Being new to Charleston we are always looking for a new eating experience. Service was outstanding. Food was delish. Drinks on point. My only complaint was the crab dip was aweful.
(4)
Hana M.
The long trip to Nelli grocery left me starved and famished one day so we went next door to the crab shack. My first impression of this place is I really don't like feeling as if I'm dinning inside a dimly-lit, dusty, 200 year old pirate ship. Also for lunch on a thursday, it was completely dead and we had very slow service so lots of waiting in a dark and quiet restaurant isn't fun. I got the crab cake sandwich and found it to be really dry and bland :/ Everything from the salad (iceberg with a couple of cherry tomatoes) to the fries were boring and tasteless.
(1)
K J.
We had an excellent late lunch experience here. They went out of their way to accommodate a food allergy for us. The mahi wrap and crab cakes were delicious. We enjoyed a family bucket of crab legs. Our waitress, Brandy, was awesome. We would come back.
(5)
Kathleen M.
Last night my dinner companion and I both got pretty sick after eating. I had eaten thier before but will not be returning anytime soon since being ill. The server was polite and quick.
(1)
Amy D.
Overall impression = 'meh.' If we find ourselves back in West Ashley, we wouldn't return. Food was "ok" but overpriced. Profits from the She Crab Soup go to charity, but overall it was the thinnest/least flavorable She Crab soup we had all week. Server & manager were friendly. The rail next to our booth was super dusty, & then a large palmetto bug/cockroach walked casually down said rail when we were halfway through dinner. Gross. The manager did take $5 off our bill for the "inconvienence" though... Ick.
(1)
Catey W.
The food was just fine, the drink was sugary but that's my fault for what I ordered. I did have one thing that would bring me back for me though...I may have encountered one of the nicest servers I've ever met. Kudos to management for finding a great person to have on staff.
(4)
Julie E.
My husband and I went here for our two-year anniversary. Big mistake. I'm all about the "rustic" look of a seafood restaurant, but at least let it be a CLEAN rustic look. There was dirt all on the floor by our table, mingling with the light brown of broken peanut shells. I was initially excited to see the bucket hole in the middle of the table, as I then knew that this place served a steamed seafood bucket. I was correct, however, I made the mistake of assuming it would be the same quality and size I received at the Crab Shack in Tybee Island (no chain, not in relation to this one, as I found out). Gordon Ramsey, please don't visit this restaurant, as it may give you a heart attack. It was easy to see that much of the food from our appetizer (crab stuffed mushrooms) was reheated and not fresh. Our "double serving steamed bucket" had only four measley pieces of Andouille sausage in it, and the red velvet cheesecake....tasted NOTHING like red velvet. Long story short, as my husband and I left the restaurant, we couldn't help but thank the stars that this was only our two-year anniversary and not our 72nd anniversary....because that meant we would have plenty more milestone meals to help us forget this one. haha.
(2)
Tom H.
Large portions of fresh seafood. My wife had the grilled platter and loved it. The Charleston fried platter tasted freshly breaded. The hushpuppys were hot and not greasy at all. Stopped on whim, I am glad I did not read the reviews before stopping.
(4)
Felicia F.
I got the offer for a free crab dip so I decided to try it and it was delicious. I ordered the fried mahi, it was okay a little greasy but the side of squash was delicious. We also ordered a seafood steam platter with shrimp and crab with potatoes and sausage and that was delicious as well, a little on the pricey side though
(4)
Joy G.
Dirty
(1)
John F.
I ordered the Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits and it had a ton of shrimp. The portions was large I had to bring home leftovers. I also ordered the fried green tomatoes that I haven't had in years sweet and hot! We had a seat in mins after arriving on a Wednesday night and the service was excellent. A pleasant surprise for a first night dinner in Charleston! Everyone had different dishes and the overall comment was how fresh the seafood was and cooked properly I will return!
(4)
Deb B.
Average. The fried fish was good. Not great. Not horrible. The good thing is they have good happy hour prices and if you sign up for their email, they'll send you pretty good coupons. With the coupons, that's all I'm willing to pay. The place is cute and could be great for large groups.
(3)
Bill M.
My experience didn't rise above average. This is a place that belongs near the Market, plenty of nautical decor to reinforce that you're at the beach. The visitor will overlook the average food. As for the food, the 1.5lb steamed shrimp was good, but nothing special. It was plenty of food for $8.99. The wife's Crab Melt sandwich was ok. It was a little pricey at $11. The beers were cold and reasonable, but the overall experience left me underwhelemed. Plenty of room in the place, and the decor is entertaining for the first visit. The third star is for hope, that I'll find a way to return and find something different on the menu that is really good.
(3)
Kim F.
TERRIBLE! Expensive! Never again!
(1)
Adrian M.
8 of us went for dinner. 2 thought their meal was meh- meatloaf and BBQ ribs and shrimp. All the rest of us got seafood and we all really liked it. Good fried shrimp, scallops, grilled fish, and fried green tomatoes. Great crab cakes, she crab soup, and artichoke dip. Get seafood if you go.
(3)
Karen T.
Took almost 11/2 hours to get just ok food that took 5 min. To eat! Don't go here.
(1)
Zoe S.
Good fried seafood. Great service and friendly atmosphere. Enjoyed good and friendly service.
(3)
Brian J.
Roadside shack by Sis, Crab in a boil not to miss, Cold beer on the side.
(3)
Jaycie R.
This place should be re-named the Crap Shack. Our food was cold when it came out. The red potatoes were barely cooked and zuchinni and squash were basically raw. My husband's clam strips on the Captain's Platter were in huge clumps. The manager came out to check on us. We told her we were unhappy and why. She looked at us with a blank stare, said she would see what she could do. Ten minutes later the waitress hands us the check. We told her we were still waiting on the manager. Ten more minutes go by, mind you the restaurant is empty. She finally comes back out with ten dollars subtracted from the bill. The way she disappeared after telling her we were dissatified only added insult to injury. This place has really gone down hill.The food was bad, but the service was worse. No excuse for this, especially from a staple restaurant in the community that was know for a consistant pleasant dinning experience. A real shame to let incompetent servers and management with no people skills run your restaurant in the ground.
(1)
City Of Angels Z.
Should be called Crab Shite. Horrible - for god's sake, de-vein your shrimp! Seriously, if you like food that is overpriced and tastes like a salt-lick, have at it. Otherwise, too many good seafood places in Charleston to waste a minute at this joint.
(1)
Cyndee R.
Worst experience here! We were a large party but it did not excuse the pitiful service we received. Ten minutes to get out drink orders and at least 40 minutes to get our food. We we did get the food, it had been sitting under the heat lamp. The sauce my mussels were in was almost curdled. Meanwhile, the waitress was slammed and the manager was standing by the door watching it all and not moving. When I was a server the managers rolled their sleeves up and pitched in when needed. They didn't walk by the table and offer a lame apology for the delay. My father in law likes this place and that's why we were there but we won't be back.
(1)
Terry P.
My family of four went for New Years Eve dinner. We just moved to Charleston and very much look forward to trying all the incredible restaurants here. To start I asked the waiter for what seasonal beers they had, but said I was good with a ShockTop if they didn't have any. Waiter said he'd check with the bar to see if they where out of their seasonals. Waiter never said anything else about beer, simply brought me a ShockTop. We ordered hush puppy appetizers (we have two young boys so we always do appetizers to keep them satiated). Waiter forgot to bring the hush puppies. He didn't return until our dinner was served at which point we reminded him about the hush puppies. Usually appetizers are comped when they are forgotten; that didn't happen. I would give the Shrimp-and-Grits a 3/5 stars, it was okay. I've had Shrimp-and-Grits at probably 8 different restaurants since moving here; unfortunately this was my least favorite. My wife's crab cakes were a 2/5 stars and left her feeling queasy. After asking for and receiving the check, we waited almost as long as it took us to eat dinner for the waiter to return to take our card. Not what I expect for a $70 dinner. Very unfortunate, we were really looking forward to eating here.
(1)
Stephanie O.
I had the crab stuffed flounder . It was pretty decent. My waiter was very friendly. I would definitely go back for crab legs next time
(3)
Sara K.
This place is gross everything tastes salty frozen or microwaved. I gave this place a one star only because I had to in order to write this review. Don't come here it's so gross. I got the crab dip and it tasted like crab in mayonnaise and mustard and a lot of salt. The she crab soup tasted like calm chowder and there was bits of shrimp tail in it. The stuffed mushrooms tasted straight like cat food. My entree was oysters and they barely made an attempt to clean it it looks like they rinsed it with water and served it.
(1)
Rebecca T.
Wow. I'll start by saying that hubby and I have eaten at the West Ashley Crab Shack numerous times, and every time it was terrific....until tonight. We went there to eat because I had received one of their birthday coupons in my email. First, it was busy, but not exceedingly so. We walked in and waited by the door; it was a few minutes before someone took us to a table. All the other times we visited, someone was already waiting by the door to escort people to their table. This wasn't a big deal. Next, after being seated, we noticed that they had changed the menu. It used to be several (at least 4) pages, but now is one page attached to a clipboard. No sides appeared on the menu at all. We had to ask the waitress to tell us what the sides were, and she listed them for us. We then gave the waitress our drink order. It took forever to get the drinks; the waitress kept apologizing. When I got mine, it was the worst pina colada I had ever had in my life, and I've had them all over the world. (Hubby had ordered beer...can't do much to ruin that.) It also took forever for our appetizer to arrive. Luckily, it was delicious. Long story short about the next hour and a half.....that is how long it took for us to get our food after we ordered. Again the waitress kept apologizing and then brought us a free appetizer to make amends for not bringing us our entrees. We finally got them (an hour and a half later), and they were very good. One thing that really disgusted us was one server who continually kept sweeping the floor around all the tables where people were eating. Hey...we understand that tables have to be cleared when people leave, but the sweeping should be done later when there are no diners there. Yuck. When we got the check, there was another surprise. There was an extra charge for one of the sides we both had ordered. When the waitress named the sides for us earlier, there was no mention at all that one of the sides would cost extra. In other words, it was not included with your entree price like the other sides. We thought this was pretty lousy. Then we handed the waitress the birthday coupon. It then took her and 3 other staff members 20 minutes to figure out how to adjust our bill due to the birthday coupon. Hubby finally went up to them and asked what the long wait was for. All in all this was a rotten experience, and we are not sure at all if we will ever visit this Crab Shack again. It is sad, because we have always had a great experience at this restaurant. We are wondering if it is under new (lousy) management, especially since - during our other visits - the manager would come by and ask us how everything was. No manager came by our table tonight. Probably a good idea, since we would have had a lot of negative things to say. A shame.
(1)
Joel H.
We walked in and there were plenty of seats. Not busy at all. We were told we could wait but the kitchen was "on hold". Never heard of that. We were ushered to the bar to wait and before we could sit down, we were told to sit and a booth and was ushered there. While on the way, a cook came out and said they were on hold and a young lady stopped the hostess trying to seat us and said we couldn't be seated because the kitchen was on hold. I would like to have rated the food here but we never got that far. We left. They seriously acted like they didn't want our business. We left.
(1)
Kevin T.
Walked in at 1:40pm and was promptly seated. Although there were only four other tables seated, it took until 1:50pm for the waitress to come by. During the interim, several waitresses were casually talking to other customers; one about her recent weight loss. First of all, the menu is a mess. Entrees and snacks are spread out across three pages. It took a pretty decent effort to locate the nonalcoholic drinks. A little work on organizing and streamlining the selections would go a long way. I ordered a Diet Coke and the Calabash Seafood Basket containing clam strips, shrimp and fish. All were previously frozen and then deep fried. The fish was especially bad. Most everything was devoid of taste. I understand frozen clam strips (maybe) but not having fresh shrimp and flounder in Charleston is a crime. Overall, the place is in need of a thorough cleaning. Some of the dirt is owing to the free peanuts they serve. Peanuts and spent hulls are wedged in the cracks of the wood flooring. The manager charged me only for my drink when I complained about the meal; which was nice and was appreciated. I hope they take notice and address the quality issues soon.
(2)
Tina A.
We are moving to Charleston and was in the area so we stopped in to have lunch . Service from our waitress was slow and rude. We had two checks my sister gave Summer at tip of 10% ( she was lucky she got that) When we got home to Charlotte we realized Summer our waitress added a 10.00 tip to the order. We called Steven the manager and he told my sister Summer has done this before and she would be fired and I would be credited $10.00 back. She never received any money and I really hope he meant that Summer would be fired. Beware about theWest Ashley restaurant. Seems to me, not even the management cares about their customers. Obviously, we will never go back to this establishment again!!
(1)
Brandon G.
As soon as we walked in we were greeted quick and prompt. Summer (our waitress) was all smiles and cheerful which is always a plus for me at restaurants. We got are food in under 20 minutes and Summer never let our drinks touch the bottom of the glass. The establishment was clean and all the staff looked like they were having a good time. Will definitely come again
(5)
Manny B.
Service was great but food didn't measure up to expectations! The crab spin dip was cold when it arrived. The macaroni I got was like a block of old pasta! You could even chew the dam thing. Giving it two stars because the gentleman that served me was a kind man!
(2)
Christine B.
I really like the bartender, Kayla (I think) - she is really sweet and attentive. I live close so I occasionally stop in for a drink and take out. The atmosphere is pretty terrible - nothing like the folly beach crab shack (which I love). It's just like a semi-restaurant....and theres hardly ever anyone at the bar, not sure how it stays open. Otherwise, food is acceptable. I always find that portions are small for the price here with regards to seafood (including the folly one), but it's always cooked well and everything.
(3)
Krysta H.
We came in as we are visiting from Florida based on a review from a "Cassandra" she raved about the food but better about Summer the server. Ironically we got SUMMER!!!! Great ambiance. Love the authenticity.... Check it out!!!
(5)
Cassandra B.
Was visiting from out of town and had Summer as our server. She was fun, helpful and the food was great. Crab cakes and crab stuffed mushrooms were amazing.
(5)
Meaghan B.
Wait was acceptable for a Saturday night. Food was okay. I dont recommend getting the fried scallops and shrimp grill instead. Food came out quick.
(3)
Sarah L.
At least the peanuts were good.... Kinda Walking in, the host told the people in front of us that there would be at least a 25 minute wait and told us that it would be "probably longer" and promptly walked away without taking our name. Whole sections in the restaurant were empty. After around 45 minutes we got a table that we crammed into-only because we kept asking why we weren't seated when there were open areas of the restaurant. After ordering and waiting around 20 minutes, our server came out and informed our party that they were out of Grouper(what half the party ordered). Then the meals came out. The portions were small and the Mahi Mahi that had been substituted was burnt to hell. I am not over exaggerating in the least. One person ordered Pork Tenderloin and received a Pork Chop cut in half and cooked beyond any possible chew-ability. The dish looked disgusting. The dish also included pasta and broccoli. The broccoli was A.W.O.L. and the pasta was a hard inedible clump. All but one meal was not really palatable. The crab legs were definitely overcooked. The cooks clearly had a problem with overcooking everything. I don't understand how a server could bring the dishes that looked like that out to a table. After we had finished our meal, the server FINALLY showed up for the first time after bringing out our food to inexplicably deliver a plate of fish that somehow managed to be even more overcooked than the fish we had originally received. This might rank as the worst meal of my life. Definitely the worst family meal out we've ever had. This meal has become the brunt of many jokes in my family! I wish I could give zero stars. I don't know how this place stays in business.
(1)
Ryan H.
Big party, felt sorry for the waiter, but they were so well prepared for us. Aps, dinner and desert went well. The food was very good. I love their fried shrimp. We had about 16 people and ate in that private room upstairs. Great option for big parties. Their deserts were giant and not overly priced and wow, if you like Chocolate and I do, you will love their options.
(4)
Shellie S.
Wasn't bad. Got the bucket of shrimp, sausage and crab. Tasted yummy, hard to go wrong. The hush puppies were good. Had the key lime pie for dessert, they were nice enough to write on it for my sister in laws birthday. Servers were nice and the wait time was normal. Would go back again.
(4)
Alexia C.
Came here with my mom when she was visiting Charleston for the first time. She wanted to get some Charleston seafood, my boyfriend and I heard great thing things about this place but after eating here. I was not impressed. I mean it was OK. We saw online that they had a special that when you come into happy hour and get a drink at the bar then you EACH get a free appetizer of zingers. When we arrived earlier for happy hour to get some drinks before dinner, the bartender had no clue about special and when he went to ask he came back and said we all where to share one appetizer. So 4 small shrimp for 3 people. Alright whatever maybe dinner will be better.... Wrong! My boyfriend and I both got the buckets and where still hungry afterwards. They where much smaller then any other seafood restaurant I have been too. The only saving grace was that their drinks where pretty good.
(2)
Jeffrey T.
Horrifying experience at the one in West Ashley. We spent $150 on our last trip which entitled us to our $10 credit. The Manager (bald headed guy) refused to apply the discount. He told us we had to use it at the Folly Beach location. He was rude and probably shouldn't be in his current position. The food was also cold and they refused to fix it. We will not be going back regardless of anything. This is Charleston and your money is better spent elsewhere. I don't feel like other patrons should be subjected to poor customer service and mediocre food. The location needs to shut the doors, remodel, restaff, and try again. Thanks.
(1)
Kathy G.
2nd time here and both times the she crab soup was cold. (I sent it back both times) I asked to be warmed and she said she'd bring a new bowl. Yeah, so hot and a lesser amount. She never came back to ask if it was okay, Then I heard the training of a new waitress. Talking a it how people will cheat you put of your tip. Excuse me, I thought a tip was given for good service, not mandatory. I'm not coming back here... Guess the latest 'excellent review' was from the employee that waited on me cause there are so many choices of seafood places and this should not be one of them.
(1)
Ashley B.
This place is by far my favorite seafood restaurant in West Ashley. The owner is very friendly and welcoming. They have a nice covered patio to accommodate large parties. The food is fresh and full of flavor. My only complaint is this... Every time I come here to eat, the prices rise. There are a lot of seafood restaurants who serve auce and they have a reasonable price but dang.... In this economy it's hard to spend 40 on one meal. Come on guys, I can go downtown at grill 225 and grab an amazing steak dinner for that price.
(4)
Eve L.
This is the meal I have been looking for in the low country! A big bucket of steamed oysters and hush puppies. Yum!
(5)
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Address :1901 Ashley River Rd
Charleston, SC, 29407
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dessert Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Neci B.
Being new to Charleston we are always looking for a new eating experience. Service was outstanding. Food was delish. Drinks on point. My only complaint was the crab dip was aweful.
(4)Hana M.
The long trip to Nelli grocery left me starved and famished one day so we went next door to the crab shack. My first impression of this place is I really don't like feeling as if I'm dinning inside a dimly-lit, dusty, 200 year old pirate ship. Also for lunch on a thursday, it was completely dead and we had very slow service so lots of waiting in a dark and quiet restaurant isn't fun. I got the crab cake sandwich and found it to be really dry and bland :/ Everything from the salad (iceberg with a couple of cherry tomatoes) to the fries were boring and tasteless.
(1)K J.
We had an excellent late lunch experience here. They went out of their way to accommodate a food allergy for us. The mahi wrap and crab cakes were delicious. We enjoyed a family bucket of crab legs. Our waitress, Brandy, was awesome. We would come back.
(5)Kathleen M.
Last night my dinner companion and I both got pretty sick after eating. I had eaten thier before but will not be returning anytime soon since being ill. The server was polite and quick.
(1)Amy D.
Overall impression = 'meh.' If we find ourselves back in West Ashley, we wouldn't return. Food was "ok" but overpriced. Profits from the She Crab Soup go to charity, but overall it was the thinnest/least flavorable She Crab soup we had all week. Server & manager were friendly. The rail next to our booth was super dusty, & then a large palmetto bug/cockroach walked casually down said rail when we were halfway through dinner. Gross. The manager did take $5 off our bill for the "inconvienence" though... Ick.
(1)Catey W.
The food was just fine, the drink was sugary but that's my fault for what I ordered. I did have one thing that would bring me back for me though...I may have encountered one of the nicest servers I've ever met. Kudos to management for finding a great person to have on staff.
(4)Julie E.
My husband and I went here for our two-year anniversary. Big mistake. I'm all about the "rustic" look of a seafood restaurant, but at least let it be a CLEAN rustic look. There was dirt all on the floor by our table, mingling with the light brown of broken peanut shells. I was initially excited to see the bucket hole in the middle of the table, as I then knew that this place served a steamed seafood bucket. I was correct, however, I made the mistake of assuming it would be the same quality and size I received at the Crab Shack in Tybee Island (no chain, not in relation to this one, as I found out). Gordon Ramsey, please don't visit this restaurant, as it may give you a heart attack. It was easy to see that much of the food from our appetizer (crab stuffed mushrooms) was reheated and not fresh. Our "double serving steamed bucket" had only four measley pieces of Andouille sausage in it, and the red velvet cheesecake....tasted NOTHING like red velvet. Long story short, as my husband and I left the restaurant, we couldn't help but thank the stars that this was only our two-year anniversary and not our 72nd anniversary....because that meant we would have plenty more milestone meals to help us forget this one. haha.
(2)Tom H.
Large portions of fresh seafood. My wife had the grilled platter and loved it. The Charleston fried platter tasted freshly breaded. The hushpuppys were hot and not greasy at all. Stopped on whim, I am glad I did not read the reviews before stopping.
(4)Felicia F.
I got the offer for a free crab dip so I decided to try it and it was delicious. I ordered the fried mahi, it was okay a little greasy but the side of squash was delicious. We also ordered a seafood steam platter with shrimp and crab with potatoes and sausage and that was delicious as well, a little on the pricey side though
(4)Joy G.
Dirty
(1)John F.
I ordered the Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits and it had a ton of shrimp. The portions was large I had to bring home leftovers. I also ordered the fried green tomatoes that I haven't had in years sweet and hot! We had a seat in mins after arriving on a Wednesday night and the service was excellent. A pleasant surprise for a first night dinner in Charleston! Everyone had different dishes and the overall comment was how fresh the seafood was and cooked properly I will return!
(4)Deb B.
Average. The fried fish was good. Not great. Not horrible. The good thing is they have good happy hour prices and if you sign up for their email, they'll send you pretty good coupons. With the coupons, that's all I'm willing to pay. The place is cute and could be great for large groups.
(3)Bill M.
My experience didn't rise above average. This is a place that belongs near the Market, plenty of nautical decor to reinforce that you're at the beach. The visitor will overlook the average food. As for the food, the 1.5lb steamed shrimp was good, but nothing special. It was plenty of food for $8.99. The wife's Crab Melt sandwich was ok. It was a little pricey at $11. The beers were cold and reasonable, but the overall experience left me underwhelemed. Plenty of room in the place, and the decor is entertaining for the first visit. The third star is for hope, that I'll find a way to return and find something different on the menu that is really good.
(3)Kim F.
TERRIBLE! Expensive! Never again!
(1)Adrian M.
8 of us went for dinner. 2 thought their meal was meh- meatloaf and BBQ ribs and shrimp. All the rest of us got seafood and we all really liked it. Good fried shrimp, scallops, grilled fish, and fried green tomatoes. Great crab cakes, she crab soup, and artichoke dip. Get seafood if you go.
(3)Karen T.
Took almost 11/2 hours to get just ok food that took 5 min. To eat! Don't go here.
(1)Zoe S.
Good fried seafood. Great service and friendly atmosphere. Enjoyed good and friendly service.
(3)Brian J.
Roadside shack by Sis, Crab in a boil not to miss, Cold beer on the side.
(3)Jaycie R.
This place should be re-named the Crap Shack. Our food was cold when it came out. The red potatoes were barely cooked and zuchinni and squash were basically raw. My husband's clam strips on the Captain's Platter were in huge clumps. The manager came out to check on us. We told her we were unhappy and why. She looked at us with a blank stare, said she would see what she could do. Ten minutes later the waitress hands us the check. We told her we were still waiting on the manager. Ten more minutes go by, mind you the restaurant is empty. She finally comes back out with ten dollars subtracted from the bill. The way she disappeared after telling her we were dissatified only added insult to injury. This place has really gone down hill.The food was bad, but the service was worse. No excuse for this, especially from a staple restaurant in the community that was know for a consistant pleasant dinning experience. A real shame to let incompetent servers and management with no people skills run your restaurant in the ground.
(1)City Of Angels Z.
Should be called Crab Shite. Horrible - for god's sake, de-vein your shrimp! Seriously, if you like food that is overpriced and tastes like a salt-lick, have at it. Otherwise, too many good seafood places in Charleston to waste a minute at this joint.
(1)Cyndee R.
Worst experience here! We were a large party but it did not excuse the pitiful service we received. Ten minutes to get out drink orders and at least 40 minutes to get our food. We we did get the food, it had been sitting under the heat lamp. The sauce my mussels were in was almost curdled. Meanwhile, the waitress was slammed and the manager was standing by the door watching it all and not moving. When I was a server the managers rolled their sleeves up and pitched in when needed. They didn't walk by the table and offer a lame apology for the delay. My father in law likes this place and that's why we were there but we won't be back.
(1)Terry P.
My family of four went for New Years Eve dinner. We just moved to Charleston and very much look forward to trying all the incredible restaurants here. To start I asked the waiter for what seasonal beers they had, but said I was good with a ShockTop if they didn't have any. Waiter said he'd check with the bar to see if they where out of their seasonals. Waiter never said anything else about beer, simply brought me a ShockTop. We ordered hush puppy appetizers (we have two young boys so we always do appetizers to keep them satiated). Waiter forgot to bring the hush puppies. He didn't return until our dinner was served at which point we reminded him about the hush puppies. Usually appetizers are comped when they are forgotten; that didn't happen. I would give the Shrimp-and-Grits a 3/5 stars, it was okay. I've had Shrimp-and-Grits at probably 8 different restaurants since moving here; unfortunately this was my least favorite. My wife's crab cakes were a 2/5 stars and left her feeling queasy. After asking for and receiving the check, we waited almost as long as it took us to eat dinner for the waiter to return to take our card. Not what I expect for a $70 dinner. Very unfortunate, we were really looking forward to eating here.
(1)Stephanie O.
I had the crab stuffed flounder . It was pretty decent. My waiter was very friendly. I would definitely go back for crab legs next time
(3)Sara K.
This place is gross everything tastes salty frozen or microwaved. I gave this place a one star only because I had to in order to write this review. Don't come here it's so gross. I got the crab dip and it tasted like crab in mayonnaise and mustard and a lot of salt. The she crab soup tasted like calm chowder and there was bits of shrimp tail in it. The stuffed mushrooms tasted straight like cat food. My entree was oysters and they barely made an attempt to clean it it looks like they rinsed it with water and served it.
(1)Rebecca T.
Wow. I'll start by saying that hubby and I have eaten at the West Ashley Crab Shack numerous times, and every time it was terrific....until tonight. We went there to eat because I had received one of their birthday coupons in my email. First, it was busy, but not exceedingly so. We walked in and waited by the door; it was a few minutes before someone took us to a table. All the other times we visited, someone was already waiting by the door to escort people to their table. This wasn't a big deal. Next, after being seated, we noticed that they had changed the menu. It used to be several (at least 4) pages, but now is one page attached to a clipboard. No sides appeared on the menu at all. We had to ask the waitress to tell us what the sides were, and she listed them for us. We then gave the waitress our drink order. It took forever to get the drinks; the waitress kept apologizing. When I got mine, it was the worst pina colada I had ever had in my life, and I've had them all over the world. (Hubby had ordered beer...can't do much to ruin that.) It also took forever for our appetizer to arrive. Luckily, it was delicious. Long story short about the next hour and a half.....that is how long it took for us to get our food after we ordered. Again the waitress kept apologizing and then brought us a free appetizer to make amends for not bringing us our entrees. We finally got them (an hour and a half later), and they were very good. One thing that really disgusted us was one server who continually kept sweeping the floor around all the tables where people were eating. Hey...we understand that tables have to be cleared when people leave, but the sweeping should be done later when there are no diners there. Yuck. When we got the check, there was another surprise. There was an extra charge for one of the sides we both had ordered. When the waitress named the sides for us earlier, there was no mention at all that one of the sides would cost extra. In other words, it was not included with your entree price like the other sides. We thought this was pretty lousy. Then we handed the waitress the birthday coupon. It then took her and 3 other staff members 20 minutes to figure out how to adjust our bill due to the birthday coupon. Hubby finally went up to them and asked what the long wait was for. All in all this was a rotten experience, and we are not sure at all if we will ever visit this Crab Shack again. It is sad, because we have always had a great experience at this restaurant. We are wondering if it is under new (lousy) management, especially since - during our other visits - the manager would come by and ask us how everything was. No manager came by our table tonight. Probably a good idea, since we would have had a lot of negative things to say. A shame.
(1)Joel H.
We walked in and there were plenty of seats. Not busy at all. We were told we could wait but the kitchen was "on hold". Never heard of that. We were ushered to the bar to wait and before we could sit down, we were told to sit and a booth and was ushered there. While on the way, a cook came out and said they were on hold and a young lady stopped the hostess trying to seat us and said we couldn't be seated because the kitchen was on hold. I would like to have rated the food here but we never got that far. We left. They seriously acted like they didn't want our business. We left.
(1)Kevin T.
Walked in at 1:40pm and was promptly seated. Although there were only four other tables seated, it took until 1:50pm for the waitress to come by. During the interim, several waitresses were casually talking to other customers; one about her recent weight loss. First of all, the menu is a mess. Entrees and snacks are spread out across three pages. It took a pretty decent effort to locate the nonalcoholic drinks. A little work on organizing and streamlining the selections would go a long way. I ordered a Diet Coke and the Calabash Seafood Basket containing clam strips, shrimp and fish. All were previously frozen and then deep fried. The fish was especially bad. Most everything was devoid of taste. I understand frozen clam strips (maybe) but not having fresh shrimp and flounder in Charleston is a crime. Overall, the place is in need of a thorough cleaning. Some of the dirt is owing to the free peanuts they serve. Peanuts and spent hulls are wedged in the cracks of the wood flooring. The manager charged me only for my drink when I complained about the meal; which was nice and was appreciated. I hope they take notice and address the quality issues soon.
(2)Tina A.
We are moving to Charleston and was in the area so we stopped in to have lunch . Service from our waitress was slow and rude. We had two checks my sister gave Summer at tip of 10% ( she was lucky she got that) When we got home to Charlotte we realized Summer our waitress added a 10.00 tip to the order. We called Steven the manager and he told my sister Summer has done this before and she would be fired and I would be credited $10.00 back. She never received any money and I really hope he meant that Summer would be fired. Beware about theWest Ashley restaurant. Seems to me, not even the management cares about their customers. Obviously, we will never go back to this establishment again!!
(1)Brandon G.
As soon as we walked in we were greeted quick and prompt. Summer (our waitress) was all smiles and cheerful which is always a plus for me at restaurants. We got are food in under 20 minutes and Summer never let our drinks touch the bottom of the glass. The establishment was clean and all the staff looked like they were having a good time. Will definitely come again
(5)Manny B.
Service was great but food didn't measure up to expectations! The crab spin dip was cold when it arrived. The macaroni I got was like a block of old pasta! You could even chew the dam thing. Giving it two stars because the gentleman that served me was a kind man!
(2)Christine B.
I really like the bartender, Kayla (I think) - she is really sweet and attentive. I live close so I occasionally stop in for a drink and take out. The atmosphere is pretty terrible - nothing like the folly beach crab shack (which I love). It's just like a semi-restaurant....and theres hardly ever anyone at the bar, not sure how it stays open. Otherwise, food is acceptable. I always find that portions are small for the price here with regards to seafood (including the folly one), but it's always cooked well and everything.
(3)Krysta H.
We came in as we are visiting from Florida based on a review from a "Cassandra" she raved about the food but better about Summer the server. Ironically we got SUMMER!!!! Great ambiance. Love the authenticity.... Check it out!!!
(5)Cassandra B.
Was visiting from out of town and had Summer as our server. She was fun, helpful and the food was great. Crab cakes and crab stuffed mushrooms were amazing.
(5)Meaghan B.
Wait was acceptable for a Saturday night. Food was okay. I dont recommend getting the fried scallops and shrimp grill instead. Food came out quick.
(3)Sarah L.
At least the peanuts were good.... Kinda Walking in, the host told the people in front of us that there would be at least a 25 minute wait and told us that it would be "probably longer" and promptly walked away without taking our name. Whole sections in the restaurant were empty. After around 45 minutes we got a table that we crammed into-only because we kept asking why we weren't seated when there were open areas of the restaurant. After ordering and waiting around 20 minutes, our server came out and informed our party that they were out of Grouper(what half the party ordered). Then the meals came out. The portions were small and the Mahi Mahi that had been substituted was burnt to hell. I am not over exaggerating in the least. One person ordered Pork Tenderloin and received a Pork Chop cut in half and cooked beyond any possible chew-ability. The dish looked disgusting. The dish also included pasta and broccoli. The broccoli was A.W.O.L. and the pasta was a hard inedible clump. All but one meal was not really palatable. The crab legs were definitely overcooked. The cooks clearly had a problem with overcooking everything. I don't understand how a server could bring the dishes that looked like that out to a table. After we had finished our meal, the server FINALLY showed up for the first time after bringing out our food to inexplicably deliver a plate of fish that somehow managed to be even more overcooked than the fish we had originally received. This might rank as the worst meal of my life. Definitely the worst family meal out we've ever had. This meal has become the brunt of many jokes in my family! I wish I could give zero stars. I don't know how this place stays in business.
(1)Ryan H.
Big party, felt sorry for the waiter, but they were so well prepared for us. Aps, dinner and desert went well. The food was very good. I love their fried shrimp. We had about 16 people and ate in that private room upstairs. Great option for big parties. Their deserts were giant and not overly priced and wow, if you like Chocolate and I do, you will love their options.
(4)Shellie S.
Wasn't bad. Got the bucket of shrimp, sausage and crab. Tasted yummy, hard to go wrong. The hush puppies were good. Had the key lime pie for dessert, they were nice enough to write on it for my sister in laws birthday. Servers were nice and the wait time was normal. Would go back again.
(4)Alexia C.
Came here with my mom when she was visiting Charleston for the first time. She wanted to get some Charleston seafood, my boyfriend and I heard great thing things about this place but after eating here. I was not impressed. I mean it was OK. We saw online that they had a special that when you come into happy hour and get a drink at the bar then you EACH get a free appetizer of zingers. When we arrived earlier for happy hour to get some drinks before dinner, the bartender had no clue about special and when he went to ask he came back and said we all where to share one appetizer. So 4 small shrimp for 3 people. Alright whatever maybe dinner will be better.... Wrong! My boyfriend and I both got the buckets and where still hungry afterwards. They where much smaller then any other seafood restaurant I have been too. The only saving grace was that their drinks where pretty good.
(2)Jeffrey T.
Horrifying experience at the one in West Ashley. We spent $150 on our last trip which entitled us to our $10 credit. The Manager (bald headed guy) refused to apply the discount. He told us we had to use it at the Folly Beach location. He was rude and probably shouldn't be in his current position. The food was also cold and they refused to fix it. We will not be going back regardless of anything. This is Charleston and your money is better spent elsewhere. I don't feel like other patrons should be subjected to poor customer service and mediocre food. The location needs to shut the doors, remodel, restaff, and try again. Thanks.
(1)Kathy G.
2nd time here and both times the she crab soup was cold. (I sent it back both times) I asked to be warmed and she said she'd bring a new bowl. Yeah, so hot and a lesser amount. She never came back to ask if it was okay, Then I heard the training of a new waitress. Talking a it how people will cheat you put of your tip. Excuse me, I thought a tip was given for good service, not mandatory. I'm not coming back here... Guess the latest 'excellent review' was from the employee that waited on me cause there are so many choices of seafood places and this should not be one of them.
(1)Ashley B.
This place is by far my favorite seafood restaurant in West Ashley. The owner is very friendly and welcoming. They have a nice covered patio to accommodate large parties. The food is fresh and full of flavor. My only complaint is this... Every time I come here to eat, the prices rise. There are a lot of seafood restaurants who serve auce and they have a reasonable price but dang.... In this economy it's hard to spend 40 on one meal. Come on guys, I can go downtown at grill 225 and grab an amazing steak dinner for that price.
(4)Eve L.
This is the meal I have been looking for in the low country! A big bucket of steamed oysters and hush puppies. Yum!
(5)