I was really disappointing it was shaking crab. I just moved here from Seattle Washington, and the sea food is plentiful. I didn't like that you have to pay extra for sausage, potatoes or corn. Most seafood restaurants that I've been to in Oregon, Washington, Texas, North Carolina it's a part of the seafood boil. You select your type of crab (King, Queen etc) then the type of seasoning and it comes in a bag with sausage, corn potatoes, and shrimp. This was not the case at the shaking crab. I was told the reason they don't put sausage in the crab boil is because some people don't eat pork. There's a different kind of sausage, turkey, beef etc. I just think its Sad you have to order the items that should come in a crab boil Ala carte for an additional price. Thank God a couple of my family members referred me to some other restaurants, and family small business that have real crab boils with everything included read more

Went after church Sunday for my second time , mannnnnn I just cannot get enough ! Medium Shaking Sauce amaaazzinnggg! And don't forget to add a half a pound of sausage!!! I got the Crab & Shrimp w no head combo with extra corn and sausage , noooo I didn't eat it by myself , THEY GIVE SO MUCH , it's worth that $40!!! read more

Delicious! Great service, huge portions when you order the buckets, awesome flavor of the seafood. Went here on a lunch break and was able to enjoy food, chat and get back to work within an hour, which is a plus when there's lots of traffic and the service is prompt but professional. Def one of my favorites! read more

I had a great experience here at The Shaking Crab! The staff was friendly and the food was outstanding. Definitely worth another visit or three! read more

This is probably one of the best seafood restaurants I have been to. The wait for the food isn't that long at all and it is delicious! Prepare to get dirty, because the sauce, (highly recommend the skating sauce btw) gets everywhere when you devour the food. Although the wait is very lengthy- about an hour on weekends- I think the food makes up for it. I didn't not give them five stars, because the the hostess seated a party of 3 before my husband and I despite them arriving 15 minutes after we did. The other part only waited about 30 minutes before being seated. When I addressed her about this issue, she stated that they have been waiting long before us and caught an attitude with me. Please do not be a host/hostess if you cannot handle certain situations without being disrespectful to your customers. Overall, I would go again, but I highly recommend arriving before they open to avoid long wait times. read more

Good food but everyone in the area knows it so you typically end up waiting for 45m-1h to be seated then another 20-30m to eat after ordering... read more

Best food I've had in a while!! More food for a good price. Way better than Joe's Crab Shack

If you want authentic Cajun style broiled crawfish and shrimp DO NOT eat here. Don't get me wrong the chicken strips, fried shrimp, fries, & hush puppies were good (not great, but good) but the crawfish were garbage. I ask the waiter: "Is the crawfish already broiled or do you cook it fresh?" He said it was fresh and then I asked: "So it'll be around 30 mins?" And he said no. The reason this is a problem is because to do it the proper way like in Louisiana where I'm from is to broil it with the seasonings in the beginning for 7.5 mins then let them soak in the mix for 20 mins. They gave me my crawfish in 12 mins with seasoning sprinkled on the outside. THE OUTSIDE! They had a little flavor which means the first time they cooked them they seasoned them a little and then recooked them with more seasoning. If you are gonna claim to sell Cajun style crawfish do it right, do it fresh. Another way I could tell they were broiled twice was because they were hard. That happens to shellfish when they are over cooked. Another tip: stop using old bay and buy zatarain's crab boil. The other problem I had was that it took 10 mins for the server to come and greet us and take our drink order after we were seated. Going forward he was prompt after I said something. Other than that the food was decent and prices were ok. read more

Food is pretty good, prices are fair.... the only downside is ensuring that u ask your server for everything you need (cocktail sauce, tarter sauce, ketchup, etc) at the initial contact because you're not likely to see them again until it's time for your bill.... customer service just wasn't impressive; server extremely unavailable! However, it is really busy here all the time. read more

OH MY GOODNESS!!!, I was soooo pleased with my order of shrimp w/heads on and crab legs. Absolutely awesome sauce. I chose garlic and butter, mild spice. Also had sausage added. Went yesterday going back today. It's a must. Forgot to mention the staff of young people who made me proud. They are very polite, you can tell they were raised properly. I am so proud of them and grateful to see them working this way. read more

Great Business! The owners are incredibly nice. I love the atmosphere, and the wide menu options. Looking forward to when they are open for lunch during the week! read more

This place was AMAZING!!! There was more than enough food to share. We had the fried shrimp, hushpuppies, calamari and steamed crab legs, sausages, shrimp, corn and potatoes. Yummy!! read more

If looking for a steam pot type restaurant, look no further than the Shaking Crab. A group of 5 of us went this afternoon and had Snow crab, crawfish, shrimp without heads, and mussels in combo bags. Although most of us prefer hot things we went for medium seasoning and used their "Shakin' Sauce". Medium is the way to go if you want to still taste the food. Oh my, this is the absolute best food I have eaten out at in a very long time. The taste was magnificent. The service was spot on and the atmosphere was comfortable. Sides of corn and potatoes were good as well. We felt the potatoes were almost too bland but if you smush them up and pour the seasonings from the bag over the potatoes, the flavors are too good to be true. read more

This is the best seafood including crab legs I've had in the 757. I'm from Maryland and we're known for our crabs. Every place I've been too before hand was never up to par. Now... I know where to go if I want to eat good. read more

I might need to try this place one more time but first impressions are VERY important. The service wasn't the best...I ordered fried oysters and when they arrived they weren't hot at all. I think they waited until everyone at my tables food was ready and left mine sitting until then. My friend ordered shrimp and hers was the same. Two other people we were with ordered that bag meal I can't remember exactly what was in it but of course their food was piping hot. The batter on my oysters was good..just would've been better if it were hot rather than lukewarm. read more

Great restaurant. Good food( good portions and well seasoned) and good service. Tots recommend.

I've eaten here numerous times. It's best to get there early as the place fills up fast. It's a typical new Cajun style crab boil. I've had cray fish, shrimp both head on and no head. No head is much easier to peal so worth the extra money as you get a couple more. I've also had the hush puppies. Those need a little more smile than deep fried corn bread. The food is always consistently good. Beer is cheap. A nice place that is low key just always busy. I would definitely eat here again read more

Good food....fried catfish and shrimp...nice. Called in the order...quick service once I made it there.

I love shaking crab! Always give good service and the food is ALWAYS great. Shaking crab is the best seafood place in the Virginia Beach/ Hampton roads area! My husband and I would eat there everyday if we could. Great food, great service, really nice staff! If I could give more than 5 stars I would. read more

i love this place... best waitress shay.. she is sooo nice and also all crew member was nice

i was so excited to hear that we had a seafood in a bag concept in the area! i've been to cali and DC where they have restaurants like these and was eager to try it! my friends and i went when we were hoping the hype had died down some to not wait in a long line. We still had to put our names down because they don't take reservations and were told the wait would be an hour. luckily it was less than that! however, our host didn't make the best first impression. he didn't say hi or welcome. the prices were just okay to me - not really worth it when some other restaurants in the area would offer a buffet for the same price. i got the snow crabs (2 clusters of legs) and opted for the corn (some other places i've been too with a similar concept offers the corn and potatoes with your meal). The corn was nice and sweet so it was super good! the crab legs were pretty meaty. they say you get 2 lbs for $20. i got the cajun seasoning and made it spicy. it wasn't very spicy but none the less, still pretty good. our server was super sweet although a little spacey at times. we ordered a dozen oysters and got them without any hot sauce, horseradish, or cocktail sauce. My friends got the crab legs with shrimp ($30) and my other friend got crawfish and shrimp ($23?) no refill on drinks (i guess cause they can't tell how much drink you have in them because they are offered in to-go cups) but she did stop by the table every so often to check in on us. the food was pretty good so i'll say it's worth trying at least once. i just don't think it WOWed me comparing it to the other restaurants i've tried that offered better service and more food for the price. read more

Fun atmosphere with good food. I just thought it was overpriced for the amount of food you get. Paid 21.00 for a pound of crab legs and the side is your choice of ONE potato or a mini corn on the cob... they give u free popcorn instead of rolls to start read more

Every visit is a great experience! Food was A1 and our waiter for the night name was either spencer or hunter I forget but he's a good worker and everything was on fleek, real shit. On my kids I'm coming back. read more

Whoever was wearing glasses and a hat, he was rude! We were waiting to be seated, we waited for 10-15 mins and there were empty tables for party of 6 people and it was not even reserved. There were 4 people waiting ahead of us and one of them asked nicely to the host (same guy I talked about in the beginning), why can't they be seated at the table for 6 since its empty and not even reserved. At first he said he can't seat them there and the table is almost ready for them so be patient. You can't just tell your customer to be patient. He said "be patient!" like 4 times to this customer and started to argue and raised his voice and saying "Sir! If you wanna eat here, be patient!" That was really rude! He was sitting at the cashier like he is at his home and played with his phone whole time, that didn't even look good either. Although I wasn't the one arguing with him I felt really bad and didn't like the way he treated his customer. So my hubby and I walked out with other customers. read more

Food is always great it's best to go as soon as they are open so the wait isn't so long

It was good. Like the atmosphere- but I thought a bit expensive. $20-$25 a choice of bag of food; but that includes potato and corn. You would pay that in any place for decent sea food, so all in all a Win/Win. Also, expect to have to wash your hands afterwards, so dress uber casual :). The sauce is def to die for. I'd go back. read more

Yesterday was my third visit. Food is always good, but service is lacking. Yesterday they didn't have silverware until our meals were almost gone. Try eating small clams with your fingers! The young manager told us they had a "rush" a little while ago, but that just means they aren't prepared for the number of people who come in. The waitress was nice, but not very accessible. It will be a while before I go back. Next time I'll hit up the little Italian restaurant a few doors down. read more

Low key atmosphere ; incredible food! Great experience! Never had a boil before but we will be back for more! Highly recommend!

Very good! The most flavorful crab legs and seafood I've had since I moved here a few years ago. Can't wait to come back.

LOVED this place! Our waiter was so friendly. I got the steamed crab and shrimp (no heads) with the shaking crab sauce, not spicy. It was DELICIOUS. Good time eating, and restaurant was clean, and overall had a great vibe. Definitely will be going back. So messy but so gooood. read more

We were looking for a great place to get crab while on vacation in Virginia Beach and actually found this place on Yelp! It was a half hour away but the reviews pulled us in with no complaints. It seems simple and to the point - seafood. Crabs. That's what we wanted. And that's what we got! The restaurant itself is not humongous but it is also not a hole in the wall. We went later on a Monday evening and it was full but not packed and loud. It was relatively quiet for a restaurant. Which was nice. It was only a ten minute wait. Our server, Nick, was AMAZING! He was so great! He was very kind and friendly and attentive. He asked if we had any questions about the menu. We asked for his suggestions and he provided them happily. I have a pretty sensitive belly when it comes to heat and spices and he said I could get any seasoning I wanted, just no, you know, hot sauce. So I got the snow crab legs with shaking seasoning and no sauce, with corn. What's also nice is that the menu tells you exactly what you're getting in a serving - it's a pound, BTW. There are a few classic sides available like sweet potato fries and onion rings but we focused on the main course for our order. Nick ran by a small serving of popcorn while we waited for our crab to arrive, which was cute and nice to munch on. The literal bags of crabby deliciousness arrived pretty quick! And oh my gosh was it delicious. Oh my goodness. The perfect place for crab! After the meal Nick was happy to stick around the table for a couple of minutes to chit chat and even recommended a couple of good dessert and breakfast places in the area for the rest of our stay at Virginia Beach. The food was amazing, the bill didn't make me want to cry, and Nick made the whole experience just that much better! Thanks, Shaking Crabs and thanks Nick! We hope to be back soon!!! read more

I love this place . Me and my family went here for me and my sisters birthday a couple days ago and we picked a great place for our birthdays . The food was amazing . My whole family was very pleased . Will definitely come back here . My review stays the same ! 5 stars . Keep it up shaking crab ! read more

The food was amazingly delicious! It's a great place to catch up with friends (outside of a bar setting) and have a good time eating generous portions of seafood. The wings were very good too. You will not be disappointed. read more

Shaking Crab never disappoints! We usually order our food for pick up & take it home to eat. Excellent service.

Deliciously Crabtastic! If you like seafood boils this is a must visit place. Everything was cooked perfectly. We had a party of 7 and had the shrimp, crawfish, crab and crab legs. Service was outstanding! We will be back! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants and they never fail to amaze me. Their seafood in a bag is delicious and perfectly seasoned. They come hot and ready and when I saw it my mouth was drooling. Me and my mom love this place and love coming here. If the prices went down a little bit it would be great. But hey, the prices could be worse. This Sunday I'm supposed to be going with my dad to show him that this is the best. The waiters/waitresses are really nice. LOVE THIS read more

Great food and relaxed atmosphere. Good place for a family night out. The service was great also.

Called Shaking Crab to ask a question. Someone in my dinner party has a latex allergy. When a young man answered the phone I asked him what type of gloves do they use in the kitchen. He said he couldn't understand me. I told him that someone in my party has a latex allergy and I needed to know what type of gloves they use in the kitchen, were they vinyl or latex gloves? Again, he didn't know. I asked if I could speak to the manager and he said he was the manager. When I asked what was his name he said it was Jason. My response was, You mean to tell me that you are the manager and you don't know what item you use in your restaurant? I asked if I could speak to someone from the kitchen and he said no. Then he said "What difference does it make? Again, I had to state that someone in my party had a latex allergy and I needed to know what type of gloves they used to prepare their food with. Also I explained that I didn't want to waste my time and money to drive out there and find out we couldn't eat there due to them using latex gloves. I then had to ask him to go in the kitchen and find out what type they used. He just layed the phone down, come back a short time later. He told me that "We don't use gloves in the kitchen and IF we have to we use plastic gloves." I know that you have to use gloves with ready to eat food. I work in food service. Point being I would never talk to a customer the way he talked to me. Never the less my family will not be visiting this location. Guess we'll go to Capt. George's, Joe's Crab Shack, Catch 31, etc. Also, after looking on line it states the manager name is Justin. read more

We arrived at 430 on a Sunday-waited about 30 minutes (quoted 40) for a table. Glad we didn't come later-wait was an hour-the line to be seated was huge when we left! Being from the Gulf Coast, we saw crawfish on the menu & had to give it a shot. We ordered lb of snow crab legs garlic butter medium, lb of head on shrimp everything medium, lb of crawfish Cajun medium, half order of sausage Cajun medium & Cajun fries. We give the crab legs & shrimp & sausage 5 stars-all of it delish! We'd def order those again & will be back for them! The fries were ok-just the usual frozen fries you've had before with not much "Cajun". And for the big disappointment - the crawfish. Sigh. I so wanted them to be good - sadly they were a touch overcooked & the tails were a bit rubbery. Could be bc they were steamed, but they didn't absorb much of the Cajun flavor. We def should have gotten hot - the medium wasn't spicy at all IMO. We're crawfish people-if you are too, don't order the crawfish. You'll be disappointed. Server was nice, but we didn't see much of her, which was fine bc this meal is fairly self sufficient. My only suggestion for the menu (besides the crawfish), would be to have garlic toast on the menu to soak up some of the delicious flavor in the shaker bags. That would have been amazing! 5 stars for terrific shrimp, snow crabs & sausage-can't go wrong with any of those options! -1 star for my abject disappointment that our search for good crawfish continues... read more

Fresh!! Delicious!! Fine dining-not, but don't let that stop you. This is a place for great down-home steamed seafood Cajun style. Service-excellent Select the heat level carefully. read more