Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED

Hamburger restaurant · Kemah

Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED

Hamburger restaurant · Kemah

1

7 Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah, TX 77565

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Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null
Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED by null

Highlights

This laid-back seafood spot serves up crab buckets and stuffed shrimp alongside comforting American eats, all in a chill atmosphere.  

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7 Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah, TX 77565 Get directions

joescrabshack.com
@officialjoescrabshack

$$ · Menu

Information

Static Map

7 Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah, TX 77565 Get directions

+1 281 334 9049
joescrabshack.com
@officialjoescrabshack
𝕏
@joes_crab_shack

$$ · Menu

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outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 11, 2025

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@eater

"The Kemah Boardwalk outpost of this seafood restaurant closed for an upcoming renovation." - Brittany Britto Garley

12 Houston Restaurant Closings to Know Right Now, November 2024 - Eater Houston
View Postcard for Joe's Crab Shack & Burger Bar - CLOSED

Marahya Mora

Google
We came for appetizers and some drinks while on the boardwalk and the majority of the food was great. The crab & shrimp dip is a must get, and the oysters were PERFECT. But the calamari was so overcooked it was gross to even try and chew. But the bartender was on point and the drinks were good. I’d come back next time, but just know what to order and what not to order.

Gaby Dominguez

Google
Our waiter was very attentive. The honey mustard glazed salmon was delicious. Looked just like the picture on the menu! The asparagus was crispy. The fried calamari was good too!

Carrie Webster

Google
My husband and I went to Joe's Crab Shack for our Anniversary! The food was delicious and we left feeling satisfied. Our waitress Claudia was very attentive and check on us periodically. The manager was so nice and check on us as well. We really enjoyed our visit!

Lyle Tomkins Owner, WeCleanHouses*com

Google
Sorry for the late review. We had reservations at Joe’s crab shack Kemah Boardwalk for the annual Christmas boat parade. Quite a number of vessels, all covered with beautiful Christmas lights. The food was absolutely fantastic. Quite typical with Joe’s and any Landry‘s operation. Vegetables and sides served fresh and steamed. Seafood was fantastic atmosphere. Everyone who waited on us from the time we hit the door to the time we left were absolutely fantastic. We had a wonderful evening it is one for the books thank you Joe’s Crab Shack for the fabulous event!

Dima Rodriguez

Google
We came on a Friday and it was after the lunch hr. Our server was Jade she was nice and made us feel welcome and made a suggestion for the meal I had. Everything went well. And it was a nice quite scene there was not alot of people at the time when we came to eat. Everyone was friendly. Thanks Jade for awesome customer service.

Maria Fair

Google
Food was decent and it wasn't super crowded. Service was good. Outside seating was. Hour and half wait but it was plenty seating and it was just 2 of us. Our server Savanah was nice. The drink i had a berry melon martini was really good.

Rene Sanchez

Google
The experience of eating on the terrace of this restaurant is fantastic. It adds a plus to the food which is delicious, all the varieties of crab are delicious and the service is first class.

Artesha Rodriguez

Google
It took a while for them to take our drink order but once our waiter came he took good care of us. Seafood ensemble & dip was delicious. Shark bite drink was super cute.

Michari L.

Yelp
A few friends and I went down to Kemah Boardwalk just to enjoy some time with each other and decided to dine a Joes Crab Shack. Upon arrival, we could immediately tell the AC was not in full gear, very humid inside. Our waiters name was Charlie and he did an amazing job. He kept checking in on us and making sure all our needs were met. I had the Bacardi Strawberry Lemonade which was very freaking and I got to take home the glass. For my appetizer I had the crab stuffed mushrooms... ‍ I'm already a big fan of anything mushroom and these crab stuffed mushrooms did the trick. I honestly could have eaten this as my meal. Very cheesy and seasoned well. Almost reminded me of a seafood fondue.... So good.

Cindy P.

Yelp
We always love Joe's Crab Shack and the Kemah location was on point! The portions are plenty and the service is very friendly. Our server was Will and he was so kind and friendly, he seemed to genuinely enjoy his guests. I ordered the Captains Platter and the fish portion was huge and the tartar sauce is just right! The shrimp were a bit over cooked but the cocktail sauce is great!! The Dungeness Crab was a nice size and very tender and sweet served with plenty of melted butter to ease up the heavy seasoning! Hubby ordered the Snow Crab Pot with the Cajun sauce and was in heaven!! There was tons of snow crab and just the right amount of shrimp and sausage. The corn was super tender and sweet too, with two nice sized pieces. We ordered the Dip Duo as well and I would love to report on that but unfortunately we never received it! The place was eerily empty on a Tuesday evening, although we were just passing through, maybe that's very common for the area. All in all, we enjoyed our Joe's visit on the patio on a gorgeous sunny day!

Aruna K.

Yelp
New Year Eve was a wrong time to go there especially at 9 pm... but a shout out to Derek! All I wanted was fries to survive the chill and also it was the only vegetarian available and we waited for really ( really) long.... until he somehow accommodated a to-go order.... every other 'fries' stall was out of food, so we might have had to face the new year hungry, so ..... thanks to my partner and to Derek who did not let that happen. The fries were very fresh and hot ( yes hot not warm), and super yummy.

Vivian H.

Yelp
This was my second time in Joes, food was amazing, the prices are not bad comparing other restaurants, by far Joes is better than bubbas. This was also second time Jade attended my table, love how she receives us every time, so attentive and respectful. Great recommendations from her, today she recommended the Caesar salad, just amazing!

Jay B.

Yelp
Despite the restaurant being relatively empty, the service was slow. It took 20 minutes to receive my beer order. The food, especially the shrimp and fish despite it being a seafood place, was below expectations.

Amaya C.

Yelp
Wasn't good service. Waiter took forever to bring anything we ordered out. Barely check on us. We paid $34 for 1/2 pound of shrimp, 4 pieces of sausage, one corn and one potato that was advertised for $14.99. Wasn't even good, shrimp was overcooked. Apparently it was suppose to be only for "happy hour," but why give the happy hour menu if it's not happy hour? My drink tasted only like syrup. Felt like we weren't priority the whole time, maybe because we were the only AA people in there but oh well. I didn't feel like causing a scene in front of my mom, but if i was by myself i definitely would've brought more attention to issues. Been a couple times but we won't be back again. Also wanted to add that it was maybe 6 tables that were occupied when we first got there, so it wasn't busy. And after looking at some of the reviews, they treat other African American people the same way so we definitely won't be back.

Eva D.

Yelp
Great service and location. Shrimp tacos were a disappointment. The tortillas were hard on the edges, the rice was bland and the beans were cold. My party did enjoy their burgers. Will definitely skip this next time.

Karyna R.

Yelp
joe's crab shack was an immediate disappointment from the start. upon walking in it took a very long time to just get attended to. after a long day of walking in the houston area and spending some beautiful time by the water in kemah, a seafood dinner sounded so refreshing and appetizing. joes is located next to bubba gumps and we chose it due to a better menu. how much we wished we wouldve went to see forest instead. we were sat down under an air conditioner blasting a fan. several minutes went by with no one serving us despite needing water after the humidity had us wishing we could just sit down. due to this we had to walk out just so we could get some water. very sad we were looking forward to it and the beautiful view of the waters of kemah

Zaena A.

Yelp
I think the host there doesn't know what to do as a hostess. We had to get his attention as he didn't acknowledge us right in his face. While we tried to request a table, he kept picking up phone calls and hanging up. He told us there would be a 45-minute wait but provided no confirmation or further assistance. We ended up eating at the bar because the host seemed lost the whole time. The only positive part of our experience was the lady who took care of us at the bar. We won't be returning.

Miguel G.

Yelp
This was the best Joe's back in the day and it is still awesome. Took my family for my son's birthday and we had a blast. The seafood was so good, I enjoyed my crab and my waiter was great as well. He kept us laughing and never let our drinks get low. The ambience is great, Kemah boardwalk what else cns you ask for in a restaurant. My wife loved it and she does not seafood and she enjoyed it all.

Bob M.

Yelp
I brought my wife in after a long work week and enjoyed our visit. We may be just a bit bias but Jade was amazing and extremely patient as we ordered our meals. My wife enjoyed her appetizer, the crab and shrimp nachos and my adult beverage was refreshing on a hot and humid day. I have some food allergies and Jade communicated my restrictions to the kitchen staff and they were able to modify my order to meet my needs. I appreciate the cooks for this!!! We had a nice view and the weather was perfect. Now if only you could do something about the mosquitos (kidding) we know it comes with outside dining.

April G.

Yelp
Came here while the kids explored Kemah Boardwalk for the rides etc. The first thing I noticed was that the restaurant was extremely dirty. There was trash on the ground and most of the tables were not clean; however, we decided to stay because my fiancé was really hungry. The waiter was attentive and to my surprise, the food was good. Due to how the restaurant was not kept up to clean status, I would not return. I was shocked to see the restaurant in that state especially in a touristy location.

Cylest L.

Yelp
Food was pretty good. Our host Jade was super friendly, attentive, and did an awesome job taking care of us. we'll definitely be back again.

Stacy B.

Yelp
Joe's Crab Shack and Lemah is the bomb.The staff, the food and atmosphere, are amazing.

Amber L.

Yelp
Jade was friendly, talkative and very nice. Food was good. Great place to visit. Haven't been to Joe's Crab Shack in a while. Would recommend it. Ask for Jade

Jan W.

Yelp
Our server, Jade, was awesome! She was so pleasant and checked in on us the right amount. She answered our questions and made helpful suggestions. Hubs got the ginormous sampler that he couldn't finish, though he really wanted to. I got the grilled Mahi Mahi, rice and about the most delicious broccoli that I've ever eaten. (Rarely am I literal, but I mean literally delicious!) The Boardwalk atmosphere was just happiness.

Gisel C.

Yelp
We went downstairs to the burger bar, and while we didn't get any food this time around the drinks were great. The new bartender Luke even learned how to make two of my father-in-law's go to drinks and he had such a great attitude. Loved the atmosphere, we definitely will be going back!

Tommy H.

Yelp
I'm shocked this place still in business, food is mid at best very pricey, seasoning needs work

Vanja D.

Yelp
Very very bad service we were sitting for an hour at least , asking employees to send us our server and they couldn't figure it out. Girl at host stand is very rude and and will openly show you she doesn't care. Manager is the exact same way. Skip!!!! This place is packed with restaurants skip this one.

七七

Yelp
The waiters were very friendly and attentive in the right way. No continuous, annoying checkups every five seconds. The food was great for the price, pretty fresh, good flavor, and portion was perfect for two to share!

Bob W.

Yelp
The servers were average in their attitude. The food took one hour to get after ordering. There were only about 4 tables occupied in the entire restaurant. Food was just OK. The servers were absent between ordering and delivery of the food. Makes me wonder if the servers were preparing the food.We arrived at 6 PM, left about 8. We we left , I saw a sign saying "We are hiring at Joe's crab shack. Will NEVER return

Ron L.

Yelp
When you go to a restaurant and their sound system is playing the B-52s' "Love Shack", you know you're in for a rowdy time. Joe's Crab Shack is a second-story restaurant overlooking the water, with sailboats going by. But this is not a quiet, romantic spot. It's more like a mix of a Cancun party spot with Houston's middle class. Loud & proud, but more sanitized. It's seafood, so expect to pay more. Our bill was around $65. You need to expect that with any seafood, and if you find some that's less expensive, then beware. They also have burgers and chicken, but it's quite daft to eat burgers or chicken at a seafood restaurant, right? And what did we have? The Hunny and I had fish & chips, the girl had chicken tenders. We didn't eat much before eating here, and they both couldn't finish their meal. I put the to-go box into our car before we hit the boardwalk, and when we got home, I found that the girl had finished her chicken. Typical. So how was it? Hunny: "It's good." Girl: "It's good." Ron: um, okay, "It's good." The fries, er chips, were mushy with some taste, the ketchup helped a lot. The fish had a good taste, not too hot, the lemon added to it but I could have used more. Three long strips, enough to fill the Hunny's tummy. Meanwhile, the wait staff was singing "Happy Birthday", doing a line dance, carrying a photo-op sign saying "I got bit at Joe's Crab Shack." All while making sure our time there was good. No, they didn't play a merengue and invite diners to dance with them (sniff). Joe's Crab Shack is pretty good, but I'd like to try other places to see how they are.

Lance S.

Yelp
I honestly didn't want to go. I went a couple decades ago in Houston and wasn't impressed. When my wife said she wanted to take the boys there I was hesitant, but gave in to the convenient location as we were already riding rides at the Kemah Boardwalk. It was after 2p so no wait. Too hot to eat outside, but looked like a nice view of the water. We wanted our boys to experience cracking and eating crab. So we ordered some platters and crabpots. It was a great meal enjoyed by all, even my pickiest eater. The boys got a virgin piña colada & strawberry daiquiri. I also got a flavored tea/lemonade drink. We thoroughly enjoyed the seafood and the experience. I know Joe's gets a bad wrap but this time was very good! It's pricey, and it was a little loud for our youngest until the food was there and he was distracted but we would definitely go back.

Herbe G.

Yelp
I would rate ZERO stars this place if this app would allow me. Over an hour waiting on our food. OVER AN HOUR! Also, I'm not sure when, but steampots got significantly smaller, now it's an individual portion. Waiter was great, but the kitchen leaves a lot to desire.

Elena R.

Yelp
Great Service from Jade! Smiled the entire time and provided quick service and catered to our needs promptly!

Caleb P.

Yelp
Very good food! The prices are very reasonable for a big portion. The menu is very clear and clean

Eric P.

Yelp
Oh my god! Jade is awesome! Triple her salary immediately! Great food, great service, great Jade!

Kim L.

Yelp
The crab was fantastic. The Food came out fast. The kids had a blast. Landen took great care of us and the mess we made!

James H.

Yelp
Great experience at Joes. If you go here , ask for Jade ! Phenomenal server . Shrimp tacos are amazing

Alexa V.

Yelp
This place is so good! We had the pleasure to have Jade as our server and she was so sweet and helpful! Great server She did an amazing job serving us this evening!

Jaclyn T.

Yelp
We went on a day that a storm was about to roll through, so we were the only people there the majority of the time. Charlie took great care of us! Our drinks were always filled and our food came in a timely manner. As a family with young kids, nothing makes me happier than when we can get in and out of a restaurant in a reasonable amount of time. Overall, it was a great experience.

Maria Eduarda P.

Yelp
Jade was our server and she was great! She was super attentive and checked in with us very often. The food was also very awesome. I got crispy fried shrimp and a pound of crawfish, my boyfriend ordered snow crab. We both enjoyed our meals! Jade made the experience even better!

Mari A.

Yelp
Don't waste your money. Ordered the crap and shrimp dip. The chips were very stale. I asked for fresh chips, waitress said she had to ask her manager if they could from fresh ones since all of them were limp and stale. Why ask a manager? Fry fresh ones. Took over 20 min to get fresh chips, although table next to us had Received their appetizer with fresh chips. How to ask for another order of dip since ours had gotten cold. Ordered the lobster bisque - terrible , no taste w plenty of Grease floating on top. My husband's fries were burnt and not fresh. Took over 10 minutes to receive our drinks. And they were not even busy. There are restaurants on both sides of this restaurant go there but don't come here. Service was meh.

Shanell C.

Yelp
Would not recommend, the new GM "Kenny" is weird . He followed me and my other friends (all females) down the stairs past the elevator. He stayed at our table talking for way too long it was awkward . Offered us a free appetizer for no reason . He was rude to our server a female . Seems like a A**hole . Food was ok

Rose M M.

Yelp
Busy day at Joe's! Best customer service ever! Responsive team members! Cannot beat the ambiance, drinks, and apps!

Joseph M.

Yelp
Service was good so was the ambiance but, their food ruined the experience. 4/10 at best very mid

The Horse Traders Diary T.

Yelp
It's always good seafood, the crab buckets have gotten much smaller in the last 2 years but at least the food is always seasoned and fresh.

Sabrina A.

Yelp
The service was great, however me and my husband shared the steam pot and later had stomach problems that led us to the restroom. Not sure if the food was prepared improperly... but definitely won't be ordering that again.

Nadya R.

Yelp
Worse service, after 13 minutes waiting we need to called someone, so we received some service, so we order the drinks and the kids food, minutes later someone came and we order our food, then our food arrived , but not the kids, then we need to look for someone again, so at least we can get our silverware and ketchup. the order for the kids came after our food , and it was not exactly as we ordered and some of our shrimp was overcook.

Delicia P.

Yelp
Loved the food and the ability to sit our by the water for lunch! The wait was a little long but worth it!

Rene F.

Yelp
Been wanting to try out Joe's Crab Shack because I thought they had a big variety of burgers but they don't. Ordered the chicken sandwich with fries it was good. Service was a little slow other then that it's ok

Paul G.

Yelp
They took forever on my order and when I I said I didn't want anymore they called the cops on me to get me to pay for it I don't ever recommend this restaurant it's not worth your time or money There's a bunch of seafood restaurants better then this dump. never coming here again

Jermy W.

Yelp
Went here with my family this past weekend had a wonderful time. Our server Ticer was amazing very respectful and polite and keep us all happy. Definitely will be making a trip back soon!

Jason W.

Yelp
Clean, Quick service, right on the boardwalk. Ordered draft beer, bartender said the kegs were hot and advised to switch to bottled. Food was typical chain restaurant fried seafood. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, but not a great one.

Sharon B.

Yelp
Crab Bucketsare the best! Our Crab shack closed in Bolingbrook Il . So on spring break in Florida hope to find one for lunch.

Andres V.

Yelp
We came in on the 4th during the lunch rush and were very happy to see that Joe's is back! As expected they were extremely packed for the holiday. Our server did a great job paying attention to us given that she was busy with other tables. We tempered our expectations as they just reopened and it was very busy. Food: B. Flavor was great! Same flavor we know and love. Crab was overcooked, hopefully this gets fixed as staff adjusts and crowds die down. A bit on the pricey end, food should be coming out fresh and well prepared at this price point. Drinks: A+. Very boozy and delicious, reasonably priced. Service: B+. Our waitress did everything she could even though they were slammed. Food did take quite a while to come out, but we attribute this and the overcooked-ness to the holiday rush. We will definitely be back, hoping that it gets better from here on out!

Chris C.

Yelp
Enjoyed the experience with a kids night out! Waited about an hour on the weekend but we enjoyed the boardwalk activities. Dungeness crab and lobster claws were great! Also, excellent hush puppies. Please bring back the garlic mussels with bread!! This restaurant has limited space but quite a few tables out side with a view of the water.

Casey G.

Yelp
I see why this location only has 2.5 stars. We visited on a Monday evening and the place was empty. We sat on the outside patio because the weather was nice. It looked like no one had cleaned the deck since the weekend, with trash under tables. It was not until I tried to order a sampler that we were told the restaurant was completely out of chips so we could not order any of the dip appetizers or entrees. It would have been important to tell us what they did not have before we ordered. Food was not at the level of what we have had at other Joe's locations. Our daughter's shark drink came in a tiny styrofoam cup. We were very disappointed and wished we had chosen somewhere else to dine. For how empty the restaurant was, service also should have been much faster than it was. We don't plan to return to this location.

Bryan L.

Yelp
The food and service were awful for such a well known attraction! We arrived to an empty restaurant, first red flag. We decided to stay as we love other Joe's location's and always enjoy the food. We ordered seafood stuffed mushrooms, grilled salmon, and a mixed crab bucket with snow and king crab, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. The appetizer of stuffed mushrooms came out, plate presentation sloppy, mushrooms were just toss in a pan, stuffing all fallen out, with a block of cheese melted on top. I took the first bite and spit it out. I absolutely love seafood, these tasted incredibly fishy. I believe the dish was not prepared fresh and the seafood was bad. We kindly asked the server to take them away, that we didn't care for them. He said no problem and later came back and said the manager would take them off the bill...cool. Entrees arrive, I expect my piping hot crisp fresh steamed seafood. I got a bunch of over cooked, soaked in a sauce seafood that was very unappealing. I was hungry and ate. The snow crabs were not fresh, the shells were soft, and wouldn't peel. The meat should gently slide out of the legs, they just stuck to the soft mushy shells, not good. Shrimp was over cooked, hard to peel as well, not good. The best part of this visit was my shark bite, corn and potatoes! We finish eating, server removed plates and said he'd be back with the check. We waited about 10 minutes and were like dang where's the check. I look over to the bar area to see our server watching TV He finally realizes he's at work and heads to a computer to print the check. He says "sorry for the wait, I was waiting for my manager to take the stuffed mushrooms off the bill" that kinda made me angry because he lied. I hand him my card without reviewing the bill as we were in a hurry now. He returns and I grab my card out of the book and notice the stuff mushrooms still on the check. Let's just say we won't be back, which is sad as we love other locations, and choose this one as it's closer to home.