Joe's seemed to be the only place open this Memorial Day so we stopped in after the movies. The joint was empty except for 4 tables so I expected everything to be fresh and hot. Not so much, ordered the Balls of Fire poppers stuffed with crab and cream cheese couldn't taste or see the crab in them nor were they hot either temp or taste. Next had a steampot, which was ok nothing to get excited about, the mussels were super rubbery and the crab was very mushy.
(2)
B A.
This is the second Joe's I've been to in the past year. The first being Peoria, IL. Both, IMHO, rate the same one star. I ordered the fire grilled crab leg meal ($30+) and what I got was a wet, messy nasty meal in a metal bucket covered with some sort of seasoning. Oh and there was a crappy plastic netting in there as well. Real classy. I suppose this is to be representative of a fishing net (but crabs are not caught in nets, AFAIK). NOT at all worth what I paid. Not even close. Would not recommend.
(1)
Shane H.
I saw the 2.5 stars rating on yelp before my friend dragged me in there. I was thinking, maybe he's right (since we both like the armani diamonds parfum). really, walking in here feels just like walking into a tgiFridays (which is next door). very corporate, all kinds of christmas lights still hanging there, and all these weird decorations. so i was like oh, ok, this is a typical chain restaurant. We ordered one spiced boil lobster, a cajun steampot and a new orleans steampot. The spices worked a lot of wonders and I was thinking, hmmm, my friend is right. this place is pretty good. By the time I'm half way through I can't feel my lips anymore. But the gumminess of the shrimp tells me that they've been frozen. I was still considering giving this place 4 stars. Then that annoying marge simpson sounding "duffy" girl's "why don't you show me mercy" song came on and lead on to the point of decline, which was the birthday dancing. non of the employees were feeling it and i don't blame them, it's such a demeaning thing to do to your employees, especially when you're already paying them minimum wage (maybe just a little bit more). So it came down to 3 stars. the food is great. you'll be fine if you can find a way to tune out the tgiFridayness of the place. if you are against that 150%, find another place to go.
(3)
Vanilla C.
Went here for a birthday, wasn't overly pleased. The Seafood Paella was almost all rice and peppers. The seafood all tasted like it had been frozen. Hubby ordered the chicken strips, so over priced for what he got. I spent the entire evening holding my stomach in pain, not sure if something was bad or not. I can give it a little credit, the peach cobbler sundae was delicious.
You can see into the kitchen from the dining room here and the kitchen is filthy. At one point it even looked like the kitchen staff were chasing something in the kitchen. There was one cook in the kitchen that kept rubbing his face and his hair and not washing his hands after. Just continuing with food prep. He would take his earbuds in and out and not wash. He would play with his phone and not wash. The place even smells like it hasn't been cleaned in a very long time. I have been in dirty restaurants before and this one was one of the worst. I was so surprised. I have eaten at Joe's all over this country and I will never eat here again.
(1)
Christina C.
I just came back from Joe's Crab Shack a couple hours ago and must say that it was an unique experience. First off, we must have came at a busy time (6ish) because we ended up having to wait 40 minutes before being seated (so make sure you call ahead and have your name written down on the list!). After an excruciating 40 minutes (I haven't eaten all day.. The wait was pretty brutal), my boyfriend and I ordered the snow crab, classic appetizer sample, and spiked sweet tea. When the sampler came out, my boyfriend and I were slightly disappointed. There was barely any calamari sauce and it was just overall very average (this is the critique from a person who hasn't eaten all day! Everything at that point shouldve tasted like heaven for me :p). We waited about 10 more minutes and our crab finally came out, this was a game changer. The crab was soft and perfectly cooked. It also came with potatoes and corn. Overall, I would come here again just for the crab! Ps: our waitress only stopped by our table once, but the manager came by several times to make sure my boyfriend and I were satisfied. This gesture saved the rating to three stars instead of two. Pps: the spiked iced tea was pretty good (even served in a cute mason jar), but the price wasn't listed on the menu and I was shocked that it was $9. Beware!!
(3)
Brenda M.
Barely anyone in the restaurant, waited 5 minutes to be seated. Over an hour for our dinner. The celery was NASTY!! They just lost my patronage ! I used to love this place too bad I have to give one star
(1)
K M.
Worst service ever waited 10 minutes(NOT CROWDED) several open tables to be seated then waited another 10 to 15 minutes for someone who wasn't my server to put drinks water on the table. I would never ever eat at Joe's! At least not this one!
(1)
Azzura D.
Our waitress Kym was extremely nice and courteous! The customer service was great! Other than that the food was extremely mediocre. I previously ate there before and the food and service was great but that was like three years ago. I ordered the KJ steam pot and I was extremely disappointed!!!!!!! My scallops were burnt to the point my whole steam pot reeked of burnt seafood. My mussels were also extremely over cooked; dry and disgusting like sand paper. My crab legs (snow) were inconsistent some extremely small and some the typical size they are supposed to be. Not to mention my potatoes were half way rotten and they still served them to me. The best thing about my meal was the corn. Sad to say I used to love this place but I would probably never come here again. Horrible experience. The drinks were awesome though. I had the hurricane and got a nice buzz from it which completely got blew from my horrible food!!!!
(1)
Karen W.
Absolutely terrible. We sat at the bar on a Friday evening. Let's start with the fact that with 3 bartenders it took them 15 mins to clear the dirty glasses in front of us from the previous customers. We ordered stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and shared a meal. The mushrooms came out completely raw. We said something to our server but at this point our food was ready so it wasn't worth waiting for new ones. Half an hour later the manager who happened to be the hostess as well came over and asked how our food was. We told her about the mushrooms. She said "yeah we have a hard time cooking them right in the microwave." What?!? You are a restaurant why would you cook stuffed mushrooms in a microwave? Mushrooms take 5 mins to cook! Unbelievable that a manager would even say that. The food was terrible, clearly the staff are not properly trained. We will never be going back there.
(1)
Kayla K.
Worst experience ever. If I could give 0 stars I would. We ordered hush puppies for an appetizer and they never came. We tried to order them again once we got our entrees and after the 3rd time I gave up. Our waitress, Tiffany, was more interested in hanging out with her fellow staff members than helping customers. We ran out of everything butter, napkins, drinks you name it. She knew we were upset and gave us gift cards to come back however you could clearly tell she didn't care about our horrible experience at all. I left the gift cards as her tip (I'm at least a 20% tipper anywhere I go) and I vow never to eat at joes again! Go to red lobster!
(1)
Chelle F.
Terrible service waited forever for our food and waited forever for a waitress to even come and take our drink order. I'm done with this place they won't be getting anymore of my money. The food isn't even that great. You can find much better seafood elsewhere.
(1)
Community T.
We're do I start well it's oyster fest and they don't have any.why in the world would they not tell you when you come in.....Smh....then waitress aka section 8 finest decides that silverware is not important...Danny dummy......then management another idiot ...why not keep up with demand...no excuses...then stupid waitress wanted a tip..A dodo bird....I seen you ,3Times during my meal not one time I needed you for something you were there...never go here.
(1)
Carol S.
We hadn't been to Joe's in quite some time so thought we'd give it a try again. I was a bit worried when we walked in since they were pretty deserted, but we had a good meal, so maybe it was just because it was a cold Thursday night with a bit of freezing drizzle going on. Our food was very good -- I got the blackened fish tacos, and my husband got the bacon-wrapped shrimp, and both were tasty with good portions.The only odd thing about the food was that I got a 'side' of tortilla chips with my tacos, but no salsa or dip to go with them; so I ended up leaving most of those, but the tacos themselves were excellent. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful and brought everything right away, so no complaints with the service. The manager even came over before we left to make sure we were happy with our meals, and to wish us happy holidays. The prices were a bit high for what we got, but I've noticed many other similar restaurants have raised their prices as well, so I don't think they were way out of line.
(4)
Cortni O.
Went to this location for the first time tonight, and I won't be back. My boyfriend and I went there because I was in the mood for seafood; unfortunately, we never even got to eat. After providing us with our drinks, our waitress disappeared for almost twenty-five minutes. I watched her socialize with other wait staff, the bartender, go out to the patio, use the bathroom, and go back into the kitchen, but she never came back to our table. I used to work in the restaurant industry, did so for 17 years, so I guess my standards may be higher than others, but to not check on your table for almost twenty-five minutes is inexcusable. The managers may want to consider getting on their wait staff a bit more so that way the servers understand that you have to keep your customers happy if you want repeat business and positive reviews.
(1)
Karen J.
My family and I go to Joe's on new years eve almost every year, last year we didn't make it but this year we did. My husband and I ordered the shrimp platter, they had so much batter on the shrimp that it turned our stomachs at the end of the night. With the prices you pay there you shouldn't get a lot of batter if you know what I mean, but on the bright side my daughters bucket of crab legs that she ate was yummy as she stated. We will not be going back for a shrimp platter any time soon and let me add the crabby apple crumb cake they have for almost $8.00 is not good to mushy for the amount of money.
(1)
Carly C.
I never go out of my way to write a bad review because everyone has an 'off' day, but this is the second time I have been to Joe's and it was equally awful both times. My boyfriend dragged me against my will and now he sees why I protested. I ordered the shrimp pasta and they were out of pasta, said it would take 30-45 minutes to cook some more, so I ordered the fried shrimp and i don't know if it was the batter or the shrimp, but it was mushy!! I was leery that it may have been slightly undercooked. On top of that my mashed potatoes were cold! My boyfriend got one of the seafood pots, there was a lot of seafood but the inside of the lobsters were just disgusting. On top of it being a little overcooked, I have never seen that much roe and tomalley ever! It was extremely unappetizing to crack open the lobster and see green gunk and hundreds of red eggs! If I could give zero stars I would. At least the staff was friendly.
(1)
CaMillia B.
I love this Joes but only when Kym is working she is the absolute best person you will ever have the chance to encounter! We always order steampots and they are always delivered to the table with perfection. The drinks, food, and service are A1. We go for our birthdays and whenever we drive through that area. I am allergic to seafood but I take my chances for this Joe's.
(5)
A W.
Went here for my son's birthday-considering I knew their birthday "song" is pretty interesting....Haven't been here in about 10 years, and the quality sure has changed for the worst!!! We had a party of 5, and were the only customers in the resturant for most of your stay. We all ordered the large crab/lobster/sausage dishes-each about $25. The staff was considerably young, and did not have very professional attitudes, but it was sufice. Considering our tab was $200 with tip-I thought we would have much better service; espcially since we dined on a very slow-raining day. The one thing I can compliment Joe's on is their desserts!!! Now they were all fab! Each one of my family members tried each-and I was completely impressed. So, eat at Joe's not for the crab-but for the dessert!!!!
(2)
Chris H.
Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious. The service was good. But for the price its being sold at? It is not worth it. Go buy the same amount of food anywhere and boil it yourself for a fraction of the price they sell it at. If this place was more upscale I'd understand the price, but it's super casual so I don't get it. If you don't want to cook it, just go to any Asian buffet.
(2)
Dina B.
Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy. Even my 6 year old realized this place is a racket. Let's not go into the fact it was empty. (Was it the "I got Crabs" T shirts?) Let's just start with Crab. So I ordered a Steampot with corn, sausage. I lived in Boston and eaten in Newport. So I know Steampots, beatches. I have never encountered more thin, withered, crab legs in all my life. There wasn't even enough corn for all 3 of us. Corn! It's like free in this country! I don't think any of us consumed more than 3 ounces of crab. The pathos in there was just heartwrenching. Shut er down.
(1)
Erik M.
Food that flounders and atmosphere that...lobsters. Sorry, that's the best I could do. I came here because I was given a $25 gift certificate. The first thing you'll notice is that this place is in a shopping center that has a Wal-Mart as its headliner and a church as its second. America! Joe's is decorated like a TGIFridays that has been sunken in the ocean. Crazy stuff on the walls and terrible music. The staff all walk around in t-shirts, most of which alluding to crabs being a venereal disease. Tasty. The food is surprisingly expensive for what it is, but you do get a somewhat decent portion. I ordered the snow crab bucket for $17, which was (to no surprise) a bucket of crab with 3 small potatoes and an ear of corn. I ordered the Old Bay seasoning, but I couldn't tell at all until I got to the last set that was soaking in the juice. Luckily, it's no extra cost for seasoning, but I wish it was more powerful. They give you a bib and all the fun crabbing tools including a plastic "Stolen from Joe's Crab Shack" shell opener, of which I stole, because it told me to. My friend got the crab-stuffed shrimp which was just shrimp served over crab meat with rice. She said it was good, but it didn't really fill her up for the price. While we were there, there were a few birthdays, so they had the "let's embarrass the birthday boy" thing. They did the Cupid Shuffle. Not sure how that relates to seafood, crabs, people named Joe or birthdays, but I let it slide. The staff was nice though, even though I get the feeling that they really hate doing choreographed dances. The bathroom was decent, but I scoffed at the restaurant review they had up. It was from 1998. Yes, Joe's Crab Shack, things written ten years ago are still true today. Especially that $7.99-$12.99 price range in the review. All in all, I feel like I would have had a better experience at a Red Lobster if I wanted generic-chain seafood. If I made more money and didn't feel like I was blowing it here, perhaps I would like it more. Something about paying $17 to get a bucket of food from someone wearing an "I got crabs from Joe" t-shirt seems wrong.
(3)
Tyler H.
Love this place. And love this staff. Kim is the jam!!! Kim we miss you!
(5)
Anna H.
I WOULD GIVE THIS PLACE NO STARS! This place has poor customer service! Not only are they unhelpful, they are extremely unprofessional! They let loiters into the restaurant and let them roam around and move from booth to booth. They weren't even customers, they were just waiting for a ride. While eating dinner with my boyfriend, he got his iphone 5 stolen. The phone was right next to him on the table. He did not leave his iphone unattended. These loiters jumped over the booth snatch his phone and ran. My boyfriend ran after them to the parking lot, but they hopped in a car and sped off. Because of their negligence and carelessness to let these "loiters" (more like thieves) to roam around and sit from booths to booths, my boyfriend's iphone which is worth more than $600 got stolen. When we called the police and filed a report, the manager didn't bother to ask us if we needed help. When we contacted the corporate manager, he was rude and has an attitude and did not want to hear our side of the story. He showed no compassion to his customer! Apparently it's not their problem that my boyfriend got robbed in their establishment. He said it was a free country and that these thieves could do whatever they want and sit wherever they want. Uhmm okay, that makes no damn sense. When a party goes into a restaurant, they are seated in a certain area, why the hell are they allowed to sit from one booth to another. Not to mention this party of two sat at multiple different tables! Don't you find that weird and suspicious for this party of two who came in together, sat at one booth together, roam around, and then sat at two different booths behind us? Apparently they don't see this as a safety issue to other PAYING customers. Long story short, the Joe's Crab Shack in Sterling Heights don't give a shit about their customers.
(1)
Nicholas T.
I've been going to Joe's Crab Shack for a few years now, but not under my own volition. It just happens to be my mother's favorite restaurant, so when I found myself Christmas shopping this morning with her she decided to treat me to a late-lunch. I have not been a fan of Joe's in the past and today's incident was no different. I don't know if it is that I spent sometime in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area and was spoiled with good, fresh seafood, or that I had some bad dates at a Joe's or what, but this place just never sat well with me. For those that have never been to any Joe's, the decor of the place is a bastardization of a love child between Red Lobster and the restaurant Chachki's from "Office Space". Lots of "flare" but nothing relevant at all. They have a little store where you can buy shirt that insinuates that you have received an STD from their fine establishment...or so the double entendre would have you believe. But I digress... ..so onto todays debacle. Since my mother loves this place I reluctantly agreed to join her. We entered the restaurant at 2:30ish, well after lunch time and much before dinner. There were only 2 other tables filled at the area. Right away I could smell something unusual in the air, and not the good seafood-y smell you are supposed to smell at a restaurant like this. We were seated and our orders were taken in a timely manner. I looked on the menu and saw "Diablo Mussels"...and I thought 'wow, these are 2 things I really like, fresh steamed mussels in a bloody mary type of mix. I think I'll try them". What a mistake! First off, it took about 20 minutes to prepare (mind you in a restaurant with only 2 other tables filled) It finally came to the table. I took the first bite of the first mussel. Honestly, if I closed my eyes when I took that first bite I couldn't tell you if I was eating the $9 diablo mussels or a piece of a 20 cent hot dog with a 59 cent can of spicy tomato mixture from Krogers. It was terrible both in taste and in texture. They were way too over cooked/steamed. The only reason I kept eating is because I was starving and literally had nothing to eat all day. So that was a bust. For the main order my mother and I decided to split the Old Bay steam pot of snow crab legs. Again, having gone to school on the east coast and living in the area, Old Bay seasoning brings back a lot of amazing memories or fresh seafood, wonderful bloody mary mixes and drunken frat parties at ACC schools with daughters of politicians and diplomats (yes, all politicians have daughters that do that around DC and Virginia, not just the Bush twins)...so Old Bay on my good was to bring on a great sensation...pas de tout! Again, the crab must have been oversteamed because it came out dry and stringy with very little Old Bay on it. Luckily, our waiter was nice enough to bring a side of Old Bay, and didn't charge us. To me, half the fun is in cracking the shells and getting all of your morsels of meat out yourself, but for such sub par crab, it wasn't much fun. I was still hungry after I finished my meal, but decided to not wait another 35 minutes for another entree, so I dropped my mother off back at her house and went to McDonald's (yes I was that disappointed). I really can't complain too much about the service. It was decent. One of the only reasons I like going to the Joe's on Van Dyke with my parents is because we are usually seated in the section of a young African American waitress who is WONDERFUL and entertaining. She was there today, but we were not seated in her section. Today's lunch allowed me to catch up with my mother and spend some quality time with her during the Christmas season. That was about the only good thing today. I, on my own, will never go to Joe's, and it is never even a thought in my head, or part of plan B through Z. However, I will only go to Joe's to appease my parents whenever deemed necessary.
(1)
Tony M.
I gave Joe's another chance after a few years of steering clear. Silly me. The food is overpriced and mostly boring. The service is spotty and shouldn't be since the place is mostly empty. Learn from my mistake and stay clear. As much as I hate to say it, Red Lobster is a far better choice for less money. Plus you get those tasty biscuits! Say no to Joe's!
(2)
Jerson J.
You want seafood in buckets? Surely this is the best place. I just wish they grilled fish. :)
(5)
Anon Y.
Pros: +Shrimp was well cooked +Variety of Seasonings +Good Service +Fast Refills Cons: -Pricey for what you get -shrimp is peel your own -potatoes undercooked -false advertising -environment For about the half a thousand dollars we spent on dinner at this place on our visit we all left pretty hungry and if the food was plated, most people would realize they are getting a tiny amount of it.I guess this place tries to cater toward a young, high-school, laugh at lame STD/STI jokes crowd although they would not be affording this pricing. This restaurant looks like your average TGI Fridays but with nautical decor and the same music. Being empty on a weekend night should have been an indicator of what was to come, as well as the scenic Walmart plaza.The main attraction of this restaurant is the "steampots" which are heavily advertised. After ordering and waiting a solid 1 hour for our tables food to come the food portions looked nothing like the pictures. It reminded me of those gift-baskets that have everything heaped on a huge mass of newspaper to make it look like the basket was full, if that makes sense the food comes on a plate which is inserted into the pot to elevate it and give the illusion of more food inside the pot. The Joe's Original steampot a low priced steampot on average, which I ordered assuming it was what they were known for, was not that full of food. It had two sets of small crab legs, 6 unpeeled shrimp, 1 small sausage and an ear of corn, all lukewarm. Some of the food came in produce netting to make it seem as if though it was representative of being fresh caught seafood and although you can request a seasoning, which their are quite a few chooses, all I could taste was seasoning salt. If you are here for a steampot do yourself a favor and go to Fuji Sushi Buffet in Madison Heights, they have steampots for around the same price as the original and you have an all you can eat buffet and peeled shrimp. Even Red Lobster has all you can eat shrimp for less than that and it comes peeled for half the price.
(2)
Nina B.
Went here for a friend's going-away party....we sat at a huge table on their patio outdoors. My husband and I ordered a "coastal steampot" (the "Long Islander") to share, which was replete with 1 lb clams, 1 lb mussels, 12 shrimp, a link of sausage, a little bit of corn, and some potatoes. The seafood was very fresh (all of the mussels were open!), BUT we thought that it could have been seasoned a lot more and that the presentation could have been a tad fancier (the seafood came wrapped up in a green net which we had to cut open). We also split an order of crab cake sliders, which were pretty yummy, but not the best crab cakes we have ever had. We left there feeling full and quite satisfied with the freshness of the seafood, but a bit disappointed in the presentation and the overall seasoning of the dishes.
(3)
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Address :33879 Van Dyke
Sterling Heights, MI, 48312
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No 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
Bob N.
Joe's seemed to be the only place open this Memorial Day so we stopped in after the movies. The joint was empty except for 4 tables so I expected everything to be fresh and hot. Not so much, ordered the Balls of Fire poppers stuffed with crab and cream cheese couldn't taste or see the crab in them nor were they hot either temp or taste. Next had a steampot, which was ok nothing to get excited about, the mussels were super rubbery and the crab was very mushy.
(2)B A.
This is the second Joe's I've been to in the past year. The first being Peoria, IL. Both, IMHO, rate the same one star. I ordered the fire grilled crab leg meal ($30+) and what I got was a wet, messy nasty meal in a metal bucket covered with some sort of seasoning. Oh and there was a crappy plastic netting in there as well. Real classy. I suppose this is to be representative of a fishing net (but crabs are not caught in nets, AFAIK). NOT at all worth what I paid. Not even close. Would not recommend.
(1)Shane H.
I saw the 2.5 stars rating on yelp before my friend dragged me in there. I was thinking, maybe he's right (since we both like the armani diamonds parfum). really, walking in here feels just like walking into a tgiFridays (which is next door). very corporate, all kinds of christmas lights still hanging there, and all these weird decorations. so i was like oh, ok, this is a typical chain restaurant. We ordered one spiced boil lobster, a cajun steampot and a new orleans steampot. The spices worked a lot of wonders and I was thinking, hmmm, my friend is right. this place is pretty good. By the time I'm half way through I can't feel my lips anymore. But the gumminess of the shrimp tells me that they've been frozen. I was still considering giving this place 4 stars. Then that annoying marge simpson sounding "duffy" girl's "why don't you show me mercy" song came on and lead on to the point of decline, which was the birthday dancing. non of the employees were feeling it and i don't blame them, it's such a demeaning thing to do to your employees, especially when you're already paying them minimum wage (maybe just a little bit more). So it came down to 3 stars. the food is great. you'll be fine if you can find a way to tune out the tgiFridayness of the place. if you are against that 150%, find another place to go.
(3)Vanilla C.
Went here for a birthday, wasn't overly pleased. The Seafood Paella was almost all rice and peppers. The seafood all tasted like it had been frozen. Hubby ordered the chicken strips, so over priced for what he got. I spent the entire evening holding my stomach in pain, not sure if something was bad or not. I can give it a little credit, the peach cobbler sundae was delicious.
(2)Rachael B.
My mom and I like coming here for lunch. We have never had a problem. The food is always good. We like getting the spinach artichoke and crab dip appetizer. I like the stuffed shrimp for an entrée. I am looking forward to going back soon.
(5)Craig O.
You can see into the kitchen from the dining room here and the kitchen is filthy. At one point it even looked like the kitchen staff were chasing something in the kitchen. There was one cook in the kitchen that kept rubbing his face and his hair and not washing his hands after. Just continuing with food prep. He would take his earbuds in and out and not wash. He would play with his phone and not wash. The place even smells like it hasn't been cleaned in a very long time. I have been in dirty restaurants before and this one was one of the worst. I was so surprised. I have eaten at Joe's all over this country and I will never eat here again.
(1)Christina C.
I just came back from Joe's Crab Shack a couple hours ago and must say that it was an unique experience. First off, we must have came at a busy time (6ish) because we ended up having to wait 40 minutes before being seated (so make sure you call ahead and have your name written down on the list!). After an excruciating 40 minutes (I haven't eaten all day.. The wait was pretty brutal), my boyfriend and I ordered the snow crab, classic appetizer sample, and spiked sweet tea. When the sampler came out, my boyfriend and I were slightly disappointed. There was barely any calamari sauce and it was just overall very average (this is the critique from a person who hasn't eaten all day! Everything at that point shouldve tasted like heaven for me :p). We waited about 10 more minutes and our crab finally came out, this was a game changer. The crab was soft and perfectly cooked. It also came with potatoes and corn. Overall, I would come here again just for the crab! Ps: our waitress only stopped by our table once, but the manager came by several times to make sure my boyfriend and I were satisfied. This gesture saved the rating to three stars instead of two. Pps: the spiked iced tea was pretty good (even served in a cute mason jar), but the price wasn't listed on the menu and I was shocked that it was $9. Beware!!
(3)Brenda M.
Barely anyone in the restaurant, waited 5 minutes to be seated. Over an hour for our dinner. The celery was NASTY!! They just lost my patronage ! I used to love this place too bad I have to give one star
(1)K M.
Worst service ever waited 10 minutes(NOT CROWDED) several open tables to be seated then waited another 10 to 15 minutes for someone who wasn't my server to put drinks water on the table. I would never ever eat at Joe's! At least not this one!
(1)Azzura D.
Our waitress Kym was extremely nice and courteous! The customer service was great! Other than that the food was extremely mediocre. I previously ate there before and the food and service was great but that was like three years ago. I ordered the KJ steam pot and I was extremely disappointed!!!!!!! My scallops were burnt to the point my whole steam pot reeked of burnt seafood. My mussels were also extremely over cooked; dry and disgusting like sand paper. My crab legs (snow) were inconsistent some extremely small and some the typical size they are supposed to be. Not to mention my potatoes were half way rotten and they still served them to me. The best thing about my meal was the corn. Sad to say I used to love this place but I would probably never come here again. Horrible experience. The drinks were awesome though. I had the hurricane and got a nice buzz from it which completely got blew from my horrible food!!!!
(1)Karen W.
Absolutely terrible. We sat at the bar on a Friday evening. Let's start with the fact that with 3 bartenders it took them 15 mins to clear the dirty glasses in front of us from the previous customers. We ordered stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and shared a meal. The mushrooms came out completely raw. We said something to our server but at this point our food was ready so it wasn't worth waiting for new ones. Half an hour later the manager who happened to be the hostess as well came over and asked how our food was. We told her about the mushrooms. She said "yeah we have a hard time cooking them right in the microwave." What?!? You are a restaurant why would you cook stuffed mushrooms in a microwave? Mushrooms take 5 mins to cook! Unbelievable that a manager would even say that. The food was terrible, clearly the staff are not properly trained. We will never be going back there.
(1)Kayla K.
Worst experience ever. If I could give 0 stars I would. We ordered hush puppies for an appetizer and they never came. We tried to order them again once we got our entrees and after the 3rd time I gave up. Our waitress, Tiffany, was more interested in hanging out with her fellow staff members than helping customers. We ran out of everything butter, napkins, drinks you name it. She knew we were upset and gave us gift cards to come back however you could clearly tell she didn't care about our horrible experience at all. I left the gift cards as her tip (I'm at least a 20% tipper anywhere I go) and I vow never to eat at joes again! Go to red lobster!
(1)Chelle F.
Terrible service waited forever for our food and waited forever for a waitress to even come and take our drink order. I'm done with this place they won't be getting anymore of my money. The food isn't even that great. You can find much better seafood elsewhere.
(1)Community T.
We're do I start well it's oyster fest and they don't have any.why in the world would they not tell you when you come in.....Smh....then waitress aka section 8 finest decides that silverware is not important...Danny dummy......then management another idiot ...why not keep up with demand...no excuses...then stupid waitress wanted a tip..A dodo bird....I seen you ,3Times during my meal not one time I needed you for something you were there...never go here.
(1)Carol S.
We hadn't been to Joe's in quite some time so thought we'd give it a try again. I was a bit worried when we walked in since they were pretty deserted, but we had a good meal, so maybe it was just because it was a cold Thursday night with a bit of freezing drizzle going on. Our food was very good -- I got the blackened fish tacos, and my husband got the bacon-wrapped shrimp, and both were tasty with good portions.The only odd thing about the food was that I got a 'side' of tortilla chips with my tacos, but no salsa or dip to go with them; so I ended up leaving most of those, but the tacos themselves were excellent. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful and brought everything right away, so no complaints with the service. The manager even came over before we left to make sure we were happy with our meals, and to wish us happy holidays. The prices were a bit high for what we got, but I've noticed many other similar restaurants have raised their prices as well, so I don't think they were way out of line.
(4)Cortni O.
Went to this location for the first time tonight, and I won't be back. My boyfriend and I went there because I was in the mood for seafood; unfortunately, we never even got to eat. After providing us with our drinks, our waitress disappeared for almost twenty-five minutes. I watched her socialize with other wait staff, the bartender, go out to the patio, use the bathroom, and go back into the kitchen, but she never came back to our table. I used to work in the restaurant industry, did so for 17 years, so I guess my standards may be higher than others, but to not check on your table for almost twenty-five minutes is inexcusable. The managers may want to consider getting on their wait staff a bit more so that way the servers understand that you have to keep your customers happy if you want repeat business and positive reviews.
(1)Karen J.
My family and I go to Joe's on new years eve almost every year, last year we didn't make it but this year we did. My husband and I ordered the shrimp platter, they had so much batter on the shrimp that it turned our stomachs at the end of the night. With the prices you pay there you shouldn't get a lot of batter if you know what I mean, but on the bright side my daughters bucket of crab legs that she ate was yummy as she stated. We will not be going back for a shrimp platter any time soon and let me add the crabby apple crumb cake they have for almost $8.00 is not good to mushy for the amount of money.
(1)Carly C.
I never go out of my way to write a bad review because everyone has an 'off' day, but this is the second time I have been to Joe's and it was equally awful both times. My boyfriend dragged me against my will and now he sees why I protested. I ordered the shrimp pasta and they were out of pasta, said it would take 30-45 minutes to cook some more, so I ordered the fried shrimp and i don't know if it was the batter or the shrimp, but it was mushy!! I was leery that it may have been slightly undercooked. On top of that my mashed potatoes were cold! My boyfriend got one of the seafood pots, there was a lot of seafood but the inside of the lobsters were just disgusting. On top of it being a little overcooked, I have never seen that much roe and tomalley ever! It was extremely unappetizing to crack open the lobster and see green gunk and hundreds of red eggs! If I could give zero stars I would. At least the staff was friendly.
(1)CaMillia B.
I love this Joes but only when Kym is working she is the absolute best person you will ever have the chance to encounter! We always order steampots and they are always delivered to the table with perfection. The drinks, food, and service are A1. We go for our birthdays and whenever we drive through that area. I am allergic to seafood but I take my chances for this Joe's.
(5)A W.
Went here for my son's birthday-considering I knew their birthday "song" is pretty interesting....Haven't been here in about 10 years, and the quality sure has changed for the worst!!! We had a party of 5, and were the only customers in the resturant for most of your stay. We all ordered the large crab/lobster/sausage dishes-each about $25. The staff was considerably young, and did not have very professional attitudes, but it was sufice. Considering our tab was $200 with tip-I thought we would have much better service; espcially since we dined on a very slow-raining day. The one thing I can compliment Joe's on is their desserts!!! Now they were all fab! Each one of my family members tried each-and I was completely impressed. So, eat at Joe's not for the crab-but for the dessert!!!!
(2)Chris H.
Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious. The service was good. But for the price its being sold at? It is not worth it. Go buy the same amount of food anywhere and boil it yourself for a fraction of the price they sell it at. If this place was more upscale I'd understand the price, but it's super casual so I don't get it. If you don't want to cook it, just go to any Asian buffet.
(2)Dina B.
Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy. Even my 6 year old realized this place is a racket. Let's not go into the fact it was empty. (Was it the "I got Crabs" T shirts?) Let's just start with Crab. So I ordered a Steampot with corn, sausage. I lived in Boston and eaten in Newport. So I know Steampots, beatches. I have never encountered more thin, withered, crab legs in all my life. There wasn't even enough corn for all 3 of us. Corn! It's like free in this country! I don't think any of us consumed more than 3 ounces of crab. The pathos in there was just heartwrenching. Shut er down.
(1)Erik M.
Food that flounders and atmosphere that...lobsters. Sorry, that's the best I could do. I came here because I was given a $25 gift certificate. The first thing you'll notice is that this place is in a shopping center that has a Wal-Mart as its headliner and a church as its second. America! Joe's is decorated like a TGIFridays that has been sunken in the ocean. Crazy stuff on the walls and terrible music. The staff all walk around in t-shirts, most of which alluding to crabs being a venereal disease. Tasty. The food is surprisingly expensive for what it is, but you do get a somewhat decent portion. I ordered the snow crab bucket for $17, which was (to no surprise) a bucket of crab with 3 small potatoes and an ear of corn. I ordered the Old Bay seasoning, but I couldn't tell at all until I got to the last set that was soaking in the juice. Luckily, it's no extra cost for seasoning, but I wish it was more powerful. They give you a bib and all the fun crabbing tools including a plastic "Stolen from Joe's Crab Shack" shell opener, of which I stole, because it told me to. My friend got the crab-stuffed shrimp which was just shrimp served over crab meat with rice. She said it was good, but it didn't really fill her up for the price. While we were there, there were a few birthdays, so they had the "let's embarrass the birthday boy" thing. They did the Cupid Shuffle. Not sure how that relates to seafood, crabs, people named Joe or birthdays, but I let it slide. The staff was nice though, even though I get the feeling that they really hate doing choreographed dances. The bathroom was decent, but I scoffed at the restaurant review they had up. It was from 1998. Yes, Joe's Crab Shack, things written ten years ago are still true today. Especially that $7.99-$12.99 price range in the review. All in all, I feel like I would have had a better experience at a Red Lobster if I wanted generic-chain seafood. If I made more money and didn't feel like I was blowing it here, perhaps I would like it more. Something about paying $17 to get a bucket of food from someone wearing an "I got crabs from Joe" t-shirt seems wrong.
(3)Tyler H.
Love this place. And love this staff. Kim is the jam!!! Kim we miss you!
(5)Anna H.
I WOULD GIVE THIS PLACE NO STARS! This place has poor customer service! Not only are they unhelpful, they are extremely unprofessional! They let loiters into the restaurant and let them roam around and move from booth to booth. They weren't even customers, they were just waiting for a ride. While eating dinner with my boyfriend, he got his iphone 5 stolen. The phone was right next to him on the table. He did not leave his iphone unattended. These loiters jumped over the booth snatch his phone and ran. My boyfriend ran after them to the parking lot, but they hopped in a car and sped off. Because of their negligence and carelessness to let these "loiters" (more like thieves) to roam around and sit from booths to booths, my boyfriend's iphone which is worth more than $600 got stolen. When we called the police and filed a report, the manager didn't bother to ask us if we needed help. When we contacted the corporate manager, he was rude and has an attitude and did not want to hear our side of the story. He showed no compassion to his customer! Apparently it's not their problem that my boyfriend got robbed in their establishment. He said it was a free country and that these thieves could do whatever they want and sit wherever they want. Uhmm okay, that makes no damn sense. When a party goes into a restaurant, they are seated in a certain area, why the hell are they allowed to sit from one booth to another. Not to mention this party of two sat at multiple different tables! Don't you find that weird and suspicious for this party of two who came in together, sat at one booth together, roam around, and then sat at two different booths behind us? Apparently they don't see this as a safety issue to other PAYING customers. Long story short, the Joe's Crab Shack in Sterling Heights don't give a shit about their customers.
(1)Nicholas T.
I've been going to Joe's Crab Shack for a few years now, but not under my own volition. It just happens to be my mother's favorite restaurant, so when I found myself Christmas shopping this morning with her she decided to treat me to a late-lunch. I have not been a fan of Joe's in the past and today's incident was no different. I don't know if it is that I spent sometime in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area and was spoiled with good, fresh seafood, or that I had some bad dates at a Joe's or what, but this place just never sat well with me. For those that have never been to any Joe's, the decor of the place is a bastardization of a love child between Red Lobster and the restaurant Chachki's from "Office Space". Lots of "flare" but nothing relevant at all. They have a little store where you can buy shirt that insinuates that you have received an STD from their fine establishment...or so the double entendre would have you believe. But I digress... ..so onto todays debacle. Since my mother loves this place I reluctantly agreed to join her. We entered the restaurant at 2:30ish, well after lunch time and much before dinner. There were only 2 other tables filled at the area. Right away I could smell something unusual in the air, and not the good seafood-y smell you are supposed to smell at a restaurant like this. We were seated and our orders were taken in a timely manner. I looked on the menu and saw "Diablo Mussels"...and I thought 'wow, these are 2 things I really like, fresh steamed mussels in a bloody mary type of mix. I think I'll try them". What a mistake! First off, it took about 20 minutes to prepare (mind you in a restaurant with only 2 other tables filled) It finally came to the table. I took the first bite of the first mussel. Honestly, if I closed my eyes when I took that first bite I couldn't tell you if I was eating the $9 diablo mussels or a piece of a 20 cent hot dog with a 59 cent can of spicy tomato mixture from Krogers. It was terrible both in taste and in texture. They were way too over cooked/steamed. The only reason I kept eating is because I was starving and literally had nothing to eat all day. So that was a bust. For the main order my mother and I decided to split the Old Bay steam pot of snow crab legs. Again, having gone to school on the east coast and living in the area, Old Bay seasoning brings back a lot of amazing memories or fresh seafood, wonderful bloody mary mixes and drunken frat parties at ACC schools with daughters of politicians and diplomats (yes, all politicians have daughters that do that around DC and Virginia, not just the Bush twins)...so Old Bay on my good was to bring on a great sensation...pas de tout! Again, the crab must have been oversteamed because it came out dry and stringy with very little Old Bay on it. Luckily, our waiter was nice enough to bring a side of Old Bay, and didn't charge us. To me, half the fun is in cracking the shells and getting all of your morsels of meat out yourself, but for such sub par crab, it wasn't much fun. I was still hungry after I finished my meal, but decided to not wait another 35 minutes for another entree, so I dropped my mother off back at her house and went to McDonald's (yes I was that disappointed). I really can't complain too much about the service. It was decent. One of the only reasons I like going to the Joe's on Van Dyke with my parents is because we are usually seated in the section of a young African American waitress who is WONDERFUL and entertaining. She was there today, but we were not seated in her section. Today's lunch allowed me to catch up with my mother and spend some quality time with her during the Christmas season. That was about the only good thing today. I, on my own, will never go to Joe's, and it is never even a thought in my head, or part of plan B through Z. However, I will only go to Joe's to appease my parents whenever deemed necessary.
(1)Tony M.
I gave Joe's another chance after a few years of steering clear. Silly me. The food is overpriced and mostly boring. The service is spotty and shouldn't be since the place is mostly empty. Learn from my mistake and stay clear. As much as I hate to say it, Red Lobster is a far better choice for less money. Plus you get those tasty biscuits! Say no to Joe's!
(2)Jerson J.
You want seafood in buckets? Surely this is the best place. I just wish they grilled fish. :)
(5)Anon Y.
Pros: +Shrimp was well cooked +Variety of Seasonings +Good Service +Fast Refills Cons: -Pricey for what you get -shrimp is peel your own -potatoes undercooked -false advertising -environment For about the half a thousand dollars we spent on dinner at this place on our visit we all left pretty hungry and if the food was plated, most people would realize they are getting a tiny amount of it.I guess this place tries to cater toward a young, high-school, laugh at lame STD/STI jokes crowd although they would not be affording this pricing. This restaurant looks like your average TGI Fridays but with nautical decor and the same music. Being empty on a weekend night should have been an indicator of what was to come, as well as the scenic Walmart plaza.The main attraction of this restaurant is the "steampots" which are heavily advertised. After ordering and waiting a solid 1 hour for our tables food to come the food portions looked nothing like the pictures. It reminded me of those gift-baskets that have everything heaped on a huge mass of newspaper to make it look like the basket was full, if that makes sense the food comes on a plate which is inserted into the pot to elevate it and give the illusion of more food inside the pot. The Joe's Original steampot a low priced steampot on average, which I ordered assuming it was what they were known for, was not that full of food. It had two sets of small crab legs, 6 unpeeled shrimp, 1 small sausage and an ear of corn, all lukewarm. Some of the food came in produce netting to make it seem as if though it was representative of being fresh caught seafood and although you can request a seasoning, which their are quite a few chooses, all I could taste was seasoning salt. If you are here for a steampot do yourself a favor and go to Fuji Sushi Buffet in Madison Heights, they have steampots for around the same price as the original and you have an all you can eat buffet and peeled shrimp. Even Red Lobster has all you can eat shrimp for less than that and it comes peeled for half the price.
(2)Nina B.
Went here for a friend's going-away party....we sat at a huge table on their patio outdoors. My husband and I ordered a "coastal steampot" (the "Long Islander") to share, which was replete with 1 lb clams, 1 lb mussels, 12 shrimp, a link of sausage, a little bit of corn, and some potatoes. The seafood was very fresh (all of the mussels were open!), BUT we thought that it could have been seasoned a lot more and that the presentation could have been a tad fancier (the seafood came wrapped up in a green net which we had to cut open). We also split an order of crab cake sliders, which were pretty yummy, but not the best crab cakes we have ever had. We left there feeling full and quite satisfied with the freshness of the seafood, but a bit disappointed in the presentation and the overall seasoning of the dishes.
(3)