Ok, I could rate the food as very good but other things lowered my number. My wife and I ordered shrimp dishes and we both agreed they were fresh, tasty and served hot. We moved here from Florida so we know good shrimp. On the other hand, they didn't give us the hush puppies listed on the menu or my wife's cole slaw. She got her cole slaw but they hadn't prepared the hush puppies so they didn't bother to tell us or substitute. I can see possibly forgetting the slaw but if you make a dish more than a couple of times, seems like you would know it was missing. On the other hand, we came in after 12 noon, and didn't get our missing hush puppies until we were ready to leave just after 1. Duh, even if you had to make them from scratch which you know a chain wouldn't, it doesn't take almost an hour to make hush puppies. The other thing is the waiter knew they weren't there and he didn't volunteer that they were missing or offer to substitute. So food was good when we got it all but you judge the rest. One other thing, background music was waaay loud as were the waiters laughing and talking on the sidelines. We had to scoot real close to hear each other.
(2)
Sharon J.
Two stars just because the food was good. Other then that I you have two hours to wait for your food and wanna pay over 100.00 for bad service come eat here! More update to come when I get home!
(2)
Kelie H.
I don't like to "do" chain restaurants, but I admit, we had a TON of fun at Joe's! We went as a family affair and were celebrating two birthdays in the group. To embarrass the snot out of them our waitress announced to the restaurant that their dreams were to be a rodeo star one day and produced two stick ponies and forced them to ride around the restaurant a we sang happy birthday. The video was priceless. The energy was fabulous and the servers got up and sang songs and danced every little bit. Me and my boyfriend shared a double order steampot and it was great. We had all 3 types of crab and some shrimp with potatoes, corn on the cob (which was to DIE for in that seasoning) and sausage. I was too stuffed for the sausage but I did take a little bite and it was good. We all had so much fun cracking away at our crab legs and laughing and carrying on. Great memories were made and fun was had by all.
(5)
Syra A.
The wait to be seated was long. It took another 20 minutes for us to be served our food. The food was alright. Definitely not worth the price. Overall, basic overpriced food.
(2)
Carl G.
I actually had a good time and would go back again, given the chance .... The good .... - plenty of parking, both collocated with the restaurant and directly across the street ... - open, airy, bright interior ... clean ..... plenty of seating at booths, and tables for 4 and groups ... - would recommend for a office small retirement or going away parties as they have sectioned rooms that could be used ..... - very friendly waiters and waitresses ... ours was very attentive and we were in want of nothing during the meal .... - the starter and entree plates were delivered quickly and with no mistakes ..... - pricing is a bit on the high end, but the serving size balances it out .... You'll probably be going home with a box or two .... - there is a full bar .... If you just feel like dropping in for a drink ... The not quite so good .... during this visit anyway .... - there is a lot of food on the menu ... too much even .... and as I was trying to decide what I wanted, it concerned me that Joes is a "jack of all trades, but master of none" ..... - my chowder arrived semi warm .... within a couple minutes it was basically at room temp .... albeit, it was pretty good clam chowder ... - music is a bit loud .... but when happy hour hits, it gets WAY TOO LOUD ... so much so that you will be shouting when talking to the person across the table from you .... - I found the food to be bland and flavorless .... and with nothing available to spice it up ..... We were in on a Saturday, late afternoon ... not crowded at all .... Want to embarrass someone in your party? ... tell your server that its the persons birthday ... a call to attention of the restaurant will occur, to be followed up with singing and dancing .... Dinner for three with a mixed drink and starters will set you back abt. $90.00, less tip .... again, not a bad outing ... given the choice, I would come here for a seafood meal vice Red Lobster .... Cheers ...
(4)
Montana W.
Pretty basic for this chain. We were seated quickly, our waitress was friendly, and although we were on a kid-free date night, it seemed like a very child-friendly place. The crab was delicious, the drinks were tasty, and it was a nice evening overall.
(4)
Zunaira K.
Worst place I've been to. We came here a few months ago for dinner and waited over an hour for our food. We thought it took so long because it was dinner time. We are here during lunch and have been here an hour already and still haven't seen our food. If u look around no one else has seen their food either. Instead of dancing every 20 mins they need to get on top of service first.
(1)
Frances L.
You go to Joe's when you want seafood but don' t want Red Lobster today. My son had a crab cake sandwich that came on a brioche bun, the bun was a little on the firm side. The sauce was decent. I had the classic steam pot with lobster( the lobster was dry because it was frozen ) shouldn't complain we are in Colorado. But the waiter was nice and attentive! He brought refills for my son without us asking. I like when waiters do that it doesn't cost them anything and they are sure to get a larger tip.
(3)
Justina R.
Overpriced in my opinion. Crab wasn't the best. Neither was their shrimp. Spices not quite right and somewhat greasy. Service wasn't all that great. Waitress never topped off our drinks unless we had to ask her after trying to flag her down. Don't really bother coming here unless you want to overspend for no good reason.
(1)
Vanessa J.
How utterly and completely disappointing. For what they charge for dinner here you would think that they have seafood preparation down to a science. I think they may have forgotten to season everything but the fries on my plate and the shrimp in my husband's steampot were so over-cooked they were literally mush. It was one of the most disgusting things I think I've ever seen at a seafood restaraunt. Definitely won't be coming back here.
(1)
Sean C.
What a blast. My kids love this place because they have somehow developed a taste for quality shrimp and crab legs! Thanks a lot ex-wife, lol. The environment is a lot of fun and the staff is a treat. Be sure not to wear anything too fancy because the boils can get very messy. I wouldn't recommend going on to a movie afterward either because you might smell a little fishy. Give this place a try and I am sure you will be pleased.
(5)
Jelle L.
Coming from East Coast (Boston) I was quite disappointed by the sea food, especially while frozen and not fresh. Unfortunately I just move to Denver area and was in need of good sea food. Ordered a Lobster and King Crab bucket. Vegetables (corn, potatoes) were overcooked and watery. Lobster again was frozen and meat was not great (plus the "spice" you can go for was probably just sprinkled on and not cooked in). Same for the Crab legs - nothing to return for. I had no idea it's a chain - but all the silly comic style stuff inside made me think of and later on learned it was a chain. Only buying my fish / sea food at fish market no more restaurant experience, otherwise I get to disappointed.
(1)
Tara W.
A family member really wanted to go but I wasn't in the mood for seafood. They told me they had other options so I settled on a steak while my dining companion got crab legs. There were no complaints about the crab legs and the steak was just ok. Not horrible but nothing great. I understand they are a seafood restaurant but they need to do the other things on the menu well also. The service was good.
(3)
Erika C.
Awesome staff. Very upbeat atmosphere. Good food. Try the shark bite
(4)
Hans T.
Colorado is a land-locked state. So why's it seem like SoCO has more seafood restaurants than any city on the Texas Gulf Coast? I don't get it. It seemed as we drove around Colorado Springs that it was at least every 4th or 5th restaurant was a seafood place - and not one of them was a Red Lobster! We decided on Joe's Crab Shack, a staple of any big city along any US coastline. I worried at first, "Hmmm... I don't think there's any such thing as fresh seafood in CO; and trout and catfish doesn't count." Had the Crab Cake Dinner, which with the fries was really quite salty - almost too much salt, with a side of crack-em-yo'self snow crab legs. Those were what made the meal for me. I forgot how much of a damn chore it was for 5 little legs and then saw the charge for what it takes to air-freight ice packed seafood to Colorado - about $50 with tip for me, the Mrs. and the kiddo. I think I'll stick with the Colorado staple of Chipotle or local mexican for our next trip and splurge on fresh seafood when I can actually smell the sea air.
(2)
phoenix t.
Wow, just called three times to make reservations with no answer. It's 1600 on a Sunday and they can't bother to answer their phones? So I really need I beg to give my money to a shitty chain restaurant in a landlocked state? Guess so.
(1)
Nicole H.
Stopped in Joe's for lunch after dropping off a fedex package next door. Was immediate greeted at tge door and served by Brandon. He was fantastic! Energetic and super friendly. He made several recommendations and I ended up with the crab nachos. I ordered it with no onions and the order came out wrong but Brandon immediate recognized the error and had a new order brought out with appologies. He was an excellent server. Didn't bug me while I ate but made sure my glass was full and everything tasted great. Excellent service and great nachos.
(5)
Miles J.
This is my go to seafood spot in C.S! They currently have New Orleans theme going on (maybe it will be ending soon with Fat Tuesday just passing) with the Voodoo Queen and Orleans steam pots! But I'm getting ahead of myself! First we started out with the Crab Nachos! It's a great twist on the usual nachos and it's loaded with crab dip piled high on tortilla chips, topped with pico de gallo, black bean corn relish, Monterey Jack and avocado lime dressing! I always have to pull myself away to save room for the steampot! The Voodoo, my new favorite, has Queen Crab, crawfish, steamed in garlic and dusted with a Cajun spicy blend! It was wonderful! Loved the spice! My wife got the Orleans which is 1 lb of crawfish, shrimp and andouille sausage all in the same Cajun spices! You can't go wrong with either. Joe's tries to be a fun chain. Every so often they will stop and sing/dance a little number usually Car Wash (by Rose Royce) or Love Shack (by the B-52's) to name a few...it's cute, except when you are waiting for your food and you see your server dancing in the middle of the store! Bring me my food then dance! But you will actually find yourself singing along and usually a few kids will get up and dance with them (and a few drunken adults, so that's good free entertainment there). Which brings me to the drinks, The Joe's Choice Margarita (on the rocks of course, no man should EVER get a frozen fu-fu drink, if you go fruity at least do it on the ROCKS!) is always on point! This is actually one of the best margaritas I have had in C.S! So go for the seafood, stay for the drinks, and loosen up a bit and dance and sing along!
(4)
Amanda C.
I was really surprised to like this place. I was almost dragged here kicking and screaming. But once I was there, darnit it was fun! What a disappointment! What's more, the seafood (for a landlocked seafood restaurant chain) was rather tasty. Way better than Papadeaux's and alot more relaxed. So I'm giving in. I like Joe's Crab Shack. There, I said it.
(4)
LT K.
Normally I would go for the seafood buckets, but I needed to eat healthier. So I had the grilled salmon for lunch. The salmon was a tad over cooked so it was a bit dried, but tasted fresh. I liked the pineapple salsa complemented the salmon. The dish came with two sides. Diced pried potatoes that were not greasy at all. The steamed broccoli was done just right and not salty at all. Service was quick and friendly. It took a bit too long for my lunch to arrive when the restaurant was almost empty as it was a late lunch. If it was busy it would take much longer for the food to arrive.
(3)
Heaven P.
This was mine and my family's first time ever, and it will definitely be our last. I ordered the ultimate patron margarita, which tasted like sour mix only. I ordered the kj streamer, my boyfriend ordered the daddy crab plate, and my daughter got the popcorn shrimp. His meal only came out with one of the crabs, when it was supposed to come with all three, when I asked the server she insisted that it was all there, and I insisted that I would not be paying $30.00 for that meal then. It wasn't until then that she took the plate to show the manager who then told her we were missing half the meal. My meal came out with wrong sides, and none of it was hot, though I should be grateful that I received my food, as my daughter's popcorn shrimp came out about ten minutes after ours. A manager never visited our table, and apparently they do not do company surveys, and probably for good reason, or server never offered for a manager to come out, no apologies, or anything. I've been in the restaurant business myself for years and could not believe the awful service and terrible food, with $100 bill, never again!
(1)
Belinda R.
Horrible service!!! Food was not great!!! No catfish like in Texas. Will never come back.
I'm real iffy about writing this review due to the fact that giving it three stars goes against my better judgment. The biggest reason I want to give this place fewer stars is because of the obnoxious dancing that goes on probably once every hour by the servers. I would love to just sweat over my own crab leg cracking experience than have some tween server run around in circles yelling violently because they know their boss is watching. Another reason for my discontent is the menu makes it difficult for you to sort out what you actually want to eat. Instead they compile a bunch of different types and throw it in a bucket. Now I'm a fan of ALL seafood, but I definitely prefer some over others. On a positive note I love the fact that their drinks come in mason jars leading you to believe that you are receiving more booze than you paid for. This is probably not the case but it's OK by me. And I do have to compliment their food as a whole. It's hard to find good seafood in the Springs and that may be why so many people travel here. All in all, be prepared for a loud "Chain" experience and enjoy the seafood.
(3)
Chris S.
I just can't bring myself to give this place more than 2 stars. "Meh" is exactly how I feel about this place. If you want somewhere to go that will embarrass someone for their birthday, then this place gets 5 stars, and was the reason we were there celebrating two birthdays......but as far as the food...meh. First off our calamari appetizer was the worst I have ever had. The way it was cut was horrible. My wife and I ordered two of the seafood buckets and both seemed to be lacking and were overpriced. The shrimp in mine was overcooked and mushy. On top of that they couldn't serve several of their advertised buckets because they were out of lobster. On the bright side, our servers were very friendly and enjoyable. Took awhile to get my beer in between orders but not a huge deal. Again, all I can say is "meh"......just not worth the money we spent. If not for the embarrassing moment of watching the two birthday boys ride stick ponies and wave towels in the air around the restaurant while everyone sang happy birthday the night would have been a total bust.
(2)
Jennifer M.
It has been a while since I ate at Joe's last, and this was my first visit to this location. First off the SERVICE - Tristan, our waiter, was WONDERFUL! He said he is pretty new, but he was sure to offer us some great appetizers and answer all of the questions we had when deciding what we wanted and during ordering. The RESTAURANT - We had called ahead to reserve a table and one was waiting for us as soon as we showed up. The place was clean and the people were hospitable. We were thanked numerous times (by different staff) for coming in, and our kids were treated great too! Our FOOD - The steampots may not look like much, but the ones we had tonight were the best I've had. The crab legs were easy to crack and I didn't get frustrated with working too hard for my food! OVERALL- Our order was perfect when it came out and I feel we couldn't have picked a better place for a quick family get-together. We will most certainly be back!
(5)
Thomas E.
Waited an hour for our food. did not receive our appetizers. When the food finally came they managed to burn steamed corn. The Mahi Mahi I revived was so dry I may as well have ordered a plate of cotton balls.
(1)
April C.
I ordered take out and the service at the bar was extremely slow even though they weren't busy at all. When I got home and opened my food, I was missing have of my sampler appetizer and my salad was literally thrown in a box. It looked horrible! Lesson learned...I will never order take out here again. Period.
(1)
Adara M.
Very good...garlicky mussels...yum...just make sure to add lime/lemon to the sauce...had the crabby daddy fest in ragin' Cajun with garlic her butter on the side...delish...not too long of a wait for table and food...
(4)
Jessi T.
The restaurant was half empty when we arrived. The hostess left to go talk to someone then told us it would be 10 minutes. We waited and waited and were forgotten completely. I will NEVER come back.
(1)
Jeff T.
Awful awful service! We walked out before even ordering...the restaurant itself is disgustingly dirty...if you like sticking to your seat, this is the place for you! We were hoping for a nice night out, but we're headed to red lobster instead. Hope they get their act together soon!
(1)
Amy C.
Black dirty crab, awful service and inexperienced management. We made the trek after being lured in by the recent commercials. Big mistake. Our server was overwhelmed even though the restaurant was almost empty so it took a while to get our orders in. When the food came, it was dropped quickly by another server and we didn't have silverware. Trying to get anyone's attention in this restaurant is next to impossible. When we finally got the silverware, the food was cold. As I starting cracking in to the crab, it was grossing me out - the meat was black and had slimy sandy residue on the shell. I thought maybe it was a fluke, but the claw and even the body had black all over. After waiting AGAIN to get *anyone's* attention a manager was sent over. He said, " Wow, I've never seen anything like that, I'll have them make you another " and left. About 20 minutes later, our server brought a small bowl with 2-3 legs to the table, dropped it in front of me and left! WTH? A 30 platter get replaced by a bowl with a few legs? So, I start cracking those legs and wouldn't you know it.....black! And sandy, gritty with slime visibly hanging off the body. Disgusting. When the manager came over this time, he said he didn't know they had brought that to me. We had them take it off our bill. I wouldn't eat at this restaurant if you PAID me!!!
(1)
Arianne C.
I got the arctic bay pot and it was DELISH!!!!! I killed that whole pot by. My. Self!! LOL. It was $29 and it was understandable because it was a lot of food! It also came with 6 pieces of shrimp and 6 pieces of Alaskan snow crab! It took me about an hour to finish it and I also got a side of fries!
(4)
Pixie O.
Having dined at Joe's before I came in knowing exactly what to expect. Our servers name was Jorge and he was excellent. Being a server, I really appreciated it. Good service is hard to come by and this guy nailed it. He was full of personality and passionate about his job. Not at all scared to up-sale, which is great for their business, but he was not pushy about it at all! Food was perfect as well, and I will definitely be coming back in hopes of him being our server.
(5)
Rebecky J.
What a joke! From the TV ads to the menu, don't think for a second your food will look a thing like it. Portions are about half that size & it's unreal what you're charged for such tiny pieces. The (female) manager has NO business dealing with people/customers. She's the one who told us that COD is expensive...?! Ummm, since when?! The cook burned the crab cake that was to come with his dinner...oh and messed up the people's order who were sitting behind us. Colossal waste of money not to mention time!
(1)
K M.
I ordered Fish & Chips. Other people in our party ordered Steam Pots and Crab Pots. The food was really good. The servers were a bit disorganised and longer than usual wait for refills and other minor requests. The portion is generous and the price to portion ratio would be rated as excellent. The price to service ratio would be average to below average.
(3)
Marissa T.
I love seafood. Joe's hit the spot with me. Drinks and desserts are great too. Staff are so much fun!
(5)
LeAnn F.
Unfortunately, the fish and chips at village inn were much better and cheaper. The service was the worst I've had here. Valentine's day they were busier and the service was better then. Our food was delivered and never saw or server again, no refills etc. We even had to stop another server to get or check so we could leave.
(2)
Local ..
We are well traveled and have been to some "less than clean" restaurants across the states; This restaurant takes 3rd place in sticky tables and 1st place in the amount of dead fly's layered between the windows.
(1)
Leah B.
This is my 10th visit to Joe's Crabshack. you can always count on them for a lot of fun the waiters and waitresses are always nice very friendly it's a lot of fun. It's kid friendly party friendly. people get up and dance around with the waiters and waitresses on different songs. The food is always wonderful I've tried just about everything on the menu and I can't say enough about it it's always warm and very good and no it doesn't smell fishy when you walk in even though it is a seafood restaurant.
(5)
Shara K.
Food was okay, service was really good though. We've been here a few times and the food is always so so. The main problem is the cleanliness. This place is SOOO dirty! The tables, the seats, the windows, and especially the floors. Under our booth looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. I could only imagine what the kitchen looks like.
(3)
Cynthia P.
We love Joe's is this place still open in Colorado Springs?? Last time we were in town they put in a different restaurant where Joe's was at.
(5)
Rhonda B.
Why can't the cooks cook here? I rarely eat here because I'm usually disappointed at this particular shack. They appeared to be understaffed tonight too. It took the waitress what seemed like forever to come back with my crab cracker. I had to wait and my food got cold. Had to tell her I couldn't eat the dirty, rubbery lobster and the scallops were just as rubbery. Just really diappointed, once again.
(2)
Cindy P.
When I saw Joe's Crab Shack in the area, I knew it was time to have a feast! The only other Joe's I've been to was in Chicago and I have very fond memories! The Joe's in Chicago would definitely merit 4 stars, maybe even 5! Colorado Springs Joe's barely gets 3. The restaurant was relatively empty when we arrived at 5:30 for dinner which was surprising at first. We were seated immediately and told the hostess we were on a tight schedule. She said no problem, that our server would be right there. We waited quite awhile when the bartender finally came over to take drink orders. We said we wanted to order everything as we were in a time crunch and she was very hesitant to take our order but did so. Unfortunately, we should have waited for our server since our order was messed up! Our server finally served our drinks and he seemed to have an attitude... maybe didn't like the fact we ordered through the bartender. He never did warm up to us though, always seemed to have an attitude. He definitely wasn't happy when I told him my order was wrong - not happy at all! The manager noticed his attitude right away and came to the rescue! He handled the situation very well and reassured us he would rush the fix. We all had crab buckets and enjoyed them thoroughly, even if we had to do so a little quickly. While the crab was tender and sweet, the corn was cold and dry and the hush puppies were too hard and dry to eat. The potatoes weren't cooked all the way and the french fries were a tad on the stale side. But hey, the crab was spot on and that's what we came for!! Yes, I would definitely go again, with fewer expectations of the service. I would go for the crab and I would definitely not have any plans afterwards!
(3)
Monica F.
The restaurant was crowded on a Saturday around 6:00. We waited sbout 10 min for our table. We were seated in the bar, which turned out to be a blessing, since we could hear the staff periodically breaking into singing--really, really loud off-key singing--in the dining room. The spicy steamed king crab bucket was tasty. All the other flavors are pretty bland, at least for my taste. The prices are a little high considering what you get. It's $26 and more for a crab "bucket,"I which includes approximately 3 crab leg clusters, a handful of boiled small red potatoes, a cob of corn, and (depending on the bucket) maybe one sausage link.
(3)
Heatherly B.
Coming from the East Coast where seafood is fresher, it doesn't exactly compare! But it will be a good enough fix for when I need some crab legs after I move to SoCo. I remember there being a lot more potatoes and corn in the steam pot when I ate in North Carolina but I was pretty full anyways so not a big deal.
(3)
Yuki S.
I didn't think I'd like this place... I don't know why this place has so many bad reviews online. It's expensive to eat there but I can't resist good crabs!!
(4)
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Address :805 Citadel Dr
Colorado Springs, CO, 80909
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Dennis S.
Ok, I could rate the food as very good but other things lowered my number. My wife and I ordered shrimp dishes and we both agreed they were fresh, tasty and served hot. We moved here from Florida so we know good shrimp. On the other hand, they didn't give us the hush puppies listed on the menu or my wife's cole slaw. She got her cole slaw but they hadn't prepared the hush puppies so they didn't bother to tell us or substitute. I can see possibly forgetting the slaw but if you make a dish more than a couple of times, seems like you would know it was missing. On the other hand, we came in after 12 noon, and didn't get our missing hush puppies until we were ready to leave just after 1. Duh, even if you had to make them from scratch which you know a chain wouldn't, it doesn't take almost an hour to make hush puppies. The other thing is the waiter knew they weren't there and he didn't volunteer that they were missing or offer to substitute. So food was good when we got it all but you judge the rest. One other thing, background music was waaay loud as were the waiters laughing and talking on the sidelines. We had to scoot real close to hear each other.
(2)Sharon J.
Two stars just because the food was good. Other then that I you have two hours to wait for your food and wanna pay over 100.00 for bad service come eat here! More update to come when I get home!
(2)Kelie H.
I don't like to "do" chain restaurants, but I admit, we had a TON of fun at Joe's! We went as a family affair and were celebrating two birthdays in the group. To embarrass the snot out of them our waitress announced to the restaurant that their dreams were to be a rodeo star one day and produced two stick ponies and forced them to ride around the restaurant a we sang happy birthday. The video was priceless. The energy was fabulous and the servers got up and sang songs and danced every little bit. Me and my boyfriend shared a double order steampot and it was great. We had all 3 types of crab and some shrimp with potatoes, corn on the cob (which was to DIE for in that seasoning) and sausage. I was too stuffed for the sausage but I did take a little bite and it was good. We all had so much fun cracking away at our crab legs and laughing and carrying on. Great memories were made and fun was had by all.
(5)Syra A.
The wait to be seated was long. It took another 20 minutes for us to be served our food. The food was alright. Definitely not worth the price. Overall, basic overpriced food.
(2)Carl G.
I actually had a good time and would go back again, given the chance .... The good .... - plenty of parking, both collocated with the restaurant and directly across the street ... - open, airy, bright interior ... clean ..... plenty of seating at booths, and tables for 4 and groups ... - would recommend for a office small retirement or going away parties as they have sectioned rooms that could be used ..... - very friendly waiters and waitresses ... ours was very attentive and we were in want of nothing during the meal .... - the starter and entree plates were delivered quickly and with no mistakes ..... - pricing is a bit on the high end, but the serving size balances it out .... You'll probably be going home with a box or two .... - there is a full bar .... If you just feel like dropping in for a drink ... The not quite so good .... during this visit anyway .... - there is a lot of food on the menu ... too much even .... and as I was trying to decide what I wanted, it concerned me that Joes is a "jack of all trades, but master of none" ..... - my chowder arrived semi warm .... within a couple minutes it was basically at room temp .... albeit, it was pretty good clam chowder ... - music is a bit loud .... but when happy hour hits, it gets WAY TOO LOUD ... so much so that you will be shouting when talking to the person across the table from you .... - I found the food to be bland and flavorless .... and with nothing available to spice it up ..... We were in on a Saturday, late afternoon ... not crowded at all .... Want to embarrass someone in your party? ... tell your server that its the persons birthday ... a call to attention of the restaurant will occur, to be followed up with singing and dancing .... Dinner for three with a mixed drink and starters will set you back abt. $90.00, less tip .... again, not a bad outing ... given the choice, I would come here for a seafood meal vice Red Lobster .... Cheers ...
(4)Montana W.
Pretty basic for this chain. We were seated quickly, our waitress was friendly, and although we were on a kid-free date night, it seemed like a very child-friendly place. The crab was delicious, the drinks were tasty, and it was a nice evening overall.
(4)Zunaira K.
Worst place I've been to. We came here a few months ago for dinner and waited over an hour for our food. We thought it took so long because it was dinner time. We are here during lunch and have been here an hour already and still haven't seen our food. If u look around no one else has seen their food either. Instead of dancing every 20 mins they need to get on top of service first.
(1)Frances L.
You go to Joe's when you want seafood but don' t want Red Lobster today. My son had a crab cake sandwich that came on a brioche bun, the bun was a little on the firm side. The sauce was decent. I had the classic steam pot with lobster( the lobster was dry because it was frozen ) shouldn't complain we are in Colorado. But the waiter was nice and attentive! He brought refills for my son without us asking. I like when waiters do that it doesn't cost them anything and they are sure to get a larger tip.
(3)Justina R.
Overpriced in my opinion. Crab wasn't the best. Neither was their shrimp. Spices not quite right and somewhat greasy. Service wasn't all that great. Waitress never topped off our drinks unless we had to ask her after trying to flag her down. Don't really bother coming here unless you want to overspend for no good reason.
(1)Vanessa J.
How utterly and completely disappointing. For what they charge for dinner here you would think that they have seafood preparation down to a science. I think they may have forgotten to season everything but the fries on my plate and the shrimp in my husband's steampot were so over-cooked they were literally mush. It was one of the most disgusting things I think I've ever seen at a seafood restaraunt. Definitely won't be coming back here.
(1)Sean C.
What a blast. My kids love this place because they have somehow developed a taste for quality shrimp and crab legs! Thanks a lot ex-wife, lol. The environment is a lot of fun and the staff is a treat. Be sure not to wear anything too fancy because the boils can get very messy. I wouldn't recommend going on to a movie afterward either because you might smell a little fishy. Give this place a try and I am sure you will be pleased.
(5)Jelle L.
Coming from East Coast (Boston) I was quite disappointed by the sea food, especially while frozen and not fresh. Unfortunately I just move to Denver area and was in need of good sea food. Ordered a Lobster and King Crab bucket. Vegetables (corn, potatoes) were overcooked and watery. Lobster again was frozen and meat was not great (plus the "spice" you can go for was probably just sprinkled on and not cooked in). Same for the Crab legs - nothing to return for. I had no idea it's a chain - but all the silly comic style stuff inside made me think of and later on learned it was a chain. Only buying my fish / sea food at fish market no more restaurant experience, otherwise I get to disappointed.
(1)Tara W.
A family member really wanted to go but I wasn't in the mood for seafood. They told me they had other options so I settled on a steak while my dining companion got crab legs. There were no complaints about the crab legs and the steak was just ok. Not horrible but nothing great. I understand they are a seafood restaurant but they need to do the other things on the menu well also. The service was good.
(3)Erika C.
Awesome staff. Very upbeat atmosphere. Good food. Try the shark bite
(4)Hans T.
Colorado is a land-locked state. So why's it seem like SoCO has more seafood restaurants than any city on the Texas Gulf Coast? I don't get it. It seemed as we drove around Colorado Springs that it was at least every 4th or 5th restaurant was a seafood place - and not one of them was a Red Lobster! We decided on Joe's Crab Shack, a staple of any big city along any US coastline. I worried at first, "Hmmm... I don't think there's any such thing as fresh seafood in CO; and trout and catfish doesn't count." Had the Crab Cake Dinner, which with the fries was really quite salty - almost too much salt, with a side of crack-em-yo'self snow crab legs. Those were what made the meal for me. I forgot how much of a damn chore it was for 5 little legs and then saw the charge for what it takes to air-freight ice packed seafood to Colorado - about $50 with tip for me, the Mrs. and the kiddo. I think I'll stick with the Colorado staple of Chipotle or local mexican for our next trip and splurge on fresh seafood when I can actually smell the sea air.
(2)phoenix t.
Wow, just called three times to make reservations with no answer. It's 1600 on a Sunday and they can't bother to answer their phones? So I really need I beg to give my money to a shitty chain restaurant in a landlocked state? Guess so.
(1)Nicole H.
Stopped in Joe's for lunch after dropping off a fedex package next door. Was immediate greeted at tge door and served by Brandon. He was fantastic! Energetic and super friendly. He made several recommendations and I ended up with the crab nachos. I ordered it with no onions and the order came out wrong but Brandon immediate recognized the error and had a new order brought out with appologies. He was an excellent server. Didn't bug me while I ate but made sure my glass was full and everything tasted great. Excellent service and great nachos.
(5)Miles J.
This is my go to seafood spot in C.S! They currently have New Orleans theme going on (maybe it will be ending soon with Fat Tuesday just passing) with the Voodoo Queen and Orleans steam pots! But I'm getting ahead of myself! First we started out with the Crab Nachos! It's a great twist on the usual nachos and it's loaded with crab dip piled high on tortilla chips, topped with pico de gallo, black bean corn relish, Monterey Jack and avocado lime dressing! I always have to pull myself away to save room for the steampot! The Voodoo, my new favorite, has Queen Crab, crawfish, steamed in garlic and dusted with a Cajun spicy blend! It was wonderful! Loved the spice! My wife got the Orleans which is 1 lb of crawfish, shrimp and andouille sausage all in the same Cajun spices! You can't go wrong with either. Joe's tries to be a fun chain. Every so often they will stop and sing/dance a little number usually Car Wash (by Rose Royce) or Love Shack (by the B-52's) to name a few...it's cute, except when you are waiting for your food and you see your server dancing in the middle of the store! Bring me my food then dance! But you will actually find yourself singing along and usually a few kids will get up and dance with them (and a few drunken adults, so that's good free entertainment there). Which brings me to the drinks, The Joe's Choice Margarita (on the rocks of course, no man should EVER get a frozen fu-fu drink, if you go fruity at least do it on the ROCKS!) is always on point! This is actually one of the best margaritas I have had in C.S! So go for the seafood, stay for the drinks, and loosen up a bit and dance and sing along!
(4)Amanda C.
I was really surprised to like this place. I was almost dragged here kicking and screaming. But once I was there, darnit it was fun! What a disappointment! What's more, the seafood (for a landlocked seafood restaurant chain) was rather tasty. Way better than Papadeaux's and alot more relaxed. So I'm giving in. I like Joe's Crab Shack. There, I said it.
(4)LT K.
Normally I would go for the seafood buckets, but I needed to eat healthier. So I had the grilled salmon for lunch. The salmon was a tad over cooked so it was a bit dried, but tasted fresh. I liked the pineapple salsa complemented the salmon. The dish came with two sides. Diced pried potatoes that were not greasy at all. The steamed broccoli was done just right and not salty at all. Service was quick and friendly. It took a bit too long for my lunch to arrive when the restaurant was almost empty as it was a late lunch. If it was busy it would take much longer for the food to arrive.
(3)Heaven P.
This was mine and my family's first time ever, and it will definitely be our last. I ordered the ultimate patron margarita, which tasted like sour mix only. I ordered the kj streamer, my boyfriend ordered the daddy crab plate, and my daughter got the popcorn shrimp. His meal only came out with one of the crabs, when it was supposed to come with all three, when I asked the server she insisted that it was all there, and I insisted that I would not be paying $30.00 for that meal then. It wasn't until then that she took the plate to show the manager who then told her we were missing half the meal. My meal came out with wrong sides, and none of it was hot, though I should be grateful that I received my food, as my daughter's popcorn shrimp came out about ten minutes after ours. A manager never visited our table, and apparently they do not do company surveys, and probably for good reason, or server never offered for a manager to come out, no apologies, or anything. I've been in the restaurant business myself for years and could not believe the awful service and terrible food, with $100 bill, never again!
(1)Belinda R.
Horrible service!!! Food was not great!!! No catfish like in Texas. Will never come back.
(1)Nanea P.
Took my fiancé to Joe's Crab Shack for the first time and the food was excellent, the service was on point, and all around great!!! Our waiter Justin was on-top of it and we hope to have him as our waiter again! Thank you so much justin you were incredible and hopefully we get you again soon!
(5)Nick B.
I'm real iffy about writing this review due to the fact that giving it three stars goes against my better judgment. The biggest reason I want to give this place fewer stars is because of the obnoxious dancing that goes on probably once every hour by the servers. I would love to just sweat over my own crab leg cracking experience than have some tween server run around in circles yelling violently because they know their boss is watching. Another reason for my discontent is the menu makes it difficult for you to sort out what you actually want to eat. Instead they compile a bunch of different types and throw it in a bucket. Now I'm a fan of ALL seafood, but I definitely prefer some over others. On a positive note I love the fact that their drinks come in mason jars leading you to believe that you are receiving more booze than you paid for. This is probably not the case but it's OK by me. And I do have to compliment their food as a whole. It's hard to find good seafood in the Springs and that may be why so many people travel here. All in all, be prepared for a loud "Chain" experience and enjoy the seafood.
(3)Chris S.
I just can't bring myself to give this place more than 2 stars. "Meh" is exactly how I feel about this place. If you want somewhere to go that will embarrass someone for their birthday, then this place gets 5 stars, and was the reason we were there celebrating two birthdays......but as far as the food...meh. First off our calamari appetizer was the worst I have ever had. The way it was cut was horrible. My wife and I ordered two of the seafood buckets and both seemed to be lacking and were overpriced. The shrimp in mine was overcooked and mushy. On top of that they couldn't serve several of their advertised buckets because they were out of lobster. On the bright side, our servers were very friendly and enjoyable. Took awhile to get my beer in between orders but not a huge deal. Again, all I can say is "meh"......just not worth the money we spent. If not for the embarrassing moment of watching the two birthday boys ride stick ponies and wave towels in the air around the restaurant while everyone sang happy birthday the night would have been a total bust.
(2)Jennifer M.
It has been a while since I ate at Joe's last, and this was my first visit to this location. First off the SERVICE - Tristan, our waiter, was WONDERFUL! He said he is pretty new, but he was sure to offer us some great appetizers and answer all of the questions we had when deciding what we wanted and during ordering. The RESTAURANT - We had called ahead to reserve a table and one was waiting for us as soon as we showed up. The place was clean and the people were hospitable. We were thanked numerous times (by different staff) for coming in, and our kids were treated great too! Our FOOD - The steampots may not look like much, but the ones we had tonight were the best I've had. The crab legs were easy to crack and I didn't get frustrated with working too hard for my food! OVERALL- Our order was perfect when it came out and I feel we couldn't have picked a better place for a quick family get-together. We will most certainly be back!
(5)Thomas E.
Waited an hour for our food. did not receive our appetizers. When the food finally came they managed to burn steamed corn. The Mahi Mahi I revived was so dry I may as well have ordered a plate of cotton balls.
(1)April C.
I ordered take out and the service at the bar was extremely slow even though they weren't busy at all. When I got home and opened my food, I was missing have of my sampler appetizer and my salad was literally thrown in a box. It looked horrible! Lesson learned...I will never order take out here again. Period.
(1)Adara M.
Very good...garlicky mussels...yum...just make sure to add lime/lemon to the sauce...had the crabby daddy fest in ragin' Cajun with garlic her butter on the side...delish...not too long of a wait for table and food...
(4)Jessi T.
The restaurant was half empty when we arrived. The hostess left to go talk to someone then told us it would be 10 minutes. We waited and waited and were forgotten completely. I will NEVER come back.
(1)Jeff T.
Awful awful service! We walked out before even ordering...the restaurant itself is disgustingly dirty...if you like sticking to your seat, this is the place for you! We were hoping for a nice night out, but we're headed to red lobster instead. Hope they get their act together soon!
(1)Amy C.
Black dirty crab, awful service and inexperienced management. We made the trek after being lured in by the recent commercials. Big mistake. Our server was overwhelmed even though the restaurant was almost empty so it took a while to get our orders in. When the food came, it was dropped quickly by another server and we didn't have silverware. Trying to get anyone's attention in this restaurant is next to impossible. When we finally got the silverware, the food was cold. As I starting cracking in to the crab, it was grossing me out - the meat was black and had slimy sandy residue on the shell. I thought maybe it was a fluke, but the claw and even the body had black all over. After waiting AGAIN to get *anyone's* attention a manager was sent over. He said, " Wow, I've never seen anything like that, I'll have them make you another " and left. About 20 minutes later, our server brought a small bowl with 2-3 legs to the table, dropped it in front of me and left! WTH? A 30 platter get replaced by a bowl with a few legs? So, I start cracking those legs and wouldn't you know it.....black! And sandy, gritty with slime visibly hanging off the body. Disgusting. When the manager came over this time, he said he didn't know they had brought that to me. We had them take it off our bill. I wouldn't eat at this restaurant if you PAID me!!!
(1)Arianne C.
I got the arctic bay pot and it was DELISH!!!!! I killed that whole pot by. My. Self!! LOL. It was $29 and it was understandable because it was a lot of food! It also came with 6 pieces of shrimp and 6 pieces of Alaskan snow crab! It took me about an hour to finish it and I also got a side of fries!
(4)Pixie O.
Having dined at Joe's before I came in knowing exactly what to expect. Our servers name was Jorge and he was excellent. Being a server, I really appreciated it. Good service is hard to come by and this guy nailed it. He was full of personality and passionate about his job. Not at all scared to up-sale, which is great for their business, but he was not pushy about it at all! Food was perfect as well, and I will definitely be coming back in hopes of him being our server.
(5)Rebecky J.
What a joke! From the TV ads to the menu, don't think for a second your food will look a thing like it. Portions are about half that size & it's unreal what you're charged for such tiny pieces. The (female) manager has NO business dealing with people/customers. She's the one who told us that COD is expensive...?! Ummm, since when?! The cook burned the crab cake that was to come with his dinner...oh and messed up the people's order who were sitting behind us. Colossal waste of money not to mention time!
(1)K M.
I ordered Fish & Chips. Other people in our party ordered Steam Pots and Crab Pots. The food was really good. The servers were a bit disorganised and longer than usual wait for refills and other minor requests. The portion is generous and the price to portion ratio would be rated as excellent. The price to service ratio would be average to below average.
(3)Marissa T.
I love seafood. Joe's hit the spot with me. Drinks and desserts are great too. Staff are so much fun!
(5)LeAnn F.
Unfortunately, the fish and chips at village inn were much better and cheaper. The service was the worst I've had here. Valentine's day they were busier and the service was better then. Our food was delivered and never saw or server again, no refills etc. We even had to stop another server to get or check so we could leave.
(2)Local ..
We are well traveled and have been to some "less than clean" restaurants across the states; This restaurant takes 3rd place in sticky tables and 1st place in the amount of dead fly's layered between the windows.
(1)Leah B.
This is my 10th visit to Joe's Crabshack. you can always count on them for a lot of fun the waiters and waitresses are always nice very friendly it's a lot of fun. It's kid friendly party friendly. people get up and dance around with the waiters and waitresses on different songs. The food is always wonderful I've tried just about everything on the menu and I can't say enough about it it's always warm and very good and no it doesn't smell fishy when you walk in even though it is a seafood restaurant.
(5)Shara K.
Food was okay, service was really good though. We've been here a few times and the food is always so so. The main problem is the cleanliness. This place is SOOO dirty! The tables, the seats, the windows, and especially the floors. Under our booth looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. I could only imagine what the kitchen looks like.
(3)Cynthia P.
We love Joe's is this place still open in Colorado Springs?? Last time we were in town they put in a different restaurant where Joe's was at.
(5)Rhonda B.
Why can't the cooks cook here? I rarely eat here because I'm usually disappointed at this particular shack. They appeared to be understaffed tonight too. It took the waitress what seemed like forever to come back with my crab cracker. I had to wait and my food got cold. Had to tell her I couldn't eat the dirty, rubbery lobster and the scallops were just as rubbery. Just really diappointed, once again.
(2)Cindy P.
When I saw Joe's Crab Shack in the area, I knew it was time to have a feast! The only other Joe's I've been to was in Chicago and I have very fond memories! The Joe's in Chicago would definitely merit 4 stars, maybe even 5! Colorado Springs Joe's barely gets 3. The restaurant was relatively empty when we arrived at 5:30 for dinner which was surprising at first. We were seated immediately and told the hostess we were on a tight schedule. She said no problem, that our server would be right there. We waited quite awhile when the bartender finally came over to take drink orders. We said we wanted to order everything as we were in a time crunch and she was very hesitant to take our order but did so. Unfortunately, we should have waited for our server since our order was messed up! Our server finally served our drinks and he seemed to have an attitude... maybe didn't like the fact we ordered through the bartender. He never did warm up to us though, always seemed to have an attitude. He definitely wasn't happy when I told him my order was wrong - not happy at all! The manager noticed his attitude right away and came to the rescue! He handled the situation very well and reassured us he would rush the fix. We all had crab buckets and enjoyed them thoroughly, even if we had to do so a little quickly. While the crab was tender and sweet, the corn was cold and dry and the hush puppies were too hard and dry to eat. The potatoes weren't cooked all the way and the french fries were a tad on the stale side. But hey, the crab was spot on and that's what we came for!! Yes, I would definitely go again, with fewer expectations of the service. I would go for the crab and I would definitely not have any plans afterwards!
(3)Monica F.
The restaurant was crowded on a Saturday around 6:00. We waited sbout 10 min for our table. We were seated in the bar, which turned out to be a blessing, since we could hear the staff periodically breaking into singing--really, really loud off-key singing--in the dining room. The spicy steamed king crab bucket was tasty. All the other flavors are pretty bland, at least for my taste. The prices are a little high considering what you get. It's $26 and more for a crab "bucket,"I which includes approximately 3 crab leg clusters, a handful of boiled small red potatoes, a cob of corn, and (depending on the bucket) maybe one sausage link.
(3)Heatherly B.
Coming from the East Coast where seafood is fresher, it doesn't exactly compare! But it will be a good enough fix for when I need some crab legs after I move to SoCo. I remember there being a lot more potatoes and corn in the steam pot when I ate in North Carolina but I was pretty full anyways so not a big deal.
(3)Yuki S.
I didn't think I'd like this place... I don't know why this place has so many bad reviews online. It's expensive to eat there but I can't resist good crabs!!
(4)