We decided to stop by for a quick appetizer while boating on Father's Day. While they were not busy, they were short handed. One of the managers took our order and approximately 45 minutes later were told the POS system was down so the order was resubmitted & would be out soon. It then took another 30 minutes to get someone's attention to ask about the check. By the sight of tables with dirty dishes, I was left wondering if there were more than two managers & one server working that evening. read more

The food is edible, but I'd only recommend this place for a cocktail while you wait for a charter or cool off from picnicking next door. The service is friendly but extremely slow. The food is mediocre and well fried; likely improving with every cocktail. The margaritas are surprisingly good. read more

The patio at the Shack at Joe Pool Lake looked good, but as we sat there, it felt like sitting in a glass bowl in the hot sun...and it was actually cloudy. No air circulation whatsoever. Even the potted flowers on the patio were dead due to heat. We were told that the management would not allow the windows facing the marina to be opened. Opening the windows would have completely changed the temperature and experience. It used to be fun to watch the boats. The view of the marina is mostly blocked now. Good news-Service was 5-star. We couldn't stay long enough to enjoy a meal due to the impending heat stroke. The improvements made are a "swing and miss" regarding the patio. SO disappointed. And---a bucket of beer is only 5 aluminum cans! Not going back. read more

My second time visiting and the first time was Amazing but unfortunately Ms. Tiffany C made our second dining experience horrible. I sat for over 20 minutes without a refill. To make matters worse she sat maybe 4 steps from where I was seated stuffing her face continuously, while I sat there THIRSTY unable to enjoy my food due to no refill. She came 20 minutes later asking, "how were things" and my response was thirsty. I started to ask for her manager but just decided that I won't be coming back. She's a horrible waitress and shouldn't even be allowed up come to people tables with opened uncovered wounds on her body. Disgusting. She got an attitude when I told her we were leaving and asked if I wanted a drink to go. No! I would have loved to have a drink to finish my meal but I was so disgusted I left hungry still. To management. You shouldn't allow waitresses to sit and eat on the same floors as customers. You should have her cover up bleeding wounds before allowing her to come up to people table with food. To top off the horrible service the cook burned all three of our sandwiches and I was only refunded ONE. read more

The Shack at Joe Pool Lake - Burnt buffalo sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

So they changed management, the food was horrible. The two tables by me sent food back. Services is horrible. Took forever to get water and even longer to get drinks. We ordered the boil, which was under seasoned, no flavor Our potatoes were hard. We sent them back and got roasted potatoes that didn't go with the boil. THERE IS NO LOVE COMING OUT OF THAT KITCHEN! No wonder it wasn't busy! A totally waste of money! read more

This was a total management issue. When we arrived we were greeted by the host who was very pleasant. Once she sat us we waited about 20 minutes before we were approached by a server and asked "has anyone helped you?". Apparently no one knew whose table we were so servers would just walk by and not say anything. We ordered wine, coffee, onion rings and a slice of cheesecake. We waited about 15 min for the drinks and another 15-20 minutes for the onion rings and cheesecake. They were not busy, just understaffed. The server was polite and I believe she did her best. While we were there we also witnessed a couple of people complaining that they had been waiting for food for over an hour. Not sure what the issue was but there were a lot of missed opportunities there. At the very least, the manager could have come out to speak to everyone just to explain, that would have shown they cared. read more

TL, DR; We will be back! Great food, great views. First time coming here (including when it was a different name). We got the wings, blackened tilapia tacos, chips n salsa, and mushroom burger (and fries). Wings - excellent. I asked for them to be fried hard and they were. They were a good size, too (I hate when the wings are huge). The buffalo and parmesan garlic flavors were fantastic. Blackened Tilapia tacos - good. Not the best fish tacos I've had but I was satisfied. I'd get them again. Mushroom burger - my wife said it was good. They probably don't specialize in this - just threw it on the menu for vegetarians lol. Fries - PERFECT. We almost ordered more to take home! The seasoning was delicious and they were crispy. We sat outside. I was impressed with how well ventilated it was- I almost forgot it was 95 degrees outside lol. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because our waitress could've been more attentive. My wife came here when it was under different management. She said back then, the food was average but the service was impeccable. This time, she enjoyed the food much more, but the service didn't match the previous excellent service. read more

This place changed ownership a while back. First time I've been there this summer. First off, it's 85-90 inside. Second, we couldn't even get water. Third, I went to the bar to get drinks and there wasn't even a bartender. Forth, they have stripped the menu and it's a much smaller menu than before. We got up and walked out, never even were acknowledged. Hell, I ain't that ugly!!! read more

This place sucks now....took 2 hours to get our food and no communication on status.... We had to ask about it then we're told kitchen was backed up... there's only 2 tables occupied.... Fries were too salty and cold as were most of dishes brought to table... read more

I went with my Sister-in-Law to have a margarita and an appetizer. The margarita was good however we ordered the chicken wings and it was nuggets not wings. Since they were breaded with sauce just poured over them they were pretty soggy. I could deal with all of this what I had an issue with was the amount of flies that were located inside. It was hard drinking let alone eating without swiping at flies constantly. read more

Ever since they moved to new management from Oasis to The Shack. The service has been terrible! I think they have the slowest servers on the world such as taking forever to greet you at your table to take drinks orders to not checking on food orders or checking if we need refills of drinks. Oh the food.... Super bad, absolutely no flavor and all fried food was dipped in old dirty grease turning the batter to dark dark brown. It was just terrible. I'm so sad that the once the Oasis was the place to go after boating and etc.... Has know been redone for the worse. I hope things change tremendously because The Shack is straight up like eating in a dirty shack with terrible waitstaff read more

We picked this place to eat at a few days before Father's Day. The parking lot was gravelly, and the walk to the place itself is long. The atmosphere was good and the scenery was enjoyable. We were disappointed by the lack of seafood on their menu, which was just shrimp and catfish. The rest consisted of burgers and chicken tenders, but hey, we thought that the limited selection wouldn't be bad as long as the chefs were good at the few things that were actually on the menu. Turns out that they just reopened so they didn't have too much. Unlucky, but not a cause for a one star review. The waiter was nice, but we had to flat out ask for plates for the appetizers. The breading on the onion rings were perfectly crunchy. Though the onion was soft, I liked it like that. The cheese sticks I suspect were taken out of a frozen bag and cooked, yet somehow wasn't hot? It was warm but not like it came fresh out of a fryer. The nachos were lukewarm. How do you make nachos lukewarm??? This is unfortunately where the positives end because the main course was abysmal. 17 bucks for 7 small pieces of poorly seasoned grilled shrimp and a bunch of semi-soggy fries is absolutely ridiculous. The fried shrimp at least had a savory taste to it past all the grease. I bit into the fried shrimp and it was like a literal fruit gusher with the flat out OIL. In comparison, the chicken strips come with four to five huge pieces of chicken with no seasoning and bad texture. The catfish was oversalted and far too zesty according to the others on the table. The burgers, from what I could tell, weren't really good either. My grandparents weren't too happy. We weren't, either. Please don't come here. It totaled to about 180 dollars for 6 underfed people, which is a scam. Amusement park food is overpriced but at least they put in more effort than this place does with their high prices and small mediocre portions. For your comparison, on Father's Day we went to a Mexican place and ordered for 130 dollars. They had infinite refills on their homemade flour tortillas and on their drinks. We got a platter of chicken, beef and shrimp. In conclusion, it would be better to go to McDonald's. In all honesty I was CRAVING that fast food place when we were sitting there in misery. Downright fantasizing about McDonald's chicken nuggets. Cmon. Don't come to this place. We could've gone to pappadeux and gotten more bang for our buck. The only good part is the outside and the cute metal catfish decoration next to the door. It's not worth almost 200 dollars. read more

The Shack - on Joe Pool Lake. I had lunch at The Shack today for the first time since new owners. Happy to say, I had both good food and good service!!! First time in over 15 years I've had both, at the same time, at that location. Tiffany was our waitress, she was friendly and very attentive. I had the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries. Fries looked and tasted fresh cut, chicken was nice size, and tasty - served with Bleu cheese crumbles on a bakery type, buttered & grilled bun. My friend had blackened chicken, new potatoes and onion rings. Big portions and she said the chicken was juicy. I tried her potatoes and onion rings and they were both delicious. I will definitely be going back! read more

The Shack at Joe Pool Lake - The Shack at Joe Pool Lake - Seafood Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Great location, we enjoy docking the boat and grabbing a meal, but it's just decent - good, nothing extra great food wise. We had burgers and Buffalo chicken sandwiches with chips and salsa for appetizer. The burger was generous helping and good, not extraordinary. Son gobbled up his Buffalo chicken sandwich and said he liked it. Chips are just run of the mill with store bought jar type salsa. Not bad, just average. Iced tea was pretty darn good though. And the French fries were nice and hot, very good. This is lake side service, so don't expect to be in any rushes. Things are slower on the lake. Server was good and attentive, sadly she was only one working for everyone, so she was spread thin, not her fault at all. She did very well for her situation. read more

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If only zero stars were possible... This was easily the worst meal I've had in Life!! I ordered the blackened tilapia tacos; the tacos had some really strange aftertaste & so did the broccoli. Another person at my table had broccoli that tasted normal, but mine tasted like soap. You may wonder why I paid for it? Let's just say that for $19, it bought me knowledge to NEVER go there again. Service? SUPER slow. Food? Atrocious. Atmosphere? Surrounded by unbussed tables, but the flies were really friendly & kept us company during our long wait. Under normal circumstances, I would've walked out 5 minutes after arriving at such a mess, but, today was just one of those days when I endured the nonsense for someone else's sake. Oh! Be sure to bring a fan because it's warm in there too. read more

Terrible, terrible, terrible. Poor service, worse food and super inflated prices! We will not return. The ambiance and atmosphere is great, except it is hot inside the restaurant. read more

The Shack at Joe Pool Lake - The details of the restaurant review. - Seafood Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Wings were bland and not hot, beer was mildly cool, no waiter so we had to go to the bar and order, and we asked the person bringing our wings to us for napkins and he said they didn't give him any to bring out so we got up and go back to the bar for some. We ate on the outside deck and there was spider webs on the picnic tables, tables very worn/wobbly, and trash on the ground. Not to mention exhaust fumes from the boats on the dock and ramp. Positive note the bartender was sweet and pleasant. This place has so much potential but they just can't get it right. read more

Bobby is the best bartender in the world. He is the most personable guy and knows everything as bartenders should. We really enjoy the atmosphere there at the Shack and most certainly will continue to enjoy refreshments and condiments at the bar area while watching the boaters and activity there at the lake front. Again, Bobby is the best and takes a personable interest to make sure his guests are having a great time while around his work area. Thanks Brandy and George read more

I got takeout from this place but I've been here before when it was other names at it looks really cool, perfect spot for a date. I got fried tilapia and onion rings, it was about $20. The tilapia was a good piece and very flavorful, we spilt it. The onion rings were very good too. The tartar sauce was just great, I don't know if it's homemade or what but it tasted amazing and different. read more

We went for Mother's Day , waited at our table for 25 mins , was never acknowledged by anyone, so we got up and left .. truly disappointed..

Good location for lunch. Ordered the seafood boil w Cajun seasoning. Unfortunately they do not know how to season anything close to what you would experience in Louisiana. Will try to order salad or something and adjust my expectations or bring my own hot sauce next time because I really do like the location. Bloody Mary had a decent level of spice but no garnish. read more

Why can't this place ever have good food? We keep trying it but not again for me. The crab and artichoke smelled bad and looked like it had been sitting out for hours. We didn't dear taste in fear of getting sick. My hamburger was disgusting, how do you ruin a hamburger?? :( read more

We had a very good dinner on a Wednesday night recently. We have not been here since during the pandemic when service was rough but happy to say things were going very well here due our visit. It was not busy, just a few couples in but service was excellent, drinks were good and the food was impressive. Shout out to the fried catfish! Also my burger was better than what you get a Jakes these days too! Will be back! read more

The Shack at Joe Pool Lake - Fried Catfish - Seafood Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

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En google dise q sierran a las 10 entre semana pero no es verdad. Maneje 40 minutos para llevar a comer a mi familia 9 persona y eran las 8:30 de la noche y no me quisieron atender dijeron que cuando no están ocupados sierran temprano y que eran reglas de su manager y no podían hacer nada al respecto. read more

Ordered the fish sandwich, blackened. It came out and the presentation was beautiful, but I could immediately tell the fish was wayyyyy over cooked and not really blackened. The fries were good. Beers were cold. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food, but if you're looking for a culinary experience, look elsewhere. Samone, our waitress, was kind and attentive. Asked about my full plate and listened intently as I explained why I didn't enjoy the dish. Made sure we were taken care of! One thing this place has going for it is the fact that it is on the lake. Not a great view, since it is in the marina and around dinner time you get a great people watching experience of all the drunk people docking. Come here for appetizers and drinks on the water. read more

This place was just aweful. The drinks sucked. The catfish stunk. The coleslaw was a bowl of mayonnaise with a little bit of cabbage. The burgers were overcooked. The service was slow af, two workers at the front were sitting around doing nothing while the poor bartender was busting his ass. I give them 1 star because the fries were good and the bartender was nice. read more

Food was very salty and our server could have cared less about her customers. She constantly kept going back to her corner to check her phone. Save your time and money and go somewhere else, we should have listened to all of the other bad reviews. read more

Great food and staff Atmosphere is amazing and live bands on weekends read more

We had a wonderful time at the Shack last night. They had live music playing in the bar area and our bartender Bre was wonderful. She got our drinks refilled quickly and our food timely. She also has a pleasant attitude. She makes the best frozen strawberry margarita too!! read more

I had the citrus/ jalapeño infused margarita !!! so good. The service was excellent too. we will be back next time we are out on the boat. my suggestion would be to have dock hops for food to be delivered to your boat I. the slips outside. read more

Food was typical bar food. If one is drinking beer then the food would pass, I guess. Service was severely lacking as they were more interested in standing around and talking with one another. Being attentive to guests was not a priority. If you like rap music and a poorly air conditioned restaurant then you'll love it here. Seriously it was hot inside with the only relief being from the ceiling fans. I would not recommend this place until the owners make serious changes in management. Until that happens then I, along with other patrons, will not return. read more

Finally, the Marina at Joe Pool Lake is showing signs it may have a food and drink purveyor worthy of the potential of this venue. The service was very attentive and the burger was excellent (fries somewhat average). Hope for continued improvement. read more

The food is not good. The service is dependent upon who you get. One waitress was busting her butt, others not so much. Food is OVERPRICED. The seafood boil is a joke, not fresh and flavorless. The wine selection is below average. The location is great if you're on the lake, just order drinks. Ambiance ok average. Don't recommend. Sad. read more

The food was really good and Bobby is an amazing server/bartender and made us laugh the whole time, come check it out.

We had the Seafood Boils. They were great. The waiter was friendly and attentive. We'll be back soon.

My first bad yelp review ever, because it was that terrible. The location is a great spot, the service was the *worst* we've ever experienced. They were out of chicken tenders at 6pm on a Sat, our server forgot our drinks multiple times, all the food came out except for one meal that was 25 minutes late, and the burger when finally served looked like it had been gnawed on and thrown on a bun. Our server continued to talk and sit with friends at a nearby table. Manager did nothing and had zero customer service. 0/10 do not recommend. read more

Everything about our experience, fron our server Brianna, to the food, to the vibe, to the vuews, and to the beverages was on point! What an amaxing place to have dinner, especially toward sunset! I cannot recommend enough! Felt like we were on vacation for the dinnet hour! read more

I never leave reviews.. but I felt I had to for this one. I remember coming here during my childhood into my adult years. I loved it. The atmosphere was amazing; it really felt like a fishing-lakeside restaurant as it should be, being on the water. But under this new management, they've completely changed the place to where it's almost unrecognizable. The amazing taxidermy fish that decorated the ceilings and walls are gone. The bathrooms changed from the rustic, rough, fishing feel to page 37 of Bed, Bath and Beyond. The menu has changed from pages of all kinds of selections of seafood to the lone basket of shrimp. I'm lost on the feeling I want to have coming to a floating restaurant on the lake. Granted, they may still be adding onto the new renovation. Maybe the menu will develop. Maybe the decorations may accumulate as time goes on. But I was told it's been months since new management has taken over but yet the appeal, food, feel and atmosphere remains plenty sub-par to say the least. I hope this place will get back to the way it used to be. Otherwise, it's not worth coming back to. read more

Okay first thing first, received coupons in the mail and thought - lets go try...there are two reasons for coupons, either new management or they are in need of customers. Well, they are defiantly in need of cooks and management that can look over the food. How can you mess up Fish & Chips & Coleslaw...heres how: Batter poor and then way over cooked, not golden brown I say, but dark coco color, then let me tell you about the so called coleslaw. it yelled, no begged for mercy...it was "Drowning" in an unknown mess that looked like it even had lettuce in it..poor adaptation for a coleslaw. Not even attempting to taste it...looked like it had set outside for unknown hours. Needless to say left the rest of the coupons I had on the table. Take this advise "Shack" you are in need of an overhaul on taste, presentation and pure truth on the value of a customer. you never had a chance with what you served. read more