I have eaten at Crab's Claw 3 times in the last couple of years and can say that I have had a 5 Star experience every time. Look forward to the next visit as well. The food keeps getting better. I was there for a late lunch last week and was lucky that the Mahi sandwich was the special. It was delicious. We also had Conch Fritters for an appetizer. We ate on the deck overlooking the ocean and actually got to see a dolphin swimming by! Service was great and I could tell they really pitched in and got the table next to ours cleaned off quickly when the patrons left their table. I'll definitely be back ASAP. read more

This place had its pros and cons, I won't lie The view was absolutely gorgeous, even from our indoor table, however, due to the door having to swing open constantly, there were a whole lot of flies inside. I think we had about 6 flying around our table by the time the entrees arrived. It's something to keep in mind. It was also pretty hot in there. The food was pretty good, though improvements can certainly be made. The hushpuppies were a bit dry, though I liked the corn in them. It was a neat touch. I got the rasta pasta. For the most part, it was tasty, although they didn't remove the shrimp tails. I can't say I'm a seafood connoisseur, so I dont know if that's normal for pasta dishes, but it's something to note. The Mahi Mahi and blackened tuna got positive feedback. We also got an appetizer of bacon-wrapped scallops. They were alright, I liked the touch of barbecue. Service was rather slow. The drink refills took a while, but both the sweet tea and lemonade were good. Overall, this felt fairly average, which I wouldn't say is necessarily a bad thing. I'd go for the sunshine grilled Mahi. Can't comment on dessert (I would have tried, but I was too full.) And I really do reccomend the lemonade, it tasted nice and freshly squeezed. Hope this helps. read more

Food was outstanding ! Sweet crab and amazing homemade potato salad :) the waitress was upbeat and sweet thank you Dana ! The table was perfectly Positioned and so cool upstairs ! I loved this place ! read more

See all

We were hesitant to try this place due to the inconsistent reviews, however I'm so glad we did not let that deter us. Our server was attentive, told us the specials, and answered all our questions. You must try the warm crab dip and order it spicy. It is served with warm seasoned pita style bread and delicious. We also ordered a pound of steamed crab, a pick three with lobster, steamed shrimp and scallops. Fried shrimp basket and lobster Mac n cheese. Fresh well seasoned seafood, yummy sides, and we walked out with full happy bellies. Watching and hearing the ocean waves upstairs was a bonus. If in the area try it out, and see for yourself. The only suggestion is ask the price of daily specials. The lobster Mac n cheese was $75! Would not have ordered it if I knew it was that much. read more

Was greeted by a friendly young woman and shown immediately led up a long staircase to a small dining room with 4 seated around a table more suitable as a 2-top. There were three large parties there at the same time and two servers to cover inside and outside so although quite a bit of time passed between check-ins, the servers were hustling. A woman wearing a hairnet and dressed for much cooler weather assisted the servers, which seemed strange. The AC was clearly not present/working because the room was HOT to the point of discomfort. There were also a LOT of flies. Our little table had 4 that would not give up so everyone ate with one hand and fanned flies away with the other. I felt sorry for the runners-- climbing those stairs with trays seemed like an accident waiting to happen. There are a pair of restrooms in the dining room that appear to be an afterthought addition. The bacon wrapped scallops tasted like they were frozen and the hushpuppies, a box mix. The blackened tuna was perfection but the purple quinoa salad was horrible and abandoned. Caribbean specialities' rasta pasta and sunshine-grilled Mahi Mahi were both highly regarded. In fact, one in our party chose the mahi mahi as the best dinner on our entire trip and hopes to learn how to replicate it at home. The check couldn't come quickly enough, however, due to the need to escape both the heat and the flies. read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Sunshine-grilled mahi-mahi over a bed of rumba rice and peas, topped with brown sugar sauted plantains and tropical fruit. - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

I'm so sorry, im not the type to write bad reviews but oh my goodness. The staff is super sweet but you can definitely tell they were stressed. Our food nearly took two hours to come out. Another table told us good luck bc they were there for over 3 hours! They told us the all the food is made to order but all of our food came out luke warm. Not a single steam in sight. My uncle sent his food back because of how cold it was. My crab cake was okay but my rice was over cooked and mushy again, the staff was super nice, just the management needs more work. I would not recommend coming nor would I ever come back. I also suggested this place because on google it was nearly 4 stars so I thought it was worth it, but I ended up paying the whole bill since everyone had a bad experience. Please read reviews before coming read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Had the best meal & experience of my entire vacation eating out at this wonderful spot. We were given a perfect table for four on the top level balcony overlooking the ocean right as the sun was setting. The food was amazing all around and the drinks were top notch. Our server Patricia was absolutely AWESOME and feel blessed if you get her as your server because she is the best! Unpretentious and just all around top notch. I'll be dreaming of their Blackened Tuna 'til I can get back there. *And make sure to ask for a side of their House Made Jamaican Jam Jam Hot Sauce [but know it packs a heaty punch!] read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Have been coming here for years. Something, maybe the ownership, has changed. It was terrible food. How does a place that is right across from Morehead City- one of the fishing capitals of the east coast (home of the Big Rock Marlin Tournament) serve pre-battered, frozen shrimp and flounder filets. Couldn't believe it so after one bite we asked the server. She asked the manager and came back and told us it was indeed frozen, pre-battered, processed food. Basically like SeaPak. We didn't eat much of it before telling the manager what we thought of it. Their response was that they wouldn't take anything off the bill. Well please go somewhere else instead of wasting your money and time here. Too many great places to eat in the area. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

Absolutely delicious food, great server, wonderful beach location. We're here on vacation and will go back. Highly recommend!

Some items were hit and misses The crab cake dish was amazing But the shrimp in the boils were visibly dirty Honestly only giving it a good rating bc the staff was on doing the best despite the high turnout that night and the fact we did not have reservations yet we were seated within the hour read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Pick 2 boil. Not worth it - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Worst service I have ever received. We waited at our table for 2 hours. Crab dip was S L O W, but good. Fish and chips and grouper sandwich never came. Flagged down the waitress when said the fish and chips had been under the "warmer" for half an hour. Just waiting on my fish sandwich. Paid for our app and 2bdrinks and left. NEVER coming back. read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Nice view, terrible service. - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

See all

Hello. I ate here because everything else was full ( major mistake next time wait. ) I see why there was open spots... their was a 5 minute wait that's normal but they let us sit down at the bar and get drinks before got a virgin pina colada and they gave me 1 full big cup and then an extra cup full of it. That's where my only star comes in.. me and my family are waiting for our table looking at the beach. We're standing by 5 open tables btw. After thirty minutes maybe?? Waitress tells us we can sit down in a table, and she asks us what we want to drink and what apps we want. We ordered waters and spicy crab dip. Waters came out quick .. on the other hand the crab dip was not quick. Fifteen minutes after the crab dip was ordered she took our food orders.i drank 3 waters almost done with my 4th, before the crab dip came out. It took 45 minutes for the crab dip to finish it was taking extremely long so we asked our waitress if our food was gonna come out when our apps do she then tells us she didn't put our orders in yet. 45 minutes after we gave them to her. The crab dip came out and it was spicy when we asked for normal. At this point I have drank 7 waters btw.. after dinner we were planning to go to mini golf but no the food took basically 3 hours, it only took us fifteen to eat. I had order off the little fishies menu (I'm 11 not 10 but deal with it with this service..) I order the Alfredo watery, chicken chunks were burnt and they were chicken tenders and the fries were horrible. My mom ordered the Rasta pasta and they didn't even take the tails off the shrimp, my brother ordered the Cuban sandwich and you would think they go to Cuba for it with how long it took. My dad got the crab cakes and they added mangos and corn and made it like horrible ... I would also like to add people came Way after us and left way before us, I also stopped to go to the bathroom and my staff was eating graham crackers and talking to other staff. The office next to the women's bathroom was infested with flies , Starbucks trash and it was just unsanitary. I don't recommend this to anyone and just yea.. so please consider getting this place like sanitary checked and service check again or something bc we left after like 4 hrs and it took us 15 minutes to eat. Me and my family all had very strong opinions about this restaurant and will never eat here again. I am so glad I don't live here and won't have to see it in my sight or even think about eating her again. This was so bad I would give it a zero but I can't so I give it a one Sincerely, Emilia Ledford and her family. read more

Great location, forgettable dining experience. We sat on the upper deck and did not receive service for about 20 minutes despite having a reservation. Both parties on either side of us were seated and had drinks well after we arrived. I decided against ordering a bar drink due to this timeframe (we didn't get a drink menu to look at during this time either). When I went inside to use the bathroom there was a large group of waitstaff near the kitchen door. I think they just forgot to tell someone we were there honestly. The food was then okay. Prices did not reflect to their online menu by about $10 more for the steam pots. Will be looking for other choices next time we are in town. read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Everything was amazing about this seafood oceanfront restaurant. The seafood is not your run -of- the -meal cuisine but kicked up a notch With a Caribbean flair. My crab cakes were delicious, unlike any I've ever had with rice, black beans and spices. Oh so good. My friend had the Caribbean oxtail over polenta and thought it was very good. The view....... Spectacular!! read more

On the beach with a great view. Depending on your taste, you can get items that are either sweet or with heat. I have tried a couple of the menu items but my favorite is the sweet heat blackened snapper. Hush puppies are a nice addition to the meal. read more

Worst place on the NC coast! Frozen fried fish and shrimp was served at $28 a plate. Orders were wrong and food was terrible. Don't eat there at all. Our 25 year old son saved money to take us to a nice place and we unfortunately picked this bad place. We asked for a reduction in bill but the request was completely denied. read more

The food was awful. Steaks and lobster were rubbery, conch fritters were burnt, hard & greasy, steamed little necks were covered in old bay seasoning, fried tomatoes pretty bad. My plate had a big chip. Service started off ok & went downhill. While my husband helped my mom down all the stairs to the car, I waited for her to return to bring the check. It was not handicap accessible, a lot of stairs for my 82 yr old mom. It was loud with dishes being dropped. For the price $223 & expect a tip of minimum of $50. I have never gave a bad review before. So disappointed. read more

See all

We enjoy Atlantic Beach and our visits to Crab's Claw Oceanfront Restaurant and love the ambiance and service. read more

See all

Our food was amazing! Blackened snapper, tuna burger, Swiss chicken sandwich. All was piping hot. But I could not eat all my meal. I got it boxed up to go. It was bagged in a very wrinkled used Walmart bag. I had to leave it. I imagined someone's stuff previously in that bag. It turned my stomach. Service was great. The ocean view was great as well. read more

Crabs Claw is located right on Atlantic Beach, next to public parking which was very convenient. We made reservations for the top deck and were seated relatively quickly. When we were sat, it took about 20 minutes to be served, only after my husband asked another person on the wait staff if we could get our drink order taken. We noticed a lot of the people around us with empty drinks and wait staff having a lot of apologies for how long things were taking. We put in an order of conch fritters, which were okay. The sauce with them was an orange/pineapple sauce. My husband got a blackened mahi sandwich which he said was a little dry. I got a steam pot. I felt like the crab was a little over cooked, but overall it was tasty. Nice view on the top deck but probably wouldn't be back any time soon due to the service and mediocre food. read more

See all

Good outdoor view. Slow service but also seemed. The food was moderate but expensive and not worth the 45 minute wait after ordering. Won't be coming back. read more

We came here for my birthday lunch yesterday (Friday, May 29, 2026) Got a seat on the deck with a great ocean view. Lower deck, so out of the sun which was nice. Taylor was our server and she was sweet & delightful. I ordered the crab cake platter and hubby had the chicken empanadas and the gazpacho soup. Both of us really enjoyed our dishes. Perfectly seasoned and spiced. The empanadas had a savory dipping sauce. The crab cakes were served over a black bean, corn and dirty rice medley. Got a Rum Runner punch to celebrate my birthday and it had a nice punch that made me giggly. Shared a chocolate crème brulee for desert - just right --not too sweet or ovedone--a perfect subtle end to our meal. The Crab Claw is one of our fav places for relaxed dining and lovely views. Glad we're locals and can come often. Bet you'll enjoy it as much as we do. It's the perfect place to unwind and gaze seaward and be caressed by gentle sea breezes and chill. No worries. Even Type As may leave their worries behind.. Try some Island time, Mon. read more

This is maybe my second visit to Crabs claw, normally the wait can get long but I learned you can call to make a reservation not sure if that's new but good to know. Overall a great experience, ~30min wait for 4 to sit outside. It was a really windy day (20mph+) but they had things weighted down well on the tables. Not overly busy but our waitress was covering a lot, and still able to keep a good check on us. Only reason for 4* was due to the app taking awhile, and being pretty small and no complementary hush puppies! Would still visit again all of the food was very well prepared read more

See all

Absolutely loved the Blackened Red Snapper. Spectacular and perfectly seasoned. Great location right on the waterfront and great service too with accommodations on the patio. Highly recommend. read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

We made a reservation for dinner. We had a short wait while they got our table ready. We were thrilled to eat outside in the upper deck to enjoy the sunset. We ordered drinks and an order of mussels to share for an appetizer. They were so good! Perfect start for our meal. I ordered the grouper sandwich. It was a generous piece of fish and cooked perfectly. My salad was fresh and tasty! My friends also enjoyed their entrees too. We couldn't leave without a shark fin. I hadn't been to the area in some time and I was so happy to see they still had them on the menu! It was just as good as I remembered too! We had great service the whole visit! read more

See all

The Crab's Claw does have a great location. On the other hand - my husband was served the wrong beer and the mint leaves in my mojito were rotten before they replaced them. Our lobster bisques were ordinary. The seafood pasta noodles were tough. If you want more than a beer overlooking the beach, we don't recommend it. read more

See all

terrible, slow service. Waitress was distracted and not very accommodating. My salad was just a bunch of junk lettuce, and a couple tomatoes. Not at all the pile of fresh vegetables promised on the menu. My husbands tuna was mushy, his roll was stale and burnt. very disappointing as we usually go there every time we're in North Carolina, but this will be our last time. read more

I wouldn't step foot back in The Crab Claw if the food were free because the entire place to me is an unsanitary mess that feels like a health hazard waiting to happen. Just a quick glance into the kitchen you can see cooks touching the food with bare hands. (Honestly curious how they're holding a 90 on the health rating with the lack of cleanliness and spilled drinks everywhere) The real nightmare, however, is the owner, Tony. you can literally hear the excuse of a owner running her mouth and talking shit about all the customers and employees. Her rude and disrespectful attitude is genuinely baffling, especially since she's walking around with a God complex while looking like something straight out of a book of horrors. Someone clearly needs to go in the back and smoke a pack to calm down, because having that much ego while looking that terrifying and running a grimy kitchen is a bold, delusional choice! God bless the people who have to sit there 24/7 and listen to her! read more

On July 13, 2025, our party of 12 had 6:30 pm reservations and was seated promptly. While the initial drink order was delivered on time, we did not receive any follow-up regarding additional beverages, nor were we checked on throughout our meal. We received the hors d'oeuvres, but as we waited for our main courses, we noticed that other tables were being filled, served, and then left, while we continued to wait. We were finally cashed out after closing at 8:45 pm. It was very frustrating. The gratuity was added based on the total amount, including tax, rather than on the pre-tax subtotal, which is the standard practice. $ 554.00 = subtotal $ 110.80 = gratuity ($99.72 = 18%) $ 37.40 = 6.75% tax $ 28.09 = non-cash up charge $ 730.29 Total. During a 14-minute phone conversation on 07/25/2025, Antoinette Oberci, Executive Chef/Owner, expressed a willingness to make adjustments to address the poor service and food quality issues we encountered. I believed that she would process adjustments or refunds for the cards as discussed, but none of the three cards have had any adjustments made. I want to recap the conversation: 12035 party of three (3) $70.00 for the King crab legs.  The order was delivered after everyone's dinner was over. The server stated, "forgot" to enter them, or the kitchen didn't "see" the order.  $ 152.00 subtotal $  30.40 gratuity ($27.36 = 18%) $  10.26 = 6.75% tax,  $    7.71 =  non-cash up charge $ 200.37 charged to card 12036 party of three (3)  $75.00 for the Steamer Pot. When it was delivered, it was so salty that it was refused and sent back.  The Shrimp & Lobsta Pasta was overly salted as well, but we sorted through what was palatable. $  234.00 = subtotal $.  46.80 = gratuity ($42.12 = 18%) $   15.80 = 6.75% tax $   11.86 = non-cash up charge $  308.46 charged to card 12037 party of six (6) Shrimp & Lobsta Pasta did not arrive as a pasta dish; it arrived as an overly salted soup.  $ 168.00 = subtotal $   33.60 = gratuity ($30.24 = 18%) $   11.34 = 6.75% tax $    8.52 =  non-cash up charge $  221.46 charged to card The excuses we were given by the employees for the overly salted food were "they use Old Bay". "It is the cook's first day." The excuse for lack of attentiveness while we were first to be seated and the last to leave was "someone didn't show up for work". I suggested a lower-sodium solution for "Old Bay": "J.O.", based out of Maryland, has a product that has 50% less sodium. Their crab boil spice, due to the need for a salt that sticks to the crab, is higher in sodium and needs to be combined with other spices to produce the desired flavor.  I didn't immediately review this experience on media like Yelp, TripAdvisor, or any social media due to respect for the business owner. I preferred to allow correcting their employees' failures before proceeding. I began looking for a website with an actual menu online, but at every hyperlink to access Crabsclaw, a '502' gateway message or '404' not found message was given. *After checking other media sites, it became obvious there is a need for website attention. Antoinette's Response: "DID YOU REALLY STALK MY PERSONAL FACEBOOK PAGE?" read more

Food was great! The service was amazing! The view was just as good! Will definitely be back when we are in the area. read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Bottom patio seating - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Over the past four years-we have continued to try to give Crab's Claw chance after chance for a nice ocean front dinner. Literally every single time we have some sort of terrible experience happen to our family and friends. The food is good-if it comes-however most of the time it takes over an hour to get delivered, if at all. In addition, the servers are rude, (just now our server THREW the bill at my elderly mother). This could be a nice place if only they would get ANY, but also many, nice servers that could help run the restaurant. read more

We had a delicious and delightful lunch with the famous crab dip to start with. We had a perfect view of the beach and ocean. We enjoyed a bottle of wine, ordered shrimp and grits and the oxtail. Both of the entrees were absolutely outstanding and savory. The portions were huge! The key lime pie was a perfect choice for us to split and finish the enjoyable experience! Our server was great and checked on us regularly. It's definitely a perfect spot to grab a beverage or relaxing meal. read more

Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Went on New Years Day to watch the Penguin Plunge...Sat on the deck and view was great! Ordered a round of drinks.... Bloody Mary with Tito's... asked for a single shot in a large glass! Came out with a lime wedge, was told they ran out of olives... ok! Ordered meals and food was ok! Received bill... Bloody Mary was $14.00 with an up charge of $8.00 for Tito's... was never told there was an upcharge for Tito's! Asked to speak to manager and out came another server who told me manager won't come out! Would not do anything... so for three Bloody Mary's we got charge $24.00 additional.. will not be going back... lack of customer service and trying to upcharge on liquor without letting diners know... sneaky and rude! read more

First I called another restaurant for a reservation and hostess said, they are not taking reservations after 5pm. Table for 2, not sure. We could sit at bar. So I called the Crab Claw and hostess was very nice. 1/2 star. Took a reservation no problem. First, pricing here, I felt wasn't bad. Not sure why people complained. Drinks and wine prices were OK. Food portions were large. We sat upstairs alot of people were outside. A bit smokey from the kitchen downstairs. Service by Kristiana 1.5 stars, was attentive and good. Glad we didn't get Tracey tonight! Food, would not recommend their conch fritters. Conch were very tough. Stuffing was ok. Had the Blackened Tuna Sandwich with red potatoes. Potatoes were good and cooked with an Ole bay season. Tuna was just ok. Spouse had the Grilled Mahi which was good not great. Food 1 star. I originally went to have Blackened wahoo. Thought it would have been served like the Mahi or Tuna but no it was premixed in an Alfredo sauce with mushrooms dish. Two things I can't stand. Wouldn't run back. Wish other place's hostess was more helpful. read more

See all

Friendly staff and good service but food and drinks were definitely lacking. Smallest crab cake with a lot of filler and very little crab meat. Mixed Drinks were not very good either read more

Lovely experience at Crabs Claw! They have a small parking lot out front and appeared to have another larger option open to the public right next door. It was a bit warm downstairs when we walked in but our table was upstairs and it was much cooler. We had a great view of the ocean from our table too. The crab dip was phenomenal! The kids menu was solid and our daughter got the chicken chunks and fries which was a huge portion. The homemade sauce for the steamed clams was divine. The blackened mahi was perfectly cooked over my salad and the homemade dressing was delicious. My father in law loved the fried fish platter and my husband got the crab cake over portobello mushroom over pasta and it was unreal. We all loved our drinks - the mango mojitos are highly recommended! read more

See all

By far the most wasted potential in a waterfront restaurant ever. Worst food and worst service I've ever had but the drinks were good at least I guess read more

The view was great from the upper deck. Food was OK but I would not make the trip without the view.

Former EMPLOYEE here . i just quit tonight & i want to put out there for the future employees / current & future customers. this place is a HELL HOLE . unsanitary , toxic work environment , all of the above. everybody talks about everybody there & they literally be in the kitchen touching y'all's food with their bare hands and putting it in front of yall to eat it, which is why i'd never eat there. & don't get me started on the owner TONY. she's very disrespectful to her employees & while working there i felt very targeted. She's thrown frying pans at employees, degraded them because of small mistakes, & talks to them like they're NOTHING . while working there i felt very targeted. today, may 11th 2026, it was brought to my attention that there was a bad review left on google about the food that SHE took forever to bring up. she blamed me for the review. also again today, a couple sends back their food because it was nasty to them, when i brought the food to the back to let her know they didn't like it she started freaking out and screaming saying that it was my fault and that i needed a more experienced server with my while taking other tables orders. get over it tony your food was fucking disgusting . anywho , never work here if you're a beginner in waitressing & eat the food at your own cost . read more

We stopped here while on vacation at Atlantic Beach and so happy we found this place! Our servers, Sarah and Cassie, were so friendly and gave great recommendations for food options. I ordered the clam chowder and blackberry chicken salad. My husband had the lobster Mac and cheese. For dessert we ordered the shark fin, which was decorated with shark gummies. Whoever their chef is working there has definitely come up with some great ideas for their menu! The location of this restaurant is so convenient- you can get to it just walking along the beach. It's very "come as you are" which was great because we had been at the beach all day and were looking for a place for dinner. They offer indoor seating and also have outdoor seating which overlooks the beach. We would absolutely come back here if we vacation in Atlantic Beach again, and hope we have Sarah or Cassie again because they rock! read more

See all