. Prices are high but no one else does their BBQ crabs in a similar way. BBQ can be a hit or miss too - some days, it is VERY salty.
(3)