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Recommended Reviews - The Crab Shack
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Reviews With Photos - The Crab Shack
We were enjoying walking and exploring the Wellington waterfront when the hungers hit. I go from Disney princess to hangry wicked witch pretty quickly, so luckily the husband spotted this place with tables featuring tranquil water views and whisked me inside. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully lit with large windows permitting natural lighting to flood the open space dining area. The high ceilings with net and basket lighting give it a fun fishmonger theme and the casual atmosphere is created by the rustic wood floors, mismatched stools, and wooden boxes with utensils at each table. Our server was friendly and helped me navigate the menu which has notations for gluten free items and items that can easily be modified. I had some sauteed calamari rings with a delicious aioli sauce and a by the scoop mussels and clams with a tasty thai green curry sauce. The mussels were massive and quite delicious but the sauce was a little hard to identify and got watered down. The husband isn't a lover of seafood, so he went turf with the mooloo burger which was good but could have used a bit more crisp on the fries. We loved the atmosphere, the proximity to the water, and really appreciated the ease of ordering gf. Definitely a perfect spot to de-hangrify yourself or that special someone in your life.
Granted that the ingredients here seem fresh, the way they cook it is only average. My fish & chips were semi-soggy, dry, and also took 70 mins to arrive. The crab cakes were also not firm enough and had the consistency of mashed potatoes. I'd say come for the vibe but not so much for the food. Don't expect fast service.
Giant New Zealand mussels on special Mondays between 3-6pm for half price. It was very quiet when we went around 5pm. It worked out to be $15 for 1kg of mussels which is an amazing deal. The mussels were fresh, plump and large. We just had the white wine sauce which is a classic. I'd definitely come here for the mussels. I dunno if it's because they call themselves a shack and wanted a rustic feel but the cutlery didn't seem very clean. No biggie, I just used some water and gave them a clean myself. Bread and butter was $6.50 which is quite pricey for what it is. Nothing special, a small, white baguette with some butter on the side. Overall, great place for cocktails and seafood by the water and a great deal of you can catch their special. I'd definitely give this place a try!
Maybe it was because it was raining and there is no close parking, but this place was not crowded. pretty quiet with 80's rock background music, and chill the night I visited. The food was great and fit the atmosphere perfectly. Not pretentious at all, but high quality, fresh, and just laid back. I'd definitely come back if in the area and looking for a neighborhood feeling place with great food. My server was awesome too! Super friendly and happy, she was on top of everything I could have needed, but not intrusive.
Fun with 4 types of crab I had the local paddle crab in the spicy preperation. The crab was rather mushy, not sure if that's the crab or the preparation. Lovely spot to sit and pick crabs for a while. Service was friendly and very nice. You still pay at the bar or hostess station as is the NZ custom.
45 min wait for this $25 piece of grilled salmon, salsa and slaw. On the up side is was an adequately sized all be it undercooked (and I love sushi) salmon -- rather than over cooked, piece of grilled fish. The shiraz was lovely after an equally wanting undersized margarita. Overall this meal is now is the worst without exception that I have had in the 4 weeks I have been in Australia and New Zealand.
My sister and I were here on vacation back in Feb. It seems businesses here close relatively early. We decided to eat at the wharf and were not disappointed. This establishment has a more sophisticated menu that's on the dressier side connected to it called SHed 5. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere at the crab shack and our waiter, Johhny (I believe) was very kind and helpful in aiding in our dinner choices. Our food was tasty, the service was great and it was the first time I was able to try Eton Mess and I was in complete love with it. (We definitely don't get that dessert in the U.S.) A great place to eat on the water!
Crab shack was busy when I came but they directed me to the bar at the back (shed 5) to wait for a table. The bar was fabulous playing Sinatra and making classic cocktails. Back to the crab shack. Service was swift and great. Good beers on tap and the suggestions on food were spot on. Come here.
I visited this hugely popular Wellington eatery recently. And I was god smacked, not by the quality of the food they served. But the huge price difference between the Wellington restaurant and the newly opened Auckland one. I ordered pretty much everything that I could consume in one sitting. At the end, it was almost 50 dollars cheaper than what I would have paid in Auckland's the Crab Shack. The paddle crab was supposed to be in chilli sauce, but the chilli flavour was almost muted. The hot wings on the other hand was spot on with the hotness. It wasn't in your face spicy, but if you don't like the tabasco kinda of flavour then please don't order it. It can come across as a bit sour. The scoops of Tua tuas, diamond shells were pretty good. The cream sauce worked best with them. But they all felt like was coated in the sauces and not cooked in them. I also ordered the Jonas crab, which was a pot of 500grams of crab claws. Yes, it does taste frozen. As we don't have those kind of crab in our waters around New Zealand. Nonetheless it was a good eating dish, albeit a bit messy. But they do provide you with those adult bibs to cover up most of the torso, just be mindful of the incoming crab particles from the others around the table. The highlight of the meal had to be the bread platter. Yes, one of the cheapest things on the menu. The crab meat dip and the Indian flavour inspired dip was the best thing on that plate. I am not sure why they felt obligated to sprinkle large amount of parsley over the bread rolls. I mean come on guys, we no longer live in the 80's. Now, we have talked about the food. I am a huge fan of the modern industrial decor. The whole, we have spent money to renovate but you can't tell that we have look works best with the family style dinning atmosphere. If you want class, then the connected shed 5 would probably be a better match. But if you would just like to relax and enjoy some nicely cooked seafood then the Crab Shack is not such a place to be.
A table for six took about 35mins on a Tuesday night at 8. I wasn't expecting to wait in Wellington, but it was well worth it and the friendly staff called us when our table was ready. Our table was close to the kitchen, so interest piqued about the elaborate stone oven contraption. Our waitress explained it was "hangi inspired" for the meat dishes on the menu, and while it sounded intriguing we weren't there for anything without a shell. The four clam scoops arrived first. We tried every sauce, and the white wine was the favourite. They were absolutely delicious and made for a meal in themselves with chewy sourdough to mop up the sauce. Then two pots full to the brim with Nelson paddle crabs arrived, and the clams were forgotten. Simply done with garlic, the meat was perfect. The fun of crunching through the crab legs would be lost for two dinners- go with a group!
2 months ago
The Crab Shack had the ambience of a boat house and good customer service. However, the food was expensive for what you got and not that great. A group of us had the seafood boil, which they said was good for 4-5 people. It seemed more on par with 2-3 people sizing if you go by U.S. seafood boil standards. I was also a bit disappointed they only had one type of crab on the menu when the website detailed more options that were not available. The mud crab legs were way overcooked in the seafood boil and mushy. The calamari was probably the highlight of the food we tried. Lastly, the restaurant did not have any parking, so we had to use the nearby parking garage which ended up costing $30 for only a couple of hours. read more
2 years ago
A bit on the pricy side, especially with what you get. Came at a busy time. They were out of potatoes... I would not recommend the Snow Crab as it was underwhelming for the high cost.. Instead go for the mud crab and Aussie blue swimmer to satisfy those crab cravings read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
6 years ago
We were enjoying walking and exploring the Wellington waterfront when the hungers hit. I go from Disney princess to hangry wicked witch pretty quickly, so luckily the husband spotted this place with tables featuring tranquil water views and whisked me inside. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully lit with large windows permitting natural lighting to flood the open space dining area. The high ceilings with net and basket lighting give it a fun fishmonger theme and the casual atmosphere is created by the rustic wood floors, mismatched stools, and wooden boxes with utensils at each table. Our server was friendly and helped me navigate the menu which has notations for gluten free items and items that can easily be modified. I had some sauteed calamari rings with a delicious aioli sauce and a by the scoop mussels and clams with a tasty thai green curry sauce. The mussels were massive and quite delicious but the sauce was a little hard to identify and got watered down. The husband isn't a lover of seafood, so he went turf with the mooloo burger which was good but could have used a bit more crisp on the fries. We loved the atmosphere, the proximity to the water, and really appreciated the ease of ordering gf. Definitely a perfect spot to de-hangrify yourself or that special someone in your life. read more
7 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
Granted that the ingredients here seem fresh, the way they cook it is only average. My fish & chips were semi-soggy, dry, and also took 70 mins to arrive. The crab cakes were also not firm enough and had the consistency of mashed potatoes. I'd say come for the vibe but not so much for the food. Don't expect fast service. read more
Giant New Zealand mussels on special Mondays between 3-6pm for half price. It was very quiet when we went around 5pm. It worked out to be $15 for 1kg of mussels which is an amazing deal. The mussels were fresh, plump and large. We just had the white wine sauce which is a classic. I'd definitely come here for the mussels. I dunno if it's because they call themselves a shack and wanted a rustic feel but the cutlery didn't seem very clean. No biggie, I just used some water and gave them a clean myself. Bread and butter was $6.50 which is quite pricey for what it is. Nothing special, a small, white baguette with some butter on the side. Overall, great place for cocktails and seafood by the water and a great deal of you can catch their special. I'd definitely give this place a try! read more
Maybe it was because it was raining and there is no close parking, but this place was not crowded. pretty quiet with 80's rock background music, and chill the night I visited. The food was great and fit the atmosphere perfectly. Not pretentious at all, but high quality, fresh, and just laid back. I'd definitely come back if in the area and looking for a neighborhood feeling place with great food. My server was awesome too! Super friendly and happy, she was on top of everything I could have needed, but not intrusive. read more
Fun with 4 types of crab I had the local paddle crab in the spicy preperation. The crab was rather mushy, not sure if that's the crab or the preparation. Lovely spot to sit and pick crabs for a while. Service was friendly and very nice. You still pay at the bar or hostess station as is the NZ custom. read more
7 years ago
45 min wait for this $25 piece of grilled salmon, salsa and slaw. On the up side is was an adequately sized all be it undercooked (and I love sushi) salmon -- rather than over cooked, piece of grilled fish. The shiraz was lovely after an equally wanting undersized margarita. Overall this meal is now is the worst without exception that I have had in the 4 weeks I have been in Australia and New Zealand. read more
My sister and I were here on vacation back in Feb. It seems businesses here close relatively early. We decided to eat at the wharf and were not disappointed. This establishment has a more sophisticated menu that's on the dressier side connected to it called SHed 5. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere at the crab shack and our waiter, Johhny (I believe) was very kind and helpful in aiding in our dinner choices. Our food was tasty, the service was great and it was the first time I was able to try Eton Mess and I was in complete love with it. (We definitely don't get that dessert in the U.S.) A great place to eat on the water! read more
9 years ago
Crab shack was busy when I came but they directed me to the bar at the back (shed 5) to wait for a table. The bar was fabulous playing Sinatra and making classic cocktails. Back to the crab shack. Service was swift and great. Good beers on tap and the suggestions on food were spot on. Come here. read more
I visited this hugely popular Wellington eatery recently. And I was god smacked, not by the quality of the food they served. But the huge price difference between the Wellington restaurant and the newly opened Auckland one. I ordered pretty much everything that I could consume in one sitting. At the end, it was almost 50 dollars cheaper than what I would have paid in Auckland's the Crab Shack. The paddle crab was supposed to be in chilli sauce, but the chilli flavour was almost muted. The hot wings on the other hand was spot on with the hotness. It wasn't in your face spicy, but if you don't like the tabasco kinda of flavour then please don't order it. It can come across as a bit sour. The scoops of Tua tuas, diamond shells were pretty good. The cream sauce worked best with them. But they all felt like was coated in the sauces and not cooked in them. I also ordered the Jonas crab, which was a pot of 500grams of crab claws. Yes, it does taste frozen. As we don't have those kind of crab in our waters around New Zealand. Nonetheless it was a good eating dish, albeit a bit messy. But they do provide you with those adult bibs to cover up most of the torso, just be mindful of the incoming crab particles from the others around the table. The highlight of the meal had to be the bread platter. Yes, one of the cheapest things on the menu. The crab meat dip and the Indian flavour inspired dip was the best thing on that plate. I am not sure why they felt obligated to sprinkle large amount of parsley over the bread rolls. I mean come on guys, we no longer live in the 80's. Now, we have talked about the food. I am a huge fan of the modern industrial decor. The whole, we have spent money to renovate but you can't tell that we have look works best with the family style dinning atmosphere. If you want class, then the connected shed 5 would probably be a better match. But if you would just like to relax and enjoy some nicely cooked seafood then the Crab Shack is not such a place to be. read more
A table for six took about 35mins on a Tuesday night at 8. I wasn't expecting to wait in Wellington, but it was well worth it and the friendly staff called us when our table was ready. Our table was close to the kitchen, so interest piqued about the elaborate stone oven contraption. Our waitress explained it was "hangi inspired" for the meat dishes on the menu, and while it sounded intriguing we weren't there for anything without a shell. The four clam scoops arrived first. We tried every sauce, and the white wine was the favourite. They were absolutely delicious and made for a meal in themselves with chewy sourdough to mop up the sauce. Then two pots full to the brim with Nelson paddle crabs arrived, and the clams were forgotten. Simply done with garlic, the meat was perfect. The fun of crunching through the crab legs would be lost for two dinners- go with a group! read more
4 years ago
12 years ago
A great place for lunch. The menu is extensive and has a great mix of seafood and meat dishes. Had the lamb and saw a number of the other dishes. Would suggest any of the starters, though be warned they are huge and are a meal themselves.. Even when you are sharing. They have some great local brews on tap and also some solid performing wines by the glass. read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
This is an amazing place to get seafood on the wharf -- the mixed clams from Cloudy Bay are SPECTACULAR; we had them first in Thai green curry and they were so good we ordered another pot in Tom Yum (we preferred the Thai curry). The softshell crab taco was to die for (it's really that good), but at $10 it felt like a luxury to order. The clam chowder we ordered may have been mistaken, since it turned out to be salmon in the chowder; it was quite delicious (not ocean-heavy like the usual New England chowder, more corn and cream in this one), so we didn't complain. The raw fish board had an intriguing vinaigrette to dip in decent servings of sliced tuna and snapper (we're assuming), but wasn't exceptional compared to the other dishes. read more
Wellington's one and only Crab Shack serves up an array of comfort seafood selections that will have you finger lickin' from start to end. Seafood is the recommended special on the menu, whether it's crabs, fish, mussels, tuatuas or something you've never heard of. One of the most popular mains at Crab Shack, of course, is Crab Pots. Choose one of the following three options - Jonah Crab Claws, Scottish Dungeness Crab or Blue Swimmer Crab. Then choose one of the three sauces to go in the crab pot - The Classic is made of chilli garlic butter finished with lemon and parsley, OR Black Pepper which consists of cracked black pepper, garlic sweet soy & spring onion, OR last but not least, my favorite one, Tomato, Ginger, Chilli & Lemongrass that is sweet, rich & spicy, finished with coriander & fried shallots. Another unique crab pot that is listed all on its own and served with jalapeno creme fraiche, bloody mary mayonnaise & lemon, is none other than the Russian Spikey Crab. read more
9 years ago
Service was great and you can't beat the location. I had the Jonah crab claws. Pretty good, but not quite the crab I'm used to in the States. It was a little dry but not the worst, but again, it may just be my preference. The sauce had a great flavor. Also had the shrimp macaroni and cheese croquettes. Those were pretty good. Sangria was also pretty good. I would probably order something other than the crab if I returned. read more
9 years ago
What a find. Creative menu. Fun wait staff. Casual setting. Busy during the holidays when everyplace else is empty. Lovely fish and calamari. Also enjoyed mussels. read more
9 years ago
The wait staff was focused and friendly. The manager takes great pride in providing above and beyond customer service. read more
4 years ago
9 years ago
8 years ago
This was one of my worst dining experiences in Wellington. We waited over an hour for our main course. There were multiple tables that came in after us with the same number or more guests. The food was fresh but average at best. Our waitress acted as if we were not important. It wasn't until another waiter came to check on us that we received an update on our food. Our appetizer plates sat on our table empty for over 10 minutes before another waitress cam to take them. My friend and I were really disappointed. The manager did take 20% off after I complained before paying. We will not be visiting this establishment again. read more
12 years ago
12 years ago
7 years ago
Came in to Crab Shack for Sunday lunch. Kids eat free on Sundays so it was a great deal for my family with 2 kids although they do have different specials each day so make sure to check out their daily specials. The atmosphere is fun and casual and I love that the restaurant is near the water. They also play rock music videos so there's good music. They also have a good selection of beers. My husband got a beer and I got a cider. I really liked my entree which was the grilled fish of the day. I never asked what the fish was but I got lucky since it turned out to be salmon and I love salmon! My husband wasn't super hungry and he got buffalo wings. My son got fish and chips which he really liked. And my daughter got the pulled pork sandwich and she thought it was "okay". She wasn't a fan of the lettuce/coleslaw that was inside with the meat. There wasn't much but it was enough for her to notice and to need to pick it out of the sandwich so if you have a picky eater just ask for it plain. Overall we enjoyed the food, drinks, and service and plan to return. read more
7 years ago
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