The food is average at best. The service was atrocious. My party waited about 10 minutes after being seated for anyone to even come around and take our drink order. After that we waited another 10 minutes for the drinks to arrive and for our server to take our order. Instead of taking peoples' orders the wait staff was standing around singing and dancing. The worst part was that it wasn't even that busy. The atmosphere was fun, but it was just too noisy. You couldn't hear people talking who were sitting right next to you. I definitely won't be going back again.
(1)
Jaclyn D.
I was VERY apprehensive about going here. I am a bit of a seafood snob as well someone who HATES her food covered in butter! We went to Joe's and were starving. We ordered the mussels diablo, the were so good with a little spice and we also got the crab dip, which my bf LOVED. I got the KJ steam pot and my he got Lobster Daddy steam pot. They were so good. I loved the steamed red potatoes and corn on the cob too! I asked the waitress before ordering if she could "hold the butter" and she assured me that my food was only cooked in a white wine sauce and although all sauces contain some butter, it was NOT too much just a fine flavor. ONLY COMPLAINT: the bill was over 100 (once we tipped) and my bf only had two beers while I had a diet coke. That was a little pricey for a chain but no more expensive than the down the shore.
(4)
Chris W.
ALWAYS get the Steam Pot!
(5)
Grizzl Y.
Very friendly staff. We all got steampots and were happy with the quantity and quality. Some compare this to Red Loster, but this to me was a step up. Better seafood can be found elsewhere but for the price range offered here you can't beat it. Figure $40-45 per person with desert, and cold drink.
(4)
Jeff T.
LOUD did I say this place was LOUD. To add to the noise they do a song and dance thing every half hour or so. The food is basic production line sea food. I felt the prices were a bit high considering the quality of food. Give it a try but for me it was one and done.
(2)
Colleen M.
This was my first experience with the Joe's Crab Shack chain. Overall, the food wasn't too bad but the prices are a little high for what you get. There aren't really any other places in the area where you can get a big steam pot of seafood like this. The food took a long time to come out. We were there for a total of about 2 hours. If you haven't been to this chain, the staff dance around about every 45 minutes. It's cheesy but it might be entertaining if you have small children. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but it was alright. Also- I was surprised at the extremely small women's bathroom for a restaurant this size. They were out of toilet paper in 2 out of 3 stalls when I was there on Sunday night.
(3)
Hope S.
Food was good as always. Service was amazing! We never had to flag down our waitress because she was attentive and on top of her game. Our drinks stayed filled. She made our visit even more pleasant. It's a shame I cannot remember her name.
(4)
Domenic F.
Came here all happy and ready to go some good seafood and left here disappointed. The service was poor and the food was just mediocre. I had one of their pots and got to try some shrimp, crap and a lobster. Very ho-hom.
(2)
Jennifer P.
Love this place! A little on the pricier side especially with the steam pots, but it's definitely worth it! Fun atmosphere and delicious drinks! A must go for sure!
(5)
Chris K.
First of all I liked the food a lot. It was delicious. I had the Dungeness crab pot and my husband had the Lobster pot. Both were great. Pricey though. We went on a Saturday afternoon around 1pm. No wait but by the time we left it was getting full. There was a wait that I don't understand because there were plenty of tables open and plenty of servers (goofing around) so the people waiting were getting annoyed. The service was okay. The staff is so young and does not appear to be supervised at all. Too much goofing around (and I don't mean the dance thing). The host and hostess (yeah they had both) were confused and dis-interested. There was no one at the podium when we walked in, so our 5 minute wait was for someone to show up. Then again these goofy seating people try to sit my husband and I (who are 50 and alone) between a large table with 5 kids sitting at it and an even larger table with screaming babies. Did I mention that the resturant was not even 25% full? They did sit us in the bar area (with the other people who did not want to sit next to the food fight) but they looked confused. It is a cute decor with no thought to sound. Even as uncrowded as it was it was pretty darn noisey. Can't imagine dinner service.
(3)
Shelby A.
I cannot attest to the quality of food the KOP location serves because I never actually got a chance to eat. My boyfriend and I came in on a Saturday night and there was a 40 minute wait, which was expected for a Saturday night in KOP. So we sat at the bar to have a few drinks while we waited for a table. After 15 minutes of waiting (while holding a twenty in my hand) with no acknowledgement from the bartenders we left. It wasn't as if the bar was busy, there were several open seats, and the bartenders were doing their sidework). I told the host on the way out to take our names off the list because the bartenders refused to acknowledge us and get our drinks, and he said "Ok bye". If the bar service was that bad, imagine how bad the waiters and waitresses must be. Then I looked on yelp and realized we saved ourselves from eating some overpriced poorly cooked "seafood" delivered by servers who never come back to refill your drinks or check on your food. For about the same price of dinner for two, you could go over to Suburbia and buy pounds of crab legs (that actually have meat in them) and dozens of clams. Why hasn't management picked up on all of these bad reviews and changed their service? They must not care.
(1)
R W.
For only being opened since October 2011, I think this place is being underrated. Yes, an estimated 2.5 hour wait is bad but that was a Friday night in a holiday weekend. It took about 1.25 hours to get a seat. They text ur cell when table is ready. Food was pretty good. I had lobster bisque which I will rank as my 3rd favorite all time. I am a snob when it comes to my LB. also had daddy lobster pot with lobster and crab legs. My wife loved the crabs as she is a snob in that area. Lobster was better than average. Prices where good. Atmosphere great. Really a happy place and I will return.
(4)
Drew L.
When we go to Joe's usually it's to the one in Lawrenceville, NJ, this time we figured we would try the KOP location. We'll start with the wait, 25 minutes at 6:00 on a saturday night, not bad at all. Next the service. Once we were seated, the waitress took a while to get to our table. The place was so loud we could barely hear her speak. The drinks from the Bar came out pretty quickly, Bonus. Our cold pick and peel shrimp appetizer was slow to come out, but luckily so were our entrees. Here's where I started to get annoyed, there were at least 3 birthday's which took the waitstaff away from other tables. Then there was the Disco dancing, where the entire staff, whether they could dance or not had to dance for at least 5 minutes. While all this dancing and birthday songs are going on I had finished my drink and no matter how much I was craning my neck to find a waitress I couldn't. If I wanted to watch bad dancing, I could watch Dancing with the Stars. About ten minutes after I had finished my drink the waitress showed up to see if I wanted another. The runners finally brought out our entrees, not once did the waitress come to the table to see if everything was to our liking. We finally caught her attention and asked for the check and Woosh! gone again. After bringing us the check I asked her not to leave here's my card. My wife got up to go to the bathroom, came out and the waitress still had not brought me the receipt to sign. No exaggeration it took about 10 minutes to get the bill back. Needless to say the service was pretty bad. I got up to go to the bathroom, when I get in there a employee is cleaning up the sinks, great a clean bathroom. Here's the rub, he is only using 1 hand, why you might ask, because the other hand is up to his ear with a cell phone, having a conversation with a friend, now 3 of us can't wash our hands because you can't just get the job done. On to the food - Seafood rule number 1 Devein the shimp. I shouldn't have to do this myself. I thought the Lobster and Snow Crab legs were cooked perfectly, no complaints there, Snow crabs are going to be cooked from frozen, so they did a good job. Luckily they didn't screw up boiling 2 red potatoes and an ear of frozen corn. We didn't get desert. The sticker shock, 112 dollars with tip for 2 of us. I did get 2 souvenier Joes crab shack mason jars to take home. I thought everything was a bit over priced, but I knew it would be. I don' think I would go back to this Joe's crab shack.
(2)
Tyne J.
UGH! The wait for a Sunday afternoon was 45 minutes, which I really didn't mind. We were seated next to the kitchen, which I believe contributed to my less than desirable experience here. It was PACKED, people running in and out of the kitchen, loud (sreaming to each other in the dining room) large parties everywhere and unbelievably SLOW service. One of our appetizers was brought out 2.3 seconds before the entree, and was cold, which leaves me to believe it had been ready for a while, just waiting to be delivered. We didn't eat the appetizer so it was taken off of the bill. Had to track down the server several times, for a simple refill of lemonade. Just an all around sucky experience. We've been to Joe's Crab shack all over, Jersey, DE, Florida and Texas, so we know this is not the standard. This one is kinda reminiscent of Fridays...def won't be back. Side Note: This Joe's is very large and open in it's layout...we enjoy the smaller, more intimate, cozy Joe's that we've been to, with great personable service...won't experience this here.
(1)
John D.
Would like to rate Zero stars however that is not an option. Please take my advice and the others advice on this restaurant. Their customer service and their "polices" are unacceptable. There is a reason why their score for this particular location is so low. The experience I would like to share with you has happened three times, and this will be the last time. My wife and I try to be on time, and do not care for long wait times, so we try to make reservations or call ahead depending on the restaurant. We have called and asked to be placed on the call ahead list, we were told there was no wait and to come in and we would be seated no problem. However, on three separate occasions calls between called 15, 30, and 45 minutes. When we arrive at the restaurant there was a thirty five to one hour wait each time. How can I call you 15 minutes before I get there and then when I arrive, the restaurant is completely packed and overflowing with people. We are told there is nothing they can do and we have to wait, and that they can not predict when people are going to arrive. There have been other issues, but this is the one that stands out to me the most. We are not demanding people, and we understand that even with a call ahead that there may be a wait and not be seated immediately. We have asked to speak with managers but they are never available, or on a "conference call" with the corporation at 6pm on a Saturday night. We have tried to call corporate on the issue, they will not return emails, or phone calls either. Advice and recommendation. Let's be honest, their food isn't THAT amazing or hard to find. For those of you reading this for the King of Prussia location. There is a place called Creeds that is about 3.5 miles away and they are over the top. Amazing food, staff, and atmosphere. They accept walk-ins and allow for reservations and their Yelp rating is 4.5 image that. I wish no harm to anyone, and I hope this restaurant improves and thrives. I believe staff and management is the problem here, and that could be an easy fix to turn this restaurant around if you find the right people, and become successful.
(1)
Margeaux F.
I have been to several Joe's across the country, and never have I experienced such poor service. I understand that this is not a five star restaurant, but I think if I would have ate at McDonalds they would have treated me better! My party waited for 2 hours at the bar for a table. The bartenders were very nice, but the drinks were not strong and very expensive. When we were finally called the hostess gave us a table that did not fit everyone. She said she could seat some people in the other room. WHAT?! We asked to speak to the manager, she came over and told us she would give us complimentary appetizers, which was nice, however they came out at the same time as our food, which was about another hour later. So we could not eat everything. The food quality was very good. Just an overall terrible experience. Do not eat here unless you have six hours you would like to waste.
(1)
Noah F.
A pretty good chain place if you want seafood. The wait was quoted as 2hr 45min, but wound up being more like an hour - but be prepared for a wait. We ordered the seafood fondue, but were served the crab dip instead. We didn't say anything because we were so hungry and it looked good - and was. No complaints there. We then shared the Boston Beantown Bake steam pot (2 lobsters, clams, sausage, potatoes, shrimp, and corn). It was enough to share. The seafood itself was decent - not the worst or the best. The lobsters had a good amount of meat and were flavorful if mildly dry. The service was friendly if somewhat cheesy. Every 15 min all the servers come out and dance. Overall, not a bad place for seafood if you find yourself landlocked.
(3)
Greg L.
Very disappointing... when will I learn; all of these 'corporate' restaurants are the same... Having experienced Joe's in California 5-6 yrs ago, and finding value in a seafood dining experience, I was expecting the same in KOP. The KOP place has been here about a year. But five years ago was a long time, and when the corporate mongers buy out quality, local establishments, expand them, they invariably turn them into bottom line, average-at-best, McDonalds quality restaurants. The food must all come from the same truck: Fridays, Panera, CPK, Appletur.. I mean Applebees, are all invoiced from BIG FOOD INC. .. I ordered take out from Joe's while enjoying the holiday shopping crowds at KOP Mall... not! ... The place was clean, and the bar area was roomy. Noting that famous pundit Moe Szyslak, the place had a lot of 'crazy crap on the wall.' Hey, maybe that's how you get your full meal's worth at Joes; you need to dine in, order some beverages, and pretend you are wharf-side ... I perused the menu and ordered a bowl of NE Chowder and a crab cake sandwich, substituting the broccoli in place of french fries. $18+... OK, I better receive value... Unfortunately it never arrived. The 'lump' crab meat was minimal, so, again I was eating a bread sandwich from FOOD INC... A $12 sandwich? are you high?... The broccoli portion was hardly. The soup would have stiff competition with the soup at Old Country Buffet; heavy, floury ... The plastic containers at all of these FOOD INC establishments are practically Tupperware... Now that's value! ... Ughhh, folied again in the quest for a return on food investment at any place NEAR a shopping mall .. FOOD INC could just add a little bit more vegetable, more crab in the sandwich and perhaps they would have something ... but maximizing profit is the sole objective for FI... Their inability to provide any value at an $18+ price is reason to give this place a 5 star Heisman... Stay Away!!
(1)
Angela J.
If we could give zero stars for this place we would. And we didn't even get to try the food! On a not so busy Saturday afternoon we were starving and so happy to be seated right away. Our happiness quickly turned to confusion as we watched server after server service the tables around us but avoid us like we had the plaque. Five minutes into sitting serviceless my boyfriend told me what he wanted and went to wash his hands. When he returned to the table with a dumbfounded look, I told him our drink order still was not taken. As couples were being seated and served all around us, we played a little game called "is that our server". Twenty minutes into waiting (hungry and now thirsty) still with no visit to our table, we watched a father and son get up and leave. We decided we would wait a total of 30 minutes and guess what, that's just what we did - we waited. Now stuck with a seafood craving and a chip on our shoulder, we left the restaurant as well. We asked for a manager on our way out and explained to him what had happened. So generously,we were offered an appetizer on the house. Despite the (not so sincere) offer, we decided to eat somewhere where the staff actually waited on their guests. And we made sure to tell the gentleman we passed on the way out how bad the service sucked. We probably will not go back. Not to the King of Prussia location at least. And if we ever are offered a free app again as a result of a restaurants horrible service, we will definitely take the free food, order waters and leave.
(1)
Jim R.
I have been going to this location since it opened. At first it was a great experience. Busy, loud, plenty of good seafood served quickly and with a lot of energy. But in the last year, it has really gone down hill. The last time I went with friends and the service was just awful. It was so bad that for only the 2nd time in my life, I left no tip. That was a few months ago. I went back tonight with my free appetizer coupon that was given to me by the manager because there were so many mistakes with our orders. The restaurant was less than 33% full. The appetizer was cold and inedible. The server was nice and attentive but the food was just ok. The "melted butter" that went with my crab was some sort of clear oily liquid. It's really too bad. I had high hopes for this place. I think I'm done with Joe's.
(2)
Gloria H.
I arrived at 5:00pm on a Saturday. I did not get seated until 6:30pm and that was only because my daughter and I had to ask keep asking for tables that we saw available. They are so unorganized, There were four open tables, and when we asked about sitting there they said that there was no server for those tables. But I saw about six employees up front doing nothing.
(2)
Marcia K.
My m-i-l recently saw a commercial for JCS in KOP, and wanted to go, so we went today. This was one of the top 5 worst dining experiences in my life. I grew up on seafood, I frequently cook seafood, and this meal was a bitter disappointment. We ordered the Maine Lobster with shrimp and scallops platter. About 20 minutes after our order and into our wait we were informed that they had no bacon with which to wrap the bacon wrapped shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops as promised in the meal description. I was really disappointed and mentioned that I couldn't understand at 1:30 in the afternoon they had only just discovered this. Pretty soon the manager came over and gave some excuses and said he sent someone to Bala Cynwyd to pick some up and we should have it. If not, he promised to take care of us. We waited and waited. Finally our platters arrived. Our food was cold, all except the cole slaw which was weirdly warm. The seafood was not wrapped in bacon as promised, both on the menu and by the manager. Everything on the platters except the cole slaw was heavily coated with Old Bay. It was so thick that my m-i-l asked what the black stuff on her food was. It was cold and horrible, and unseasoned in any way other than the thick coating of Old Bay. We couldn't even eat the scallops. They were gross. After the waitress took my card, I noticed a waiter running helter skelter through the restaurant with two tiny plates in his hand which I knew was the shrimp and scallops. He couldn't find us so eventually returned to the kitchen. The waitress returned with my CC and all the sudden the manager ran up to our table and said, "here's your shrimp and scallops." I told him we were done and leaving and he said he would wrap it to go. I said no thanks. We have to drive more than an hour but he kept insisting we should drive home 75 minutes in 90 degree weather with seafood in our car!!! When I returned from the washroom I found a free appetizer card for next visit. I left it on the CC wallet. What an appalling meal. I can still taste the old bay in my mouth 7 hours later.
(1)
Michael C.
Standard franchise seafood. Seems like a forced atmosphere, but an okay experience overall.
(3)
Andrew R.
What a messy eating wonderland! I come from New England, land of abundant seafood options but few Joe's Crab Shack locations. My fiance's parents live in PA; during a recent visit to their home, they treated us to dinner at Joe's. Typically, I'm not one for messy finger food. Only in the last year or two have I come to appreciate eating ribs. When I stepped foot into Joe's and saw the rows of tables of people snapping crab legs and various shells, I knew it was time to put cleanliness aside. What a blast! I had two of one of their bar specialties, called a Shark Attack I think. Super tasty! I highly recommend getting one of their signature combo buckets. Everything was served piping hot, delicious, and with plenty of utensils - you'll need your tools to get the job done here! The four of us ended up having a nicely-paced meal, bonding with each other in our food-related efforts. I can't wait to go back.
(4)
E C.
We went for a late lunch and were seated at table in the corner of the patio. Waited for 15 minutes and watched at least 5 different waiters pass our table. I had to go back to the hostess and ask if anyone would like to wait on our table. Finally a girl appeared to acknowledge our intentions of dining. I asked "what's on tap?", she replied, "Any beer you can think of!". "Awesome!" I thought, and mentioned a few of my favorites. With a confused look on her face she disappeared to check the bar only to return with the standard list of trashy beer. Obviously that is not every beer you can think of so I settled for a "premium" Sam Adams. Now on to the food... We ordered crab dip and calamari which was about average. My daughter ordered some mysterious blackened breaded food that they were passing off as fish sticks. They were so over-done that the little fish inside was almost burnt to ashes. I will definitely not return to this chain to try their over-priced crabs based on this experience.
(1)
Aimee N.
I went there last night around 5pm with my 1-year-old son and husband. The wait was 15 minutes, which wasn't bad. It took quite a while to receive our appetizers, fried calamari and hush puppies, and my son's cheesy mac. The fried calamari was ok, not as good as when we had it at Joe's Crab Shack in San Diego. The cheesy mac was good but not the quantity you would expect for a kid's meal that is $5.59. The applesauce side was a packaged container of Mott's applesauce, which is fine since the cup was sealed when it came to the table. What really makes me give this restaurant a rating of 1 star is that at 6:45 we were told that the kitchen lost our ticket for our entrees. My one-year-old son was at his limit sitting in the high chair and was already done with his meal. The waitress was nice and kept "checking on" our entrees up to that point. I asked to have our food packed up to go because my son could not sit there any longer. She asked if she could bring a manager to the table but she should not have had to ask. She should have brought a manager automatically during one of the 4 or 5 more times she came to our table after we were told our order was lost. Then she asked if she could have the manager take off an entree from the bill? Really? First, she shouldn't have had to ask my permission and we should have been compensated automatically. Second, I think both entrees should have come off. And not once did the manager come to the table to apologize. Even with the one entree taken off the bill, the total was still $54. We saw the manager walk by several times and he was more concerned about the appearance of the floor behind the bar than he was about us. By the time we left the restaurant, it was 7:05. We went home and ate our dinners fast since we had to put our son to bed. I got the dungeness crab pot with garlic herb seasoning and thought it tasted too salty. Legal Seafood is in the King of Prussia Mall. The prices are similar, the food is better and they have better service.
(1)
Chris L.
I love good crab so I was pretty excited to eat at Joe's. My wife and I went the opening week: The Good - Great layout, great lighting, plenty of tables, good music, fun atmosphere, great staff. The Bad - The dancing can be a little annoying, but I'm sure my kids would enjoy it. While our waiter was very nice and energetic, he didn't know the menu that well and my Dungeness was delivered w/o a cracker or butter The Ugly - The crab was overcooked and dried out (I suspect they use frozen crabs, but not sure). Considering it's a $26 crab that's unacceptable. (I've heard a similar complaint from others who dined here) I ordered one of their specialty drinks and suspect they gave me the Shirley Temple version of the drink. Considering it's an $8 drink, that too, is unacceptable. Will I go back? Probably not, unless I'm taking my kids. I chalk some of the problems up to opening week, but seriously, if you have Crab in your name you should be able to deliver a tasty, well prepared crab. Overall it was very disappointing.
(2)
J H.
I was there with a group for lunch. I think it's the same menu for dinner. The service was good. I gave full tip on a large check for the effort. I think we were taken advantage of with the food. It was 25-30 $ a head. No dessert. No alcohol. Way too high a check for the quality of the food sitting at picnic table. Especially when the cost of seafood is falling at wholesale. Crabs especially. Overall for seafood in casual dining I would go to red lobster first. For the big group table ambience with adults I would go to buffalo wild wings and also get sports on big televisions. I guess this might be the place if doing something more family oriented. But then I might prefer red robin. Or they have to lower the prices. It simply doesn't match up from a value perspective. Interestingly I remember going to one of these years ago and thinking the same exact thing. I headed back this time thinking the company's more visible profile might include an improved offering. For me it didn't, especially when I saw the bill. Certainly a unique concept, that seems to draw fans, but I wonder if the real test is repeat business over the long run. Even for dinner I wouldn't be keen on this one.
(1)
Jean J.
Having never been to a Joe's I didn't know what to expect. My bf wanted to go here on his birthday so away we went. This place was crazy packed for a Tuesday so we waited for our table at the bar. The drinks were good, albeit pricey. This is expected at any chain restaurant with a full bar. I tried to Pomegranate margarita with Pop rocks. The waitress that brought it to me said "good luck, the pop rocks are going to get everywhere" before she ran away. Definitely a messy and fun drink, with lots of tequila. HOORAY!! On to the food. I really wanted to like it and I mostly did. We ordered the lobster pot and the Cajun pot. The Cajun pot was yummy. Super spicy. The lobster pot was so overdone I wondered if a trainee had cooked it. For a $43 entree, the could at least have properly cooked the damn thing. So annoying. The crab in the other pot were also a bit overdone but at least they still tasted good. It was not worth the $95 check that I paid at the end. I'd try it again if someone else is paying, otherwise, it remains a place to get hammered off of super sugary overpriced drinks. Or not, considering Roger Wilco is not far from my place. Oh and did I mention the waitress forgot to bring us utensils. It took her a good 15 minutes to bring us a half empty utensil bucket and the good news that they were out of crackers. Uhhhhhh. I just ordered 70 bucks worth of food and I'm supposed to use, what, my teeth. This place gets a "meh"
(1)
William W.
Large, very loud, the dancing staff can't dance. The place is jammed. There were plenty of empty tables when I came. Five pm. They had five people and iPads but took ten minutes to seat me. No one else was waiting. I ordered the Boston pot. The crab was tasty but not worth all the work. The lobster was decent but also quite small inside the shell the corn on the cob was fabulous but somehow refridgerator cold. Some boiled potatoes were present but I left them. No bread or butter or anything served with it. They make it look like a working man's place but wiith coffee and the worst keylime pie I ever ate, it cost $60 with tip. Go with friends for fun, but not the food. Legal Seafood is across the street. Their food is much better and as it turns out not really much more expensive.
(2)
Matt M.
Joe's gets a bad rap, at least amongst people we know. We have only been to Joe's once in the KoP location. Our server was one of the best we've ever had and the food exceeded expectations, based on what we'd assumed coming in after hearing from others. We did opt for upgrades on all of the items (king crab and dungenous crab) which likely led to some of that satisfaction. The only thing I could complain about would be the drinks being made from mix which makes them very not fresh - I'm sure they are governed at the corporate entity so their hands are tied but they should make that change because crappy drinks sets a crappy tone for the meal. All in all we were happy we went. Not overly expensive and good crab - just get the upgrades and avoid the cocktail menu!
(4)
Stephen K.
Very average "greasy spoon" type food. This Saturday night the atmosphere was like a circus. WAY to loud-- Good for kid's birthday parties or those who drink alot and converse loudly. Loose the wild fraternity party shtick. . We've eaten here numerous times in the past. I'm sorry to say that we definitely will not be returning.
(2)
Natalie D.
This place was good but it's not better than the one in Lawrenceville New Jersey. The food was a little dry. The entertainment was great though and our waitress kaitlyn was awesome. The red fish lobster was not great the lobster sauce taste very bland
(3)
Tommy N.
I was excited when JCS moved into to a few years back. The day they opened, I received a phone call from a friend saying that I should come over because they were giving away free crabs for a year to the first howevermany customers. So, I postponed work for a few hours and headed over. We both got the free meal each month for a year and had some lunch that day. It was pretty good, but not great. Over the next year, my wife and I (and a couple times our kids) ate here a handful of times (I didn't use all of the coupons, but tried to.) Overall, the food was always decent, but not great. Though, there were a number of times the crab had to be sent back because (whether it was over cooked or under cooked, IDK, but) you couldn't even get 1 solid piece of meat out of the leg. After the first few legs, we would send it back and the second batch would be cooked right and you would get some "great pulls!" My wife and decided to visit last weekend and my how it has changed. The service was good, but the food was absolutely terrible. I mean, wretched. No flavor, and everything was over cooked and soggy. I barely made it home before the food decided that our time together was over (sorry, but it's true.) My brother went this past weekend with his GFs dad and had the same problem. Needless to say, we won't be returning here. It is a shame, because I love crab. I have been to AYCE crab nights at hole in the wall bars that were better.
(2)
Bill H.
I have eaten at JCS twice and both times I was disappointed. I ordered a plate of shrimp and it was absolutely tastless. I suspect that they are using farm raised shrimp. My order came with two small corn on the cob, sausage and a thimble size side of macaroni salad and Cole slaw. The corn was not good and the sausage was no better. I will not return.
(1)
Roma J.
Wanted to go a little light for lunch so I ordered Redfish 'N Lobster. They topped it with a creamy lobster sauce that tasted much like low quality cheez whiz with a hint of spice. Probably wouldn't order this again or recommend it however I did finish my plate clean so overall I wasn't too disappointed.
(3)
Alex N.
The food here is absolutely delicious. Get the fire grilled queen crab. Tons of meat, tons of flavor. I also liked the crab stuffed mushrooms. The service is great too, so if you like crabs you'll have a great meal here.
(4)
Julio D.
This place is amazingly good. We had crab nachos as an app and lunch portion fish n chips. The nachos are very filling and they put plenty of crab on the nachos. The fish was cooked to perfection. This place is consistently good. They also have great margaritas and great service!
(5)
Emily T.
I was here for the first time last night. We made reservations for 5:30 on a Friday, so we didn't have to wait, and didn't. Our waitress was attentive and gave good food and drink recommendations. Not sure why there are so many negative reviews. If we came on a Saturday maybe things would have been different, but service this night was great. My friends got the steam pots and I ordered one if the specials: lobster stuffed shrimp with old bay chips and cole slaw. Delicious!! I'll definitely be back, and making reservations again based on other reviews. Especially if it's the weekend.
(4)
Dan S.
The Wait. -Highly recommend calling ahead for a Saturday night. Average wait time without calling seemed to be about an hour. -Prepare to have to elbow your way through a crowded wait area to get to the unorganized host stand to be greeted by a melancholy staff member in tie dye. -There are no beepers, they text you when your table is ready. -Even with the call ahead, we waited 30 minutes but that gave me time to read all the entertaining yelp reviews. I was a bit nervous after reading about so many negative experiences with the service and the food. The Table. -When we were seated, we were lead to what had to be the most awkward table in the restaurant located in the absolute back corner of the bar area. We had a nice view of the wait staff running drinks across a sopping wet floor. -The bar was packed with waiting patrons so people were standing right over our table. One dude's butt was practically in my face. In addition the table was positioned a bit lower and far from the booth seats so I found myself leaning all night. Save yourself a back ache and frustration and avoid this table. Ask to be reseated. The Service. -Took about 5 minutes for our waiter to acknowledge us. I timed it. -When we questioned what beers were on draft our waiter seemed annoyed and snarkily responded, "We have a lot, do you want me to name them ALL?" No dude, we'll just guess. -Took over 10 minutes for our beers to arrive. Contemplated buying a "Joe's Crap Trap" shirt and going behind the bar to pour our beers myself. Waiter did apologize and said bar was "backed up." -We were at first impressed by the speed our appetizer came out, but then grew depressed because it was the wrong appetizer. -Maybe the wait staff should focus more on the customer than the half hearted crappy dance routines that were barely visible from our table. The Food & Drink -The food saved this place from a 2 star review -Crab nachos were really good. Had a coupon for a free app from a Joe's Crab Shack email. -Yes, it's pricey, but it's seafood and you're in King of Prussia. Queen's Crab bucket was great. Coconut shrimp were delicious. -Was surprised to see the beers were reasonably priced, a 220z Dogfish 60 Min was only $5.19. Can't speak to the prices of the other cocktails. Overall Eh, probably not worth the full 3 stars, 2.5 more appropriate. Even though I was happy with the food quality the service and our table turned me off. I say ditch the dancing and take care of paying customers. We definitely won't be back on a weekend again. If we get another free appetizer offer we might give it a second try.
(3)
Alisa A.
Its fun to think about getting a big bucket of seafood but then when it actually comes out its not as fun as you think. Its great for group settings and maybe next time i would order something different other than a bucket. They have great drinks and the food cam out fast!
(2)
Leslie W.
Okay -- the food isnt AMAZING but it is pretty tasty and I love the crab legs. I've been here probably 30 times and the food crab buckets are usually good, but sometimes they are just really bad. Why do I keep going back? The happy hour is awesome! Half off apps, cheap drinks. On Tuesdays they have $2 beers, hurricanes, and certain apps. Can you beat that? Be careful with the hurricanes and make sure to sign up for their emails because they send out $10 off coupons pretty often.
(3)
Glen M.
If you like heaps of seafood, done right, with lots of with-its, come here. Service is a secondary consideration, though. Very secondary.
(3)
Jeanine C.
I'm not exactly sure why this place has 2.5 stars? The food and service was on-point to me. I've only been here one other time though, that was in SC. The only downfall to dining here was the clams, don't expect to get them in decent size. They were small as a dime! I got the fried clams which were good! Our waitress was Bobbie Jo, such a nice girl! Yeah, I really don't have much to complain about here. It was a nice place to come after a long day of shopping at the mall. Which is nice that it's basically right across the parking lot, not hard to get to and right off the turnpike!
(4)
Lydia B.
Great waiter named eric. The atmosphere at Joe's is kind of fun, it feels like you're on vacation. The prices are high and the quality the food ok. I Had a big bowl of seafood that needed lemon and could have used cocktail sauces... It was over spiced and lackluster at the same time. The clams were tiny and chewy. We shared the calamari which was over needed and rubbery. Will not order that again. I guess all in all if you want seafood with the feel if vacation prices it is worth the shot. The staff was very energetic.
(3)
Mic S.
Excellent food, great service from our waiter! I highly recommend you go here! Delicious! I can't wait to go back!!! Shrimp and muscles were great! Crab legs & lobster superb!
(5)
Doug B.
Being a seafood lover, I had really high expectations when I came here! I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed the whole experience here. I had a crab pot with some spicy shrimp and corn. Everything was hot and fresh, really tasted good. We were seated right away and our server was attentive and friendly. Food came out fast (ok they weren't busy) but seriously it was quick. Overall I'm very happy with the food and the service, I will go back here again.
(5)
Louis W.
This was really good! We went last night at a slow time, so now waiting at all. The food was good, the service was great. Overall good experience.
(4)
Kevin M.
I read all the nasty reviews, but I must say, my group of 9 had a really good time and meal here. Made a reservation for 6 on Saturday, only had to wait 5 minutes until we were sat. Our waitress was great, energetic and knowledgeable. Most importantly our food was pretty damn good for the most part. I'll go back to this joint, no problem. All the snooty kop folks, stay home, more fun for the rest of us.
(4)
E L.
I went here once before and everything was great. But tonight the waiter really dropped the ball. We got our food and had to wait a good 10 minutes just to get silverware. When we did everything was cold. It took 30 minutes just to get the water we ordered when we first sat down. The waiter also gave us the wrong sides. I don't think I will ever go back.
(3)
Brittany T.
I love this restaurant, it is literally one of my favorite restaurants of all time, only once or twice were my crab legs over done. Generally I always have a fantastic experience!
(5)
Jimmy W.
I walked on, asked if I could grab a hightop (all were empty) and the hostess said yes. I proceeded to sit there for 7 minutes (yes I timed it...don't judge me) without anyone bringing me a menu nor asking me what I wanted to drink. So I walked out and went to The Capital Grill. That review to follow shortly.
(1)
Tina B.
They do offer call ahead service on the weekends, when they don't take reservations! Love their call ahead process; they take your phone number, then they text your instructions. We used it and have a 40 minute wait, got there 20 minute later, only have about a 20 minute wait after checking in. It was fast and easy service, one of the best of the area with waiting for a table in KOP. They also have an area for the kids to play on slides while you wait, which is very helpful for families. Host was very friendly and helpful! We did grab drinks at the bar while we waited for our table. The bar tenders are fast and friendly, they use great products. You do have to close out your bill before moving to the table. Please remember to tip them also, for there service. The waitress was very friendly and upbeat. They are very busy on the weekend, but they do have a good support team in place to keep things coming and your needs down. Food was hot and fresh, the prices seem high, but you get your money worth. The only con is the music was very loud, it is a loud place, but with all the noise it was hard to hold a conversion.
(5)
Schuyler L.
My first time here was really fun! I drank a ton of sweet tea and had giant crab legs. Our portions were bigger than the portions I see in the photos here. I think maybe we got hooked up? The only problem was that I asked for the Sam Adams combo of seafood in the Old Bay seasoning. I know beer tastes like junk when you cook with it. They said great, no problem, like they do it all the time. They still brought it out made with beer and it wasn't as good as it could have been. The waitress didn't seem to care too much even though it was early in the day. If I'd complained I wouldn't have been able to eat with my dining companion. The food takes a good 45 minutes to show up! Overall I'd definitely be back, but if they made the same mistake again I'd tell them to take it back and cancel my order.
(3)
Jackie M.
Cool environment and yummy fun drinks! But the baskets were nothing like advertised. A lot less food than we were expecting.
(3)
Hassan C.
I suggest you go somewhere else . The service there is good , food isn't what you would expect . We went there on Father's Day they were out of there most important stuff on the menu .
(3)
diane g.
Should have trusted the yelp reviews and spent my hard earned money for good seafood elsewhere...like maybe a steakhouse! Was in the mood for lobster so after discussing my options with the server I went with the Lobster Daddy which came with a (small) whole lobster, some (small) snow crabs, new potatoes and corn cob. Well thank god for the potatoes and corn or I would have left starving. With a bar drink, tax and tip I spent almost $50 for basically potatoes and an ear of mediocre corn. The lobster claw meat was minimal and the crabs weren't even worth the effort. Im tempted to return to try the steam pots but don't want to chance another way overpriced meal. I had to go to the Shake Shack afterwards for a burger and spent another $11...dang! The only good thing was the service which was excellent. Totally not worth the money in terms of quantity and quality.
(2)
gary m.
There was no wait here on a Sunday at 6:30pm which was a plus. The atmosphere seemed very free since this was a get your hands dirty kind of restaurant. The waiters also dance every hour or so which is kinda entertaining. The prices are around $25 for the steamed pots of seafood. Since this is a chain restaurant, the portions are ok. You'd probably receive more food from a local seafood restaurant.
(3)
Alejandro M.
We went for dinner at this place last night and we had to wait 1 hour to get the food delivered to our tables, the server told us to wait 10 minutes for our food 4 times... The food was not even that good. Never again
(1)
Katie P.
Joe's Crab Shack is a fun atmosphere. I love the picnic table eat seafood with your hands few. but I didn't love the food and thought it was over priced. It also took forever to get served. Left me hungry and annoyed. I would not recommend.
(2)
Lisa P.
I really don't know what to say about this place except that if you like crabs or other seafood then come here. But It's really nothing special compared to other seafood restaurants. The only thing that I found different is they allow you to take home their mason jars for an extra $2. But that's still not worth it. I did have a slight issue with the service. The waitress that I had was suppose to go and get the check but instead she was too busy socializing with other people and had us wait 15mins for it to come. The time that we came was not busy at all and there were only 3 tables with 2 people at each table. Not busy at all. I think they need better employees to give their customers a better service.
(3)
Becca -N- Drew F.
Wayyyyyy overpriced, Wayyyyyy too much seasoning (one meal had to be sent back) We spent over $100 for three people and left hungry. Not a good combination
(1)
Michael J.
Food was good. We all had the steam pot meals and came out hot and delicious. Our server was very good and checked up on us regularly.
(4)
Ida F.
Am from out of town and came here yesterday for lunch and everything was so yummy.. The atmosphere was almost as if we were close to a beach considering it was 65 degrees so we sat outside.. We started with a sampler which I was not crazy about but was ok .. We then Had the KJ steam pot which was amazing !!! My boyfriend also ordered the bacon covered shrimp which for me were gross and very fatty they came with a side of I believe hush puppies which were disgusting!! Other then that the Fish tasted so fresh our server jeff was excellent as well! When i return will deff be coming back
(3)
Kay B.
Do not come here if you know what good seafood is. This is the first restaurant I walked out of after receiving my meal and speaking with the manager. We waited an hour to be seated. Finally were seated in the main dining room after waiting at the bar. Floor was oily and extremely slippery. The atmosphere in the main dining room was zoo-like. They have no acoustic barriers so the noise carries and magnifies. Food came out within a half hour. I ordered one of the crab platters. I thought for a restaurant that has crab in their name and for a signature dish, they would be excel at it. The crab legs were all soft. The shell was a faint orange and brown and was broken throughout. It was very unhealthy-looking crab. I have never felt so insulted as a customer before. Who do they think they are allowing this low quality of food to leave the kitchen? What was the chef thinking? What was the waiter thinking? Why didn't anyone stop this? Why do they think it is acceptable to treat customers this way? Did others actually accept this crab? A Chinese buffet at dinner-time has better crab legs than this and it's cheaper. I spoke with the manager. He said they have no control over the crabs they receive from their suppliers (????), and that he would comp the entire meal. We said no thanks and left. Never again! Do not waste your time or money here. I was shocked so many people willingly wait to eat at a place like this. Why?
(1)
Todd N.
The food was very good good. They also have a nice play ground for the kids. The Children loved the shark nibble drink. However as the adult mixed drinks were so light on the alcohol that one could not even taste it nor feel it...
(4)
Charles W.
I have been planning on visiting Joe's for a while based on a friend's review. Our server Jess was very friendly and had prompt service. We ordered the sampler appetizer and two shrimp dishes. The food was good and prices were average. I took away one star from the constant high noise level. About every 20-30 minutes the staff broke out into a dance routine which got a bit tired after the 3rd time.
(3)
Amanda H.
Great service, nice atmosphere. Horrible food, high prices. Will never eat here again, but the waitress was amazing at her job. Should have listened to reviews and skipped out.
(2)
Caitlin M.
Always enjoy going here at least once a year when I get a craving for crab! It is pretty popular so there is a risk of a long wait, but the last time I went it was the lunch hour on a Sunday so I was seated right away. My favorite is their steampots, and I try to get a different one every time. I always leave satisfied with the amount of food I get in my steampot, and it is very flavorful. My favorite is anything with snow crab legs, so I do not know how well the other types of crab are prepared. Expect to pay a good amount since their steampots are on average $25, but they do have other options besides the pots, and I think it is worth it if I only go about once a year. This last time I was here I was very fortunate to have excellent service too.
(3)
Missy J.
We ate at Joe's this past Saturday night. The hosts were quite pleasant and seated us immediately in Tanesha's section. She greeted us immediately, brought us drinks, made very thoughtful suggestions on the menu, and was generally upbeat and professional. I have an allergy to shellfish, and she ran off and asked questions about the menu for me, I really appreciated that. My son and I both had the fish and chips. They were good. I also had a side of steamed veggies. They were very good. My 10 year old son ate his adult portion of food, then finished my fish and chips. My husband and daughter both got some kind of platters that had assorted seafood. They both enjoyed their good, too. I couldn't sample because of my allergy, sadly. The only complaint that I have is that after our food came, our server disappeared for a while and we were dying of thirst. But they were busy! And truth be told, other servers-AND THE MANAGER-walked past us numerous times and did not notice that we had "the needy look". Teamwork is not alive and well at Joe's Crab Shack. Don't get in the weeds, servers, because even your manager won't help you.
(4)
E A.
My husband has been trying to get me here for the longest time, so I gave in. We went at about 6:30 on a week night. The place was relatively empty. But it was loud. Uh-oh. I cannot imagine what it must be like on the weekend. Our waiter "Gus" was training "Markese" and they were both attentive. Gus is a pro. The table is set up with a waste bucket in the middle and your utensils come in a side bucket. This place seems to be geared to serve you lots of mediocre food. And that is what we got. There was no wait, it came fast. It was okay, but I certainly do not need to come back. As a note......................on Tuesdays they have $2 specials.
(2)
Erica D.
The one time we didn't look on Yelp before going to a restaurant...this place was next door to our hotel (Hyatt House)...bad bad bad bad! The food was really salty. Service was lacking. And there was an hour wait. Will not be back. I was watching TV the other night and they kept having commercials for this place! I suddenly said "Why do they keep showing me commercials for "Joe's Crap Shack?!" And I was like "YEAH! That's it! They should be called Joe's Crap Shack!. That says it all....
(1)
Brittany R.
Marking this down as one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had in my life. A group of friends and I decided to dine at Joe's after a Monday night movie. Our movie got out at 9PM. We arrived at the restaurant around 9:20. None of us had been to Joe's Crab Shack before and we expected to pay higher prices, but we definitely were not expecting the unprofessional service and horrible food we received in exchange for what we spent. It took 50 minutes for our food to arrive. Again, this was a Monday night after 9PM and we were 1 of 3 tables seated in the outside section in which 2 waitresses were covering. During the wait our waitress came to our table a total of 1 time to ask us if we wanted drink refills. She did not once mention the status of our food and was no where to be found the rest of the time. Most of us ordered Steam Pots. When the food, or lack there of, came out it took another 5 minutes for the last 2 Steam Pots to be delivered. The food was not hot. My KJ Steam Pot which claimed it came with crab legs, mussels, and scallops had a total of 2 and 1/2 scallops, 5 mussels, and tiny crab legs. When I tried a shrimp from my friends Steam Pot it was firm and way over cooked. I had substituted my potatoes for vegetables which were not brought out with my meal. When I finally got a hold of the waitress again (12 minutes later) to tell her that I had not received them she slipped and mentioned that my veggies were currently being "microwaved" as the first batch did not look very appetizing, which she failed to mention in the first place. When they finally came out they were dry & burnt looking (probably from being over microwaved). After our meal our waitress didn't even bother asking how everything was as I assumed she knew our experience had been dreadful. I have never experienced more unprofessional waitstaff in my life. This is a disgrace of a seafood restaurant. I will never go back to this location ever again if I ever bother going back to a Joe's Crab Shack at all.
(1)
Q Malik F.
Came with some friends from out of town. This isn't our first time to a Joe's but I believe this will be our last time to this location. Not sure if our server is having an off day or they just have horrible service in general. I guess I will never come back to this location again.
(2)
Tingxiao Z.
The food is good, I especially like Cajun and garlic butter flavor. However, waiting time is quite long.
(3)
Mona A.
Disappointed. Ordered to go....ordered the crab dip...crab is brown and the dip was dry and looked like the Styrofoam cup that it was in...I ordered the crab cake salad the crab cake was cold and barely done...best thing about my meal was the chips...never again..and note...I ordered to go but I was staying next door at the hotel so the crab cake shouldn't have become cold by then...
(1)
Ashley R.
If you go, ask for Ralph! We tried Joe's Crab Shack for the first time this past weekend. I was pleasently surprised by the menu whih had so much to offer. There is something for everyone! I ordered the snow crab legs with corn and potatoes and my boyfriend had the crab cakes. Both plates were delicious! We also ordered the bucket of shrimp. The real highlight of our expereince was the incredible service we recieved. Ralph was informative and we had everything we needed from the start of the meal to the very last bite. He was attentive and never missed a beat. This is what service should be! I will go back for the food, but maily for Ralph! I'm even notifiying the manager of the exceptional experience. When something is so fabulous, it deserves to be recognized.
(5)
Julie N.
Visited Joe's Crab Shack for the very first (and last) time for dinner with friends. Conclusion: nothing special here. There are some cute crabby tee shirts for sale on the walls, bibs with funny phrases, and buckets for shells in the middle of your table. As for the food? We shared the Crispy Calamari and the Big Easy Bites. Both of the appetizers seemed warm/room temperature, although the plates were hot. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of cold fried food. The calamari tasted more like fried batter than actual calamari, and the shrimp and crawfish in the bites were tiny. The fried pickles were okay. Nobody touched the boudin, so that tells you something. I had the Queen Crab "Simply Steamed." it came with a couple of steamed red potatoes and a small ear of corn. The crab was fine - the thing really bothered me about it was the fact that the shell was so soft, the shell cracker could not crack it. In fact, the cracker was useless -- All I could do was try to pick the shells off of the crab legs on my own. The crab meat was similar to snow crab legs, just a touch sweeter. We shared the brownie and ice cream for dessert which was pretty average as well. Service? Our server checked on us a couple of times to ask how the food was. Only one person in our party of four received a second glass of water - he did not even bother to refill anyone else's glasses. Bill ended up about $150 including tip. If I could re-do this, I would have bought a couple of lobsters and dungeoness crabs from the Asian market and steamed them myself. We would've had better quality seafood at half the price.
(2)
Laura C.
Food is always on point, pricey, as to be expected since it's seafood, but awesome. Customer service needs some help. Been here handful of times and each time I get the same customer service, waitresses always walk around like theyre life there is hell. Besides that, love this place!
(3)
joseph w.
A bit high on the price ... but a thorough review of the menu found a few items within reason (for lunch). The crab cake sandwich was quite good and waitress substituted a different side for french fries with no problem. Friendly staff, good atmosphere ... I would definitely come back.
(4)
Bruce C.
We just ate here at 3 PM today. We had to wait 15 minutes to be seated as we were told, WE were seated on the "porch" which has "garage door" type walls for summer open air. We shared the 12 piece 'U PEEL IT" SHRIMP. Old bay-ed to death. Wife had a crab cake sandwich ($11.99) served with fries and I had Red snapper stuffed with imperial crab ( $18.99) served with rice and broccoli. Wife enjoyed her sandwich, fries and crab cake were warm as was my red snapper, two cokes $47.00 + tip. The Porch area was noisy as hell, with the kiddie play land out a door in rear..A $47 restaurant with a play land... GET REAL... We will go back to try their expensive crab in shell offerings This is the new Red Lobster in my opinion..
(2)
Super D.
Let me start by saying that I have never been to Joe's Crab Shack, the commercials are so damn alluring. That being said, I should have seriously read the reviews here before I decided to give into peer pressure and take the 1 hour drive to this, the closest Joe's Crab Shack to my house. Quite frankly, it was a complete waste of a trip. I could have gone to my local Red Lobster and gotten a meal that I REALLY enjoyed. Where to begin? Firstly, when you walk in, it's nothing special. It looks like any ordinary casual dining restaurant. We were seated in a booth not too far from the kitchen. Our waitress, Lisa, was nice but took a while to come to our table. She did a great job of explaining how the restaurant "works" and was really accommodating. Great so far? Well, it's about to go downhill. My son insisted on getting a steampot, so we got the Lobster Daddy to share ( $33 ) and the stuffed mushroom caps for an appetizer. Well, it took 20min to get the appetizer and when it arrived it was only luke warm and extremely bland. Totally devoid of any flavor. I've had stuffed mushrooms elsewhere and they have always been delicious, so I had high expectations. Big let down. Next it took another 20 minutes for the food to come out. REALLY?? Now, that's a total of 40min from the time we placed the order because we ordered the appetizer and entree at the same time. When it arrived, again I was not impressed. The lobster was tiny and with the exception of the tail, there was very little meat. The crabs were just okay. The melted butter was unsalted. Eventhough we got the Chesapeake Bay seasoning, the food had little to no flavor. The corn and 2 tiny potatoes that came with it, also had no flavor. So, once we were through, we were left still hungry and our pallets completely unsatisfied. The highlight and only redeeming point of this dining fiasco was the apple crumble dessert which came a la mode. It was DELICIOUS. So, our server, Lisa, was great. I don't blame her for the late food. I blame the kitchen. She tried her best. But the food was EHH!. Definitely not going back.
(1)
Jennifer S.
My first, and, likely, my last visit to this chain because... ... the food was nothing memorable. It's only been a month and a half since I was there and I cannot remember what I ate. I do remember that it was deep-fried and it seemed expensive for the atmosphere offered. However, my "cocktail" was tasty, and our server was good. A manager stopped my our table once we were finished eating to ask about our experience with our server.
(2)
Jacki D.
I wanted to like this place, but I did not. Long wait. Interesting seating. Picnic tables are not for me, but probably fun for a family with kids. It was really loud. First time I did not want to eat a crab cake. It was so salty I could not eat more than a bite. Fries were also over loaded with table salt. My boyfriend's food was overly salty as well, but he did not mind as much as I did because he loves salt and for him to think it was salty means it really had too much. He was not impressed with anything he ordered either. Service was extremely slow. Took about 15 minutes just for the waitress to stop by and take our drink order. Took another 15 minutes to get the sodas. Could not get a refill of soda because she never came back to the table to check on us. We desperately needed hydration after that salty food. Took about 20 minutes to get the bill after finishing the food and waving her down. We were there for over 2 hours, which does not include the 45 minute wait to be seated (total of nearly 3 hours). Neither of us wanted to return.
(1)
Eileen A.
Too loud for us-we were actually shouting to hear each other and unfortunately we had to leave without even ordering.
(1)
Glynnis O.
I went to Joe's recently with a group of co-workers attempting to drown our sorrows in boozy drinks and sub-par seafood with spotty service- I'm happy to report we found the right place. Not one of us escaped mediocre service- an over-microwaved appetizer devoid of any flavor, appetizers and sides which came very late, or not at all. Forks? Who needs 'em! We had a fun time hunting down 3 separate waitstaff for twenty minutes after our main courses for these apparently unnecessary utensils, and finally won their attention by sending a member of our party into the actual kitchen. I got a steak (sensitivity to seafood) and when asked for my cooked preference, I stated very rare- crawling off the plate. Bloody. I was brought a grisly bone-dry steak that had been cooked well-done. I notified the server of this, and she apologized, and quickly came back with another... well-done steak. The manager came over to my table and informed me "we don't do anything lower than medium-well here" which would have been helpful had someone told me before I ordered, but that might have been expecting too much. I quietly ate my steamed over-salted broccoli while consoling a friend who had yet to receive her salad from an hour ago. I'm not by any means a picky eater, and I understand in busy restaurants that sometimes miscommunications happen. This was not one or two simple miscommunications- it was a poor excuse for a meal with servers who couldn't grasp the meaning of their very titles. I'll never come back here again.
(1)
Yer M.
Horrible service. If you plan on going here, please plan on waiting for at least an hour for your food. The waitress was faster to take our check than to bring us or food or to refill or drinks. Probably not planning on coming back to this location
(1)
Divya R.
5 thumbs down. Slow service. Bad service. Uneatable food. Cold crab, hard biscuit. Just awful. I have always been polite when the waiters come over and checks up on you. It was so bad I could not help my self! They asked "how is everything?" I said "disgusting!" I would give 0 stars.
(1)
Cynthia R.
After months of trying to find time, my boyfriend and I decided to go on my birthday for lunch around 2 on a Saturday. We expected a crowd, but it seemed pretty empty. We were greeted by 3 KIDS who seemed to be doing everything, but working. After being seated at a table outside the kitchen door I asked if we could be seated somewhere else and was told that there were no other tables as I looked around at the empty tables that we could've been seated. Knowing me, my boyfriend said just let it be until waiters and waitresses instead of walking around the pole next to our table squeezed themselves between the pole and our table (2) bumping the table. It's been 20 mins and nobody has come to ask what we want to drink or anything, but they couldn't run fast enough to the dance floor to dance to "stayin alive". Finally, we got up to leave and on our way out the same KID that seated us stated "have a nice day"! You can only guess what I wanted to reply back! WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't rate the food since we never got to order.
(1)
Duy N.
I've eaten at Joe's Crab Shack before when I was visiting the Houston, Texas Area and the Orlando, Florida Area when I was on vacation. I had a craving for it so I decided to look up for locations where me and found out that there's three within driving distance so I chose the one in KOP. First, let me tell you that when me and my girlfriend walked in we were a little disgusted. It took a while for us to get seated when the place was not even busy. There were tables that still have dirty plates on them and the Hostess started cleaning the tables up while not asking us how many in our party or anything. Second, there's really no supervisor to maintain order with their waitresses as she did not even come by often enough during our dine there. We were waiting for our drinks for a good amount of time and also when we needed refills that was a problem as well. Lastly, when our food came I always take pictures of my food so i get give you Yelpers an idea what I ate before I actually try the food and let me tell you the food looked TERRIBLE. The food was over Seasoned and and the steampot I chose was The Bean Town Baked which consist of two whole Main lobsters, corn, a pound of sausage, potato, and clams. You can look at my picture I uploaded in the photo gallery watermarked DNP on the right hand corner. The lobster was all over the place and had no meat inside it. The shell is SUPER soft where you don't even need to use the cracker which threw a red flag something was off. The potatoes weren't even cooked all the way as it was still raw. The clams in there were mostly empty. THE WORST PART ABOUT MY DINE HERE IS I GOT FOOD POISONING. I tried calling back the next day trying to talk to the GM of the place but the girl who picked up the phone was rude when I was trying to stay calm and be professional on the phone with her. I will never come back to this place again and I recommend others to not do so either.
(1)
Jade V.
The only other time I'd been to Joe's Crab Shack was across the country, and it was absolutely phenomenal. But I was hesitant to come here after seeing all the less-than-stellar reviews written here. Turns out, I didn't have anything to worry about, other than singing and dancing servers. Yeesh. Eating seafood and getting messy while doing it--what's not to love? At first, I was concerned that a steampot might be too much food, but I gobbled it all up. Shellfish weighs a lot, but the succulent meat inside doesn't have that much volume, and the pots aren't nearly as bursting with food as the pictures on the menu make it out to be; in hindsight, it was a bit pricey. Still, they filled us up quite nicely. We had the Diablo, the Orleans (the only one with crawfish!), and the KJ, all of which came out quickly (this, I appreciated) and we highly recommend. Everything was cooked to a tender consistency. How do they do it? Guess if they're banging out hundreds of these pots a day, they've got to be pros by now. Each pot uses a distinctly different sauce, which flavors the shellfish quite nicely, except for the crab, the meat of which is better to dip into the sauce to grab the flavor. You'll smell like low tide afterwards, but it's SO worth it. Our waitress, Anna, was a complete joy. We came in here for a late lunch, and she was extremely helpful and enthusiastic. Sure, it was a little bit difficult to get her attention as customers started pouring in, but I don't hold it against her. It's a family restaurant, and it gets loud, but that's part of the casual atmosphere. Peace, love, and crabs, indeed.
(3)
Cindy L.
I usually don't review chain restaurants but I've been curious about Joe's Crab Shack after seeing countless commercials on TV so I was a bit excited to try it out. I LOVE seafood & sometimes I make the journey from Philly to DC just for some good crabs so I ventured into Joe's not knowing what to expect. The wait is long! It seems to always be crowded there - they text you when your table is ready. I do think they need to reconsider their brand image bc their decor just seemed off to me. When you walk in, it has a big open fish market feel w/ cafeteria style seating but then a moderately fancy bar? ehh I dont get it. Waiter -- super friendly. He suggested their sampler appetizer which mehh I don't recommend. Crab dip, crab jalapeno poppers, & calamari -- not impressive. Joe's offers individual steamed pots full of an assortment of crabs, lobsters, clams, mussels etc depending on which one you choose. They look huge on the menu but I suppose in the good old American way -- one person can def devour one if they were hungry. The 2 of us ordered the Sam Adams & Diablo pot. Sam Adams -- too salty but the Diablo - nom nom good! It's quite satisfying to have this giant pot full of steaming good seafood in front of you. You may not beat my beloved Maryland crab shacks but you're not bad Joe's.
(4)
Nikki J.
We just stopped there for dinner. It was great. There was a slight mistake by the kitchen in the order and the server Becky was awesome. They reordered it and credited me on the bill for the mistake. Becky was great, was very responsive and friendly. Food was very good. Plenty of choices. Totally fun and will be sure to go back. The fact that is was our 25th anniversary just made it even better.
(5)
Mary Q.
Horrible service, horrible management, and horrible dishes. 2nd time I have been to this particular restaurant. Decided to give it a second chance. Big mistake! The wait was just bad. I understand it's not management fault the wait is long but try to understand and accommodate us cause we actually decided to stay and buy your tasteless bland food. Took 2 hours for us to be seated and 1 hour for our food to arrive. On top of that, 4/6 of our orders were wrong so they decided to add some sauce on the side to replace the error. Which was salt/barbecue sauce in a cup. At this point, we just wanted to leave but the Manager Rick gave us a free side order of crab legs for the inconvenience. Again, we decided to just stay. We just wanted to hurry up and leave. As the waitress was taking our half eaten dishes, she spilled that nasty salty barbecue sauce on my friends $800 jacket. When we confronted her, she acted surprised. She disappeared into the kitchen with the jacket. When she brought it back, it reek of dish detergent and barbecue sauce. Manager Dick (Rick) gave us a business card for dry cleaning service and sent us on our way. Expecting us to pay full price for half ass service. We refused to pay the bill resulting in a swarm of police vehicles in the parking lot preventing us from leaving. The police was really cool about the situation and even called the place "Joe's Crab Trap". Long story short, the bill was reduced to half. I believe justice was served with the half ass service that was provided. Never will I ever give another restaurant a second chance. It's one and done.
(1)
Niki U.
Service started out great then slowly declined as the meal went on. Food was all good, I wouldn't say great but good. Slightly overpriced id say but probably right along the lines of red lobster. Service definitly lacks tho. We waited for over 15 minutes to get our bill. Then another 15 for her to take and run the card. A table was seated next to us and got up after 10 minutes no one coming to there table. Very unorganized place. Food was cold in some spots, you could tell it was rushed together but all in all good. The place was hardly halfway full too so I'm scared to think of what a night would be like when it was.
(2)
Donna M.
We ate at Joe's for the first time 2 weeks ago. My husband loves seafood but I don't so I surprised him by picking this spot for a late dinner since we were near the mall. Even though it was a Friday night, we were seated immediately and our server was very attentive. I know it's weird for non seafood eaters to dine at these places and I'm usually resigned to getting a steak or a burger from seafood joints but I took a chance and ordered a half rack of ribs. They were really, REALLY good. My husband got a steampot that had a variety of options in it but he didn't care for the sausage or the potatoes. Next time I'm sure he'll just stick to crab legs. I see some pretty poor reviews for Joe's but thankfully, we had a very positive experience and we'll be back.
(4)
Jamal R.
Waitress forgot our appetizers. Crabs came out cold and dry. Biscuits were cold and doughy. This was truly one of my top 10 worst eating experiences in my entire life. And the service was horrible
(1)
PJ B.
So, to my surprise, my wife suggested we take a mini trip to KOP mall and stop at joe's for a special meal. First, location, it's next to hotel. The parking lot was crowded but we found spot. Second, the interior, it's not very big as far as the main dining area. We asked for a table and was told 10, 15 minute, which we were fine with. Then asked if we wanted to sit outside. We'll the outdoor as well as some indoor are picnic type tables. Look I'm gonna get messy eating crap I want a chair with a back. So we get seated. It's our first time. The waitress was nice and explained the table, the bucket set in the middle was to discard shells and such. The roll of paper towels was out napkins. I was cool with it. We ordered the shrimp app. Tasty, but difficult to peel. I ordered the Sam Adams steam pot, my wife ordere the kj steam pot. Mind you she never had crab before. It took about 30 minutes from app to main meal. It was busy, so I would say not terrible. Food came, and to be honest. I was like "that's all" didn't seem like a lot of food. My pot had about 6 crab legs, 3 huge lobster claws. A butt load of clams(small) sausage, potatoes, and corn. All in a Sam Adams broth. Definitely was enough when I started to polish off the a sausage and clams. I wasn't feeling the sausage, it was just ok. Same spices they use on everything. Lots of old bay style. Clams were smallish but pretty good. I always save the main event for last. The crab legs were big and meaty, mine were easy to crack and remove. My lobster claws (3) we're huge! Dangerous to crack but pretty delicious as we'll. so my wife had some firsts tonight, first time eating muscles and crab legs. While she loved the crab legs. She wasn't happy with the muscles. First she's not a wine person. The muscles carried the wine flavor. It wasn't strong but I think she just psyched herself out with them. They tasted good for me. She loved the crab legs and the scallops. So why did I only give this place 3 stars? We'll first there was random kids hanging out with the hostesses and it was awkward. Second, my wife had 4 muscles that did not open. For the price you pay for them, that shouldn't happen. We tried to ask a waitress if they can be replaced and she said no. Lastly they could give you a little more for the price$25.99 and you only get 3 small scallops? That plus it was very loud and chaotic. My wife wants to come back. Me I could take it or leave it, I think if I driving an hour to the mall I might try another place instead.
(3)
Chris C.
Brutal. Would rather get punched in the bag or actually spend the $ on a prostitute and get crabs. Our app had a hair that was deep fried and stuck to another morsel. The manager was very apologetic, but still.. yuck. We where offered free dessert or another app. Should of just left , but decided to try the crab and lobster. No taste, no meat and no full belly. We didn't even finish the lobster. When the bill came we got charged the full amount , minus the hairy app. I am just pissed i paid at all.. Seriously i bet the hair deep fried would of tasted better then the crap & lobster. Our server was nice tho.
(1)
keri r.
Met up with my friend for dinner and talked her in to Joe's because the one I used to go to in Oceanside, CA was great! Well we sat and waited for a table for 40 minutes on a Wednesday night. The place wasn't even that packed. I promised her the food was good from what I remembered. Once we were seated the server greeted us in a timely matter and took our orders. She was very polite & friendly. The food took a little longer to come out than we would have liked but we were chatting anyways. We both ordered the surf and turf burgers which were a little over done but good enough. However, It was what I expected from a chain restaurant. All in all an ok experience. I'm sure they are just going through growing pains.
(3)
Laura D.
Delicious crabs, but LOUD as heck in there. I loved my huuuge pot of Dungeness crabs. I can't believe I went through the whole pot plus the ear of corn and didn't get a stomach ache! They were easy to crack and the meat came out in delicious, tender, whole hunks. Throwing the shells into the giant bucket in the center of the table was also fun. The 'spicy boil' flavor added a little kick and seasoning, but next time I might try for a more interesting flavor. However, don't go if you're expecting a nice, quiet dinner or don't like raising your voice to speak to the person next to you. As other yelpers said, the acoustics are awful, and the sound bounces around in there like nobody's business. But the worst is every 45 minutes or so when the staff breaks out into a dance number. They turn the music up, clap loudly, and perform cheesy line dances to songs like Cotton Eye Joe and the Cupid Shuffle. Shoot me. Why do restaurants think this is at all entertaining? Please stop - my ears hurt, my conversation is interrupted, and I'm embarrassed for you. But nonetheless, the food is good enough that I would happily return. A bit on the pricy side and more theatrics than I'd like for an after-work dinner, but Joe's has awesome crabs and attentive service. P.S. Seems like they've worked out the new restaurants kinks...
(4)
Bang T.
This was my first time eating or even seeing a Joe's Crab Shack. I was sooooooo excited to have one and be able to eat crabs! when coming in we were greeted....? wait we weren't greeted by the hostess and brought to our seats...? well she had us standing there for 5 minutes awkwardly at the table asking the waiters if it was OK for us to sit there, apparently it was OK. our waitress then came and to my surprise she knew what she was doing. she was very nice and brought our our drinks quickly. Now for the crabs... They came out AWESOME~! it was quick, the food was a good temperature and the crabs were delicious. as an added bonus we got a free show from the waiters/waitresses which did a funny dance to "Car wash" Final Thought: Bad hostessing or maybe just new hostesses? worth a visit/try but im not too sure about a second one.
(3)
Steve S.
It's a crab place. Crabs are hard to screw up if you have a basic knowledge of how to cook them. Let's put that out there right now. Almost by default, a place like this that specializes in crabs is probably going to get three stars on merit because as long as you don't completely foul it up, crabs are incredibly tasty and you usually can't go wrong ordering them if you are a fan. That was the case here. They succeeded tonight in not screwing the crabs up. I see that they may not have in the past. But tonight they were spot on. Yes, the portion could have been better, and after a $23 meal I was still hungry. But I did enjoy what I did have, which had two different types of crab legs, shrimp, potatoes, corn, and a link of smoked sausage. Although, two small potatoes the size of a golf ball to me does not count as a serving. Would it kill these guys to throw in a third potato? Service was extra friendly and I thought everyone was very nice there. But, I hope the owners of this fine establishment see this. Take note of the other reviews... the whole making the waitstaff dance in the aisles every 45 minutes thing is awkward, not that enjoyable, and really ticks you off if you are looking for a refill of something at that time. Ditch it, guys! It's not working.
(3)
Lisa M.
Totally fun place to get some seafood in the KOP area without all the stuffiness or pretentiousness of some of the other restaurants. The servers break out into dances every so often, so know that this place is loud. The portions are HUGE, appetizers are main meals here. I didn't order them myself but do try the crab nachos. They must be one of the tastiest things I've tried in awhile. The cocktails are interesting here. The category 5 hurricane is so strong that they can only serve two per person. When they put it on the table, you smell the rum and could get buzzed off that. Our server did confuse our bill some but amongst friends its not too big of an issue but definitely just check everything. Side note, we sat in the enclosed picnic area while the sun was setting. They have no shades yet ( I'm hoping because the location is new and they will get it) because the sun's rays were blinding us for the first half of our meal.
(4)
Charles C.
You've heard the saying, "I went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out." Well, I went to (what I thought was) a seafood restaurant and a dinner show broke out. I am not kidding when I say this. Every fifteen minutes, the wait staff at this joes crab shack would break into a song-and-dance. They were performing coordinated dances and hand-clapping backed by some loud country/funk/pop music. I think I even saw them perform the electric slide. If they were not as committed and enthusiastic as they were, I would have felt embarassed for them. Kudos to them for buying into the concept and going all out. Hooray for throwing pride out the window and daring to suck. Anyhow, the crab was good. Just the right amount of crab, shrimp, and sausage from the steam pot. And the pint of Victory made a good pairing. Joes Crab Shack is slowly becoming my favorite chain sit-down restaurant.
(4)
Lan H.
Ahhhh this rating is better than the one I had given to Red Lobster! Yay! :-D I recommend coming to Joe's Crab Shack HUNGRY. I don't see it any other way - it's the only way to maximize the level of dining pleasure. Umm, one word: STEAMPOTS! Yes yes, my first time, I got the KJ Steampot. Why? The scallops, of course, but I also got my fair share of crab legs and sausage...wait, what? Oh, ok, I'll take it! :-D Overall, I highly recommend the KJ Steampot, but watch out for the salty saltiness. Hmm, why, salt, why? It's too bad, because, if the salt content were tamed just a little bit more...I would have given Joe's 4 stars. Honestly, the calamari and the Gone Fishin' cocktail were yummy! A higher rating for the KJ Steampot would have done it for me. But, Joe's, I love ya. Thank you for satisfying my beach food cravings :-)
(3)
Jenna G.
Crabs are great. Wish they had better options as sides though. Fun atmosphere and kid friendly. You can also bring home the crab cutters.
(3)
William d.
Some of the food came out cold. Service very very slow at 4pm so it was not busy. 2 plus hours for 5 of us to eat. Crab was good.
(2)
Jen R.
I felt Joe's Crab shack was a bit too expensive for the amount of food we got. My husband was actually still hungry after the classic sampler appetizer and a steampot so we ended up ordering an amazing smores dessert. The entertainment was fun but we were told they were to dance and sing every 30 mins but they only danced once when we first arrived. The staff was very nice and the manager made a few rounds to make sure everything was ok while we were there.
(2)
M. H. J.
Great service, helpful staff...son, if you can't behave in the presence of good folks, shame on you. Get the peach cobbler when it's all said and done!
(5)
Christy S.
only went to this Shack twice, the first time was a few months ago and the crabs were aweful, most of the King Crab legs had absolutely no meat in them and for the price, was a total rip off. The second time I went, because I wanted to give this place a second chance was a huge mistake, the food was aweful and the service... What service? I ordered the fish and chips at $12.99, all I got was a small plate of fries with 3 slices of fish, which were almost the same size as the fries (no joke). I will NEVER eat there again and will be sure to tell everyone to spare themselves the horrible food. The servers need to spend less time dancing and more time serving and the prices were way over priced for what they served!! I don't give this place too many more years before it goes under!! WAY UNDER!
(1)
Leon B.
I'd say this place was decent. Nothing special decent food but for the price the portions were kinda small for what you pay for. One of our dishes were over cooked. Service was friendly enough
(3)
Tiffany L.
I've always wanted to try a Joe's steam pot and now that this one opened I finally could so I was very excited to try their food. But my dinning experience was very poor. My husband and I got seated and then had to watch the servers dance around and sing for no lie 5 minutes. I understand that it's part of the atmosphere but then we had to wait another 5 minutes until after they were done to even see our server. Then after he brought our drinks we didn't see him again until after the food came out. We waited 10 min to just see our server then our food came out very quick probably too quick because my crab and clam steam pot was still frozen oh and we weren't given any silverware or butter (who served seafood w/o butter?!). Thankfully the server took my meal back to get a new one and the manager brought out the second one and comped the meal which was really as it should be. But by the time I got my second meal my husband was done with his so he basically had to wait and watch me eat. There just was not great service or timing. Despite all of that the food was really good and I like menu selection. It's a new restaurant so they're not perfect so if you're a super anal diner that needs everything to be perfect I would say give them a few months before you eat here. Overall service was poor but I will try it again
(2)
Will D.
Joe's Crab Shack is one link in a seafood chain. Food and service at Joe's Crab Shack are both spotty (both here and at their other locations). Some dishes are pretty good, and some are below par. Also, I have found preparation to be inconsistent. This is not a fancy place (keep in mind the name), so fried dishes and the like are the standard. Some servers are friendly and capable, while others are... not so much. Our most recent experience involved missing items which took forever to get from the kitchen, which was made worse by the near total absence of our server. Further, when one of the missing items (scallops) arrived, it was oily and burnt on one side. There are plenty of better places for dining in King of Prussia: Throw a rock, you'll hit one of them.
(1)
Melissa U.
Never got the appetizer we ordered, food was obviously frozen, forgot certain parts we ordered for our meals. This place was a complete waste of time and my money. Not sure if all locations are like this but my visit to this location has made me skeptical about returning to any other Joe's Crab Shack in the future. I'd rather make my own steam pot at home. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME COMING HERE!
(1)
Ches P.
Nothing special, wait was long. Won't come back Came here to celebrate a co-workers new job opportunity. What was supposed to be a nice quick lunch turned out to be a long, dragged out meal. The steam pots were a let down as the crab looked dried out. I got a sampler with fried fish, calamari, and shrimp and it tasted like it was frozen. The only thing good was the crab cakes with the sriracha sauce. The waitress we had was super overwhelmed, she got our orders mixed up, she brought out incomplete orders, it took her forever to get us our to-go boxes. It was just a mess.
(2)
Larry M.
Horrible. The loud atmosphere the food came out cold so they nuked the same platter and it came bask looking like dried shoe leather
(1)
Nicole P.
Food sucked
(1)
Maureen M.
Oh Joe's Crab Shack I really wanted to love you but sadly I was underwhelmed! Went with some friends after work and it was super crowded. We waited about half an hour and were seated. Wound up getting fish and chips, stuffed mushrooms, 2 steampots, and the crab nachos. The nachos were great! Generous with the crab dip, cheese melted perfectly and just all around yummy! The mushrooms looked pretty but were missing something. My friends enjoyed their steampots which were huge! Seiously I don't know how they ate them in one sitting. Key lime pie for dessert was bad, yuck. Dinner wasn't cheap and I feel like the quality of food was just...lacking. I may go back for the crab nachos and some drinks but that would be it. Oh and maybe a tee shirt!
(2)
Dave S.
Fun place to go - it was packed even on a Tuesday evening! I have a feeling though that if you don't get crab legs you're going to be disappointed. I had the Seacoast Platter that looked delicious on the menu only to find it to be underwhelming. Chain food.
(3)
Caiti B.
When I went to eat here, I didn't have very high expectations because I had heard it was very overpriced, and there wasn't great service. My expectations were correct. When we got there, the hostesses didn't even know the table numbers so they had to stand there for 15 minutes trying to figure out where they were taking my friend and I. When we finally got seated, it took our server 15 minutes to come and greet us. When she did, she took our order and we didn't see much of her for the rest of the night. The manager brought us our food after giving it to the wrong table (He didn't know his own table numbers either). The only good thing about it was that it came out in a timely manner. There was one server in the entire restaurant that was hustling her butt off, and we pulled her aside, told her she was doing an amazing job with her tables, and wished she was out server. We asked for her name (which was Holly), and I will be sure that I ask for her every time I go. We gave good feedback for Holly to the manager on our way out, and he just nodded. Didn't say anything, didn't say sorry for the bad experience, and didn't ask who our server was to give her the feedback. He didn't seem like someone who could handle customer service issues, and didn't seem to know how to run a business. I wouldn't recommend eating there, but if you want good crab nachos Joe's is the place to go!
(3)
H. B.
The Joe's Crab Shack in Naples, Florida is a decent place to eat so I was happy to see one come to King of Prussia, PA. My wife and I have tried this location 3 times and each time was very bad. Food is either cold or rubbery, no in between. Service, what service. It really doesn't make any sense why this location is SO BAD! Please fix it!
(1)
Robyn H.
I like Joe's, but I prefer the location in Wilmington. It's right on the waterfont and has a cool atmosphere. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by the one in KOP. I thought it would be small and crowded, but it was pretty spacious inside. Based on the fact that it's located at the mall, I doubt we'll ever do anything but takeout here. We ordered Snapper Ponchatrain and the Blackened Tilapia. I liked my bf's snapper, but my tilapia was way too salty. I found that pretty much everything they make at Joe's is too salty except for their steampots. (They are always good unless someone brings you a cold pot or not enough crab legs in the pot.) Overall, I love Joe's, and I'm so excited they are building around the corner from me. YAY!
(4)
Danan R.
We finally came here and shared the steampot for 2 and the skillet paella. The dungeness crab was my favorite part: fresh, meaty, and seasoned. Yum! The sausage was good but didn't really stand out; the alaskan crab was fresh but not as meaty as some that I have had elsewhere. The paella was just edible; it was a bit on the bland side and the rice could have been more tender. I did appreciate the fresh corn-on-a-cob though. It definitely reminded me of a summer crab boil. Service was a little slow but pretty friendly. Is this the best seafood restaurant in the area? Not quite but it is good enough to satisfy a crab craving
(3)
Will R.
Terrible service. Completely disorganized 10 open tables, no one waiting, seating staff could not manage to figure it out. Most staff standing around, same clueless guy seating and answering phones. After waiting over 20 minutes as the only people waiting we left, passing the open tables.
(1)
Gretchen S.
I'll be generous and give them 3 stars, because I don't believe a restaurant's reputation should suffer because of 1 waiter who doesn't know &$*(# about customer service. SO... that being said, the food is very, very good. Lots of selection and the prices are reasonable. I got a steak and shrimp dish. The steak was a bit over done (I asked for medium well and it was definitely well), but the shrimp were absolutely perfect. The waiter, however, was a different story. It took him 20 minutes to get our order, 4 times being asked to get a water that he forgot in the first place, and then not knowing that a salad ordered separately comes out BEFORE the meal... hot mess. Overall, the food is very good and I'd recommend it to someone if they don't have a hard time sitting on flat wooden benches (cafeteria style). Fair warning. It's the price you pay for succulent shrimp.
(3)
Kamilah B.
I loved the atmosphere My husband and my two boys went w/ me. It was so much fun. Yes, it is loud...so be prepared. We all enjoyed our food. Shrimp for apps and I have this Smores cake for dessert....Heaven! I couldn't finish it. My husband had the brownie and loved that too. Dinner was really good and we all cleared our plates. There was a guy making balloons for the kids and the staff stop periodically and dance. I took away a star b/c the bill was $100 for 2 adults and 2 children...seemed a bit pricey, but I guess we did eat a lot. Maybe I'll rethink that. The wait was very long and they use your cell to text you when a table is ready. That was convenient.
(4)
Jessica B.
Where do I start? If it were possible to give this restaurant a negative rating, I would. First things first: My fiance & I were in town staying at the Hotel Sierra. We were meeting friends for dinner so my fiance decided to do call-ahead seating for our large party. The hostess told my fiance that they would call/text us when our table was available, approx 30 mins. An hour & 45 minutes later, they never contacted us & had given our reservation for 8 to a party of 2. Yes, they told us they did that. Next: I went to the restroom right before our meals arrived. They have 2 sinks. While 5 women were waiting in line for one sink, an employee was at the other, fixing her hair & trying to reconnect service on her cell phone. When I politely asked her if the customers could use the sink, she told me to f*** off. I'm 6'1'', no one speaks to me like that. It took some patience, but I left the restroom. When I returned to the table I noticed that 5 out of the 8 guests at our table didn't have the food that they ordered. My fiance ordered a steam pot of King Crab, the first 4 legs he tried to crack into had absolutely no meat. At this point, I asked to speak to a manager, not only to complain about the food, but also to discuss the bathroom incident. Before the manager even came to the table, she & 3 servers stood across the dining room pointing & laughing at our table. She then went into the kitchen & did the same with the cooks, which we could see because we were 8 feet from the kitchen door & saw right thru the window. The manager came out with a smile on her face & tried to talk to us. I told her about all of the situations & that I felt uncomfortable in her restaurant. She left & went into the kitchen. At this point, two cooks from the kitchen looked thru the window & started flicking our table off. I then grabbed another manager & explained the situation. He offered us more food. Yes, that's exactly what we want. We want your cooks that just flicked us off thru the window to fix us more food.....logical. He left for about 30 minutes, not telling us what he was going to do about the situation. During this time, another server, not our original server, came & flicked a bill at my fiance. When the second manager returned, he was rude so we stood up to walk out of the restaurant. He proceeded to tap my fiance on the shoulder & tell him that if we didn't leave that he would call the police on us. Good thing he stopped us because we weren't trying to leave the building already. Needless to say, this was the WORST experience in a restaurant that I have EVER had. I have managed restaurants before & when the bad service stems from the staff all the way up thru management, a good quality service cannot exist. It honestly felt like we were in the twilight zone. On another note: The next night we ate at the hotel bar/restaurant at the Hotel Sierra, which is WONDERFUL. The staff there proceeded to tell us that not only were Joe's staff members coming over for their complimentary happy hour, meant for GUESTS only, they were also sending customers over if the Joe's had too long of a wait. What a bad business concept. Wouldn't you want to keep your customers in YOUR restaurant, to drink YOUR over-priced "juices" that you sell as cocktails? My fiance & I have attempted to contact Joe's Corporate about our experience, but haven't gotten a response. I have been to many Joe's before, but I'm sure this was my last. I honestly can't even believe I even wasted time writing this, they're not worth it.
(1)
Marc D.
Well, my fiancee was raving about going to this place, as she'd visited other locations down South. So, I wanted to try it for a special occaision. I was a little apprehensive the first time I called a few weeks ago, wanting to go, and we called up, and they told us it was a hour and a half wait. Well, I called earlier in the day for this planned visit, to avoid that. Bad news, they don't do call-ahead seating. The person on the phone did assure me that the line shouldn't be too bad on a Friday night, though. We ran some nearby errands, and since they don't close until 2AM(a good thing!), we decided to try it around 9-ish, hoping the crowd would die down. Thankfully, it did, so we were seated within 30 minutes. The best way to describe the place is sort of like a combination of Seafood Shanty, and how Red Lobster used to be--when people considered going to Red Lobster was a Mid-to-High-Brow special occasion place to go. The set up is cool, and it seems like the staff there are intent on making it a relaxing and fun experience, which is good considering the prices are a little on the high side, they want you in a good mood when the bill gets there. The staff actually write their names on napkins and put them on your table, eliminating the whole "What is our server's name?" quandry. They add a cute touch of writing on your crab bib little slogans, so there's a big of variety and uniquenes there. The food was good. A bit salty(this coming from a salt addict!) and spicy for my tastes, but still pretty good. Definitely I would eat there again from a food taste standpoint. My son and fiancee also enjoyed their meals. All in all, the place is pretty good. But, I'm not going to be a regular just because I don't like spending $80 to regularly feed my family of three. Their food quality is better than the current Red Lobster quality, and for roughly the same price. If Joe's would get Cheddar Bay Biscuits, I'd never EVER see the inside of a Red Lobster again. So, if you're out, and want good seafood and a good time, go to Joe's Crab Shack, forget Red Lobster...
(4)
Fast F.
Yep, like other have reviewed, I agree, this place SUCKS! Always wanted to check out a Joe's after seeing the TV commercials. Love shellfish but being from central PA there aren't many options. At home the closest we have is Red Lobster. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time here. Red Lobster is 100% better than this crap. Prices are high, place is dirty, employees don't take any pride, they hammer their crappy food with old bay, clams were tiny (supposed to be a pound, I would be surprised if they were an ounce), etc, etc, etc. The place is downright unsanitary. Legal Seafood is in the mall. Don't like eating at establishments in a mall but I'm sure they are much better than this poor excuse for a seafood restaurant.
(1)
H M.
Complete joke! This place is ridiculously crappy! Went on a weekday for a late lunch. There was barely anyone at the damn place and it took about an hour for the stupid frozen food! How long does it take to steam crab legs and make a damn salad?! The food was NOT even good! It was horrible!
(1)
John L.
0 stars!! that must be made obvious! To start let me list the seen problems: 1. staff standing around socializing instead of working the floor, 2. lack of managment on the floor. 3. Kitchen inconsitancy., 4. Lack of kitchen staff hygene. 5. Customer service/attention to detail I've been in the Food Service industry most of my working life, and NEVER have I been so sickened by the lack of quality service from a restaurant in my entire life. It all started off fine and a BIG BIG props to our server Kaitie who was very understanding of our needs, though she seemed to be the only one truly concerned for her customers. Our meal came to us completely wrong (the kitchen need to learn their seasoning spices much better). To top it off we were presented with the Credit card and finalized bill of another guest. When I told the young lady that it wasnt my card (honestly I only have a bank card and cash I don't trust credit card companies) I was told I was wrong (yes I must be my name really is heather even though my drivers liscence says John) When she left the card even after i said it wasnt mine I asked the bartender for a manager. after a good five minute plus wait for a floor manager (I'm guessing they were on break) I handed the card to him and proceded to let him know how Illegal it was to give one customer another customers credit card! I also mentioned how the young lady who handed to me acted when told it wasn't mine. I was told it wasn't my concern and I should just let it be. SERIOUSLY! I wanted to take the card back and shout to the dining room asking for the card holder so I COULD EXPLAIN why I had her card. To make matters worse than all this I went to the head shortly after to relieve and wash back up before leaving. I happened to notice one of the cooks in the mens head using the urinal. after promptly urinating on half the floor he left without washing his hands. When I returned to my seat ready to vomit from thinking about who had cooked and handled my meal I noticed 4-5 servers atanding at the end of the bar all with their phones out, I'm pretty sure their hand book bans the use of cell phones while on the clock (like most places do) this over did me. I had been excited to try the place out after seeing the eye apeasing commercials, and hearing the good things about this place when it first opened, but it was a huge let down. Over priced food that was so far past bland it hurt. Cooking is a art form in and of itself, Even in chains the cooks take pride in their food and you know when they do for it shows. at Joes crab shack there is no passion for the food nor is there a pride in the prep, plating, or taste of the food. This is by far the WORST chain restaurant I have ever been to
(1)
Greg L.
I was excited when I learned that Joe's Crab Shack was coming to the KoP area as my first experience with them was when I was traveling in Ohio several years ago. Sadly, this location has sort of turned me off of the chain. I've eaten here at least a half dozen times since it opened and my experience each time has not improved, and to a certain extent has declined. Most of my meals here have been lunch, with a few dinner exceptions. In all cases, service was too slow and the food just OK. For the prices they charge, it just isn't worth it in my opinion. They waiters/waitresses used to do these ridiculous line dance every hour or so, but thankfully, they no longer do this. If you really miss it though, they evidently will do it on request. This place is loud, so from that perspective, it is kid friendly. They do offer a kids menu and a nice playground outdoors. After giving this place a number of tries now, I'm basically done with it. I haven't been to a Red Lobster in awhile...it may be time to give them a try again.
(2)
Jaclyn U.
The Sam Adams steam pot was delicious as was most of the food. However, the service was atrocious! Our party was seated at 8pm. Nobody greeted us for at least 15 minutes. It was another 20 before our appetizer came out. Then we waited, and waited, and waited for another 50 minutes. When I finally got up and asked for a manager since our waitress was nowhere to be found she did nothing but ask who our waitress was. Our total amount of time there was close to 2 and 1/2 hours. Thank goodness we didn't have somewhere else to be! We took our friend there for his birthday and I'm honestly embarrassed for having suggested it to him.
(2)
Tara W.
Service was mediocre. Food was a little slow to come out, which was okay because we were not in a rush. My husband is a seafood lover, and he ate every bite of his steam pot. I do not eat seafood. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with onion straws. I got a grilled-then-microwaved sandwich with fries. The server dropped the plates and disappeared for 15 minutes, so I just ate the fries. I had hoped to order another drink when the food arrived, but I didn't have time to get the words out before she ran away. My husband would go back, because he enjoyed his meal, but I don't think I would.
(3)
Adrienne J.
This place is awesomely awesome!!! :) I was able to visit twice before the grand opening!!! Since i am a Joe's crab shack virgin i have gotten everything i expected and more. The food is great, the place is upbeat and loud and the service is extraordinaire!!!!! The staff is sooo interactive and they all dance around and have great fun every 45 minutes. There is even a enclosed playground right outside the door incase you bring the kids and they get restless before or after dinner. There are a great deal of promotions going on since the place is new to open. I would definately come back again.
(5)
Chris M.
Went there once with the wife and kids. Seating was pretty quick and wait for the food wasn't bad. I actually loved the way it was served very informally and that we had that bucket in the table to throw shells and stuff in. The food - was ok at best. Pretty bland but not all that bad. The servings were light and I left pretty hungry. I was hoping this would have been a dressed down alternative to Red Lobster, but the prices are very similar and you don't get those awesome biscuits that Red Lobster gives you. Plus there was an annoying echo in the building. It was like we were eating in an empty warehouse. Oh, and the tv's, if you're going to put TV's in your restaurant, at least make sure that I can see one of them.
(2)
christina g.
It was just eh. Not worth the money, you can get everything better elsewhere. Every waitress and waiter seemed to be in 11th grade. One girl even had numerous piercings on her face. While I am not one to mind these things, it seemed way to much to be worn at work.
(2)
Da S.
I've had some disastrous trips to JCS in resort towns, but this trip was fun. The brand new facility is beautiful and the wait staff is excellent. This place will never substitute fresh seafood from the beach, but it will suffice for me.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Very Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Kevin H.
The food is average at best. The service was atrocious. My party waited about 10 minutes after being seated for anyone to even come around and take our drink order. After that we waited another 10 minutes for the drinks to arrive and for our server to take our order. Instead of taking peoples' orders the wait staff was standing around singing and dancing. The worst part was that it wasn't even that busy. The atmosphere was fun, but it was just too noisy. You couldn't hear people talking who were sitting right next to you. I definitely won't be going back again.
(1)Jaclyn D.
I was VERY apprehensive about going here. I am a bit of a seafood snob as well someone who HATES her food covered in butter! We went to Joe's and were starving. We ordered the mussels diablo, the were so good with a little spice and we also got the crab dip, which my bf LOVED. I got the KJ steam pot and my he got Lobster Daddy steam pot. They were so good. I loved the steamed red potatoes and corn on the cob too! I asked the waitress before ordering if she could "hold the butter" and she assured me that my food was only cooked in a white wine sauce and although all sauces contain some butter, it was NOT too much just a fine flavor. ONLY COMPLAINT: the bill was over 100 (once we tipped) and my bf only had two beers while I had a diet coke. That was a little pricey for a chain but no more expensive than the down the shore.
(4)Chris W.
ALWAYS get the Steam Pot!
(5)Grizzl Y.
Very friendly staff. We all got steampots and were happy with the quantity and quality. Some compare this to Red Loster, but this to me was a step up. Better seafood can be found elsewhere but for the price range offered here you can't beat it. Figure $40-45 per person with desert, and cold drink.
(4)Jeff T.
LOUD did I say this place was LOUD. To add to the noise they do a song and dance thing every half hour or so. The food is basic production line sea food. I felt the prices were a bit high considering the quality of food. Give it a try but for me it was one and done.
(2)Colleen M.
This was my first experience with the Joe's Crab Shack chain. Overall, the food wasn't too bad but the prices are a little high for what you get. There aren't really any other places in the area where you can get a big steam pot of seafood like this. The food took a long time to come out. We were there for a total of about 2 hours. If you haven't been to this chain, the staff dance around about every 45 minutes. It's cheesy but it might be entertaining if you have small children. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but it was alright. Also- I was surprised at the extremely small women's bathroom for a restaurant this size. They were out of toilet paper in 2 out of 3 stalls when I was there on Sunday night.
(3)Hope S.
Food was good as always. Service was amazing! We never had to flag down our waitress because she was attentive and on top of her game. Our drinks stayed filled. She made our visit even more pleasant. It's a shame I cannot remember her name.
(4)Domenic F.
Came here all happy and ready to go some good seafood and left here disappointed. The service was poor and the food was just mediocre. I had one of their pots and got to try some shrimp, crap and a lobster. Very ho-hom.
(2)Jennifer P.
Love this place! A little on the pricier side especially with the steam pots, but it's definitely worth it! Fun atmosphere and delicious drinks! A must go for sure!
(5)Chris K.
First of all I liked the food a lot. It was delicious. I had the Dungeness crab pot and my husband had the Lobster pot. Both were great. Pricey though. We went on a Saturday afternoon around 1pm. No wait but by the time we left it was getting full. There was a wait that I don't understand because there were plenty of tables open and plenty of servers (goofing around) so the people waiting were getting annoyed. The service was okay. The staff is so young and does not appear to be supervised at all. Too much goofing around (and I don't mean the dance thing). The host and hostess (yeah they had both) were confused and dis-interested. There was no one at the podium when we walked in, so our 5 minute wait was for someone to show up. Then again these goofy seating people try to sit my husband and I (who are 50 and alone) between a large table with 5 kids sitting at it and an even larger table with screaming babies. Did I mention that the resturant was not even 25% full? They did sit us in the bar area (with the other people who did not want to sit next to the food fight) but they looked confused. It is a cute decor with no thought to sound. Even as uncrowded as it was it was pretty darn noisey. Can't imagine dinner service.
(3)Shelby A.
I cannot attest to the quality of food the KOP location serves because I never actually got a chance to eat. My boyfriend and I came in on a Saturday night and there was a 40 minute wait, which was expected for a Saturday night in KOP. So we sat at the bar to have a few drinks while we waited for a table. After 15 minutes of waiting (while holding a twenty in my hand) with no acknowledgement from the bartenders we left. It wasn't as if the bar was busy, there were several open seats, and the bartenders were doing their sidework). I told the host on the way out to take our names off the list because the bartenders refused to acknowledge us and get our drinks, and he said "Ok bye". If the bar service was that bad, imagine how bad the waiters and waitresses must be. Then I looked on yelp and realized we saved ourselves from eating some overpriced poorly cooked "seafood" delivered by servers who never come back to refill your drinks or check on your food. For about the same price of dinner for two, you could go over to Suburbia and buy pounds of crab legs (that actually have meat in them) and dozens of clams. Why hasn't management picked up on all of these bad reviews and changed their service? They must not care.
(1)R W.
For only being opened since October 2011, I think this place is being underrated. Yes, an estimated 2.5 hour wait is bad but that was a Friday night in a holiday weekend. It took about 1.25 hours to get a seat. They text ur cell when table is ready. Food was pretty good. I had lobster bisque which I will rank as my 3rd favorite all time. I am a snob when it comes to my LB. also had daddy lobster pot with lobster and crab legs. My wife loved the crabs as she is a snob in that area. Lobster was better than average. Prices where good. Atmosphere great. Really a happy place and I will return.
(4)Drew L.
When we go to Joe's usually it's to the one in Lawrenceville, NJ, this time we figured we would try the KOP location. We'll start with the wait, 25 minutes at 6:00 on a saturday night, not bad at all. Next the service. Once we were seated, the waitress took a while to get to our table. The place was so loud we could barely hear her speak. The drinks from the Bar came out pretty quickly, Bonus. Our cold pick and peel shrimp appetizer was slow to come out, but luckily so were our entrees. Here's where I started to get annoyed, there were at least 3 birthday's which took the waitstaff away from other tables. Then there was the Disco dancing, where the entire staff, whether they could dance or not had to dance for at least 5 minutes. While all this dancing and birthday songs are going on I had finished my drink and no matter how much I was craning my neck to find a waitress I couldn't. If I wanted to watch bad dancing, I could watch Dancing with the Stars. About ten minutes after I had finished my drink the waitress showed up to see if I wanted another. The runners finally brought out our entrees, not once did the waitress come to the table to see if everything was to our liking. We finally caught her attention and asked for the check and Woosh! gone again. After bringing us the check I asked her not to leave here's my card. My wife got up to go to the bathroom, came out and the waitress still had not brought me the receipt to sign. No exaggeration it took about 10 minutes to get the bill back. Needless to say the service was pretty bad. I got up to go to the bathroom, when I get in there a employee is cleaning up the sinks, great a clean bathroom. Here's the rub, he is only using 1 hand, why you might ask, because the other hand is up to his ear with a cell phone, having a conversation with a friend, now 3 of us can't wash our hands because you can't just get the job done. On to the food - Seafood rule number 1 Devein the shimp. I shouldn't have to do this myself. I thought the Lobster and Snow Crab legs were cooked perfectly, no complaints there, Snow crabs are going to be cooked from frozen, so they did a good job. Luckily they didn't screw up boiling 2 red potatoes and an ear of frozen corn. We didn't get desert. The sticker shock, 112 dollars with tip for 2 of us. I did get 2 souvenier Joes crab shack mason jars to take home. I thought everything was a bit over priced, but I knew it would be. I don' think I would go back to this Joe's crab shack.
(2)Tyne J.
UGH! The wait for a Sunday afternoon was 45 minutes, which I really didn't mind. We were seated next to the kitchen, which I believe contributed to my less than desirable experience here. It was PACKED, people running in and out of the kitchen, loud (sreaming to each other in the dining room) large parties everywhere and unbelievably SLOW service. One of our appetizers was brought out 2.3 seconds before the entree, and was cold, which leaves me to believe it had been ready for a while, just waiting to be delivered. We didn't eat the appetizer so it was taken off of the bill. Had to track down the server several times, for a simple refill of lemonade. Just an all around sucky experience. We've been to Joe's Crab shack all over, Jersey, DE, Florida and Texas, so we know this is not the standard. This one is kinda reminiscent of Fridays...def won't be back. Side Note: This Joe's is very large and open in it's layout...we enjoy the smaller, more intimate, cozy Joe's that we've been to, with great personable service...won't experience this here.
(1)John D.
Would like to rate Zero stars however that is not an option. Please take my advice and the others advice on this restaurant. Their customer service and their "polices" are unacceptable. There is a reason why their score for this particular location is so low. The experience I would like to share with you has happened three times, and this will be the last time. My wife and I try to be on time, and do not care for long wait times, so we try to make reservations or call ahead depending on the restaurant. We have called and asked to be placed on the call ahead list, we were told there was no wait and to come in and we would be seated no problem. However, on three separate occasions calls between called 15, 30, and 45 minutes. When we arrive at the restaurant there was a thirty five to one hour wait each time. How can I call you 15 minutes before I get there and then when I arrive, the restaurant is completely packed and overflowing with people. We are told there is nothing they can do and we have to wait, and that they can not predict when people are going to arrive. There have been other issues, but this is the one that stands out to me the most. We are not demanding people, and we understand that even with a call ahead that there may be a wait and not be seated immediately. We have asked to speak with managers but they are never available, or on a "conference call" with the corporation at 6pm on a Saturday night. We have tried to call corporate on the issue, they will not return emails, or phone calls either. Advice and recommendation. Let's be honest, their food isn't THAT amazing or hard to find. For those of you reading this for the King of Prussia location. There is a place called Creeds that is about 3.5 miles away and they are over the top. Amazing food, staff, and atmosphere. They accept walk-ins and allow for reservations and their Yelp rating is 4.5 image that. I wish no harm to anyone, and I hope this restaurant improves and thrives. I believe staff and management is the problem here, and that could be an easy fix to turn this restaurant around if you find the right people, and become successful.
(1)Margeaux F.
I have been to several Joe's across the country, and never have I experienced such poor service. I understand that this is not a five star restaurant, but I think if I would have ate at McDonalds they would have treated me better! My party waited for 2 hours at the bar for a table. The bartenders were very nice, but the drinks were not strong and very expensive. When we were finally called the hostess gave us a table that did not fit everyone. She said she could seat some people in the other room. WHAT?! We asked to speak to the manager, she came over and told us she would give us complimentary appetizers, which was nice, however they came out at the same time as our food, which was about another hour later. So we could not eat everything. The food quality was very good. Just an overall terrible experience. Do not eat here unless you have six hours you would like to waste.
(1)Noah F.
A pretty good chain place if you want seafood. The wait was quoted as 2hr 45min, but wound up being more like an hour - but be prepared for a wait. We ordered the seafood fondue, but were served the crab dip instead. We didn't say anything because we were so hungry and it looked good - and was. No complaints there. We then shared the Boston Beantown Bake steam pot (2 lobsters, clams, sausage, potatoes, shrimp, and corn). It was enough to share. The seafood itself was decent - not the worst or the best. The lobsters had a good amount of meat and were flavorful if mildly dry. The service was friendly if somewhat cheesy. Every 15 min all the servers come out and dance. Overall, not a bad place for seafood if you find yourself landlocked.
(3)Greg L.
Very disappointing... when will I learn; all of these 'corporate' restaurants are the same... Having experienced Joe's in California 5-6 yrs ago, and finding value in a seafood dining experience, I was expecting the same in KOP. The KOP place has been here about a year. But five years ago was a long time, and when the corporate mongers buy out quality, local establishments, expand them, they invariably turn them into bottom line, average-at-best, McDonalds quality restaurants. The food must all come from the same truck: Fridays, Panera, CPK, Appletur.. I mean Applebees, are all invoiced from BIG FOOD INC. .. I ordered take out from Joe's while enjoying the holiday shopping crowds at KOP Mall... not! ... The place was clean, and the bar area was roomy. Noting that famous pundit Moe Szyslak, the place had a lot of 'crazy crap on the wall.' Hey, maybe that's how you get your full meal's worth at Joes; you need to dine in, order some beverages, and pretend you are wharf-side ... I perused the menu and ordered a bowl of NE Chowder and a crab cake sandwich, substituting the broccoli in place of french fries. $18+... OK, I better receive value... Unfortunately it never arrived. The 'lump' crab meat was minimal, so, again I was eating a bread sandwich from FOOD INC... A $12 sandwich? are you high?... The broccoli portion was hardly. The soup would have stiff competition with the soup at Old Country Buffet; heavy, floury ... The plastic containers at all of these FOOD INC establishments are practically Tupperware... Now that's value! ... Ughhh, folied again in the quest for a return on food investment at any place NEAR a shopping mall .. FOOD INC could just add a little bit more vegetable, more crab in the sandwich and perhaps they would have something ... but maximizing profit is the sole objective for FI... Their inability to provide any value at an $18+ price is reason to give this place a 5 star Heisman... Stay Away!!
(1)Angela J.
If we could give zero stars for this place we would. And we didn't even get to try the food! On a not so busy Saturday afternoon we were starving and so happy to be seated right away. Our happiness quickly turned to confusion as we watched server after server service the tables around us but avoid us like we had the plaque. Five minutes into sitting serviceless my boyfriend told me what he wanted and went to wash his hands. When he returned to the table with a dumbfounded look, I told him our drink order still was not taken. As couples were being seated and served all around us, we played a little game called "is that our server". Twenty minutes into waiting (hungry and now thirsty) still with no visit to our table, we watched a father and son get up and leave. We decided we would wait a total of 30 minutes and guess what, that's just what we did - we waited. Now stuck with a seafood craving and a chip on our shoulder, we left the restaurant as well. We asked for a manager on our way out and explained to him what had happened. So generously,we were offered an appetizer on the house. Despite the (not so sincere) offer, we decided to eat somewhere where the staff actually waited on their guests. And we made sure to tell the gentleman we passed on the way out how bad the service sucked. We probably will not go back. Not to the King of Prussia location at least. And if we ever are offered a free app again as a result of a restaurants horrible service, we will definitely take the free food, order waters and leave.
(1)Jim R.
I have been going to this location since it opened. At first it was a great experience. Busy, loud, plenty of good seafood served quickly and with a lot of energy. But in the last year, it has really gone down hill. The last time I went with friends and the service was just awful. It was so bad that for only the 2nd time in my life, I left no tip. That was a few months ago. I went back tonight with my free appetizer coupon that was given to me by the manager because there were so many mistakes with our orders. The restaurant was less than 33% full. The appetizer was cold and inedible. The server was nice and attentive but the food was just ok. The "melted butter" that went with my crab was some sort of clear oily liquid. It's really too bad. I had high hopes for this place. I think I'm done with Joe's.
(2)Gloria H.
I arrived at 5:00pm on a Saturday. I did not get seated until 6:30pm and that was only because my daughter and I had to ask keep asking for tables that we saw available. They are so unorganized, There were four open tables, and when we asked about sitting there they said that there was no server for those tables. But I saw about six employees up front doing nothing.
(2)Marcia K.
My m-i-l recently saw a commercial for JCS in KOP, and wanted to go, so we went today. This was one of the top 5 worst dining experiences in my life. I grew up on seafood, I frequently cook seafood, and this meal was a bitter disappointment. We ordered the Maine Lobster with shrimp and scallops platter. About 20 minutes after our order and into our wait we were informed that they had no bacon with which to wrap the bacon wrapped shrimp and bacon wrapped scallops as promised in the meal description. I was really disappointed and mentioned that I couldn't understand at 1:30 in the afternoon they had only just discovered this. Pretty soon the manager came over and gave some excuses and said he sent someone to Bala Cynwyd to pick some up and we should have it. If not, he promised to take care of us. We waited and waited. Finally our platters arrived. Our food was cold, all except the cole slaw which was weirdly warm. The seafood was not wrapped in bacon as promised, both on the menu and by the manager. Everything on the platters except the cole slaw was heavily coated with Old Bay. It was so thick that my m-i-l asked what the black stuff on her food was. It was cold and horrible, and unseasoned in any way other than the thick coating of Old Bay. We couldn't even eat the scallops. They were gross. After the waitress took my card, I noticed a waiter running helter skelter through the restaurant with two tiny plates in his hand which I knew was the shrimp and scallops. He couldn't find us so eventually returned to the kitchen. The waitress returned with my CC and all the sudden the manager ran up to our table and said, "here's your shrimp and scallops." I told him we were done and leaving and he said he would wrap it to go. I said no thanks. We have to drive more than an hour but he kept insisting we should drive home 75 minutes in 90 degree weather with seafood in our car!!! When I returned from the washroom I found a free appetizer card for next visit. I left it on the CC wallet. What an appalling meal. I can still taste the old bay in my mouth 7 hours later.
(1)Michael C.
Standard franchise seafood. Seems like a forced atmosphere, but an okay experience overall.
(3)Andrew R.
What a messy eating wonderland! I come from New England, land of abundant seafood options but few Joe's Crab Shack locations. My fiance's parents live in PA; during a recent visit to their home, they treated us to dinner at Joe's. Typically, I'm not one for messy finger food. Only in the last year or two have I come to appreciate eating ribs. When I stepped foot into Joe's and saw the rows of tables of people snapping crab legs and various shells, I knew it was time to put cleanliness aside. What a blast! I had two of one of their bar specialties, called a Shark Attack I think. Super tasty! I highly recommend getting one of their signature combo buckets. Everything was served piping hot, delicious, and with plenty of utensils - you'll need your tools to get the job done here! The four of us ended up having a nicely-paced meal, bonding with each other in our food-related efforts. I can't wait to go back.
(4)E C.
We went for a late lunch and were seated at table in the corner of the patio. Waited for 15 minutes and watched at least 5 different waiters pass our table. I had to go back to the hostess and ask if anyone would like to wait on our table. Finally a girl appeared to acknowledge our intentions of dining. I asked "what's on tap?", she replied, "Any beer you can think of!". "Awesome!" I thought, and mentioned a few of my favorites. With a confused look on her face she disappeared to check the bar only to return with the standard list of trashy beer. Obviously that is not every beer you can think of so I settled for a "premium" Sam Adams. Now on to the food... We ordered crab dip and calamari which was about average. My daughter ordered some mysterious blackened breaded food that they were passing off as fish sticks. They were so over-done that the little fish inside was almost burnt to ashes. I will definitely not return to this chain to try their over-priced crabs based on this experience.
(1)Aimee N.
I went there last night around 5pm with my 1-year-old son and husband. The wait was 15 minutes, which wasn't bad. It took quite a while to receive our appetizers, fried calamari and hush puppies, and my son's cheesy mac. The fried calamari was ok, not as good as when we had it at Joe's Crab Shack in San Diego. The cheesy mac was good but not the quantity you would expect for a kid's meal that is $5.59. The applesauce side was a packaged container of Mott's applesauce, which is fine since the cup was sealed when it came to the table. What really makes me give this restaurant a rating of 1 star is that at 6:45 we were told that the kitchen lost our ticket for our entrees. My one-year-old son was at his limit sitting in the high chair and was already done with his meal. The waitress was nice and kept "checking on" our entrees up to that point. I asked to have our food packed up to go because my son could not sit there any longer. She asked if she could bring a manager to the table but she should not have had to ask. She should have brought a manager automatically during one of the 4 or 5 more times she came to our table after we were told our order was lost. Then she asked if she could have the manager take off an entree from the bill? Really? First, she shouldn't have had to ask my permission and we should have been compensated automatically. Second, I think both entrees should have come off. And not once did the manager come to the table to apologize. Even with the one entree taken off the bill, the total was still $54. We saw the manager walk by several times and he was more concerned about the appearance of the floor behind the bar than he was about us. By the time we left the restaurant, it was 7:05. We went home and ate our dinners fast since we had to put our son to bed. I got the dungeness crab pot with garlic herb seasoning and thought it tasted too salty. Legal Seafood is in the King of Prussia Mall. The prices are similar, the food is better and they have better service.
(1)Chris L.
I love good crab so I was pretty excited to eat at Joe's. My wife and I went the opening week: The Good - Great layout, great lighting, plenty of tables, good music, fun atmosphere, great staff. The Bad - The dancing can be a little annoying, but I'm sure my kids would enjoy it. While our waiter was very nice and energetic, he didn't know the menu that well and my Dungeness was delivered w/o a cracker or butter The Ugly - The crab was overcooked and dried out (I suspect they use frozen crabs, but not sure). Considering it's a $26 crab that's unacceptable. (I've heard a similar complaint from others who dined here) I ordered one of their specialty drinks and suspect they gave me the Shirley Temple version of the drink. Considering it's an $8 drink, that too, is unacceptable. Will I go back? Probably not, unless I'm taking my kids. I chalk some of the problems up to opening week, but seriously, if you have Crab in your name you should be able to deliver a tasty, well prepared crab. Overall it was very disappointing.
(2)J H.
I was there with a group for lunch. I think it's the same menu for dinner. The service was good. I gave full tip on a large check for the effort. I think we were taken advantage of with the food. It was 25-30 $ a head. No dessert. No alcohol. Way too high a check for the quality of the food sitting at picnic table. Especially when the cost of seafood is falling at wholesale. Crabs especially. Overall for seafood in casual dining I would go to red lobster first. For the big group table ambience with adults I would go to buffalo wild wings and also get sports on big televisions. I guess this might be the place if doing something more family oriented. But then I might prefer red robin. Or they have to lower the prices. It simply doesn't match up from a value perspective. Interestingly I remember going to one of these years ago and thinking the same exact thing. I headed back this time thinking the company's more visible profile might include an improved offering. For me it didn't, especially when I saw the bill. Certainly a unique concept, that seems to draw fans, but I wonder if the real test is repeat business over the long run. Even for dinner I wouldn't be keen on this one.
(1)Jean J.
Having never been to a Joe's I didn't know what to expect. My bf wanted to go here on his birthday so away we went. This place was crazy packed for a Tuesday so we waited for our table at the bar. The drinks were good, albeit pricey. This is expected at any chain restaurant with a full bar. I tried to Pomegranate margarita with Pop rocks. The waitress that brought it to me said "good luck, the pop rocks are going to get everywhere" before she ran away. Definitely a messy and fun drink, with lots of tequila. HOORAY!! On to the food. I really wanted to like it and I mostly did. We ordered the lobster pot and the Cajun pot. The Cajun pot was yummy. Super spicy. The lobster pot was so overdone I wondered if a trainee had cooked it. For a $43 entree, the could at least have properly cooked the damn thing. So annoying. The crab in the other pot were also a bit overdone but at least they still tasted good. It was not worth the $95 check that I paid at the end. I'd try it again if someone else is paying, otherwise, it remains a place to get hammered off of super sugary overpriced drinks. Or not, considering Roger Wilco is not far from my place. Oh and did I mention the waitress forgot to bring us utensils. It took her a good 15 minutes to bring us a half empty utensil bucket and the good news that they were out of crackers. Uhhhhhh. I just ordered 70 bucks worth of food and I'm supposed to use, what, my teeth. This place gets a "meh"
(1)William W.
Large, very loud, the dancing staff can't dance. The place is jammed. There were plenty of empty tables when I came. Five pm. They had five people and iPads but took ten minutes to seat me. No one else was waiting. I ordered the Boston pot. The crab was tasty but not worth all the work. The lobster was decent but also quite small inside the shell the corn on the cob was fabulous but somehow refridgerator cold. Some boiled potatoes were present but I left them. No bread or butter or anything served with it. They make it look like a working man's place but wiith coffee and the worst keylime pie I ever ate, it cost $60 with tip. Go with friends for fun, but not the food. Legal Seafood is across the street. Their food is much better and as it turns out not really much more expensive.
(2)Matt M.
Joe's gets a bad rap, at least amongst people we know. We have only been to Joe's once in the KoP location. Our server was one of the best we've ever had and the food exceeded expectations, based on what we'd assumed coming in after hearing from others. We did opt for upgrades on all of the items (king crab and dungenous crab) which likely led to some of that satisfaction. The only thing I could complain about would be the drinks being made from mix which makes them very not fresh - I'm sure they are governed at the corporate entity so their hands are tied but they should make that change because crappy drinks sets a crappy tone for the meal. All in all we were happy we went. Not overly expensive and good crab - just get the upgrades and avoid the cocktail menu!
(4)Stephen K.
Very average "greasy spoon" type food. This Saturday night the atmosphere was like a circus. WAY to loud-- Good for kid's birthday parties or those who drink alot and converse loudly. Loose the wild fraternity party shtick. . We've eaten here numerous times in the past. I'm sorry to say that we definitely will not be returning.
(2)Natalie D.
This place was good but it's not better than the one in Lawrenceville New Jersey. The food was a little dry. The entertainment was great though and our waitress kaitlyn was awesome. The red fish lobster was not great the lobster sauce taste very bland
(3)Tommy N.
I was excited when JCS moved into to a few years back. The day they opened, I received a phone call from a friend saying that I should come over because they were giving away free crabs for a year to the first howevermany customers. So, I postponed work for a few hours and headed over. We both got the free meal each month for a year and had some lunch that day. It was pretty good, but not great. Over the next year, my wife and I (and a couple times our kids) ate here a handful of times (I didn't use all of the coupons, but tried to.) Overall, the food was always decent, but not great. Though, there were a number of times the crab had to be sent back because (whether it was over cooked or under cooked, IDK, but) you couldn't even get 1 solid piece of meat out of the leg. After the first few legs, we would send it back and the second batch would be cooked right and you would get some "great pulls!" My wife and decided to visit last weekend and my how it has changed. The service was good, but the food was absolutely terrible. I mean, wretched. No flavor, and everything was over cooked and soggy. I barely made it home before the food decided that our time together was over (sorry, but it's true.) My brother went this past weekend with his GFs dad and had the same problem. Needless to say, we won't be returning here. It is a shame, because I love crab. I have been to AYCE crab nights at hole in the wall bars that were better.
(2)Bill H.
I have eaten at JCS twice and both times I was disappointed. I ordered a plate of shrimp and it was absolutely tastless. I suspect that they are using farm raised shrimp. My order came with two small corn on the cob, sausage and a thimble size side of macaroni salad and Cole slaw. The corn was not good and the sausage was no better. I will not return.
(1)Roma J.
Wanted to go a little light for lunch so I ordered Redfish 'N Lobster. They topped it with a creamy lobster sauce that tasted much like low quality cheez whiz with a hint of spice. Probably wouldn't order this again or recommend it however I did finish my plate clean so overall I wasn't too disappointed.
(3)Alex N.
The food here is absolutely delicious. Get the fire grilled queen crab. Tons of meat, tons of flavor. I also liked the crab stuffed mushrooms. The service is great too, so if you like crabs you'll have a great meal here.
(4)Julio D.
This place is amazingly good. We had crab nachos as an app and lunch portion fish n chips. The nachos are very filling and they put plenty of crab on the nachos. The fish was cooked to perfection. This place is consistently good. They also have great margaritas and great service!
(5)Emily T.
I was here for the first time last night. We made reservations for 5:30 on a Friday, so we didn't have to wait, and didn't. Our waitress was attentive and gave good food and drink recommendations. Not sure why there are so many negative reviews. If we came on a Saturday maybe things would have been different, but service this night was great. My friends got the steam pots and I ordered one if the specials: lobster stuffed shrimp with old bay chips and cole slaw. Delicious!! I'll definitely be back, and making reservations again based on other reviews. Especially if it's the weekend.
(4)Dan S.
The Wait. -Highly recommend calling ahead for a Saturday night. Average wait time without calling seemed to be about an hour. -Prepare to have to elbow your way through a crowded wait area to get to the unorganized host stand to be greeted by a melancholy staff member in tie dye. -There are no beepers, they text you when your table is ready. -Even with the call ahead, we waited 30 minutes but that gave me time to read all the entertaining yelp reviews. I was a bit nervous after reading about so many negative experiences with the service and the food. The Table. -When we were seated, we were lead to what had to be the most awkward table in the restaurant located in the absolute back corner of the bar area. We had a nice view of the wait staff running drinks across a sopping wet floor. -The bar was packed with waiting patrons so people were standing right over our table. One dude's butt was practically in my face. In addition the table was positioned a bit lower and far from the booth seats so I found myself leaning all night. Save yourself a back ache and frustration and avoid this table. Ask to be reseated. The Service. -Took about 5 minutes for our waiter to acknowledge us. I timed it. -When we questioned what beers were on draft our waiter seemed annoyed and snarkily responded, "We have a lot, do you want me to name them ALL?" No dude, we'll just guess. -Took over 10 minutes for our beers to arrive. Contemplated buying a "Joe's Crap Trap" shirt and going behind the bar to pour our beers myself. Waiter did apologize and said bar was "backed up." -We were at first impressed by the speed our appetizer came out, but then grew depressed because it was the wrong appetizer. -Maybe the wait staff should focus more on the customer than the half hearted crappy dance routines that were barely visible from our table. The Food & Drink -The food saved this place from a 2 star review -Crab nachos were really good. Had a coupon for a free app from a Joe's Crab Shack email. -Yes, it's pricey, but it's seafood and you're in King of Prussia. Queen's Crab bucket was great. Coconut shrimp were delicious. -Was surprised to see the beers were reasonably priced, a 220z Dogfish 60 Min was only $5.19. Can't speak to the prices of the other cocktails. Overall Eh, probably not worth the full 3 stars, 2.5 more appropriate. Even though I was happy with the food quality the service and our table turned me off. I say ditch the dancing and take care of paying customers. We definitely won't be back on a weekend again. If we get another free appetizer offer we might give it a second try.
(3)Alisa A.
Its fun to think about getting a big bucket of seafood but then when it actually comes out its not as fun as you think. Its great for group settings and maybe next time i would order something different other than a bucket. They have great drinks and the food cam out fast!
(2)Leslie W.
Okay -- the food isnt AMAZING but it is pretty tasty and I love the crab legs. I've been here probably 30 times and the food crab buckets are usually good, but sometimes they are just really bad. Why do I keep going back? The happy hour is awesome! Half off apps, cheap drinks. On Tuesdays they have $2 beers, hurricanes, and certain apps. Can you beat that? Be careful with the hurricanes and make sure to sign up for their emails because they send out $10 off coupons pretty often.
(3)Glen M.
If you like heaps of seafood, done right, with lots of with-its, come here. Service is a secondary consideration, though. Very secondary.
(3)Jeanine C.
I'm not exactly sure why this place has 2.5 stars? The food and service was on-point to me. I've only been here one other time though, that was in SC. The only downfall to dining here was the clams, don't expect to get them in decent size. They were small as a dime! I got the fried clams which were good! Our waitress was Bobbie Jo, such a nice girl! Yeah, I really don't have much to complain about here. It was a nice place to come after a long day of shopping at the mall. Which is nice that it's basically right across the parking lot, not hard to get to and right off the turnpike!
(4)Lydia B.
Great waiter named eric. The atmosphere at Joe's is kind of fun, it feels like you're on vacation. The prices are high and the quality the food ok. I Had a big bowl of seafood that needed lemon and could have used cocktail sauces... It was over spiced and lackluster at the same time. The clams were tiny and chewy. We shared the calamari which was over needed and rubbery. Will not order that again. I guess all in all if you want seafood with the feel if vacation prices it is worth the shot. The staff was very energetic.
(3)Mic S.
Excellent food, great service from our waiter! I highly recommend you go here! Delicious! I can't wait to go back!!! Shrimp and muscles were great! Crab legs & lobster superb!
(5)Doug B.
Being a seafood lover, I had really high expectations when I came here! I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed the whole experience here. I had a crab pot with some spicy shrimp and corn. Everything was hot and fresh, really tasted good. We were seated right away and our server was attentive and friendly. Food came out fast (ok they weren't busy) but seriously it was quick. Overall I'm very happy with the food and the service, I will go back here again.
(5)Louis W.
This was really good! We went last night at a slow time, so now waiting at all. The food was good, the service was great. Overall good experience.
(4)Kevin M.
I read all the nasty reviews, but I must say, my group of 9 had a really good time and meal here. Made a reservation for 6 on Saturday, only had to wait 5 minutes until we were sat. Our waitress was great, energetic and knowledgeable. Most importantly our food was pretty damn good for the most part. I'll go back to this joint, no problem. All the snooty kop folks, stay home, more fun for the rest of us.
(4)E L.
I went here once before and everything was great. But tonight the waiter really dropped the ball. We got our food and had to wait a good 10 minutes just to get silverware. When we did everything was cold. It took 30 minutes just to get the water we ordered when we first sat down. The waiter also gave us the wrong sides. I don't think I will ever go back.
(3)Brittany T.
I love this restaurant, it is literally one of my favorite restaurants of all time, only once or twice were my crab legs over done. Generally I always have a fantastic experience!
(5)Jimmy W.
I walked on, asked if I could grab a hightop (all were empty) and the hostess said yes. I proceeded to sit there for 7 minutes (yes I timed it...don't judge me) without anyone bringing me a menu nor asking me what I wanted to drink. So I walked out and went to The Capital Grill. That review to follow shortly.
(1)Tina B.
They do offer call ahead service on the weekends, when they don't take reservations! Love their call ahead process; they take your phone number, then they text your instructions. We used it and have a 40 minute wait, got there 20 minute later, only have about a 20 minute wait after checking in. It was fast and easy service, one of the best of the area with waiting for a table in KOP. They also have an area for the kids to play on slides while you wait, which is very helpful for families. Host was very friendly and helpful! We did grab drinks at the bar while we waited for our table. The bar tenders are fast and friendly, they use great products. You do have to close out your bill before moving to the table. Please remember to tip them also, for there service. The waitress was very friendly and upbeat. They are very busy on the weekend, but they do have a good support team in place to keep things coming and your needs down. Food was hot and fresh, the prices seem high, but you get your money worth. The only con is the music was very loud, it is a loud place, but with all the noise it was hard to hold a conversion.
(5)Schuyler L.
My first time here was really fun! I drank a ton of sweet tea and had giant crab legs. Our portions were bigger than the portions I see in the photos here. I think maybe we got hooked up? The only problem was that I asked for the Sam Adams combo of seafood in the Old Bay seasoning. I know beer tastes like junk when you cook with it. They said great, no problem, like they do it all the time. They still brought it out made with beer and it wasn't as good as it could have been. The waitress didn't seem to care too much even though it was early in the day. If I'd complained I wouldn't have been able to eat with my dining companion. The food takes a good 45 minutes to show up! Overall I'd definitely be back, but if they made the same mistake again I'd tell them to take it back and cancel my order.
(3)Jackie M.
Cool environment and yummy fun drinks! But the baskets were nothing like advertised. A lot less food than we were expecting.
(3)Hassan C.
I suggest you go somewhere else . The service there is good , food isn't what you would expect . We went there on Father's Day they were out of there most important stuff on the menu .
(3)diane g.
Should have trusted the yelp reviews and spent my hard earned money for good seafood elsewhere...like maybe a steakhouse! Was in the mood for lobster so after discussing my options with the server I went with the Lobster Daddy which came with a (small) whole lobster, some (small) snow crabs, new potatoes and corn cob. Well thank god for the potatoes and corn or I would have left starving. With a bar drink, tax and tip I spent almost $50 for basically potatoes and an ear of mediocre corn. The lobster claw meat was minimal and the crabs weren't even worth the effort. Im tempted to return to try the steam pots but don't want to chance another way overpriced meal. I had to go to the Shake Shack afterwards for a burger and spent another $11...dang! The only good thing was the service which was excellent. Totally not worth the money in terms of quantity and quality.
(2)gary m.
There was no wait here on a Sunday at 6:30pm which was a plus. The atmosphere seemed very free since this was a get your hands dirty kind of restaurant. The waiters also dance every hour or so which is kinda entertaining. The prices are around $25 for the steamed pots of seafood. Since this is a chain restaurant, the portions are ok. You'd probably receive more food from a local seafood restaurant.
(3)Alejandro M.
We went for dinner at this place last night and we had to wait 1 hour to get the food delivered to our tables, the server told us to wait 10 minutes for our food 4 times... The food was not even that good. Never again
(1)Katie P.
Joe's Crab Shack is a fun atmosphere. I love the picnic table eat seafood with your hands few. but I didn't love the food and thought it was over priced. It also took forever to get served. Left me hungry and annoyed. I would not recommend.
(2)Lisa P.
I really don't know what to say about this place except that if you like crabs or other seafood then come here. But It's really nothing special compared to other seafood restaurants. The only thing that I found different is they allow you to take home their mason jars for an extra $2. But that's still not worth it. I did have a slight issue with the service. The waitress that I had was suppose to go and get the check but instead she was too busy socializing with other people and had us wait 15mins for it to come. The time that we came was not busy at all and there were only 3 tables with 2 people at each table. Not busy at all. I think they need better employees to give their customers a better service.
(3)Becca -N- Drew F.
Wayyyyyy overpriced, Wayyyyyy too much seasoning (one meal had to be sent back) We spent over $100 for three people and left hungry. Not a good combination
(1)Michael J.
Food was good. We all had the steam pot meals and came out hot and delicious. Our server was very good and checked up on us regularly.
(4)Ida F.
Am from out of town and came here yesterday for lunch and everything was so yummy.. The atmosphere was almost as if we were close to a beach considering it was 65 degrees so we sat outside.. We started with a sampler which I was not crazy about but was ok .. We then Had the KJ steam pot which was amazing !!! My boyfriend also ordered the bacon covered shrimp which for me were gross and very fatty they came with a side of I believe hush puppies which were disgusting!! Other then that the Fish tasted so fresh our server jeff was excellent as well! When i return will deff be coming back
(3)Kay B.
Do not come here if you know what good seafood is. This is the first restaurant I walked out of after receiving my meal and speaking with the manager. We waited an hour to be seated. Finally were seated in the main dining room after waiting at the bar. Floor was oily and extremely slippery. The atmosphere in the main dining room was zoo-like. They have no acoustic barriers so the noise carries and magnifies. Food came out within a half hour. I ordered one of the crab platters. I thought for a restaurant that has crab in their name and for a signature dish, they would be excel at it. The crab legs were all soft. The shell was a faint orange and brown and was broken throughout. It was very unhealthy-looking crab. I have never felt so insulted as a customer before. Who do they think they are allowing this low quality of food to leave the kitchen? What was the chef thinking? What was the waiter thinking? Why didn't anyone stop this? Why do they think it is acceptable to treat customers this way? Did others actually accept this crab? A Chinese buffet at dinner-time has better crab legs than this and it's cheaper. I spoke with the manager. He said they have no control over the crabs they receive from their suppliers (????), and that he would comp the entire meal. We said no thanks and left. Never again! Do not waste your time or money here. I was shocked so many people willingly wait to eat at a place like this. Why?
(1)Todd N.
The food was very good good. They also have a nice play ground for the kids. The Children loved the shark nibble drink. However as the adult mixed drinks were so light on the alcohol that one could not even taste it nor feel it...
(4)Charles W.
I have been planning on visiting Joe's for a while based on a friend's review. Our server Jess was very friendly and had prompt service. We ordered the sampler appetizer and two shrimp dishes. The food was good and prices were average. I took away one star from the constant high noise level. About every 20-30 minutes the staff broke out into a dance routine which got a bit tired after the 3rd time.
(3)Amanda H.
Great service, nice atmosphere. Horrible food, high prices. Will never eat here again, but the waitress was amazing at her job. Should have listened to reviews and skipped out.
(2)Caitlin M.
Always enjoy going here at least once a year when I get a craving for crab! It is pretty popular so there is a risk of a long wait, but the last time I went it was the lunch hour on a Sunday so I was seated right away. My favorite is their steampots, and I try to get a different one every time. I always leave satisfied with the amount of food I get in my steampot, and it is very flavorful. My favorite is anything with snow crab legs, so I do not know how well the other types of crab are prepared. Expect to pay a good amount since their steampots are on average $25, but they do have other options besides the pots, and I think it is worth it if I only go about once a year. This last time I was here I was very fortunate to have excellent service too.
(3)Missy J.
We ate at Joe's this past Saturday night. The hosts were quite pleasant and seated us immediately in Tanesha's section. She greeted us immediately, brought us drinks, made very thoughtful suggestions on the menu, and was generally upbeat and professional. I have an allergy to shellfish, and she ran off and asked questions about the menu for me, I really appreciated that. My son and I both had the fish and chips. They were good. I also had a side of steamed veggies. They were very good. My 10 year old son ate his adult portion of food, then finished my fish and chips. My husband and daughter both got some kind of platters that had assorted seafood. They both enjoyed their good, too. I couldn't sample because of my allergy, sadly. The only complaint that I have is that after our food came, our server disappeared for a while and we were dying of thirst. But they were busy! And truth be told, other servers-AND THE MANAGER-walked past us numerous times and did not notice that we had "the needy look". Teamwork is not alive and well at Joe's Crab Shack. Don't get in the weeds, servers, because even your manager won't help you.
(4)E A.
My husband has been trying to get me here for the longest time, so I gave in. We went at about 6:30 on a week night. The place was relatively empty. But it was loud. Uh-oh. I cannot imagine what it must be like on the weekend. Our waiter "Gus" was training "Markese" and they were both attentive. Gus is a pro. The table is set up with a waste bucket in the middle and your utensils come in a side bucket. This place seems to be geared to serve you lots of mediocre food. And that is what we got. There was no wait, it came fast. It was okay, but I certainly do not need to come back. As a note......................on Tuesdays they have $2 specials.
(2)Erica D.
The one time we didn't look on Yelp before going to a restaurant...this place was next door to our hotel (Hyatt House)...bad bad bad bad! The food was really salty. Service was lacking. And there was an hour wait. Will not be back. I was watching TV the other night and they kept having commercials for this place! I suddenly said "Why do they keep showing me commercials for "Joe's Crap Shack?!" And I was like "YEAH! That's it! They should be called Joe's Crap Shack!. That says it all....
(1)Brittany R.
Marking this down as one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had in my life. A group of friends and I decided to dine at Joe's after a Monday night movie. Our movie got out at 9PM. We arrived at the restaurant around 9:20. None of us had been to Joe's Crab Shack before and we expected to pay higher prices, but we definitely were not expecting the unprofessional service and horrible food we received in exchange for what we spent. It took 50 minutes for our food to arrive. Again, this was a Monday night after 9PM and we were 1 of 3 tables seated in the outside section in which 2 waitresses were covering. During the wait our waitress came to our table a total of 1 time to ask us if we wanted drink refills. She did not once mention the status of our food and was no where to be found the rest of the time. Most of us ordered Steam Pots. When the food, or lack there of, came out it took another 5 minutes for the last 2 Steam Pots to be delivered. The food was not hot. My KJ Steam Pot which claimed it came with crab legs, mussels, and scallops had a total of 2 and 1/2 scallops, 5 mussels, and tiny crab legs. When I tried a shrimp from my friends Steam Pot it was firm and way over cooked. I had substituted my potatoes for vegetables which were not brought out with my meal. When I finally got a hold of the waitress again (12 minutes later) to tell her that I had not received them she slipped and mentioned that my veggies were currently being "microwaved" as the first batch did not look very appetizing, which she failed to mention in the first place. When they finally came out they were dry & burnt looking (probably from being over microwaved). After our meal our waitress didn't even bother asking how everything was as I assumed she knew our experience had been dreadful. I have never experienced more unprofessional waitstaff in my life. This is a disgrace of a seafood restaurant. I will never go back to this location ever again if I ever bother going back to a Joe's Crab Shack at all.
(1)Q Malik F.
Came with some friends from out of town. This isn't our first time to a Joe's but I believe this will be our last time to this location. Not sure if our server is having an off day or they just have horrible service in general. I guess I will never come back to this location again.
(2)Tingxiao Z.
The food is good, I especially like Cajun and garlic butter flavor. However, waiting time is quite long.
(3)Mona A.
Disappointed. Ordered to go....ordered the crab dip...crab is brown and the dip was dry and looked like the Styrofoam cup that it was in...I ordered the crab cake salad the crab cake was cold and barely done...best thing about my meal was the chips...never again..and note...I ordered to go but I was staying next door at the hotel so the crab cake shouldn't have become cold by then...
(1)Ashley R.
If you go, ask for Ralph! We tried Joe's Crab Shack for the first time this past weekend. I was pleasently surprised by the menu whih had so much to offer. There is something for everyone! I ordered the snow crab legs with corn and potatoes and my boyfriend had the crab cakes. Both plates were delicious! We also ordered the bucket of shrimp. The real highlight of our expereince was the incredible service we recieved. Ralph was informative and we had everything we needed from the start of the meal to the very last bite. He was attentive and never missed a beat. This is what service should be! I will go back for the food, but maily for Ralph! I'm even notifiying the manager of the exceptional experience. When something is so fabulous, it deserves to be recognized.
(5)Julie N.
Visited Joe's Crab Shack for the very first (and last) time for dinner with friends. Conclusion: nothing special here. There are some cute crabby tee shirts for sale on the walls, bibs with funny phrases, and buckets for shells in the middle of your table. As for the food? We shared the Crispy Calamari and the Big Easy Bites. Both of the appetizers seemed warm/room temperature, although the plates were hot. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of cold fried food. The calamari tasted more like fried batter than actual calamari, and the shrimp and crawfish in the bites were tiny. The fried pickles were okay. Nobody touched the boudin, so that tells you something. I had the Queen Crab "Simply Steamed." it came with a couple of steamed red potatoes and a small ear of corn. The crab was fine - the thing really bothered me about it was the fact that the shell was so soft, the shell cracker could not crack it. In fact, the cracker was useless -- All I could do was try to pick the shells off of the crab legs on my own. The crab meat was similar to snow crab legs, just a touch sweeter. We shared the brownie and ice cream for dessert which was pretty average as well. Service? Our server checked on us a couple of times to ask how the food was. Only one person in our party of four received a second glass of water - he did not even bother to refill anyone else's glasses. Bill ended up about $150 including tip. If I could re-do this, I would have bought a couple of lobsters and dungeoness crabs from the Asian market and steamed them myself. We would've had better quality seafood at half the price.
(2)Laura C.
Food is always on point, pricey, as to be expected since it's seafood, but awesome. Customer service needs some help. Been here handful of times and each time I get the same customer service, waitresses always walk around like theyre life there is hell. Besides that, love this place!
(3)joseph w.
A bit high on the price ... but a thorough review of the menu found a few items within reason (for lunch). The crab cake sandwich was quite good and waitress substituted a different side for french fries with no problem. Friendly staff, good atmosphere ... I would definitely come back.
(4)Bruce C.
We just ate here at 3 PM today. We had to wait 15 minutes to be seated as we were told, WE were seated on the "porch" which has "garage door" type walls for summer open air. We shared the 12 piece 'U PEEL IT" SHRIMP. Old bay-ed to death. Wife had a crab cake sandwich ($11.99) served with fries and I had Red snapper stuffed with imperial crab ( $18.99) served with rice and broccoli. Wife enjoyed her sandwich, fries and crab cake were warm as was my red snapper, two cokes $47.00 + tip. The Porch area was noisy as hell, with the kiddie play land out a door in rear..A $47 restaurant with a play land... GET REAL... We will go back to try their expensive crab in shell offerings This is the new Red Lobster in my opinion..
(2)Super D.
Let me start by saying that I have never been to Joe's Crab Shack, the commercials are so damn alluring. That being said, I should have seriously read the reviews here before I decided to give into peer pressure and take the 1 hour drive to this, the closest Joe's Crab Shack to my house. Quite frankly, it was a complete waste of a trip. I could have gone to my local Red Lobster and gotten a meal that I REALLY enjoyed. Where to begin? Firstly, when you walk in, it's nothing special. It looks like any ordinary casual dining restaurant. We were seated in a booth not too far from the kitchen. Our waitress, Lisa, was nice but took a while to come to our table. She did a great job of explaining how the restaurant "works" and was really accommodating. Great so far? Well, it's about to go downhill. My son insisted on getting a steampot, so we got the Lobster Daddy to share ( $33 ) and the stuffed mushroom caps for an appetizer. Well, it took 20min to get the appetizer and when it arrived it was only luke warm and extremely bland. Totally devoid of any flavor. I've had stuffed mushrooms elsewhere and they have always been delicious, so I had high expectations. Big let down. Next it took another 20 minutes for the food to come out. REALLY?? Now, that's a total of 40min from the time we placed the order because we ordered the appetizer and entree at the same time. When it arrived, again I was not impressed. The lobster was tiny and with the exception of the tail, there was very little meat. The crabs were just okay. The melted butter was unsalted. Eventhough we got the Chesapeake Bay seasoning, the food had little to no flavor. The corn and 2 tiny potatoes that came with it, also had no flavor. So, once we were through, we were left still hungry and our pallets completely unsatisfied. The highlight and only redeeming point of this dining fiasco was the apple crumble dessert which came a la mode. It was DELICIOUS. So, our server, Lisa, was great. I don't blame her for the late food. I blame the kitchen. She tried her best. But the food was EHH!. Definitely not going back.
(1)Jennifer S.
My first, and, likely, my last visit to this chain because... ... the food was nothing memorable. It's only been a month and a half since I was there and I cannot remember what I ate. I do remember that it was deep-fried and it seemed expensive for the atmosphere offered. However, my "cocktail" was tasty, and our server was good. A manager stopped my our table once we were finished eating to ask about our experience with our server.
(2)Jacki D.
I wanted to like this place, but I did not. Long wait. Interesting seating. Picnic tables are not for me, but probably fun for a family with kids. It was really loud. First time I did not want to eat a crab cake. It was so salty I could not eat more than a bite. Fries were also over loaded with table salt. My boyfriend's food was overly salty as well, but he did not mind as much as I did because he loves salt and for him to think it was salty means it really had too much. He was not impressed with anything he ordered either. Service was extremely slow. Took about 15 minutes just for the waitress to stop by and take our drink order. Took another 15 minutes to get the sodas. Could not get a refill of soda because she never came back to the table to check on us. We desperately needed hydration after that salty food. Took about 20 minutes to get the bill after finishing the food and waving her down. We were there for over 2 hours, which does not include the 45 minute wait to be seated (total of nearly 3 hours). Neither of us wanted to return.
(1)Eileen A.
Too loud for us-we were actually shouting to hear each other and unfortunately we had to leave without even ordering.
(1)Glynnis O.
I went to Joe's recently with a group of co-workers attempting to drown our sorrows in boozy drinks and sub-par seafood with spotty service- I'm happy to report we found the right place. Not one of us escaped mediocre service- an over-microwaved appetizer devoid of any flavor, appetizers and sides which came very late, or not at all. Forks? Who needs 'em! We had a fun time hunting down 3 separate waitstaff for twenty minutes after our main courses for these apparently unnecessary utensils, and finally won their attention by sending a member of our party into the actual kitchen. I got a steak (sensitivity to seafood) and when asked for my cooked preference, I stated very rare- crawling off the plate. Bloody. I was brought a grisly bone-dry steak that had been cooked well-done. I notified the server of this, and she apologized, and quickly came back with another... well-done steak. The manager came over to my table and informed me "we don't do anything lower than medium-well here" which would have been helpful had someone told me before I ordered, but that might have been expecting too much. I quietly ate my steamed over-salted broccoli while consoling a friend who had yet to receive her salad from an hour ago. I'm not by any means a picky eater, and I understand in busy restaurants that sometimes miscommunications happen. This was not one or two simple miscommunications- it was a poor excuse for a meal with servers who couldn't grasp the meaning of their very titles. I'll never come back here again.
(1)Yer M.
Horrible service. If you plan on going here, please plan on waiting for at least an hour for your food. The waitress was faster to take our check than to bring us or food or to refill or drinks. Probably not planning on coming back to this location
(1)Divya R.
5 thumbs down. Slow service. Bad service. Uneatable food. Cold crab, hard biscuit. Just awful. I have always been polite when the waiters come over and checks up on you. It was so bad I could not help my self! They asked "how is everything?" I said "disgusting!" I would give 0 stars.
(1)Cynthia R.
After months of trying to find time, my boyfriend and I decided to go on my birthday for lunch around 2 on a Saturday. We expected a crowd, but it seemed pretty empty. We were greeted by 3 KIDS who seemed to be doing everything, but working. After being seated at a table outside the kitchen door I asked if we could be seated somewhere else and was told that there were no other tables as I looked around at the empty tables that we could've been seated. Knowing me, my boyfriend said just let it be until waiters and waitresses instead of walking around the pole next to our table squeezed themselves between the pole and our table (2) bumping the table. It's been 20 mins and nobody has come to ask what we want to drink or anything, but they couldn't run fast enough to the dance floor to dance to "stayin alive". Finally, we got up to leave and on our way out the same KID that seated us stated "have a nice day"! You can only guess what I wanted to reply back! WORST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't rate the food since we never got to order.
(1)Duy N.
I've eaten at Joe's Crab Shack before when I was visiting the Houston, Texas Area and the Orlando, Florida Area when I was on vacation. I had a craving for it so I decided to look up for locations where me and found out that there's three within driving distance so I chose the one in KOP. First, let me tell you that when me and my girlfriend walked in we were a little disgusted. It took a while for us to get seated when the place was not even busy. There were tables that still have dirty plates on them and the Hostess started cleaning the tables up while not asking us how many in our party or anything. Second, there's really no supervisor to maintain order with their waitresses as she did not even come by often enough during our dine there. We were waiting for our drinks for a good amount of time and also when we needed refills that was a problem as well. Lastly, when our food came I always take pictures of my food so i get give you Yelpers an idea what I ate before I actually try the food and let me tell you the food looked TERRIBLE. The food was over Seasoned and and the steampot I chose was The Bean Town Baked which consist of two whole Main lobsters, corn, a pound of sausage, potato, and clams. You can look at my picture I uploaded in the photo gallery watermarked DNP on the right hand corner. The lobster was all over the place and had no meat inside it. The shell is SUPER soft where you don't even need to use the cracker which threw a red flag something was off. The potatoes weren't even cooked all the way as it was still raw. The clams in there were mostly empty. THE WORST PART ABOUT MY DINE HERE IS I GOT FOOD POISONING. I tried calling back the next day trying to talk to the GM of the place but the girl who picked up the phone was rude when I was trying to stay calm and be professional on the phone with her. I will never come back to this place again and I recommend others to not do so either.
(1)Jade V.
The only other time I'd been to Joe's Crab Shack was across the country, and it was absolutely phenomenal. But I was hesitant to come here after seeing all the less-than-stellar reviews written here. Turns out, I didn't have anything to worry about, other than singing and dancing servers. Yeesh. Eating seafood and getting messy while doing it--what's not to love? At first, I was concerned that a steampot might be too much food, but I gobbled it all up. Shellfish weighs a lot, but the succulent meat inside doesn't have that much volume, and the pots aren't nearly as bursting with food as the pictures on the menu make it out to be; in hindsight, it was a bit pricey. Still, they filled us up quite nicely. We had the Diablo, the Orleans (the only one with crawfish!), and the KJ, all of which came out quickly (this, I appreciated) and we highly recommend. Everything was cooked to a tender consistency. How do they do it? Guess if they're banging out hundreds of these pots a day, they've got to be pros by now. Each pot uses a distinctly different sauce, which flavors the shellfish quite nicely, except for the crab, the meat of which is better to dip into the sauce to grab the flavor. You'll smell like low tide afterwards, but it's SO worth it. Our waitress, Anna, was a complete joy. We came in here for a late lunch, and she was extremely helpful and enthusiastic. Sure, it was a little bit difficult to get her attention as customers started pouring in, but I don't hold it against her. It's a family restaurant, and it gets loud, but that's part of the casual atmosphere. Peace, love, and crabs, indeed.
(3)Cindy L.
I usually don't review chain restaurants but I've been curious about Joe's Crab Shack after seeing countless commercials on TV so I was a bit excited to try it out. I LOVE seafood & sometimes I make the journey from Philly to DC just for some good crabs so I ventured into Joe's not knowing what to expect. The wait is long! It seems to always be crowded there - they text you when your table is ready. I do think they need to reconsider their brand image bc their decor just seemed off to me. When you walk in, it has a big open fish market feel w/ cafeteria style seating but then a moderately fancy bar? ehh I dont get it. Waiter -- super friendly. He suggested their sampler appetizer which mehh I don't recommend. Crab dip, crab jalapeno poppers, & calamari -- not impressive. Joe's offers individual steamed pots full of an assortment of crabs, lobsters, clams, mussels etc depending on which one you choose. They look huge on the menu but I suppose in the good old American way -- one person can def devour one if they were hungry. The 2 of us ordered the Sam Adams & Diablo pot. Sam Adams -- too salty but the Diablo - nom nom good! It's quite satisfying to have this giant pot full of steaming good seafood in front of you. You may not beat my beloved Maryland crab shacks but you're not bad Joe's.
(4)Nikki J.
We just stopped there for dinner. It was great. There was a slight mistake by the kitchen in the order and the server Becky was awesome. They reordered it and credited me on the bill for the mistake. Becky was great, was very responsive and friendly. Food was very good. Plenty of choices. Totally fun and will be sure to go back. The fact that is was our 25th anniversary just made it even better.
(5)Mary Q.
Horrible service, horrible management, and horrible dishes. 2nd time I have been to this particular restaurant. Decided to give it a second chance. Big mistake! The wait was just bad. I understand it's not management fault the wait is long but try to understand and accommodate us cause we actually decided to stay and buy your tasteless bland food. Took 2 hours for us to be seated and 1 hour for our food to arrive. On top of that, 4/6 of our orders were wrong so they decided to add some sauce on the side to replace the error. Which was salt/barbecue sauce in a cup. At this point, we just wanted to leave but the Manager Rick gave us a free side order of crab legs for the inconvenience. Again, we decided to just stay. We just wanted to hurry up and leave. As the waitress was taking our half eaten dishes, she spilled that nasty salty barbecue sauce on my friends $800 jacket. When we confronted her, she acted surprised. She disappeared into the kitchen with the jacket. When she brought it back, it reek of dish detergent and barbecue sauce. Manager Dick (Rick) gave us a business card for dry cleaning service and sent us on our way. Expecting us to pay full price for half ass service. We refused to pay the bill resulting in a swarm of police vehicles in the parking lot preventing us from leaving. The police was really cool about the situation and even called the place "Joe's Crab Trap". Long story short, the bill was reduced to half. I believe justice was served with the half ass service that was provided. Never will I ever give another restaurant a second chance. It's one and done.
(1)Niki U.
Service started out great then slowly declined as the meal went on. Food was all good, I wouldn't say great but good. Slightly overpriced id say but probably right along the lines of red lobster. Service definitly lacks tho. We waited for over 15 minutes to get our bill. Then another 15 for her to take and run the card. A table was seated next to us and got up after 10 minutes no one coming to there table. Very unorganized place. Food was cold in some spots, you could tell it was rushed together but all in all good. The place was hardly halfway full too so I'm scared to think of what a night would be like when it was.
(2)Donna M.
We ate at Joe's for the first time 2 weeks ago. My husband loves seafood but I don't so I surprised him by picking this spot for a late dinner since we were near the mall. Even though it was a Friday night, we were seated immediately and our server was very attentive. I know it's weird for non seafood eaters to dine at these places and I'm usually resigned to getting a steak or a burger from seafood joints but I took a chance and ordered a half rack of ribs. They were really, REALLY good. My husband got a steampot that had a variety of options in it but he didn't care for the sausage or the potatoes. Next time I'm sure he'll just stick to crab legs. I see some pretty poor reviews for Joe's but thankfully, we had a very positive experience and we'll be back.
(4)Jamal R.
Waitress forgot our appetizers. Crabs came out cold and dry. Biscuits were cold and doughy. This was truly one of my top 10 worst eating experiences in my entire life. And the service was horrible
(1)PJ B.
So, to my surprise, my wife suggested we take a mini trip to KOP mall and stop at joe's for a special meal. First, location, it's next to hotel. The parking lot was crowded but we found spot. Second, the interior, it's not very big as far as the main dining area. We asked for a table and was told 10, 15 minute, which we were fine with. Then asked if we wanted to sit outside. We'll the outdoor as well as some indoor are picnic type tables. Look I'm gonna get messy eating crap I want a chair with a back. So we get seated. It's our first time. The waitress was nice and explained the table, the bucket set in the middle was to discard shells and such. The roll of paper towels was out napkins. I was cool with it. We ordered the shrimp app. Tasty, but difficult to peel. I ordered the Sam Adams steam pot, my wife ordere the kj steam pot. Mind you she never had crab before. It took about 30 minutes from app to main meal. It was busy, so I would say not terrible. Food came, and to be honest. I was like "that's all" didn't seem like a lot of food. My pot had about 6 crab legs, 3 huge lobster claws. A butt load of clams(small) sausage, potatoes, and corn. All in a Sam Adams broth. Definitely was enough when I started to polish off the a sausage and clams. I wasn't feeling the sausage, it was just ok. Same spices they use on everything. Lots of old bay style. Clams were smallish but pretty good. I always save the main event for last. The crab legs were big and meaty, mine were easy to crack and remove. My lobster claws (3) we're huge! Dangerous to crack but pretty delicious as we'll. so my wife had some firsts tonight, first time eating muscles and crab legs. While she loved the crab legs. She wasn't happy with the muscles. First she's not a wine person. The muscles carried the wine flavor. It wasn't strong but I think she just psyched herself out with them. They tasted good for me. She loved the crab legs and the scallops. So why did I only give this place 3 stars? We'll first there was random kids hanging out with the hostesses and it was awkward. Second, my wife had 4 muscles that did not open. For the price you pay for them, that shouldn't happen. We tried to ask a waitress if they can be replaced and she said no. Lastly they could give you a little more for the price$25.99 and you only get 3 small scallops? That plus it was very loud and chaotic. My wife wants to come back. Me I could take it or leave it, I think if I driving an hour to the mall I might try another place instead.
(3)Chris C.
Brutal. Would rather get punched in the bag or actually spend the $ on a prostitute and get crabs. Our app had a hair that was deep fried and stuck to another morsel. The manager was very apologetic, but still.. yuck. We where offered free dessert or another app. Should of just left , but decided to try the crab and lobster. No taste, no meat and no full belly. We didn't even finish the lobster. When the bill came we got charged the full amount , minus the hairy app. I am just pissed i paid at all.. Seriously i bet the hair deep fried would of tasted better then the crap & lobster. Our server was nice tho.
(1)keri r.
Met up with my friend for dinner and talked her in to Joe's because the one I used to go to in Oceanside, CA was great! Well we sat and waited for a table for 40 minutes on a Wednesday night. The place wasn't even that packed. I promised her the food was good from what I remembered. Once we were seated the server greeted us in a timely matter and took our orders. She was very polite & friendly. The food took a little longer to come out than we would have liked but we were chatting anyways. We both ordered the surf and turf burgers which were a little over done but good enough. However, It was what I expected from a chain restaurant. All in all an ok experience. I'm sure they are just going through growing pains.
(3)Laura D.
Delicious crabs, but LOUD as heck in there. I loved my huuuge pot of Dungeness crabs. I can't believe I went through the whole pot plus the ear of corn and didn't get a stomach ache! They were easy to crack and the meat came out in delicious, tender, whole hunks. Throwing the shells into the giant bucket in the center of the table was also fun. The 'spicy boil' flavor added a little kick and seasoning, but next time I might try for a more interesting flavor. However, don't go if you're expecting a nice, quiet dinner or don't like raising your voice to speak to the person next to you. As other yelpers said, the acoustics are awful, and the sound bounces around in there like nobody's business. But the worst is every 45 minutes or so when the staff breaks out into a dance number. They turn the music up, clap loudly, and perform cheesy line dances to songs like Cotton Eye Joe and the Cupid Shuffle. Shoot me. Why do restaurants think this is at all entertaining? Please stop - my ears hurt, my conversation is interrupted, and I'm embarrassed for you. But nonetheless, the food is good enough that I would happily return. A bit on the pricy side and more theatrics than I'd like for an after-work dinner, but Joe's has awesome crabs and attentive service. P.S. Seems like they've worked out the new restaurants kinks...
(4)Bang T.
This was my first time eating or even seeing a Joe's Crab Shack. I was sooooooo excited to have one and be able to eat crabs! when coming in we were greeted....? wait we weren't greeted by the hostess and brought to our seats...? well she had us standing there for 5 minutes awkwardly at the table asking the waiters if it was OK for us to sit there, apparently it was OK. our waitress then came and to my surprise she knew what she was doing. she was very nice and brought our our drinks quickly. Now for the crabs... They came out AWESOME~! it was quick, the food was a good temperature and the crabs were delicious. as an added bonus we got a free show from the waiters/waitresses which did a funny dance to "Car wash" Final Thought: Bad hostessing or maybe just new hostesses? worth a visit/try but im not too sure about a second one.
(3)Steve S.
It's a crab place. Crabs are hard to screw up if you have a basic knowledge of how to cook them. Let's put that out there right now. Almost by default, a place like this that specializes in crabs is probably going to get three stars on merit because as long as you don't completely foul it up, crabs are incredibly tasty and you usually can't go wrong ordering them if you are a fan. That was the case here. They succeeded tonight in not screwing the crabs up. I see that they may not have in the past. But tonight they were spot on. Yes, the portion could have been better, and after a $23 meal I was still hungry. But I did enjoy what I did have, which had two different types of crab legs, shrimp, potatoes, corn, and a link of smoked sausage. Although, two small potatoes the size of a golf ball to me does not count as a serving. Would it kill these guys to throw in a third potato? Service was extra friendly and I thought everyone was very nice there. But, I hope the owners of this fine establishment see this. Take note of the other reviews... the whole making the waitstaff dance in the aisles every 45 minutes thing is awkward, not that enjoyable, and really ticks you off if you are looking for a refill of something at that time. Ditch it, guys! It's not working.
(3)Lisa M.
Totally fun place to get some seafood in the KOP area without all the stuffiness or pretentiousness of some of the other restaurants. The servers break out into dances every so often, so know that this place is loud. The portions are HUGE, appetizers are main meals here. I didn't order them myself but do try the crab nachos. They must be one of the tastiest things I've tried in awhile. The cocktails are interesting here. The category 5 hurricane is so strong that they can only serve two per person. When they put it on the table, you smell the rum and could get buzzed off that. Our server did confuse our bill some but amongst friends its not too big of an issue but definitely just check everything. Side note, we sat in the enclosed picnic area while the sun was setting. They have no shades yet ( I'm hoping because the location is new and they will get it) because the sun's rays were blinding us for the first half of our meal.
(4)Charles C.
You've heard the saying, "I went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out." Well, I went to (what I thought was) a seafood restaurant and a dinner show broke out. I am not kidding when I say this. Every fifteen minutes, the wait staff at this joes crab shack would break into a song-and-dance. They were performing coordinated dances and hand-clapping backed by some loud country/funk/pop music. I think I even saw them perform the electric slide. If they were not as committed and enthusiastic as they were, I would have felt embarassed for them. Kudos to them for buying into the concept and going all out. Hooray for throwing pride out the window and daring to suck. Anyhow, the crab was good. Just the right amount of crab, shrimp, and sausage from the steam pot. And the pint of Victory made a good pairing. Joes Crab Shack is slowly becoming my favorite chain sit-down restaurant.
(4)Lan H.
Ahhhh this rating is better than the one I had given to Red Lobster! Yay! :-D I recommend coming to Joe's Crab Shack HUNGRY. I don't see it any other way - it's the only way to maximize the level of dining pleasure. Umm, one word: STEAMPOTS! Yes yes, my first time, I got the KJ Steampot. Why? The scallops, of course, but I also got my fair share of crab legs and sausage...wait, what? Oh, ok, I'll take it! :-D Overall, I highly recommend the KJ Steampot, but watch out for the salty saltiness. Hmm, why, salt, why? It's too bad, because, if the salt content were tamed just a little bit more...I would have given Joe's 4 stars. Honestly, the calamari and the Gone Fishin' cocktail were yummy! A higher rating for the KJ Steampot would have done it for me. But, Joe's, I love ya. Thank you for satisfying my beach food cravings :-)
(3)Jenna G.
Crabs are great. Wish they had better options as sides though. Fun atmosphere and kid friendly. You can also bring home the crab cutters.
(3)William d.
Some of the food came out cold. Service very very slow at 4pm so it was not busy. 2 plus hours for 5 of us to eat. Crab was good.
(2)Jen R.
I felt Joe's Crab shack was a bit too expensive for the amount of food we got. My husband was actually still hungry after the classic sampler appetizer and a steampot so we ended up ordering an amazing smores dessert. The entertainment was fun but we were told they were to dance and sing every 30 mins but they only danced once when we first arrived. The staff was very nice and the manager made a few rounds to make sure everything was ok while we were there.
(2)M. H. J.
Great service, helpful staff...son, if you can't behave in the presence of good folks, shame on you. Get the peach cobbler when it's all said and done!
(5)Christy S.
only went to this Shack twice, the first time was a few months ago and the crabs were aweful, most of the King Crab legs had absolutely no meat in them and for the price, was a total rip off. The second time I went, because I wanted to give this place a second chance was a huge mistake, the food was aweful and the service... What service? I ordered the fish and chips at $12.99, all I got was a small plate of fries with 3 slices of fish, which were almost the same size as the fries (no joke). I will NEVER eat there again and will be sure to tell everyone to spare themselves the horrible food. The servers need to spend less time dancing and more time serving and the prices were way over priced for what they served!! I don't give this place too many more years before it goes under!! WAY UNDER!
(1)Leon B.
I'd say this place was decent. Nothing special decent food but for the price the portions were kinda small for what you pay for. One of our dishes were over cooked. Service was friendly enough
(3)Tiffany L.
I've always wanted to try a Joe's steam pot and now that this one opened I finally could so I was very excited to try their food. But my dinning experience was very poor. My husband and I got seated and then had to watch the servers dance around and sing for no lie 5 minutes. I understand that it's part of the atmosphere but then we had to wait another 5 minutes until after they were done to even see our server. Then after he brought our drinks we didn't see him again until after the food came out. We waited 10 min to just see our server then our food came out very quick probably too quick because my crab and clam steam pot was still frozen oh and we weren't given any silverware or butter (who served seafood w/o butter?!). Thankfully the server took my meal back to get a new one and the manager brought out the second one and comped the meal which was really as it should be. But by the time I got my second meal my husband was done with his so he basically had to wait and watch me eat. There just was not great service or timing. Despite all of that the food was really good and I like menu selection. It's a new restaurant so they're not perfect so if you're a super anal diner that needs everything to be perfect I would say give them a few months before you eat here. Overall service was poor but I will try it again
(2)Will D.
Joe's Crab Shack is one link in a seafood chain. Food and service at Joe's Crab Shack are both spotty (both here and at their other locations). Some dishes are pretty good, and some are below par. Also, I have found preparation to be inconsistent. This is not a fancy place (keep in mind the name), so fried dishes and the like are the standard. Some servers are friendly and capable, while others are... not so much. Our most recent experience involved missing items which took forever to get from the kitchen, which was made worse by the near total absence of our server. Further, when one of the missing items (scallops) arrived, it was oily and burnt on one side. There are plenty of better places for dining in King of Prussia: Throw a rock, you'll hit one of them.
(1)Melissa U.
Never got the appetizer we ordered, food was obviously frozen, forgot certain parts we ordered for our meals. This place was a complete waste of time and my money. Not sure if all locations are like this but my visit to this location has made me skeptical about returning to any other Joe's Crab Shack in the future. I'd rather make my own steam pot at home. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME COMING HERE!
(1)Ches P.
Nothing special, wait was long. Won't come back Came here to celebrate a co-workers new job opportunity. What was supposed to be a nice quick lunch turned out to be a long, dragged out meal. The steam pots were a let down as the crab looked dried out. I got a sampler with fried fish, calamari, and shrimp and it tasted like it was frozen. The only thing good was the crab cakes with the sriracha sauce. The waitress we had was super overwhelmed, she got our orders mixed up, she brought out incomplete orders, it took her forever to get us our to-go boxes. It was just a mess.
(2)Larry M.
Horrible. The loud atmosphere the food came out cold so they nuked the same platter and it came bask looking like dried shoe leather
(1)Nicole P.
Food sucked
(1)Maureen M.
Oh Joe's Crab Shack I really wanted to love you but sadly I was underwhelmed! Went with some friends after work and it was super crowded. We waited about half an hour and were seated. Wound up getting fish and chips, stuffed mushrooms, 2 steampots, and the crab nachos. The nachos were great! Generous with the crab dip, cheese melted perfectly and just all around yummy! The mushrooms looked pretty but were missing something. My friends enjoyed their steampots which were huge! Seiously I don't know how they ate them in one sitting. Key lime pie for dessert was bad, yuck. Dinner wasn't cheap and I feel like the quality of food was just...lacking. I may go back for the crab nachos and some drinks but that would be it. Oh and maybe a tee shirt!
(2)Dave S.
Fun place to go - it was packed even on a Tuesday evening! I have a feeling though that if you don't get crab legs you're going to be disappointed. I had the Seacoast Platter that looked delicious on the menu only to find it to be underwhelming. Chain food.
(3)Caiti B.
When I went to eat here, I didn't have very high expectations because I had heard it was very overpriced, and there wasn't great service. My expectations were correct. When we got there, the hostesses didn't even know the table numbers so they had to stand there for 15 minutes trying to figure out where they were taking my friend and I. When we finally got seated, it took our server 15 minutes to come and greet us. When she did, she took our order and we didn't see much of her for the rest of the night. The manager brought us our food after giving it to the wrong table (He didn't know his own table numbers either). The only good thing about it was that it came out in a timely manner. There was one server in the entire restaurant that was hustling her butt off, and we pulled her aside, told her she was doing an amazing job with her tables, and wished she was out server. We asked for her name (which was Holly), and I will be sure that I ask for her every time I go. We gave good feedback for Holly to the manager on our way out, and he just nodded. Didn't say anything, didn't say sorry for the bad experience, and didn't ask who our server was to give her the feedback. He didn't seem like someone who could handle customer service issues, and didn't seem to know how to run a business. I wouldn't recommend eating there, but if you want good crab nachos Joe's is the place to go!
(3)H. B.
The Joe's Crab Shack in Naples, Florida is a decent place to eat so I was happy to see one come to King of Prussia, PA. My wife and I have tried this location 3 times and each time was very bad. Food is either cold or rubbery, no in between. Service, what service. It really doesn't make any sense why this location is SO BAD! Please fix it!
(1)Robyn H.
I like Joe's, but I prefer the location in Wilmington. It's right on the waterfont and has a cool atmosphere. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by the one in KOP. I thought it would be small and crowded, but it was pretty spacious inside. Based on the fact that it's located at the mall, I doubt we'll ever do anything but takeout here. We ordered Snapper Ponchatrain and the Blackened Tilapia. I liked my bf's snapper, but my tilapia was way too salty. I found that pretty much everything they make at Joe's is too salty except for their steampots. (They are always good unless someone brings you a cold pot or not enough crab legs in the pot.) Overall, I love Joe's, and I'm so excited they are building around the corner from me. YAY!
(4)Danan R.
We finally came here and shared the steampot for 2 and the skillet paella. The dungeness crab was my favorite part: fresh, meaty, and seasoned. Yum! The sausage was good but didn't really stand out; the alaskan crab was fresh but not as meaty as some that I have had elsewhere. The paella was just edible; it was a bit on the bland side and the rice could have been more tender. I did appreciate the fresh corn-on-a-cob though. It definitely reminded me of a summer crab boil. Service was a little slow but pretty friendly. Is this the best seafood restaurant in the area? Not quite but it is good enough to satisfy a crab craving
(3)Will R.
Terrible service. Completely disorganized 10 open tables, no one waiting, seating staff could not manage to figure it out. Most staff standing around, same clueless guy seating and answering phones. After waiting over 20 minutes as the only people waiting we left, passing the open tables.
(1)Gretchen S.
I'll be generous and give them 3 stars, because I don't believe a restaurant's reputation should suffer because of 1 waiter who doesn't know &$*(# about customer service. SO... that being said, the food is very, very good. Lots of selection and the prices are reasonable. I got a steak and shrimp dish. The steak was a bit over done (I asked for medium well and it was definitely well), but the shrimp were absolutely perfect. The waiter, however, was a different story. It took him 20 minutes to get our order, 4 times being asked to get a water that he forgot in the first place, and then not knowing that a salad ordered separately comes out BEFORE the meal... hot mess. Overall, the food is very good and I'd recommend it to someone if they don't have a hard time sitting on flat wooden benches (cafeteria style). Fair warning. It's the price you pay for succulent shrimp.
(3)Kamilah B.
I loved the atmosphere My husband and my two boys went w/ me. It was so much fun. Yes, it is loud...so be prepared. We all enjoyed our food. Shrimp for apps and I have this Smores cake for dessert....Heaven! I couldn't finish it. My husband had the brownie and loved that too. Dinner was really good and we all cleared our plates. There was a guy making balloons for the kids and the staff stop periodically and dance. I took away a star b/c the bill was $100 for 2 adults and 2 children...seemed a bit pricey, but I guess we did eat a lot. Maybe I'll rethink that. The wait was very long and they use your cell to text you when a table is ready. That was convenient.
(4)Jessica B.
Where do I start? If it were possible to give this restaurant a negative rating, I would. First things first: My fiance & I were in town staying at the Hotel Sierra. We were meeting friends for dinner so my fiance decided to do call-ahead seating for our large party. The hostess told my fiance that they would call/text us when our table was available, approx 30 mins. An hour & 45 minutes later, they never contacted us & had given our reservation for 8 to a party of 2. Yes, they told us they did that. Next: I went to the restroom right before our meals arrived. They have 2 sinks. While 5 women were waiting in line for one sink, an employee was at the other, fixing her hair & trying to reconnect service on her cell phone. When I politely asked her if the customers could use the sink, she told me to f*** off. I'm 6'1'', no one speaks to me like that. It took some patience, but I left the restroom. When I returned to the table I noticed that 5 out of the 8 guests at our table didn't have the food that they ordered. My fiance ordered a steam pot of King Crab, the first 4 legs he tried to crack into had absolutely no meat. At this point, I asked to speak to a manager, not only to complain about the food, but also to discuss the bathroom incident. Before the manager even came to the table, she & 3 servers stood across the dining room pointing & laughing at our table. She then went into the kitchen & did the same with the cooks, which we could see because we were 8 feet from the kitchen door & saw right thru the window. The manager came out with a smile on her face & tried to talk to us. I told her about all of the situations & that I felt uncomfortable in her restaurant. She left & went into the kitchen. At this point, two cooks from the kitchen looked thru the window & started flicking our table off. I then grabbed another manager & explained the situation. He offered us more food. Yes, that's exactly what we want. We want your cooks that just flicked us off thru the window to fix us more food.....logical. He left for about 30 minutes, not telling us what he was going to do about the situation. During this time, another server, not our original server, came & flicked a bill at my fiance. When the second manager returned, he was rude so we stood up to walk out of the restaurant. He proceeded to tap my fiance on the shoulder & tell him that if we didn't leave that he would call the police on us. Good thing he stopped us because we weren't trying to leave the building already. Needless to say, this was the WORST experience in a restaurant that I have EVER had. I have managed restaurants before & when the bad service stems from the staff all the way up thru management, a good quality service cannot exist. It honestly felt like we were in the twilight zone. On another note: The next night we ate at the hotel bar/restaurant at the Hotel Sierra, which is WONDERFUL. The staff there proceeded to tell us that not only were Joe's staff members coming over for their complimentary happy hour, meant for GUESTS only, they were also sending customers over if the Joe's had too long of a wait. What a bad business concept. Wouldn't you want to keep your customers in YOUR restaurant, to drink YOUR over-priced "juices" that you sell as cocktails? My fiance & I have attempted to contact Joe's Corporate about our experience, but haven't gotten a response. I have been to many Joe's before, but I'm sure this was my last. I honestly can't even believe I even wasted time writing this, they're not worth it.
(1)Marc D.
Well, my fiancee was raving about going to this place, as she'd visited other locations down South. So, I wanted to try it for a special occaision. I was a little apprehensive the first time I called a few weeks ago, wanting to go, and we called up, and they told us it was a hour and a half wait. Well, I called earlier in the day for this planned visit, to avoid that. Bad news, they don't do call-ahead seating. The person on the phone did assure me that the line shouldn't be too bad on a Friday night, though. We ran some nearby errands, and since they don't close until 2AM(a good thing!), we decided to try it around 9-ish, hoping the crowd would die down. Thankfully, it did, so we were seated within 30 minutes. The best way to describe the place is sort of like a combination of Seafood Shanty, and how Red Lobster used to be--when people considered going to Red Lobster was a Mid-to-High-Brow special occasion place to go. The set up is cool, and it seems like the staff there are intent on making it a relaxing and fun experience, which is good considering the prices are a little on the high side, they want you in a good mood when the bill gets there. The staff actually write their names on napkins and put them on your table, eliminating the whole "What is our server's name?" quandry. They add a cute touch of writing on your crab bib little slogans, so there's a big of variety and uniquenes there. The food was good. A bit salty(this coming from a salt addict!) and spicy for my tastes, but still pretty good. Definitely I would eat there again from a food taste standpoint. My son and fiancee also enjoyed their meals. All in all, the place is pretty good. But, I'm not going to be a regular just because I don't like spending $80 to regularly feed my family of three. Their food quality is better than the current Red Lobster quality, and for roughly the same price. If Joe's would get Cheddar Bay Biscuits, I'd never EVER see the inside of a Red Lobster again. So, if you're out, and want good seafood and a good time, go to Joe's Crab Shack, forget Red Lobster...
(4)Fast F.
Yep, like other have reviewed, I agree, this place SUCKS! Always wanted to check out a Joe's after seeing the TV commercials. Love shellfish but being from central PA there aren't many options. At home the closest we have is Red Lobster. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time here. Red Lobster is 100% better than this crap. Prices are high, place is dirty, employees don't take any pride, they hammer their crappy food with old bay, clams were tiny (supposed to be a pound, I would be surprised if they were an ounce), etc, etc, etc. The place is downright unsanitary. Legal Seafood is in the mall. Don't like eating at establishments in a mall but I'm sure they are much better than this poor excuse for a seafood restaurant.
(1)H M.
Complete joke! This place is ridiculously crappy! Went on a weekday for a late lunch. There was barely anyone at the damn place and it took about an hour for the stupid frozen food! How long does it take to steam crab legs and make a damn salad?! The food was NOT even good! It was horrible!
(1)John L.
0 stars!! that must be made obvious! To start let me list the seen problems: 1. staff standing around socializing instead of working the floor, 2. lack of managment on the floor. 3. Kitchen inconsitancy., 4. Lack of kitchen staff hygene. 5. Customer service/attention to detail I've been in the Food Service industry most of my working life, and NEVER have I been so sickened by the lack of quality service from a restaurant in my entire life. It all started off fine and a BIG BIG props to our server Kaitie who was very understanding of our needs, though she seemed to be the only one truly concerned for her customers. Our meal came to us completely wrong (the kitchen need to learn their seasoning spices much better). To top it off we were presented with the Credit card and finalized bill of another guest. When I told the young lady that it wasnt my card (honestly I only have a bank card and cash I don't trust credit card companies) I was told I was wrong (yes I must be my name really is heather even though my drivers liscence says John) When she left the card even after i said it wasnt mine I asked the bartender for a manager. after a good five minute plus wait for a floor manager (I'm guessing they were on break) I handed the card to him and proceded to let him know how Illegal it was to give one customer another customers credit card! I also mentioned how the young lady who handed to me acted when told it wasn't mine. I was told it wasn't my concern and I should just let it be. SERIOUSLY! I wanted to take the card back and shout to the dining room asking for the card holder so I COULD EXPLAIN why I had her card. To make matters worse than all this I went to the head shortly after to relieve and wash back up before leaving. I happened to notice one of the cooks in the mens head using the urinal. after promptly urinating on half the floor he left without washing his hands. When I returned to my seat ready to vomit from thinking about who had cooked and handled my meal I noticed 4-5 servers atanding at the end of the bar all with their phones out, I'm pretty sure their hand book bans the use of cell phones while on the clock (like most places do) this over did me. I had been excited to try the place out after seeing the eye apeasing commercials, and hearing the good things about this place when it first opened, but it was a huge let down. Over priced food that was so far past bland it hurt. Cooking is a art form in and of itself, Even in chains the cooks take pride in their food and you know when they do for it shows. at Joes crab shack there is no passion for the food nor is there a pride in the prep, plating, or taste of the food. This is by far the WORST chain restaurant I have ever been to
(1)Greg L.
I was excited when I learned that Joe's Crab Shack was coming to the KoP area as my first experience with them was when I was traveling in Ohio several years ago. Sadly, this location has sort of turned me off of the chain. I've eaten here at least a half dozen times since it opened and my experience each time has not improved, and to a certain extent has declined. Most of my meals here have been lunch, with a few dinner exceptions. In all cases, service was too slow and the food just OK. For the prices they charge, it just isn't worth it in my opinion. They waiters/waitresses used to do these ridiculous line dance every hour or so, but thankfully, they no longer do this. If you really miss it though, they evidently will do it on request. This place is loud, so from that perspective, it is kid friendly. They do offer a kids menu and a nice playground outdoors. After giving this place a number of tries now, I'm basically done with it. I haven't been to a Red Lobster in awhile...it may be time to give them a try again.
(2)Jaclyn U.
The Sam Adams steam pot was delicious as was most of the food. However, the service was atrocious! Our party was seated at 8pm. Nobody greeted us for at least 15 minutes. It was another 20 before our appetizer came out. Then we waited, and waited, and waited for another 50 minutes. When I finally got up and asked for a manager since our waitress was nowhere to be found she did nothing but ask who our waitress was. Our total amount of time there was close to 2 and 1/2 hours. Thank goodness we didn't have somewhere else to be! We took our friend there for his birthday and I'm honestly embarrassed for having suggested it to him.
(2)Tara W.
Service was mediocre. Food was a little slow to come out, which was okay because we were not in a rush. My husband is a seafood lover, and he ate every bite of his steam pot. I do not eat seafood. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with onion straws. I got a grilled-then-microwaved sandwich with fries. The server dropped the plates and disappeared for 15 minutes, so I just ate the fries. I had hoped to order another drink when the food arrived, but I didn't have time to get the words out before she ran away. My husband would go back, because he enjoyed his meal, but I don't think I would.
(3)Adrienne J.
This place is awesomely awesome!!! :) I was able to visit twice before the grand opening!!! Since i am a Joe's crab shack virgin i have gotten everything i expected and more. The food is great, the place is upbeat and loud and the service is extraordinaire!!!!! The staff is sooo interactive and they all dance around and have great fun every 45 minutes. There is even a enclosed playground right outside the door incase you bring the kids and they get restless before or after dinner. There are a great deal of promotions going on since the place is new to open. I would definately come back again.
(5)Chris M.
Went there once with the wife and kids. Seating was pretty quick and wait for the food wasn't bad. I actually loved the way it was served very informally and that we had that bucket in the table to throw shells and stuff in. The food - was ok at best. Pretty bland but not all that bad. The servings were light and I left pretty hungry. I was hoping this would have been a dressed down alternative to Red Lobster, but the prices are very similar and you don't get those awesome biscuits that Red Lobster gives you. Plus there was an annoying echo in the building. It was like we were eating in an empty warehouse. Oh, and the tv's, if you're going to put TV's in your restaurant, at least make sure that I can see one of them.
(2)christina g.
It was just eh. Not worth the money, you can get everything better elsewhere. Every waitress and waiter seemed to be in 11th grade. One girl even had numerous piercings on her face. While I am not one to mind these things, it seemed way to much to be worn at work.
(2)Da S.
I've had some disastrous trips to JCS in resort towns, but this trip was fun. The brand new facility is beautiful and the wait staff is excellent. This place will never substitute fresh seafood from the beach, but it will suffice for me.
(4)