Joe's was slow while we were there around 5. The bartenders were friendly and helpful, but it appears the place is not organized well for food service. First of all, it appears that no one had bothered to set up the bar during the lunch shift, so the evening shift had to do all the work. We order an appetizer,the Sampler, and a soup as well as main dishes. The appetizer came out, but the soup did not. Our bartender informed the food runner that the soup was missing, and it needed to come out. The food runner did not bother to bring out the soup at all after that. Included in the Sampler was crab dip, while delicious, the tortillas served with it were all fried together for the most part. Additionally, our main dishes came out just five minutes after we received the appetizer. The food was sort of bland, but it's a chain restaurant. What do you expect? This was the purgatory of seafood restaurants.
(2)
Sherene W.
I'm giving a 3 stars because I have had much better crabs than what I got at Joe's. But the scallops and shrimp wrapped in bacon was pretty good. Lobster was OK. The waiter was kind but seemed in a rush to tend to other tables. I will come back here only if I'm not the one paying..
(3)
Peter M.
I normally give good reviews but this one falls short. I ask for a beer and the waitress assumes the huge one and obviously wants to run her bill up. I have to send it back as I've had a few already. Don't assume! I order the fish and chips that they advertise on the menu with malt vinegar, sounded great. They don't have vinegar, so I was told. REALLY? Meal was real slow coming out and manager obviously knew it as he came out to say so. Not really impressed. Don't know if it's even worth another try for me. Too bad.
(2)
Jose F.
Went there on 2 occasions. The first time I ordered the stuffed snapper. My friend had the red fish pontchartrain. Both were succulent and delicious. The service was OK, although a bit slow and seemingly very disorganized. A server dragged out a full trash bin from behind the bar and suddenly half way to the back of the restaurant and right behind our table she lost control and it turned over with a huge bang and spilled its contents all over the place. Her colleagues all rushed over to clean up the mess. On my second visit I was looking forward to having the red fish pontchartrain. The place was packed and very busy but almost an hour later I still had not been served. Our server came by several times to apologize but still empty handed. At one point he said that they had served the wrong side with my entree and he had sent it back. Was it so hard just to replace the side? By the time my food came out the restaurant was clearing out and what I got was a blackened and dried out piece of fish which I refused to eat--or pay for. The manager was called and, of course, he apologized, and offered to redo my order. At that point I felt like I was being held hostage after sitting there for SEVERAL HOURS not being served and I just wanted to go. He promptly disappeared and both he and our server then avoided coming anywhere near our table at all costs. After about another 20 minutes he came out with a take out complimentary dinner of my original order although all I asked for was the check so I could get out of there. When I opened the carry out container I couldn't believe what I saw. Another blackened and burned out piece of fish!! This time with a bit more sauce on it and regular white instead of the dirty rice that was supposed to come with it. What on earth was going on in the kitchen??!! I paid the bar bill and hightailed it out of there. I wasn't even hungry anymore. What started out as an enjoyable night out with a friend turned into the absolutely worst dining experience in my life--and I NEVER complain about food!! Needless to say I will not be back.
(1)
Emma L.
*sigh*no. look, fun-ish atmosphere,i guess. the servers have dance routines they do every hour or everytime a customer requests it. colorful tie dye peace wielding 'eat at joes' tees. our server, keith?kevin?,was very friendly. alas,twas(yes i wrote twas punk) not enuf 2 make up 4 the stupid crab pots that come steaming and r corpse cold in less than 5. nuh uh. no flavor. no excitement. no...waiter. nooo check? NO ESCAPE! worth a try if u need something 2 do but its not 4 me. the man Jeremy A clearly had a different experience if u wish 2 read a more positive review. i wont go back. thanks 4 reading!
(2)
Rick L.
Worst ever.... Manager had to nerve to claim they brought me some one elses food. There were 7 people in the restaurant. Everyone had food but the 1 "victim" that was still ordering. Could have at least admitted the error, not lied. 2 other customers at the bar had to complain while we were there.
(1)
Shannon W.
My friend and I arrived at Joe's at 3 pm. The place was empty (which is typical for that time of day). There were only 2 other couples there when we arrived. We were greeted by two friendly faces and led to a suitable table. The music was good and the waitress was prompt with taking our drink orders and bringing them back. Those are the only good things I have to say. The rest of our visit was extremely disappointing. I ordered a Mahi sandwich and my friend ordered a burger topped with shrimp and onion rings. We waited nearly 45 MINUTES for our food (mind you, there is no one else eating at this time). When our food did finally come, my friend's burger looked like something they unwrapped from McDonald's and threw some tiny shrimp and onion rings on top. My Mahi sandwich didn't come with any tartar sauce so I had to wait about 10 minutes to get the waitress' attention just for my sauce (she should have returned much sooner to see if we needed anything...especially since we had waited so long for your food). The waitress apologized for the wait and said she would send the Manager over. My sandwich was dry, tasteless and certainly not worth the wait. When the manager came over, my friend complained about the wait for our food and she said that she would give us complimentary dessert. We finished our meal and ordered key lime pie to go (since we had been there nearly an hour and a half by then). The waitress brought the check, we paid it and then sat and waited another 10 minutes for our pie. When we got to the car and opened the box, we found one small slice of pie. All in all, slow service, bland food, overpriced and not impressive at all. We won't be going back.
(1)
Mike P.
Unimpressed. Sat at the bar for dinner under very bright lights. Felt as though there was a spotlight on me. I asked about the prices on the wine list. There were none. The bartender said "we don't have the prices on the menu, which one were you interested in"? WHY would you not put the prices on the menu for the customers to see? Got a bad feeling about the place and walked out. My bets are 1 year and no more Joe's. The next one will move in and fail just like all have since Houston's closed.
(2)
Trisha F.
Really slow service. My wine came in mini caraf with a dirty glass so asked for another and waited 15 minutes. My boyfriend waited 20 minutes for his mudslide, which we both watched melting at the bar. The crab dip was good but, spinach dip was super runny and both were barely warm. There seemed to be plenty of servers so, not sure why we hardly saw ours. The food was very underwhelming. I cant believe I'm saying this but, Id prefer Red Lobster over this place. Its Bubba Gump atmosphere with Rustic Inn prices. Our table light went out and we ate mostly in the dark. It cam back on as we paid the bill. The crab cakes were super salty and they put Old Bay seasoning on everything!!! We will not be back! They should have re-opened the Brick House. It was much better!
(1)
Joe C.
Went two times and ordered bucket of seafood. Top much old bay seasoning on all the seafood including lobster which ruined it. The next time it was fish and chips too much breaking and way salty. Drink was good. If you are a seafood lover go someplace else.
(1)
Joanne J.
HORRIBLE Service!!! We had a 10 minute wait so we decided to get a drink at the bar which was not crowded. We were not even acknowledge and our table was ready so we left the bar without a drink. We ordered our drinks at the table and they arrived 20 minutes after we sat down. Ice had melted and drinks were watered down. Sent them back. Ordered appetizers which came but no silverware. Waitress was nice but very inexperienced. Food arrived fish was over cooked and by that time I could not even enjoy it if it was good.
(1)
Heidy S.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant EVER!!! Their Dungeness Crab is soooo sweet and the spices they use are amazing!!! Their staff are friendly and attentive. You won't be disappointed. LOVE IT!!!
(5)
Susan T.
The food is fair and reasonable but they force you to drink out of stupid wine glasses. The backround noise is to loud making conversation difficult.
(3)
J G.
This place just opened a few months ago and I had been meaning to go here several times. A friend recently went and said it wasn't worth all the hype and still I wanted to check it out myself. Was in the mood for dinner, even checked out the menu online before driving here. While I have eaten at other Joe's in the past, this one truly lives up to its name. Unfortunately it appears to have fallen the way of many other south Florida businesses. While signs proclaiming open til midnight 7 days, I walked in and found two girls losing on the host podium. Certainly not enough biz to need two, let alone leaning. Went to inside bar area, went to sit down, only to find, something sticky OBVIOUSLY all over the seat. Had to ask it be wiped down. For starters, I ordered 12 steamed shrimp for approximately 9 bucks, thinking they would be at least what I am used to at other places. WRONG! About the smallest shrimp I have ever seen arrived. I began eating minus any napkins and/or utensils. Finally after asking, one of the two female bartenders brought me a roll of paper towels, yet I don't believe in utensils, not that one necessarily needs utensils for shrimp, thought I was planning to get dinner and had made that clear when ordering shrimp. Decided to skip dinner and went somewhere else. Think twice before going here!
(1)
Natasha C.
Love Joe's Crab Shack! We had a great shrimp, crab fritters and mixed drinks. We sat on the patio, which is great for Florida weather. It rained, but briefly and we were not affected. The waitress was really nice. She knew the menu extremely well. She also knew the area well. She directed us to a few dessert spots after our meal. The space did have a few ducks that hung out under the patio waiting for someone to drop or give them food. They were really cute. I didn't feed them. The waitress chased them away, but they came back. I didn't mind the entertainment. Great parking. They also have a bar that can be accessed out on the patio along with TVs. Seems like a popular spot and its located a few miles away from the beach.
(4)
Rochelle S.
Sean was a superior server! Made the experience fun & was attentive without hovering. The food was perfect, and the drinks were definitely not weak. I had a great time.
(5)
Roman L.
Pay attention to the reviews... Everything was raw and over salted... Waiter was nice
(1)
Holly S.
I have been to the Joe's location on University so my expectations for this location were that I would experience similar service. Not so much. Was here on a weeknight when it wasn't very busy. Sat outside however the view is of the parking lot and/or federal highway. Service was slow. Very slow. Placed our order around 6:05 and didn't get served until close to 7:00. We even had to ask for silverware because it wasn't given to us. To top it off they ran out of Pinot Grigio and I heard another guest ask for another wine that they also ran out of. Next thing they were asking for our wines glasses back because they had run out of clean dishes and glasses (mind you, the place was not even half full). The food was meh at best. The waitress was as nice as she could be however she was also the bartender so she had to make her way to us when there wasn't someone at the bar needing her attention. Don't think I will return.
(2)
Valerie H.
I cant believe this place is still in business. I actually feel bad writing this review. The first time I went my experience was beyond terrible! Didn't have a server or did we? Food was gross and we sat there for 25 minutes waiting for check while manager say 5 feet away at the bar having dinner. It was late and I worked in the restaurant industry for a long time so I get that a manager would be having dinner at the bar, but not when the restaurant was in disarray. Bar was full of dirty glasses,we NEVER go refills. It was a mess. I called corporate had a really candid conversation with the manager and he went me a $100 gift card. I went back, months later. Things didn't change. They were actually worse. I feel bad because the manager seems like a good guy, but the restaurant is a mess. But it's not entirely his fault, the staff needs to play their part!
(1)
David D.
UPDATE 5 MONTHS LATER: This place still blows. I must be here during a shift change because I sat at a table outside and made eye contact with two stone-faced servers who couldn't even muster a, "I'll be right with you." And they're not busy -- it's 4:45pm. When I finally did get a server, he's a nice guy but I ordered a beer and he automatically brought me the 22oz (larger, more expensive) size. They've closed 75% of the outside bar (their primary draw). Again, it's like they (still) don't want business or good reviews. I'm looking forward to the next restaurant to take this spot. The outside bar is nice. Shame to see it wasted.
(1)
D. H.
Not sure what all the negative reviews are about service. Maybe we hit it at the right time but the service was excellent - we were seated right away, got our drinks within 5 minutes, and our waitress was great. The food.....the food was phenomenal. We started with the crab meat nachos - a big heaping portion of heated to order corn chips, loaded with crab meat, cheese, etc. I had the seaside plate - fried shrimp, french fries, fried scallops, and fried fish. Everything was perfectly cooked - portions were good, and the price was good. Would definitely go back.
(4)
Ian C.
I gave it one star because the food formula is good Service was lousy so disappointed. This was an event that we planned for a birthday celebration. The waiter was attentive... but the mechanism is broken
(1)
Anthony S.
This place is amazing. Great finger-lickin' food, great service, fun atmosphere. I will happily return when I am up that way. We need one in Miami Beach too!
(5)
Marqus R.
Joe's Seafood Shack (a chain with other locations known as Joe's Crab Shack), is located in what was formerly the location of a failed Brick House, is one of those novelty type restaurants given to lots of gimmickry; wait staff wearing replica psychedelic 60's or 70's tie dyed t-shirts with emblazoned peace emblems, walls cover with meant to be nifty sayings like "When fishing bait your hook with love," "Peace, Love and crabs," margaritas served in mason jars where you get to keep the jar as souvenir, metal buckets in which to put your shells and scraps and a general atmosphere oozing with a chainy but tourist inviting casualness. As far as food offerings, however, the menu is impressively large and from what I've had to eat all rather good. You can easily tell that their menu and preparations, as is common with a chain restaurant, have been worked over to the point of perfection for what they have intended. Hence, the chances of encountering any unwelcomed surprises or irregular variations would be rare. Though none of the offerings appear to come from any fresh or South Florida regional stock, it's all consistent as well as better than might be found at any similar competing chains. As for drinks, they have a very good selection of beers along with a wide selection of mostly novelty type cocktails, tasty enough but low octane, certainly not what I would call hand crafted, mostly low octane with commercially prepared mixers.
(3)
Jerry S.
The decor looked strange but we decided to give it a shot. Good thing we did because the food was great! Fish and Chips were made fresh. Crab dip was quite delectable. Service was absolutely wonderful! Reasonably priced too. We will definitely come back.
(5)
Shamea S.
Me and my husband came here for date night and I must say the food was pretty good. I really have no complaints about this place. It's nice and a good place to go if your on a budget..
(3)
Jim J.
This is the modern day version of the old Shells chain. Very good for the price, $21.79 for a mixed seafood platter, fried, $3 for draft beer, Fat Tire, and $6.79 for a frozen Mudslide. Bartender and wait staff were attentive and cute (yes, there is value in cuteness). The platter consisted of Balls of Fire (hush puppy stuffed with jalapeno and cream cheese, very good), crab stuffed shrimp, very good, and coconut shrimp, decent but a little bland. The value is definitely there. The only real negatives were the wait time on our platter (28 minutes, I time it on my phone so that's not Eastern Hungry Customer time, which is always double the real wait time). The other negative was the slowness of the business. I live nearby so I pass by a lot and I've never seen it terribly busy. One of the design flaws I saw was that you have to go in the front door and ask to be seated in the obviously more appealing patio, rather than simply being able to walk onto the OMAP patio directly. It's one of those decisions where some head honcho at a meeting said, "Oh, we have to design it this way because..(enter whatever trivial point - that was magnified by the importance of the speaker - that you want)". Joe's may be suffering from the common failing of corporate restaurants where the Dilberts call the shots while sending the Einsteins to wash the dishes. But, what do I know? I'm just having fun yet I'd love to see a creative restaur-entrepreneur take this upscale seafood dive concept to a higher level.
(4)
Bryan T.
Food was good. . .service just ok. Order an appetizer and a dish to share; the portions are big.
(3)
Laura P.
Wow! They didn't miss a beat! Our server, Manisha was amazing! She literally read my mind on multiple occasions throughout the meal! The drinks were amazing! The food was delicious! The servers even line danced to some cool hip hop songs! They created a fun, light atmosphere that resulted in an experience that lived up to the 12+ months I've been waiting to come here! You guys were worth every bit of the 40 minute ride north to get here from Miami. Keep it up!
(5)
Jennifer R.
Everythubg was delicious and fresh! service was good . Crab and Lobster Boil Amazing! i am definately coming back! Great kids menu too with a little bit of everything.
(5)
Slim D.
6 tvs . Plenty of tables and a decent sized bar . Menu wasnt bad for seafood and the drink was well made. We were greeted before even coming inside.
(4)
Margarita M.
I am so disappointed at this location. My coworkers and I went in on Friday at noon for lunch. There were a total of about 20 people in the restaurant - that was including our party of 8. We were celebrating a birthday, so we asked for one check, as we are going to divide it all in the end. We were promptly served our drinks and our order was taken pretty quickly as well. Then came the wait. This wait went on for quite some time. A clam chowder was dropped off to one of our party, and we all stared longingly. We had all been waiting now for quite some time. We were told that all the food was ready except for one plate. We told them to just bring what was ready out since we were waiting so long, and this was our lunch hour. Finally, a few minutes later we were all served our food... all except the birthday girl. She, by the way, was the only one who did not order seafood. We were all about halfway through our food before she was served her chicken tenders by the manager himself. He told her that her meal was being comped. In turn, we now asked for separate checks since we were not going to have to pay for the birthday girl anymore. We were all given our proper checks at the end of the meal. Somehow, I ended up being charged for someone else's meal on my credit card. When I pointed this out, the server told me that's why it's better to split the checks at the beginning. Seriously?? It was fine when she brought me the check, but wrong when she swiped my card. This, of course, incurred yet another wait. I did mention this was our lunch hour, right? While waiting for my check to be corrected, I went on Joe's website to complain. The manager called me back about half an hour later to apologize, but I was in a meeting at the time. He stated in his message that he would be calling me back. Needless to say, I can't recommend this place if you're going for lunch on a weekday, and you only have an hour. Don't be fooled by how empty the place is - it will still be a long wait. The only positive in this review: the food was excellent. Absolutely everyone in our party was satisfied, and the food tasted great.
(2)
Delilah B.
I was really looking forward to dinner tonight with my kids and several friends. Unfortunately we had a horrible server "Michelle" we had to remind several times to bring drinks and when she did bring them they were wrong. The kitchen manager saw we were struggling to get get her attention and finally helped us. None of the other servers have each other's backs enough to even make eye contact with us. Food was mediocre too. Really dumb, We were a party of nine and usually tip really well, I almost feel bad I only left her 15%. I will not return to this location. That says a lot considering the last time I went last year, after they first opened, I loved it and had a great time.
(2)
Bianca D.
Worst customer service ever .. I waited 25 minutes to get my check I had to give my check to another waiter to check me out my waiter never came back to check on on us... And it's not like it was busy it was actually empty ......Because I never gave him a tip he followed us to ask what was wrong with his customer service I would never return ...
(1)
SHERRYL K.
OK....this is the 4th and definitely our last visit! We keep coming back because we love the idea of sitting outside eating seafood with the A/C wafting through the open-air bar. The food, however, leaves so much to be desired. It was happy hour (where all appetizers are half off), so we placed our drink orders while we looked over the appetizer menu. They were all out of house chardonnay, so I ordered the good stuff. They were all out of that as well. My husband's first choice of a draft beer was also unavailable (the tap ran dry) We both chose a margarita instead. They were so watered down that they tasted like remnants of someone else's drinks. After sending them back and getting a bit of attitude from the bartender, we settled for 2 new ones that were still watered down. We said nothing, but order the appetizer combo. The calamari was so rubbery that chewing became a task. Washing it down with the watery margarita did not make it much easier. We didn't stay for the crabs this time because we didn't want to be disappointed....again. They sell T-shirts that say.....Peace, Love & Crabs. Cute, just don't eat 'em at Joe's.
(1)
Ted S.
Love this place. Will be back very soon. Great food and service. The drinks are very good too. Happy birthday Derly.
(5)
Danielle D.
Very disappointed with the service I received here as getting anything in a timely manner was an absolute challenge. Initially when I walked in there was no one at the hostess podium and it was quite a wait to get seated. Finally seated getting a drink was a long wait, from the one appetizer to finally the food. The last straw was when my order came out incorrect and our waitress could care less. Thankfully there was another waitress nearby that took care of us and insured my issue was fixed and checked on us frequently after all the hassle. Then the manager came by and adjusted our bill for the inconvenience and did his best to insure we left happy. I do hope this place gets it together as my kids love coming here.
(2)
Lea N.
I went here to pick up some appetizers to go. Disappointing is generous in description. I was SHOCKED that the crab dip came with a whopping 3 Tbs of actual dip. How is that ok? Ordered a sampler meal as an app as I was told it came with 4 stuffed shrimp. A crab cake and a fish fillet. Only 2 shrimp. Ugh. No wonder the restaurant was nearly empty at 5pm.
(2)
Bianca P.
Not the best seafood I have had but for the price you can't beat it. My father made a request that he wanted to eat seafood on Father's Day and he loved the place
(4)
Katrina B.
Excellent service Jessica was great new location, great atmosphere.Had a really good time will definitely be returning.
(4)
s t.
Everything was overcooked. The lobster was shriveled up in the shell so no meat inside. The hush puppies came out right away and was cold and dry so I think that it must have been old and not made to order. Dirty rice tasty but super salty and did not taste fresh. It's a shame to disrespect seafood by cooking it poorly and not to order. I would not go back.
(1)
Dawn P.
I used to love this place. I don't know what happened since they announced they are taking over Red Lobster. I never saw anyone screw up a salad till I ordered one on my last visit. The lettuce was sad. And then the crabcake on top was burned to a crisp. But they put the more-scorched side down so I wouldn't notice. Classy. Server Jama was wonderful but I feel bad that she has to bring out such ugly meals from the back.
(2)
Troy B.
Good service, really attentive, eager and helpful Food was tasty but nothing special. You can do better for seafood in Ft. Lauderdale but the great service made this an enjoyable experience
(3)
Zac V.
I wont go into great detail and bash the restaurant. I will only say I've been to several Joes and this one is below average. I struggled giving them 3 stars.The crabs seem smaller and the drinks weak. Now I just order pepsi. I've come to the conclusion it must be management. The staff dont ever seem happy. Although the bartender doesnt smile much, she gets my order right and out to me fast. I know Joes can do better.
(3)
Vincent V.
Non-smokers are basically "banned" from the patio because Joe's allows smoking of any tobacco there. Inside, this location appears to be one large mess type of hall. Staff is friendly and helpful with the exception perhaps of our server on the first night we were there. This Joe's doesn't have the staff dancing in the aisles that makes other locations so much more entertaining. Food is decent, not great. We had regular dinner items on the first two occasions which were well prepared. For our third and last dinner, my wife had the snow crab which was very fresh and good tasting except for one set of legs that were old and very salty - couldn't eat it. Manager came up with an excuse rather than an apology but compensated anyway. After reading reviews of other fish restaurants in the area this Joe's appeared a safe alternative. I might still go back but only if they turn the A/C lower - it's practically freezing inside - and seating inside at the partially exposed to outside warm air bar was not an option after we fled from the cigar smokers on the patio because it is a "different area...," whatever that means.
(2)
Jason S.
Understandably it takes a lot to run a restaurant. We called ahead and advised that we would be a party of 8. We gave an agreed upon time, however when we got to joes we waited 20 minutes. Once seated we waited another 20 minutes for service. We asked for a manager and got Amari. He is by far one of the best restaurant managers I have ever dealt with, understanding, caring, and made this wrong a right. I will certainly visit this location again, albeit with a smaller party.
(4)
Rose D.
I had a great experience here. The food was great. Take me at my word, I'm a picky eater and likely to find something wrong in almost anything. But no complaints here. I sat at the bar with a friend, we shared the calamari appetizer (I am no huge fan of calamari) and it was finger lickin worthy. My main course was the shrimp stuffed crab, crab rice, and broccoli - I cleared the plate. The drinks were good. Happy hour M-F, yay! I will definitely be back.
(5)
Jim J.
The food at the location we went to was fine... that fact that we waited 30 minutes for drinks, and another HOUR to get food of any kind was just ridiculous. If you have to go to Joe's, go to the one on Semoran Blvd in Orlando. This location blows.
(2)
Steven M.
I was surprised at how bad this place is. I've been to other Joe's before and while the food isn't great, it's usually not too bad. This place was empty and the bucket I had was so overcooked it was ridiculous. Dance music but no dancing. Very, very disappointing.
(2)
DR. DREE C.
The only reason this gets two stars is because our server was awesome! The food wasn't served hot. The Raging Cajun pots had no flavor. Basically a little old bay sprinkled on top. The lobsters were old and the crabs mushy. I'm in the biz and know old seafood. Very disappointed. Manager comped a meal but honestly I wouldn't go back.
(2)
Henry H.
Not as good as they should be. I shared an appetizer with my girlfriend. It was a sampler. 5 coconut shrimp that tasted like greasy fried shrimp, some sort of dough balls that had no flavor or any kind of fish in them( I looked they were just fried dough) and we had chips with a dipping sauce. Again nothing to do with fish or seafood and the dip was milky and had hot sauce on it. No flavor what so ever. I got an Atlantic Steam Pot. The menu said it came with Lobster, snow crab and a load of shrimp. Well there was a Lobster and it was good. There was some snow crab , not alot and that was fine too but the load of shrimp was a load. I dont remember that a load of something means 5. The sausage that came with it was the saltiest, greasy thing I ever ate. I will admit that it was so much quieter than the one in Sunrise on University. No one was dancing to some stupid song that blares on the speakers with all the rediculous lights. It was a peacfil but mediocre lunch .
(2)
Howard H.
Wow didn't this place used to be Brick House? The whole dinning area has completely been transformed. Our waitress was friendly and the service was pretty good. Bar needs lots of help because it took us 15min to get our beers. Ordered a crab steam pot, tasted alright but for the price, I'd much prefer to dine in Rustic Inn.
(3)
Karen Q.
I enjoyed the food and drinks very much. Was craving crabs and lobster and the Artic Bay Steampot hit the spot. Try their iced teas and margaritas while you wait for your food. Service was normal.
(4)
Ale A.
Godo place. A little slow to bring the food to the table. Good music. Good service. Ok food. Place looks good.
(4)
Jocelyn P.
Absolutely awesome! We went for lunch one day and it was so delicious we came back the next day for dinner and drinks! All the drinks can come in a shareable fishbowl size and they make sure that there's someone who can drive home and there's a limit on the big stuff so everyone's safe which is nice. The steam pots are awesome! It's really nice to get a taste of home so far away! Not easy finding real Old Bay on steamed seafood outside of Baltimore but they offer Chesapeake style, which I highly recommend. Another great thing, they have a gluten free menu which is so hard to find and everything is delicious. For dessert we went with the cobbler and it was just right, a little hot, but I like my ice cream melting over my cobbler. ;)
(4)
Liz M.
My husband and I enjoy seafood and neither one of us had been to a Joe's Crab Shack before. It was pretty good but not exactly what we were expecting. The food was slightly bland but otherwise good. I would eat there again.
(4)
A A.
We really liked this place and thoroughly enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. If you like seafood this is a great place to go. We were in Ft. Lauderdale for vacation and despite some of the bad reviews on here tried it out. We ordered calamari which was a pretty large portion and delicious, and we are pretty picky with calamari. For our meals we both had the fisherman platter which had a combination of seafood, also very good. The drinks were also delicious. I ordered the mojito and my bf ordered the southern spiked tea. As a nice added touch you get to keep the crab shack mug your drink comes in! We will definitely be back here whether in FL or where we live.
(5)
Bill L.
My family and I love the location in Orlando, FL. This location seems to get worse each time we go. This time was the third strike unfortunately. The food was very disappointing. The flies were annoying but worst of all were the ducks pooing all over the floor in the outside dining area and it is to cold for my kids inside.
(2)
Elisabeth C.
The first time I came here, I had a good experience. Food was great and so was the service. This time around I waited 30 minutes for my food, but Sam the waitress was very apologetic and treated me to desert. It was a very nice gesture that I won't forget. I will come back only because I believe that we all make mistakes. I appreciated how Sam handled the situation.
(4)
Lindsey Y.
Being a server, I almost never complain about service and food while out but after the horrible service and food I had last night I will never be back. Our night started off by sitting for almost 15 minutes without drinks or anything while we were only 1 of 3 tables. We then were approached by two different servers. The server that finally took our food orders was somewhat new and did not know anything on the menu. Any questions we asked she had to walk away and ask and then brought us our soup cold. We then brought up that we had not gotten our appetizer and we realized she had never put it in because she didn't even know what to ring in then blamed it on the cooks. By the time we got our food all of it was cold and two of the items were messed up. During the time we ate, none of us were offered refills or the butter that was supposed to come with our meals. Then when it came time to pay the bill we noticed the waitress had added gratuity to the bill which left her with 25.00$. She told us the manager was in the back cooking so we could not talk with him unless we waited. When we called we were told a manger would call us back and they never had. Being a server I understand what it takes to make money and live off of tips but I would never add gratuity to a bill of five people when I had barely even been by the table. To say the least it was the worst service I have ever encountered and will not be returning.
(1)
Dre H.
All the servers are kids who have no idea about the menu , location is calm nothing like the others . Tvs only at the bar no were close to the cheap new tables . Host was too busy joking around with another worker before seating us . The manager that I did see seemed soft as in the workers ran her bad location will not return
(1)
Alex G.
Came here during "happy hour" on a Monday, and the place was empty. Decided to sit at the bar (outside facing in), and try their steamed crab. Draft beer selection standard but acceptable. Obviously, as a chain, I wasn't expecting "excellence." Bartenders were pleasant and quick, but the second bartender asked if we wanted to order any food (we already had ordered from the other one); time to communicate, guys. Then the food came out: decent crab, with tasty red potato and fresh corn. The greatest crab? No. It was fine, and it hit the spot. They throw the sauce/style on last minute, obviously, as the flavors didn't really cook into the crab. Still, $3 beers and steamed crab served hot? Solid three stars.
(3)
Irene E.
This place was really bad! I should have know from the bad smell when I walked in. My waitress looked dazed and confused, spilling my drink on my food and not making any connection what so ever. I spent 170 bucks for a bad experience, bad food, and small portions, I could tell by my food that the grill wasn't cleaned and there was absolutely NO taste to there batter. I will never go back. Not at all what the commercials show ya on TV. =(
(1)
B K.
Not impressed. The local food definitely is a better choice but even compare to other Joes this place is slacking. Great set up but the other reviews were accurate to my experience; slow service and over cooked food. My only positive comment would be the beer =) cold and a decent selection.
(2)
Coral K.
i enjoyed this place! I'm rating this place based on what it is. No, this isn't a four star restaurant by any stretch of the imagination but for what it is, the place offers good food. It wasn't packed when we got there, we sat at the bar and ordered, service was pretty slow, a little too slow, but our waitress/bartender was really nice. The food was pretty good for the price. I live close by so I'm definitely going to return for some yummy food!
(4)
Brandi D.
Come early. I came early and my food was SPOT ON. Service was awesome. See photos below.
(4)
Erik S.
This was a very good place to eat. Relied on Yelp's reviews and I was not disappointed at all. Space to eat in and outside...with a good atmosphere. Lastly, if your trying a little bit of alcohol...you have to get the "Shark Bite".
(5)
Steve R.
Joe's completely met my expectations of a chain seafood restaurant. In fact, they may have slightly exceeded our expectations on this visit. We found the service friendly and helpful and the food was tasty. The ambiance is nice and relaxed although I agree that the dining room has a cafeteria feel to it. We sat outside and there are TVs which on the night we went were appropriately showing football. We ordered the classic sampler and found the balls of fire fun and tasty. Almost like a jalapeño popper but it is mushed up into a fried ball. We also got the crab daddy feast which we enjoyed. We were not impressed with the peach cobbler. Altogether, we had a nice time and will likely be back when we are looking for that type of food later at night or with a group.
(3)
Jim G.
This location has been a revolving door for restaurants. For years, none has found success here. This one will not either. On a recent night, we sat outside because the inside restaurant had exactly two people seated. That caused a concern. It was a valid early warning. Our order was screwed up, but remedied. One dinner was cold and undercooked. The manager also corrected that, and respectfully deducted the charge from our final check. Was it just a "bad night" during the busy holidays? Was the waitress sleep-deprived? Was the defrosting process for the food not done properly? Who knows--and who cares. Even if the crabcakes weren't served uncooked and cold, they were full of stuffing with little fresh crab in evidence. Avoid this place for now...there will be something else in this space soon enough if history teaches us anything.
(1)
Mary J.
Had dinner at bar. Staff very nice bit overwhelmed. Food AWFUL! If you like seafood , avoid.. Asst mgr comped meal due to service and food . Offered $25 off if we return which we never ever will. McDonald's fish sandwich is better!!!
(1)
Dave G.
I'd love to review it however we were never waited on. We sat 5:00 and left. The manager offered an appetizer as we were leaving but it doesn't replace a "hello, I'll be right with you." BTW the restaurant was nearly empty.
(1)
Thomas Z.
I went here for dinner a couple nights ago with a friend. The place recently opened, and has a great sign, location, and look to it. Let me start with the positive here, the service was great ! I'm so sorry I can't remember our server's name, but she was super friendly, bubbly, knowledgeable, and attentive. She was great ! Now the food. If my eye were closed, I would have thought I was at Denny's. Overcooked, small portions, and salty. What a disappointment !! :-( I had the Mango Shrimp, and they were very small. About half the size of the shrimp in a standard shrimp cocktail. Drenched in salt, and swimming in overcooked rice. My friend had the lobster and crab steamer pot. It didn't look anything like the menu photo, which makes it look enticing and overflowing ! lol Small portions, too salty, and overcooked (I tried my friend's meal too). We didn't have any appetizers or alcohol, and the bill with tip was $63. ouch !!!! Definitely I will not be back.
(2)
Night Ryder I.
I have dined at this new location three times and haven't been disappointed yet. Pleasant servers, great food. Big fan of the Fried Calamari appetizer and Classic Steampot, but I promise to try something else from the menu on my next visit.
(4)
Michael P.
i love crab and shrimp and seafood, the first time i went i enjoyed my experience but the second time i was let down, if im paying good money i expect better service and higher quality, the sausage in the steampot was cheap and the crab tasted frozenish.
(3)
Mark B.
Just had appetizers - sampler and mussles diablo. Both were ok. While both were just ok, I'd go back to try the steamer pots. New spot with potential.
(2)
Bob C.
The service is so poor here that it surprises me that it is possible to keep this business operating. I gave it a second chance hoping that it was a fluke...same story. The food is ok based on the first visit, but not worth the begging I had to do to get attention once seated. Management needs to reevaluate their training methods. Walked out after 20 minutes on the second attempt to have a meal here. Read the reviews carefully....same story over and over, managment needs to be replaced.
(1)
Pascal M.
Food was uneventful. This chain is on life support. However, Jared our server, was fantastic. He went out of his way to explain the menu, corporate history, and most importantly a little something about Ft. Lauderdale.
(2)
Minerva N.
First time in a Joe's Crab Shack and my husband and I were VERY pleased with the food and the service! Our waiter, Tommy, was very efficient, attentive and friendly and the food that came out was all fresh and absolutely delicious. I tried what the menu labels as a 'new' sauce: Garlic butter - and it was very garlicky - just as I would like it. My hubby's sirloin steak was cooked very well and very tasty - he hates seafood and only eats meat. I had the Joe's Classic Steampot (for 2, but I ate it single handedly...LOL) and substituted more shrimp for the sausage and had it with Antarctic King and Snow crab - all in one meal - accompanied with new potatoes and corn on the cob. All deliciously prepared and fresh. For dessert, we had a sweet masterpiece called Campfire Smores where they Campfire S'mores serve you a huge slice of chocolate cake between two crispy graham crackers topped with a Hershey's® Chocolate Bar and freshly toasted marshmallows. Wow! All wonderfully delicious food and I'm asking for Tommy next time we go there as he was an awesome waiter. I would highly recommend this one especially for Seafood lovers...
(4)
A. C.
Stopped for a beer with a friend. Understaffed! The bartender was so overwhelmed with work that it took us 10 min for a simple $5 domestic draft. BTW, this was a Monday night.
(1)
Jeremy A.
I really enjoyed eating here at Joe's. My server Keith was fantastic. He explained the menu and all the specials with great enthusiasm. We got the stuffed mushrooms to start which were very good. Then we got a Joe's classic steam pot for two which was excellent. I loved the corn, sausage, and potatoes mixed in the pot. What topped off my experience at Joe's was when all the servers got together and started dancing in the middle of the dinning room!! This made it a lot of fun to eat there. All in all I will definitely return to Joe's. The energy in here was great.
(5)
Chantal N.
I love joes margaritas! And they let you keep the jars. Costumer service was excellent. Girls had smiles and served us in a timely manner. My favorite is the queen crab steamed with butter garlic.
(5)
Lydia M.
Best fish around, better than Red Lobster. Shrimp is big an juicy. white fish is so tender. Staff is super nice and fast service. You judge for yourself.
(5)
Paul G.
Best French fries I've had at a Joe's. Usually stay away from fat and fried but fries are a weakness and the occasional treat, so I'm very happy when they are above average. The drinks on Happy Hour are a bargain, I like the Hurricane and almost always get one on Happy Hour. You can always be sure of a good drink and food at Joe's
(5)
Jonathan f.
Very average kind of place for laid back seafood. The menu has a variety of seafood buckets, handhelds and salads. Well balanced. We usually sit at the bar. This is because the inside is too cold and the outside is usually too hot. It is Florida, must I remind you. This restaurant gets 3 stars due to much too long of wait for food to come out.
(3)
Michael A.
I come here every now and then for a painting class- so far twice. The first was not bad though the food was overpriced and not very tasty. The second time however, I had brought two friends with me and I was embarrassed at the service we got. The service was so slow i had to ask the hostess to get the waiter. I also had to ask for silverware. Additionally they ran out of my guest's pinot grigio. The food arrived so late that we had to eat really fast to make it to our painting class in time.
(2)
Sergio L.
I am on the fence between giving this restaurant one or two stars. The only reason why I would consider giving the two star rating is because the Manager did the right thing and eventually intervened after a very long evening of poor service. I called in earlier in the week because we were coming in with a large party of 12 and realized ahead of time the challenges this could bring. This included family from overseas, as well as friends that drove over an hour to get to this location, and myself who unfortunately recommended this location. We have eaten at Joe's Crabshack often at different locations and do not think that this experience is reflective of the overall chain but rather this specific location. The visit started well by receiving a call about 30 minutes before the reservation time to confirm our visit. When we arrived, we immediately attempted to simplify the process by letting the waiter know that we would be breaking up the check by couple so that it wouldn't be cumbersome to do so later. Drinks took an extremely long time to come out and the food took over an hour and a half to be served. Additionally, the crab came out cold, the burgers were charred, and the order was also incorrect. I would like to mention that the restaurant was not packed by any means which would have allowed me to justify this type of delay. Finally after 2:30 hours we finally left the restaurant frustrated, hungry, and ultimately stopped at another place for a quick bite before heading home. Even the drinks took forever to come out. The table was consistently with empty cups and despite our best effort did not find relief. While management did their part to try to accommodate us towards the end, the experience was bad enough that I will not be revisiting this location.
(1)
Anne M.
I wish I paid attention to the stars given to this facility. I went with my husband around 9:30pm and the guy told us we could sit anywhere, the booth we picked was sticky and had crab meat around it, we cleaned it with some napkins and the server picked it up but the whole time the table was sticky that even the plates would stick to them. I got the snow crabs, they were okay, not very meaty, I would have had better luck at Red Lobster. Corn on the cob was good. My husband got the east coast platter which includes shrimp, fried fish and a crab cake. He was very disappointed, it looked nothing like on the photo and the portion was very small. The shrimps were small, crab cake was ok (nothing worthy) and fish was a small piece of fried fish that tasted like it was from Long John Silver. We will never return to any Crab Shack and wished we had gone to Long John or Red lobster, save your money and go elsewhere. Servers were okay, this establishment looked kinda dirty and they don't really clean their tables from what I saw, I suggested they thoroughly spray those tables down and clean them after the customer leaves.
(1)
VIDA L.
Amazing service from the time we sat down! Brian was a great server and the timing between courses was perfect!! Our family will definitely be back!
(5)
Tamara C.
We keep coming back but not sure why... This time was to bring out of town guests who wanted to try it. The food is ok but the service is always sketchy. Last night they were out of clam chowder, out of Mason jars for the advertised drinks and out of ketchup bottles. It was almost like they were going out of business and just using what they had available. We shared the 33 shrimp dinner which was very tasty and a steam bucket which was also good. My mom's corn looked as it was shriveled up so it just may have been old, the bloody Mary looked nothing like the picture which showed a crab and olive coming out of the glass. When asked why it looked different than picture they brought the next drink out with the smallest leg I have ever seen. The first Margarita was not the best I have ever had but drinkable and the second tasted like water and had no ice so I think they made it a while before bringing it out. I typically will order a single in a tall glass... I am not the type who like my drink strong so there was something definitely wrong with the drink. The next drink they sent was normal. We had to get up twice to track down the server for basic things like crackers for the lobster and drinks. They did however, come and sing happy birthday for a birthday at our table and made it very festive.
(3)
Betsy A.
First time at Joes I have to say the service here is horrible, waited about 15min and nothing finally ask a server if he knew who r server was and he said I don't know let me find out. The hostess was very sweet and was sorry that we hadn't been served so she took our order and said the manager would come speak with us. The manager was cleaning tables and saw us but didn't come to speak with till after we got our dinner. He said the appetizer was on the house. When our food came out we didn't have silver wear or plates finally got those. Had to keep on asking for things like water and butter. The one thing I will say is that the food was great and the bloody Mary's r amazing, but service and the manger need lots of work.
(1)
Jessica Q.
Amazing! The waiting time wasn't bad for it being Mother's Day. It's hard for me to find a place with fresh seafood and this place hit the spot! :)
(5)
Cristina M.
If you're in the mood for seafood and you're looking for a casual restaurant, this is a good place. The service was pretty good, the manager stopped by 3 times to check in. The sampler appetizer was actually really good!
(4)
Megan C.
Can't believe I was 24 before I finally went to one of these. Loved it! I would have appreciated a little more guidance from my server when I asked for tips on how to get to my crab meat. I was/am a newbie and his instructions were "just use your hands". I struggled for my food but I had a good time anyways! The ambience was lively and the staff attentive.
(4)
Judy R.
We love to come to Joe's Crab Shack because we know we'll always be happy with our food and drinks... Happy Hour is 4-7 pm with $3 drinks (hurricanes, Margaritas & draws) and $5 bar food selections. We've also heard that they have the BEST crayfish in Ft. Lauderdale!!! Add it to your list of good places to eat!!!
(5)
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Address :1451 N Federal Hwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33304
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Mike H.
Joe's was slow while we were there around 5. The bartenders were friendly and helpful, but it appears the place is not organized well for food service. First of all, it appears that no one had bothered to set up the bar during the lunch shift, so the evening shift had to do all the work. We order an appetizer,the Sampler, and a soup as well as main dishes. The appetizer came out, but the soup did not. Our bartender informed the food runner that the soup was missing, and it needed to come out. The food runner did not bother to bring out the soup at all after that. Included in the Sampler was crab dip, while delicious, the tortillas served with it were all fried together for the most part. Additionally, our main dishes came out just five minutes after we received the appetizer. The food was sort of bland, but it's a chain restaurant. What do you expect? This was the purgatory of seafood restaurants.
(2)Sherene W.
I'm giving a 3 stars because I have had much better crabs than what I got at Joe's. But the scallops and shrimp wrapped in bacon was pretty good. Lobster was OK. The waiter was kind but seemed in a rush to tend to other tables. I will come back here only if I'm not the one paying..
(3)Peter M.
I normally give good reviews but this one falls short. I ask for a beer and the waitress assumes the huge one and obviously wants to run her bill up. I have to send it back as I've had a few already. Don't assume! I order the fish and chips that they advertise on the menu with malt vinegar, sounded great. They don't have vinegar, so I was told. REALLY? Meal was real slow coming out and manager obviously knew it as he came out to say so. Not really impressed. Don't know if it's even worth another try for me. Too bad.
(2)Jose F.
Went there on 2 occasions. The first time I ordered the stuffed snapper. My friend had the red fish pontchartrain. Both were succulent and delicious. The service was OK, although a bit slow and seemingly very disorganized. A server dragged out a full trash bin from behind the bar and suddenly half way to the back of the restaurant and right behind our table she lost control and it turned over with a huge bang and spilled its contents all over the place. Her colleagues all rushed over to clean up the mess. On my second visit I was looking forward to having the red fish pontchartrain. The place was packed and very busy but almost an hour later I still had not been served. Our server came by several times to apologize but still empty handed. At one point he said that they had served the wrong side with my entree and he had sent it back. Was it so hard just to replace the side? By the time my food came out the restaurant was clearing out and what I got was a blackened and dried out piece of fish which I refused to eat--or pay for. The manager was called and, of course, he apologized, and offered to redo my order. At that point I felt like I was being held hostage after sitting there for SEVERAL HOURS not being served and I just wanted to go. He promptly disappeared and both he and our server then avoided coming anywhere near our table at all costs. After about another 20 minutes he came out with a take out complimentary dinner of my original order although all I asked for was the check so I could get out of there. When I opened the carry out container I couldn't believe what I saw. Another blackened and burned out piece of fish!! This time with a bit more sauce on it and regular white instead of the dirty rice that was supposed to come with it. What on earth was going on in the kitchen??!! I paid the bar bill and hightailed it out of there. I wasn't even hungry anymore. What started out as an enjoyable night out with a friend turned into the absolutely worst dining experience in my life--and I NEVER complain about food!! Needless to say I will not be back.
(1)Emma L.
*sigh*no. look, fun-ish atmosphere,i guess. the servers have dance routines they do every hour or everytime a customer requests it. colorful tie dye peace wielding 'eat at joes' tees. our server, keith?kevin?,was very friendly. alas,twas(yes i wrote twas punk) not enuf 2 make up 4 the stupid crab pots that come steaming and r corpse cold in less than 5. nuh uh. no flavor. no excitement. no...waiter. nooo check? NO ESCAPE! worth a try if u need something 2 do but its not 4 me. the man Jeremy A clearly had a different experience if u wish 2 read a more positive review. i wont go back. thanks 4 reading!
(2)Rick L.
Worst ever.... Manager had to nerve to claim they brought me some one elses food. There were 7 people in the restaurant. Everyone had food but the 1 "victim" that was still ordering. Could have at least admitted the error, not lied. 2 other customers at the bar had to complain while we were there.
(1)Shannon W.
My friend and I arrived at Joe's at 3 pm. The place was empty (which is typical for that time of day). There were only 2 other couples there when we arrived. We were greeted by two friendly faces and led to a suitable table. The music was good and the waitress was prompt with taking our drink orders and bringing them back. Those are the only good things I have to say. The rest of our visit was extremely disappointing. I ordered a Mahi sandwich and my friend ordered a burger topped with shrimp and onion rings. We waited nearly 45 MINUTES for our food (mind you, there is no one else eating at this time). When our food did finally come, my friend's burger looked like something they unwrapped from McDonald's and threw some tiny shrimp and onion rings on top. My Mahi sandwich didn't come with any tartar sauce so I had to wait about 10 minutes to get the waitress' attention just for my sauce (she should have returned much sooner to see if we needed anything...especially since we had waited so long for your food). The waitress apologized for the wait and said she would send the Manager over. My sandwich was dry, tasteless and certainly not worth the wait. When the manager came over, my friend complained about the wait for our food and she said that she would give us complimentary dessert. We finished our meal and ordered key lime pie to go (since we had been there nearly an hour and a half by then). The waitress brought the check, we paid it and then sat and waited another 10 minutes for our pie. When we got to the car and opened the box, we found one small slice of pie. All in all, slow service, bland food, overpriced and not impressive at all. We won't be going back.
(1)Mike P.
Unimpressed. Sat at the bar for dinner under very bright lights. Felt as though there was a spotlight on me. I asked about the prices on the wine list. There were none. The bartender said "we don't have the prices on the menu, which one were you interested in"? WHY would you not put the prices on the menu for the customers to see? Got a bad feeling about the place and walked out. My bets are 1 year and no more Joe's. The next one will move in and fail just like all have since Houston's closed.
(2)Trisha F.
Really slow service. My wine came in mini caraf with a dirty glass so asked for another and waited 15 minutes. My boyfriend waited 20 minutes for his mudslide, which we both watched melting at the bar. The crab dip was good but, spinach dip was super runny and both were barely warm. There seemed to be plenty of servers so, not sure why we hardly saw ours. The food was very underwhelming. I cant believe I'm saying this but, Id prefer Red Lobster over this place. Its Bubba Gump atmosphere with Rustic Inn prices. Our table light went out and we ate mostly in the dark. It cam back on as we paid the bill. The crab cakes were super salty and they put Old Bay seasoning on everything!!! We will not be back! They should have re-opened the Brick House. It was much better!
(1)Joe C.
Went two times and ordered bucket of seafood. Top much old bay seasoning on all the seafood including lobster which ruined it. The next time it was fish and chips too much breaking and way salty. Drink was good. If you are a seafood lover go someplace else.
(1)Joanne J.
HORRIBLE Service!!! We had a 10 minute wait so we decided to get a drink at the bar which was not crowded. We were not even acknowledge and our table was ready so we left the bar without a drink. We ordered our drinks at the table and they arrived 20 minutes after we sat down. Ice had melted and drinks were watered down. Sent them back. Ordered appetizers which came but no silverware. Waitress was nice but very inexperienced. Food arrived fish was over cooked and by that time I could not even enjoy it if it was good.
(1)Heidy S.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant EVER!!! Their Dungeness Crab is soooo sweet and the spices they use are amazing!!! Their staff are friendly and attentive. You won't be disappointed. LOVE IT!!!
(5)Susan T.
The food is fair and reasonable but they force you to drink out of stupid wine glasses. The backround noise is to loud making conversation difficult.
(3)J G.
This place just opened a few months ago and I had been meaning to go here several times. A friend recently went and said it wasn't worth all the hype and still I wanted to check it out myself. Was in the mood for dinner, even checked out the menu online before driving here. While I have eaten at other Joe's in the past, this one truly lives up to its name. Unfortunately it appears to have fallen the way of many other south Florida businesses. While signs proclaiming open til midnight 7 days, I walked in and found two girls losing on the host podium. Certainly not enough biz to need two, let alone leaning. Went to inside bar area, went to sit down, only to find, something sticky OBVIOUSLY all over the seat. Had to ask it be wiped down. For starters, I ordered 12 steamed shrimp for approximately 9 bucks, thinking they would be at least what I am used to at other places. WRONG! About the smallest shrimp I have ever seen arrived. I began eating minus any napkins and/or utensils. Finally after asking, one of the two female bartenders brought me a roll of paper towels, yet I don't believe in utensils, not that one necessarily needs utensils for shrimp, thought I was planning to get dinner and had made that clear when ordering shrimp. Decided to skip dinner and went somewhere else. Think twice before going here!
(1)Natasha C.
Love Joe's Crab Shack! We had a great shrimp, crab fritters and mixed drinks. We sat on the patio, which is great for Florida weather. It rained, but briefly and we were not affected. The waitress was really nice. She knew the menu extremely well. She also knew the area well. She directed us to a few dessert spots after our meal. The space did have a few ducks that hung out under the patio waiting for someone to drop or give them food. They were really cute. I didn't feed them. The waitress chased them away, but they came back. I didn't mind the entertainment. Great parking. They also have a bar that can be accessed out on the patio along with TVs. Seems like a popular spot and its located a few miles away from the beach.
(4)Rochelle S.
Sean was a superior server! Made the experience fun & was attentive without hovering. The food was perfect, and the drinks were definitely not weak. I had a great time.
(5)Roman L.
Pay attention to the reviews... Everything was raw and over salted... Waiter was nice
(1)Holly S.
I have been to the Joe's location on University so my expectations for this location were that I would experience similar service. Not so much. Was here on a weeknight when it wasn't very busy. Sat outside however the view is of the parking lot and/or federal highway. Service was slow. Very slow. Placed our order around 6:05 and didn't get served until close to 7:00. We even had to ask for silverware because it wasn't given to us. To top it off they ran out of Pinot Grigio and I heard another guest ask for another wine that they also ran out of. Next thing they were asking for our wines glasses back because they had run out of clean dishes and glasses (mind you, the place was not even half full). The food was meh at best. The waitress was as nice as she could be however she was also the bartender so she had to make her way to us when there wasn't someone at the bar needing her attention. Don't think I will return.
(2)Valerie H.
I cant believe this place is still in business. I actually feel bad writing this review. The first time I went my experience was beyond terrible! Didn't have a server or did we? Food was gross and we sat there for 25 minutes waiting for check while manager say 5 feet away at the bar having dinner. It was late and I worked in the restaurant industry for a long time so I get that a manager would be having dinner at the bar, but not when the restaurant was in disarray. Bar was full of dirty glasses,we NEVER go refills. It was a mess. I called corporate had a really candid conversation with the manager and he went me a $100 gift card. I went back, months later. Things didn't change. They were actually worse. I feel bad because the manager seems like a good guy, but the restaurant is a mess. But it's not entirely his fault, the staff needs to play their part!
(1)David D.
UPDATE 5 MONTHS LATER: This place still blows. I must be here during a shift change because I sat at a table outside and made eye contact with two stone-faced servers who couldn't even muster a, "I'll be right with you." And they're not busy -- it's 4:45pm. When I finally did get a server, he's a nice guy but I ordered a beer and he automatically brought me the 22oz (larger, more expensive) size. They've closed 75% of the outside bar (their primary draw). Again, it's like they (still) don't want business or good reviews. I'm looking forward to the next restaurant to take this spot. The outside bar is nice. Shame to see it wasted.
(1)D. H.
Not sure what all the negative reviews are about service. Maybe we hit it at the right time but the service was excellent - we were seated right away, got our drinks within 5 minutes, and our waitress was great. The food.....the food was phenomenal. We started with the crab meat nachos - a big heaping portion of heated to order corn chips, loaded with crab meat, cheese, etc. I had the seaside plate - fried shrimp, french fries, fried scallops, and fried fish. Everything was perfectly cooked - portions were good, and the price was good. Would definitely go back.
(4)Ian C.
I gave it one star because the food formula is good Service was lousy so disappointed. This was an event that we planned for a birthday celebration. The waiter was attentive... but the mechanism is broken
(1)Anthony S.
This place is amazing. Great finger-lickin' food, great service, fun atmosphere. I will happily return when I am up that way. We need one in Miami Beach too!
(5)Marqus R.
Joe's Seafood Shack (a chain with other locations known as Joe's Crab Shack), is located in what was formerly the location of a failed Brick House, is one of those novelty type restaurants given to lots of gimmickry; wait staff wearing replica psychedelic 60's or 70's tie dyed t-shirts with emblazoned peace emblems, walls cover with meant to be nifty sayings like "When fishing bait your hook with love," "Peace, Love and crabs," margaritas served in mason jars where you get to keep the jar as souvenir, metal buckets in which to put your shells and scraps and a general atmosphere oozing with a chainy but tourist inviting casualness. As far as food offerings, however, the menu is impressively large and from what I've had to eat all rather good. You can easily tell that their menu and preparations, as is common with a chain restaurant, have been worked over to the point of perfection for what they have intended. Hence, the chances of encountering any unwelcomed surprises or irregular variations would be rare. Though none of the offerings appear to come from any fresh or South Florida regional stock, it's all consistent as well as better than might be found at any similar competing chains. As for drinks, they have a very good selection of beers along with a wide selection of mostly novelty type cocktails, tasty enough but low octane, certainly not what I would call hand crafted, mostly low octane with commercially prepared mixers.
(3)Jerry S.
The decor looked strange but we decided to give it a shot. Good thing we did because the food was great! Fish and Chips were made fresh. Crab dip was quite delectable. Service was absolutely wonderful! Reasonably priced too. We will definitely come back.
(5)Shamea S.
Me and my husband came here for date night and I must say the food was pretty good. I really have no complaints about this place. It's nice and a good place to go if your on a budget..
(3)Jim J.
This is the modern day version of the old Shells chain. Very good for the price, $21.79 for a mixed seafood platter, fried, $3 for draft beer, Fat Tire, and $6.79 for a frozen Mudslide. Bartender and wait staff were attentive and cute (yes, there is value in cuteness). The platter consisted of Balls of Fire (hush puppy stuffed with jalapeno and cream cheese, very good), crab stuffed shrimp, very good, and coconut shrimp, decent but a little bland. The value is definitely there. The only real negatives were the wait time on our platter (28 minutes, I time it on my phone so that's not Eastern Hungry Customer time, which is always double the real wait time). The other negative was the slowness of the business. I live nearby so I pass by a lot and I've never seen it terribly busy. One of the design flaws I saw was that you have to go in the front door and ask to be seated in the obviously more appealing patio, rather than simply being able to walk onto the OMAP patio directly. It's one of those decisions where some head honcho at a meeting said, "Oh, we have to design it this way because..(enter whatever trivial point - that was magnified by the importance of the speaker - that you want)". Joe's may be suffering from the common failing of corporate restaurants where the Dilberts call the shots while sending the Einsteins to wash the dishes. But, what do I know? I'm just having fun yet I'd love to see a creative restaur-entrepreneur take this upscale seafood dive concept to a higher level.
(4)Bryan T.
Food was good. . .service just ok. Order an appetizer and a dish to share; the portions are big.
(3)Laura P.
Wow! They didn't miss a beat! Our server, Manisha was amazing! She literally read my mind on multiple occasions throughout the meal! The drinks were amazing! The food was delicious! The servers even line danced to some cool hip hop songs! They created a fun, light atmosphere that resulted in an experience that lived up to the 12+ months I've been waiting to come here! You guys were worth every bit of the 40 minute ride north to get here from Miami. Keep it up!
(5)Jennifer R.
Everythubg was delicious and fresh! service was good . Crab and Lobster Boil Amazing! i am definately coming back! Great kids menu too with a little bit of everything.
(5)Slim D.
6 tvs . Plenty of tables and a decent sized bar . Menu wasnt bad for seafood and the drink was well made. We were greeted before even coming inside.
(4)Margarita M.
I am so disappointed at this location. My coworkers and I went in on Friday at noon for lunch. There were a total of about 20 people in the restaurant - that was including our party of 8. We were celebrating a birthday, so we asked for one check, as we are going to divide it all in the end. We were promptly served our drinks and our order was taken pretty quickly as well. Then came the wait. This wait went on for quite some time. A clam chowder was dropped off to one of our party, and we all stared longingly. We had all been waiting now for quite some time. We were told that all the food was ready except for one plate. We told them to just bring what was ready out since we were waiting so long, and this was our lunch hour. Finally, a few minutes later we were all served our food... all except the birthday girl. She, by the way, was the only one who did not order seafood. We were all about halfway through our food before she was served her chicken tenders by the manager himself. He told her that her meal was being comped. In turn, we now asked for separate checks since we were not going to have to pay for the birthday girl anymore. We were all given our proper checks at the end of the meal. Somehow, I ended up being charged for someone else's meal on my credit card. When I pointed this out, the server told me that's why it's better to split the checks at the beginning. Seriously?? It was fine when she brought me the check, but wrong when she swiped my card. This, of course, incurred yet another wait. I did mention this was our lunch hour, right? While waiting for my check to be corrected, I went on Joe's website to complain. The manager called me back about half an hour later to apologize, but I was in a meeting at the time. He stated in his message that he would be calling me back. Needless to say, I can't recommend this place if you're going for lunch on a weekday, and you only have an hour. Don't be fooled by how empty the place is - it will still be a long wait. The only positive in this review: the food was excellent. Absolutely everyone in our party was satisfied, and the food tasted great.
(2)Delilah B.
I was really looking forward to dinner tonight with my kids and several friends. Unfortunately we had a horrible server "Michelle" we had to remind several times to bring drinks and when she did bring them they were wrong. The kitchen manager saw we were struggling to get get her attention and finally helped us. None of the other servers have each other's backs enough to even make eye contact with us. Food was mediocre too. Really dumb, We were a party of nine and usually tip really well, I almost feel bad I only left her 15%. I will not return to this location. That says a lot considering the last time I went last year, after they first opened, I loved it and had a great time.
(2)Bianca D.
Worst customer service ever .. I waited 25 minutes to get my check I had to give my check to another waiter to check me out my waiter never came back to check on on us... And it's not like it was busy it was actually empty ......Because I never gave him a tip he followed us to ask what was wrong with his customer service I would never return ...
(1)SHERRYL K.
OK....this is the 4th and definitely our last visit! We keep coming back because we love the idea of sitting outside eating seafood with the A/C wafting through the open-air bar. The food, however, leaves so much to be desired. It was happy hour (where all appetizers are half off), so we placed our drink orders while we looked over the appetizer menu. They were all out of house chardonnay, so I ordered the good stuff. They were all out of that as well. My husband's first choice of a draft beer was also unavailable (the tap ran dry) We both chose a margarita instead. They were so watered down that they tasted like remnants of someone else's drinks. After sending them back and getting a bit of attitude from the bartender, we settled for 2 new ones that were still watered down. We said nothing, but order the appetizer combo. The calamari was so rubbery that chewing became a task. Washing it down with the watery margarita did not make it much easier. We didn't stay for the crabs this time because we didn't want to be disappointed....again. They sell T-shirts that say.....Peace, Love & Crabs. Cute, just don't eat 'em at Joe's.
(1)Ted S.
Love this place. Will be back very soon. Great food and service. The drinks are very good too. Happy birthday Derly.
(5)Danielle D.
Very disappointed with the service I received here as getting anything in a timely manner was an absolute challenge. Initially when I walked in there was no one at the hostess podium and it was quite a wait to get seated. Finally seated getting a drink was a long wait, from the one appetizer to finally the food. The last straw was when my order came out incorrect and our waitress could care less. Thankfully there was another waitress nearby that took care of us and insured my issue was fixed and checked on us frequently after all the hassle. Then the manager came by and adjusted our bill for the inconvenience and did his best to insure we left happy. I do hope this place gets it together as my kids love coming here.
(2)Lea N.
I went here to pick up some appetizers to go. Disappointing is generous in description. I was SHOCKED that the crab dip came with a whopping 3 Tbs of actual dip. How is that ok? Ordered a sampler meal as an app as I was told it came with 4 stuffed shrimp. A crab cake and a fish fillet. Only 2 shrimp. Ugh. No wonder the restaurant was nearly empty at 5pm.
(2)Bianca P.
Not the best seafood I have had but for the price you can't beat it. My father made a request that he wanted to eat seafood on Father's Day and he loved the place
(4)Katrina B.
Excellent service Jessica was great new location, great atmosphere.Had a really good time will definitely be returning.
(4)s t.
Everything was overcooked. The lobster was shriveled up in the shell so no meat inside. The hush puppies came out right away and was cold and dry so I think that it must have been old and not made to order. Dirty rice tasty but super salty and did not taste fresh. It's a shame to disrespect seafood by cooking it poorly and not to order. I would not go back.
(1)Dawn P.
I used to love this place. I don't know what happened since they announced they are taking over Red Lobster. I never saw anyone screw up a salad till I ordered one on my last visit. The lettuce was sad. And then the crabcake on top was burned to a crisp. But they put the more-scorched side down so I wouldn't notice. Classy. Server Jama was wonderful but I feel bad that she has to bring out such ugly meals from the back.
(2)Troy B.
Good service, really attentive, eager and helpful Food was tasty but nothing special. You can do better for seafood in Ft. Lauderdale but the great service made this an enjoyable experience
(3)Zac V.
I wont go into great detail and bash the restaurant. I will only say I've been to several Joes and this one is below average. I struggled giving them 3 stars.The crabs seem smaller and the drinks weak. Now I just order pepsi. I've come to the conclusion it must be management. The staff dont ever seem happy. Although the bartender doesnt smile much, she gets my order right and out to me fast. I know Joes can do better.
(3)Vincent V.
Non-smokers are basically "banned" from the patio because Joe's allows smoking of any tobacco there. Inside, this location appears to be one large mess type of hall. Staff is friendly and helpful with the exception perhaps of our server on the first night we were there. This Joe's doesn't have the staff dancing in the aisles that makes other locations so much more entertaining. Food is decent, not great. We had regular dinner items on the first two occasions which were well prepared. For our third and last dinner, my wife had the snow crab which was very fresh and good tasting except for one set of legs that were old and very salty - couldn't eat it. Manager came up with an excuse rather than an apology but compensated anyway. After reading reviews of other fish restaurants in the area this Joe's appeared a safe alternative. I might still go back but only if they turn the A/C lower - it's practically freezing inside - and seating inside at the partially exposed to outside warm air bar was not an option after we fled from the cigar smokers on the patio because it is a "different area...," whatever that means.
(2)Jason S.
Understandably it takes a lot to run a restaurant. We called ahead and advised that we would be a party of 8. We gave an agreed upon time, however when we got to joes we waited 20 minutes. Once seated we waited another 20 minutes for service. We asked for a manager and got Amari. He is by far one of the best restaurant managers I have ever dealt with, understanding, caring, and made this wrong a right. I will certainly visit this location again, albeit with a smaller party.
(4)Rose D.
I had a great experience here. The food was great. Take me at my word, I'm a picky eater and likely to find something wrong in almost anything. But no complaints here. I sat at the bar with a friend, we shared the calamari appetizer (I am no huge fan of calamari) and it was finger lickin worthy. My main course was the shrimp stuffed crab, crab rice, and broccoli - I cleared the plate. The drinks were good. Happy hour M-F, yay! I will definitely be back.
(5)Jim J.
The food at the location we went to was fine... that fact that we waited 30 minutes for drinks, and another HOUR to get food of any kind was just ridiculous. If you have to go to Joe's, go to the one on Semoran Blvd in Orlando. This location blows.
(2)Steven M.
I was surprised at how bad this place is. I've been to other Joe's before and while the food isn't great, it's usually not too bad. This place was empty and the bucket I had was so overcooked it was ridiculous. Dance music but no dancing. Very, very disappointing.
(2)DR. DREE C.
The only reason this gets two stars is because our server was awesome! The food wasn't served hot. The Raging Cajun pots had no flavor. Basically a little old bay sprinkled on top. The lobsters were old and the crabs mushy. I'm in the biz and know old seafood. Very disappointed. Manager comped a meal but honestly I wouldn't go back.
(2)Henry H.
Not as good as they should be. I shared an appetizer with my girlfriend. It was a sampler. 5 coconut shrimp that tasted like greasy fried shrimp, some sort of dough balls that had no flavor or any kind of fish in them( I looked they were just fried dough) and we had chips with a dipping sauce. Again nothing to do with fish or seafood and the dip was milky and had hot sauce on it. No flavor what so ever. I got an Atlantic Steam Pot. The menu said it came with Lobster, snow crab and a load of shrimp. Well there was a Lobster and it was good. There was some snow crab , not alot and that was fine too but the load of shrimp was a load. I dont remember that a load of something means 5. The sausage that came with it was the saltiest, greasy thing I ever ate. I will admit that it was so much quieter than the one in Sunrise on University. No one was dancing to some stupid song that blares on the speakers with all the rediculous lights. It was a peacfil but mediocre lunch .
(2)Howard H.
Wow didn't this place used to be Brick House? The whole dinning area has completely been transformed. Our waitress was friendly and the service was pretty good. Bar needs lots of help because it took us 15min to get our beers. Ordered a crab steam pot, tasted alright but for the price, I'd much prefer to dine in Rustic Inn.
(3)Karen Q.
I enjoyed the food and drinks very much. Was craving crabs and lobster and the Artic Bay Steampot hit the spot. Try their iced teas and margaritas while you wait for your food. Service was normal.
(4)Ale A.
Godo place. A little slow to bring the food to the table. Good music. Good service. Ok food. Place looks good.
(4)Jocelyn P.
Absolutely awesome! We went for lunch one day and it was so delicious we came back the next day for dinner and drinks! All the drinks can come in a shareable fishbowl size and they make sure that there's someone who can drive home and there's a limit on the big stuff so everyone's safe which is nice. The steam pots are awesome! It's really nice to get a taste of home so far away! Not easy finding real Old Bay on steamed seafood outside of Baltimore but they offer Chesapeake style, which I highly recommend. Another great thing, they have a gluten free menu which is so hard to find and everything is delicious. For dessert we went with the cobbler and it was just right, a little hot, but I like my ice cream melting over my cobbler. ;)
(4)Liz M.
My husband and I enjoy seafood and neither one of us had been to a Joe's Crab Shack before. It was pretty good but not exactly what we were expecting. The food was slightly bland but otherwise good. I would eat there again.
(4)A A.
We really liked this place and thoroughly enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. If you like seafood this is a great place to go. We were in Ft. Lauderdale for vacation and despite some of the bad reviews on here tried it out. We ordered calamari which was a pretty large portion and delicious, and we are pretty picky with calamari. For our meals we both had the fisherman platter which had a combination of seafood, also very good. The drinks were also delicious. I ordered the mojito and my bf ordered the southern spiked tea. As a nice added touch you get to keep the crab shack mug your drink comes in! We will definitely be back here whether in FL or where we live.
(5)Bill L.
My family and I love the location in Orlando, FL. This location seems to get worse each time we go. This time was the third strike unfortunately. The food was very disappointing. The flies were annoying but worst of all were the ducks pooing all over the floor in the outside dining area and it is to cold for my kids inside.
(2)Elisabeth C.
The first time I came here, I had a good experience. Food was great and so was the service. This time around I waited 30 minutes for my food, but Sam the waitress was very apologetic and treated me to desert. It was a very nice gesture that I won't forget. I will come back only because I believe that we all make mistakes. I appreciated how Sam handled the situation.
(4)Lindsey Y.
Being a server, I almost never complain about service and food while out but after the horrible service and food I had last night I will never be back. Our night started off by sitting for almost 15 minutes without drinks or anything while we were only 1 of 3 tables. We then were approached by two different servers. The server that finally took our food orders was somewhat new and did not know anything on the menu. Any questions we asked she had to walk away and ask and then brought us our soup cold. We then brought up that we had not gotten our appetizer and we realized she had never put it in because she didn't even know what to ring in then blamed it on the cooks. By the time we got our food all of it was cold and two of the items were messed up. During the time we ate, none of us were offered refills or the butter that was supposed to come with our meals. Then when it came time to pay the bill we noticed the waitress had added gratuity to the bill which left her with 25.00$. She told us the manager was in the back cooking so we could not talk with him unless we waited. When we called we were told a manger would call us back and they never had. Being a server I understand what it takes to make money and live off of tips but I would never add gratuity to a bill of five people when I had barely even been by the table. To say the least it was the worst service I have ever encountered and will not be returning.
(1)Dre H.
All the servers are kids who have no idea about the menu , location is calm nothing like the others . Tvs only at the bar no were close to the cheap new tables . Host was too busy joking around with another worker before seating us . The manager that I did see seemed soft as in the workers ran her bad location will not return
(1)Alex G.
Came here during "happy hour" on a Monday, and the place was empty. Decided to sit at the bar (outside facing in), and try their steamed crab. Draft beer selection standard but acceptable. Obviously, as a chain, I wasn't expecting "excellence." Bartenders were pleasant and quick, but the second bartender asked if we wanted to order any food (we already had ordered from the other one); time to communicate, guys. Then the food came out: decent crab, with tasty red potato and fresh corn. The greatest crab? No. It was fine, and it hit the spot. They throw the sauce/style on last minute, obviously, as the flavors didn't really cook into the crab. Still, $3 beers and steamed crab served hot? Solid three stars.
(3)Irene E.
This place was really bad! I should have know from the bad smell when I walked in. My waitress looked dazed and confused, spilling my drink on my food and not making any connection what so ever. I spent 170 bucks for a bad experience, bad food, and small portions, I could tell by my food that the grill wasn't cleaned and there was absolutely NO taste to there batter. I will never go back. Not at all what the commercials show ya on TV. =(
(1)B K.
Not impressed. The local food definitely is a better choice but even compare to other Joes this place is slacking. Great set up but the other reviews were accurate to my experience; slow service and over cooked food. My only positive comment would be the beer =) cold and a decent selection.
(2)Coral K.
i enjoyed this place! I'm rating this place based on what it is. No, this isn't a four star restaurant by any stretch of the imagination but for what it is, the place offers good food. It wasn't packed when we got there, we sat at the bar and ordered, service was pretty slow, a little too slow, but our waitress/bartender was really nice. The food was pretty good for the price. I live close by so I'm definitely going to return for some yummy food!
(4)Brandi D.
Come early. I came early and my food was SPOT ON. Service was awesome. See photos below.
(4)Erik S.
This was a very good place to eat. Relied on Yelp's reviews and I was not disappointed at all. Space to eat in and outside...with a good atmosphere. Lastly, if your trying a little bit of alcohol...you have to get the "Shark Bite".
(5)Steve R.
Joe's completely met my expectations of a chain seafood restaurant. In fact, they may have slightly exceeded our expectations on this visit. We found the service friendly and helpful and the food was tasty. The ambiance is nice and relaxed although I agree that the dining room has a cafeteria feel to it. We sat outside and there are TVs which on the night we went were appropriately showing football. We ordered the classic sampler and found the balls of fire fun and tasty. Almost like a jalapeño popper but it is mushed up into a fried ball. We also got the crab daddy feast which we enjoyed. We were not impressed with the peach cobbler. Altogether, we had a nice time and will likely be back when we are looking for that type of food later at night or with a group.
(3)Jim G.
This location has been a revolving door for restaurants. For years, none has found success here. This one will not either. On a recent night, we sat outside because the inside restaurant had exactly two people seated. That caused a concern. It was a valid early warning. Our order was screwed up, but remedied. One dinner was cold and undercooked. The manager also corrected that, and respectfully deducted the charge from our final check. Was it just a "bad night" during the busy holidays? Was the waitress sleep-deprived? Was the defrosting process for the food not done properly? Who knows--and who cares. Even if the crabcakes weren't served uncooked and cold, they were full of stuffing with little fresh crab in evidence. Avoid this place for now...there will be something else in this space soon enough if history teaches us anything.
(1)Mary J.
Had dinner at bar. Staff very nice bit overwhelmed. Food AWFUL! If you like seafood , avoid.. Asst mgr comped meal due to service and food . Offered $25 off if we return which we never ever will. McDonald's fish sandwich is better!!!
(1)Dave G.
I'd love to review it however we were never waited on. We sat 5:00 and left. The manager offered an appetizer as we were leaving but it doesn't replace a "hello, I'll be right with you." BTW the restaurant was nearly empty.
(1)Thomas Z.
I went here for dinner a couple nights ago with a friend. The place recently opened, and has a great sign, location, and look to it. Let me start with the positive here, the service was great ! I'm so sorry I can't remember our server's name, but she was super friendly, bubbly, knowledgeable, and attentive. She was great ! Now the food. If my eye were closed, I would have thought I was at Denny's. Overcooked, small portions, and salty. What a disappointment !! :-( I had the Mango Shrimp, and they were very small. About half the size of the shrimp in a standard shrimp cocktail. Drenched in salt, and swimming in overcooked rice. My friend had the lobster and crab steamer pot. It didn't look anything like the menu photo, which makes it look enticing and overflowing ! lol Small portions, too salty, and overcooked (I tried my friend's meal too). We didn't have any appetizers or alcohol, and the bill with tip was $63. ouch !!!! Definitely I will not be back.
(2)Night Ryder I.
I have dined at this new location three times and haven't been disappointed yet. Pleasant servers, great food. Big fan of the Fried Calamari appetizer and Classic Steampot, but I promise to try something else from the menu on my next visit.
(4)Michael P.
i love crab and shrimp and seafood, the first time i went i enjoyed my experience but the second time i was let down, if im paying good money i expect better service and higher quality, the sausage in the steampot was cheap and the crab tasted frozenish.
(3)Mark B.
Just had appetizers - sampler and mussles diablo. Both were ok. While both were just ok, I'd go back to try the steamer pots. New spot with potential.
(2)Bob C.
The service is so poor here that it surprises me that it is possible to keep this business operating. I gave it a second chance hoping that it was a fluke...same story. The food is ok based on the first visit, but not worth the begging I had to do to get attention once seated. Management needs to reevaluate their training methods. Walked out after 20 minutes on the second attempt to have a meal here. Read the reviews carefully....same story over and over, managment needs to be replaced.
(1)Pascal M.
Food was uneventful. This chain is on life support. However, Jared our server, was fantastic. He went out of his way to explain the menu, corporate history, and most importantly a little something about Ft. Lauderdale.
(2)Minerva N.
First time in a Joe's Crab Shack and my husband and I were VERY pleased with the food and the service! Our waiter, Tommy, was very efficient, attentive and friendly and the food that came out was all fresh and absolutely delicious. I tried what the menu labels as a 'new' sauce: Garlic butter - and it was very garlicky - just as I would like it. My hubby's sirloin steak was cooked very well and very tasty - he hates seafood and only eats meat. I had the Joe's Classic Steampot (for 2, but I ate it single handedly...LOL) and substituted more shrimp for the sausage and had it with Antarctic King and Snow crab - all in one meal - accompanied with new potatoes and corn on the cob. All deliciously prepared and fresh. For dessert, we had a sweet masterpiece called Campfire Smores where they Campfire S'mores serve you a huge slice of chocolate cake between two crispy graham crackers topped with a Hershey's® Chocolate Bar and freshly toasted marshmallows. Wow! All wonderfully delicious food and I'm asking for Tommy next time we go there as he was an awesome waiter. I would highly recommend this one especially for Seafood lovers...
(4)A. C.
Stopped for a beer with a friend. Understaffed! The bartender was so overwhelmed with work that it took us 10 min for a simple $5 domestic draft. BTW, this was a Monday night.
(1)Jeremy A.
I really enjoyed eating here at Joe's. My server Keith was fantastic. He explained the menu and all the specials with great enthusiasm. We got the stuffed mushrooms to start which were very good. Then we got a Joe's classic steam pot for two which was excellent. I loved the corn, sausage, and potatoes mixed in the pot. What topped off my experience at Joe's was when all the servers got together and started dancing in the middle of the dinning room!! This made it a lot of fun to eat there. All in all I will definitely return to Joe's. The energy in here was great.
(5)Chantal N.
I love joes margaritas! And they let you keep the jars. Costumer service was excellent. Girls had smiles and served us in a timely manner. My favorite is the queen crab steamed with butter garlic.
(5)Lydia M.
Best fish around, better than Red Lobster. Shrimp is big an juicy. white fish is so tender. Staff is super nice and fast service. You judge for yourself.
(5)Paul G.
Best French fries I've had at a Joe's. Usually stay away from fat and fried but fries are a weakness and the occasional treat, so I'm very happy when they are above average. The drinks on Happy Hour are a bargain, I like the Hurricane and almost always get one on Happy Hour. You can always be sure of a good drink and food at Joe's
(5)Jonathan f.
Very average kind of place for laid back seafood. The menu has a variety of seafood buckets, handhelds and salads. Well balanced. We usually sit at the bar. This is because the inside is too cold and the outside is usually too hot. It is Florida, must I remind you. This restaurant gets 3 stars due to much too long of wait for food to come out.
(3)Michael A.
I come here every now and then for a painting class- so far twice. The first was not bad though the food was overpriced and not very tasty. The second time however, I had brought two friends with me and I was embarrassed at the service we got. The service was so slow i had to ask the hostess to get the waiter. I also had to ask for silverware. Additionally they ran out of my guest's pinot grigio. The food arrived so late that we had to eat really fast to make it to our painting class in time.
(2)Sergio L.
I am on the fence between giving this restaurant one or two stars. The only reason why I would consider giving the two star rating is because the Manager did the right thing and eventually intervened after a very long evening of poor service. I called in earlier in the week because we were coming in with a large party of 12 and realized ahead of time the challenges this could bring. This included family from overseas, as well as friends that drove over an hour to get to this location, and myself who unfortunately recommended this location. We have eaten at Joe's Crabshack often at different locations and do not think that this experience is reflective of the overall chain but rather this specific location. The visit started well by receiving a call about 30 minutes before the reservation time to confirm our visit. When we arrived, we immediately attempted to simplify the process by letting the waiter know that we would be breaking up the check by couple so that it wouldn't be cumbersome to do so later. Drinks took an extremely long time to come out and the food took over an hour and a half to be served. Additionally, the crab came out cold, the burgers were charred, and the order was also incorrect. I would like to mention that the restaurant was not packed by any means which would have allowed me to justify this type of delay. Finally after 2:30 hours we finally left the restaurant frustrated, hungry, and ultimately stopped at another place for a quick bite before heading home. Even the drinks took forever to come out. The table was consistently with empty cups and despite our best effort did not find relief. While management did their part to try to accommodate us towards the end, the experience was bad enough that I will not be revisiting this location.
(1)Anne M.
I wish I paid attention to the stars given to this facility. I went with my husband around 9:30pm and the guy told us we could sit anywhere, the booth we picked was sticky and had crab meat around it, we cleaned it with some napkins and the server picked it up but the whole time the table was sticky that even the plates would stick to them. I got the snow crabs, they were okay, not very meaty, I would have had better luck at Red Lobster. Corn on the cob was good. My husband got the east coast platter which includes shrimp, fried fish and a crab cake. He was very disappointed, it looked nothing like on the photo and the portion was very small. The shrimps were small, crab cake was ok (nothing worthy) and fish was a small piece of fried fish that tasted like it was from Long John Silver. We will never return to any Crab Shack and wished we had gone to Long John or Red lobster, save your money and go elsewhere. Servers were okay, this establishment looked kinda dirty and they don't really clean their tables from what I saw, I suggested they thoroughly spray those tables down and clean them after the customer leaves.
(1)VIDA L.
Amazing service from the time we sat down! Brian was a great server and the timing between courses was perfect!! Our family will definitely be back!
(5)Tamara C.
We keep coming back but not sure why... This time was to bring out of town guests who wanted to try it. The food is ok but the service is always sketchy. Last night they were out of clam chowder, out of Mason jars for the advertised drinks and out of ketchup bottles. It was almost like they were going out of business and just using what they had available. We shared the 33 shrimp dinner which was very tasty and a steam bucket which was also good. My mom's corn looked as it was shriveled up so it just may have been old, the bloody Mary looked nothing like the picture which showed a crab and olive coming out of the glass. When asked why it looked different than picture they brought the next drink out with the smallest leg I have ever seen. The first Margarita was not the best I have ever had but drinkable and the second tasted like water and had no ice so I think they made it a while before bringing it out. I typically will order a single in a tall glass... I am not the type who like my drink strong so there was something definitely wrong with the drink. The next drink they sent was normal. We had to get up twice to track down the server for basic things like crackers for the lobster and drinks. They did however, come and sing happy birthday for a birthday at our table and made it very festive.
(3)Betsy A.
First time at Joes I have to say the service here is horrible, waited about 15min and nothing finally ask a server if he knew who r server was and he said I don't know let me find out. The hostess was very sweet and was sorry that we hadn't been served so she took our order and said the manager would come speak with us. The manager was cleaning tables and saw us but didn't come to speak with till after we got our dinner. He said the appetizer was on the house. When our food came out we didn't have silver wear or plates finally got those. Had to keep on asking for things like water and butter. The one thing I will say is that the food was great and the bloody Mary's r amazing, but service and the manger need lots of work.
(1)Jessica Q.
Amazing! The waiting time wasn't bad for it being Mother's Day. It's hard for me to find a place with fresh seafood and this place hit the spot! :)
(5)Cristina M.
If you're in the mood for seafood and you're looking for a casual restaurant, this is a good place. The service was pretty good, the manager stopped by 3 times to check in. The sampler appetizer was actually really good!
(4)Megan C.
Can't believe I was 24 before I finally went to one of these. Loved it! I would have appreciated a little more guidance from my server when I asked for tips on how to get to my crab meat. I was/am a newbie and his instructions were "just use your hands". I struggled for my food but I had a good time anyways! The ambience was lively and the staff attentive.
(4)Judy R.
We love to come to Joe's Crab Shack because we know we'll always be happy with our food and drinks... Happy Hour is 4-7 pm with $3 drinks (hurricanes, Margaritas & draws) and $5 bar food selections. We've also heard that they have the BEST crayfish in Ft. Lauderdale!!! Add it to your list of good places to eat!!!
(5)