Joe’s Crab Shack
6002 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD, 20770
Joe’s Crab Shack Menu
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Address :
6002 Greenbelt Road
Greenbelt, MD, 20770 - Phone
- Website https://www.joescrabshack.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 1:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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January B.
NEVER AGAIN will I visit another Joe's Crab Shack. I found HAIR FRIED IN MY CRAB STUFFED SHRIMP that I didn't discover until I was digging it out of my throat. Although the manager was sincerely apologetic and comped my meal, I was totally disgusted. I'm done!
(1)Alonzo M.
I came, I saw, I got the Joes original. This place is good, but it could be great. Q was my bartender and he made me feel like I was a guest in his home. From the moment I walked I was greeted with welcome smiles by the hostess and proceeded to the bar to enjoy myself. These were all great things. What only made this a good experience was how long my food took to come out of the kitchen. I'm leaving now at 750 pm and I got here at 545. Other than the place was way better than I could ever expected.
(3)Leigh D.
I've seen a lot of negative reviews on Joes Crab Shack. While I agree, there have been times they could've been better; overall I've had more of a positive experience with the service. As for the food, its pretty good; not exceptional, but good. I've been every month since May 2013 since I got free crabs for a year. Here is the month to month breakdown: Thursday, May 30: They had their grand opening anniversary party where the first 100 customers received certificates for free crabs every month from June 2013 to May 2014. Since I was unemployed at the time, I had the flexibility to stand in line at 10:30 am that thursday morning, but it paid off with 12 free snow crab meals. They made this a party atmosphere, but the server at the bar wasn't very friendly or attentive and tried to charge me the regular price when I got a lunch special. The manager corrected this. The food was pretty good; I maybe got the fish & chips but not memorable. Tuesday, June 11: This evening i had a networking event on the U St corridor of DC, but I waited for 20 minutes after it started. I called the organizer, and he apologized that I didn't get the email saying it was postponed to tomorrow. So, I decided to go to joes crab shack since I was already almost halfway there from where I live on alexandria. The crabs were great, and the service was good. Thursday, July 18: Did not actually go to this location but went the fair lakes location since I was told by a manager that I could use them at any location. I had started a job that week, & fair lakes was on my way home. Turns out that the top manager came over to tell me they are only good in greenbelt, but he allowed it this time and said that he would honor them if I brought a friend next time. That was the only time I went to that location besides using my birthday coupon there in January 2013, and I did bring a friend that time. Thursday, August 29: Like July, this was my first week at a new job. I quit that other job since the pay was low, and this job offer had higher pay. This job required travel but from the office & some locations where my work day would end, greenbelt was on my way home. The food & service was good. September, October, November, & December are more interesting. Tuesday, September 24: I met this chick, Mariah, at a birthday party 10 days earlier. So we chatted on FB, and she was enthusiastic about going to Joes. We went, & she was a great date & conversationalist. I wasn't doing much talking since I was eating and picking my snow crabs, but I listened well ;). As for the service, it was friendly. We go out again in october but since she said that she didn't know me well, she just wanted to be friends to start. She was enthusiastic about the food and wanted to go again. Monday, October 28: I have a 4th date here with a girl I met online. She was cool, and the conversation was pretty good, but I think the september date conversation was a little better. The other issue I had with her was that she was not a US citizen, but at least her status was legal unlike a girl I went on two dates in July with. The server was super friendly to us. Maybe she was impressed that I was on a date with black chick, but in all likelihood, she probably didn't care. She liked her food but didn't care for her hush puppies & one other item, which I tried. My date wasn't big on eating fried foods, which is respectable and something I should not do so much. Monday, November 18: The date I had in September asked at the end of October when I would be going in November. I said that probably the 2nd or 3rd week. My schedule was pretty tight. That Monday I didn't eat lunch & was really hungry when I was finally done with my work at 5. At least, I was in PG County, so only 10 minutes away...however, with DC traffic, it took me 20 min. As for Mariah, she was not able to make it. And since my schedule was booked for November, I decided to just go by myself. My service was the best I've had there. Sometimes it can be hit or miss. I told him that I'm still pretty slow at cracking the crabs but improved. I asked how he thought I was doing. He complimented me by saying that 'I have to say you are the cleanest crab eater ive seen. Everyone else makes a mess.' Enthusiastically, I exclaimed, 'Thanks.'. This may have been a tactic to get a higher tip, but it worked. Additionally, since I didn't have lunch, I asked him about the dessert items. He said they were around $7-8. I said that is kind of expensive; I don't need it anyway. He said that he can make his own special sundae with m&m's for $4 and would do that for me. I said that I'd do that & thanked him. He made my experience special, and I tipped hims over $8, which was over 30% of the pre-tax/pre-discount amount. Friday, December 13: Like November, it was a day I didn't eat lunch at work. I wrapped up work stuff for the week at Bubble Tea
(4)Sarah P.
Wow. Definitely not coming back here again. First off, none of the hostesses or waiters have an ounce of professional bones in their bodies. They were constantly yelling at each other, talking loudly about their personal lives, or just plain ignoring customers and talking among themselves. Our service was pretty bad, with our waitress never refilling our water, plus she only came to check on us once or twice. We were there for a very long time, because it took a long time for our food (desert included) and drinks to come out. That said, the food was also a major disappointment. I've been to the Gaithersburg location many times, and they're way, way better than this location. I got my usual - the bucket of Snow crabs, Chesapeake style. When it came out, the entire bucket just looked sad. The snow crabs themselves were tiny - the claws were barely bigger than my thumb, the potatoes were mushed up in the corner, and the corn was overcooked and mushy. When I asked for butter, our waitress brought out garlic butter, which was good, but not what I asked for. I'm glad I didn't get the lobster daddy feast. Also, my friend sent back her drink - she got a tequila drink that was featured on their menu, but the bartender must have gotten the rim salt inside the drink somehow, because the drink itself was verya salty. It was like sipping salt water, but with a little aftertaste of tequila. Also, again with the unprofessional manner of the staff - our waitress called my friend an alcoholic! She was joking (said, "I can see who the alcoholic is at this table") but still, you don't say that to your customers. The only good thing was the dessert. We got the campfire s'mores, and it was very tasty. I'll give this place two stars instead of one because of the dessert. But I'd definitely recommend going to either the Popeyes or Wendy's next door instead, and not waste your money at this Joe's.
(2)Tracia B.
So we're (my 3 yr old my bf and myself) out trying to have a nice meal on this beautiful Friday night we chose Joes cause I could go for a steampot and the waiter comes over and freaks out on us about how much trouble he could get in for serving us in a booth in the "bar section" my only question was do I work here? Or do I know those rules? I was seated here by one of your coworkers who should've know better I guess.... We just walked out don't wanna have to tip someone who's completely rude at first encounter...
(1)Sandra L.
Loud and crowded but service was good and food was very good. Not far from home so it's a good choice for crab legs lovers
(3)Lorena H.
The only reason to go is the bar drinks and tv. The buckets of crab legs are a waste. There is no meat in the crab legs. I've tried a few different options before i decided that ifs Casey's Crab Co in Laurel or nothing.
(2)Gary B.
Excellent ice tea . A huge plate of crab nachos covered in a creamy sauce, still looking for the crab. Deep fried lobster covered in layers and layers of bread crumbs with just a hint of real lobster meat buried deep inside that if you closed your eyes you could imagine were there. Crab stuffed shrimp that could not be accused of being jumbo, or large, or tasty. Pleasant loud din that helped one to keep quiet because why would you want to have a conversation about wonderful food you had at another restaurant. Don't know if the glory of it all is limited to this joes' but it's a shame I will never find out.
(1)Meredith S.
I've been here a few times since moving back to College Park to go back to school. I make this clear because it's the only reason I ever eat at any restaurant in College Park or Greenbelt. College Park is a food desert. If there was another place to get seafood I would probably go there instead. Joe's Crab Shack has a fun ambiance but only moderate food and really bad service. I've sat at a table for over ten minutes just waiting for someone to greet us. I've waited 15 minutes for initial drinks. I've also received crab pots before receiving salads or appetizers proving that where the kitchen is fast, it's not well organized. The food is okay. I had a three star crab pot once. The rest of the time they were twos. Usually overcooked crab legs and undercooked potatoes with nearly boiled to death corn are what are uncovered when the pots are brought to the table. The beers are very large and usually very cold, which is nice, but the mixed drinks taste like downing simple syrup. I also have a bit of a problem with the shark shots they hang on the glasses. Where it is cute, adding liquor to a toy balanced on a drink meant only for adults seems counterintuitive and possibly a bit irresponsible to me. Toys are for children, not alcoholic beverages...
(2)Violet B.
I came here with family - eight adults and 4 children on a Sunday afternoon. The server did not give me a spoon with my tea. He took over 10 minutes to bring out a second to-go box. In general he and the hostess just didn't display a high level of common sense and interpersonal skills. We meant to tip only 15% percent, but the way they do the receipt is confusing; and I think its done on purpose. It leads you into tipping more. You'll want to receive your receipt very carefully at all stages. After the fact we realized we tipped 18%. The family member who finalized the bill has a M.D. so that fact that he was confused with the receipt definitely says a lot. My mothers food was overcooked and had to be sent back. They sent a replacement which was OK. My food (Stuffed Snapper) was just barely cooked. I didn't eat much of it and once I got home, I put it in the oven to cook some more. It still didn't taste too good. It taste like dollar store brand frozen dinner food that's about to hit its expiration date. I also ordered Crab Nachos and my husband ordered Grilled Malibu Shrimp. My husband doesn't care much about food - he's happy with just about anything - and once we got in the car he commented on how poor the food was; which was a bit out of his character. That's what really caused me to want to share my experience. Do yourselves a favor and just avoid this place. The restaurant business is so competitive and there are so many better places out there, significantly better. For example, there is a Silver Diner right next door to this place. They're really great - if we're back in the greenbelt mall area again, I would choose the Silver Diner instead. By the way my Crab Nachos were OK. There was not enough of the topping and they included too much clear colored salad mixed in with the dip as a filler. The cheese was stiff and not really the kind best suited for nachos of any kind. I do feel the food in overpriced for the quality. I had a Wendy's Cod burger a few days ago with some friends and natural lemonade, I enjoyed that meal much more than my $18 stuff "fish" and $10 Crab Nachos. The hot tea I ordered was good, however. In short, the food doesn't taste fresh at all and the service leads a whole lot to be desired. I do not recommend this place, especially with so many better choices nearby and otherwise right next door.
(1)Denean J.
We went late on Friday night craving seafood 5/8/15 giving one start is generous of me the place was empty we were seated at a booth and the server never came so we decided to sit at the bar once we sat at the bar we had to tell the waitress to wipe the bar off it was another 25 minutes for her to take our order 15 minutes to get a drink and we were sitting at the bar and the place was empty and once we got the food it was less than subpar The most insulting thing was the behavior of a group behind us with a girl was very loud cursing continuously and when we approach the manager he told us he couldn't control it unbelievable and unacceptable needless to say the only Joe's crabshack I feel comfortable going to is the one in Gaithersburg The manager the staff over all need to be replaced the only highlight of the meal was the bartender Norman very gracious very apologetic for the behavior of the customers and the staff. This is my fourth time at the Joe's crabshack in Greenbelt but my last time because the service has declined continuously with each visit sorry to say that trying to dine in PG COUNTY it's never a pleasurable experience. Lastly the appetizer came after we had finished our meal distasteful.
(1)Alicia C.
I came to Joe's tonight for happy hour special,, and must say they have the worse service of ppl working here. The bar tender girl with the bush hair she kept forgetting my drinking talking to her friend's. Time I came in place sit down 20 mins past no server ever came by so I went to bar and still no good service's. I end up getting one drinking and leaving. Need new staff don't go less u have nothing but time.
(2)Meagan K.
I mean, I know it's a chain and I've heard a lot of people report sicknesses etc. from this place, but I actually liked it for what it was. I had a lot of fun! The servers were fantastic and friendly and they drew cute faces on our bibs. The food was delicious and the drinks were even better. I don't remember what I ordered or what I had to drink, but I know they let you keep the jars they serve the drinks in, which is pretty cool. The music was interesting...a good mix. I really enjoyed that. It actually seemed like a really great, family-friendly establishment that I cannot complain about. I wouldn't give this place five stars only because while I enjoyed it a lot, it just doesn't strike me as the kind of place I'd give five stars for some reason. Lol Sorry.
(4)S B.
The food is too salty for my taste. Even the salads. Happy Hour is from 4 to 7. A good coworker meetup for the locals. $3 strong drinks and apps gives this place 3stars. Bottom Line: Don't come here for your bday or special occasion expecting great service and delicious food. Joes Crab Shak is a mediocre seafood chain. Duh
(3)Samantha P.
Started off shaky but the waitress made up for it all. Went with a large group in which the table was set up for us already. Waiting for the rest of our party, I asked if my daughter, my brother, and myself could be seated in order to feed my daughter her dinner. I was told no that we had to have half our party there to have a seat at our table. I was highly disappointed in this considering it would of given me time to feed my daughter and would be able to enjoy my meal when it would come. But once we got seated and our waitress came she was amazing. She kept everyone's order straight, drinks filled, and even joined in our joking. Food was great and ended up enjoying ourselves a lot.
(4)Tisha S.
It's was ok. The wait was exaggerated. They said 55 mins, 20 mins later they calling us. Drinks were great, pots were small compared to other spots. Appetizers were bigger than meals. Was good but expected more food compared to Philly location.
(3)Lisa M.
Awful! I will never dine here again! The seafood buckets that are supposed to be large enough to share weren't enough for one person, and I'm a smaller lady! Overpriced seafood with subpar service. For the money we spent, we could have went to the local crab shack, ordered seafood, and sat on our deck with enough food to share with change leftover. I will never make this mistake again. Enter at your own pocket risk!!
(1)Reshaya J.
Overpriced. There is no reason to pay $30 for a bucket with a few crab legs and corn in this area. We are so close to getting fresh seafood whether it be the Warf in DC or driving to B-More. I would rather spend my money elsewhere
(2)De T.
This review is late. This review is for late last summer, September 2013. My fiancé saw my review here on yelp and decided to take me back for more food. The service is always good. They do aim to please. Unfortunately the food I received was worse than the last time I came. I got one of those entree that come in a steaming pot. My potatoes were undercooked and the seafood was overcooked. All of which were cold. It was a Sunday afternoon so I am guessing they were busy. My fiancé enjoyed his meal without any complaints. They took half of the price of my entree off the bill and apologized. I would come hear for drinks and service but not for the food. It's a chain restaurant but the staff cares about it's customers.
(2)Rich W.
Over priced food and horrible portion sizes. I haven't been to Joes crab shack in some years and i totally forgot why i never should come here again until today. The steam pot's are a ripoff charging over 20 each for unfresh seafood(by the way they put plates in the steam pot's to give the appearance of a decent portion size). The service is horrible and the food took forever to cook... and they charge 10 for one crab leg for the kids meal... Had to take the family to Wendys next door to feed them
(1)Jay P.
Place was dreadful, loud, disorganized. Had to wait no less than 2 hours for a table with my party of 10, however the host kept seating parties of 4 and 5, rather than saving a table near a soon departing party. Spill on the floor in the crowded waiting area was there the entire time we waited with no one attempting to clean it up, despite several host "working" the front end. The food was subpar and cold, requiring several items to be sent back. Don't see what the hype was... I'd rather went to Red Lobster. YIKES!!!
(1)Carmen H.
Worst server worst service ever. Never set foot in this place if you have a family dinner event or you're just in the mood for seafood. The bacon was burnt I never got my food after waiting for almost 2 hours. Oh yea and the waitress we had today Raquel..... TERRIBLE! Don't ask for the manager to complain cause he's about 6 eggs short of a dozen. This place has really gone down since their opening year and needs to be shut DOWN!!!!!
(1)Mel W.
My food was over salted (which is saying a lot since I am not at all sensitive to salty food). Crabs were overcooked. Crab cake sandwich wasn't good, lot of filler. Potatoes were hard because they were incredibly undercooked. Long wait for the table despite it been not being busy at all. Friendly, but inattentive server. Given it wasn't busy at all, I'm not sure why that was the case. I won't be coming back.
(1)Lena W.
I should have known better than to stay when I walked inside and saw a waitress sitting in the waiting area, crying and complaining about how her last table had stiffed her on a $200 check. Surely, the managers would see fit not to put her back on the floor right way, correct? WRONG. The restaurant was only half-filled on a Saturday night, but it took more than 10 minutes for us, a party of 2, to be seated. Once seated, we had a waitress tell us she'd be right back to take our drink orders. Not more than a minute later, a different waitress, none other than the one who was crying in the waiting area, began to take our orders -- WITH TEARS STILL IN HER EYES. This is unprofessional, both on her part and on that of the manager(s) that evening. She should have been given/ taken the appropriate amount of time to get herself together before dragging her terrible mood to my dinner. The night wasn't much better -- she was mopey and unresponsive for the rest of the night. She only succeeded in making us rush to get out of there so she wouldn't pass her bad mood on to us. The saving grace of the experience was that the drinks were fast and good. The food also met all of our expectations. Unfortunately, ALL of that was overshadowed by poor service and unprofessionalism. I will not be going back to this location.
(1)Sara M.
Since I had a coupon for a free appetizer, we decided to finally try out the latest restaurant to occupy this location. The place always seems to be hoppin', which always seems like a good thing? I should've looked at Yelp first! When we arrived, there were people waiting about near the front door and half of the restaurant was empty. No idea what was up with that, but we were seated promptly. Our server was very friendly, but the place was so INCREDIBLY LOUD that it was difficult to have a conversation with him (or each other) even when we were a foot apart. The acoustics in here are terrible. We ordered Great Balls of Fire and The Orleans steamer. The server wrote his name on a paper towel, not like we could ever summon him by name because it was so damn loud. The Great Balls of Fire are delicious, and came with a side of fries that we weren't expecting. As we'd hoped, it was basically an entree by itself. The Orleans steamer... sucked. The crawfish and shrimp and potatoes had basically no flavor. The sausage was mediocre. And the corn set my mouth on fire - it was inedibly spicy and had me gulping water and icing my lips for ten minutes. After the corn, the bland seafood tasted even blander, if that was possible. And my lips tingled for at least an hour. Not an enjoyable experience. But at least we got bibs? I know that "New Orleans style" seafood outside of New Orleans is a gamble, but this was pretty pathetic. At least some of the other places around here that'll serve you crawfish give it flavor - usually totally wrong flavor, but not plain boiled seafood flavor. And I cannot figure out how the corn got so spicy when everything else was bland. It's like every molecule of interesting flavor was sucked up by the cob. The steamer was also pretty small for $21 - I know seafood isn't cheap, but they could've thrown in more of the corn, potatoes, and sausage to fill it in. A significant portion of the steamer turned out to be detached crawfish claws (more claws than two per body in there), which aren't worth trying to crack open for meat. This meal was barely worth it with my free appetizer coupon, totally not worth the regular prices.
(2)Lisa M.
Other Joes crab shacks give you more than this one..Plus the wait staff isn't very friendly..
(1)Nanette G.
Good quality service begins at the top. I went to the Greenbelt location on a week night around 8:30ish. No one was at the entrance to greet and sit my party of 3, we waited a few minutes to be greeted. The manager was working the front and sat us. The place was not crowded. We was given menus, but no waiter came for 15 min. or so. So we asked the manager (who was pulling multi duty it seems) if we could relocate to an area that can be served faster. We did, beside the bar; and it still took about 10 min. before that waiter came to take our order. The waiter was young, but service was still slow. The food was good, once it finally came, but again, the service was poor. The waiter pretty much needed to be told how to provide basic complimentary service to us, and even then they would forget to bring things requested in a timely manner. So there you have it, not so good experience. But somehow, the food managed to be good and hot upon serving. Otherwise, I'm not in a hurry to go back to that location.
(2)Michelle B.
I almost gave this place one star. I'm giving two stars because most of the food was edible. I honestly think that Red Lobster is like the Ruth Chris of seafood compared to this place...which is sad. I ordered the stuffed shrimp, and my friend ordered the crab cake on a salad. Yuck! My shrimp were not fresh, and the salad was just ugly. Food should be visually appealing when you look at it. Other people ordered the steam pots, which should be easy for them to make. One person in our party had a half raw pork sausage link in their bucket. I will not return.
(2)Vidal D.
I don't know why people come here...I got dragged here twice. If you want FRESH seafood, there are tons of choices your in Maryland for crying out loud!! Why eat this frozen, salty, mess.....yuk
(1)Erica J.
The place is average. That's all I can really say. The service was okay. Our waitress wasn't friendly but I didn't really care. I was much more annoyed by the food, not the service. I'd never been there before but i'd heard it was pretty expensive. Long story short, they give you the illusion that you're getting a lot of food because they put it in a bucket. Wrong! They actually put it on a small plate inside the bucket. It's not a lot of food but it is a lot of money for that small amount of food. No, I don't plan on going back
(1)Chocolate F.
My hubby and I came here for his birthday lunch .. The food was delicious, the scallops and bacon wrap was awesome... Great place
(4)Peaches P.
LOVED IT! I ordered the Lobster Daddy Feast bucket and a Spiked Ice Tea. Both were delicious. The Lobster Daddy had plenty of snow crabs and meaty lobster. I was pleasantly surprised, lol. As most Crab Shacks are somewhat stingy with the portion sizes. Our waiter AJ was great; service was quick & the restrooms were decent. Will definitely return.
(5)Toya J.
I WILL NEEEEEEVER EAT FROM THIS PLACE AGAIN! 'The words crab and shack put together should have told me I did'nt have much coming. We get in there. Don't get me wrong the staff is nice and all. I got one of those pots with Alaskan Crab legs, Dungeonous Crab legs, some boiled potatoes, corn on the cob, and a sausage?? First of all, I can get a better piece of corn at Popeye's. The Alaskan Crab legs were decent. However, this meal was not even worth talking about. Take your $25 and buy some real crabs or hell go to Red Lobster if you want low price point aroundtheway seafood seriously.... But it wasn't until I got home that night and was asleep . And all of a sudden my bowels were struck like lightening. NOT seXY you hear! The last night with my baby before he goes back home and THIS! (So glad he sleeps hard) JOE THAT WAS A CRUEL JOKE....ONE THAT HAS COST YOU MY BUSINESS FOR GOOD!!
(1)Zei C.
Love that I can satisfy my crab leg cravings all year round locally! Jackie, the server, is always so upbeat every time we catch her working - she's my favorite! Great customer service!
(4)Chelsea P.
Food is alright. Our order wasn't very seasoned but still tasted pretty good. The reason I give 2 stars is because their service is was bad. The waitress was very friendly at first. When we told her it was our first time there she said "ohhhhhh y'all gonna make me work hard tonight!!" I brushed it off and listened as she began to explain the menu. After that she only came back to bring us our food and disappeared. Never refilled our drinks, didn't come ask how we were doing either. I drank all my lemonade and got so thirsty that I started to drink the melted ice water. When we were done eating it was a manhunt to try to find her to get our check. She finally did and we were never so happy to leave a restaurant.
(2)Elaine S.
I ordered the crab and lobster pot and it wasn't as good as the food from the Gaithersburg store. My seafood was overcooked and the waitstaff was not as attentive either. This is a great franchise and there are a lot of seafood restaurants around town. If I was to return to a Joe's Crab Shack, I would probably go to another one - not Greenbelt.
(2)Erin S.
It was ok. I got the Classic steam pot and the crab legs and shrimp were over cooked. The bathroom was dirty with water all over the place, as if a toilet was leaking and the hostess was not presence and made customers come and look for her.
(2)Meeka A.
I love this place! I've never had service, the food is great , and the drinks are tasty! Try the Diablo, it will change your life. I was never a mussel fan until I ate here and I think that's amazing since this is in no way a high end place to eat. The Strawberry comfort and Beach Bum Tea had me & my dining mate walking sideways afterwards so be careful! Def a place to check out when you have that snow crab or seafood crave.
(4)Lee A.
Sam the Bartender is real cool. She took my take-order & was very friendly. She even offered me a drink while I waited for my food, a milkshake..:-) Now the restaurant gets 2stars and that's being nice. Their food is sub-par, period. The Joe's in Long Beach in Cali was a 5star and is always on point.. This place I think(is cursed) Meaning every food establishment after Bennigans has failed!!. I heard from many ppl in the area that management is horrible. I hate to say this but this place is just not a gr8 location for a food place for some reason. Most of the employees r fun and nice but others r too immature at work. I mean enjoy your job but this is not HS Musical. I hope they improve or move out.. Lee
(2)Iesha L.
I went to this place on 6/8/14 for the first time and was completely appalled by the service, food, and overall experience. The waitress took 15 minutes to come to our table. They took a very long time to serve us although the palace was thirty percent full. They cheated me on my crab legs by giving me two single queen crabs legs in lieu of one full cluster. The lobster and shrimp were extremely over cooked and lukewarm almost cold. I inquired about them cheating me of my crabs legs before I touched the food. The waitress said she would resolve the issue by bring me a cluster but she never returned. While she was away, I tried my food and it was all overly cooked to the point the lobster tasted like rubber. They also did not crack the lobster crawls and did not give us the tools. It took a very, very long time and I still could not find the waitress who was supposed to bring the other crab legs. Finally, she came and I told her my food was overlooked and cold. She took the food. The manager came out 10 minutes later and I reordered something different only to wait 30 minutes for a reorder which never came out. My husband had completed his meal so we were sitting and waiting for my reordered food. My husband and I left money on the table and made sure they saw us leaving only for the manager to come over and act like he did not know anything (although we kept asking the other waitresses where was our server). Our waitress disappeared and we did not see her for 45 minutes after I sent the food back. The manager comped my husband's food but who cares because it was not about getting free food. I would have preferred to eat crabs and pay for it. The place is filled with kids and the music is too loud so people talk loudly to be heard over the music. I also have a weird feeling in my stomach since last night and it is now morning. Something is seriously wrong at this place. I will never ever go back.
(1)Tamika H.
Drinks were great!!!! Crab dip perfect hot and all, only bad side it looks like throw-up, yuk! Stuffed shrimp were horrible! The fried fish was ok, the hush puppies have too many peppers mixed in them, too hot! But amazingly I left kind of feeling like I had eaten and that's not normal for Joe's Crab Shack!
(2)Pat G.
I love, love, love this place! Great customer service! Great drinks! Great seafood! Did I mention the place is GREAT?!
(5)Lisa J.
Let's be honest, Joe's Crab Shack is not The Oceanaire. But it's not supposed to be. If you are looking for fine dining in an intimate setting, don't go. But if you're looking for a casual spot to crack a couple of crab legs (that are on par with the grocery store seafood department variety) and have a couple of good drinks and don't mind loud talking and a little dancing, then go. Keep in mind that this is a chain restaurant. It's the TGIFriday's of seafood, in my opinion. Decent quality food at reasonable prices. I have been to the Greenbelt location several times since it has opened. Each time I have been the service has ranged from very good to excellent, never poor or mediocre. The place can get crowded and the wait can be long but since it's been open for a few months now, things have normalized. The only thing I've ever gotten at Joe's are a couple of their appetizers (I'd recommend the Crab Nachos) and the steam pots. They have all been good. I would not recommend getting the MD Blue Crabs - even though I've never had them - because they are overpriced. What has been consistently excellent are their drink offerings; specifically, the Southern Spiked Tea. Again, if you're looking for a laid back, fun time with decent seafood you shouldn't be disappointed.
(3)Ronae B.
This was my second time coming here.. And my last. This place is horrible. Food isn't good at all and for 40 bucks I wasn't full. I had an appetizer, a meal, AND dessert. For the amount paid I was so disappointed AGAIN because I decided to give this place a second chance. The service is HORRIBLE as well. This place is just all around THUMBS DOWN! Nothing good about it all. I wish I could give it 0 stars. Save your money and go to Boston market across from this place!!!
(1)Daniella K.
Great service and drinks.. Food is going down hill I get better seafood @ the wharf in DC
(2)Rob P.
This was my second time at this or any Joe's Crab Shack. We went for father's Day '11 Great time!!! Loved it could wait to go back! So decided to go for my Birthday! Now I don't normally like amusement restaurants, with the Dancing and stuff. But again I'm a family man who knows that when the kids are entertained the meal usually goes well so. We go on a Thursday nite there's a 20min wait and the dining room is not full. Ok as a former server and restaurant supervisor I now that you only seat people according to the number of servers you have! which was the 1st problem. once we are seated it's another 20mins before the server arrives for the 1st time. No I'll be right with you, please give me a moment, no nothing! Ok so by this time our party of 6 is all ready to order drinks & meal to speed thing along. Sadly that didn't help. What I realized is that our server was one of the bar servers but we were next to the bar area which should have been close enough for better service. when the food finally came we requested additional condiments: old Bay for the table, honey mustard, and extra napkins. Now none of the items came to the table together. My niece finished eating her entire ear of corn and had to wait another 5mins for the old bay. I don't know about you but I never want to leave a seafood restaurant having ordered something called a FEAST and look at the Popeye's next door wonder should I get some! You get the picture. Now EVERYONE else was great! the was pleasant just really really slooooooooooooooooooooooow!
(2)Bryan W.
I am so amazed by all of the poor reviews! I just got home from Joe's, my wife, daughter, and myself were quite impressed, seeing as how this is a chain restaurant. I've been to a couple of Joe's down in Myrtle and in Gaithersburg and have always found them to be really laid back and fun. This isn't Capt. Billy's or the Crab Deck so don't expect all you can eat crabs or crab legs, etc. Go online and read the menu, that's what I do for every place I go, so I know what I'm walking into! We started off with the Great Balls of Fire, which are these fat jalapeno, crab popper things, which were pretty good. We tried the calamari but it was cooked too long and a bit tough. We sent it back and the waitress took it off the bill, no fuss no muss, done! My wife had the Fish & Chips which were fried to perfection. My daughter had the Kid's Crab Pot, which she really enjoyed, and I had the Cajun Crab Pot that I found to be delectable. This is not Sea Catch, Oceaniare, DC Coast, or Black Salt by any stretch of the imagination...but on the other hand, it's not Red Lobster or Arthur Treachers either. It's a great place to take your family, or to hang out with your friends, knock a few drinks back and have a good time. Our waitress, I think her name was Jessie (Flower in her hair girl) was really attentive and checked on us quite frequently. I loved the dancing and the upbeat atmosphere, I like cheesy and over the top every once in awhile. When I want serious seafood I know where to go and so should most people, but if I want to have fun in my neighborhood without having to change out of my shorts and polo, I'm coming back here. Enjoy your life people, stop being soooo serious, Hope this helps!
(4)Toya R.
Maryland is known for "Crabs" and they bring a Joe's Crab Shack??? I missed something and so did Joe's Crab Shack in delivering a decent quality meal. Just what Prince Georges County need another crappy restaurant :{ For $25, my steam pot came with 2 crab claws and about 4 or 5 dirty shrimp which weren't divined (ewwww), 2 small broiled potatoes and the worst piece of corn on the cob I have ever seen. The hushpuppies were doughy inside and tasteless on the outside. The crab dip barely had crab meat in it and what we found appeared to be meat from the crab legs. It was awful. I first visited a Joe's Crab Shack in Myrtle Beach and I thought the staff line dancing was cool, we're on vacation and we can kick back a bit, but when I'm back home and always on the clock I need what I ordered quickly, not after you line dance! We waited 45 minutes for our food before asking what was the hold up, the waitress admitted she didn't put the order in right away! WHAT?? As soon as she came to the table we ordered drinks, apps and entrees all at once because we were hungry. But did she care? did the Manager? Well he went and got the food for us, I had to ask him what was he going to do for us for waiting 45 minutes for the food, he thought because he brought it out his self everything was ok, oh no boo boo, I needs compensation for my time it's valuable! He finally took off the yucky crab dip. I will say the crab legs were good, but heck how hard is it to do that?? The place is loud, but so am I, so that's not a problem, the problem is when I want some cocktail sauce the waitress is up there doing a hee haw dance move meanwhile my dirty shrimp I personally divined were getting cold and more undesirable! They can have this place because I won't be BACK!!!
(2)Gordon T.
Love the crab here. Lobster is great also...however...an unknown part of the place is its french fries....absolutely wonderful fries :D . A little pricey...but its a seafood place so what do you expect?
(4)Mark O.
Sorry to hear that others had poor service. I have been twice and received good service, but the place was not over-the-top busy at either time. So, I guess the moral is to pick a time when the crowds are smaller (like Sunday afternoon) until the new servers and kitchen staff get more experience. That said, the food I have had was mostly great, if a bit more expensive than I would have liked. My first trip, I had the Mussels Diablo appetizer. Wow!!! This was an appetizer?? I counted 18 mussels in a wonderful, garlicy tomato sauce with sausage and garlic toast. This was almost big enough to be a meal itself. Not realizing the size of the appetizer, I had ordered the Big Hook Up as my main meal. It was almost enough for two. As one other reviewer stated, the Great Balls of Fire are awesome.The crab stuffed shrimp, coconut shrimp and fried oysters were also good. I left the fried snapper for last, which turned out to be the right sequence, as I was now stuffed and the snapper was OK but not stellar. The Tartar Sauce, though, was yummy and helped improve the snapper a lot. Based on my first experience, I shared a King Crab Bucket of Crab with a friend on my next trip. The Bucket of Crab was very good, but really only enough for one person. The great thing about the crab buckets is that they stick a cob of corn on the bottom, where it absorbs all the spices and makes a good compliment to the crab above. And they are well prepared for kids. On our 2nd trip, we brought some friends who have 6 kids. Everybody enjoyed themselves, and when dessert time came, the kids' desserts came on a pallette, with a paint brush and "goodies" they could "paint" onto the main item. Cool!! Finally, one BIG plus is that Joe's has a gluten-free menu. My wife has a number of food allergies, so this is vitally important to us. Although the staff is new, they seemed to have been well trained on food allergy issues. And for the person who complained about the noise, there is a simple solution - ask to be seated on the side porch (where our big group of 11 sat). In nice weather, the windows are open and you get a pleasant breeze. When it is too hot (or cold), they close the windows and you get an indoor experience but have a wall between you and the noisy main dining room.
(3)Khloe C.
I went to this establishment on this past Saturday and had the WORST experience that I have ever had. The bartender had a funky attitude and the worst service that I have experienced. The sad part is Greenbelt never seems to amaze me and like I figure the service was HORRIBLE. I WILL NEVER COME HERE AGAIN. We had to ask for everything. She needs a course on customer service 101. She was pretty pathetic..
(1)Freda I.
I just returned home from Joe's CrabShack newest location in Greenbelt, MD. I've visited other Joe locations in Va. and I've been quite pleased with them. Not the case with this location. First of all, I'm not crazy about some the layout. For instance, our table was in a row that basically had other tables/customers almost right at your table!! Virtually no privacy with those tables. That issue is small in comparision to the following.... So, the noise was unbelievable. This location constantly sings VERY LOUD and every 15 minutes (it seems like) they (the workers) are doing various line dances with very loud music. They do everything from the cupid shuffle to the cha-cha. Now, if I were at a club this would be fantastic but all I wanted to do was have a nice dinner and be able to have a conversation....NOT!!! We were so turned off by the noise and loud singing that I just can't see me going back to this location. Our waitress was nice but she forgot things that should have been common knowledge. I ordered crabs and I had to ask for the cracker and puller thingy that goes with them and I had to ask for melted butter!! Are you kidding me??? Anyone in their right frame of mind knows that if you order crabs, you need the accessories that go along with the treat...you know? She was sweet and she got the things I needed .... but why did I have to ask? Positive note...the food was great. Just hard to enjoy the food and restaurant with all the darn noise! What would make them turn this restaurant into some loud club like atmosphere?
(2)Amanda W.
Pros: A great drink menu. Cons: Awful service, managers that don't care, a kitchen that doesn't care and no option for all you can eat crabs. When I and several of my friends went here we were impressed with the drink menu which offered tasty options, a lot of them! However, my husband was very annoyed they did not have an all you can eat crab leg option. The server messed up 2 out of 5 of our orders. Also, when we ordered dessert apparently it was never put in so had to wait about 30 minutes for it (possibly longer) and still had to pay for it. My friend ordered muscles and half of them were sealed shut. You would think the kitchen would check this before they came out, right? Well apparently not. The replacement ones that came out tasted funny. We asked to speak to a manager and he simply sent out more muscles and did not to check on how she liked the muscles that were sent out or anything later one. Didn't really offer anything at all. Everything took a long time, mainly people the server was not putting the dishes in. I served for 3.5 years of my life and prided myself on great service. I strongly believe in 20% tips, but this was one case I didn't think twice about only leaving 15% (it takes a LOT for me to do that). But no one seemed to care, they just wanted our money. As you can see from my other reviews it really takes a lot for me to rate a place this poor. The only reason I even gave them 2 stars was because of the drink menu. Without that it would have been 1 star.
(2)Shayna W.
You have all been there... So, there isn't anything new to say. I recently moved close to the restaurant, so a chain that was not a part of my life before is now the closest thing to me - so it has become a staple :-) Is it Phillips or Legal Seafood?! No. But, what it is is good seafood (and non-seafood) at a reasonable price in a casual environment. Things to check out: Great Balls of Fire, Bucket of Shrimp, Salmon Orleans and any of the Steampots. We sat at the bar and had a great time. Our bartender, Von, was engaging and provided amazing service. He also prepared a couple of "custom" drinks that were extremely tasty. If all else fails, visit... go the bar... order something light and enjoy the drinks.
(4)S A.
First and foremost, this restaurant is ear-splittingly loud. I don't expect a hushed environment in a casual dining place, but it was so loud when I visited (6pm on a Thursday) that is was painful. I wished I had earplugs. The food was mediocre. I had the appetizer sampler, which was fine, but definitely tasted as if it all came out of a frozen dinner box. I also had the side salad with the strawberry vinagrette dressing, which I would not reccomend. It tasted like watered-down strawberry ice cream syrup... WAY too sweet. My SO had the "Sam Adams" steamer pot and he commented that it reminded him of the type of food you get at an all-you-can eat seafood buffet in a beach town. The one highlight of our visit was that the Happy Hour prices at the bar were pretty good, $5 wines and $5 guiness draft. I would have ordered another glass of wine except that our server/bartender essentially ignored us after dropping off our food. We spoke to her once before receiving our check, and that was to ask for utensils. There were no less than 3 servers/bartenders behind the bar the entire time of our visit, and they were definitely more interested in socializing with each other than waiting on the customers.
(1)Tamara M.
I went to this place for a friends birthday dinner. I had heard not so great things about the chain in itself but wanted to try it out for myself. I ordered the snapper stuffed with crab imperial. It came with rice and seasonal veggies but I substituted the rice for more veggies. That food was mediocre at best. No flavor in the fish other than the imperial and the texture of that was awful. The veggies I'm still trying to figure out how long they cooked them for because they were just bad. How do you mess up veggies? I had a taste of my friend fried oysters and it just didn't taste like anything fresh. I guess I should have just ordered a pot. I don't know but I'm not inclined to return to see if those live up to high standards
(1)George Y.
It is actually a 3 1/2 and we had a fun time. The apertizers were good, my burger ecellent, the shrimp were very good. The waitress Ashley was very good. She check on us, got us straight and keep us that way. Looking around I saw lots of laughing and smiling going on and when the music was right there was even some line dancing. The kids had a great time. It was my nephew's birthday and the staff came and sang happy birthday to him, and they did a terrific job to make sure it was fun for him. We had a party of nine and everyone was down for coming again we had a good time.
(3)Dale J.
I tried this a year ago or so. After I have tried the one in Rockville and the one in Myrtle Beach. This location I caught on a great day. The service was rockin and the food was excellent. Being that I knew of the establishment before hand I knew what to order. And we got the pots full of crab legs, scallops on a sea shell, shrimp, mussells and everything was fresh...I even ate the corn and the potatoe is was all so tasty and will be back. I'm glad I didnt get caught on a bad time. I know that PG County hires alot of the youth and at times they are too immature to make me feel like they are giving me the best service they could. But not this visit I had a nice young lady who was really hustling the service part of the deal. So I will be back the food the drink and the time it took to eat was very satisfying. I too remember it being a Bennigans and later a Ruby Tuesdays and they just didnt stick. I hope this does as it only takes me 20 minutes to get to this one.
(4)Viv J.
i must be a gulten for punishment because i stopped at joe's again for my third visit. after sitting there for 15 mins without being greeted by a waitress we left (please note: the resturant was not crowded, so there was no excuse for the poor service). in addition, i wrote the general manager about the poor service and i never received a reply. that says a lot for that establishment. i will travel to va before going back to greenbelt.
(1)Mavia W.
When you dine-in, and at the end of the night have to decide if 3 pennies (literally) is too much of a tip.... it might not be the place to go. We had been to this location before, but on a quiet night like a Tuesday or something. Recently my husband and I and 3 friends visited on a Sunday. 1st: They ran out of steam pots. If you've ever been to a Joe's before, this is their signature. How does Joe's run out of crabs?! 2nd: Our waitress asked our drink order after putting in our food order (backwards) and never asked anybody if they wanted refills 3rd: a friend received her food 30 minutes after everyone else. It would've made me feel better if our sever was swamped but, her butt was sitting at the next table eating and chatting with her friend who was dining in. To say the least... IF we ever return to this location, it'll be on a night that's completely low-key.
(2)Mengqi Z.
loved the steam pots.
(4)Tam J.
Go to another. This will location won't be around long if the service/food does not improve. Arrived around 1:30 on a Sunday and there were about 10 empty tables. Seater wanted us to sit at a table directly in front of the door to which we stated no, we want one further in the middle. After about 20 minutes we were seated. We sat at the table approximately 10-15 minutes and asked where was our waitress to which, "you don't have one" was asked of us. Hmmmm, should have been the first clue. Finally after about 5 more minutes someone came to take our drink order and about 5 minutes after that our drink order came. Service on a scale of 1-10 was about a 5 as we never were asked if we needed refills, had to flag down our waitress and often time wondered if she had gone shopping or something. We placed our order and ordered appetizers which both took forever to come to the table. The pots were warm and the clams, out of 12, about 6 of them actually had a clam in them or in the pot. The crab legs were ok but the sausage just didn't look quite done so I took a bite and was done with that. The service was very slow for whatever reason, again very early in the day and NOT crowded (even as we finished eating there were still approximately 6-7 empty tables). My friend ordered the lobster pot and said it was ok but his sausage wasn't quite cooked all the way either. I ordered and drink and was never offered the souvenir glass as I was in the Virginia location so had to ask about that.
(2)Alison G.
Soon after this location opened, my husband visited for lunch. He found it a bit cheesy with over-the-top waitstaff practically breathing down his neck and of course their famous dancing, but said the food was good. Last night we had a hankering for seafood & decided to go as a family. Wait was 30 minutes on a Sunday at 6pm. Plenty of seating for those of us waiting. Texted us when table ready. Waitress very cute... and knew it. She sidled up next to me in the booth to chat with my daughter in the high chair and the rest of us. Very charming, smiley, friendly. We already knew what we wanted since we perused the menu while waiting. We ordered three regular entrees, two beers, a soda, a child's meal, and waters for all. The food arrived, my daughter's kids meal was steaming hot (which I always find frustrating, but I don't think waitstaff without kids realize this). No silverware. She says she will go back and get it. And ten minutes later... still waiting with no silverware. My husband had to go find the waitress and ask for silverware. She brings a bucket... in it is four knives and two forks. No hand wipes, no crackers, no crab-eating utensils. Husband again has to go find the waitress and ask for proper utensils. By this time all our food is cold. She gives us this story about the other bucket was so shiny, she just FIGURED it had silverware in it. At least by this time my child's food is cool enough for her to consume so she has been occupied while we sat and twiddled our thumbs. She must have told the manager, because one came over and asked if we were okay. We said we were NOW, but it was crazy. He asked if the food was fine, we said sure, and that satisfied him. Later my husband ordered a second beer, when she came by again and asked how everything was, my husband again asked for his beer. She said, "I don't make the beer, the beer makes the beer" trying to explain why it had yet to arrive. She would give a dirty look to my husband, and then smile at me thinking I'd be on her side, but when she saw that by this time I too was annoyed she rolled her eyes at me. We had never gotten our waters, and saw all her other tables had water, bibs, extra plates for the steamer buckets, etc. She brings his beer and SLAMS it on the side of the table and walks off. Getting the check, and getting it back afterwards was another 20 minutes of waiting... none of this good with a bored toddler in a high chair. My mild-mannered kid after this marathon meal was now screaming and begging to go home. The food is fine. Two of us had the steamer pots and while the fire-grilled flavor is a bit chemical-like, it's a decent amount of food. The crabs were steamed well, but the corn was overcooked. My husband's pallella was ridiculous - shrimp and scallops the size of a pinky fingernail, though decent in flavor. My daughter asked for pizza and they were out before 7pm, but the mac and cheese was fine, though the fries seemed to be doused in quite a lot of salt (I rubbed much off when handing some to her). Management were working HARD, each visited a table at least once, and there seemed to be a lot of unhappy customers. They brought a little crawfish toy for my daughter. The dancing is a fun aspect, but not so when all the waitstaff look as though they would rather be dead during it (except during the Cupid Shuffle where even the crowd joined in). The staff was friendly, but for so much waitstaff and being open for so long already, our waitress should have been able to handle our basic needs in a reasonable time and without such ridiculous attitude. If we had a different waitress, I would have probably given our visit three stars. But she totally ruined the experience. I felt bad judging an entire business on one woman, but a company is who they employ. I have worked in the service industry, and it's a hard field, and you do deal with some jerks of customers. But you never treat the customer with such disrespect, you never let them know you don't like them, and we could very clearly tell that our waitress didn't like us because we asked repeatedly for basic necessities like silverware and water. While the management seemed good, no one was observing the performance of the waitstaff, just putting out fires made by them. We will not come back.
(1)Jeremy D.
Ok. Not great. Chain food. Decent service...friendly, but not always around when I wanted. Crab cake has a lot of crab but also a lot of salt. The battered fish was not particularly flavorful, and neither were the french fries. Crab stuffed shrimp was okay, but it seems like it had been sitting around for a while. If I haven't already been in the shopping center, I can't say that I would recommend coming here, but since I was parked 50 feet away it was the path of least resistance.
(3)Manda J.
Like any restaurant on a Friday prepare to wait. This wait was on another level. Our 40 minute wait turned into a 60 minute wait to be seated. Cool, they just opened and its Friday. Upon finally being seated we end up with a waiter that must still be in training (Lets call him Sam). Since we had so long of a wait we had plenty of time to peruse the menu so that when we were seated we could immediately order. Upon placing my order I was informed that they just ran out of the seasonal vegetable and all I had to choose form was mixed vegetables. I can't have carrots so that was out of the question. I asked out waiter if i could substitute the mixed vegetables for hush puppies he said "Sure no problem". He preceded to take the rest of my party''s orders. 5 minutes later he comes back and tells us that the kitchen is backed up and our food would be 30 minutes so we decide to order appetizers. Sam takes the tables order behind us. another 5 minutes later he's back at our table to tell my aunt that something in her meal has run out and she can do a substitution. Which means he still hadn't put our order in. Meanwhile his other table gets their food in 15 minutes and we were seated first and he took out order first. 20 minutes after that our food arrives. Sam left off the substituted item from my aunts meal. He goes and retrieves it. We were ok for awhile. We had a birthday at our table we told Sam. Same came back 4 not once not twice but four times to ask us different questions. "Does she want us to sing happy birthday? Will she prefer the bday wig or hat?" Like seriously just come over and sing. He finally managed to round up some waiters and waitresses to sing. Then the bill comes and I was charged for the hush puppies. At this point I was too through. I will only go to the Joe's in Va for now on. If I do go to this one again Sam can NOT be my waiter!! This outing was too much. Our waiter was nice but multi tasking oobvioulsy isnt one of his strong points.
(1)M B.
Had the classic bowl. It was ok. the shrimp was not seasoned well; the corn was just ok as well as the crabs. Would I go back? Nope.....
(2)Jea L.
Sub-standard food, loud and corny dancing which interrupts your service, the place smelled like old mop water and my friend got sick from his food. Don't waste time or money on this place - let it close down!!!
(1)Chris D.
Really wasn't impressed. I had never been to a Joe's Crab Shack before...and after last night...I'd rather eat Red Lobster !!!! Devin wasn't concerned with me and my guest at the bar...never again
(1)Brownie B.
This place has a pretty fun atmosphere. It was pretty crowded and we had a 1 hour wait, but after 20 minutes we were able to slide into the bar and order food there. The bartender service was strong. Yeah, they on this corporate cheerleader vibe, but oh well...better than getting shitty service. Now we ordered two pots that had lobster, mussels, shrimp, sausage, clams and snow crab legs. In general, the food quality was not that good. But like most seafood places, I understand they have to cut corners to find a price that consumers will buy at. Basically, if you wanted a well-prepared lobster pot at a place like McCormick and Schmicks, you'd probably pay $100 vs $35 at a place like Joe's. Just deal with it. You want a bucket of seafood for "cheap" you gonna lose out on quality control. Notice they have blue crabs, but they aren't on the official menu...Because the amount goes past "cheap" at like $50-$60/dozen -- Which their demo isn't going to be buying up in mass quantity. Oh, some husky chick was fussing that her crab feast didn't look like a crab feast to her as she was starting into a pot of about 8 crab legs. Patrons need a quick lesson in economics to understand why there aren't a thousand crab legs in a pot. I buy seafood from the Wharf every weekend...So I know prices...Anyway...The crabs legs were probably cooked the best...I would go back for those alone. The lobster was tough and not that good. The mussels were pretty tasty...Nice and sweet. The shrimp were soggy and hard to peel. Nothing special. The clams were so thin, however they steam/boil the seafood, they turned to mush. I didn't bother eating the sausage...I was there for SEAFOOD. Anyway, I will go back, but when I do, I will stick to ordering ordering crab legs by themselves and see if they have some higher quality shrimp and buy like a 1/2 lb or lb. So a beer and some crab legs and shrimp at the bar after work or for lunch seems cool. The pots seem like a great deal, and marketing does a great job of making them look good in pictures and commercials, but the quality isn't really there. If you you a refined taste for seafood, I would avoid the pots. If you don't know a blue crab from a king crab from a snow crab...You will probably be ok with the pots...lol
(3)Becca B.
Not the greatest place I've been to...when we got seated it took the waitress about 15 min before she even came over to get our drink order. Then she didn't speak up loud enough for anyone to hear her. When I got my food there was so much breading on the seafood I couldn't taste the meat!!! This was just bad...I really don't have anything good to say about this place except it looks nice. If you want real Maryland crabs...go to the East coast and catch them yourselves!
(1)Joshua K.
We had really slow service on our first trip, lots of mistakes, and the main dishes were cold. I was assured from the manager it was a strange series of mistakes. It was extraordinarily busy and generally customer service in this area is lacking, so I didn't think too much about it. Three months later, we return for a second chance. We were greeted and seated right away. For the next 25 minutes we waited. After two requests for a server, we finally just left. Luckily we found a new restaurant as we were searching for another option, and the food and service was fantastic.
(1)Zeke D.
Just had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack in Greenbelt MD; probably won't be going back. The food was pretty good, but the overall experience was poor. When we arrived the staff was doing some kind of dance and we had to wait for that to end before we could be seated. Once seated, the waiter gave us a bucket of utensils and another bucket for trash. Apparently he assumed we'd be ordering the $30 crab entries at lunch ... actually, we were hoping for crab cakes, which they had for $12 (they were pretty good). The waiter was bad; among other problems when he gave us our bill he had overcharged for a couple of items. The room is loud and the tie die hippy theme doesn't fit the neighborhood. Despite the fact that the food was actually pretty good, it's thumbs down for this one.
(1)Pacha P.
OK, so I KNOW this place is a chain, so I adjusted my expectations accordingly. However, even allowing for the fact it's a chain restaurant, I was very disappointed. Perhaps their steamer pots are good, but I'd definitely tell everyone to stay away from their fried fish platters. The crab-stuffed shrimp were mushy and tasteless; the fish w/ the fish and chips consisted of bits of fish encased in a LOT of batter; the crabcake? Just plain WEIRD. Perhaps it was made from some marine creature, but definitely didn't taste like any crabmeat I've ever had, including the fake stuff. Nothing in the way of seasoning. A Mrs. Pauls' frozen fish dinner would've been better. As for the service? Fairly indifferent and the place wasn't busy at all at the time, so no excuse. I'd like to think I just hit them on a bad day, but I won't be going back to find out.
(1)Vanisha O.
This was our first time here! I must admit the surrounding area does not have what you call curb appeal but inside the restaurant was clean, spacious and welcoming. Our waiter, Donnel, was very nice and attentive constantly checking on us without being overbearing. The crab dip was amazing and the steam pots were filling. The flavor of the potatoes weren't great but everything else was pretty good. The drinks were STRONG! I'd come back, I'd love to try more items off the menu.
(5)satura j.
They can sometimes get the food wrong and it can not be all that tasty when you get it but it is fun the crowd is fun the music is nice
(4)Venitra T.
I love this place everyday but on a Tuesday is even better! 2 dollar appetizers and drinks you can't beat it! Plus the steam pots are the bomb! I love to get the Garlic and herb seasoning! My son loves this place we can enjoy the 2 dollar specials and not have to sit at the bar. The waiters are very nice as well. I would recommend this place to anyone at anytime!
(5)Denise N.
my boyfriend and i are on a road trip and spent last night in MD. we wanted crabs, but had already been to and fro baltimore, and weren't going to make the 1 1/2 round trip again. so, while i'm not a huge lover of chains, my boyfriend had a hankering for joe's, and we made the 15 minute drive to crab happiness. we sat at the bar and ordered drinks: honey peach smash for him, shark bite for me. our drinks were sweet and friendly, but fairly potent. i thought the little shark-shooter of grenadine was a nice touch for my drink. in an attempt to save calories, i only added half at first, but after a sip, realized the drink actually needed the full dose. we got an appetizer of fried calamari to start. my boyfriend ordered the crab daddy crab bucket with garlic and herb seasoning. this included snow, queen, and king crab along with an ear of corn and new potatoes. i got the sunset fire grilled steampot of queen and snow crab, shrimp, and smoked sausage, also served with an ear of corn and new potatoes. i also ordered a side of cole slaw. the calamari were large, bigger pieces than i've seen most other places. but, they were expertly fried and served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce. i was happy to see not just rings of the body, but full baby squid as well. i liked the dipping sauce, but my boyfriend didn't, and our request for a side of cocktail sauce was delivered quickly. we made quick work of our app, and our entrees were delivered shortly thereafter. my boyfriend's crab bucket was overflowing with crab. he offered me a few bites which were all sweet and delicious. you definitely can tell the difference between each variety of crab, and they were all good. my own crab was equally sweet and yummy. i think i may prefer queen crab to snow or king. my shrimp were cooked well, as was the smoked sausage. it was juicy, and the casing had a nice snap. what i'll say i liked about my steampot the most (besides that the seafood was cooked well) was the seasoning. the sunsent fire grilled steampot isn't what i would describe as spicy, but it is incredibly well seasoned with pepper, garlic, and salt. i mean, honestly- even with all the seafood, i still ate the entire ear of corn, because it was so. well. seasoned. beyond the food, service was friendly and attentive. my side of cole slaw was forgotten in the mix, but we weren't charged for it, and i didn't miss it, we had so much food, anyway. mid-meal, we realized that we were running a little behind schedule, and requested our bill. our bartender made sure that everything was okay, and that we just wanted the check because we needed to leave. i appreciated that extra touch. is this a chain? yes. would i eat here if i had a proven, local joint available? probably not. but, for what we wanted last night, joe's fit the bill, and executed our whole experience very well. we were happy customers.
(4)Leslie R.
My hubby and I had dinner their last night - the waitress was nice even though we had to keep reminded her to bring our fried clam appetizer which was real good but we got our entree first. I ordered the shrimp boil which was okay but the shrimp could have been steamed a little longer.
(2)Kayla E.
This was my 2nd trip to joes. My first time was crowded but our server was awesome and the food was incredible!!! However, this past weekend my fiancé and I brought my parents here and I was seriously so let down. We were sat right away- awesome! Server came over right away- yay again. But than.... He never came back (I was a waitress for 9 years I am more than patient and understanding of a busy night) but he wasn't busy, we saw him standing around talking to other servers. We waved him over once and asked for our drinks, he than brought 2 of the 4. When our appetizer came out we reminded him of the other 2, than they were brought. Next round he never brought even though we ordered. I had to get those myself from the bar. My fiancée food was completely the wrong order. He told him it was basically the same thing and he should try it... I'm sorry, what?! He finally brought him the right food. My parents didn't get the other half to their meal until we were totally done with the first part. We reminded him, he never said sorry or its busy back in the kitchen. He just didn't seem to care. I finally said something to a manager (something I have never done!) things got better and he was more attentive, but by then it didn't even matter. Server offered us all free dessert on the house! We ordered 2 and were charged for both. Tried to find him to tell him, it was like he vanished from the earth. What a let down, I will definitely not be coming back here. Great food but terrible service.
(2)Hope L.
Oh dear Joe's Crab Shack oh how I love thee! Ok so this location is close to home so I tend to venture to this one quicker. The customer service can be a little hit or miss but the food has yet to fail me. I've had everything from the classic steam pot to the steam pot that includes Lobster. Tried there mussels recently and kicking myself asking "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO ORDER THIS YUMMY GOODNESS!" Food is always clean. Never gritty. Seasoned well. Tends to get crowded on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sometimes mid day Sundays. Definitely worth checking out.
(4)Vick K.
I must say that I was quite disappointed with my experience at this location. First we ordered a crab daddy feast where I should have gotten one cluster of king, queen and snow crab. Well I received a cluster of snow but as far as king and queen I received 2 legs of King and 3 of Queen not even full clusters. This meal also comes with potatoes which I only got 3 of. For the price of this meal I would have liked to receive at least my full cluster. Also we were not provided utensils for crab leg eating, nor the paper for the table and NO bib that's my favorite part I LIKE TO WEAR THE DAMN BIB! On a good note the small amount of food I received was good, crab legs cooked well, hush puppies moist, potatoes good and my wife had the bbq shrimp which was delicious. Unfortunately I will not be returning to this Joe's crab shack.
(3)April S.
Love coming here on Tuesday when the Hurricanes and select appetizers are $2. Only been to this location once. Right off Greenbelt TD located in Beltway Plaza. Clean. Our server was awesome. She closed out our tab. I wanted to make sure she got her tip. The next server did not notice us but noticed everyone around us so we just left. Great customer service and food until Mr. I Don't See You came on board.
(4)Trice H.
I gave it two stars being generous. It's $2 Tuesday's which means hurricanes and select appetizers are just that ...$2. That's the pro. The cons: it's items listed on the $2 or happy hour menu that they no longer have. I'm not sure how you no longer have a mixed drink but you still have all the ingredients, but that's what we were told. The bathroom was beyond disgusting. I have pics but I will spare you. The bartender seems like she got her license from the $19 groupon special for online training. My friend asked for a shooter. What she got was a mixed drink. I mean it was a full cup with ice. Another friend ordered a shot of 1800 chilled. It came with a free bug and ice chips. Needless to say if you are really trying to save money and drink mediocre drinks this is the spot. Just use the bathroom before you get here. Another pro J (just the letter) was great!
(2)Janel T.
What a big difference from our first visit which was the absolute worst. However, we've decided to give it another try and everything was great!! We'll definitely be returning in the near future.
(4)Minda M.
So the reason why I go to Joe's is because it's a great way of getting seafood with out spending a TON of money on fancy seafood places downtown DC. And Joe's is better than Red Lobster, for many reasons, but you can get a ton of crab legs that have been mildly dusted with a seasoning. I associate all seafood from Red Lobsters to be fried, tiny and covered in a buttery sauce. Granted their biscuits area AMAZING! Anyway, we opted to go to the closer to DC Joe's in greenbelt instead of driving all the way to the one in Gaithersburg. They had some large birthday party that was blocking all of the entrances/exits to the patio. so on a gorgeous day, the patio was closed. We ordered a rum coke, what arrived were 2 rocks glasses that were only 3/4 full with mostly rum and 2 ice cubes??? Walking through the restaurant, there were at least several tables that hadn't been cleared, and were piled up with seafood remains. The table behind us had food on it when we sat down and when we left. Joe's isn't cheap either, so you'd think there'd be a little better service. If you're torn on which Joe's to go to, go to Gaithersburg. It's gorgeous, new and has great service,
(1)Jennifer R.
Decent crab dip and drinks. They get 1 star for the crab dip and 1 for the drinks. Service is beyond terrible. Just awful. Slow service, rude wait staff. I have been multiple times bc their crab dip really is that good but the service gets worse every time.
(2)Ginbeenfly J.
I am being completely honest no hate here a real girl from the DMV... I had the worst experience here food was horrible took over an hour ... I was so upset over priced trash ... Beware don't waste your money spent 80 on a processed little stuff shrimp and a steam pot with only one crab cluster it was soooo disappointing I wish I took a picture ... I know it was a Tuesday because they had the $2 drink special which is also cheap garbage ... They don't even make it at the bar ... The cheapest alcohol ever you will get sick that's a promise.... I was so upset I wanted to put a fraud claim on my card because it was a fraud ... Again worst service horrible food not even worth one star
(1)Tonya U.
The one star is a bit generous, but I have no other option. This was the absolute worst experience. We were with a large group but we staggered our reservations over about 40 minutes. There was only 1 server and the manager did not attempt to help out till it was too late to salvage the experience. It took 45 minutes just to get our drinks. They were out of onions strings, brought my meal before my appetizers. 2 hours after our arrival my husband still had not gotten his meal, got it to go and it was still wrong. The ladies restroom was disgusting, feces was smeared on one toilet seat and another that an employee came out of had a wet mess around the toilet, trash can was overflowing. Manager did take $20 off our bill and gave us a $20 gift certificate but would still never visit this location again. I'll probably give away the gift certificate.
(1)Ronique D.
Great food & service!!! I have been to this location for lunch, dinner, and drinks. my servers are always very pleasant. The manager is also about satisfying customers
(4)Spencer H.
I've only left tips about Joe's but never a review. Many times, people including myself are persuaded by other people's opinions and fail to objectively go into a place with an open mind. Because of this, it took me five visits here to give my honest review. This place is SOLID. Joe's does not attempt to pose as a high end seafood restaurant so why do we as patrons expect it to be? It is what it is. An affordable place to get your seafood fix with friendly attentive waiters and bartenders. The food is flavorful and I have yet to have a bad meal. The happy hour is top notch with $5 Patron margaritas. I would suggest the bacon wrapped shrimp which are mouthwatering. All and all.. not a bad place to dine!
(4)Charlotte D.
I really don't want to waste my time even doing a review for this place. I only came here because I was in town for my friend's birthday and her mom wanted to come here really bad. NUMBER 1: TERRIBLE SERVICE. the hostess didn't even give us a time frame for a seating of 7. When I put in the name, she muttered "okay, it'll be a little bit." After being seated 15 minutes later, we waited another 10 minutes before the manager said as he was strolling by, "I'm trying to find ya'll a server." So we waited another ten minutes before she came to take drink orders. NUMBER 2: PORTION SIZE. for 26.99, I got one small dungeness cluster, one tiny snow crab cluster (the smallest I have ever seen actually). Two potatoes a little larger than a quarter, and an ear of corn. I have been to a Joes Crab Shack in Philadelphia and it was mediocre,but still a lot better than here. Our server was very nice however so we did tip appropriately. However, the hostess and the other servers were a different story, talking about anything and everything on the floor. Very ratchet, if you understand what I mean. Honestly though, I don't blame them, I blame their manager for allowing them to act like that in a $30 per person restaurant. They all need to be re-trained or fired so they can go work at pizza shops because that's what type of service they give.
(1)Venitra T.
I love this place especially on dollar Tuesdays! My server A.J. is the best and the food is the bomb!
(5)Joan B.
FOOD HERE SUCKS for JOE'S CRAP SHACK... I opened this account just to post this review. I wish I had the option to give them less than half a star. As my family walks in to get seated a young lady states that she doesn't want us to sit in a certain area... I guess we should have did that... The waitress that we had would take our order and leave for long periods of time... She did not care and the food does not look like the picture. They put bowls inside of the pot to make the food look more bountiful. The food for an adult is a kids meal and the food for the kids wasn't even enough for a pet. The food had a fishy spell and smelled as if it was sitting in ocean water. The manager that we spoke to did not care and he was a bit condescending... In the middle of the service a couple of the servers got up to do a knock off version of the electric slide while everyone was eating(dance made it awkward for everyone). When it was time to pay the bill the server didn't even come back to the table. I had to get up and search for someone to pay the check. Gave it to one of the hostesses and she gave it to the server who gave it back, so for the second time I had to give it to someone to pay the check... My entire family was hungry and we went next door to Wendy's to get food to quench our hunger... I wish we would have done that from the start... I would have preferred going to McDonald's and I can't stand McDonald's... WORST EXPERIENCE EVER AND IT WAS OUR FIRST AND LAST TIME... NEVER AGAIN...
(1)Devida N.
This review is to WARN you from not making the same mistake I made by dinning at Joe's Crab Shack. The service (waitress) was very friendly and attentive, that is why I gave 1 star. However, the price they charge for the so called POTS did not match up with the food that was served to me. I paid $27 for 2 clusters of crab legs, 5 or so shrimp a sausage link and horrid fries and disgusting hush puppies. The picture on the menu is false advertisement, the pots are not that full. I will NEVER eat at Joe's again and will be sending a message to the headquarters to give them my thoughts. Honestly, beware!! I should have went to RIP's and got a much better seafood entree.
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