Joe's Crab Shack

This wasn’t my first time in Galveston, but it was my first time eating at Joe’s Crab Shack—and it was fantastic! The staff was extremely kind and had our food out to us in no time. The environment was lively without being too loud, very inviting and comfortable. I ordered the Shrimp & Seafood Ensemble, and it was cooked perfectly—just what I needed after a long day in the sun. My family and I had such a great experience, and we will 100% be coming back. Big thanks to the team for making our visit so enjoyable!

We got there and were told that there would be a 45 minute wait. And we figured they would be a long wait, so that was fine. We walked around the beach and waited 45 minutes and then came back. Our table was still not ready. Until right as we were about to leave our table was ready. We got sat at our table and sat there for probably 30 minutes to an hour before anybody came up, then a manager came up to us and said that our waitress had gotten stuck at the front with a big table so he was gonna help us out while she was doing that. And that was fine. I’m a server I get it, but then I could not decide what I wanted on something so I asked him if I could have like five minutes and then him come back, 20 minutes goes by and he’s still not back and then a random waitress comes up and asks if we’ve had anybody talk to us, I told her the situation. And she was like well I will be your server since he abandoned you. That’s not exactly what she said. I can’t remember exactly what she said but that’s the gist of it. And she was amazing ever since then she was a rockstar best ever our food was amazing and everything. Let’s just say she got tipped well, but if the manager was who I would’ve been tipping, he would’ve gotten nothing.

We totally enjoyed our experience here. The waitress, Lauren was exceptional! At first I thought the crab boil was expensive, but it was delicious and surprisingly I left full. Never done that before eating snow crab legs. My husband had the fried crab legs and enjoyed them! My daughter had the crab and shrimp pasta which she loved. The appetizer was great too. Everyone was attentive and friendly.

Overall experience was good - food was good. Prices were a little high for what you get. (But that’s expected at Joes Crab Shack). Waitress was a very nice lady. Drinks were good (pictured) - forgot to snap pictures of the food 🤦🏻‍♂️😂. Would recommend to those visiting. They also have a little sand playground area that the kids enjoyed

Abel is a great bartender and friendly. He even asked us how things were with our name. Very personable. Great Happy Hour! Food was delicious.

My children and I got our food to go. We ordered the seafood boil with "The captain's secret Sauce" and mild for the heat. The flavor was great! A blend of lemon pepper and Cajun with garlic and spices. The shaker margerita was good. Kept the shaker cup as a souvenir. We got an extra pound of shrimp. And fried calamari as well. Staff had pleasant demeanor, some had smiling faces. Overall we had a good experience. We took nourish food to the beach, ate and enjoyed it.🙂✨️

I’m like every other person the potion size is on the low end that being said this was the best food my wife and I have gotten this weekend. You actually wanted to eat the food was cooked perfectly.

Danielle did an amazing job. Food was on time accurate and delicious. Danielle made sure we had everything we needed without hassle. 10 out of 10 for Danielle. I will be back

Awesome service! We came to Joe's Crab Shack in Galveston with a large group, and Rae'chel Lopez took great care of us. We were a bit chaotic, but she handled it like a pro--super friendly, patient, and on top of everything. She gave us some great suggestions too that totally hit the mark. We had a really fun time and the food was great. Would definitely come back!

The food here was pretty good. I joes classic would have more crabs but it's a half of each crab. The garlic bread was a good addition to the boil. On busy days the wait can get up to an hour which is good to make reservations.... Even if you arrive a bit late. We had a really good waiter that was really attentive. She also made sure I got to take home the nice cup that came with the cocktail order!

For many years I have been a fan of Joe's Crab Shack. Whenever I got visitors they insisted to go at least once to one of their restaurants. However, I was not aware that Joe's Crab Shack had undergone a massive shrinkflation! On my last visit about 10 days ago I was very much disappointed. Joe's Classic had way less crab legs, instead of the whole sausage only same slices, instead of whole red potatoes only sad little pieces. To balance the weight (maybe?) a boiled egg. A strange addition, never been in this dish when everything was still good and tasty. To top it off the dish was only merely lukewarm when it arrived on our table. I have nothing to complain about the waitress, though. She was friendly and nice. I don't think I will ever going back to Joe's Crab shack as Galveston has to offer so many more good seafood restaurants.

Such a great spot if you have little ones! The outdoor playground is perfect for keeping the kiddos entertained, and they've even thought of the small but important details--like a sink right by the door for easy handwashing when they come inside. The service was fantastic. The manager personally stopped by our table to check on us and even surprised us with an ice cream sandwich dessert after overhearing our conversation about not having one since we were kids--such a thoughtful touch! After a long drive to the beach, the food and service were exactly what we needed. We'll definitely be back!

The waitress was extremely nice and surprisingly had a good memory. I got the BBQ platter had 2 clusters of snow crab sausage mac and cheese hush puppies and fries! Good portion. We also had surf and sea 1 cluster snow crab a smalShaker. Shrimp and asparagus the steak was over cooked. We also had the Joe's classic boil captian specialty sauce the flavor was good but the portion was small. To drink had a passion fruit margarita Shaker it was really good. And I got to take the shaker.

Best Joe' Crab Shack restaurant that I have ever been to! Great food (had steak, crab and shrimp) cooked great and wonderful staff members! Galveston is the best! Michael B

We are always here when we visited Galveston, good food, fun and friendly. We are Landry's members.. the best deal we got for over 15 years now. Last visit I used my bitcoin points paying for the meal. Best deal ever, you collect points as a member and they have a ton of restaurants to visit.

I ordered a bowl of soup to-go, and had to show the host how to place the order on the computer, which I could have definitely overlooked. But this team proceeded to take 25+ min to complete this order... that makes me not want to give this location another shot, even though I usually really enjoy Joe's. I hope management is able to get wait times under control...

Abel was a great bartender, even would ask us about our food and drinks while using our names. Food was great. Great Happy Hour!

Joe's Crabshack in Galveston, TX did not dissapoint. We enjoyed our stop and I do recommend them. We are traveling on a cruise... worth the time to eat with family. And the locals that work here are super friendly!!

I've been a fan of Joe's crab shack for years. As they started to close them down, I noticed this trip that the quality of food that they're putting out has also fallen off. I got there at 7 PM and I did not have anyone take my order for drinks until 720. My waitress came over. She was very polite and the person that seated me did not tell my waitress that I was sitting there waiting. The restaurant only had a couple people inside of it. I ordered raw oysters on a half shell. There are much smaller than I expected. For dinner I ordered the shrimp platter which came with bacon wrapped shrimp, which were good grilled shrimp. They were good as well and it had a shrimp scampi and the quality of the shrimp scampi was less to be desired for. It came on the bed of rice that was overcooked and dry and broccoli that was overcooked as well even though my waitress was really good. The quality of their food is just not the same as it used to be

Joe's Crab Shack has a special place in my heart for two things - fun, fruity bar drinks and some very delicious crab nachos. When our local Joe's left our state, we were so deflated that we wouldn't get those tasty nachos anymore. So I put a ton of culinary investigation to figure out how to create a copy cat recipe to use at home. Close but not quite the same thing, the real nachos are prized by my family. So when we were in the Galveston/Kemah area and saw that there was a Joe's location nearby, of course we had to stop. To our fear, the nachos had been revamped! What?? Still on the menu but with a dreaded NEW tagline. No, why did they go and change such a good thing? A bit dramatic maybe but we love those nachos and I hadn't tasted them in a couple of years, so the reaction was warranted. Not being overly dramatic people though, we kept our composure and decided to give these "revamped" nachos a chance. A few Shark Bites, TKO Punches, and Blue Hawaiians later we were ready to dig into our nachos. To our delight and relief, the basic tenets of those great nachos was still alive and well in the new dish. They are now served with a green salsa in the middle that cuts back on some of the overloading of the nachos from the previous dish, a welcome addition. The added shrimp also brings a bit more seafood to crab mix, another welcome. The dish is still plenty big to eat like a meal and we were satisfied. Thank God those nachos are still in existence. Changed for the times but not gone. I'll take it. This location as a whole - plenty big, lots of indoor and outdoor seating, a fun playground for the kids (sand bottom so be careful with your kids getting full of sand), and close to the beach. The only mark down was that our service was pretty slow. We didn't mind because we were taking a break from the beach and in no hurry but our waitress seemed very scattered and lost. One thing to note to restaurants all over (and not just Joe's) - make your staff take orders on a paper pad or have them use a tablet connected to the kitchen. I don't care if it is low tech or high tech but write the order down somewhere. I have never had a server get an order completely right if they don't write it down and just go off of their memory. Never. Always something missed or forgotten. Doesn't matter if the order is big or small, never accurate. And it could be solved with just a little piece of paper and a pen. Doesn't seem like rocket science but it amazes me with how many places ditch this.

My experience here was 10 out of 10 my server the manager was Danielle. She was super super sweet and amazing. She made a situation that could have been so bad turnout great and she's a sweetheart. I definitely will be coming back to see Danielle.

Oscar was an amazing waiter and we loves his great customer service.Food was phenomenal and ambience was great!

Great as always! Service is top notch and food is incredible!! What an enjoyable experience.

Highly recommend anywhere else. My wife and I got sick after eating here. Restaurant wasn't even close to being full but the lack of service or capable employees created this catastrophe. We got the wrong food. Our waitress was by to take our order and to give us the bill. Restaurant wasn't even close basically clean. But the restaurant was a little dreary. Expected more for two meals at a total of $139.00.

I would like to give a huge shout out to Eddie, Gustavo and one other that I did not get the name of. My daughter's retainer was accidentally left on the table and thrown away. All three men picked through the trash (a lot) and did not give up looking until they found them, which took quite some time. I greatly appreciate them taking the time to help us out during their busy schedule. Also our food was delicious and our waitress Melissa was very attentive and Eddie checked on us frequently. Food is always great and my kids love the outside playground.

Very fun spot with a relaxed atmosphere. There are tons of tables ready to accommodate large red groups stopping in for a bite. Very casual dress with many people in bathing suits. There is even a sand playground outside for the little ones, adjacent to the patio. The only reason for a lost star is price. I don't mind spending $$$ but the portions of crab you get for the price doesn't really match. We had a great time, and that was worth paying for sure, but after ordering the most expensive crab pot I still I left hungry and expecting more for the price.

This trip was focused on our family including our Shepherd son Klaus. He absolutely loved how dog friendly Joe's was on the patio. They had great wait staff that all took good care of us. I had the fried shrimp and fries. It was all very good and filling, especially for the price in a tourist area. I would definitely go back, even if just for the view during dinner!

Our server, Leo, fantastic!!! Food was super good!! Appetizer we had a crab cake and the mushrooms...highly recommend both!! Meal we had the shrimp and crab pasta delicious...and the shrimp sampler ALSO DELICIOUS!! Absolutely recommend

Food sucked. My crab was 90% empty. No meat whatsoever. My girlfriend got the mild and it seems like it got mixed up with a different spice cause it came out unbearably spicy, even me who got a spice above it could enjoy my food but hers was way too spicy. Only upside is her crab had meat. So expensive and not at all worth the price. Paying 120 for food that was inedible and food that wasn't all there is bull. Never coming back to Joes.

Lively music playing, nice restaurant with the perfect beachy vibe! The food was delicious! The lobster and shrimps were cooked perfectly- plump, tender and juicy. Both dishes are enough for a light lunch. Service is excellent. Our server was friendly and courteous.

Izzie made our experience amazing and catered to our needs! We love her and can't wait to come back!!!

10/10 would definitely recommended!!! The atmosphere is sooo nice & sits right on the beach! Customer service is top tier! And the Queen Snow Crab is sooooo good!!! Oh and the drinks be drinking ! The food is great also, I ate it soo fast but here's evidence lol

Had a great time hanging out with a colleague!! The food was tasty and the the drinks were "sleepers."loved the shaker bottle!! Service was excellent!!! Food was fabulous!! Definitely be back again!!!

We loved our meal and the entire experience at Joe's Crab Shack! We will absolutely be back. We highly recommend the Cajun crab platter. Thank you to Eddie and his team for a great meal.

Service was horrible it took over 3 hours I was there at 8:30 and got my food right before they closed

We had an amazing time! We were well taken care of by our server Kaelah, who gave us great advice on other things to do in town. The food was delicious and a great deal and all the merchandise made us giggle.

The bar service is ALWAYS outstanding! Huge shoutout to Savannah, Isabel & Abel for always taking care of me!

I don't have pictures of the food, because I was hungry lol, but the food was pretty good and the waitress was super attentive!

Food was great! Maria was a great server and checked on us had a great time! Our food came out quick and fresh.

Very disappointed. This has been our go to for special events for years. We came today and the crab boils are different. In the past it came in a bucket with the ordered spice sprinkled on. Now there are high calorie spice sauces which we didn't care for at all. Tried to get them to bring a small bowl of spices we could sprinkle on ourselves. Brought something that was not spicy at all. We won't be going back. Gave a 2 because the waiter was very good.

Food was good, but i did not feel welcome at all. Me and my significant other came in at 9 pm, the restaurant was set to close at 10 pm and apparently the staff was unaware of that. The hostess gave so much attitude over us being there and the last minute change of hours, the rest of the staff continued to huff and puff directly in front of us. We felt very rushed.

We had an amazing dinner! All 9 of us loved our meals. Our server Michael did a great job with our large party. Derrick went above and beyond to make sure we were all completely satisfied. The restaurant has a fun atmosphere. We will definitely be back on our next visit to Galveston.

walked in to an hour wait so went to sit at the bar and the 3 ladies behind the bar gave us great service!!! thank you ladies!

Eddie was/is an excellent server. He routinely checked to see that we had everything needed. The food was excellent, the best I've had in decades. I had the Shrimp Sampler including Stuffed Shrimp with Crab wrapped in bacon. The hush puppies were great. Eddie even brought me horseradish to spice up my Cocktail sauce. The plate was full of deliciousness! Eddie you are the best. Thank you. Elizabeth T

To start it's expensive. Which I would be ok with since it's in Galveston but the service was horrendous! we did get our drinks and food quickly, although there was no follow up to see if we needed anything else. Had to walk in and find someone for condiments as our food got cold. Do not come here!!!!

We had a horrible experience. Food was poor quality and tough to cut. Charging resort prices for lousy food!!

It was good the interior was nice the food was good great service everything was fine but the smell was mid

Our food was delicious, and our server, Jade, took great care of us. The location on the water has a fun vibe.

Too franchisee Poor quality Bad service Don't waste your money or time Overall zero stars or maybe minus five

Joe's and the Broadwalk never disappoint. Food and Service was excellent and rides were the best...

On Early march sit outside 1:00pm right time right place everything so nice. Person take are us so well. Food wait not too long. Oh but outside area have kid playground so have to deal with screaming and crying. Food is good fried coconut shrimps my favorite. Rice grill shrimps with shrimp s cook with tomatoes butter sauce so wonderful. When I eat right time right place everything in life so perfect

No, I went there like three weeks ago the service was terrible. The food was terrible. There was a lot of people working, but nobody attended. It was just dirty, stinking terrible service, and food.

Delicious hot fresh seafood! Erika was very friendly and attentive! We enjoyed a beautiful view of Galveston while having lunch, wonderful day!

We were largely ignored unless we flagged someone down. Took an hour to serve soup, crawdads and steak. Burned the steak. The steak they finally brought out was chewy. We were sitting at the bar but still had to ask twice for drinks. Once we finally got some food we just took it home bc we just wanted to get out of there. The steak and soup were comped by the manager.

Went here on a Saturday night and it was almost empty. Had a water-downed pina colada and a bowl of clam chowder that tasted like bland creamy water with potatoes, maybe clams and cheese (very strange recipe). We also ordered the dip duo which tasted like it came in a jar and was reheated in the microwave even though it was barely warm. We paid the bill and left without anyone asking about how we liked the food. (We didn't.) Also, there were 5 employees on their phones by the hostess stand and 3 more hanging out by the bar area. I left feeling like I was going to be sick. (I'm giving 1 star because it won't let me give zero.)

Gustavo was a great server. He checked on us many times to see if we needed anything. The food was delicious; I had the Mahi-mahi and shrimp, and my hubby had the clam chowder soup with a side of cheesy garlic bread. Derick, the manager, dropped by our table to see how we were doing. I love that they have their parking, so we don't have to find one on the seawall.

The food is just OK. The manager was cool the service is good. The ambiance is nice. They use cheap frozen shrimp tho which has no taste.