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    Joe's Crab Shack

    3.4 (1.3k reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, American
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Joe's Crab Shack Photos

    Business Info

    JOE'S CRAB SHACK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Joe's Crab Shack

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    Reviews With Photos - Joe's Crab Shack

    Natalie B.

    Our waitress Sarah is what made this experience so great. She was as the only one serving when we got there during lunch hour. She did a great job to greet everyone and take orders. She had such a good positive energy. We got stuffed mushrooms. They were so good and then a seafood boil to share. The seafood boil was decent. It's a lot of food and was perfect for 2 of us to share. In fact we didn't finish it all but close to it. We will be back and hopefully when we go back Sarah will be working again.

    Elena B.

    I ordered the steak, shrimp, and crab legs.. the shrimp and steak were overcooked. My kids order the boil and ate every single thing off the plate! Our server was very funny and helpful.. she would disappear for a little bit, but then come back after a while. But she was super nice so that made up for it. We were seated outside and had a great view of all the boats and the light house. The music and decor were great! All of it was a vibe. Even brought back home our cups that light up!

    Queen Boiled Crab
    Mitzy M.

    First time at Joe crabs shack and it definitely lived up to the hype. We ordered two queen boiled crabs, one cajun and one captains secret sauce and both were so good. Rich, buttery, perfectly balanced flavors that didn't even need extra seasoning. My mom had the Creole glazed salmon and loved it. The vibe is warm and very family friendly, with cute shark decor throughout. Service was also great, everyone was kind and welcoming. Will definitely be back.

    Angela C.

    I really wanted to love this visit because it's been years, and we always stroll past it at the harbor but the experience ended up feeling pretty middle-of-the-road. Our server, Michelle, was kind, but we rarely saw her, and even simple things like water refills took a while. The calamari came out dry, and the kids' pizza was... rough. It looked like spaghetti marinara poured on top of a crust and left under a heat lamp a little too long and oddly, it was brought out last, after our crab boil and my Captain's dish. With a $120 tab and no alcohol, it just didn't match the quality or service we hoped for. I hate saying it, because I genuinely wanted this to be a nostalgic return, but I don't think we'll be back.

    Losbster boil plater
    Chad T.

    Stopped in today 03/15/2026 . for Dinner my sister treated me to dinner for my Birthday. Witch in the 03/19. Have the losbster boil later had lobster tail shrimp and bacon rapped shrimp. And crab cakes . Food was delicious. Staff was professional and polite they did a. Good job. This is the second time I been to a Joe's Crab shack. I recommend trying the. And I be back again .

    Each item was delicious but took 45 mins and never got a refill. Took extra 30 for son's dish
    Tia M.

    Why is the service so bad here. It's embarrassing. We had guest fly in and we waited to give them a harbor view with a yummy meal and great service. 2/3 ain't too bad. But the service was so incredibly slow that we were completely forgotten for 30 mins at a time. Drinks were not refilled, we were given the wrong thing multiple times. He was nice when he did come around, but was MiA most the night. My Crab was perfect. Seriously. Corn too. Mashed potatoes with cheese n bacon, best I've had. Seriously. Asparagus was very flavorful. My raspberry tea was just ok. I never got a refill though. Was tired and past ready to leave and took 15 mins to get my raspberry to go. My daughter's crab was dirty looking and so gross. She didn't eat it. I shared mine with her. So she got a cheeseburger, which took 45 mins to get. He forgot her oranges twice and she had specifically asked what type of Mac n cheese they have and he said Kraft. He brought some spicy gross breaded Mac n cheese that was NOT Kraft but replaced it with the Kraft. But it took 30 mins. My son got the cheeseburger meal. He asked for a plain cheeseburger, just bun meat cheese and got a hamburger. We waited 45 mins for cheese. No exaggeration. Poor guy was patient for a while but we were all eating and he had to just wait. Guy kept forgetting so he brought a fresh cheeseburger, but 6 of us had already finished eating when he finally got his food and yup, his oranges were forgotten. They got a cool shark drink. That was fun. Server was super patient explaining it to the kids how it works. Like I said when he was there, he was nice. Drink is beyond sugary but it's a kids shark drink, kinda expected that. Husband dish was fine. His soup was fine. The two Couples we brought got fried dishes and their dishes came out 35 mins before ours. So if you are in a hurry I suppose fried is the way to go. We asked for kids dessert to go 3 times. He came with it plated and we were shocked, we asked is that the TO GO dessert we asked for? He said yes and served the kids. We were so tired and had our left overs boxed up and paid. We really wanted the dessert to go. But we knew waiting for to go containers would take 30 minutes so then eating it would be faster. We'd love to bring ppl here but a year ago it was horrible service so we stopped coming. We hoped it would be better. Why can't this place get workers who serve well? Our guest won't be returning and I don't blame them. The other families we brought got last year won't ever return either. We even took a year break. The crab is so yummy, but kids meal crab was trashy looking and tasted ruined. We were still charged for it. Such a mess. So avoidable. A-One Chinese restaurant in Vista has absolutely delicious crab bake. And impeccable service. Go there. Oh and link the owner posts doesn't work. No one ever responded

    Tet S.

    What's good at Joe's... The sampler appetizer is good, the sauce of the joe's seafood is also good. The service is ok. What can be improved... The shrimp and sausage are hard. The margarita lack the tequila.... taste like mocktails. For this experience I will give it 3.8

    Menú
    Tish W.

    This was where the family chose to go after our Oceanside adventure boat ride. Just a shout out to the staff who were very accommodating for our large group. The ambiance was very casual as the restaurant is right off of the boardwalk, so you have nice views of the ocean. Our server was really sweet and attentive. My hubby and I both enjoyed our food. He had the fish and chips and I had the salmon. I also go to try some of the poppers which had just the perfect kick to them. Oh yeah, I forgot they also have the cutest gift shop that can keep you occupied until you are seated.

    Yummmmm snow crab!

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    3 months ago

    Riley & Sarah super attentive - nice evening - setting provides a great view of the harbor

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    2 years ago

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    Kait W.

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    5 months ago

    Sara gave us a beautiful experience on the port at Joe's crab shack! Loved the ambience our service and the food was great!

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    2 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Aaniyah is the best waitress we have ever had. She was super fun and made our daughter and her cousin's birthday dinner AMAZING!!!

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

    Diego was a great waiter/bartender despite the restaurant being busy. Fun place, fun staff overall.

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Great food and good fast service. I will definitely go back. My Husband and I enjoyed it.

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    2 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Great atmosphere, l being on the harbor! We loved our server Sara!! will come back again just to see her!!

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    3 months ago

    Nikki was great - thank you! She was very kind and friendly. She made sure we were taken care of.

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    3 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

    Our waitress Michelle was amazing, and funny. We loved being served by her and we will come back when we visit San Diego again

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    3 months ago

    Our server was so Amazing, her name is Rylee you should get her for maximum experience

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Friendly, fun and very attentive! Must visit Madison for great service and a memorable meal with friends and family with an incredible view!

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Nikki is so friendly, accommodating, and gave us great service! 10/10 we will be coming back.

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    3 months ago

    Aaniyah was amazing!! She was so sweet and made sure we had everything we needed! She provided some of the best service we've had!!

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    8 months ago

    great food, great server! Darian was amazing tonight! For dinner I had The Crab daddy feast, and it was very delicious.

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    3 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    9 months ago

    I just cannot say enough about the sweetest bartender Sarah! She is just so AWESOME! Ty so much for the wonderful customer service

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    9 months ago

    Great food, great service and amazing ambience, totally recommend the restaurant . Definitely coming back

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    4 months ago

    Food & drinks were good. We sat at the bar. The place was crowded, loud and busy but good.

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    Page 3 of 32

    Ask the Community - Joe's Crab Shack

    Happy hour menu looks great. Is it only for barstool seating or are there also tables in the bar area?…

    Happy hour can be served throughout the restaurant. Not just the bar top or bar area. Yes, we do take Laundry's gift cards.

    Do they have a Happy Hour?

    Yes. Happy Hour is Mon-Fri from 3-7pm and 9pm to closing.

    Is your property wheelchair accessible?

    Yes it is wheelchair accessible. You'll have to use the curb to get to their entrance and then there's an elevator to get to rooftop seating (if desired).

    Is there a private parking lot?

    There is a free parking lot right next to the restaurant.

    Do they have a party room?

    They have a veranda that is closed off from the rest of the restaurant. Convenient so kids can play without disturbing others

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    Eris Food

    Eris Food

    4.8
    (460 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$
    Vegan friendly
    Vegetarian friendly

    I don't know why I waited to so long to come to Eris Food Company, probably because I don't have…read moremany options for company. I was immediately greeted and welcomed by Scott, the fabulous owner who preps and makes all the food himself. He was cleaning and chopping up sweet potatoes when he asked what I wanted or do I need more time. Being ADHD and vegan and first time there, yes I needed more time. I am way too used to going out to eat at other restaurants and having only 1-2 options... so totally stoked the entire menu and restaurant is vegan!!!! I decided to get tbe fysh tacos and a lavender lemonade to eat there and a buffalo chickun pizza for later as a recommendation from Scott. My sister in law sat in covered patio that had cute seating, plants everywhere and a wonderful breeze being so close to the beach, it was walking distance. I could smell the aromas from the kitchen too, so that's always nice. The food was exceptionally fresh, crunchy and delicious. The sauce was exceptional and was tangy and a little bit of heat. They were decent size mini tacos and I didn't realize how hungry I was but totally housed them. Yum! Just before I paid, Scott presented me with my takeout pizza and showed me what it looked like. It smelled amazing and it looked artistic! Needless to say, I will be coming back soon and telling all my vegan friends about this place if they don't know about it. I'm also talking my picky family members, they did not like when I took them to the Plot which is about a mile or so away. I wasn't as impressed with the competition either. The plot was on the expensive side, but portion size doesn't match up and I left feeling hungry there. Scott gives you a coupon for a return visit, which I will definitely use. A million stars yes for Scott and his restaurant! Thank you for a wonderful experience and keeping vegans from starving!

    I've been coming here since 2022, and as someone who's been vegan for over 10 years, this place…read morereally is such a gem to have nearby. I've tried a good portion of the menu, and some of my favorites are the Bam Bam Burger, Jughead Burger, carne asada bowl, and the monster chili dog. The fries are always so good, and the cold mac salad is a must The portions are generous and I almost always have leftovers, which I love. Even my non-vegan husband enjoys coming here, and we've recommended it to friends who have also really liked it Service has always been great, food usually comes out quickly, and the staff is consistently friendly and helpful The space itself has such an eclectic, laid-back vibe with tons of art and character, it's just a fun place to be Sometimes the sauce levels can be a little on the heavier side depending on the day, but the flavors are always really good The hibiscus lemonade is really refreshing, I'd just personally enjoy it even more with ice It's clear everything here comes from a lot of creativity and passion, and I really appreciate the care that goes into a menu that's entirely his own!

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    Electric dragon Taffy cake
    Electric dragon Taffy cake
    That's us
    That's us
    Ginger pear lime cake

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    Ginger pear lime cake
    The Plot

    The Plot

    4.7
    (709 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Absolutely delicious! The food was incredible, and Austin, our incredibly hospitable waiter,…read morerecommended some of his favorite dishes. One of them was the chicken shawarma, and it was so good! We were able to grab a charming spot outside near their garden, where they actually grow some of the fresh ingredients used in the dishes. Such a cool touch! They also offered a variety of sauces, all of which were delicious. Even the habanero sauce was surprisingly approachable, full of flavor without being overly spicy. The atmosphere was beautiful, the aesthetic was amazing, and the overall experience was fantastic. I would definitely come back.

    We go and do Restaurant Reviews & attend special events at The Plot quarterly with my groups San…read moreDiego Foodies and Carlsbad Foodies. This time around, it's just the family for Mother's Day. Since I know my food, the table let me order. Fresh hand cut thick long French Fries without a ton of seasoning or oil arrived: one with a cashew cheese truffle sauce, one with no salt, and one salted as requested. My daughter loved her reuben. I loved my blt. The two Caesar salads for the table disappeared quickly because their dressing is unbelievable! Let's see .... what didn't we eat is probably smarter than what did we eat. Beet ketchup, The C Word (braised cabbage), a couple of cronic sushi rolls, and there was a special lemon creme brûlée. Everyone enjoyed everything they ate, including my almost 3 year old grandson (they brought out a specially sliced fruit bowl for him). They offered many choices for kids, but he just wanted fruit. Hope you had as wonderful a Mother's Day as I did. Yes. We appreciated eating healthy and not walking away stuffed but instead satisfied. They were selling plants. So I bought 4 and planted them today! The gift that keeps on giving! We will be back for sure! With garlic, gusto & gratitude, Chef Marian

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    The Plot
    Sausage and biscuits
    Sausage and biscuits
    Fries with sauce

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    Fries with sauce
    American Heroes & Brew

    American Heroes & Brew

    4.5
    (451 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    Get the meatball sandwich…read more Omg and the meatball parm fries. This place is so chill and has the best atmosphere for watching games or playing cards (all afternoon). A pretty good bargain on breakfast as well.

    I think this is the first time I started my review, before even getting my food. That's how slow…read morethe service is, they were crazy packed (65% capacity maybe) but looks like they only had 3 people working 1) For all waiters/waitresses reading this. A PEPSI is NOT the same as a COKE, a Hot Dog is not that same as a Corn Dog.... AND Sweet n Low is NOT the same as Splenda. If I would have known they only have Splenda, I woulda ordered a Coke. But she said "yeah, we have sweet in low" Now we wait for our food and I'll continue the review. Mozzarella sticks were okay. Oil might be old cause they looked darker than normal but the batter was good and cheese sorta melted. 3.5 stars Ordered carne asada fries based of the waitress recommendation. It was okay. Fries were good, cheese was good and good amount, sour cream and guac was good. Carne asada was mid and amount was not that much. Being generous 4 stars Tea was good 4 stars. Philly was decent (wife got it, it's her review). 3,5 stars Below is reviews from my son who was STARVING and just finished a 10 day wrestling camp. Mac & cheese 2 stars. Cheese is viscous and strong Armenian cheese flavor Burger was 3 stars. Needs to be bigger and more juicy Mozzarella sticks 2 stars We not from here so won't come back for sure. Service wasn't great. She was nice but I think over whelmed with customers The Cheese Cake however, saved the day. 5 stars as in I would get it again and again. Once it died down, waitress did come by more often. Over all 3.5 stars but I don't feel right giving this place a 4 so I have to go with 3 And then we get the check and there is a 3% Green Fee (not on the menu but on the check) So that dropped the waitress tip from $30 to $15. But they earned that $5 Green Fee

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    Interoperability
    Interoperability
    Onion rings
    Onion rings
    Outside patio

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    Outside patio
    Nick's On State

    Nick's On State

    4.5
    (978 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$$

    The word on the street in Carlsbad is that Nick's on State got it going on with their contemporary…read moreAmerican food and upscale yet casual dining experience. I'm glad I can testify to that. I've been there if few times so this is a legit 5-star review. The ambience...AMAZING. The service...SUPERB. The staff...SPECTACULAR. The food...FANTASTIC. The cocktails...CREATIVE. Sums it up! I can't wait to go back again. I highly recommend this restaurant to the Yelp Community :-)

    Stopped in here on a Thursday night to grab food to do. Took a seat at the big bar while I waited…read moreand grabbed a mocktail, which was so delicious and fancy. They had a seriously impressive list of non-alcoholic options, which I loved. I went with the Yuzu berry spritz, served in a wine glass, I cannot tell you how many women poked in and asked what I was drinking because it was so pretty! Also it was $11, now that's the price to pay for a mocktail. I went to another bar and they charged me $22 for a non-alcoholic soda drink, get out of here with that. Their menu looked divine, so many delicious options and they had healthy choices which I so appreciated! I got the kale and quinoa salad with grilled chicken and it was ready in about 15. I will say the salad was delicious BUT when I got home to eat it, there was no dressing and no silverware, they had forgotten both. I ended up using hummus that I had in the fridge, luckily, however had I not had that the salad would have been tough to enjoy.

    Photos
    View from dining room showing the bar and kitchen where the glass windows are.
    View from dining room showing the bar and kitchen where the glass windows are.
    Butter cake
    Butter cake
    Bar Seating.

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    Bar Seating.
    Mission Ave Bar and Grill

    Mission Ave Bar and Grill

    4.4
    (1.4k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Kitchen open late

    I had gotten an email wishing me a happy birthday and to come in for a FREE ENTREE. I was like,…read morewhat!? Yeah a lot of places give a free dessert but you almost never see a free dinner. I instantly set a reservation (didn't really need it) and we arrived around 4pm on a Tuesday and sat on the patio. Happy hour is daily from 4-6pm and if you sit on the recently renovated patio, drinks are 50% off. I ordered the Ribeye as my birthday entree and we also ordered the Fried Zucchini ($7), Popcorn Chicken ($9), Guajillo Braised Pork Shoulder ($21) and several cocktails ($7 each during HH). Everything was great honestly. No complaints. My wife REALLY loved the braised pork shoulder. My steak was excellent and even though it was free, $32 for a ribeye is the lowest you'll find anywhere. It was nice having not having to fight for a seat. Enjoying a cocktail on the patio in perfect weather is something everyone should try. Highly recommend coming to Mission Ave Bar & Grill for happy hour and to check out the new patio. Make sure to register for their mailing list to get birthday offers too!

    Mission Ave Bar and Grill is basically the type of place that says, "just one drink," and suddenly…read moreit's three hours later, you've made new friends, and you're emotionally attached to the Peanut butter stuffed french toast. From the juicy breakfast Burger to the dangerously good country benefit and spicy blood orange, everything feels a little too easy to fall in love with. The cozy atmosphere and friendly staff make it feel like your favorite neighborhood hangout -- even if it's your first time there. Honestly, if good food, great cocktails, and happy vibes had a love language... this place would be fluent. What I got: Peanut butter stuffed french toast $16 Country Benedict $17 Breakfast burger $18 Arnold Palmer Spicy blood orange $10

    Photos
    Best Espresso Martini in Oceanside, CA
    Best Espresso Martini in Oceanside, CA
    Best Short Rib Grilled Cheese in Oceanside, CA
    Best Short Rib Grilled Cheese in Oceanside, CA
    Live Music

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    Live Music

    Joe's Crab Shack - seafood - Updated July 2026

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