My boyfriend suggested we check this place out last weekend because neither of us had been there before. I am always excited to try new restaurants but this was a disappointment. Someone seated us, but we sat at the table for at least 25 minutes without even being acknowledged by a server, which I dont understand why because it was 3 pm and we were one of probably 10 tables and there were 4 or 5 servers. My boyfriend went to the bar to get the manager and the bartender kept telling him that the manager was really busy. The manager came out 10 minutes later and was very unapologetic. He said that just because it didn't look busy in the restaurant doesn't mean they weren't busy, because he was in the back making food and washing dishes to help out. He offered to cook our food for us personally but we decided to go to Olive Garden instead. Don't waste your time or money...You're better off going somewhere else. We also sent an email to corporate to complain about the horrible service and haven't gotten a response.
(1)
Mike L.
The Chuck-E-Cheese of the seafood world, well without all the little kids and the video games, but if you want neon loud decour and noise along with your bad food than this is the place for you. The place is just a disaster with all the swag hanging on the ceiling and walls plus the tables are cramped so close together it feels liked they are stacked up on each other. The food comes in small portions and is of poor quality, which is good because it means you can leave that much quicker. I laughed at my friend when he ordered a beer because it was $6 or $8 bucks for a MIller LIte and all I could say was that it is as bad as Wrigley and you can get a 12 pack, hell, even a case of it for that price. So you get to keep the drink glasses, is Joes Crab Shack in Gurnee IL going to give you that Kodak moment whenever you look at that glass 5,10,30 years from now? The only food worse than this place in the area is at Six Flags. Just drive by, dont get seduced by all the flashing lights at this place, dont be the moth.
(1)
Jon R.
Got in and was immediately seated. Started it with a Coke and mozzerella sticks which weren't heated completely so the center was still cold. Tolerable but not good. Ordered the snow crab bucket which was out before we could finish the cheese sticks. Food was very good, better than I last remember eating there, but they never refilled my Coke and I had to ask for my fries a second time. Also tasted my dad's crawfish and while it was good the breading was too soft and chewy. Chocolate cake for dessert, which was so big we could not finish. JCS is "plan B" when every restaurant in Gurnee is jam-packed (in our case: Red Lobster). With the fairly-mediocre/inefficient service this place has it's no-wonder the parking lot is never busy when driving by. I can also attest the servers are dancing to the same junk they were 10 years ago... the novelty sure wears off fast. Bottom line: Could be worse.
(2)
Corey M.
Food was ok, no wi-fi, military discount on certain days? Nice atmosphere and some fun music and staff dancing, although they didn't seem to enjoy it.
(3)
Jeff V.
Terrible service. The food was really bad. I had a shrimp combo. The stuffed shrimp tasted like were not fresh eeeew. The rice was dry, tasteless and cold. Stop dancing and start quality control!
(2)
Baby B.
We only go here if we are desperate for crab legs and too lazy to drive to Bob Chin's (which is the best seafood place ever and their crab legs are 3 times bigger). The service sucks and the food is just OK. Our waiter seemed to have short term memory loss and coudn't remember anything he heard five seconds ago, causing for us to wait and constantly remind him about our drinks and utensils so we could begin eating. The dancing is soooo annoying and done by people who have no rhythm or energy whatsoever. Ordered a martini and all I could taste was alcohol and sent it back. The only reason I would go back is for the crawfish...can't really find that any place else.
(2)
Tara M.
Ok, so this place is weird. Seated on their patio which we liked a lot. The server told us she'd be right with us, ten minutes go by and nothing. So I go inside and ask the hostess if we can get a server, she blank stared me in the eyes for a good 30 seconds before I said again, "We need a server, we just want to eat and go home." Then she goes, "Oh yeah. She's just really busy." Uhh okay, there's about 5 tables in the restaurant and two servers on the floor. So the server comes out, who is a really nice girl, but makes it really effin awkward. She goes, "I got to you guys as soon as I could. Sorry, I had tables." Girl, we are one of your tables. Whatever, she got nicer as the night went on. I just wish the hostess would have maybe grabbed our drink order to help the girl out, or maybe the manager who was walking around aimlessly. My complaint isn't towards the waitress because she was nice.
(2)
Samantha G.
The food was good. Service was below mediocre. The staff was very comfortable hanging out with each other at the bar while the customers waited. We never got a refill on the kids drinks but they made sure to ask if we needed another beer. We specifically ordered an appetizer and even had a conversation with the waitress on the correct pronunciation of the word and come to find out she never put the order in. I had to ask for butter for the crab (apparently not a given) and a roll of paper towels. The best part was that I asked a manager for one and then I never saw her until we went to leave. To be that close to Great Lakes and have such crappy service to all of those Navy families that visit with their brand new sailers is just appalling. I will not be back.
(2)
Brit K.
Here again! I read the other reviews and its so crazy bc we get excellent service and fast friendly hostess/waiters/mgr! We were checked on several times and the mgr came by as well! Jess was our server today and she was wonderful! My fries/hushpuppies didn't come out with the food but once mentioned they were brought out right away!!
(5)
Vincenzo C.
Have ate here several times and it's quite simple - better than Red Lobster but nothing special. The quality of the seafood is average, the preparation is hit and miss and the service is not great. That's what you get when you hire a bunch of teenagers to run the joint - average at best. For the price, pony up a few more dollars and head to Bob Chins.
(2)
Sheena W.
I ordered moscato to drink and server brought glass with lipstick. I then asked for another glass showing the lipstick and was given another dirty glass with fingerprints all over and inside glass. I'm not sure if they are washing their dishes but I was afraid I will catch the flu or some sickness. We ordered the balls of fire for appetizer and it was good as well as my meal which had orzo, lobster,fish, shrimp, clams and mussels. I enjoyed the food and server Zak was friendly.
(3)
Kari H.
I walked in the place it was very busy,.. They seated the four of us to the booth. The waitress took 20 mins to get our drinks and forgot about the 4 persons drink. They food came and it was so bad we order the king daddy Lobster & Crab dinner it was so chewy had to ask the waitress to find the Lobster tail that was curled up that it was sent back. The Manager came and was super friendly he took the dinner off the bill with a drink on the house besides the cook forgot the corn that comes with the meal. All and all the Manager took care of the problem.
(3)
Bex A.
I like the chain. This is the second location I have been too. I am reviewing the location in this post mostly, but here is a quick recap of the food. You can pretty much expect consistency since it's a chain. Garlicky mussels, tasty. Snow crab, tasty. Sangria, tasty. BUT the lobster, chewy and tough, but for the price, not surprising. If you want really good lobster, then you should be going to a place and spending market price. So you get a decent lobster for the price. First time I had to shuck the entire lobster. That was interesting The service was good, (coming from an ex-waitress.) I made a reservation, took a little while to be seated, but they were cleaning. I have standards on serving, but I also understand the challenges of the restaurant world. The waitress was nice, checked on us appropriately. The challenge, I ordered mussels, we noticed that it was taking longer than it should for our appetizers. Then a few mins later the waitress came, explained they were by accidentally over cooked and they will be comped. I appreciated this as an ex-server and like I said, unexpected things happened. It was nice that it was addressed and they immediately handled it. She did say the manager was going to come over, he did not, but I could careless. I don't need an apology from management, it was handled. Otherwise, service was great. Like the fun decor and the food. Definitely Wiil go back.
(4)
Cam M.
Came here with my family after a day at Six Flags. The service was good and we got our drinks refilled when we needed them. We ordered the Ragin' Cajun steampot and extra crab. The waitress was helpful and answered questions about portion sizes. The crab was good, I liked the Cajun spice because it had some 'kick'. We got extra butter when we asked for it, too. The potatoes and corn were both Cajun spiced. The corn was kind of soggy, almost like a frozen ear that was taken from the freezer and boiled. I have had way better. The potatoes were good, but there were only a few. The sausage was amazing. I like it here because I like crab boils. I have had better, but this was fun after a day at Six Flags. The portions were a little small for the price, but that is why we don't go to Joe's often.
(3)
Chuck T.
Always yummy and fresh! Service is always good. If you like crab, no better place. Cool shirts available.
(5)
Dr. C.
They can not cook the Bar-B-Que Dungeness crab! Horrible Experience, an unexpected visit from the Regional Management is in order!
(1)
Mary M.
Service is extremely slow. We were there for two hours for dinner, and we rushed getting out of there. If you're not in a hurry and it's a nice day, I recommend sitting on the patio. If you have kids, they can play on the playground. Food is fine (almost nothing for vegetarians), drinks are good. The atmosphere is fun (although they never danced when we were there, even though they announced it), if a bit loud. I was also sitting on the most uncomfortable banquette ever. The waitress told me they were replacing them slowly, but they need to do it faster.
(2)
Benjamin S.
I was always a fan, the atmosphere is great. However, it seems lately the quality of food and service is going in the wrong direction. My crab was pretty good despite missing a leg but I can get past that. My family was not as lucky, we had unseasoned crab (supposed to be Old Bay - think mine got some of it), bad crab meat...ok, that happens too but pay a little attention and see if it looks tiny it may be suspect. Then as we were enjoying the food, kind of getting towards the end, our waitress asked if we were basically ready for the check; not quite there. The visit before this wasn't as bad as this one but not that good either. May have to look for crab elsewhere.
(2)
Thuy H.
I felt like the place is a little overpriced for the amount if food they give you. The steampot is too salty on the outside and very bland on the inside. I really wanted some crawfish and what was served to me was worse than what I could've gotten at a buffet. They said that the orlean steam pot was 1lb but what really added up to the weight was the corn and salty sausages.
(2)
Kim B.
One of the drawbacks to living in the suburbs is having so many chain restaurants. The boyfriend and I had a craving for some seafood. More specifically we wanted crabs. After doing some research on Yelp, we came up with a few non-chain restaurant options. None of them seemed very promising, especially after we checked out the prices online first. We finally decided to bite the bullet and go to Joe's Crab Shack because of the "take your top off" commercials. We ordered a steampot for two which came with crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage. The waiter was SUPER annoying and in-your-face and the food took forever to arrive, but we enjoyed everything and our seafood craving was satisfied. Even better, the steam pot only cost $39.99. We even ordered key lime pie for dessert and it was pretty good too! I probably won't be back any time soon but at least I know Joe's is an option next time I want some crabs.
(3)
Caitie H.
Called right before we came and said we had a movie to see at 7:40 and if we came in at 7 could we get to the movie in time. He said he could have our orders out within 15 minutes guaranteed. So we got here right at 7 and the host barely said hello before she plopped us in the corner. I told her we were kind of in a rush and she just smirked. We sat for 30 minutes before anyone even came over to us. Two tables came in after us and got their drinks and food put in while we were sitting here. And mind you, the restaurant is dead. Once the server came over we asked to talk to the manager, Joann (mgr) came over and was totally polite, very sweet and took care of the situation. So although we started pretty pissed off, she definitely made it right. Will return (maybe when we don't have a tight schedule)
(3)
Kelly C.
Just left joes without a bite of food. Sat at the bar, noticed the dirty floor and coolers immediately. Ordered a draft beer and thought about ordering dinner. Upon sitting for several minutes we decided we would not be dining, that if this is how what we can see looks, imagine the kitchen! Decided to have a shot and the bartender pulls out a bottle of rumpleminz filled with pink liquid! No thanks. There were several pieces of garbage on the floor behind me, noticed staff walk right past it at least a dozen times. Jon Taffer would go ballistic here!
(1)
Jeanne N.
We came here last night - Saturday- for early dinner. This was the second time here. The place was busy, but not super busy, so we were seated right away. For an appetizer, we ordered the bucket of shrimp (18) and got that right away. We did observe though, that we did not get as many shrimp as we ordered, and were brought out an additional 6. Also, we were missing the paper towel roll, as well as silver ware which we had to ask for! Most of the shrimp had shells that would not come off, so you had to eat the shells, which my husband did not care for. I ordered the Queen crab bucket fire grilled style which was awesome, the crab cracked nicely, the meat came right out of the shell! Yum! However, my husband ordered the paella, and the shrimp come with the tails still on- not what you would want to eat with a fork, and he also had a lot of clam shell fragments in the mix! It only comes with 1 garlic bread, you need way more, and we had to pay extra for it.... but the flavor was great. My 12 year old had the classic stream pot with the Queen crab, and was pleased with the meal, as was my 7 year old with the Mac n cheese. Another issue is their bathroom: dirty, falling apart, and gross. Report of worse conditions in the men's! If at all possible, avoid until after your meal! Although pleased with the flavors, and my meal was good, the cost being high, and the service and the atmosphere as well as food quality being lack-lustre, the consensus of the family is that we will not be back :(
(2)
Susie C.
My friends and I came here for lunch after our bike ride tour. It was a pretty decent crowd since it was 2ish pm. The staff is friendly, our waitress was nice and helpful. We sat in a booth. My friends who sat across from us couldn't put their backs on the seat because it would move the person who's sitting on the other side. That guy kept looking back so my friends couldnt lean back otherwise it would bother the other customer. And they felt the other customer was leaning back so they felt the bumps here and there. Unfortunately it wasn't comfortable for them to sit where they sat. The seat on the booth could be more sturdy but it isn't. I ordered the seafood platter...or something like that. It has fish and chips with fried scallops. My fish was just one piece and it was heavily breaded and fried. Couldn't really eat the fish at all. The fries were decent. The shrimp and scallops were okay..like I said very fried and breaded. My husband ordered the pasta-laya. He thought it was just okay. My other friend thought her pasta-laya was just okay too. My other friend ordered a platter - he thought it was okay as well..it came with balls...not sure what was in it but those were decent. Overall we had a decent time. Food is just okay - I wouldn't say it was favorable.
(2)
Kim B.
Very disappointed. I love joes and always visit the one in Florida. Was going to order steam pot and server suggested something different. Crab legs were deep fried and over cooked. Place was in need of a deep clean. Very dusty and disgusting. Server was nice
(2)
Ben J.
Crab and lobster were quite good. $2 Hurricanes were pretty good too. Service from Savannah was nice and chipper. And besides, with good crab and lobster, what else need be said?
(4)
Kamila L.
I will not be coming back to this Joe's Crabshack ever. One night, my boyfriend and I decided to finally eat out for dinner during the week instead of ordering in. I wanted crablegs and anywhere else that was offering them was too far of a drive. Needless to say, they seated us next to the waitress station when it was empty everywhere else. Apparently this was the section of a waitress who did not want to be there. We only saw her three times during the whole time we were there. Not to ask us if we needed anything else but just to take our order deliver our food, drop off a beer we ordered 12 minutes before and to give us our check. (okay that is 4 but I didn't count the beer) The crablegs were not hot. There was no butter, we couldn't even wave her down to get butter either. On top of it, when we were looking around for her she came to the waitress station directly behind us and continued to complain about not wanting to be there. I work in the bar industry so even if she had sucked it up and checked on us a few more times, it would have been worth her while to have stayed, we always tip well. I'm sorry but with the food being lukewarm, the service, the whole experience- we will be driving the extra 20-30 minutes to get crablegs somewhere else.
(2)
Kurt K.
A bit pricey but great food and great atmosphere. Much better then that other seafood chain. Drinks were good and when a person in our party didn't like here houses specialty drink they made her another on the house. As for the food, how can you say a bad word about BBQ Queen Crab Legs. yum. Would have been 5 stars but the price is a bit steep for the positions. Drink prices are actually lower then expected for house specialty drinks.
(4)
Gina B.
I have been to this location twice now and have had two completely different experiences so I guess I will need to go once again for the tie breaker to determine if it is really good or really not. Made the drive out to Gurnee on a Sunday morning, on a mission to get a Tshirt for someone and of course the seafood. Dealing with traffic and construction on the way out, I was happy to finally get there. Pulled in and it was dead, like 4 cars in the parking lot dead - weird but then again it was Sunday morning early afternoon. Greeted and seated, already knew the drill of the place so that was all good. Our server was scarce we were self sufficient getting out own paper towels, etc. He brought us the wrong meal and when my son told him it was wrong he was just like "oh ya" Really? don't show so much concern. We were his only table and he couldn't notice his one order was wrong? He spent all of his time up at the bar with his friends watching the football game. The food came and other than my son's being wrong, mine was awful. I had ordered a steamer pot with lobster, crab, shrimp, etc with garlic and old bay seasoning. There was no garlic or seasoning and everything was water logged. I had to wring out my lobster to eat it and couldn't do so then because it was so overcooked and chewy it was impossible. What a colossal waste of money. This was one of those experiences that would happen if you raved about a place and finally decided to take someone there to show it off and then the service and food is horrible and you are left feeling very embarrassed. Not good at all. Finished up and headed out but not before stopping by the door to get my shirt I came for. Who would think this would have an issue? I was informed by the girl at the door that all the shirts were $21.99, which I knew they were not from the internet and being there previously. She insisted. Sign said differently. Another worker said she was mistaken - ahh, no kidding. So the no it all girl rang me up and had to admit she told me incorrectly and then asked me if I would like to leave a tip. Huh? What? a tip, for what? For buying a shirt??? She replied "YES" - Ahhh I don't think so! Are you serious?! Asking for a tip for ringing up a tshirt - WOW! As soon as we walked out the door there was a down pour and we were soaked to the bone by the time we got in the car. Drove home while tornado warnings were going off everywhere. This was just an awful experience all the way around. Happy to get home.
(2)
J. Chuck K.
What started out as one of the worst dining experiences of my life, ended up being a pretty fun evening. When we walked in this past Saturday night around 5:00, we were told it would be an hour wait because there was a reservation for 35 people and another for 23 in front of us. Why they take reservations on a Saturday night is beyond me. The large crowd waiting around the hostess stand clearly showed they're not hurting for business. I had never been to Joe's before and our friends really wanted sea food, so with two 3 year olds and another that was one, we were willing to see if they could hold out for an hour. What started out as an hour, very painfully turned into two. By the time the 60 minute mark rolled around, my wife went to get an explanation from the hostesses and finally asked for a manager. When the manager arrived, she could see that my wife was unhappy. Instead of listening and showing some concern, THE MANAGER TURNED AROUND AND WALKED AWAY. Stunned by this behavior, another manager (didn't get his name, but a gentleman with glasses) arrived and apologized. Just after 7pm we were finally seated and experienced great service from the waiter, JR. As I said, this was my first time coming here, and also my first time eating crab legs. The crab was good, a lot of work, but good. However, I felt like there weren't enough legs in the portion to justify the price. What really stood out were the balls of fire appetizer (ha ha so funny) and the crab dip. I could easily eat both as a meal and be satisfied. After our hellish wait, and the way my wife complained to the manager and hostesses, I was expecting apathetic service and the kitchen staff to spit on our food. But right away we could tell the manager and waiter wanted to turn the night around for us. The manager felt so bad for us that OUR ENTIRE CHECK WAS COMPED,and not just the food, but drinks too. He could have taken off a percentage or given us a free appetizer, but he really went above and beyond in trying to get us to return. The female manager that walked away from wife without saying a word shouldn't even have a job. If she can't handle unhappy customers then she better find a new line of work. While the other manager was personally cleaning tables and making drinks behind the bar, she was standing in a doorway and staring off into space. Based on the first two hours of this night I would not come back, but after eating the food and taking in some of the fun atmosphere, we would come back and give them another try. The fully comped bill certainly helped, but the manager's genuine concern and the waiter's enthusiastic attitude made us believers. I seriously doubt they'll be taking reservations on the weekend any time soon.
(3)
Rebekah R.
Awesome food. I love the Queen crap, garlic mussels, corn on the cob and my husband enjoys his "Big people drinks" as my daughter calls them. Service is great and the food is delicious, I always want to order more even after I'm full. Lol awesome family nights.
(5)
Rod L.
The food was good $40 for the two lobster steam pot with clams and shrimp. The quantity was a little short however. I had come to Joe's to celebrate my daughters thirteenth birthday. After asking the hostess and my waiter to provide her the special birthday treatment we got nothing. So that's why I left nothing for a tip.
(2)
Edwin R.
Freaking awesome food. We were first timers, but they took the time to explain how to eat crab the right way and we enjoyed every last leg!
(5)
Mark K.
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
(5)
Justin E.
What can I say? This place is just OK. It's always dead and I think that can be highly attributed to the lack of any special draw. There's nothing here that really stands out. We went on Tuesday, April 28th when we were at a last minute "what should we have for dinner" standoff. Tired of the norm, we decided to go to Joe's. We'd been there a time or two in the past and I've always left feeling very underwhelmed for the amount of money we spent. Their signature "Steampots" are quite appealing when reading the menu, but when they come out, they're lacking any real substance or appeal. This particular visit, I thought I'd try just the crab leg bucket rather than the steampot which I'd had in the past. Our waitress, Cassi, who was kind, attentive, courteous and very helpful (if the review was strictly on her service, she'd get 5 stars) misheard us when we ordered Queen Crab and so we were served King Crab. Not a big deal and quite honestly, we didn't even realize that was what we'd eaten until the bill came. I've only had Snow, Dungeness and King in my life so I didn't know what "Queen" looked or tasted like. I just ate it and all along thought to myself, "my this looks and tastes just like King Crab!" Cassi was quick to adjust our bill even though we'd eaten what was served to us. She apologized profusely even though it was really no big deal. At any rate, for a $30 meal, the amount of crab you get is really kind of pathetic. The corn on the cob was sweet, but not crisp. The potatoes are nothing special, just boiled and salted from what I can tell. We each added a side salad to our meal for $3 and even in the dim-lit atmosphere, it was obvious that some of the lettuce was brown/wilted. In my opinion and past experiences, often times, the quality of the salad is a good indication as to what the quality of the entree will be. Such is the case here! Our bill for two entrees, 2 side salads and one beverage was almost $80 after tip. It's just not worth it and I doubt that we'll be back again anytime soon. In conclusion, I guess I just really feel like you can do better at home! Portions, quality and price are all a little out of whack at Joe's.
(3)
Alice A.
Walked in around 9 on a Saturday night. Got greeted and said there was a wait of about 15-20mins when there were empty tables in the restaurant. Ok, so we stepped out. 10 seconds later the teen hostess comes out and said sorry she got the time mixed up. She thought we wanted to be seated outdoors when she never asked in the first place... Ok.... Anyway, ordered the joes steam pot for two and calamari as appetizers. Calamari was good. Not drenched in oil. Very crispy. I would recommend that. The crabs at Joes wasn't as fresh as I thought it would be. They have waaay too much seasoning / salt and butter in that steam pot, it took away the natural flavors of the crabs itself. And it was kinda too salty for me... Our waitress never refilled our drinks and checked up on us twice. Honestly, if you want to spend money on good seafood, I recommend going to Bob Chinns. Super fresh! You will not be disappointed! Joes is run by teenie boppers which makes me feel like the environment is too childish, loud and unprofessional. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be returning. The seafood wasn't fresh enough for the $$$.
(2)
Chris T.
Great place. Waiters are super nice. Ask for Matt. The food was awesome but beware, the food may be a little too spicy....like the corn had seasoning on it. But everything was great. If you're willing to spend about... $40, get the sampler and a steampot. You won't regret it. Unless you're allergic to seafood :(
(5)
Kim M.
I had friends coming into town for a very short visit - basically, just dinner before they had to hit the road again. They were delayed, and didn't get into Gurnee until after midnight. They really wanted some seafood, and had their hearts set on Joe's. We arrived about 10-15 minutes before closing, and I was hoping they'd bail on the idea because I hate to cause that kind of inconvenience. After all, it's not fast food. And, I'll admit, after seeing "Waiting," it made me even more leery of being that person who makes everyone stay late when they'd rather be home getting some sleep. Spitburger, anyone? The only people still working were the manager and one or two of the wait staff. If they were upset that we were there, they sure didn't show it. They were incredibly friendly and helpful. We ordered food that we thought wouldn't be too much trouble for them but even then, it really wasn't a short stay for us. A big shout out to the waiter and the manager who made us feel welcome even though I know they had a better way to spend their time. The food here is always good. It's not the best - if you want the best seafood, you don't go to a chain that most likely uses frozen seafood because of the high volume of service. But it's enjoyable and I do like to eat here. Love the peel-n-eat shrimp appetizer, I often get it as my meal. The Great Balls of Fire are pretty good, too. I'd give the food a 3-star rating, but I bumped it up to 4 because of the great service we had despite the very late hour.
(4)
Samuel V.
First time visit , if you're considering this place, your not missing much ! It's a dingy and skimpy for what you get on a plate! I give it 2 stars cuz the waitress was wonderful !
(2)
Greg B.
So so...mussels we're ok, Maine coat was ok if not overdone. Beer was cold and server was attentive. Described it as their slow time. Not returning.
(2)
Brian L.
Went tonight with the family and it was an awful experience. Cold food, bland food with no taste, waterlogged food, no knives on table, no butter, no lemons, expensive drinks with little alcohol, never again!
(1)
Christina K.
I didn't get Crabs from Joe....I got shell and what they call "crab meat" Been here twice. This Valentines Day and Valentines Day 2 years ago. Only reason we returned was because the wait at other restaurants. Waited about an hour for our table. Drank at the bar first. Did I mention that my alcoholic drink cost me $9? Because it did. Our server was nice. Appetizer was okay, the bucket effing sucked. We ordered the King & Queen crab. Which looked the same size, but looked like snow Crab...WTF? Yea so happy that I dropped $60 that night. Oh wait..forgot my drink cost $9 and tip...So glad I dropped $75 that night. Someone gag me. Ugh. The $30 bucket we bought came with about 6 legs, 1 ear of uncooked corn, and 1 potato. Lol 1 potato...are you serious? YUP...Never again. F YOU JOES
(2)
Jennifer G.
I don't know why people give good reviews and then only 2-3 stars. WE had an awesome time. Great food, excellent service, happy atmosphere. Best time in a long time. Our server Robbie said he was new but I would never have guessed. We LOVED him. He not only congratulated our son on his graduation but thanked him for his service. Too cool. We're even going to write the manager a letter when we get home! 2 stars? Please! Where do you people eat???
(5)
Robert B.
I generally like Joe's, was a bit disappointed tonight. I ordered the fish and chips which was very good. Average good though I thought. The appetizers were good.
(3)
Shamika C.
Went here after going to six flags. We ordered the nachos w/pico on the side & it came out with it on. No big deal if you weren't allergic to onions. They brought it out a second time & it literally just had lettuce and chips no crab meat. Our server after that had the worst customer service. We waited for to come check on us for 20 mins. No refills with our drinks. Eventually I had to get a manager. I like joe crab shack just wouldn't recommend that location!
(1)
Michael S.
My wife and I have been here before and had an ok experience but we mostly stayed safe with fried foods. We had both been craving seafood so decided to splurge. We got the lobster and crab and the scallops, mussels, and crab pots. First of all it was quite a long wait for the food. The bartender checked on our order twice which was nice of him to do. The thing that made it even worse though it's that whiten we got our food it was so completely overcooked it was horrible. When you cracked open the crab and lobster watery residue came gushing out and the lobster shell was actually soft enough to bend rather than cracking. The staff was apologetic and the manager comped one of the meals but it was such a disappointing experience. I literally told the manager I've had better crab at hooters which is the truth.
(2)
Joel A.
I should have known better taking the wife to Joe's as I do not eat seafood. Ribs didn't look very good when they arrived and were mediocre at best but that is my fault for ordering ribs at a crab shack. My wife loved her $20 crab leg bucket so she left happy. Service was fine. Can't smoke on huge patio so we moved inside since the bugs were attacking us.
(4)
Rencie H.
The service was good, the food was ok. Definitely over priced.
(3)
Linda K.
I come here every other week. Every one of my servers has been amazing. The manager is phenomenal. She comes to my table and asks how my food and service was every trip I make here. Unfortunately this last visit was a flop. The first bucket, my potatoes exploded all over everything. It was taken back into the kitchen. The manager brought it back out with a coupon for a free appetizer and apologized. However, that couldn't save the dish. It was dripping...literally dripping in salty seasoning. After two bites, I couldn't force myself to eat anymore. It went back into the kitchen and again the manager brought it out, plain this time. They were so patient and apologetic. Apparently there were new staff in the kitchen. This one flub did not deter me from coming back.
(5)
Joe G.
Interesting seafood restaurant. Casual, interesting decor. We had a very good and attentive server, and an enjoyable meal for five, including an appetizer, that came out to less than a hundred dollars. As someone who doesn't really enjoy seafood, I opted for a steak instead, ordered medium well. It arrived well done, dry and tough, but this seems to be a common problem for seafood places to get right. The kid's meal with crab was nice, though at $8.95, it was twice as expensive as all the other kid's meals, but it is great that they at least offer it. They celebrate birthdays and other events by having the special person do something dumb/silly, such as putting on a cowboy hat and galloping around on a stick horse. Nice touch. The food is better over at Bob Chinn's, but it seems like it is more expensive there too, and the atmosphere at Joe's was more enjoyable.
(3)
Yvonne O.
I know this is a chain, and therefore do not expect much, but my husband's summary fits this to a "t" - "Everything was thoroughly mediocre". Driving back from WI on a meat trip, we stopped off to eat lunch as it was past 12:00 and the husband began to grumble. I suggested here because I wanted a shrimp po boy. We ordered two sodas and some crab nachos and then got the po boy and salmon platter. This small amount of stuff (note no liquor or dessert) cost $70. Seriously? This is totally average (frozen) food with dancing waiters and you expect people to shell-out that much? My .25 cent soda has an upcharge to $2.38. WTF? Crab nachos - on which the crab is only visible by microscope and your stomach thanks you later with revenge - were $10. The po boy was pretty standard, as expected, but the salmon looked like it did not start out fresh and service was really lackluster (And we were one of about 4-5 tables in the whole place serviced by at least 7 waitstaff!) Not in a hurry to head back to this place.
(2)
Chad H.
This is a pretty bad place as far as restaurants go. You can do a lot better. That being said, it's not quite the same level of horrible as Olive Garden, it's neighbor. The seafood here is pretty bad and doesn't taste very fresh. I don't understand why anyone would go here, when Red Lobster is right down the street and 100 times better? 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2 for bell curve reasons.
(2)
Jessica S.
I just went to Joe's last night with my sister and one of our friends. As usual, the food was tasty and prompt. I really enjoy the fun, casual atmosphere of Joe's, and its the first restaurant I ever had crab legs. Last night I splurged on the Big Daddy Crab Feast with Dungeness, Snow, and King Crab Legs. I'm glad I got to eat all three at the same time to compare, and I've come to the conclusion that snow crabs are my favorite. (Don't fret, Joe's is not the only place I've had King Crab legs at, but I do prefer the slight sweetness that snow crabs have.) Overall, it was a great dining experience for a girl's night out.
(4)
kevin m.
My group was hungry we wanted seafood in gurnee and it was late whos open to midnite most nights joes friendly staff and good food made this night awsome my entire group ate the steam pots all selections were good def going back again
(5)
Natalie R.
It's.....a.....Joe's Crab Shack. It really is the "Chuck E Cheese" of the seafood restaurant world. This particular one is exactly the same as the one two towns over....which is exactly the same as the one in Auburn Hills, MI....which is exactly the same as....every other Joe's.... Still, one thing about Joe's is that the servers all seem to be aware of their surroundings and take it all very tongue-in-cheek with excellent customer service and a palpable camaraderie. There was one bizarre dance session, but I guess that's just part of the shtick. The shrimp po'boy sucked - the remoulade was Not Good - but the kids' popcorn shrimp was good and I might actually have been enticed into one of the big pot dinners except my husband is a crab hog and I would have been stuck with a claw and some corn.
(3)
Jodi P.
We had dinner here on the Fourth of July. The weather was nice so we sat outside. The kids played on the playground in back of the restaurant basically from when we arrived until we left, with the short exception of a minute to figure out what to eat and about 10 minutes to eat it. So my husband and I practically had a dinner for two, which was really nice for us. Thanks, Joe's Crab Shack, for having the play lot! This earned the place an extra star in my rating. But even without the play lot, Joe's would have earned a good review. We had attentive and helpful service from Kayla, who helped us make choices from the enormous menu, brought our drinks and food promptly, and checked back frequently to bring us extras such as lemons and cocktail sauce, as well as bring more clams when the ones in my husbands steam pot hasn't opened. And the food itself was good, a fresh departure from the greasy fare that prevails here in Gurnee. My husband got the crab and clam steam pot, which he enjoyed, though he probably wouldn't get the old bay spice again, which wasn't his preference. I got a fish, shrimp, and crab cake combo, which was also good. The Mahi Mahi was grilled and topped with a fresh avocado pico de gallo. The shrimp was simple and seasoned with paprika, and the crab cake was delicious - lots of crab and a nice remoulade sauce. The kids meals were good too, reasonably priced and a nice break from burgers and fries. Even with our beer, the meal came in at under $75, which we feel is a good value for a seafood dinner for a family of four. All in all, a great experience in a sea of very average fish in this neck of the woods. We would return and might even go out of our way to do so.
(5)
Amy T.
Went there after going to Great America and I got one of the crab pots. The crab smelled ammoniated, which means it wasn't fresh, and I should have sent it back. It didn't taste that great and the meat was shriveled up and very salty (unfresh) and I became very ill that evening, and spent much of my time in the bathroom. Will not go back because this is the second time I've had ammonia smelling crab, and I can't trust their freshness. There is an overall sense of uncleanliness about this place too, and I think it's kind of gross that the utensils sit in a bucket on a table, without being changed out after each seating. I know I had to reach for utensils in there, and my hands weren't very clean while doing so, therefore who knows who else touched them. I'm a bit shocked that the food and health department allows that. The service was decent, and this is the only seafood place that doesn't give rolls before dining. There is an overall sense of laziness for the table bussing, the bucket of utensils, paper towels instead of napkins and the tables look dingy and unclean. For the prices they charge, I would expect dinner rolls, and clean utensils changed out at every seating, and napkins. Someone is going to get bad food poisoning.
(1)
Vic O.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit I went to this place because everyone but me seems to know how bad it is. 3 years ago I went to the Schaumburg one, and it was fairly good. The menu has since changed, and the quality gone WAY DOWN. I ordered king crab, and it looked just like puny snow crab. My reaction was, they're kidding, right? It's no Shaws, even Red Lobster is better. Their whole approach has changed, to one that is stingy, formulaic and operated by people who don't know seafood. Small portions - 3 chunks of potato and 1/3 ear of corn came with my 'pretend they are King crab legs'. Not recommended. Service was excellent, but that was our server's personal effort. My drink was so strong, I couldn't finish it. The crab tasted fine, seemed fresh, but I got much less than a cupful of crab meat, and no shell cracker (!), just that long useless plastic can opener thing. Hey Joe! Crab has spiny prickly bumps all over. It's painful and messy to open crab legs w/o a cracker. They really should know better. Just don't go there.
(2)
Arlene A.
Arrived at Joe's after a long day in the sun at Great American. While everything else closes up at 10pm, Joe's was open, for which we were thankful. Frozen Margarita's were in order as were some apps. We got the dips (crab and spinach), stuffed mushrooms, and the great balls of fire. The dips are garlicky, which for me is fine. The stuffed mushrooms surprised me by having shrimp in it that was actually identifiable as shrimp. Lastly, the great balls of fire, which are difficult to describe.... cheese, jalapenos in a crispy breading. They're weird, but good. However, the french fries were absolutely amazing! Skins on, super crispy, I could eat those french fries all night long! The best part? Even though we walked in at 10:30pm with them closing at 11pm we were warmly greeted, seated, and treated. Our bartender was great, actually discussing all the different frozen drinks available without rushing us, or making us feel uncomfortable. I am however glad that we were only the second to last patrons in the joint!
(3)
alex l.
I've been to many joe's crab shacks in other locations in Illinois and never had as bad service as this one. I went there on a thursday night. My brother and I were the only customers in the booths with about a dozen customers at the bar. Ordered the appetizer sampler right away, 5 minutes later ordered the $40 bucket for two. 15 minutes later waitress states appetizers will be coming out any minute. Another 15 minutes waitress says same thing. I can understand if it was friday and the places was packed and maybe understaffed but three waitresses for two customers and 35 min no food disregarding appetizers with same excuse? My brother and I paid for our drinks and left and went to Outback steakhouse which was 20x busier and they were very prompt and polite and we got ALL our food in less then 20 minutes. Never had the food there so I can't rate the food but who waits over a half an hour for appetizers with no apology in the dead of night.
(1)
Ryan R.
Our experience started off very poor. The waitress was upset she got her drink order wrong, and when asked about whether or not the Maine lobster was frozen, I got an attitude like I should know all their fish are frozen. Well, when she came back with the correct drink order, the tide changed and her attitude reversed 180 degrees. She actually turned out to be a very good, respectful waitress and for that reason we left her 20% tip. Remember TIP actual led means (TO INSURE PROMPTNESS). Anyway, let's get to the grub. I got the king crab engaged in a garlic sauce of some kind (which were half the price...and size...than at a higher class establishment) and my kids got the popcorn shrimp, which they seemed to enjoy. My wife got the steamed king crab which were essentially tasteless. Bottom line...next time we decide to get a frozen TV dinner, it won't be at this place. There is a reason I haven't been back to this place in years. 3 stars overall, but I was really leaning for 2!
(3)
Stan G.
have always enjoyed joe's crab shack, and this is no exception! for being a chain restaurant they have it down great. awesome service, fun inviting atmosphere, and tasty food.. I ordered the Bairdi crab, a new one on the menu and it's my new favorite. I got 2 huge clusters, full of thick tasty meat. its as good as the king without the full king crab price.. my server was super nice, very efficient, and did her job very well. she made continuous trips to my table to make sure all was ok as a professional server does. I left Joes feeling very satisfied and fully assured that I got my money's worth.. will definitely be returning..
(5)
Brian V.
The food here is, well, food... I didn't have anything that was really good. Our server was really friendly & that's why I'm going 3 stars. On food alone this would be a 2 star review. Everything was overly breaded and tasted the same. If I was blindfolded the only way I could tell what I was eating would be the texture... It was my first time here & most likely my last.
(3)
Josh K.
Really not sure about the bad reviews. Service was great. Drinks were great (get the 2 drink limit drinks with 151). Lobster might have been slightly over cooked but still delicious. I'm planning on making a trip here at least once every few months. Great Sunday lazy full stomach start.
(5)
Bernadette V.
This was without a doubt one of the worst, if not the worst, dining experiences my family and I have EVER had! This place belongs on "Restaurant Impossible" or "Hell's Kitchen". It is the holy trinity of bad dining...horrible food, service, and prices. I'll preface this section by stating that the other two restaurants we have tried for seafood boil were Pappadeaux and the Angry Crab. They are both pretty good at worst. I don't think it is unreasonable to use them as a measuring stick for my Joe's experience. The food was tremendously disappointing. As a group we opted for an appetizer of cheesy crab dip with onion chips. The dip itself was mediocre, making it by far the best dish of the evening, while the chips were very stale. For an entree I ordered two pounds of shrimp with potatoes, corn, sausage, coleslaw, mac & cheese, and hush puppies on the side (these were all very uninspiring and the hush puppies were particularly disappointing for their very dry texture). I know two pounds of shrimp when I see it, and this was not anywhere near two pounds of shrimp, although when we questioned the server she begged to differ. Lucky for her I forgot my digital culinary scale in my other purse. Regarding taste, it was very sparingly seasoned with Old Bay. I don't know whether they were afraid they would break the bank using too much, or their chefs were simply that inept, but it tasted like plain ole boiled shrimp. My friend ordered crawfish, specifying spicy, and needless to say it was not. Even worse was the fact that she pulled multiple old dead black crawfish from the bunch. Given the seemingly fresh market prices, it is particularly disappointing to be served something obviously frozen. Regarding the service, it was an amateur circus act. When we arrived they seemed perplexed that a group of nine people could possibly have had no objections to dining at their establishment. The task of joining together three tables nearly overwhelmed them (despite the place being half empty), but after upwards of five minutes they managed to complete the assembly. Our main server (I guess you could call her that) was passive aggressive rude and completely useless when questioned regarding any of the menu items. Perhaps she felt that providing Captain Obvious answers was appropriate given the restaurant's nautical theme? She was very slow to bring our drinks. When that was finally done the revolving door of her fellow servers seemed to take over the financial gang rape for the evening. She did make a brief obligatory appearance toward the end to ask way after the fact if we were doing "alright". The disaster of a meal was far beyond any sort of redemption, not that I believe she would have made any effort to rectify things even if it wasn't. The bottom line is that this place is run just like the water park adjacent to it, a tourist trap with an all-around high priced extremely dissatisfying experience.
(1)
Bella W.
I don't know why there's so many bad reviews. I went there for the first time yesterday, and I liked it for the most part. The host that took us to the table wasn't friendly tho, she looked like she hated her job. Our waitress was really friendly. The food was ok, typical seafood, nothing too fancy, but it was satisfying. My dad got a lobster that was bad tho, it was all mushy like mash potato, but they had no problem replacing it, and were really nice about it. The manager was also super friendly and came to check on us. I really liked the friendly atmosphere, except the host, but aside from seating us, we didn't have to interact with her. Everything is super pricey, so probably won't come here everyday, but for special occasions I would definitely come here again.
(4)
Tina B.
My family has been wanting to eat here for a few years and finally stopped while on a trip to Gurnee Mills. We called ahead to ask about reservations and were told to call one hour before coming in...we did and when we walked in one hour later we were seated immediately. My guy and daughter ordered the "$40" double crab boil which is the Classic Joe's Steampot( Queens crab, snow crab, shrimp, sausage, corn on cob, red potatoes, French fries and hush puppies. All pretty standard and nothing stood out. We ordered salads with "homemade" ranch dressing which was unimpressive and he had blue cheese which he enjoyed. Our server was very pleasant, friendly and attentive. She even assisted with cracking the crab legs open and making sure not to miss any of nuggets of crab meat. In the claws. I don't eat shellfish and didn't see any fish on the menu that appealed to me so it was a toss up between the burger, chicken sandwich or chicken fingers. I decided on the bacon cheese burger sans bacon. It wasn't good and the onion strings were even less impressive (I wish they had a little bit more crunch and flavor) the burger was kind of dry and lacked over all flavor. My experience has always been if you go to a seafood restaurant order seafood or if you go to a steak restaurant order steak and definitely in this case I should have stuck to my rule of thumb. Rather they ruin my families evening with my pickiness I just ate my burger...they really enjoyed their experience and I loved watching them enjoy it.... Go if you must but don't go with high expectations...
(2)
Corey N.
Showed up for a Thursday half off drinks and this Joes Crab Shack was out of alcoholic to make many of there drinks. Because of the drink issue, I waited around 20 minutes before I saw my first drink. Waiter was almost none existent. Water was gone had to walk over to find someone to get more drinks. Was at this exact crab shack a year ago. This place seems less organized this time around and not well managed. Had really good crab and the food was good. Just seemed poorly managed acrossed the board. Was watching other waiters getting frustrated with other waiters, not our waiter either. This was our waiters first day, so I did feel bad for him having to deal with all the other b.s. issues.
(1)
Mark F.
Whenever we drive by it feels like no one is here. When we chose to come for dinner we were one of the only people there. It was kind of sad. But I was optimistic that we'd have stellar service and amazing food. Sadly...we did not have either. Service was slow and the girl felt rushed for some reason. On the plus side, everything came out pretty quick. Their kids menu was great and had some creative items. I feel like Joe's came about at the height of gimmick restaurants (like Rainforest Cafe or Bubba Gump Shrimp) and it's stuck there. It'd be great to see it innovate itself otherwise the parking lot and quality will remain empty.
(2)
Mike N.
Flies allover. I had been there a couple of years ago. Today the flies took over the place. Even though the waitress was very hospitable the food was bland and cold. And again flies allover the place. The bucket where you're supposed to put the shells was still dirty with remains from the last diner. Not going back at this particular restaurant.
(2)
Bex A.
I like the chain. This is the second location I have been too. I am reviewing the location in this post mostly, but here is a quick recap of the food. You can pretty much expect consistency since it's a chain. Garlicky mussels, tasty. Snow crab, tasty. Sangria, tasty. BUT the lobster, chewy and tough, but for the price, not surprising. If you want really good lobster, then you should be going to a place and spending market price. So you get a decent lobster for the price. First time I had to shuck the entire lobster. That was interesting The service was good, (coming from an ex-waitress.) I made a reservation, took a little while to be seated, but they were cleaning. I have standards on serving, but I also understand the challenges of the restaurant world. The waitress was nice, checked on us appropriately. The challenge, I ordered mussels, we noticed that it was taking longer than it should for our appetizers. Then a few mins later the waitress came, explained they were by accidentally over cooked and they will be comped. I appreciated this as an ex-server and like I said, unexpected things happened. It was nice that it was addressed and they immediately handled it. She did say the manager was going to come over, he did not, but I could careless. I don't need an apology from management, it was handled. Otherwise, service was great. Like the fun decor and the food. Definitely Wiil go back.
(4)
Cam M.
Came here with my family after a day at Six Flags. The service was good and we got our drinks refilled when we needed them. We ordered the Ragin' Cajun steampot and extra crab. The waitress was helpful and answered questions about portion sizes. The crab was good, I liked the Cajun spice because it had some 'kick'. We got extra butter when we asked for it, too. The potatoes and corn were both Cajun spiced. The corn was kind of soggy, almost like a frozen ear that was taken from the freezer and boiled. I have had way better. The potatoes were good, but there were only a few. The sausage was amazing. I like it here because I like crab boils. I have had better, but this was fun after a day at Six Flags. The portions were a little small for the price, but that is why we don't go to Joe's often.
(3)
Chuck T.
Always yummy and fresh! Service is always good. If you like crab, no better place. Cool shirts available.
(5)
Dr. C.
They can not cook the Bar-B-Que Dungeness crab! Horrible Experience, an unexpected visit from the Regional Management is in order!
(1)
Mary M.
Service is extremely slow. We were there for two hours for dinner, and we rushed getting out of there. If you're not in a hurry and it's a nice day, I recommend sitting on the patio. If you have kids, they can play on the playground. Food is fine (almost nothing for vegetarians), drinks are good. The atmosphere is fun (although they never danced when we were there, even though they announced it), if a bit loud. I was also sitting on the most uncomfortable banquette ever. The waitress told me they were replacing them slowly, but they need to do it faster.
(2)
Jon R.
Got in and was immediately seated. Started it with a Coke and mozzerella sticks which weren't heated completely so the center was still cold. Tolerable but not good. Ordered the snow crab bucket which was out before we could finish the cheese sticks. Food was very good, better than I last remember eating there, but they never refilled my Coke and I had to ask for my fries a second time. Also tasted my dad's crawfish and while it was good the breading was too soft and chewy. Chocolate cake for dessert, which was so big we could not finish. JCS is "plan B" when every restaurant in Gurnee is jam-packed (in our case: Red Lobster). With the fairly-mediocre/inefficient service this place has it's no-wonder the parking lot is never busy when driving by. I can also attest the servers are dancing to the same junk they were 10 years ago... the novelty sure wears off fast. Bottom line: Could be worse.
(2)
Corey M.
Food was ok, no wi-fi, military discount on certain days? Nice atmosphere and some fun music and staff dancing, although they didn't seem to enjoy it.
(3)
Jeff V.
Terrible service. The food was really bad. I had a shrimp combo. The stuffed shrimp tasted like were not fresh eeeew. The rice was dry, tasteless and cold. Stop dancing and start quality control!
(2)
Baby B.
We only go here if we are desperate for crab legs and too lazy to drive to Bob Chin's (which is the best seafood place ever and their crab legs are 3 times bigger). The service sucks and the food is just OK. Our waiter seemed to have short term memory loss and coudn't remember anything he heard five seconds ago, causing for us to wait and constantly remind him about our drinks and utensils so we could begin eating. The dancing is soooo annoying and done by people who have no rhythm or energy whatsoever. Ordered a martini and all I could taste was alcohol and sent it back. The only reason I would go back is for the crawfish...can't really find that any place else.
(2)
Tiffany V.
My boyfriend suggested we check this place out last weekend because neither of us had been there before. I am always excited to try new restaurants but this was a disappointment. Someone seated us, but we sat at the table for at least 25 minutes without even being acknowledged by a server, which I dont understand why because it was 3 pm and we were one of probably 10 tables and there were 4 or 5 servers. My boyfriend went to the bar to get the manager and the bartender kept telling him that the manager was really busy. The manager came out 10 minutes later and was very unapologetic. He said that just because it didn't look busy in the restaurant doesn't mean they weren't busy, because he was in the back making food and washing dishes to help out. He offered to cook our food for us personally but we decided to go to Olive Garden instead. Don't waste your time or money...You're better off going somewhere else. We also sent an email to corporate to complain about the horrible service and haven't gotten a response.
(1)
Vic O.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit I went to this place because everyone but me seems to know how bad it is. 3 years ago I went to the Schaumburg one, and it was fairly good. The menu has since changed, and the quality gone WAY DOWN. I ordered king crab, and it looked just like puny snow crab. My reaction was, they're kidding, right? It's no Shaws, even Red Lobster is better. Their whole approach has changed, to one that is stingy, formulaic and operated by people who don't know seafood. Small portions - 3 chunks of potato and 1/3 ear of corn came with my 'pretend they are King crab legs'. Not recommended. Service was excellent, but that was our server's personal effort. My drink was so strong, I couldn't finish it. The crab tasted fine, seemed fresh, but I got much less than a cupful of crab meat, and no shell cracker (!), just that long useless plastic can opener thing. Hey Joe! Crab has spiny prickly bumps all over. It's painful and messy to open crab legs w/o a cracker. They really should know better. Just don't go there.
(2)
Arlene A.
Arrived at Joe's after a long day in the sun at Great American. While everything else closes up at 10pm, Joe's was open, for which we were thankful. Frozen Margarita's were in order as were some apps. We got the dips (crab and spinach), stuffed mushrooms, and the great balls of fire. The dips are garlicky, which for me is fine. The stuffed mushrooms surprised me by having shrimp in it that was actually identifiable as shrimp. Lastly, the great balls of fire, which are difficult to describe.... cheese, jalapenos in a crispy breading. They're weird, but good. However, the french fries were absolutely amazing! Skins on, super crispy, I could eat those french fries all night long! The best part? Even though we walked in at 10:30pm with them closing at 11pm we were warmly greeted, seated, and treated. Our bartender was great, actually discussing all the different frozen drinks available without rushing us, or making us feel uncomfortable. I am however glad that we were only the second to last patrons in the joint!
(3)
alex l.
I've been to many joe's crab shacks in other locations in Illinois and never had as bad service as this one. I went there on a thursday night. My brother and I were the only customers in the booths with about a dozen customers at the bar. Ordered the appetizer sampler right away, 5 minutes later ordered the $40 bucket for two. 15 minutes later waitress states appetizers will be coming out any minute. Another 15 minutes waitress says same thing. I can understand if it was friday and the places was packed and maybe understaffed but three waitresses for two customers and 35 min no food disregarding appetizers with same excuse? My brother and I paid for our drinks and left and went to Outback steakhouse which was 20x busier and they were very prompt and polite and we got ALL our food in less then 20 minutes. Never had the food there so I can't rate the food but who waits over a half an hour for appetizers with no apology in the dead of night.
(1)
Kurt K.
A bit pricey but great food and great atmosphere. Much better then that other seafood chain. Drinks were good and when a person in our party didn't like here houses specialty drink they made her another on the house. As for the food, how can you say a bad word about BBQ Queen Crab Legs. yum. Would have been 5 stars but the price is a bit steep for the positions. Drink prices are actually lower then expected for house specialty drinks.
(4)
Caitie H.
Called right before we came and said we had a movie to see at 7:40 and if we came in at 7 could we get to the movie in time. He said he could have our orders out within 15 minutes guaranteed. So we got here right at 7 and the host barely said hello before she plopped us in the corner. I told her we were kind of in a rush and she just smirked. We sat for 30 minutes before anyone even came over to us. Two tables came in after us and got their drinks and food put in while we were sitting here. And mind you, the restaurant is dead. Once the server came over we asked to talk to the manager, Joann (mgr) came over and was totally polite, very sweet and took care of the situation. So although we started pretty pissed off, she definitely made it right. Will return (maybe when we don't have a tight schedule)
(3)
Thuy H.
I felt like the place is a little overpriced for the amount if food they give you. The steampot is too salty on the outside and very bland on the inside. I really wanted some crawfish and what was served to me was worse than what I could've gotten at a buffet. They said that the orlean steam pot was 1lb but what really added up to the weight was the corn and salty sausages.
(2)
Kelly C.
Just left joes without a bite of food. Sat at the bar, noticed the dirty floor and coolers immediately. Ordered a draft beer and thought about ordering dinner. Upon sitting for several minutes we decided we would not be dining, that if this is how what we can see looks, imagine the kitchen! Decided to have a shot and the bartender pulls out a bottle of rumpleminz filled with pink liquid! No thanks. There were several pieces of garbage on the floor behind me, noticed staff walk right past it at least a dozen times. Jon Taffer would go ballistic here!
(1)
Jeanne N.
We came here last night - Saturday- for early dinner. This was the second time here. The place was busy, but not super busy, so we were seated right away. For an appetizer, we ordered the bucket of shrimp (18) and got that right away. We did observe though, that we did not get as many shrimp as we ordered, and were brought out an additional 6. Also, we were missing the paper towel roll, as well as silver ware which we had to ask for! Most of the shrimp had shells that would not come off, so you had to eat the shells, which my husband did not care for. I ordered the Queen crab bucket fire grilled style which was awesome, the crab cracked nicely, the meat came right out of the shell! Yum! However, my husband ordered the paella, and the shrimp come with the tails still on- not what you would want to eat with a fork, and he also had a lot of clam shell fragments in the mix! It only comes with 1 garlic bread, you need way more, and we had to pay extra for it.... but the flavor was great. My 12 year old had the classic stream pot with the Queen crab, and was pleased with the meal, as was my 7 year old with the Mac n cheese. Another issue is their bathroom: dirty, falling apart, and gross. Report of worse conditions in the men's! If at all possible, avoid until after your meal! Although pleased with the flavors, and my meal was good, the cost being high, and the service and the atmosphere as well as food quality being lack-lustre, the consensus of the family is that we will not be back :(
(2)
Susie C.
My friends and I came here for lunch after our bike ride tour. It was a pretty decent crowd since it was 2ish pm. The staff is friendly, our waitress was nice and helpful. We sat in a booth. My friends who sat across from us couldn't put their backs on the seat because it would move the person who's sitting on the other side. That guy kept looking back so my friends couldnt lean back otherwise it would bother the other customer. And they felt the other customer was leaning back so they felt the bumps here and there. Unfortunately it wasn't comfortable for them to sit where they sat. The seat on the booth could be more sturdy but it isn't. I ordered the seafood platter...or something like that. It has fish and chips with fried scallops. My fish was just one piece and it was heavily breaded and fried. Couldn't really eat the fish at all. The fries were decent. The shrimp and scallops were okay..like I said very fried and breaded. My husband ordered the pasta-laya. He thought it was just okay. My other friend thought her pasta-laya was just okay too. My other friend ordered a platter - he thought it was okay as well..it came with balls...not sure what was in it but those were decent. Overall we had a decent time. Food is just okay - I wouldn't say it was favorable.
(2)
Kim B.
Very disappointed. I love joes and always visit the one in Florida. Was going to order steam pot and server suggested something different. Crab legs were deep fried and over cooked. Place was in need of a deep clean. Very dusty and disgusting. Server was nice
(2)
Ben J.
Crab and lobster were quite good. $2 Hurricanes were pretty good too. Service from Savannah was nice and chipper. And besides, with good crab and lobster, what else need be said?
(4)
Kamila L.
I will not be coming back to this Joe's Crabshack ever. One night, my boyfriend and I decided to finally eat out for dinner during the week instead of ordering in. I wanted crablegs and anywhere else that was offering them was too far of a drive. Needless to say, they seated us next to the waitress station when it was empty everywhere else. Apparently this was the section of a waitress who did not want to be there. We only saw her three times during the whole time we were there. Not to ask us if we needed anything else but just to take our order deliver our food, drop off a beer we ordered 12 minutes before and to give us our check. (okay that is 4 but I didn't count the beer) The crablegs were not hot. There was no butter, we couldn't even wave her down to get butter either. On top of it, when we were looking around for her she came to the waitress station directly behind us and continued to complain about not wanting to be there. I work in the bar industry so even if she had sucked it up and checked on us a few more times, it would have been worth her while to have stayed, we always tip well. I'm sorry but with the food being lukewarm, the service, the whole experience- we will be driving the extra 20-30 minutes to get crablegs somewhere else.
(2)
Gina B.
I have been to this location twice now and have had two completely different experiences so I guess I will need to go once again for the tie breaker to determine if it is really good or really not. Made the drive out to Gurnee on a Sunday morning, on a mission to get a Tshirt for someone and of course the seafood. Dealing with traffic and construction on the way out, I was happy to finally get there. Pulled in and it was dead, like 4 cars in the parking lot dead - weird but then again it was Sunday morning early afternoon. Greeted and seated, already knew the drill of the place so that was all good. Our server was scarce we were self sufficient getting out own paper towels, etc. He brought us the wrong meal and when my son told him it was wrong he was just like "oh ya" Really? don't show so much concern. We were his only table and he couldn't notice his one order was wrong? He spent all of his time up at the bar with his friends watching the football game. The food came and other than my son's being wrong, mine was awful. I had ordered a steamer pot with lobster, crab, shrimp, etc with garlic and old bay seasoning. There was no garlic or seasoning and everything was water logged. I had to wring out my lobster to eat it and couldn't do so then because it was so overcooked and chewy it was impossible. What a colossal waste of money. This was one of those experiences that would happen if you raved about a place and finally decided to take someone there to show it off and then the service and food is horrible and you are left feeling very embarrassed. Not good at all. Finished up and headed out but not before stopping by the door to get my shirt I came for. Who would think this would have an issue? I was informed by the girl at the door that all the shirts were $21.99, which I knew they were not from the internet and being there previously. She insisted. Sign said differently. Another worker said she was mistaken - ahh, no kidding. So the no it all girl rang me up and had to admit she told me incorrectly and then asked me if I would like to leave a tip. Huh? What? a tip, for what? For buying a shirt??? She replied "YES" - Ahhh I don't think so! Are you serious?! Asking for a tip for ringing up a tshirt - WOW! As soon as we walked out the door there was a down pour and we were soaked to the bone by the time we got in the car. Drove home while tornado warnings were going off everywhere. This was just an awful experience all the way around. Happy to get home.
(2)
J. Chuck K.
What started out as one of the worst dining experiences of my life, ended up being a pretty fun evening. When we walked in this past Saturday night around 5:00, we were told it would be an hour wait because there was a reservation for 35 people and another for 23 in front of us. Why they take reservations on a Saturday night is beyond me. The large crowd waiting around the hostess stand clearly showed they're not hurting for business. I had never been to Joe's before and our friends really wanted sea food, so with two 3 year olds and another that was one, we were willing to see if they could hold out for an hour. What started out as an hour, very painfully turned into two. By the time the 60 minute mark rolled around, my wife went to get an explanation from the hostesses and finally asked for a manager. When the manager arrived, she could see that my wife was unhappy. Instead of listening and showing some concern, THE MANAGER TURNED AROUND AND WALKED AWAY. Stunned by this behavior, another manager (didn't get his name, but a gentleman with glasses) arrived and apologized. Just after 7pm we were finally seated and experienced great service from the waiter, JR. As I said, this was my first time coming here, and also my first time eating crab legs. The crab was good, a lot of work, but good. However, I felt like there weren't enough legs in the portion to justify the price. What really stood out were the balls of fire appetizer (ha ha so funny) and the crab dip. I could easily eat both as a meal and be satisfied. After our hellish wait, and the way my wife complained to the manager and hostesses, I was expecting apathetic service and the kitchen staff to spit on our food. But right away we could tell the manager and waiter wanted to turn the night around for us. The manager felt so bad for us that OUR ENTIRE CHECK WAS COMPED,and not just the food, but drinks too. He could have taken off a percentage or given us a free appetizer, but he really went above and beyond in trying to get us to return. The female manager that walked away from wife without saying a word shouldn't even have a job. If she can't handle unhappy customers then she better find a new line of work. While the other manager was personally cleaning tables and making drinks behind the bar, she was standing in a doorway and staring off into space. Based on the first two hours of this night I would not come back, but after eating the food and taking in some of the fun atmosphere, we would come back and give them another try. The fully comped bill certainly helped, but the manager's genuine concern and the waiter's enthusiastic attitude made us believers. I seriously doubt they'll be taking reservations on the weekend any time soon.
(3)
Rebekah R.
Awesome food. I love the Queen crap, garlic mussels, corn on the cob and my husband enjoys his "Big people drinks" as my daughter calls them. Service is great and the food is delicious, I always want to order more even after I'm full. Lol awesome family nights.
(5)
Rod L.
The food was good $40 for the two lobster steam pot with clams and shrimp. The quantity was a little short however. I had come to Joe's to celebrate my daughters thirteenth birthday. After asking the hostess and my waiter to provide her the special birthday treatment we got nothing. So that's why I left nothing for a tip.
(2)
Edwin R.
Freaking awesome food. We were first timers, but they took the time to explain how to eat crab the right way and we enjoyed every last leg!
(5)
Samuel V.
First time visit , if you're considering this place, your not missing much ! It's a dingy and skimpy for what you get on a plate! I give it 2 stars cuz the waitress was wonderful !
(2)
Greg B.
So so...mussels we're ok, Maine coat was ok if not overdone. Beer was cold and server was attentive. Described it as their slow time. Not returning.
(2)
Brian L.
Went tonight with the family and it was an awful experience. Cold food, bland food with no taste, waterlogged food, no knives on table, no butter, no lemons, expensive drinks with little alcohol, never again!
(1)
Kim M.
I had friends coming into town for a very short visit - basically, just dinner before they had to hit the road again. They were delayed, and didn't get into Gurnee until after midnight. They really wanted some seafood, and had their hearts set on Joe's. We arrived about 10-15 minutes before closing, and I was hoping they'd bail on the idea because I hate to cause that kind of inconvenience. After all, it's not fast food. And, I'll admit, after seeing "Waiting," it made me even more leery of being that person who makes everyone stay late when they'd rather be home getting some sleep. Spitburger, anyone? The only people still working were the manager and one or two of the wait staff. If they were upset that we were there, they sure didn't show it. They were incredibly friendly and helpful. We ordered food that we thought wouldn't be too much trouble for them but even then, it really wasn't a short stay for us. A big shout out to the waiter and the manager who made us feel welcome even though I know they had a better way to spend their time. The food here is always good. It's not the best - if you want the best seafood, you don't go to a chain that most likely uses frozen seafood because of the high volume of service. But it's enjoyable and I do like to eat here. Love the peel-n-eat shrimp appetizer, I often get it as my meal. The Great Balls of Fire are pretty good, too. I'd give the food a 3-star rating, but I bumped it up to 4 because of the great service we had despite the very late hour.
(4)
Christina K.
I didn't get Crabs from Joe....I got shell and what they call "crab meat" Been here twice. This Valentines Day and Valentines Day 2 years ago. Only reason we returned was because the wait at other restaurants. Waited about an hour for our table. Drank at the bar first. Did I mention that my alcoholic drink cost me $9? Because it did. Our server was nice. Appetizer was okay, the bucket effing sucked. We ordered the King & Queen crab. Which looked the same size, but looked like snow Crab...WTF? Yea so happy that I dropped $60 that night. Oh wait..forgot my drink cost $9 and tip...So glad I dropped $75 that night. Someone gag me. Ugh. The $30 bucket we bought came with about 6 legs, 1 ear of uncooked corn, and 1 potato. Lol 1 potato...are you serious? YUP...Never again. F YOU JOES
(2)
Jennifer G.
I don't know why people give good reviews and then only 2-3 stars. WE had an awesome time. Great food, excellent service, happy atmosphere. Best time in a long time. Our server Robbie said he was new but I would never have guessed. We LOVED him. He not only congratulated our son on his graduation but thanked him for his service. Too cool. We're even going to write the manager a letter when we get home! 2 stars? Please! Where do you people eat???
(5)
Robert B.
I generally like Joe's, was a bit disappointed tonight. I ordered the fish and chips which was very good. Average good though I thought. The appetizers were good.
(3)
Shamika C.
Went here after going to six flags. We ordered the nachos w/pico on the side & it came out with it on. No big deal if you weren't allergic to onions. They brought it out a second time & it literally just had lettuce and chips no crab meat. Our server after that had the worst customer service. We waited for to come check on us for 20 mins. No refills with our drinks. Eventually I had to get a manager. I like joe crab shack just wouldn't recommend that location!
(1)
Jodi P.
We had dinner here on the Fourth of July. The weather was nice so we sat outside. The kids played on the playground in back of the restaurant basically from when we arrived until we left, with the short exception of a minute to figure out what to eat and about 10 minutes to eat it. So my husband and I practically had a dinner for two, which was really nice for us. Thanks, Joe's Crab Shack, for having the play lot! This earned the place an extra star in my rating. But even without the play lot, Joe's would have earned a good review. We had attentive and helpful service from Kayla, who helped us make choices from the enormous menu, brought our drinks and food promptly, and checked back frequently to bring us extras such as lemons and cocktail sauce, as well as bring more clams when the ones in my husbands steam pot hasn't opened. And the food itself was good, a fresh departure from the greasy fare that prevails here in Gurnee. My husband got the crab and clam steam pot, which he enjoyed, though he probably wouldn't get the old bay spice again, which wasn't his preference. I got a fish, shrimp, and crab cake combo, which was also good. The Mahi Mahi was grilled and topped with a fresh avocado pico de gallo. The shrimp was simple and seasoned with paprika, and the crab cake was delicious - lots of crab and a nice remoulade sauce. The kids meals were good too, reasonably priced and a nice break from burgers and fries. Even with our beer, the meal came in at under $75, which we feel is a good value for a seafood dinner for a family of four. All in all, a great experience in a sea of very average fish in this neck of the woods. We would return and might even go out of our way to do so.
(5)
Amy T.
Went there after going to Great America and I got one of the crab pots. The crab smelled ammoniated, which means it wasn't fresh, and I should have sent it back. It didn't taste that great and the meat was shriveled up and very salty (unfresh) and I became very ill that evening, and spent much of my time in the bathroom. Will not go back because this is the second time I've had ammonia smelling crab, and I can't trust their freshness. There is an overall sense of uncleanliness about this place too, and I think it's kind of gross that the utensils sit in a bucket on a table, without being changed out after each seating. I know I had to reach for utensils in there, and my hands weren't very clean while doing so, therefore who knows who else touched them. I'm a bit shocked that the food and health department allows that. The service was decent, and this is the only seafood place that doesn't give rolls before dining. There is an overall sense of laziness for the table bussing, the bucket of utensils, paper towels instead of napkins and the tables look dingy and unclean. For the prices they charge, I would expect dinner rolls, and clean utensils changed out at every seating, and napkins. Someone is going to get bad food poisoning.
(1)
Yvonne O.
I know this is a chain, and therefore do not expect much, but my husband's summary fits this to a "t" - "Everything was thoroughly mediocre". Driving back from WI on a meat trip, we stopped off to eat lunch as it was past 12:00 and the husband began to grumble. I suggested here because I wanted a shrimp po boy. We ordered two sodas and some crab nachos and then got the po boy and salmon platter. This small amount of stuff (note no liquor or dessert) cost $70. Seriously? This is totally average (frozen) food with dancing waiters and you expect people to shell-out that much? My .25 cent soda has an upcharge to $2.38. WTF? Crab nachos - on which the crab is only visible by microscope and your stomach thanks you later with revenge - were $10. The po boy was pretty standard, as expected, but the salmon looked like it did not start out fresh and service was really lackluster (And we were one of about 4-5 tables in the whole place serviced by at least 7 waitstaff!) Not in a hurry to head back to this place.
(2)
Chad H.
This is a pretty bad place as far as restaurants go. You can do a lot better. That being said, it's not quite the same level of horrible as Olive Garden, it's neighbor. The seafood here is pretty bad and doesn't taste very fresh. I don't understand why anyone would go here, when Red Lobster is right down the street and 100 times better? 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2 for bell curve reasons.
(2)
Jessica S.
I just went to Joe's last night with my sister and one of our friends. As usual, the food was tasty and prompt. I really enjoy the fun, casual atmosphere of Joe's, and its the first restaurant I ever had crab legs. Last night I splurged on the Big Daddy Crab Feast with Dungeness, Snow, and King Crab Legs. I'm glad I got to eat all three at the same time to compare, and I've come to the conclusion that snow crabs are my favorite. (Don't fret, Joe's is not the only place I've had King Crab legs at, but I do prefer the slight sweetness that snow crabs have.) Overall, it was a great dining experience for a girl's night out.
(4)
kevin m.
My group was hungry we wanted seafood in gurnee and it was late whos open to midnite most nights joes friendly staff and good food made this night awsome my entire group ate the steam pots all selections were good def going back again
(5)
Natalie R.
It's.....a.....Joe's Crab Shack. It really is the "Chuck E Cheese" of the seafood restaurant world. This particular one is exactly the same as the one two towns over....which is exactly the same as the one in Auburn Hills, MI....which is exactly the same as....every other Joe's.... Still, one thing about Joe's is that the servers all seem to be aware of their surroundings and take it all very tongue-in-cheek with excellent customer service and a palpable camaraderie. There was one bizarre dance session, but I guess that's just part of the shtick. The shrimp po'boy sucked - the remoulade was Not Good - but the kids' popcorn shrimp was good and I might actually have been enticed into one of the big pot dinners except my husband is a crab hog and I would have been stuck with a claw and some corn.
(3)
Mike L.
The Chuck-E-Cheese of the seafood world, well without all the little kids and the video games, but if you want neon loud decour and noise along with your bad food than this is the place for you. The place is just a disaster with all the swag hanging on the ceiling and walls plus the tables are cramped so close together it feels liked they are stacked up on each other. The food comes in small portions and is of poor quality, which is good because it means you can leave that much quicker. I laughed at my friend when he ordered a beer because it was $6 or $8 bucks for a MIller LIte and all I could say was that it is as bad as Wrigley and you can get a 12 pack, hell, even a case of it for that price. So you get to keep the drink glasses, is Joes Crab Shack in Gurnee IL going to give you that Kodak moment whenever you look at that glass 5,10,30 years from now? The only food worse than this place in the area is at Six Flags. Just drive by, dont get seduced by all the flashing lights at this place, dont be the moth.
(1)
Ryan R.
Our experience started off very poor. The waitress was upset she got her drink order wrong, and when asked about whether or not the Maine lobster was frozen, I got an attitude like I should know all their fish are frozen. Well, when she came back with the correct drink order, the tide changed and her attitude reversed 180 degrees. She actually turned out to be a very good, respectful waitress and for that reason we left her 20% tip. Remember TIP actual led means (TO INSURE PROMPTNESS). Anyway, let's get to the grub. I got the king crab engaged in a garlic sauce of some kind (which were half the price...and size...than at a higher class establishment) and my kids got the popcorn shrimp, which they seemed to enjoy. My wife got the steamed king crab which were essentially tasteless. Bottom line...next time we decide to get a frozen TV dinner, it won't be at this place. There is a reason I haven't been back to this place in years. 3 stars overall, but I was really leaning for 2!
(3)
Stan G.
have always enjoyed joe's crab shack, and this is no exception! for being a chain restaurant they have it down great. awesome service, fun inviting atmosphere, and tasty food.. I ordered the Bairdi crab, a new one on the menu and it's my new favorite. I got 2 huge clusters, full of thick tasty meat. its as good as the king without the full king crab price.. my server was super nice, very efficient, and did her job very well. she made continuous trips to my table to make sure all was ok as a professional server does. I left Joes feeling very satisfied and fully assured that I got my money's worth.. will definitely be returning..
(5)
Brian V.
The food here is, well, food... I didn't have anything that was really good. Our server was really friendly & that's why I'm going 3 stars. On food alone this would be a 2 star review. Everything was overly breaded and tasted the same. If I was blindfolded the only way I could tell what I was eating would be the texture... It was my first time here & most likely my last.
(3)
Josh K.
Really not sure about the bad reviews. Service was great. Drinks were great (get the 2 drink limit drinks with 151). Lobster might have been slightly over cooked but still delicious. I'm planning on making a trip here at least once every few months. Great Sunday lazy full stomach start.
(5)
Kari H.
I walked in the place it was very busy,.. They seated the four of us to the booth. The waitress took 20 mins to get our drinks and forgot about the 4 persons drink. They food came and it was so bad we order the king daddy Lobster & Crab dinner it was so chewy had to ask the waitress to find the Lobster tail that was curled up that it was sent back. The Manager came and was super friendly he took the dinner off the bill with a drink on the house besides the cook forgot the corn that comes with the meal. All and all the Manager took care of the problem.
(3)
Bernadette V.
This was without a doubt one of the worst, if not the worst, dining experiences my family and I have EVER had! This place belongs on "Restaurant Impossible" or "Hell's Kitchen". It is the holy trinity of bad dining...horrible food, service, and prices. I'll preface this section by stating that the other two restaurants we have tried for seafood boil were Pappadeaux and the Angry Crab. They are both pretty good at worst. I don't think it is unreasonable to use them as a measuring stick for my Joe's experience. The food was tremendously disappointing. As a group we opted for an appetizer of cheesy crab dip with onion chips. The dip itself was mediocre, making it by far the best dish of the evening, while the chips were very stale. For an entree I ordered two pounds of shrimp with potatoes, corn, sausage, coleslaw, mac & cheese, and hush puppies on the side (these were all very uninspiring and the hush puppies were particularly disappointing for their very dry texture). I know two pounds of shrimp when I see it, and this was not anywhere near two pounds of shrimp, although when we questioned the server she begged to differ. Lucky for her I forgot my digital culinary scale in my other purse. Regarding taste, it was very sparingly seasoned with Old Bay. I don't know whether they were afraid they would break the bank using too much, or their chefs were simply that inept, but it tasted like plain ole boiled shrimp. My friend ordered crawfish, specifying spicy, and needless to say it was not. Even worse was the fact that she pulled multiple old dead black crawfish from the bunch. Given the seemingly fresh market prices, it is particularly disappointing to be served something obviously frozen. Regarding the service, it was an amateur circus act. When we arrived they seemed perplexed that a group of nine people could possibly have had no objections to dining at their establishment. The task of joining together three tables nearly overwhelmed them (despite the place being half empty), but after upwards of five minutes they managed to complete the assembly. Our main server (I guess you could call her that) was passive aggressive rude and completely useless when questioned regarding any of the menu items. Perhaps she felt that providing Captain Obvious answers was appropriate given the restaurant's nautical theme? She was very slow to bring our drinks. When that was finally done the revolving door of her fellow servers seemed to take over the financial gang rape for the evening. She did make a brief obligatory appearance toward the end to ask way after the fact if we were doing "alright". The disaster of a meal was far beyond any sort of redemption, not that I believe she would have made any effort to rectify things even if it wasn't. The bottom line is that this place is run just like the water park adjacent to it, a tourist trap with an all-around high priced extremely dissatisfying experience.
(1)
Bella W.
I don't know why there's so many bad reviews. I went there for the first time yesterday, and I liked it for the most part. The host that took us to the table wasn't friendly tho, she looked like she hated her job. Our waitress was really friendly. The food was ok, typical seafood, nothing too fancy, but it was satisfying. My dad got a lobster that was bad tho, it was all mushy like mash potato, but they had no problem replacing it, and were really nice about it. The manager was also super friendly and came to check on us. I really liked the friendly atmosphere, except the host, but aside from seating us, we didn't have to interact with her. Everything is super pricey, so probably won't come here everyday, but for special occasions I would definitely come here again.
(4)
Tina B.
My family has been wanting to eat here for a few years and finally stopped while on a trip to Gurnee Mills. We called ahead to ask about reservations and were told to call one hour before coming in...we did and when we walked in one hour later we were seated immediately. My guy and daughter ordered the "$40" double crab boil which is the Classic Joe's Steampot( Queens crab, snow crab, shrimp, sausage, corn on cob, red potatoes, French fries and hush puppies. All pretty standard and nothing stood out. We ordered salads with "homemade" ranch dressing which was unimpressive and he had blue cheese which he enjoyed. Our server was very pleasant, friendly and attentive. She even assisted with cracking the crab legs open and making sure not to miss any of nuggets of crab meat. In the claws. I don't eat shellfish and didn't see any fish on the menu that appealed to me so it was a toss up between the burger, chicken sandwich or chicken fingers. I decided on the bacon cheese burger sans bacon. It wasn't good and the onion strings were even less impressive (I wish they had a little bit more crunch and flavor) the burger was kind of dry and lacked over all flavor. My experience has always been if you go to a seafood restaurant order seafood or if you go to a steak restaurant order steak and definitely in this case I should have stuck to my rule of thumb. Rather they ruin my families evening with my pickiness I just ate my burger...they really enjoyed their experience and I loved watching them enjoy it.... Go if you must but don't go with high expectations...
(2)
Corey N.
Showed up for a Thursday half off drinks and this Joes Crab Shack was out of alcoholic to make many of there drinks. Because of the drink issue, I waited around 20 minutes before I saw my first drink. Waiter was almost none existent. Water was gone had to walk over to find someone to get more drinks. Was at this exact crab shack a year ago. This place seems less organized this time around and not well managed. Had really good crab and the food was good. Just seemed poorly managed acrossed the board. Was watching other waiters getting frustrated with other waiters, not our waiter either. This was our waiters first day, so I did feel bad for him having to deal with all the other b.s. issues.
(1)
Mark F.
Whenever we drive by it feels like no one is here. When we chose to come for dinner we were one of the only people there. It was kind of sad. But I was optimistic that we'd have stellar service and amazing food. Sadly...we did not have either. Service was slow and the girl felt rushed for some reason. On the plus side, everything came out pretty quick. Their kids menu was great and had some creative items. I feel like Joe's came about at the height of gimmick restaurants (like Rainforest Cafe or Bubba Gump Shrimp) and it's stuck there. It'd be great to see it innovate itself otherwise the parking lot and quality will remain empty.
(2)
Mike N.
Flies allover. I had been there a couple of years ago. Today the flies took over the place. Even though the waitress was very hospitable the food was bland and cold. And again flies allover the place. The bucket where you're supposed to put the shells was still dirty with remains from the last diner. Not going back at this particular restaurant.
(2)
Justin E.
What can I say? This place is just OK. It's always dead and I think that can be highly attributed to the lack of any special draw. There's nothing here that really stands out. We went on Tuesday, April 28th when we were at a last minute "what should we have for dinner" standoff. Tired of the norm, we decided to go to Joe's. We'd been there a time or two in the past and I've always left feeling very underwhelmed for the amount of money we spent. Their signature "Steampots" are quite appealing when reading the menu, but when they come out, they're lacking any real substance or appeal. This particular visit, I thought I'd try just the crab leg bucket rather than the steampot which I'd had in the past. Our waitress, Cassi, who was kind, attentive, courteous and very helpful (if the review was strictly on her service, she'd get 5 stars) misheard us when we ordered Queen Crab and so we were served King Crab. Not a big deal and quite honestly, we didn't even realize that was what we'd eaten until the bill came. I've only had Snow, Dungeness and King in my life so I didn't know what "Queen" looked or tasted like. I just ate it and all along thought to myself, "my this looks and tastes just like King Crab!" Cassi was quick to adjust our bill even though we'd eaten what was served to us. She apologized profusely even though it was really no big deal. At any rate, for a $30 meal, the amount of crab you get is really kind of pathetic. The corn on the cob was sweet, but not crisp. The potatoes are nothing special, just boiled and salted from what I can tell. We each added a side salad to our meal for $3 and even in the dim-lit atmosphere, it was obvious that some of the lettuce was brown/wilted. In my opinion and past experiences, often times, the quality of the salad is a good indication as to what the quality of the entree will be. Such is the case here! Our bill for two entrees, 2 side salads and one beverage was almost $80 after tip. It's just not worth it and I doubt that we'll be back again anytime soon. In conclusion, I guess I just really feel like you can do better at home! Portions, quality and price are all a little out of whack at Joe's.
(3)
Alice A.
Walked in around 9 on a Saturday night. Got greeted and said there was a wait of about 15-20mins when there were empty tables in the restaurant. Ok, so we stepped out. 10 seconds later the teen hostess comes out and said sorry she got the time mixed up. She thought we wanted to be seated outdoors when she never asked in the first place... Ok.... Anyway, ordered the joes steam pot for two and calamari as appetizers. Calamari was good. Not drenched in oil. Very crispy. I would recommend that. The crabs at Joes wasn't as fresh as I thought it would be. They have waaay too much seasoning / salt and butter in that steam pot, it took away the natural flavors of the crabs itself. And it was kinda too salty for me... Our waitress never refilled our drinks and checked up on us twice. Honestly, if you want to spend money on good seafood, I recommend going to Bob Chinns. Super fresh! You will not be disappointed! Joes is run by teenie boppers which makes me feel like the environment is too childish, loud and unprofessional. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be returning. The seafood wasn't fresh enough for the $$$.
(2)
Chris T.
Great place. Waiters are super nice. Ask for Matt. The food was awesome but beware, the food may be a little too spicy....like the corn had seasoning on it. But everything was great. If you're willing to spend about... $40, get the sampler and a steampot. You won't regret it. Unless you're allergic to seafood :(
(5)
Tara M.
Ok, so this place is weird. Seated on their patio which we liked a lot. The server told us she'd be right with us, ten minutes go by and nothing. So I go inside and ask the hostess if we can get a server, she blank stared me in the eyes for a good 30 seconds before I said again, "We need a server, we just want to eat and go home." Then she goes, "Oh yeah. She's just really busy." Uhh okay, there's about 5 tables in the restaurant and two servers on the floor. So the server comes out, who is a really nice girl, but makes it really effin awkward. She goes, "I got to you guys as soon as I could. Sorry, I had tables." Girl, we are one of your tables. Whatever, she got nicer as the night went on. I just wish the hostess would have maybe grabbed our drink order to help the girl out, or maybe the manager who was walking around aimlessly. My complaint isn't towards the waitress because she was nice.
(2)
Samantha G.
The food was good. Service was below mediocre. The staff was very comfortable hanging out with each other at the bar while the customers waited. We never got a refill on the kids drinks but they made sure to ask if we needed another beer. We specifically ordered an appetizer and even had a conversation with the waitress on the correct pronunciation of the word and come to find out she never put the order in. I had to ask for butter for the crab (apparently not a given) and a roll of paper towels. The best part was that I asked a manager for one and then I never saw her until we went to leave. To be that close to Great Lakes and have such crappy service to all of those Navy families that visit with their brand new sailers is just appalling. I will not be back.
(2)
Brit K.
Here again! I read the other reviews and its so crazy bc we get excellent service and fast friendly hostess/waiters/mgr! We were checked on several times and the mgr came by as well! Jess was our server today and she was wonderful! My fries/hushpuppies didn't come out with the food but once mentioned they were brought out right away!!
(5)
Vincenzo C.
Have ate here several times and it's quite simple - better than Red Lobster but nothing special. The quality of the seafood is average, the preparation is hit and miss and the service is not great. That's what you get when you hire a bunch of teenagers to run the joint - average at best. For the price, pony up a few more dollars and head to Bob Chins.
(2)
Sheena W.
I ordered moscato to drink and server brought glass with lipstick. I then asked for another glass showing the lipstick and was given another dirty glass with fingerprints all over and inside glass. I'm not sure if they are washing their dishes but I was afraid I will catch the flu or some sickness. We ordered the balls of fire for appetizer and it was good as well as my meal which had orzo, lobster,fish, shrimp, clams and mussels. I enjoyed the food and server Zak was friendly.
(3)
Benjamin S.
I was always a fan, the atmosphere is great. However, it seems lately the quality of food and service is going in the wrong direction. My crab was pretty good despite missing a leg but I can get past that. My family was not as lucky, we had unseasoned crab (supposed to be Old Bay - think mine got some of it), bad crab meat...ok, that happens too but pay a little attention and see if it looks tiny it may be suspect. Then as we were enjoying the food, kind of getting towards the end, our waitress asked if we were basically ready for the check; not quite there. The visit before this wasn't as bad as this one but not that good either. May have to look for crab elsewhere.
(2)
Kim B.
One of the drawbacks to living in the suburbs is having so many chain restaurants. The boyfriend and I had a craving for some seafood. More specifically we wanted crabs. After doing some research on Yelp, we came up with a few non-chain restaurant options. None of them seemed very promising, especially after we checked out the prices online first. We finally decided to bite the bullet and go to Joe's Crab Shack because of the "take your top off" commercials. We ordered a steampot for two which came with crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage. The waiter was SUPER annoying and in-your-face and the food took forever to arrive, but we enjoyed everything and our seafood craving was satisfied. Even better, the steam pot only cost $39.99. We even ordered key lime pie for dessert and it was pretty good too! I probably won't be back any time soon but at least I know Joe's is an option next time I want some crabs.
(3)
Michael S.
My wife and I have been here before and had an ok experience but we mostly stayed safe with fried foods. We had both been craving seafood so decided to splurge. We got the lobster and crab and the scallops, mussels, and crab pots. First of all it was quite a long wait for the food. The bartender checked on our order twice which was nice of him to do. The thing that made it even worse though it's that whiten we got our food it was so completely overcooked it was horrible. When you cracked open the crab and lobster watery residue came gushing out and the lobster shell was actually soft enough to bend rather than cracking. The staff was apologetic and the manager comped one of the meals but it was such a disappointing experience. I literally told the manager I've had better crab at hooters which is the truth.
(2)
Mark K.
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
(5)
Joel A.
I should have known better taking the wife to Joe's as I do not eat seafood. Ribs didn't look very good when they arrived and were mediocre at best but that is my fault for ordering ribs at a crab shack. My wife loved her $20 crab leg bucket so she left happy. Service was fine. Can't smoke on huge patio so we moved inside since the bugs were attacking us.
(4)
Rencie H.
The service was good, the food was ok. Definitely over priced.
(3)
Linda K.
I come here every other week. Every one of my servers has been amazing. The manager is phenomenal. She comes to my table and asks how my food and service was every trip I make here. Unfortunately this last visit was a flop. The first bucket, my potatoes exploded all over everything. It was taken back into the kitchen. The manager brought it back out with a coupon for a free appetizer and apologized. However, that couldn't save the dish. It was dripping...literally dripping in salty seasoning. After two bites, I couldn't force myself to eat anymore. It went back into the kitchen and again the manager brought it out, plain this time. They were so patient and apologetic. Apparently there were new staff in the kitchen. This one flub did not deter me from coming back.
(5)
Joe G.
Interesting seafood restaurant. Casual, interesting decor. We had a very good and attentive server, and an enjoyable meal for five, including an appetizer, that came out to less than a hundred dollars. As someone who doesn't really enjoy seafood, I opted for a steak instead, ordered medium well. It arrived well done, dry and tough, but this seems to be a common problem for seafood places to get right. The kid's meal with crab was nice, though at $8.95, it was twice as expensive as all the other kid's meals, but it is great that they at least offer it. They celebrate birthdays and other events by having the special person do something dumb/silly, such as putting on a cowboy hat and galloping around on a stick horse. Nice touch. The food is better over at Bob Chinn's, but it seems like it is more expensive there too, and the atmosphere at Joe's was more enjoyable.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Tiffany V.
My boyfriend suggested we check this place out last weekend because neither of us had been there before. I am always excited to try new restaurants but this was a disappointment. Someone seated us, but we sat at the table for at least 25 minutes without even being acknowledged by a server, which I dont understand why because it was 3 pm and we were one of probably 10 tables and there were 4 or 5 servers. My boyfriend went to the bar to get the manager and the bartender kept telling him that the manager was really busy. The manager came out 10 minutes later and was very unapologetic. He said that just because it didn't look busy in the restaurant doesn't mean they weren't busy, because he was in the back making food and washing dishes to help out. He offered to cook our food for us personally but we decided to go to Olive Garden instead. Don't waste your time or money...You're better off going somewhere else. We also sent an email to corporate to complain about the horrible service and haven't gotten a response.
(1)Mike L.
The Chuck-E-Cheese of the seafood world, well without all the little kids and the video games, but if you want neon loud decour and noise along with your bad food than this is the place for you. The place is just a disaster with all the swag hanging on the ceiling and walls plus the tables are cramped so close together it feels liked they are stacked up on each other. The food comes in small portions and is of poor quality, which is good because it means you can leave that much quicker. I laughed at my friend when he ordered a beer because it was $6 or $8 bucks for a MIller LIte and all I could say was that it is as bad as Wrigley and you can get a 12 pack, hell, even a case of it for that price. So you get to keep the drink glasses, is Joes Crab Shack in Gurnee IL going to give you that Kodak moment whenever you look at that glass 5,10,30 years from now? The only food worse than this place in the area is at Six Flags. Just drive by, dont get seduced by all the flashing lights at this place, dont be the moth.
(1)Jon R.
Got in and was immediately seated. Started it with a Coke and mozzerella sticks which weren't heated completely so the center was still cold. Tolerable but not good. Ordered the snow crab bucket which was out before we could finish the cheese sticks. Food was very good, better than I last remember eating there, but they never refilled my Coke and I had to ask for my fries a second time. Also tasted my dad's crawfish and while it was good the breading was too soft and chewy. Chocolate cake for dessert, which was so big we could not finish. JCS is "plan B" when every restaurant in Gurnee is jam-packed (in our case: Red Lobster). With the fairly-mediocre/inefficient service this place has it's no-wonder the parking lot is never busy when driving by. I can also attest the servers are dancing to the same junk they were 10 years ago... the novelty sure wears off fast. Bottom line: Could be worse.
(2)Corey M.
Food was ok, no wi-fi, military discount on certain days? Nice atmosphere and some fun music and staff dancing, although they didn't seem to enjoy it.
(3)Jeff V.
Terrible service. The food was really bad. I had a shrimp combo. The stuffed shrimp tasted like were not fresh eeeew. The rice was dry, tasteless and cold. Stop dancing and start quality control!
(2)Baby B.
We only go here if we are desperate for crab legs and too lazy to drive to Bob Chin's (which is the best seafood place ever and their crab legs are 3 times bigger). The service sucks and the food is just OK. Our waiter seemed to have short term memory loss and coudn't remember anything he heard five seconds ago, causing for us to wait and constantly remind him about our drinks and utensils so we could begin eating. The dancing is soooo annoying and done by people who have no rhythm or energy whatsoever. Ordered a martini and all I could taste was alcohol and sent it back. The only reason I would go back is for the crawfish...can't really find that any place else.
(2)Tara M.
Ok, so this place is weird. Seated on their patio which we liked a lot. The server told us she'd be right with us, ten minutes go by and nothing. So I go inside and ask the hostess if we can get a server, she blank stared me in the eyes for a good 30 seconds before I said again, "We need a server, we just want to eat and go home." Then she goes, "Oh yeah. She's just really busy." Uhh okay, there's about 5 tables in the restaurant and two servers on the floor. So the server comes out, who is a really nice girl, but makes it really effin awkward. She goes, "I got to you guys as soon as I could. Sorry, I had tables." Girl, we are one of your tables. Whatever, she got nicer as the night went on. I just wish the hostess would have maybe grabbed our drink order to help the girl out, or maybe the manager who was walking around aimlessly. My complaint isn't towards the waitress because she was nice.
(2)Samantha G.
The food was good. Service was below mediocre. The staff was very comfortable hanging out with each other at the bar while the customers waited. We never got a refill on the kids drinks but they made sure to ask if we needed another beer. We specifically ordered an appetizer and even had a conversation with the waitress on the correct pronunciation of the word and come to find out she never put the order in. I had to ask for butter for the crab (apparently not a given) and a roll of paper towels. The best part was that I asked a manager for one and then I never saw her until we went to leave. To be that close to Great Lakes and have such crappy service to all of those Navy families that visit with their brand new sailers is just appalling. I will not be back.
(2)Brit K.
Here again! I read the other reviews and its so crazy bc we get excellent service and fast friendly hostess/waiters/mgr! We were checked on several times and the mgr came by as well! Jess was our server today and she was wonderful! My fries/hushpuppies didn't come out with the food but once mentioned they were brought out right away!!
(5)Vincenzo C.
Have ate here several times and it's quite simple - better than Red Lobster but nothing special. The quality of the seafood is average, the preparation is hit and miss and the service is not great. That's what you get when you hire a bunch of teenagers to run the joint - average at best. For the price, pony up a few more dollars and head to Bob Chins.
(2)Sheena W.
I ordered moscato to drink and server brought glass with lipstick. I then asked for another glass showing the lipstick and was given another dirty glass with fingerprints all over and inside glass. I'm not sure if they are washing their dishes but I was afraid I will catch the flu or some sickness. We ordered the balls of fire for appetizer and it was good as well as my meal which had orzo, lobster,fish, shrimp, clams and mussels. I enjoyed the food and server Zak was friendly.
(3)Kari H.
I walked in the place it was very busy,.. They seated the four of us to the booth. The waitress took 20 mins to get our drinks and forgot about the 4 persons drink. They food came and it was so bad we order the king daddy Lobster & Crab dinner it was so chewy had to ask the waitress to find the Lobster tail that was curled up that it was sent back. The Manager came and was super friendly he took the dinner off the bill with a drink on the house besides the cook forgot the corn that comes with the meal. All and all the Manager took care of the problem.
(3)Bex A.
I like the chain. This is the second location I have been too. I am reviewing the location in this post mostly, but here is a quick recap of the food. You can pretty much expect consistency since it's a chain. Garlicky mussels, tasty. Snow crab, tasty. Sangria, tasty. BUT the lobster, chewy and tough, but for the price, not surprising. If you want really good lobster, then you should be going to a place and spending market price. So you get a decent lobster for the price. First time I had to shuck the entire lobster. That was interesting The service was good, (coming from an ex-waitress.) I made a reservation, took a little while to be seated, but they were cleaning. I have standards on serving, but I also understand the challenges of the restaurant world. The waitress was nice, checked on us appropriately. The challenge, I ordered mussels, we noticed that it was taking longer than it should for our appetizers. Then a few mins later the waitress came, explained they were by accidentally over cooked and they will be comped. I appreciated this as an ex-server and like I said, unexpected things happened. It was nice that it was addressed and they immediately handled it. She did say the manager was going to come over, he did not, but I could careless. I don't need an apology from management, it was handled. Otherwise, service was great. Like the fun decor and the food. Definitely Wiil go back.
(4)Cam M.
Came here with my family after a day at Six Flags. The service was good and we got our drinks refilled when we needed them. We ordered the Ragin' Cajun steampot and extra crab. The waitress was helpful and answered questions about portion sizes. The crab was good, I liked the Cajun spice because it had some 'kick'. We got extra butter when we asked for it, too. The potatoes and corn were both Cajun spiced. The corn was kind of soggy, almost like a frozen ear that was taken from the freezer and boiled. I have had way better. The potatoes were good, but there were only a few. The sausage was amazing. I like it here because I like crab boils. I have had better, but this was fun after a day at Six Flags. The portions were a little small for the price, but that is why we don't go to Joe's often.
(3)Chuck T.
Always yummy and fresh! Service is always good. If you like crab, no better place. Cool shirts available.
(5)Dr. C.
They can not cook the Bar-B-Que Dungeness crab! Horrible Experience, an unexpected visit from the Regional Management is in order!
(1)Mary M.
Service is extremely slow. We were there for two hours for dinner, and we rushed getting out of there. If you're not in a hurry and it's a nice day, I recommend sitting on the patio. If you have kids, they can play on the playground. Food is fine (almost nothing for vegetarians), drinks are good. The atmosphere is fun (although they never danced when we were there, even though they announced it), if a bit loud. I was also sitting on the most uncomfortable banquette ever. The waitress told me they were replacing them slowly, but they need to do it faster.
(2)Benjamin S.
I was always a fan, the atmosphere is great. However, it seems lately the quality of food and service is going in the wrong direction. My crab was pretty good despite missing a leg but I can get past that. My family was not as lucky, we had unseasoned crab (supposed to be Old Bay - think mine got some of it), bad crab meat...ok, that happens too but pay a little attention and see if it looks tiny it may be suspect. Then as we were enjoying the food, kind of getting towards the end, our waitress asked if we were basically ready for the check; not quite there. The visit before this wasn't as bad as this one but not that good either. May have to look for crab elsewhere.
(2)Thuy H.
I felt like the place is a little overpriced for the amount if food they give you. The steampot is too salty on the outside and very bland on the inside. I really wanted some crawfish and what was served to me was worse than what I could've gotten at a buffet. They said that the orlean steam pot was 1lb but what really added up to the weight was the corn and salty sausages.
(2)Kim B.
One of the drawbacks to living in the suburbs is having so many chain restaurants. The boyfriend and I had a craving for some seafood. More specifically we wanted crabs. After doing some research on Yelp, we came up with a few non-chain restaurant options. None of them seemed very promising, especially after we checked out the prices online first. We finally decided to bite the bullet and go to Joe's Crab Shack because of the "take your top off" commercials. We ordered a steampot for two which came with crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage. The waiter was SUPER annoying and in-your-face and the food took forever to arrive, but we enjoyed everything and our seafood craving was satisfied. Even better, the steam pot only cost $39.99. We even ordered key lime pie for dessert and it was pretty good too! I probably won't be back any time soon but at least I know Joe's is an option next time I want some crabs.
(3)Caitie H.
Called right before we came and said we had a movie to see at 7:40 and if we came in at 7 could we get to the movie in time. He said he could have our orders out within 15 minutes guaranteed. So we got here right at 7 and the host barely said hello before she plopped us in the corner. I told her we were kind of in a rush and she just smirked. We sat for 30 minutes before anyone even came over to us. Two tables came in after us and got their drinks and food put in while we were sitting here. And mind you, the restaurant is dead. Once the server came over we asked to talk to the manager, Joann (mgr) came over and was totally polite, very sweet and took care of the situation. So although we started pretty pissed off, she definitely made it right. Will return (maybe when we don't have a tight schedule)
(3)Kelly C.
Just left joes without a bite of food. Sat at the bar, noticed the dirty floor and coolers immediately. Ordered a draft beer and thought about ordering dinner. Upon sitting for several minutes we decided we would not be dining, that if this is how what we can see looks, imagine the kitchen! Decided to have a shot and the bartender pulls out a bottle of rumpleminz filled with pink liquid! No thanks. There were several pieces of garbage on the floor behind me, noticed staff walk right past it at least a dozen times. Jon Taffer would go ballistic here!
(1)Jeanne N.
We came here last night - Saturday- for early dinner. This was the second time here. The place was busy, but not super busy, so we were seated right away. For an appetizer, we ordered the bucket of shrimp (18) and got that right away. We did observe though, that we did not get as many shrimp as we ordered, and were brought out an additional 6. Also, we were missing the paper towel roll, as well as silver ware which we had to ask for! Most of the shrimp had shells that would not come off, so you had to eat the shells, which my husband did not care for. I ordered the Queen crab bucket fire grilled style which was awesome, the crab cracked nicely, the meat came right out of the shell! Yum! However, my husband ordered the paella, and the shrimp come with the tails still on- not what you would want to eat with a fork, and he also had a lot of clam shell fragments in the mix! It only comes with 1 garlic bread, you need way more, and we had to pay extra for it.... but the flavor was great. My 12 year old had the classic stream pot with the Queen crab, and was pleased with the meal, as was my 7 year old with the Mac n cheese. Another issue is their bathroom: dirty, falling apart, and gross. Report of worse conditions in the men's! If at all possible, avoid until after your meal! Although pleased with the flavors, and my meal was good, the cost being high, and the service and the atmosphere as well as food quality being lack-lustre, the consensus of the family is that we will not be back :(
(2)Susie C.
My friends and I came here for lunch after our bike ride tour. It was a pretty decent crowd since it was 2ish pm. The staff is friendly, our waitress was nice and helpful. We sat in a booth. My friends who sat across from us couldn't put their backs on the seat because it would move the person who's sitting on the other side. That guy kept looking back so my friends couldnt lean back otherwise it would bother the other customer. And they felt the other customer was leaning back so they felt the bumps here and there. Unfortunately it wasn't comfortable for them to sit where they sat. The seat on the booth could be more sturdy but it isn't. I ordered the seafood platter...or something like that. It has fish and chips with fried scallops. My fish was just one piece and it was heavily breaded and fried. Couldn't really eat the fish at all. The fries were decent. The shrimp and scallops were okay..like I said very fried and breaded. My husband ordered the pasta-laya. He thought it was just okay. My other friend thought her pasta-laya was just okay too. My other friend ordered a platter - he thought it was okay as well..it came with balls...not sure what was in it but those were decent. Overall we had a decent time. Food is just okay - I wouldn't say it was favorable.
(2)Kim B.
Very disappointed. I love joes and always visit the one in Florida. Was going to order steam pot and server suggested something different. Crab legs were deep fried and over cooked. Place was in need of a deep clean. Very dusty and disgusting. Server was nice
(2)Ben J.
Crab and lobster were quite good. $2 Hurricanes were pretty good too. Service from Savannah was nice and chipper. And besides, with good crab and lobster, what else need be said?
(4)Kamila L.
I will not be coming back to this Joe's Crabshack ever. One night, my boyfriend and I decided to finally eat out for dinner during the week instead of ordering in. I wanted crablegs and anywhere else that was offering them was too far of a drive. Needless to say, they seated us next to the waitress station when it was empty everywhere else. Apparently this was the section of a waitress who did not want to be there. We only saw her three times during the whole time we were there. Not to ask us if we needed anything else but just to take our order deliver our food, drop off a beer we ordered 12 minutes before and to give us our check. (okay that is 4 but I didn't count the beer) The crablegs were not hot. There was no butter, we couldn't even wave her down to get butter either. On top of it, when we were looking around for her she came to the waitress station directly behind us and continued to complain about not wanting to be there. I work in the bar industry so even if she had sucked it up and checked on us a few more times, it would have been worth her while to have stayed, we always tip well. I'm sorry but with the food being lukewarm, the service, the whole experience- we will be driving the extra 20-30 minutes to get crablegs somewhere else.
(2)Kurt K.
A bit pricey but great food and great atmosphere. Much better then that other seafood chain. Drinks were good and when a person in our party didn't like here houses specialty drink they made her another on the house. As for the food, how can you say a bad word about BBQ Queen Crab Legs. yum. Would have been 5 stars but the price is a bit steep for the positions. Drink prices are actually lower then expected for house specialty drinks.
(4)Gina B.
I have been to this location twice now and have had two completely different experiences so I guess I will need to go once again for the tie breaker to determine if it is really good or really not. Made the drive out to Gurnee on a Sunday morning, on a mission to get a Tshirt for someone and of course the seafood. Dealing with traffic and construction on the way out, I was happy to finally get there. Pulled in and it was dead, like 4 cars in the parking lot dead - weird but then again it was Sunday morning early afternoon. Greeted and seated, already knew the drill of the place so that was all good. Our server was scarce we were self sufficient getting out own paper towels, etc. He brought us the wrong meal and when my son told him it was wrong he was just like "oh ya" Really? don't show so much concern. We were his only table and he couldn't notice his one order was wrong? He spent all of his time up at the bar with his friends watching the football game. The food came and other than my son's being wrong, mine was awful. I had ordered a steamer pot with lobster, crab, shrimp, etc with garlic and old bay seasoning. There was no garlic or seasoning and everything was water logged. I had to wring out my lobster to eat it and couldn't do so then because it was so overcooked and chewy it was impossible. What a colossal waste of money. This was one of those experiences that would happen if you raved about a place and finally decided to take someone there to show it off and then the service and food is horrible and you are left feeling very embarrassed. Not good at all. Finished up and headed out but not before stopping by the door to get my shirt I came for. Who would think this would have an issue? I was informed by the girl at the door that all the shirts were $21.99, which I knew they were not from the internet and being there previously. She insisted. Sign said differently. Another worker said she was mistaken - ahh, no kidding. So the no it all girl rang me up and had to admit she told me incorrectly and then asked me if I would like to leave a tip. Huh? What? a tip, for what? For buying a shirt??? She replied "YES" - Ahhh I don't think so! Are you serious?! Asking for a tip for ringing up a tshirt - WOW! As soon as we walked out the door there was a down pour and we were soaked to the bone by the time we got in the car. Drove home while tornado warnings were going off everywhere. This was just an awful experience all the way around. Happy to get home.
(2)J. Chuck K.
What started out as one of the worst dining experiences of my life, ended up being a pretty fun evening. When we walked in this past Saturday night around 5:00, we were told it would be an hour wait because there was a reservation for 35 people and another for 23 in front of us. Why they take reservations on a Saturday night is beyond me. The large crowd waiting around the hostess stand clearly showed they're not hurting for business. I had never been to Joe's before and our friends really wanted sea food, so with two 3 year olds and another that was one, we were willing to see if they could hold out for an hour. What started out as an hour, very painfully turned into two. By the time the 60 minute mark rolled around, my wife went to get an explanation from the hostesses and finally asked for a manager. When the manager arrived, she could see that my wife was unhappy. Instead of listening and showing some concern, THE MANAGER TURNED AROUND AND WALKED AWAY. Stunned by this behavior, another manager (didn't get his name, but a gentleman with glasses) arrived and apologized. Just after 7pm we were finally seated and experienced great service from the waiter, JR. As I said, this was my first time coming here, and also my first time eating crab legs. The crab was good, a lot of work, but good. However, I felt like there weren't enough legs in the portion to justify the price. What really stood out were the balls of fire appetizer (ha ha so funny) and the crab dip. I could easily eat both as a meal and be satisfied. After our hellish wait, and the way my wife complained to the manager and hostesses, I was expecting apathetic service and the kitchen staff to spit on our food. But right away we could tell the manager and waiter wanted to turn the night around for us. The manager felt so bad for us that OUR ENTIRE CHECK WAS COMPED,and not just the food, but drinks too. He could have taken off a percentage or given us a free appetizer, but he really went above and beyond in trying to get us to return. The female manager that walked away from wife without saying a word shouldn't even have a job. If she can't handle unhappy customers then she better find a new line of work. While the other manager was personally cleaning tables and making drinks behind the bar, she was standing in a doorway and staring off into space. Based on the first two hours of this night I would not come back, but after eating the food and taking in some of the fun atmosphere, we would come back and give them another try. The fully comped bill certainly helped, but the manager's genuine concern and the waiter's enthusiastic attitude made us believers. I seriously doubt they'll be taking reservations on the weekend any time soon.
(3)Rebekah R.
Awesome food. I love the Queen crap, garlic mussels, corn on the cob and my husband enjoys his "Big people drinks" as my daughter calls them. Service is great and the food is delicious, I always want to order more even after I'm full. Lol awesome family nights.
(5)Rod L.
The food was good $40 for the two lobster steam pot with clams and shrimp. The quantity was a little short however. I had come to Joe's to celebrate my daughters thirteenth birthday. After asking the hostess and my waiter to provide her the special birthday treatment we got nothing. So that's why I left nothing for a tip.
(2)Edwin R.
Freaking awesome food. We were first timers, but they took the time to explain how to eat crab the right way and we enjoyed every last leg!
(5)Mark K.
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
(5)Justin E.
What can I say? This place is just OK. It's always dead and I think that can be highly attributed to the lack of any special draw. There's nothing here that really stands out. We went on Tuesday, April 28th when we were at a last minute "what should we have for dinner" standoff. Tired of the norm, we decided to go to Joe's. We'd been there a time or two in the past and I've always left feeling very underwhelmed for the amount of money we spent. Their signature "Steampots" are quite appealing when reading the menu, but when they come out, they're lacking any real substance or appeal. This particular visit, I thought I'd try just the crab leg bucket rather than the steampot which I'd had in the past. Our waitress, Cassi, who was kind, attentive, courteous and very helpful (if the review was strictly on her service, she'd get 5 stars) misheard us when we ordered Queen Crab and so we were served King Crab. Not a big deal and quite honestly, we didn't even realize that was what we'd eaten until the bill came. I've only had Snow, Dungeness and King in my life so I didn't know what "Queen" looked or tasted like. I just ate it and all along thought to myself, "my this looks and tastes just like King Crab!" Cassi was quick to adjust our bill even though we'd eaten what was served to us. She apologized profusely even though it was really no big deal. At any rate, for a $30 meal, the amount of crab you get is really kind of pathetic. The corn on the cob was sweet, but not crisp. The potatoes are nothing special, just boiled and salted from what I can tell. We each added a side salad to our meal for $3 and even in the dim-lit atmosphere, it was obvious that some of the lettuce was brown/wilted. In my opinion and past experiences, often times, the quality of the salad is a good indication as to what the quality of the entree will be. Such is the case here! Our bill for two entrees, 2 side salads and one beverage was almost $80 after tip. It's just not worth it and I doubt that we'll be back again anytime soon. In conclusion, I guess I just really feel like you can do better at home! Portions, quality and price are all a little out of whack at Joe's.
(3)Alice A.
Walked in around 9 on a Saturday night. Got greeted and said there was a wait of about 15-20mins when there were empty tables in the restaurant. Ok, so we stepped out. 10 seconds later the teen hostess comes out and said sorry she got the time mixed up. She thought we wanted to be seated outdoors when she never asked in the first place... Ok.... Anyway, ordered the joes steam pot for two and calamari as appetizers. Calamari was good. Not drenched in oil. Very crispy. I would recommend that. The crabs at Joes wasn't as fresh as I thought it would be. They have waaay too much seasoning / salt and butter in that steam pot, it took away the natural flavors of the crabs itself. And it was kinda too salty for me... Our waitress never refilled our drinks and checked up on us twice. Honestly, if you want to spend money on good seafood, I recommend going to Bob Chinns. Super fresh! You will not be disappointed! Joes is run by teenie boppers which makes me feel like the environment is too childish, loud and unprofessional. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be returning. The seafood wasn't fresh enough for the $$$.
(2)Chris T.
Great place. Waiters are super nice. Ask for Matt. The food was awesome but beware, the food may be a little too spicy....like the corn had seasoning on it. But everything was great. If you're willing to spend about... $40, get the sampler and a steampot. You won't regret it. Unless you're allergic to seafood :(
(5)Kim M.
I had friends coming into town for a very short visit - basically, just dinner before they had to hit the road again. They were delayed, and didn't get into Gurnee until after midnight. They really wanted some seafood, and had their hearts set on Joe's. We arrived about 10-15 minutes before closing, and I was hoping they'd bail on the idea because I hate to cause that kind of inconvenience. After all, it's not fast food. And, I'll admit, after seeing "Waiting," it made me even more leery of being that person who makes everyone stay late when they'd rather be home getting some sleep. Spitburger, anyone? The only people still working were the manager and one or two of the wait staff. If they were upset that we were there, they sure didn't show it. They were incredibly friendly and helpful. We ordered food that we thought wouldn't be too much trouble for them but even then, it really wasn't a short stay for us. A big shout out to the waiter and the manager who made us feel welcome even though I know they had a better way to spend their time. The food here is always good. It's not the best - if you want the best seafood, you don't go to a chain that most likely uses frozen seafood because of the high volume of service. But it's enjoyable and I do like to eat here. Love the peel-n-eat shrimp appetizer, I often get it as my meal. The Great Balls of Fire are pretty good, too. I'd give the food a 3-star rating, but I bumped it up to 4 because of the great service we had despite the very late hour.
(4)Samuel V.
First time visit , if you're considering this place, your not missing much ! It's a dingy and skimpy for what you get on a plate! I give it 2 stars cuz the waitress was wonderful !
(2)Greg B.
So so...mussels we're ok, Maine coat was ok if not overdone. Beer was cold and server was attentive. Described it as their slow time. Not returning.
(2)Brian L.
Went tonight with the family and it was an awful experience. Cold food, bland food with no taste, waterlogged food, no knives on table, no butter, no lemons, expensive drinks with little alcohol, never again!
(1)Christina K.
I didn't get Crabs from Joe....I got shell and what they call "crab meat" Been here twice. This Valentines Day and Valentines Day 2 years ago. Only reason we returned was because the wait at other restaurants. Waited about an hour for our table. Drank at the bar first. Did I mention that my alcoholic drink cost me $9? Because it did. Our server was nice. Appetizer was okay, the bucket effing sucked. We ordered the King & Queen crab. Which looked the same size, but looked like snow Crab...WTF? Yea so happy that I dropped $60 that night. Oh wait..forgot my drink cost $9 and tip...So glad I dropped $75 that night. Someone gag me. Ugh. The $30 bucket we bought came with about 6 legs, 1 ear of uncooked corn, and 1 potato. Lol 1 potato...are you serious? YUP...Never again. F YOU JOES
(2)Jennifer G.
I don't know why people give good reviews and then only 2-3 stars. WE had an awesome time. Great food, excellent service, happy atmosphere. Best time in a long time. Our server Robbie said he was new but I would never have guessed. We LOVED him. He not only congratulated our son on his graduation but thanked him for his service. Too cool. We're even going to write the manager a letter when we get home! 2 stars? Please! Where do you people eat???
(5)Robert B.
I generally like Joe's, was a bit disappointed tonight. I ordered the fish and chips which was very good. Average good though I thought. The appetizers were good.
(3)Shamika C.
Went here after going to six flags. We ordered the nachos w/pico on the side & it came out with it on. No big deal if you weren't allergic to onions. They brought it out a second time & it literally just had lettuce and chips no crab meat. Our server after that had the worst customer service. We waited for to come check on us for 20 mins. No refills with our drinks. Eventually I had to get a manager. I like joe crab shack just wouldn't recommend that location!
(1)Michael S.
My wife and I have been here before and had an ok experience but we mostly stayed safe with fried foods. We had both been craving seafood so decided to splurge. We got the lobster and crab and the scallops, mussels, and crab pots. First of all it was quite a long wait for the food. The bartender checked on our order twice which was nice of him to do. The thing that made it even worse though it's that whiten we got our food it was so completely overcooked it was horrible. When you cracked open the crab and lobster watery residue came gushing out and the lobster shell was actually soft enough to bend rather than cracking. The staff was apologetic and the manager comped one of the meals but it was such a disappointing experience. I literally told the manager I've had better crab at hooters which is the truth.
(2)Joel A.
I should have known better taking the wife to Joe's as I do not eat seafood. Ribs didn't look very good when they arrived and were mediocre at best but that is my fault for ordering ribs at a crab shack. My wife loved her $20 crab leg bucket so she left happy. Service was fine. Can't smoke on huge patio so we moved inside since the bugs were attacking us.
(4)Rencie H.
The service was good, the food was ok. Definitely over priced.
(3)Linda K.
I come here every other week. Every one of my servers has been amazing. The manager is phenomenal. She comes to my table and asks how my food and service was every trip I make here. Unfortunately this last visit was a flop. The first bucket, my potatoes exploded all over everything. It was taken back into the kitchen. The manager brought it back out with a coupon for a free appetizer and apologized. However, that couldn't save the dish. It was dripping...literally dripping in salty seasoning. After two bites, I couldn't force myself to eat anymore. It went back into the kitchen and again the manager brought it out, plain this time. They were so patient and apologetic. Apparently there were new staff in the kitchen. This one flub did not deter me from coming back.
(5)Joe G.
Interesting seafood restaurant. Casual, interesting decor. We had a very good and attentive server, and an enjoyable meal for five, including an appetizer, that came out to less than a hundred dollars. As someone who doesn't really enjoy seafood, I opted for a steak instead, ordered medium well. It arrived well done, dry and tough, but this seems to be a common problem for seafood places to get right. The kid's meal with crab was nice, though at $8.95, it was twice as expensive as all the other kid's meals, but it is great that they at least offer it. They celebrate birthdays and other events by having the special person do something dumb/silly, such as putting on a cowboy hat and galloping around on a stick horse. Nice touch. The food is better over at Bob Chinn's, but it seems like it is more expensive there too, and the atmosphere at Joe's was more enjoyable.
(3)Yvonne O.
I know this is a chain, and therefore do not expect much, but my husband's summary fits this to a "t" - "Everything was thoroughly mediocre". Driving back from WI on a meat trip, we stopped off to eat lunch as it was past 12:00 and the husband began to grumble. I suggested here because I wanted a shrimp po boy. We ordered two sodas and some crab nachos and then got the po boy and salmon platter. This small amount of stuff (note no liquor or dessert) cost $70. Seriously? This is totally average (frozen) food with dancing waiters and you expect people to shell-out that much? My .25 cent soda has an upcharge to $2.38. WTF? Crab nachos - on which the crab is only visible by microscope and your stomach thanks you later with revenge - were $10. The po boy was pretty standard, as expected, but the salmon looked like it did not start out fresh and service was really lackluster (And we were one of about 4-5 tables in the whole place serviced by at least 7 waitstaff!) Not in a hurry to head back to this place.
(2)Chad H.
This is a pretty bad place as far as restaurants go. You can do a lot better. That being said, it's not quite the same level of horrible as Olive Garden, it's neighbor. The seafood here is pretty bad and doesn't taste very fresh. I don't understand why anyone would go here, when Red Lobster is right down the street and 100 times better? 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2 for bell curve reasons.
(2)Jessica S.
I just went to Joe's last night with my sister and one of our friends. As usual, the food was tasty and prompt. I really enjoy the fun, casual atmosphere of Joe's, and its the first restaurant I ever had crab legs. Last night I splurged on the Big Daddy Crab Feast with Dungeness, Snow, and King Crab Legs. I'm glad I got to eat all three at the same time to compare, and I've come to the conclusion that snow crabs are my favorite. (Don't fret, Joe's is not the only place I've had King Crab legs at, but I do prefer the slight sweetness that snow crabs have.) Overall, it was a great dining experience for a girl's night out.
(4)kevin m.
My group was hungry we wanted seafood in gurnee and it was late whos open to midnite most nights joes friendly staff and good food made this night awsome my entire group ate the steam pots all selections were good def going back again
(5)Natalie R.
It's.....a.....Joe's Crab Shack. It really is the "Chuck E Cheese" of the seafood restaurant world. This particular one is exactly the same as the one two towns over....which is exactly the same as the one in Auburn Hills, MI....which is exactly the same as....every other Joe's.... Still, one thing about Joe's is that the servers all seem to be aware of their surroundings and take it all very tongue-in-cheek with excellent customer service and a palpable camaraderie. There was one bizarre dance session, but I guess that's just part of the shtick. The shrimp po'boy sucked - the remoulade was Not Good - but the kids' popcorn shrimp was good and I might actually have been enticed into one of the big pot dinners except my husband is a crab hog and I would have been stuck with a claw and some corn.
(3)Jodi P.
We had dinner here on the Fourth of July. The weather was nice so we sat outside. The kids played on the playground in back of the restaurant basically from when we arrived until we left, with the short exception of a minute to figure out what to eat and about 10 minutes to eat it. So my husband and I practically had a dinner for two, which was really nice for us. Thanks, Joe's Crab Shack, for having the play lot! This earned the place an extra star in my rating. But even without the play lot, Joe's would have earned a good review. We had attentive and helpful service from Kayla, who helped us make choices from the enormous menu, brought our drinks and food promptly, and checked back frequently to bring us extras such as lemons and cocktail sauce, as well as bring more clams when the ones in my husbands steam pot hasn't opened. And the food itself was good, a fresh departure from the greasy fare that prevails here in Gurnee. My husband got the crab and clam steam pot, which he enjoyed, though he probably wouldn't get the old bay spice again, which wasn't his preference. I got a fish, shrimp, and crab cake combo, which was also good. The Mahi Mahi was grilled and topped with a fresh avocado pico de gallo. The shrimp was simple and seasoned with paprika, and the crab cake was delicious - lots of crab and a nice remoulade sauce. The kids meals were good too, reasonably priced and a nice break from burgers and fries. Even with our beer, the meal came in at under $75, which we feel is a good value for a seafood dinner for a family of four. All in all, a great experience in a sea of very average fish in this neck of the woods. We would return and might even go out of our way to do so.
(5)Amy T.
Went there after going to Great America and I got one of the crab pots. The crab smelled ammoniated, which means it wasn't fresh, and I should have sent it back. It didn't taste that great and the meat was shriveled up and very salty (unfresh) and I became very ill that evening, and spent much of my time in the bathroom. Will not go back because this is the second time I've had ammonia smelling crab, and I can't trust their freshness. There is an overall sense of uncleanliness about this place too, and I think it's kind of gross that the utensils sit in a bucket on a table, without being changed out after each seating. I know I had to reach for utensils in there, and my hands weren't very clean while doing so, therefore who knows who else touched them. I'm a bit shocked that the food and health department allows that. The service was decent, and this is the only seafood place that doesn't give rolls before dining. There is an overall sense of laziness for the table bussing, the bucket of utensils, paper towels instead of napkins and the tables look dingy and unclean. For the prices they charge, I would expect dinner rolls, and clean utensils changed out at every seating, and napkins. Someone is going to get bad food poisoning.
(1)Vic O.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit I went to this place because everyone but me seems to know how bad it is. 3 years ago I went to the Schaumburg one, and it was fairly good. The menu has since changed, and the quality gone WAY DOWN. I ordered king crab, and it looked just like puny snow crab. My reaction was, they're kidding, right? It's no Shaws, even Red Lobster is better. Their whole approach has changed, to one that is stingy, formulaic and operated by people who don't know seafood. Small portions - 3 chunks of potato and 1/3 ear of corn came with my 'pretend they are King crab legs'. Not recommended. Service was excellent, but that was our server's personal effort. My drink was so strong, I couldn't finish it. The crab tasted fine, seemed fresh, but I got much less than a cupful of crab meat, and no shell cracker (!), just that long useless plastic can opener thing. Hey Joe! Crab has spiny prickly bumps all over. It's painful and messy to open crab legs w/o a cracker. They really should know better. Just don't go there.
(2)Arlene A.
Arrived at Joe's after a long day in the sun at Great American. While everything else closes up at 10pm, Joe's was open, for which we were thankful. Frozen Margarita's were in order as were some apps. We got the dips (crab and spinach), stuffed mushrooms, and the great balls of fire. The dips are garlicky, which for me is fine. The stuffed mushrooms surprised me by having shrimp in it that was actually identifiable as shrimp. Lastly, the great balls of fire, which are difficult to describe.... cheese, jalapenos in a crispy breading. They're weird, but good. However, the french fries were absolutely amazing! Skins on, super crispy, I could eat those french fries all night long! The best part? Even though we walked in at 10:30pm with them closing at 11pm we were warmly greeted, seated, and treated. Our bartender was great, actually discussing all the different frozen drinks available without rushing us, or making us feel uncomfortable. I am however glad that we were only the second to last patrons in the joint!
(3)alex l.
I've been to many joe's crab shacks in other locations in Illinois and never had as bad service as this one. I went there on a thursday night. My brother and I were the only customers in the booths with about a dozen customers at the bar. Ordered the appetizer sampler right away, 5 minutes later ordered the $40 bucket for two. 15 minutes later waitress states appetizers will be coming out any minute. Another 15 minutes waitress says same thing. I can understand if it was friday and the places was packed and maybe understaffed but three waitresses for two customers and 35 min no food disregarding appetizers with same excuse? My brother and I paid for our drinks and left and went to Outback steakhouse which was 20x busier and they were very prompt and polite and we got ALL our food in less then 20 minutes. Never had the food there so I can't rate the food but who waits over a half an hour for appetizers with no apology in the dead of night.
(1)Ryan R.
Our experience started off very poor. The waitress was upset she got her drink order wrong, and when asked about whether or not the Maine lobster was frozen, I got an attitude like I should know all their fish are frozen. Well, when she came back with the correct drink order, the tide changed and her attitude reversed 180 degrees. She actually turned out to be a very good, respectful waitress and for that reason we left her 20% tip. Remember TIP actual led means (TO INSURE PROMPTNESS). Anyway, let's get to the grub. I got the king crab engaged in a garlic sauce of some kind (which were half the price...and size...than at a higher class establishment) and my kids got the popcorn shrimp, which they seemed to enjoy. My wife got the steamed king crab which were essentially tasteless. Bottom line...next time we decide to get a frozen TV dinner, it won't be at this place. There is a reason I haven't been back to this place in years. 3 stars overall, but I was really leaning for 2!
(3)Stan G.
have always enjoyed joe's crab shack, and this is no exception! for being a chain restaurant they have it down great. awesome service, fun inviting atmosphere, and tasty food.. I ordered the Bairdi crab, a new one on the menu and it's my new favorite. I got 2 huge clusters, full of thick tasty meat. its as good as the king without the full king crab price.. my server was super nice, very efficient, and did her job very well. she made continuous trips to my table to make sure all was ok as a professional server does. I left Joes feeling very satisfied and fully assured that I got my money's worth.. will definitely be returning..
(5)Brian V.
The food here is, well, food... I didn't have anything that was really good. Our server was really friendly & that's why I'm going 3 stars. On food alone this would be a 2 star review. Everything was overly breaded and tasted the same. If I was blindfolded the only way I could tell what I was eating would be the texture... It was my first time here & most likely my last.
(3)Josh K.
Really not sure about the bad reviews. Service was great. Drinks were great (get the 2 drink limit drinks with 151). Lobster might have been slightly over cooked but still delicious. I'm planning on making a trip here at least once every few months. Great Sunday lazy full stomach start.
(5)Bernadette V.
This was without a doubt one of the worst, if not the worst, dining experiences my family and I have EVER had! This place belongs on "Restaurant Impossible" or "Hell's Kitchen". It is the holy trinity of bad dining...horrible food, service, and prices. I'll preface this section by stating that the other two restaurants we have tried for seafood boil were Pappadeaux and the Angry Crab. They are both pretty good at worst. I don't think it is unreasonable to use them as a measuring stick for my Joe's experience. The food was tremendously disappointing. As a group we opted for an appetizer of cheesy crab dip with onion chips. The dip itself was mediocre, making it by far the best dish of the evening, while the chips were very stale. For an entree I ordered two pounds of shrimp with potatoes, corn, sausage, coleslaw, mac & cheese, and hush puppies on the side (these were all very uninspiring and the hush puppies were particularly disappointing for their very dry texture). I know two pounds of shrimp when I see it, and this was not anywhere near two pounds of shrimp, although when we questioned the server she begged to differ. Lucky for her I forgot my digital culinary scale in my other purse. Regarding taste, it was very sparingly seasoned with Old Bay. I don't know whether they were afraid they would break the bank using too much, or their chefs were simply that inept, but it tasted like plain ole boiled shrimp. My friend ordered crawfish, specifying spicy, and needless to say it was not. Even worse was the fact that she pulled multiple old dead black crawfish from the bunch. Given the seemingly fresh market prices, it is particularly disappointing to be served something obviously frozen. Regarding the service, it was an amateur circus act. When we arrived they seemed perplexed that a group of nine people could possibly have had no objections to dining at their establishment. The task of joining together three tables nearly overwhelmed them (despite the place being half empty), but after upwards of five minutes they managed to complete the assembly. Our main server (I guess you could call her that) was passive aggressive rude and completely useless when questioned regarding any of the menu items. Perhaps she felt that providing Captain Obvious answers was appropriate given the restaurant's nautical theme? She was very slow to bring our drinks. When that was finally done the revolving door of her fellow servers seemed to take over the financial gang rape for the evening. She did make a brief obligatory appearance toward the end to ask way after the fact if we were doing "alright". The disaster of a meal was far beyond any sort of redemption, not that I believe she would have made any effort to rectify things even if it wasn't. The bottom line is that this place is run just like the water park adjacent to it, a tourist trap with an all-around high priced extremely dissatisfying experience.
(1)Bella W.
I don't know why there's so many bad reviews. I went there for the first time yesterday, and I liked it for the most part. The host that took us to the table wasn't friendly tho, she looked like she hated her job. Our waitress was really friendly. The food was ok, typical seafood, nothing too fancy, but it was satisfying. My dad got a lobster that was bad tho, it was all mushy like mash potato, but they had no problem replacing it, and were really nice about it. The manager was also super friendly and came to check on us. I really liked the friendly atmosphere, except the host, but aside from seating us, we didn't have to interact with her. Everything is super pricey, so probably won't come here everyday, but for special occasions I would definitely come here again.
(4)Tina B.
My family has been wanting to eat here for a few years and finally stopped while on a trip to Gurnee Mills. We called ahead to ask about reservations and were told to call one hour before coming in...we did and when we walked in one hour later we were seated immediately. My guy and daughter ordered the "$40" double crab boil which is the Classic Joe's Steampot( Queens crab, snow crab, shrimp, sausage, corn on cob, red potatoes, French fries and hush puppies. All pretty standard and nothing stood out. We ordered salads with "homemade" ranch dressing which was unimpressive and he had blue cheese which he enjoyed. Our server was very pleasant, friendly and attentive. She even assisted with cracking the crab legs open and making sure not to miss any of nuggets of crab meat. In the claws. I don't eat shellfish and didn't see any fish on the menu that appealed to me so it was a toss up between the burger, chicken sandwich or chicken fingers. I decided on the bacon cheese burger sans bacon. It wasn't good and the onion strings were even less impressive (I wish they had a little bit more crunch and flavor) the burger was kind of dry and lacked over all flavor. My experience has always been if you go to a seafood restaurant order seafood or if you go to a steak restaurant order steak and definitely in this case I should have stuck to my rule of thumb. Rather they ruin my families evening with my pickiness I just ate my burger...they really enjoyed their experience and I loved watching them enjoy it.... Go if you must but don't go with high expectations...
(2)Corey N.
Showed up for a Thursday half off drinks and this Joes Crab Shack was out of alcoholic to make many of there drinks. Because of the drink issue, I waited around 20 minutes before I saw my first drink. Waiter was almost none existent. Water was gone had to walk over to find someone to get more drinks. Was at this exact crab shack a year ago. This place seems less organized this time around and not well managed. Had really good crab and the food was good. Just seemed poorly managed acrossed the board. Was watching other waiters getting frustrated with other waiters, not our waiter either. This was our waiters first day, so I did feel bad for him having to deal with all the other b.s. issues.
(1)Mark F.
Whenever we drive by it feels like no one is here. When we chose to come for dinner we were one of the only people there. It was kind of sad. But I was optimistic that we'd have stellar service and amazing food. Sadly...we did not have either. Service was slow and the girl felt rushed for some reason. On the plus side, everything came out pretty quick. Their kids menu was great and had some creative items. I feel like Joe's came about at the height of gimmick restaurants (like Rainforest Cafe or Bubba Gump Shrimp) and it's stuck there. It'd be great to see it innovate itself otherwise the parking lot and quality will remain empty.
(2)Mike N.
Flies allover. I had been there a couple of years ago. Today the flies took over the place. Even though the waitress was very hospitable the food was bland and cold. And again flies allover the place. The bucket where you're supposed to put the shells was still dirty with remains from the last diner. Not going back at this particular restaurant.
(2)Bex A.
I like the chain. This is the second location I have been too. I am reviewing the location in this post mostly, but here is a quick recap of the food. You can pretty much expect consistency since it's a chain. Garlicky mussels, tasty. Snow crab, tasty. Sangria, tasty. BUT the lobster, chewy and tough, but for the price, not surprising. If you want really good lobster, then you should be going to a place and spending market price. So you get a decent lobster for the price. First time I had to shuck the entire lobster. That was interesting The service was good, (coming from an ex-waitress.) I made a reservation, took a little while to be seated, but they were cleaning. I have standards on serving, but I also understand the challenges of the restaurant world. The waitress was nice, checked on us appropriately. The challenge, I ordered mussels, we noticed that it was taking longer than it should for our appetizers. Then a few mins later the waitress came, explained they were by accidentally over cooked and they will be comped. I appreciated this as an ex-server and like I said, unexpected things happened. It was nice that it was addressed and they immediately handled it. She did say the manager was going to come over, he did not, but I could careless. I don't need an apology from management, it was handled. Otherwise, service was great. Like the fun decor and the food. Definitely Wiil go back.
(4)Cam M.
Came here with my family after a day at Six Flags. The service was good and we got our drinks refilled when we needed them. We ordered the Ragin' Cajun steampot and extra crab. The waitress was helpful and answered questions about portion sizes. The crab was good, I liked the Cajun spice because it had some 'kick'. We got extra butter when we asked for it, too. The potatoes and corn were both Cajun spiced. The corn was kind of soggy, almost like a frozen ear that was taken from the freezer and boiled. I have had way better. The potatoes were good, but there were only a few. The sausage was amazing. I like it here because I like crab boils. I have had better, but this was fun after a day at Six Flags. The portions were a little small for the price, but that is why we don't go to Joe's often.
(3)Chuck T.
Always yummy and fresh! Service is always good. If you like crab, no better place. Cool shirts available.
(5)Dr. C.
They can not cook the Bar-B-Que Dungeness crab! Horrible Experience, an unexpected visit from the Regional Management is in order!
(1)Mary M.
Service is extremely slow. We were there for two hours for dinner, and we rushed getting out of there. If you're not in a hurry and it's a nice day, I recommend sitting on the patio. If you have kids, they can play on the playground. Food is fine (almost nothing for vegetarians), drinks are good. The atmosphere is fun (although they never danced when we were there, even though they announced it), if a bit loud. I was also sitting on the most uncomfortable banquette ever. The waitress told me they were replacing them slowly, but they need to do it faster.
(2)Jon R.
Got in and was immediately seated. Started it with a Coke and mozzerella sticks which weren't heated completely so the center was still cold. Tolerable but not good. Ordered the snow crab bucket which was out before we could finish the cheese sticks. Food was very good, better than I last remember eating there, but they never refilled my Coke and I had to ask for my fries a second time. Also tasted my dad's crawfish and while it was good the breading was too soft and chewy. Chocolate cake for dessert, which was so big we could not finish. JCS is "plan B" when every restaurant in Gurnee is jam-packed (in our case: Red Lobster). With the fairly-mediocre/inefficient service this place has it's no-wonder the parking lot is never busy when driving by. I can also attest the servers are dancing to the same junk they were 10 years ago... the novelty sure wears off fast. Bottom line: Could be worse.
(2)Corey M.
Food was ok, no wi-fi, military discount on certain days? Nice atmosphere and some fun music and staff dancing, although they didn't seem to enjoy it.
(3)Jeff V.
Terrible service. The food was really bad. I had a shrimp combo. The stuffed shrimp tasted like were not fresh eeeew. The rice was dry, tasteless and cold. Stop dancing and start quality control!
(2)Baby B.
We only go here if we are desperate for crab legs and too lazy to drive to Bob Chin's (which is the best seafood place ever and their crab legs are 3 times bigger). The service sucks and the food is just OK. Our waiter seemed to have short term memory loss and coudn't remember anything he heard five seconds ago, causing for us to wait and constantly remind him about our drinks and utensils so we could begin eating. The dancing is soooo annoying and done by people who have no rhythm or energy whatsoever. Ordered a martini and all I could taste was alcohol and sent it back. The only reason I would go back is for the crawfish...can't really find that any place else.
(2)Tiffany V.
My boyfriend suggested we check this place out last weekend because neither of us had been there before. I am always excited to try new restaurants but this was a disappointment. Someone seated us, but we sat at the table for at least 25 minutes without even being acknowledged by a server, which I dont understand why because it was 3 pm and we were one of probably 10 tables and there were 4 or 5 servers. My boyfriend went to the bar to get the manager and the bartender kept telling him that the manager was really busy. The manager came out 10 minutes later and was very unapologetic. He said that just because it didn't look busy in the restaurant doesn't mean they weren't busy, because he was in the back making food and washing dishes to help out. He offered to cook our food for us personally but we decided to go to Olive Garden instead. Don't waste your time or money...You're better off going somewhere else. We also sent an email to corporate to complain about the horrible service and haven't gotten a response.
(1)Vic O.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit I went to this place because everyone but me seems to know how bad it is. 3 years ago I went to the Schaumburg one, and it was fairly good. The menu has since changed, and the quality gone WAY DOWN. I ordered king crab, and it looked just like puny snow crab. My reaction was, they're kidding, right? It's no Shaws, even Red Lobster is better. Their whole approach has changed, to one that is stingy, formulaic and operated by people who don't know seafood. Small portions - 3 chunks of potato and 1/3 ear of corn came with my 'pretend they are King crab legs'. Not recommended. Service was excellent, but that was our server's personal effort. My drink was so strong, I couldn't finish it. The crab tasted fine, seemed fresh, but I got much less than a cupful of crab meat, and no shell cracker (!), just that long useless plastic can opener thing. Hey Joe! Crab has spiny prickly bumps all over. It's painful and messy to open crab legs w/o a cracker. They really should know better. Just don't go there.
(2)Arlene A.
Arrived at Joe's after a long day in the sun at Great American. While everything else closes up at 10pm, Joe's was open, for which we were thankful. Frozen Margarita's were in order as were some apps. We got the dips (crab and spinach), stuffed mushrooms, and the great balls of fire. The dips are garlicky, which for me is fine. The stuffed mushrooms surprised me by having shrimp in it that was actually identifiable as shrimp. Lastly, the great balls of fire, which are difficult to describe.... cheese, jalapenos in a crispy breading. They're weird, but good. However, the french fries were absolutely amazing! Skins on, super crispy, I could eat those french fries all night long! The best part? Even though we walked in at 10:30pm with them closing at 11pm we were warmly greeted, seated, and treated. Our bartender was great, actually discussing all the different frozen drinks available without rushing us, or making us feel uncomfortable. I am however glad that we were only the second to last patrons in the joint!
(3)alex l.
I've been to many joe's crab shacks in other locations in Illinois and never had as bad service as this one. I went there on a thursday night. My brother and I were the only customers in the booths with about a dozen customers at the bar. Ordered the appetizer sampler right away, 5 minutes later ordered the $40 bucket for two. 15 minutes later waitress states appetizers will be coming out any minute. Another 15 minutes waitress says same thing. I can understand if it was friday and the places was packed and maybe understaffed but three waitresses for two customers and 35 min no food disregarding appetizers with same excuse? My brother and I paid for our drinks and left and went to Outback steakhouse which was 20x busier and they were very prompt and polite and we got ALL our food in less then 20 minutes. Never had the food there so I can't rate the food but who waits over a half an hour for appetizers with no apology in the dead of night.
(1)Kurt K.
A bit pricey but great food and great atmosphere. Much better then that other seafood chain. Drinks were good and when a person in our party didn't like here houses specialty drink they made her another on the house. As for the food, how can you say a bad word about BBQ Queen Crab Legs. yum. Would have been 5 stars but the price is a bit steep for the positions. Drink prices are actually lower then expected for house specialty drinks.
(4)Caitie H.
Called right before we came and said we had a movie to see at 7:40 and if we came in at 7 could we get to the movie in time. He said he could have our orders out within 15 minutes guaranteed. So we got here right at 7 and the host barely said hello before she plopped us in the corner. I told her we were kind of in a rush and she just smirked. We sat for 30 minutes before anyone even came over to us. Two tables came in after us and got their drinks and food put in while we were sitting here. And mind you, the restaurant is dead. Once the server came over we asked to talk to the manager, Joann (mgr) came over and was totally polite, very sweet and took care of the situation. So although we started pretty pissed off, she definitely made it right. Will return (maybe when we don't have a tight schedule)
(3)Thuy H.
I felt like the place is a little overpriced for the amount if food they give you. The steampot is too salty on the outside and very bland on the inside. I really wanted some crawfish and what was served to me was worse than what I could've gotten at a buffet. They said that the orlean steam pot was 1lb but what really added up to the weight was the corn and salty sausages.
(2)Kelly C.
Just left joes without a bite of food. Sat at the bar, noticed the dirty floor and coolers immediately. Ordered a draft beer and thought about ordering dinner. Upon sitting for several minutes we decided we would not be dining, that if this is how what we can see looks, imagine the kitchen! Decided to have a shot and the bartender pulls out a bottle of rumpleminz filled with pink liquid! No thanks. There were several pieces of garbage on the floor behind me, noticed staff walk right past it at least a dozen times. Jon Taffer would go ballistic here!
(1)Jeanne N.
We came here last night - Saturday- for early dinner. This was the second time here. The place was busy, but not super busy, so we were seated right away. For an appetizer, we ordered the bucket of shrimp (18) and got that right away. We did observe though, that we did not get as many shrimp as we ordered, and were brought out an additional 6. Also, we were missing the paper towel roll, as well as silver ware which we had to ask for! Most of the shrimp had shells that would not come off, so you had to eat the shells, which my husband did not care for. I ordered the Queen crab bucket fire grilled style which was awesome, the crab cracked nicely, the meat came right out of the shell! Yum! However, my husband ordered the paella, and the shrimp come with the tails still on- not what you would want to eat with a fork, and he also had a lot of clam shell fragments in the mix! It only comes with 1 garlic bread, you need way more, and we had to pay extra for it.... but the flavor was great. My 12 year old had the classic stream pot with the Queen crab, and was pleased with the meal, as was my 7 year old with the Mac n cheese. Another issue is their bathroom: dirty, falling apart, and gross. Report of worse conditions in the men's! If at all possible, avoid until after your meal! Although pleased with the flavors, and my meal was good, the cost being high, and the service and the atmosphere as well as food quality being lack-lustre, the consensus of the family is that we will not be back :(
(2)Susie C.
My friends and I came here for lunch after our bike ride tour. It was a pretty decent crowd since it was 2ish pm. The staff is friendly, our waitress was nice and helpful. We sat in a booth. My friends who sat across from us couldn't put their backs on the seat because it would move the person who's sitting on the other side. That guy kept looking back so my friends couldnt lean back otherwise it would bother the other customer. And they felt the other customer was leaning back so they felt the bumps here and there. Unfortunately it wasn't comfortable for them to sit where they sat. The seat on the booth could be more sturdy but it isn't. I ordered the seafood platter...or something like that. It has fish and chips with fried scallops. My fish was just one piece and it was heavily breaded and fried. Couldn't really eat the fish at all. The fries were decent. The shrimp and scallops were okay..like I said very fried and breaded. My husband ordered the pasta-laya. He thought it was just okay. My other friend thought her pasta-laya was just okay too. My other friend ordered a platter - he thought it was okay as well..it came with balls...not sure what was in it but those were decent. Overall we had a decent time. Food is just okay - I wouldn't say it was favorable.
(2)Kim B.
Very disappointed. I love joes and always visit the one in Florida. Was going to order steam pot and server suggested something different. Crab legs were deep fried and over cooked. Place was in need of a deep clean. Very dusty and disgusting. Server was nice
(2)Ben J.
Crab and lobster were quite good. $2 Hurricanes were pretty good too. Service from Savannah was nice and chipper. And besides, with good crab and lobster, what else need be said?
(4)Kamila L.
I will not be coming back to this Joe's Crabshack ever. One night, my boyfriend and I decided to finally eat out for dinner during the week instead of ordering in. I wanted crablegs and anywhere else that was offering them was too far of a drive. Needless to say, they seated us next to the waitress station when it was empty everywhere else. Apparently this was the section of a waitress who did not want to be there. We only saw her three times during the whole time we were there. Not to ask us if we needed anything else but just to take our order deliver our food, drop off a beer we ordered 12 minutes before and to give us our check. (okay that is 4 but I didn't count the beer) The crablegs were not hot. There was no butter, we couldn't even wave her down to get butter either. On top of it, when we were looking around for her she came to the waitress station directly behind us and continued to complain about not wanting to be there. I work in the bar industry so even if she had sucked it up and checked on us a few more times, it would have been worth her while to have stayed, we always tip well. I'm sorry but with the food being lukewarm, the service, the whole experience- we will be driving the extra 20-30 minutes to get crablegs somewhere else.
(2)Gina B.
I have been to this location twice now and have had two completely different experiences so I guess I will need to go once again for the tie breaker to determine if it is really good or really not. Made the drive out to Gurnee on a Sunday morning, on a mission to get a Tshirt for someone and of course the seafood. Dealing with traffic and construction on the way out, I was happy to finally get there. Pulled in and it was dead, like 4 cars in the parking lot dead - weird but then again it was Sunday morning early afternoon. Greeted and seated, already knew the drill of the place so that was all good. Our server was scarce we were self sufficient getting out own paper towels, etc. He brought us the wrong meal and when my son told him it was wrong he was just like "oh ya" Really? don't show so much concern. We were his only table and he couldn't notice his one order was wrong? He spent all of his time up at the bar with his friends watching the football game. The food came and other than my son's being wrong, mine was awful. I had ordered a steamer pot with lobster, crab, shrimp, etc with garlic and old bay seasoning. There was no garlic or seasoning and everything was water logged. I had to wring out my lobster to eat it and couldn't do so then because it was so overcooked and chewy it was impossible. What a colossal waste of money. This was one of those experiences that would happen if you raved about a place and finally decided to take someone there to show it off and then the service and food is horrible and you are left feeling very embarrassed. Not good at all. Finished up and headed out but not before stopping by the door to get my shirt I came for. Who would think this would have an issue? I was informed by the girl at the door that all the shirts were $21.99, which I knew they were not from the internet and being there previously. She insisted. Sign said differently. Another worker said she was mistaken - ahh, no kidding. So the no it all girl rang me up and had to admit she told me incorrectly and then asked me if I would like to leave a tip. Huh? What? a tip, for what? For buying a shirt??? She replied "YES" - Ahhh I don't think so! Are you serious?! Asking for a tip for ringing up a tshirt - WOW! As soon as we walked out the door there was a down pour and we were soaked to the bone by the time we got in the car. Drove home while tornado warnings were going off everywhere. This was just an awful experience all the way around. Happy to get home.
(2)J. Chuck K.
What started out as one of the worst dining experiences of my life, ended up being a pretty fun evening. When we walked in this past Saturday night around 5:00, we were told it would be an hour wait because there was a reservation for 35 people and another for 23 in front of us. Why they take reservations on a Saturday night is beyond me. The large crowd waiting around the hostess stand clearly showed they're not hurting for business. I had never been to Joe's before and our friends really wanted sea food, so with two 3 year olds and another that was one, we were willing to see if they could hold out for an hour. What started out as an hour, very painfully turned into two. By the time the 60 minute mark rolled around, my wife went to get an explanation from the hostesses and finally asked for a manager. When the manager arrived, she could see that my wife was unhappy. Instead of listening and showing some concern, THE MANAGER TURNED AROUND AND WALKED AWAY. Stunned by this behavior, another manager (didn't get his name, but a gentleman with glasses) arrived and apologized. Just after 7pm we were finally seated and experienced great service from the waiter, JR. As I said, this was my first time coming here, and also my first time eating crab legs. The crab was good, a lot of work, but good. However, I felt like there weren't enough legs in the portion to justify the price. What really stood out were the balls of fire appetizer (ha ha so funny) and the crab dip. I could easily eat both as a meal and be satisfied. After our hellish wait, and the way my wife complained to the manager and hostesses, I was expecting apathetic service and the kitchen staff to spit on our food. But right away we could tell the manager and waiter wanted to turn the night around for us. The manager felt so bad for us that OUR ENTIRE CHECK WAS COMPED,and not just the food, but drinks too. He could have taken off a percentage or given us a free appetizer, but he really went above and beyond in trying to get us to return. The female manager that walked away from wife without saying a word shouldn't even have a job. If she can't handle unhappy customers then she better find a new line of work. While the other manager was personally cleaning tables and making drinks behind the bar, she was standing in a doorway and staring off into space. Based on the first two hours of this night I would not come back, but after eating the food and taking in some of the fun atmosphere, we would come back and give them another try. The fully comped bill certainly helped, but the manager's genuine concern and the waiter's enthusiastic attitude made us believers. I seriously doubt they'll be taking reservations on the weekend any time soon.
(3)Rebekah R.
Awesome food. I love the Queen crap, garlic mussels, corn on the cob and my husband enjoys his "Big people drinks" as my daughter calls them. Service is great and the food is delicious, I always want to order more even after I'm full. Lol awesome family nights.
(5)Rod L.
The food was good $40 for the two lobster steam pot with clams and shrimp. The quantity was a little short however. I had come to Joe's to celebrate my daughters thirteenth birthday. After asking the hostess and my waiter to provide her the special birthday treatment we got nothing. So that's why I left nothing for a tip.
(2)Edwin R.
Freaking awesome food. We were first timers, but they took the time to explain how to eat crab the right way and we enjoyed every last leg!
(5)Samuel V.
First time visit , if you're considering this place, your not missing much ! It's a dingy and skimpy for what you get on a plate! I give it 2 stars cuz the waitress was wonderful !
(2)Greg B.
So so...mussels we're ok, Maine coat was ok if not overdone. Beer was cold and server was attentive. Described it as their slow time. Not returning.
(2)Brian L.
Went tonight with the family and it was an awful experience. Cold food, bland food with no taste, waterlogged food, no knives on table, no butter, no lemons, expensive drinks with little alcohol, never again!
(1)Kim M.
I had friends coming into town for a very short visit - basically, just dinner before they had to hit the road again. They were delayed, and didn't get into Gurnee until after midnight. They really wanted some seafood, and had their hearts set on Joe's. We arrived about 10-15 minutes before closing, and I was hoping they'd bail on the idea because I hate to cause that kind of inconvenience. After all, it's not fast food. And, I'll admit, after seeing "Waiting," it made me even more leery of being that person who makes everyone stay late when they'd rather be home getting some sleep. Spitburger, anyone? The only people still working were the manager and one or two of the wait staff. If they were upset that we were there, they sure didn't show it. They were incredibly friendly and helpful. We ordered food that we thought wouldn't be too much trouble for them but even then, it really wasn't a short stay for us. A big shout out to the waiter and the manager who made us feel welcome even though I know they had a better way to spend their time. The food here is always good. It's not the best - if you want the best seafood, you don't go to a chain that most likely uses frozen seafood because of the high volume of service. But it's enjoyable and I do like to eat here. Love the peel-n-eat shrimp appetizer, I often get it as my meal. The Great Balls of Fire are pretty good, too. I'd give the food a 3-star rating, but I bumped it up to 4 because of the great service we had despite the very late hour.
(4)Christina K.
I didn't get Crabs from Joe....I got shell and what they call "crab meat" Been here twice. This Valentines Day and Valentines Day 2 years ago. Only reason we returned was because the wait at other restaurants. Waited about an hour for our table. Drank at the bar first. Did I mention that my alcoholic drink cost me $9? Because it did. Our server was nice. Appetizer was okay, the bucket effing sucked. We ordered the King & Queen crab. Which looked the same size, but looked like snow Crab...WTF? Yea so happy that I dropped $60 that night. Oh wait..forgot my drink cost $9 and tip...So glad I dropped $75 that night. Someone gag me. Ugh. The $30 bucket we bought came with about 6 legs, 1 ear of uncooked corn, and 1 potato. Lol 1 potato...are you serious? YUP...Never again. F YOU JOES
(2)Jennifer G.
I don't know why people give good reviews and then only 2-3 stars. WE had an awesome time. Great food, excellent service, happy atmosphere. Best time in a long time. Our server Robbie said he was new but I would never have guessed. We LOVED him. He not only congratulated our son on his graduation but thanked him for his service. Too cool. We're even going to write the manager a letter when we get home! 2 stars? Please! Where do you people eat???
(5)Robert B.
I generally like Joe's, was a bit disappointed tonight. I ordered the fish and chips which was very good. Average good though I thought. The appetizers were good.
(3)Shamika C.
Went here after going to six flags. We ordered the nachos w/pico on the side & it came out with it on. No big deal if you weren't allergic to onions. They brought it out a second time & it literally just had lettuce and chips no crab meat. Our server after that had the worst customer service. We waited for to come check on us for 20 mins. No refills with our drinks. Eventually I had to get a manager. I like joe crab shack just wouldn't recommend that location!
(1)Jodi P.
We had dinner here on the Fourth of July. The weather was nice so we sat outside. The kids played on the playground in back of the restaurant basically from when we arrived until we left, with the short exception of a minute to figure out what to eat and about 10 minutes to eat it. So my husband and I practically had a dinner for two, which was really nice for us. Thanks, Joe's Crab Shack, for having the play lot! This earned the place an extra star in my rating. But even without the play lot, Joe's would have earned a good review. We had attentive and helpful service from Kayla, who helped us make choices from the enormous menu, brought our drinks and food promptly, and checked back frequently to bring us extras such as lemons and cocktail sauce, as well as bring more clams when the ones in my husbands steam pot hasn't opened. And the food itself was good, a fresh departure from the greasy fare that prevails here in Gurnee. My husband got the crab and clam steam pot, which he enjoyed, though he probably wouldn't get the old bay spice again, which wasn't his preference. I got a fish, shrimp, and crab cake combo, which was also good. The Mahi Mahi was grilled and topped with a fresh avocado pico de gallo. The shrimp was simple and seasoned with paprika, and the crab cake was delicious - lots of crab and a nice remoulade sauce. The kids meals were good too, reasonably priced and a nice break from burgers and fries. Even with our beer, the meal came in at under $75, which we feel is a good value for a seafood dinner for a family of four. All in all, a great experience in a sea of very average fish in this neck of the woods. We would return and might even go out of our way to do so.
(5)Amy T.
Went there after going to Great America and I got one of the crab pots. The crab smelled ammoniated, which means it wasn't fresh, and I should have sent it back. It didn't taste that great and the meat was shriveled up and very salty (unfresh) and I became very ill that evening, and spent much of my time in the bathroom. Will not go back because this is the second time I've had ammonia smelling crab, and I can't trust their freshness. There is an overall sense of uncleanliness about this place too, and I think it's kind of gross that the utensils sit in a bucket on a table, without being changed out after each seating. I know I had to reach for utensils in there, and my hands weren't very clean while doing so, therefore who knows who else touched them. I'm a bit shocked that the food and health department allows that. The service was decent, and this is the only seafood place that doesn't give rolls before dining. There is an overall sense of laziness for the table bussing, the bucket of utensils, paper towels instead of napkins and the tables look dingy and unclean. For the prices they charge, I would expect dinner rolls, and clean utensils changed out at every seating, and napkins. Someone is going to get bad food poisoning.
(1)Yvonne O.
I know this is a chain, and therefore do not expect much, but my husband's summary fits this to a "t" - "Everything was thoroughly mediocre". Driving back from WI on a meat trip, we stopped off to eat lunch as it was past 12:00 and the husband began to grumble. I suggested here because I wanted a shrimp po boy. We ordered two sodas and some crab nachos and then got the po boy and salmon platter. This small amount of stuff (note no liquor or dessert) cost $70. Seriously? This is totally average (frozen) food with dancing waiters and you expect people to shell-out that much? My .25 cent soda has an upcharge to $2.38. WTF? Crab nachos - on which the crab is only visible by microscope and your stomach thanks you later with revenge - were $10. The po boy was pretty standard, as expected, but the salmon looked like it did not start out fresh and service was really lackluster (And we were one of about 4-5 tables in the whole place serviced by at least 7 waitstaff!) Not in a hurry to head back to this place.
(2)Chad H.
This is a pretty bad place as far as restaurants go. You can do a lot better. That being said, it's not quite the same level of horrible as Olive Garden, it's neighbor. The seafood here is pretty bad and doesn't taste very fresh. I don't understand why anyone would go here, when Red Lobster is right down the street and 100 times better? 1.5 stars, rounded up to 2 for bell curve reasons.
(2)Jessica S.
I just went to Joe's last night with my sister and one of our friends. As usual, the food was tasty and prompt. I really enjoy the fun, casual atmosphere of Joe's, and its the first restaurant I ever had crab legs. Last night I splurged on the Big Daddy Crab Feast with Dungeness, Snow, and King Crab Legs. I'm glad I got to eat all three at the same time to compare, and I've come to the conclusion that snow crabs are my favorite. (Don't fret, Joe's is not the only place I've had King Crab legs at, but I do prefer the slight sweetness that snow crabs have.) Overall, it was a great dining experience for a girl's night out.
(4)kevin m.
My group was hungry we wanted seafood in gurnee and it was late whos open to midnite most nights joes friendly staff and good food made this night awsome my entire group ate the steam pots all selections were good def going back again
(5)Natalie R.
It's.....a.....Joe's Crab Shack. It really is the "Chuck E Cheese" of the seafood restaurant world. This particular one is exactly the same as the one two towns over....which is exactly the same as the one in Auburn Hills, MI....which is exactly the same as....every other Joe's.... Still, one thing about Joe's is that the servers all seem to be aware of their surroundings and take it all very tongue-in-cheek with excellent customer service and a palpable camaraderie. There was one bizarre dance session, but I guess that's just part of the shtick. The shrimp po'boy sucked - the remoulade was Not Good - but the kids' popcorn shrimp was good and I might actually have been enticed into one of the big pot dinners except my husband is a crab hog and I would have been stuck with a claw and some corn.
(3)Mike L.
The Chuck-E-Cheese of the seafood world, well without all the little kids and the video games, but if you want neon loud decour and noise along with your bad food than this is the place for you. The place is just a disaster with all the swag hanging on the ceiling and walls plus the tables are cramped so close together it feels liked they are stacked up on each other. The food comes in small portions and is of poor quality, which is good because it means you can leave that much quicker. I laughed at my friend when he ordered a beer because it was $6 or $8 bucks for a MIller LIte and all I could say was that it is as bad as Wrigley and you can get a 12 pack, hell, even a case of it for that price. So you get to keep the drink glasses, is Joes Crab Shack in Gurnee IL going to give you that Kodak moment whenever you look at that glass 5,10,30 years from now? The only food worse than this place in the area is at Six Flags. Just drive by, dont get seduced by all the flashing lights at this place, dont be the moth.
(1)Ryan R.
Our experience started off very poor. The waitress was upset she got her drink order wrong, and when asked about whether or not the Maine lobster was frozen, I got an attitude like I should know all their fish are frozen. Well, when she came back with the correct drink order, the tide changed and her attitude reversed 180 degrees. She actually turned out to be a very good, respectful waitress and for that reason we left her 20% tip. Remember TIP actual led means (TO INSURE PROMPTNESS). Anyway, let's get to the grub. I got the king crab engaged in a garlic sauce of some kind (which were half the price...and size...than at a higher class establishment) and my kids got the popcorn shrimp, which they seemed to enjoy. My wife got the steamed king crab which were essentially tasteless. Bottom line...next time we decide to get a frozen TV dinner, it won't be at this place. There is a reason I haven't been back to this place in years. 3 stars overall, but I was really leaning for 2!
(3)Stan G.
have always enjoyed joe's crab shack, and this is no exception! for being a chain restaurant they have it down great. awesome service, fun inviting atmosphere, and tasty food.. I ordered the Bairdi crab, a new one on the menu and it's my new favorite. I got 2 huge clusters, full of thick tasty meat. its as good as the king without the full king crab price.. my server was super nice, very efficient, and did her job very well. she made continuous trips to my table to make sure all was ok as a professional server does. I left Joes feeling very satisfied and fully assured that I got my money's worth.. will definitely be returning..
(5)Brian V.
The food here is, well, food... I didn't have anything that was really good. Our server was really friendly & that's why I'm going 3 stars. On food alone this would be a 2 star review. Everything was overly breaded and tasted the same. If I was blindfolded the only way I could tell what I was eating would be the texture... It was my first time here & most likely my last.
(3)Josh K.
Really not sure about the bad reviews. Service was great. Drinks were great (get the 2 drink limit drinks with 151). Lobster might have been slightly over cooked but still delicious. I'm planning on making a trip here at least once every few months. Great Sunday lazy full stomach start.
(5)Kari H.
I walked in the place it was very busy,.. They seated the four of us to the booth. The waitress took 20 mins to get our drinks and forgot about the 4 persons drink. They food came and it was so bad we order the king daddy Lobster & Crab dinner it was so chewy had to ask the waitress to find the Lobster tail that was curled up that it was sent back. The Manager came and was super friendly he took the dinner off the bill with a drink on the house besides the cook forgot the corn that comes with the meal. All and all the Manager took care of the problem.
(3)Bernadette V.
This was without a doubt one of the worst, if not the worst, dining experiences my family and I have EVER had! This place belongs on "Restaurant Impossible" or "Hell's Kitchen". It is the holy trinity of bad dining...horrible food, service, and prices. I'll preface this section by stating that the other two restaurants we have tried for seafood boil were Pappadeaux and the Angry Crab. They are both pretty good at worst. I don't think it is unreasonable to use them as a measuring stick for my Joe's experience. The food was tremendously disappointing. As a group we opted for an appetizer of cheesy crab dip with onion chips. The dip itself was mediocre, making it by far the best dish of the evening, while the chips were very stale. For an entree I ordered two pounds of shrimp with potatoes, corn, sausage, coleslaw, mac & cheese, and hush puppies on the side (these were all very uninspiring and the hush puppies were particularly disappointing for their very dry texture). I know two pounds of shrimp when I see it, and this was not anywhere near two pounds of shrimp, although when we questioned the server she begged to differ. Lucky for her I forgot my digital culinary scale in my other purse. Regarding taste, it was very sparingly seasoned with Old Bay. I don't know whether they were afraid they would break the bank using too much, or their chefs were simply that inept, but it tasted like plain ole boiled shrimp. My friend ordered crawfish, specifying spicy, and needless to say it was not. Even worse was the fact that she pulled multiple old dead black crawfish from the bunch. Given the seemingly fresh market prices, it is particularly disappointing to be served something obviously frozen. Regarding the service, it was an amateur circus act. When we arrived they seemed perplexed that a group of nine people could possibly have had no objections to dining at their establishment. The task of joining together three tables nearly overwhelmed them (despite the place being half empty), but after upwards of five minutes they managed to complete the assembly. Our main server (I guess you could call her that) was passive aggressive rude and completely useless when questioned regarding any of the menu items. Perhaps she felt that providing Captain Obvious answers was appropriate given the restaurant's nautical theme? She was very slow to bring our drinks. When that was finally done the revolving door of her fellow servers seemed to take over the financial gang rape for the evening. She did make a brief obligatory appearance toward the end to ask way after the fact if we were doing "alright". The disaster of a meal was far beyond any sort of redemption, not that I believe she would have made any effort to rectify things even if it wasn't. The bottom line is that this place is run just like the water park adjacent to it, a tourist trap with an all-around high priced extremely dissatisfying experience.
(1)Bella W.
I don't know why there's so many bad reviews. I went there for the first time yesterday, and I liked it for the most part. The host that took us to the table wasn't friendly tho, she looked like she hated her job. Our waitress was really friendly. The food was ok, typical seafood, nothing too fancy, but it was satisfying. My dad got a lobster that was bad tho, it was all mushy like mash potato, but they had no problem replacing it, and were really nice about it. The manager was also super friendly and came to check on us. I really liked the friendly atmosphere, except the host, but aside from seating us, we didn't have to interact with her. Everything is super pricey, so probably won't come here everyday, but for special occasions I would definitely come here again.
(4)Tina B.
My family has been wanting to eat here for a few years and finally stopped while on a trip to Gurnee Mills. We called ahead to ask about reservations and were told to call one hour before coming in...we did and when we walked in one hour later we were seated immediately. My guy and daughter ordered the "$40" double crab boil which is the Classic Joe's Steampot( Queens crab, snow crab, shrimp, sausage, corn on cob, red potatoes, French fries and hush puppies. All pretty standard and nothing stood out. We ordered salads with "homemade" ranch dressing which was unimpressive and he had blue cheese which he enjoyed. Our server was very pleasant, friendly and attentive. She even assisted with cracking the crab legs open and making sure not to miss any of nuggets of crab meat. In the claws. I don't eat shellfish and didn't see any fish on the menu that appealed to me so it was a toss up between the burger, chicken sandwich or chicken fingers. I decided on the bacon cheese burger sans bacon. It wasn't good and the onion strings were even less impressive (I wish they had a little bit more crunch and flavor) the burger was kind of dry and lacked over all flavor. My experience has always been if you go to a seafood restaurant order seafood or if you go to a steak restaurant order steak and definitely in this case I should have stuck to my rule of thumb. Rather they ruin my families evening with my pickiness I just ate my burger...they really enjoyed their experience and I loved watching them enjoy it.... Go if you must but don't go with high expectations...
(2)Corey N.
Showed up for a Thursday half off drinks and this Joes Crab Shack was out of alcoholic to make many of there drinks. Because of the drink issue, I waited around 20 minutes before I saw my first drink. Waiter was almost none existent. Water was gone had to walk over to find someone to get more drinks. Was at this exact crab shack a year ago. This place seems less organized this time around and not well managed. Had really good crab and the food was good. Just seemed poorly managed acrossed the board. Was watching other waiters getting frustrated with other waiters, not our waiter either. This was our waiters first day, so I did feel bad for him having to deal with all the other b.s. issues.
(1)Mark F.
Whenever we drive by it feels like no one is here. When we chose to come for dinner we were one of the only people there. It was kind of sad. But I was optimistic that we'd have stellar service and amazing food. Sadly...we did not have either. Service was slow and the girl felt rushed for some reason. On the plus side, everything came out pretty quick. Their kids menu was great and had some creative items. I feel like Joe's came about at the height of gimmick restaurants (like Rainforest Cafe or Bubba Gump Shrimp) and it's stuck there. It'd be great to see it innovate itself otherwise the parking lot and quality will remain empty.
(2)Mike N.
Flies allover. I had been there a couple of years ago. Today the flies took over the place. Even though the waitress was very hospitable the food was bland and cold. And again flies allover the place. The bucket where you're supposed to put the shells was still dirty with remains from the last diner. Not going back at this particular restaurant.
(2)Justin E.
What can I say? This place is just OK. It's always dead and I think that can be highly attributed to the lack of any special draw. There's nothing here that really stands out. We went on Tuesday, April 28th when we were at a last minute "what should we have for dinner" standoff. Tired of the norm, we decided to go to Joe's. We'd been there a time or two in the past and I've always left feeling very underwhelmed for the amount of money we spent. Their signature "Steampots" are quite appealing when reading the menu, but when they come out, they're lacking any real substance or appeal. This particular visit, I thought I'd try just the crab leg bucket rather than the steampot which I'd had in the past. Our waitress, Cassi, who was kind, attentive, courteous and very helpful (if the review was strictly on her service, she'd get 5 stars) misheard us when we ordered Queen Crab and so we were served King Crab. Not a big deal and quite honestly, we didn't even realize that was what we'd eaten until the bill came. I've only had Snow, Dungeness and King in my life so I didn't know what "Queen" looked or tasted like. I just ate it and all along thought to myself, "my this looks and tastes just like King Crab!" Cassi was quick to adjust our bill even though we'd eaten what was served to us. She apologized profusely even though it was really no big deal. At any rate, for a $30 meal, the amount of crab you get is really kind of pathetic. The corn on the cob was sweet, but not crisp. The potatoes are nothing special, just boiled and salted from what I can tell. We each added a side salad to our meal for $3 and even in the dim-lit atmosphere, it was obvious that some of the lettuce was brown/wilted. In my opinion and past experiences, often times, the quality of the salad is a good indication as to what the quality of the entree will be. Such is the case here! Our bill for two entrees, 2 side salads and one beverage was almost $80 after tip. It's just not worth it and I doubt that we'll be back again anytime soon. In conclusion, I guess I just really feel like you can do better at home! Portions, quality and price are all a little out of whack at Joe's.
(3)Alice A.
Walked in around 9 on a Saturday night. Got greeted and said there was a wait of about 15-20mins when there were empty tables in the restaurant. Ok, so we stepped out. 10 seconds later the teen hostess comes out and said sorry she got the time mixed up. She thought we wanted to be seated outdoors when she never asked in the first place... Ok.... Anyway, ordered the joes steam pot for two and calamari as appetizers. Calamari was good. Not drenched in oil. Very crispy. I would recommend that. The crabs at Joes wasn't as fresh as I thought it would be. They have waaay too much seasoning / salt and butter in that steam pot, it took away the natural flavors of the crabs itself. And it was kinda too salty for me... Our waitress never refilled our drinks and checked up on us twice. Honestly, if you want to spend money on good seafood, I recommend going to Bob Chinns. Super fresh! You will not be disappointed! Joes is run by teenie boppers which makes me feel like the environment is too childish, loud and unprofessional. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be returning. The seafood wasn't fresh enough for the $$$.
(2)Chris T.
Great place. Waiters are super nice. Ask for Matt. The food was awesome but beware, the food may be a little too spicy....like the corn had seasoning on it. But everything was great. If you're willing to spend about... $40, get the sampler and a steampot. You won't regret it. Unless you're allergic to seafood :(
(5)Tara M.
Ok, so this place is weird. Seated on their patio which we liked a lot. The server told us she'd be right with us, ten minutes go by and nothing. So I go inside and ask the hostess if we can get a server, she blank stared me in the eyes for a good 30 seconds before I said again, "We need a server, we just want to eat and go home." Then she goes, "Oh yeah. She's just really busy." Uhh okay, there's about 5 tables in the restaurant and two servers on the floor. So the server comes out, who is a really nice girl, but makes it really effin awkward. She goes, "I got to you guys as soon as I could. Sorry, I had tables." Girl, we are one of your tables. Whatever, she got nicer as the night went on. I just wish the hostess would have maybe grabbed our drink order to help the girl out, or maybe the manager who was walking around aimlessly. My complaint isn't towards the waitress because she was nice.
(2)Samantha G.
The food was good. Service was below mediocre. The staff was very comfortable hanging out with each other at the bar while the customers waited. We never got a refill on the kids drinks but they made sure to ask if we needed another beer. We specifically ordered an appetizer and even had a conversation with the waitress on the correct pronunciation of the word and come to find out she never put the order in. I had to ask for butter for the crab (apparently not a given) and a roll of paper towels. The best part was that I asked a manager for one and then I never saw her until we went to leave. To be that close to Great Lakes and have such crappy service to all of those Navy families that visit with their brand new sailers is just appalling. I will not be back.
(2)Brit K.
Here again! I read the other reviews and its so crazy bc we get excellent service and fast friendly hostess/waiters/mgr! We were checked on several times and the mgr came by as well! Jess was our server today and she was wonderful! My fries/hushpuppies didn't come out with the food but once mentioned they were brought out right away!!
(5)Vincenzo C.
Have ate here several times and it's quite simple - better than Red Lobster but nothing special. The quality of the seafood is average, the preparation is hit and miss and the service is not great. That's what you get when you hire a bunch of teenagers to run the joint - average at best. For the price, pony up a few more dollars and head to Bob Chins.
(2)Sheena W.
I ordered moscato to drink and server brought glass with lipstick. I then asked for another glass showing the lipstick and was given another dirty glass with fingerprints all over and inside glass. I'm not sure if they are washing their dishes but I was afraid I will catch the flu or some sickness. We ordered the balls of fire for appetizer and it was good as well as my meal which had orzo, lobster,fish, shrimp, clams and mussels. I enjoyed the food and server Zak was friendly.
(3)Benjamin S.
I was always a fan, the atmosphere is great. However, it seems lately the quality of food and service is going in the wrong direction. My crab was pretty good despite missing a leg but I can get past that. My family was not as lucky, we had unseasoned crab (supposed to be Old Bay - think mine got some of it), bad crab meat...ok, that happens too but pay a little attention and see if it looks tiny it may be suspect. Then as we were enjoying the food, kind of getting towards the end, our waitress asked if we were basically ready for the check; not quite there. The visit before this wasn't as bad as this one but not that good either. May have to look for crab elsewhere.
(2)Kim B.
One of the drawbacks to living in the suburbs is having so many chain restaurants. The boyfriend and I had a craving for some seafood. More specifically we wanted crabs. After doing some research on Yelp, we came up with a few non-chain restaurant options. None of them seemed very promising, especially after we checked out the prices online first. We finally decided to bite the bullet and go to Joe's Crab Shack because of the "take your top off" commercials. We ordered a steampot for two which came with crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage. The waiter was SUPER annoying and in-your-face and the food took forever to arrive, but we enjoyed everything and our seafood craving was satisfied. Even better, the steam pot only cost $39.99. We even ordered key lime pie for dessert and it was pretty good too! I probably won't be back any time soon but at least I know Joe's is an option next time I want some crabs.
(3)Michael S.
My wife and I have been here before and had an ok experience but we mostly stayed safe with fried foods. We had both been craving seafood so decided to splurge. We got the lobster and crab and the scallops, mussels, and crab pots. First of all it was quite a long wait for the food. The bartender checked on our order twice which was nice of him to do. The thing that made it even worse though it's that whiten we got our food it was so completely overcooked it was horrible. When you cracked open the crab and lobster watery residue came gushing out and the lobster shell was actually soft enough to bend rather than cracking. The staff was apologetic and the manager comped one of the meals but it was such a disappointing experience. I literally told the manager I've had better crab at hooters which is the truth.
(2)Mark K.
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!
(5)Joel A.
I should have known better taking the wife to Joe's as I do not eat seafood. Ribs didn't look very good when they arrived and were mediocre at best but that is my fault for ordering ribs at a crab shack. My wife loved her $20 crab leg bucket so she left happy. Service was fine. Can't smoke on huge patio so we moved inside since the bugs were attacking us.
(4)Rencie H.
The service was good, the food was ok. Definitely over priced.
(3)Linda K.
I come here every other week. Every one of my servers has been amazing. The manager is phenomenal. She comes to my table and asks how my food and service was every trip I make here. Unfortunately this last visit was a flop. The first bucket, my potatoes exploded all over everything. It was taken back into the kitchen. The manager brought it back out with a coupon for a free appetizer and apologized. However, that couldn't save the dish. It was dripping...literally dripping in salty seasoning. After two bites, I couldn't force myself to eat anymore. It went back into the kitchen and again the manager brought it out, plain this time. They were so patient and apologetic. Apparently there were new staff in the kitchen. This one flub did not deter me from coming back.
(5)Joe G.
Interesting seafood restaurant. Casual, interesting decor. We had a very good and attentive server, and an enjoyable meal for five, including an appetizer, that came out to less than a hundred dollars. As someone who doesn't really enjoy seafood, I opted for a steak instead, ordered medium well. It arrived well done, dry and tough, but this seems to be a common problem for seafood places to get right. The kid's meal with crab was nice, though at $8.95, it was twice as expensive as all the other kid's meals, but it is great that they at least offer it. They celebrate birthdays and other events by having the special person do something dumb/silly, such as putting on a cowboy hat and galloping around on a stick horse. Nice touch. The food is better over at Bob Chinn's, but it seems like it is more expensive there too, and the atmosphere at Joe's was more enjoyable.
(3)