The food is "okay". The menu is full of fresh tasty dishes that are nothing extra special, but they get the job done. Joe's Crab Shack is a chain restaurant, so you can't expect much from it. The food isn't seasoned too heavily it's bland yet, very fresh so if you aren't into a bunch of different seasonings then this place is great! The food is appropriate to be served to a child and the atmosphere of this establishment is very upbeat and friendly.
On the other hand this is not the place to go if you are picky about the flavor of your food or seeking an adult atmosphere. The drinks that are served are generally watered down, but pleasing to the eye. These mildly flavored dishes do not come cheap either, so a bland dish here will set you back for the same amount as a nicer restaurant elsewhere. It is a family restaurant so screaming toddlers trying to escape their parents is hardly the place for romantic conversation, but it's a good place to grab some fresh fish if you have limited options.
How do you run out of crab at Joe's crabshack? I've been here twice, one really great experience, one not so good - which averages to a 3 star. Â On my birthday, our crab dip appetizer arrived piping hot, fresh and tasty, our Steam Pot was, well steaming. Â Delicious, fresh and hot, and I also got appropriately EMBARASSED for my b-day, and a free little dessert. Â A week ago, my SO and I went with his daughter to dinner. Â After waiting 20 minutes a waiter asks us if we've been helped, then comes back and says he's going to serve us. Â After we got our appetizer fairly quickly - 40 minutes later we've got no steampots. Â Apparently the kitchen was running behind or something like that. Then, when we got the pot, the extra ear of corn we ordered was missing. Â Ok, got that. Then we realized there was no potatos. Had to get that too. Â But the manager gaves us the appetizer free, free dessert and a discount off dinner so all in all, it was ok. Â Would I go back? I won't lie, I love seafood so yes. Â But i'll be prepared for a chance of a loooooooooong wait.
Review Source:Went here for lunch with a friend today and ordered one of their Steam Pots. I was more than slightly disappointed in the portions provided for the price. Make no mistake, I did NOT expect the overflowing bucket of seafood featured on the commercial. However, I also did not expect less than a dinner plate (REGULAR NOT RESTARAUNT SIZED DINNER PLATE) worth of seafood. I ordered Joes Classic Steam Pot which was supposed to feature dungeness crab legs, alaskan crab legs, shrimp, potatoes, corn and sausage. I ordered this item as it was the only Steam Pot without a listed seasoning or flavor. My order arrived in a large pot which had a small plate inside, resting on said small plate were  2 dungess crab legs (cluster things), 1 alaskan snow crab leg (cluster thing), one mini corn on the cob, three boiled red potatoes,one HUGE odd tasting sausage and about 6 unpeeled, vein in shrimp(UNCLEAN). I expect vein in shrimp on a an el cheapo bufffet. I do not expect unpeeled, vein in shrimp(UNCLEAN) from a seafood restaraunt, chain or not. The sausage was whole and had a strange taste. The entire order was COVERED in some sort of seasoning, which I imagine was Old Bay. This seasoning did NOT pair well with the whole sausage. The menu made no mention of seasoning everything with Old Bay and to the contrary seemed to indicate that this particular bucket was sans seasoning/flavorings. I personally find Old Bay overpowering, and inedible as was this seasoning. The menu also featured nice slim slices of sausage and not this jumbo mystery meat catoonish looking whole sausage link.  The waitress immediately noticed my perplexed look and sent a manager over. I did NOT request this. The manager immediately grabbed my dish and began explaining options for its replacement. Again, this was without my asking (I opted for them to remake the dish sans the seasoning and sausage.)
So for that they get the two stars given. They could have managed
three stars but when the dish was returned to the table the food still had that oddball sausage-ey flavor which leads me to believe they simply plucked iit out of the dish and did god knows what to remove the seasoning, which could also still be tasted. Beyond that I feel that 20.00 for 3 crab clusters, unseasoned potatoes and uncleaned shrimp from a chain restaraunt a wee bit much. This item does not come with bread, salad or any side dishes but the boiled potatoes and corn. I left feeling moderately satiated, but in DESPERATE need of a vegatable of some sort.
The place looks like a shack after Hurricane Katrina. The place had about 10 people in it. And It still took more than 10 minutes for our waitress to bring us 2 iced teas. Which is funny because the machine with all the sodas was behind our booth. We did see her on the other side of the restaurant yaking it up with some other people. And then when she did come back, she made light of the fact that she was gone for so long. Oh!. And then she made fun of the way I said shrimp Po Boy. Umm. I know I should have left then. My sandwich was really good. The onion strings were not. I would not come back.
Review Source:So during my last visit home, and after a rousing afternoon in Merrillville trying to find last minute Halloween costumes, the gf and I decide to give Joe's a shot for an early dinner. Upon entering, it is the same as I remember from my youth, decked to the ceiling in kitschy nautical decorations and no more then perhaps two other customers (how DOES this place stay in business?) Drinks were first, I ordered my standby, an Arnold Palmer, which was among the worst I've ever had, the taste resembling glass cleaner. For an appetizer, we tried playing it safe and ordering calamari. Dry and tasteless is too kind a description. Finally, after we'd all but completely regretted our decision, our meals....hers, the fish and chips, something that by all accounts at a SEAFOOD restaurant, should be their specialty, was, in my humble opinion, the WORST cut of fish ever put on a plate. Like sandpaper, wrapped around driftwood. We sent it back. My crab cakes tasted like they were fresh removed from a can that had been sitting in someone's cellar for the past decade. In short, please, save your $40 (yeah, it was that much) and go somewhere, anywhere else. I mean, what...there's only like 30 other places on Rt. 30....
Review Source:
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