Joe's Crab Shack

We used to go to Joes Crab Shack a lot in Virginia so we were excited to try it here. The crab and shrimp dip was great but everything f else was not good. We had the mahi and it was dry and just didn’t have a great flavor. My husband broiled platter. He thought it was average. The apple dessert was not good, was too sweet. Great view of the river but the table between us and the view was empty but stacked with dirty dishes. Not only did it never get cleaned up while we were there but servers would add more dirty dishes to it. That’s a shame. I would not go back here. We had others tell us they are nearby and it was the best meal ever. Too bad we picked here.

We ate here for the first time tonight. Had Joe's in Ohio many, many years ago. Noel was our waitress tonight and she was amazing! Friendly, always smiling, great service. Cannot wait to come back again, especially when its warm enough to sit outside!

We had a great dining experience 12/23 for a pre-Christmas meal out. We had the ‘sailors shrimp plate’ and the ‘southern shrimp boil’. Our server, Aaron, went above and beyond to make sure our dining experience was excellent. We took some food/seasoning recommendations from him that turned out great! We arrived before the dinner-rush so, parking was easy and the noise level was manageable. We’d definitely recommend stopping by and we plan to come back.

Food was amazing and I loved the boil I got, I would for sure get it again. Service was lackluster, server forgot things multiple time but the wait time to get food was great, they are quick! Food quality was great, no complaints. My son got the kids meal pizza and he loved it.

Great place to come for delicious seafood, fun drinks and lively entertainment. I loved the atmosphere and scenery from the outside deck. The staff seemed to have a blast helping a guest celebrate their birthday while there. I definitely recommend coming here for eats & drinks!

"Excellent service and delicious food with an amazing view." Pros: 1. Incredible customer service made you feel very welcome. 2. Food was delicious with generous portions. 3. Amazing view from the outdoor deck/patio creates a wonderful atmosphere. Cons: 1. Calamari was a tad salty. 2. Some customers may end up smoking cigarettes while on the outdoor patio. 3. Music on the outdoor patio speakers were a bit loud, could be turned down a bit so that people can hear each other's conversations. I visited Joe's Crab Shack last week after finishing up with a conference in Louisville and per the recommendation of a friend. I was greeted instantly by the staff and when I mentioned that it was my first time in Louisville, Alek was kind enough to give me a short summary of the city, culture, and what was up and coming. I really appreciated it and helped me to understand the area a bit more. I was also assisted by Angie who was very attentive and helped me with menu recommendations. She had a very nice demeanor and went out of her way to make sure I had an enjoyable dining experience. The food was delicious! I ordered Joe's Classic Sampler for the Appetizer, which had a variety of items. I really liked the crab and shrimp dip and the Great Balls of Fire (which consisted of shrimp and crab shaped like a deep-fried ball) were flavorful. For the entree, I ordered the East Coast Platter which had a crab cake that used REAL crab (and not the imitation kind) where you can really taste the chunks of crab and not as much filler. Also, the bacon-wrapped shrimp filled with seafood stuffing was plump and juicy and was delightful to eat. Overall the food was great and you can taste the freshness of the seafood. I also appreciated the large portions and was fairly priced. Ken's Takeaway: If you like seafood and wonderful southern hospitality, check out Joe's Crab Shack. The portions were generous and prices were reasonable. I would caution about sitting on the outside patio since there are certain aspects like cigarette smoke as a well as the loud music from the over hang speakers that can detract you from enjoying the majestic view of the Ohio River and the overall atmosphere.

I love eating at Joe’s Crab Shack and I enjoyed having Bobbi Jo as my server. She was very friendly and took good care of me and she even signed me up for the loyalty rewards. The food is so delicious here and I love being able to see the river while I eat. I had the crab stuffed mushrooms and the crab cakes and the campfire s'mores cake and an iced tea. It was all so delicious. Thank you so much for your service Bobbi Jo! :)

The food looks great, but no flavor and very dry. The server was good, but if you have never had dried crab legs, I don't recommend it. The only good thing was the cocktail Jamaican me Crazy 😉 Location and atmosphere is great, but if you're looking for good food, this is not the place for you.

my family and I went to joes crab shack this week and had an amazing time from great service from our server Joey B to kid friendly environment and we loved the decorations. the food was great and was right. we have zero complaints on our visit and can't wait to come back

Shelby was amazing! Great time - food was great and Old Forester was too! Will ask for your section next time Shelby! Tons of fun!

Horrible service. Table not cleared, service person missing, drinks not served and then not very good, dirty dishes piled on tables next to ours. Noise level was awful especially when staff screamed out birth announcements! The food was of mixed quality- some ok but lots just a bunch of overpriced, deep fried mediocrity. This place is awful, and amazingly expensive for such fare. Obviously i won't return to or recommend Joe's Crab Shack.

What an amazing location! Right on the river, perfect for our Saturday lunch. Our service was nice. Our waitress was prompt. However, that's really where the compliments end. Our food, it was bad. Both seafood boils were under cooked and our crab just bent, wouldn't break, and was cold to the touch. The manager came out and had kitchen staff recook the food. It was better the second time around but I lost most of my appetite and my husband ended up eating the shrimp I had left. I would not return to this location. Such a shame as it's really a beautiful walk and has great scenery.

The food was really good. Our server was friendly and we received our food in a timely manner.

Hadn't been here in a long time; looking for some restaurant that we could view the river and enjoy the outdoors. Greeted right away and seated. Waited on very quickly. Waiter was very good. Ordered a couple of Modelos to start with. I ordered the calamari ( appetizer) and it was enough for me; we shared stuffed mushrooms and my wife had calm chowder. All was good tasting and service was cordial. We hadn't been there for a long time; we had actually thought they had closed; but they aren't. So now we can go back more often. Mattie was our waiter and did a great job and service.

Shelby, Shelby, Shelby... we enjoyed YOU very much as our server today. Thank you for helping me and my family enjoy my husbands "Crab David's BIRTHDAY and having him dress in the JOES CRAB SHACK COSTUME. We'll definitely be back to see you fun and Beautiful PEOPLE. Yall must visit Joes Crab Shack and ask for Ms. Shelby, she's our girl, she is the go to girl, she is AMAZING. Ya'll want a FUN SERVER With FAST and FRIENDLY SERVICE, then Shelby is "your go to server"...you have to ask her. See ya soon for mò crab and seafood

Posted this review on Oct 27, 2025: The food was terrible, shrimp over cooked, fish mostly grease-soaked batter, chowder cold and no butter served with the scrawny crab legs. Our waiter, Charlie was horrible! He did not know anything about the drink menu, nor did he know the appetizer selection. As we tried to order, Charlie thought he was funny, making silly excuses for not being able to answer questions about cocktails, but only came across as loud, and obnoxious, then he was no where to be found when food arrived to address the food complaints. Response from: Sawyer A. Business Customer Service Oct 28, 2025 Hi, thank you for choosing to dine with us, as we know you could have chosen anywhere to enjoy your meal. We are always looking for ways to improve and would appreciate any additional feedback you would be willing to provide at the link below. http://www.bit.ly/landrysfeedback This link sent me on a rabbit trail that ended up requiring me to provide most of my personal info before I could provide the "appreciated, additional feedback" Sawyer requested. Waste of time designed to give the appearance Joe's is concerned about the crappy food & service they provide.

The food wasn't good at, how can you screw up a seafood boil but they did and the top it off I paid $59 for the boil and one glass of Pinot Grigio crazy I will never ever go back again. They got some improvement to do plus the air was not working and it was hot as sin. You got me this time and I won't be back!!!

It's been quite a while since our last visit. Almost 20 years. Seriously, that long. Why? Because their entire menu back then was fried everything. Well, Joe's Crab Shack has grown up in the time that has passed. To keep up with Crafty Crab and other higher end seafood joints, Joe's started steaming seafood assortments in plastic bags with various seasoning. There's lots of platters & buckets in a somewhat overwhelming menu. Shrimp, crab, muscles, clams, lobster in various combos with potatoes, corn on the cob and sausage. Even a hard boiled egg. Don't ask, I have no clue where an egg fits in. Don't like sausage? They swap it out and add a few more shrimp. To save calories, we passed on the various butter sauces they offer as seasoning in the steamed bag and got them in the side. Good call. The sauces weren't all that great, but we could dip into the sauce if we wanted. Another example of how Joe's can customize your dinner. Make no mistake, now that Joe's has kept pace with competitors, their prices have kept up, too. My king crab platter ran $50. So, it's ez to drop it over $100 without trying. But the food was excellent. The serving portion was more than fair. And service was outstanding. Our server Joe set the tone the moment we found our way to the table. He knew the menu inside and out. Patiently explaining the difference between the various platters. He took a very good meal into an exceptional dining experience. Joe's has upped its game. If you're up for some good seafood, it deserves your consideration.

My daughter had a birthday and we came to Joe's Crab Shack. Our waiter was Stephen; he made her birthday very special; it was a wonderful occasion. He had our food out quickly, refilled our drinks in a timely manner. He was super nice!

The food was amazing but the service was beyond excellent. Our waitress, Jayanna was the best server. She was so energetic and personable. The manager checked on us numerous times and was very nice.

Service was such a wonderful surprise! We had the best sever, Angel Kendall. Very attentive to my family and needs, had a smile the whole time and was very on it with punctuality with food!! ​ everything came out in timely manner, tasted amazing, and had a great experience today!! Looking forward for our return and seeing Angel again!!!!

Our family met up at Joe's for dinner on Saturday, February 1, 2025. There was a total of 32 adults and children. Marty D and Chelsie were our servers and let me tell you they were FANTASTIC! They took every order and not a single item was wrong on 32 orders. They kept our drinks refilled, they brought us every single things that was requested of them. They took pictures of us, they paid special attention to the entire table of children ranging in age from 3 to 15. They wrote crazy funny things on the crab bibs. I just can say enough wonderful things about the service that these two provided. They were so friendly and fun to work with. Out of 5 stars available, I give them 10! We will be back and we will request these two every time. Also a quick shout out to the Manager, Michael Brown, who I spoke with a couple of times, and he assured me that things would be ready and they would be prepared for us. THEY WERE! Thank you so much Michael, Marty and Chelsie for being a part of a wonderful family event!!!!!

I love Joe's Crab Shack, and our visit today was extra special because of our server Tera & Courtney, the manager. They were both so pleasant, funny, and accommodating. The food here is outstanding. You expect great crab at a restaurant called Crab Shack, and Joe's delivers! The Queen crab was fresh and meaty and finger-licking good! (Louisville reference. ) Great ambiance by the river, even though there was a giant cruise ship blocking the view.

A Wonderful Dining Experience with Exceptional Service I recently had the pleasure of dining at [Joe's Crab Shack], and I have to say -- everything from the food to the atmosphere was outstanding. But what truly made the night special was our server, Jason. From the moment we sat down, Jason was attentive, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. He made great recommendations (which we loved!), answered all our questions with patience, and checked in just the right amount -- never overbearing, always professional and kind. You can tell Jason genuinely enjoys what he does. His warm personality and attention to detail turned a simple dinner into a memorable evening. It's rare to come across service this good. Jason deserves serious recognition! Highly recommend dining here -- and if you can, ask for Jason. You won't be disappointed. The only small thing I would change is the parking. It's inexpensive, which is great, but it would be even better if parking were free for restaurant guests. If you're going there to enjoy a meal, it just seems like it should be included. That said, everything else was so wonderful that it barely took away from the overall experience. I highly recommend this place -- and if you visit, be sure to ask for Jason. He truly made our night!

Tonight we had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack in Louisville for my husband's birthday. I had the grilled shrimp, flounder and pasta. It was delicious. Others in the party had fish and chips, shrimp sampler and Clam Chowder and they were very pleased. Our waitress Alek was outstanding and went out of her way to make it memorable. She gave us a seafood sampler on the house and ice cream for dessert. I will go again soon.

My son had been asking to Joe's Crab Shack so we took him for his birthday for lunch. Our waitress, Bobbi Jo, is one of the best waitresses we've ever had. She really made the day special for him and for all of us. The food was good and the kids loved looking at all the fish and ocean creatures that were part of the decor.

So good! Absolutely phenomenal staff and great drinks. The crab and shrimp dip is amazinggggg

Shelby was the most amazing server, she took the time to help me and my husband figure things out :) . She went above and beyond!!! If you are ever in Louisville KY by the Galt house hotel, go see Shelby at Joe's Crab Shack !!! Looking over the river with window seating was amazing!

Location is cool right on the river. Great food and wonderful service from Joey M. Highly recommend!!

Ok folks, it's been a long time since i have been to Joe's. It didn't take long to remember why. The food did not impress as the shrimp was over cooked. The service was slow and the prices are high. They do have a great location as it sits on the Ohio river. Enjoy!

Shelby is the best server around!! We had crab and shrimp boils! Calamari starter and great drinks!

Nice Place to have seafood with my grandparents, The service was amazing because Shelby was really nice to us, and she was also Very Pretty. I love the vibe & environment they have going on, and I also loved the Music that was being sang by the band that got there at 6:00. It was my first time at a seafood place and it is also my favorite inside looking restaurant in Kentucky. Thanks To Joe's and Shelby for making sure we were taken care of.

We took our grandson to Joe's Crab Shack for his birthday. Great service, great food, and the waitress, Jayanna B. was super friendly and helpful. Being my grandson's birthday, she really made him feel special.

The best visit I've had to ANY restaurant in a long time. The food was great, with the exception of my wife's steak. It was above medium rare that she ordered. We told our waitress and the manager came out quickly. He (Michael) made sure everything was fixed. The next steak was cooked perfectly. The service was great, thanks Erika. They went above and beyond with a couple other actions as well. I will definitely be going back.

Great atmosphere, delicious food and impeccable service. Praylie has a BIG personality and made our lunch a fun event. She went out of her way to make sure that everyone was satisfied with their choices and left happy

Great service food was great! We were able to order exactly what we wanted and the crabs and mussels were excellent! A must place to visit. We visited on Wednesday night and they had a live band! Band was good as well!

Shelby is the bomb.com!! Shelby was very attentive to our party of 10 and was willing to help with everything.

My family and I went to go enjoy a delicious meal from Joes Crab Shack for Father's Day Weekend. We left with an amazing experience from the entire staff especially our waiter Genette she welcomed us with open arms giving us nothing less than perfection. Her personality was warm and she surely brighten our afternoon. Joes Crab Shack not only offers great service but you will overlook beautiful views of the Ohio River.

Car was an amazing hostess! She checked on my party multiple times and provided fantastic customer service. I'll be back to see her soon!

J was our server and they were excellent!! She was very attentive and talkative while also being the bartender. Food was good, only one crab cake for an appetizer but it was still delicious. Me and my mom definitely enjoyed. Thankyou for the great service J!

Mattie D was amazing as our waiter. We had great food great service I. A great atmosphere. Definitely coming back.

great food and service. blackened talapia is a new item and really good. courtney and marty are the best!!

Lovely setting on the Ohio River in downtown Louisville. The food was good, the service was great. Genetta was an outstanding server. When my steak was not cooked exactly as I ordered it, I told her it was no problem, but she wasn't having it. She took it back and had them prepare another one - perfect. She was attentive and conversational. She added a lot to our anniversary dinner.

We came for the Thunder Over Louisville event and the food was great and the service was even better! Our server was Martie Deering and he was a true professional, we wanted for nothing and it really made the day better.

I wish I had remembered to take the receipt for our waiters name but he was truly a gem! We went for my daughter's 6th birthday, just the 2 of us because she has been wanting seafood boil. To say she was happy with the food, understatement of the year. It was really the service and the extra touches that made it that much better. A fun cup, an ice cream Sunday and just some extra attention and she was in heaven! Thank you to everyone on the staff tonight who came by to check on her and make sure she had a great dinner. The food and service was amazing!

Great visit to Joe's Crab Shack! Food was awesome - lobster claws, shrimp, mussels and salmon cooked to perfection. Our server Stephen was amazing! Everything was served either steaming hot or ice cold, and Stephen was always close by and quickly attended to our frequent requests with a big smile. Stephen gladly offered to take pics for us to commemorate visiting our 99-yr-old, seafood-loving mom. We were lucky to have the best table in the house next to a huge window overlooking the Ohio on a sunny day. Couldn't have been more perfect. We'll be back!

The service and food were beyond excellent! Go see Angela! The dining room was almost empty but the atmosphere was so great.

This was a fun place when it opened, great atmosphere great staff... not sure what went wrong? I went in for lunch since I was there and went with a few friends. I ordered the "blackened" shrimp tacos I wish I would have ordered a burger, but it was my fault ordering seafood in Kentucky. The closest sea is about 2000 miles away and it tasted like the shrimp walked the whole way. Rubbery, overcooked and zero seasonings. There were 4 other tables with people and it just seemed sad and underwhelming. There are some really good restaurants in the downtown area, if you're in Louisville, go to anyone of them.

Would have loved to go to Joe's Crab Shack but had to cancel my reservation. Their parking lot was being commandeered by Louisville parking authority because of a nearby concert. I didn't want to pay $15 to park, so we left.

Joe's Crab Shack is a long time thriving Lousiville seafood establishment that sits on the beautiful Ohio river and riverfront park in the city. Very large establishment with plenty of indoor seating in its vibrantly decorated interior. The place also has a nice deck area for warmer water seating and great cries of the city skylines and the Ohio river. This seafood establishment does carry a hefty price tag. It is despite the look and feel of a family fun Restaurant Carries a high price tag. The parking in front of it use to be complimentary years ago. Not anymore. It is a patrolled parking lot with by the License plate meters. Costs $15 to park hear. If you have the time, patience or familiarity with the area you can stretch park nearby for free depending o. Date and times. It had been probably over a decade since I last visited Joe's Crab Shack until I made my most recent visit. Me, my wife and our 4 daughters made a lunch time trip here on a Thursday. The place wasn't very crowded yet we had very slow and inconsistent service from our worker. We spent over 90 minutes in here for whatever reason. We did start with an app of calamari and I did get a adult drink called a blue Hawaiian which was tasty and came in a fun Souvenir cup. The calamari we got was very bland and lacked flavor. The dipping sauce was very pasty and thick and hard to dip and honestly didn't add much flavor to it. One of the worst calamari's of not the worst I've had. For our entrees I personally went with the fried shrimp. It was ok. Not bad by any means. The breading was over cooked slightly so maybe that's why i didn't enjoy it much. But for over $20 for shrimp I've certainly had better at much better pricing. My daughters got the kids shark bite drink (basically fruit punch kool aid). They didn't have the speciality cups for them so they're as kinda bummed but they did still get the little shark toy. My younger three shared kids shrimp and chicken tenders. They both said they was just ok. They all liked the fries more then the entrees. My wife got east coast platter and my oldest daughter got the shrimp platter. Both were basically samplings of different fish and shrimps that hows offer. Both plates were in the mid 20's low $30 range but they did come pretty packed full of food. Both my wife and daughter enjoyed there plates quite a bit. So they had a much better experience then me and the other girls. Overall, how's still has a fun vibe and cute charm. Offers stunning views of the Ohio river and riverfront park. However on my visit the food quality didn't match prove value. Our whole bill was around $130. We've eaten at medium to higher end steakhouses or Italian esoteric for that price as a family and received much better food and service. The service here on our visit wasn't good. Not sure if kitchen was short staffed or what but the place wasn't very crowded and we received very slow and often absent service on our trip. If I'm being honest I'll probably wait another decade before returning unless here for a special event or something.

WOW what a great meal and service .We recently had tickets midweek for a show and wanted an early meal with QUALITY food, but so many places focus on dinner. We decided on Joe's as we have been there many times but it had been some time since we ate there. We where not disappointed. The food was OUTSTANDING as well as the service. Our server TRISTAN was amazing, our ice tea glasses where always filled up as well as he was constantly checking on us. Desserts are great as well as cocktails. Recommend the Boils and seafood plates. The decor and view are great. It is clean and the bathrooms where SPOTLESS. The Manager MICHALE was also super! He stopped several times to say hello and see if we where enjoying our meal. We highly recommend Joe's you will not be disappointed.

Very clean, good service. The food was very bland. I love seafood, but we got bakes as well as fried fish & shrimp and they just didn't taste very good. Not undercooked, but for the price of seafood I would expect more.

Locations was great, the restaurant is on the water and under the bridge, you can watch a beautiful dusk. The attendant and the bar attender were super nice, I love mango they made a mango cola do specially for me, it was delicious.

Great view! Loved the flash fried Cajun crab ... our server Genetta did great job.... A+

RED IS THE BEST SERVER!!! Food was killer!! Service was killer!! Love the videos and the water overlook!!

The server was very rude and she gave my mom the wrong order on purpose she ordered the king daddy feast and she got crabcakes

Absolutely wonderful service from Shelby. Above and beyond with our large group and great with the kids. Food was top notch as always.