Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Joe's Crab Shack

    3.3 (377 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, American, Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Joe's Crab Shack Photos

    Business Info

    JOE'S CRAB SHACK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Joe's Crab Shack

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Joe's Crab Shack on the water
    Yvette A.

    This was open on Christmas Day 2025. They have parking under the bridge out front, not too far of a walk--the walkway to the restaurant involves walking up stairs. We arrived around 2 pm, and it wasn't busy. We didn't have a reservation, but we were seated right away. This location is on the Ohio River, so we asked to be seated by the water, and they accommodated us. The day was foggy, but it was still pretty to be by the water. The atmosphere had an ocean vibe with sea-life decor. Our server was quick, friendly, and efficient. Working on Christmas Day, he had a great attitude. For those who prefer not to eat seafood, alternative options are available, such as steak and chicken. We started out with the cheesy garlic bread appetizer, comes with marinara sauce. This was good. I opted for Joe's Classic, which came with crab, shrimp, sausage, corn, and egg. I chose the secret sauce, which is a blend of garlic, lemon pepper, and Cajun seasoning with a medium flavor. It had a nice spice level to it, and everything was tasty except the corn; there was nothing special about the corn-just seemed boiled. My food came out steaming hot, but it cooled down very quickly. The amount of food was plentiful. I love how they offer you a bib and the tools to crack the crab. Eating crab is definitely some work. One of my boys got "The Cajun," which came with everything mine did and mussels. He enjoyed his meal, but also said the corn was weak. He got Cajun flavoring in hot, and he didn't complain; he said it had a bit of heat to it. I almost thought they might have switched ours and made mine hot, while his was medium, but I ate it anyway and was satisfied. My other boy got chicken tenders and fries because he is not a seafood fan, and he said his meal was good. My husband got a sirloin steak and shrimp with green beans and mashed potatoes. He is also not a seafood fan, so he gave me the shrimp - they were good. Tasted grilled and different than the shrimp that came with my meal. He enjoyed his meal. For drinks, the boys got Sprite, which comes with refills. My husband got a melon margarita, and I had a sip; it was delicious. The shaker that they bring it out in is also a souvenir cup, so we got to keep that. They offer non-alcoholic cocktails that also come with a souvenir cup. I got the Fiji Fusion, and it was delicious. I love getting swag, so souvenir cups are very marketable. Our meal cost was approximately $200. We had a great experience here and an excellent Christmas Day meal.

    Joe's Classic
    Jack S.

    Wanted to try Joes while in town for work as I've only ever had steamed crab legs and wanted to try a boil. I got the Joes classic hot and Cajun sauce (7/10). Overall for $50 dollars I don't really think it's worth it unfortunately. Two crab clusters that were not huge and like six shrimp. Ya there's other things but I would call those fillers and I really was wanting the seafood. Also I wouldn't say it was hot. The flavor was fine but the amount of seafood for $50 is why I likely wouldn't order again

    Overview from Joes crab Shack
    Roger R.

    Hadn't been here in a long time; looking for some restaurant that we could view the river and enjoy the outdoors. Greeted right away and seated. Waited on very quickly. Waiter was very good. Ordered a couple of Modelos to start with. I ordered the calamari ( appetizer) and it was enough for me; we shared stuffed mushrooms and my wife had calm chowder. All was good tasting and service was cordial. We hadn't been there for a long time; we had actually thought they had closed; but they aren't. So now we can go back more often. Mattie was our waiter and did a great job and service.

    Fun photos at Joe's Crab Shack

    Shelby, Shelby, Shelby... we enjoyed YOU very much as our server today. Thank you for helping me and my family enjoy my husbands "Crab David's BIRTHDAY and having him dress in the JOES CRAB SHACK COSTUME. We'll definitely be back to see you fun and Beautiful PEOPLE. Yall must visit Joes Crab Shack and ask for Ms. Shelby, she's our girl, she is the go to girl, she is AMAZING. Ya'll want a FUN SERVER With FAST and FRIENDLY SERVICE, then Shelby is "your go to server"...you have to ask her. See ya soon for mò crab and seafood

    Specials
    Ed S.

    It's been quite a while since our last visit. Almost 20 years. Seriously, that long. Why? Because their entire menu back then was fried everything. Well, Joe's Crab Shack has grown up in the time that has passed. To keep up with Crafty Crab and other higher end seafood joints, Joe's started steaming seafood assortments in plastic bags with various seasoning. There's lots of platters & buckets in a somewhat overwhelming menu. Shrimp, crab, muscles, clams, lobster in various combos with potatoes, corn on the cob and sausage. Even a hard boiled egg. Don't ask, I have no clue where an egg fits in. Don't like sausage? They swap it out and add a few more shrimp. To save calories, we passed on the various butter sauces they offer as seasoning in the steamed bag and got them in the side. Good call. The sauces weren't all that great, but we could dip into the sauce if we wanted. Another example of how Joe's can customize your dinner. Make no mistake, now that Joe's has kept pace with competitors, their prices have kept up, too. My king crab platter ran $50. So, it's ez to drop it over $100 without trying. But the food was excellent. The serving portion was more than fair. And service was outstanding. Our server Joe set the tone the moment we found our way to the table. He knew the menu inside and out. Patiently explaining the difference between the various platters. He took a very good meal into an exceptional dining experience. Joe's has upped its game. If you're up for some good seafood, it deserves your consideration.

    See all

    2 months ago

    The food was great my server was alicia she was great too she made it a great experience..

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    food was great, very nice price! Aliaa our server was very kind and making sure we had everything we needed

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    26 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Sawyer A.

    Sawyer A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tom L.
    18
    38
    1

    18 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Our service was so nice and attentive on my graduation day!!! I would come here again!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lynn G.
    119
    1
    0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Sawyer A.

    Sawyer A.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Noel was our waitress and she was very nice and sweet. Kept coming back to our table to see if we needed anything. Will definitely be back!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ed S.
    145
    743
    2367

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kait W.

    Kait W.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    The food was really good. Our server was friendly and we received our food in a timely manner.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Sawyer A.

    Sawyer A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Caleb was great and so was the food!! Love the atmosphere, music, view of the river too!!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Sawyer A.

    Sawyer A.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Sawyer A.

    Sawyer A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Location is cool right on the river. Great food and wonderful service from Joey M. Highly recommend!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joseph G.
    2203
    2906
    40279

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Melanie C.

    Melanie C.

    Helpful 106
    Thanks 0
    Love this 75
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dee A.
    71
    15
    6

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rosa H.
    510
    174
    1448

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kait W.

    Kait W.

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joshua J.
    77
    24
    650

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kait W.

    Kait W.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kait W.

    Kait W.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - Joe's Crab Shack

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Seafood 1,417 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Monk's Road Boiler House

    Monk's Road Boiler House

    4.4
    (81 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    Our group luckily stopped by Monk's Road Boiler House in Louisville, KY last night. we headed down…read moreto the speakeasy where we met our bartender, Brian and the general manager Teddy. This was the best experience and these two gentlemen made sure of it. The drinks Brian made for us were top notch and some of the best I've ever had. I had the Chamomile Fields Old Fashion and my husband had the Smoked Ok'd Fashion and the New York Sour. All of them outstanding! We felt at home, Brian and Teddy made the whole night special. We did some bourbon tasting and went home with a few extra bottles. The ambience was a perfect ending for our trip with its warm, intimate setting.

    We came for dinner- group of 6. We had a reservation, but we arrived early, so we went downstairs…read moreto their bar. They have a sweet vault door to get in. There were many seats at the bar as well as couch and chair areas. They also have bathrooms down there. Service was outstanding. We had a bourbon flight and some cocktails. Our server even took group pics for us. He also provided menus so we could be prepared for dinner. When our table was ready, we reconciled our check and headed back upstairs. Upstairs, we had amazing service also. I ordered a cocktail that they had on the downstairs menu, and not the regular menu. It did not faze our server. He said he would figure it out- and he did! After a round of drinks, we stayed with appetizers: meatballs, fritto misto, piatto di frutti di mare and the crab cake. Everything was devoured. I loved the crab cake and the meatballs. The fried calamari was pretty standard and the cold seafood platter was fine- I had an oyster off of it. For dinner, I had the "Pappardelle" : short rib ragu alla bolognese, grano padano, and added two seared scallops. Wow. The pasta is homemade. It was phenomenal. My husband had the "Maiale" : 16oz pork chop, cauliflower puree, chard, stone fruit, bourbon glaze. It was a large portion and cooked perfectly. So good. Our friends had steaks and sides, so I was able to try the Mac and cheese- which did not get congealed! The corn was delicious and the mushrooms were a variety. Of course we had dessert. I asked for cannoli and they had it! They weee not soggy. I had three different favors. I love cannoli. These were really good. We also shared the millionaire's tart and some sort of apple crumble with ice cream. Yum. We had more round of drinks throughout including some fun ones - see the treasure chest video. I would recommend this place. They have a great menu. Drinks were awesome. Service topped everything. They went out of their way for us multiple times. Thanks so much. We can't wait to come back again.

    Photos
    The attention to detail down to the organization of the barstools was impressive
    The attention to detail down to the organization of the barstools was impressive
    Extremely fatty 8oz Wagyu ribeye fat scraps (probably 1/4 -1/3 was inedible for a $100 steak)
    Extremely fatty 8oz Wagyu ribeye fat scraps (probably 1/4 -1/3 was inedible for a $100 steak)
    Flight

    See all

    Flight
    Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar

    Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar

    3.9
    (2.5k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Stopped at Doc Crow's since it seems to be a popular spot. Upon walking in, it doesn't seem big but…read morethere's an additional space after the first section. The restaurant includes a long row of bar seating that extends to the other end of the restaurant, so there was no problem for me to find a seat on a busy day. I ordered the Mac n cheese and braised greens, and the Mac n cheese was really good and creamy. The braised greens were just okay, it wasn't the best greens I've had and it could use extra flavor. I don't know if this is a thing they do at Doc Crow's, but in my opinion the bartender excessively kept asking me what I wanted even while I was still looking at the menu. This definitely frustrated me since it was clear that I wasn't ready yet. I think she should have done a better job reading my cues to figure out when I am ready to order.

    We were due for an underwhelming experience, and I'm at least partially to blame for not having a…read moredinner spot lined up beforehand. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I spent most of the afternoon on a bourbon tour and a post-tour distillery so...food was needed. And quickly. In our mild defense, we didn't really know how the day was going to go or when we were actually going to have dinner, which made it a little tougher to pre-plan, but no research went into this at all and we paid for it. We wrapped up our bourbon adventures at the Angel's Envy distillery probably five or six blocks from here. Instead of being grownups and doing at least a quick/impromptu recon for spots, we literally just walked outside and down W Main St until we hit something. And we hit this, which was right on the edge of the main tourist area, pretty much Louisville's equivalent of the Times Square/MSG area. And as someone who works and used to live in NYC, you'd have to do a lot of convincing to get me to eat in that particular area - it's overpriced and the food/service just tends to not be very good, which makes you wonder what the appeal is for tourists beyond the convenience. But regardless, it's always struck me as an odd way for a tourism spot to put its best foot forward (or not). Doc Crow's is enormous, and when we were brought further into the restaurant to our table, I think we literally walked through three or four large rooms and navigated through multiple passageways. If you told me this place took up an entire city block or close to it, I'd believe you. Beyond the size/scope, there's nothing really distinctive that separates it from the myriad of other restaurants you'd expect to see catering to out-of-towners. It was the Friday evening of Memorial Day Weekend, so a place that I suspect is usually pretty busy was even busier and louder than that. Maybe not the greatest recipe after a bourbon tour, but who can say. On the app front, we got the Crispy Salmon Bites, which were fine. Not an item I typically see on a menu, even one with more of a seafood bent. I thought the cornmeal/panko breading was the right call; I'm a big catfish aficionado, so I'm of the opinion that cornmeal is underutilized, at least in the Northeast where I come from. Otherwise, nothing really mind-blowing there; probably would have made sense for it to be a different type of fish given the prep (I think salmon is best raw in a sushi roll or grilled), but it could have been worse. I don't think a ton of thought went into this on my end, but I went with the full rack BBQ ribs, along with a side of mac n' cheese. Again, okay, though not as flavorful as I would have hoped and I thought the ribs were on the dry side. Not their fault, but I always regret getting the full rack in hindsight because ribs have a deceptively significant amount of meat on the bones and a half rack is a very decent portion by itself; I am a work in progress just like everyone else. The mac n' cheese was also pretty dry, which I think you can see pretty obviously in the accompanying picture. Tasted and felt reheated at least once or twice. The service was pretty efficient given how busy it was, but our waiter was just on robotic autopilot. Not remotely personable and everything I said to him was responded to with, "For sure, for sure." Maybe he was having a rough night to start the holiday weekend, but it felt like he was just going through the motions and just checking off some boxes there. I went into this already predisposed to not like the generic tourist trap places, so grain of salt. But my recommendation if you have the time/bandwidth (now that I'm a cagey Louisville vet) is to bypass this area if you can and find something tastier and more interesting in the Highlands neighborhood. That's where the real ones are.

    Photos
    Beautiful Bar area
    Beautiful Bar area
    Heap N Chips
    Heap N Chips
    On a vibey street

    See all

    On a vibey street
    Lou Lou on Market

    Lou Lou on Market

    4.4
    (278 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Great patio ambiance and an excellent menu! I love Cajun food but my wife does not, so the variety…read morehere was perfect for both of us. The Boudin Balls are fantastic--easily better than most I've tried. I always order gumbo when it's on a menu, and theirs is a very solid choice, but the She Crab Bisque completely stole the show. It is excellent! We look forward to coming back!

    Lou Lou on Market absolutely delivered when it came to the food. From the moment my meal arrived, I…read morecould tell I was in for something special. I ordered the shrimp and grits, and without exaggeration, they were the best I've ever had. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the balance of textures throughout the dish was incredible. Every bite had the perfect amount of crunch, flavor, and toppings. Nothing felt overwhelming or out of place. It was one of those meals where you find yourself slowing down just to enjoy every bite. Even the water deserves a mention. It was clean, crisp, and refreshing. If it came straight from the tap, I would have never known. It's a small detail, but it speaks to the overall dining experience when even something as simple as water stands out. The service was great, and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. It's easy to see why this restaurant has built such a strong reputation. The reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 comes down to accessibility. As a person with a disability, parking can make or break a dining experience. Unfortunately, there was no handicap parking available, and there were no nearby parking spots open when I arrived. I ultimately had to park in a hotel lot about a block away, which cost $25 for just two hours. Not only was the cost frustrating, but the additional distance was challenging given my mobility needs. The food was phenomenal and absolutely worth trying, but I do hope accessibility becomes part of the conversation for future guests. For those without mobility concerns, this may not be an issue, but for disabled patrons, it's something important to consider before visiting.

    Photos
    Speakeasy
    Speakeasy
    Chicken Bayou Dip ($16)
    Chicken Bayou Dip ($16)
    Speakeasy seating

    See all

    Speakeasy seating

    Joe's Crab Shack - seafood - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...