Joe’s Crab Shack

Tonight was our first time trying this place, with the exception of my husband. We had our son and his fiancée meet us there, as well as our daughter and her boyfriend. Seated quickly, then greeted shortly after by our server.
Many of the entrees I wanted to try had jalapeño in them, so I asked if that could be left out since I really don’t like jalapeño, and was told that wasn’t an option. I selected the Seaside Platter, which was «Beer battered fish and chips, crunchy jumbo shrimp and breaded scallops. Served with coleslaw.»
There were enough fries for 3 people on my order, so I ate very little of them. The fish and scallops were very hot, but the batter was incredibly greasy. The shrimp was nice and hot as well, and only a tiny bit greasy. The breading fell off of all of the seafood when I dipped it in the cocktail sauce or the tartar sauce. I didn’t get my coleslaw, and I didn’t even realize that until I was finished eating, but that didn’t bother me since I wouldn’t have eaten it because my husband’s didn’t look appetizing to me.
I asked the waitress if the «Crabby Apple Cobbler» had nuts in it, so she went to ask. The manager overheard and he came to the table and shared this information with me… EVERY dessert that was either a cobbler or a cake type (95% of the desserts on the menu) either had nuts in them or was «produced in a facility that uses tree nuts», and since I am allergic to walnuts, and there were no specifics as to which type of tree nuts were used in the facility, it wasn’t worth the risk of an allergic reaction.
I was disappointed that I couldn’t try a dessert, so the manager asked me if I like pineapple and strawberries, to which I said yes and that I could safely eat them. He said he would «fix me up a dessert», and with that, he went to the bar. About 7 minutes later, he brought me what he called «a virgin piña colada» since he wasn’t sure whether or not I could have alcohol or would want alcohol.
He hollowed out a pineapple to the half way point, put 2 large slices of pineapple over the side, along with 2 large strawberries, and filled the rest of the pineapple with pineapple juice and orange juice, and topped it with whipped cream and a pineapple leaf. It was WONDERFUL! I thanked him several times and told him how much I appreciated that he went out of his way to bring me a tasty dessert that wouldn’t effect my allergies. I asked if it was on the bill when I got the check and the manager told me it was his treat since I couldn’t try any of the other desserts that I was originally interested in.
My husband and my daughter both ordered the S’mores dessert, which they both agreed was excellent.
After we left the restaurant, I asked my husband what he thought of the place. He said it was good, but that he had eaten at other locations while traveling on business, and that the other locations (East Coast and West Coast) were much better. I told him that it kind of reminded me of Long John Silvers, only much more expensive, and just as greasy. I like fried seafood, but it should NEVER taste like hot grease with just a little bit of seafood flavor.
My daughter’s boyfriend had one of the same complaints I did, which was the breading falling off of all of the seafood when he tried to dip it in the sauces. He also said that he tried using his fork to dip the food, thinking that might help, but it didn’t. I had the same results he did.
My son and his fiancée both ordered the crab cake sandwich, which they both seemed to really enjoy and said it was very filling.
All in all, for 6 of us we spent $ 132 and I was not overly impressed, aside from the tasty pineapple drink. Not sure if I’ll ever go back to that location, because in my humble opinion, it was NOTHING like it was hyped-​up to be. Perhaps it is because we’re in the Midwest, and not in a coastal state.

My husband and I went on a Saturday night at about 5:45. We were able to get a table right away, and I don’t think it filled up the entire time we were there. Which isn’t always a good sign on a Saturday night, and especially when it is in a prime location right next to West roads. Our waitress was quick to get to us and friendly. The menu is good sized and there are plenty of seafood options. The biggest draw is for sure the Crab legs or Lobster. They come out in big pots and are fun from everyone. They even give you a bib. As much fun as this looked, we opted for some fried goodness. I got the Fried shrimp and calamari. It also came with fries and a few dipping sauces. It was excellent, and it was a ton of food. I couldn’t even finish half of it, and partly from having an overload of fried food. My husband had the fried fish, shrimp, cream cheese and jalapeño popper shrimp and calamari. He said it was all excellent. I also had one of the alcoholic punch’s in a mason jar. It was excellent, but not worth $ 9.99 for a small drink. At all. (You do get to take home the mason jar though, which is neat. Our waitress took the time to wash it out and wrap it up so it didn’t break on the way home) We also got the hushpuppy side order, and they were very yummy!
I would suggest this is you are a Seafood lover, and are willing to pay for it. Everything on the menu cost a pretty penny, but it was good. However, I just wasn’t overly impressed for how much we paid. They did have a nice variety on the menu, and next time we are for sure going to try the crab legs, and more then likely share. They don’t skimp on the portions. They do have some nice grilled options as well, if you aren’t feeling the fried food. It is also a very casual restaurant. The waiters are in jeans and a t-​shirt. You don’t have to dress up to go here. They did have nice seating for big groups as well.

The food were okay! But the service were very slow considering there were only five tables open. Very disappointed! :(

This review is for the non seafood lovers that are coming to the restaurant with seafood loving friends. The non seafood menu is very limited. I have tried the steak and the chicken sandwich and was not impressed. I get it, it is a seafood restaurant but please focus on some enhancements to your alternative menu items to bring them up to par with the rest of the menu

Been here several times in the past (used to be monthly) but it’s been a year or so, used to be 4 or 5 stars, only giving 2 now because the service was good but food was just OK, probably has something to do with employee incentive, tip is already added in with no option to add or subtract, ticket doesn’t even say what % gratuity customer is paying.

Not even half full restaurant at 6 pm Friday night. Bugs falling on our table from the light above. We moved ourselves and told the hostess about the bugs. They went ahead and sat another couple at the table after we moved. We told the manager when she stopped at our table. Her response was «oh I’ve never seen bugs on there before». Really.
Food was awful. Never going back. Made my skin crawl.

I’ve seldom had a good experience here. I expected it to be excellent this time, though. I was with someone I adore and nothing could ruin this time spent together. Joe’s tried to ruin it, though, by golly. I presented my AAA card for the 10% discount listed on the AAA website, and the manager refused to honor it. Said it wasn’t on her list. My question is why wouldn’t she have offered a token discount to keep a customer happy? Clearly there were other discounts they DO offer, so the idea is not foreign to them. Considering there’s nothing special about this over-​priced food, a little customer consideration would have been nice.

Worst experience ever in an Omaha restaurant. Where do I start?
Appetizers didn’t arrive together. One was about 15 minutes later than the first.
Greasy, slippery, nasty floor. You could fall almost every step.
Food arrives 50 minutes after ordering.
They forgot all of the crab legs in my daughters meal.
Takes a while to get the check.
Total time is 1 hour and 43 minutes to get in and out.
Never again.

Drinks are half off on Thursdays. Food was great. Service in the beginning was not so good waited for our waiter for 10 mins. Once she came she made up for it!

Joe’s Crab Shack! My husband has always wanted to try this place, so it was time. I was really hesitant to try this place as to how expensive seafood is here in the Midwest, but I guess we can give it a go since we were on a road trip!
Atmosphere is family friendly, the bar is located by the entrance. Surrounded by a shopping area (really nice!). Staff seemed great, very energetic. But our waitress seemed to have a brain fart when it came to naming what pop/​soda drinks they had. But all and all she was good.
Food was mediocre, I had ordered the steak and fried shrimp with 1 side. Steak seemed a little burnt, on the plus side it came out as to how I ordered it. Dirty rice tasted like uncle bens microwaveable rice. Husband had the daddy lobster feast (spicy). Tasted pretty good. Portions were expected to be more for the price. I don’t think I will be returning for awhile.

Peace, love and crabs. Welcome to Joes Crab Shack. One of the few seafood restaurants left in Omaha. I’ve only heard of this place and how insanely expensive it is and how it is not as good as other locations. I’m not sure I believe crab legs can taste much different in a next door state, so I gave this place a shot.
I will admit I love the selection of fun music and the drinks are amazing and creative. The seafood is some of the best I’ve ever had. The servers are always super nice. Desiree seated us on our first visit and our visit last night was with Chris. Both very attentive and kind servers. They both deserve good recognition for being quick, and making our visit feel special.
This is a very kid friendly and adult friendly place and we always have fun. My only recommendation is to add more options to the menu. Maybe the cook could be spoken to about not forgetting to place sausage in my dish or sufficient amount of crab legs in my boyfriends. However, the management compensated with more than enough extra sea food for the error.
Also the floors are covered with napkins and crumbs. I would like to say that was a one time problem but I noticed this on BOTH visits. Both times we have been seated at tables with obvious dirty chairs and floors. You would have to be blind not to notice the garbage, napkins, meat etc thrown on the floor and I think the woman who seated us was just being lazy.
Other than that, it’s not as expensive as I feared and I love the food. I just think some employees need to be trained on keeping a dining room clean because nothing is more unappetizing than being expected to eat in filth. As mentioned before the cook needs to pay more attention to what he/she’s serving to customers. Three stars. The experience was fun but this restaurant has room for improvement.

I come here once a year when my mom is on town. Crab is always delicious as is the sausage. Our server even helped but my bibb on. See you next year Joe’s Crab shack

Me and my husband went here on a date a few months back, first time at a Joe’s crab shack for both of us and will be our last.
The service was fine. The food was awful! We had a sample platter for the appetizer and the calamari was extremely over cooked and as chewy as a rubber band.
For our main courses I ordered some type of fish and chips plate that came with crab stuffed shrimp. The shrimp was over done. I could not even remove it from the dish to eat it without a struggle and when I got it out to finally taste it, it was so over seasoned with old bay that’s the only flavor I could identify. Plus it was chewy!
My husband ordered a dish that had orzo pasta in a white wine sauce with different sea food in it. He looked forward to the scallops in the dish most which he said were fine but they were extremely small and very few of them. It came with a lobster tail and guess what. Couldn’t eat that either because it was so over cooked we couldn’t get any of it out of the shell!
So to sum it up. We paid about 60 bucks for a small amount of over cooked seafood that we literally could not eat. I should have complained but I’m not the type. We paid the check and even tipped 10 bucks to our server but looking back I wish I had complained and did not pay for our awful experience.

Oh Joe’s Crab Shack. We were seated right away, which I was surprised because it was around 7pm on a Friday when we arrived. After being sat we were greeted by our server and put in our drink orders. A few minutes later our waters showed up and we ordered an appetizer and our meal. A few more minutes went by and we received our drinks. After a while we were chatting and looking around the restaurant and noticed on the POS system near our table is an outline of the time for customers to be greeted, provided drinks etc. It seemed like a very efficient and fast timeline, almost perhaps too fast as I don’t want to feel like I am being pushed out of the restaurant. Well, I was not disappointed as it took us over two hours to be able to complete our meal. The waiter was very apologetic about the time it took for us to receive our food, explaining it was the rush time for the restaurant. I was happy to be patient but it seemed after a while pretty excessive. We ordered several drinks and they were all quite delicious. The food was good as well, what I have come to expect from this place as I have eaten there in other cities. The staff seems quite friendly but there is a serious disconnect between how quickly food gets ordered and when it comes out. For a chain, I expected more. Will I go back? Probably not and mostly because there are several other local restaurants I would rather patron than a large chain.

I think I expected something great… We started with the crab nachos, which were good, not great. It was a plate of chips with crab dip dumped over it. I also had hush puppies … Again, they were
main meal consisted of fish n chips. Now this was actually pretty good! Perfectly cooked with a great taste. If I had to choose, I’ll just go to red lobster next time:-)

I wish I would have Unilocaled before we went. First, I want to say I’ve always hated this location. All the road turns and branches are confusing for someone not familiar with the area.
Service wise — excellent. Our waiter Steve was very friendly, quick, pushed our order through since we had a hungry toddler, and was on top of refills.
Food — I thought they had Po’boys? :(I ended up getting the pasta that wasn’t that great (was way better cold). It ended up being almost $ 50 for two adults (no alcohol) so I didn’t think price wise it was a good value.

I went to Joe’s this past Sunday night for my sister-in-law’s birthday and it was just a disaster.
My mother-​in-​law showed up a little bit before my wife and I, and we got there at around 6:15. 6:40 rolls around and we haven’t been greeted or have had a chance to put in drink orders. The manager came over and asked if anyone has greeted us yet and we said no. She apologized and offered a couple free apps as an apology. We thought that was very nice. The waiter finally came over and took our drink orders and our food orders. A couple girls wanted an alcoholic drink in their take-​home mason jars but they were out of the jars. I ordered a burger and fries and they said that they were out of fries. Seriously? So I ordered the onion strings.
About 20 minutes after everyone got their drinks, the birthday girl asked where her strawberry lemonade was, they said that they were out of lemonade. Why wait this long to tell us? So she ordered something else. We finally got our food at a little past 7:30. it took them about 40 minutes to get our food. The restaurant wasn’t even half full! I also saw that one of the plates had fries on it. I said that I thought they were out and he said, nope, we found some. Found some? You are either out or not. So I asked if I could just have a basket of fries and he brought those out.
I ordered the Surf n Turf burger and the burger was obviously a pre-​formed frozen patty, one of my pet peeves. In an expensive restaurant like this, I expect the burger to be hand made, maybe that’s asking too much. The burger was not good and it had to have had artificial grill flavor on it. AND they forgot the signature red sriracha sauce that was supposed to be on it, so I had to ask for that. Ridiculous.
With not having the mason jars, lemonade, fries, forgetting the sauce on a staple entrée, and the food not being good at all, I won’t ever come back to Joe’s Crab Shack. It was a total disaster from the get go.

What a mess! We went here on a Sunday night for my sister’s birthday. Made a reservation at 6:30, and showed up around 6:15. Other family members were already here and seated. Around 6:50, We were greeted by a manager who seemed appalled that we hadn’t been greeted yet. she offered us free apps. To me, this was more than redeemable, and we went on with our meal.
The table ordered drinks for the bar, and were told they were out of Mason jars. 25 minutes, we finally got our drinks. They never brought my sister’s lemonade, and when she asked for it, they told her they were out. Apps came out with no silverware and no plates. We had to ask two different people and apps started to get cold. 20 minutes later our food order was finally taken. This was an hour after we arrived. Two of the guys ordered burger and fries and were told they were out of fries! Out of fries! Come on now! So one of them ended up getting the fish tacos instead. I ordered the Crab Cake Chipolte salad. The description from Joe Crab Shack «Romaine lettuce topped with one of our lump meat crab cakes, black bean corn relish, tortilla strips and chipotle Caesar dressing.» About 45 minutes later food came out. By this time, I was soooo over it, it was almost 8:15 by this time. I was hungry and tired and missing the Oscars. Food came out, along with fries! People had changed their whole order based on these fries. They didn’t have them and now then they did. It made no sense. My food was good, my only complaint if that the salad was drenched in dressing. I wish the description would have mentioned that it was tossed and not served with. My husband got a burger, which was just a frozen patty with artificial grill flavoring. You’d think a nicer restaurant like this would hand make their own patties. We then, of course, waited for our bill. Dinner at a restaurant should not take 2 ½ hours. Soooooo disappointing.
Did I mention that restaurant wasn’t even half full at any given point? It didn’t seem like they were under staffed either… what was the deal?
I went to the bathroom before dinner and again after dinner. Both times the bathrooms had toilet paper all over the floor and along the bottoms of the floor has crud built up over years of not cleaning.
It’s safe to say that I have no desire to EVER return to this place. It seems more of a hyped and trendy place with over priced food and crappy service and organization.

Well I finally made it to Joe’s and I have to say I am disappointed. I know I should not have high expectations for a chain restaurant but I thought Joe’s might be different.
Once again, I seem too find the slowest servers and food preparers in Omaha. Every step of the dining experience was slow, from getting our drinks, to taking our order, etc. etc. It was as Thursday night, the place was half full and there were plenty of workers.
The décor is nice and the people working seemed nice. However, the food was underwhelming.
The one and only highlight of the night was the crab nacho appetizer. Lots of crab and cheesy gooiness. Was nice and hot and enough to feed two. It went downhill from there, and not a slow roll downhill but a free fall. I had the Crispy Jumbo Shrimp that were so greasy I ended up painstakingly pulling off all the breading to eat them. They were jumbo but that was about it. I ate a couple fries because they were barely lukewarm, right from the warming tray, simply sucked. The cole slaw came in one of those little cups that you put ketchup in at McDonald’s, I got a bite and a half out of it. My daughter got some type of southern stuffed shrimp that were wrapped in bacon. The bacon dwarfed the shrimp so much that I wondered if the bacon had ate the shrimp. The flavor was so overwhelmingly bacon that the shrimp was lost and the stuffing was no where to be found. It came with dirty rice, which would be more aptly named rice as the dirty was only a description of the look of the rice not the flavor, no seasoning at all. Now to the fried balls of dough or as they called them hush puppies, these hush puppies give real hush puppies a bad name. All three were overcooked with a burnt taste and the inside was so dry they simply fell apart. Worst thing I have ate since moving to Omaha, and that’s saying a lot.
Another one and done for me. Can’t think of why I would venture back to Joe’s. I’ll try Shuck’s next time.

Atmosphere was nice. Food was okay… not great, just okay. We had to ask three different servers to bring silverware to our table after our food was delivered. Finally, the manager brought one spoon and one knife to our table. We had four people at our table, so I guess we were expected to all share that one spoon and one knife (and eat with our fingers instead of a fork!!)! To add insult to injury of bad service, however, was when the waitress handed me her dirty used band aid with the pen when she brought the bill. That was just plain gross. Neither the waitress nor the manager offered any type of service recovery. After that, I would recommend anyone wishing to eat at the Omaha Joe’s Crab Shack get a tetanus shot before arriving. For two people, we spent $ 95 on our meals not including a tip. I am pretty easy going as a customer, but this restaurant did not even come close to meeting any of my service expectations!
A few days after this experience, I did receive a phone call from their head office to attempt service recovery, but unfortunately, sending me a $ 20 coupon on a future visit will probably not be enough to entice me to drive all the way to Omaha to give Joe’s Crab Shack another try.