Joe's Crab Shack - Destin

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Alabama2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   I was very happy with my meal! My server, Bradley, was attentive and right on point— thank you for your excellent service, especially as a Navy veteran! However, I did encounter an issue with the front check-in staff. The young lady seemed quite unhappy in her role, as she didn't smile once. Despite having a reservation, we were left standing right in front of her for 20 minutes until my husband asked another staff member for assistance. It was frustrating to feel overlooked, especially while I finished my double margarita, which was light on alcohol and a bit overpriced at $20. Unfortunately, they never called our name, and the front desk staff member continued to help others with a rather negative attitude. Despite this experience, I truly enjoyed my meal and appreciated Bradley's fantastic service!
   

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2. T

   Terri

   Philadelphia1 review

   4.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Service was great. Meal choices had a nice variety. Service was quick and we all loved our meals. Good price point too
   

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3. a

   amanda

   Tampa1 review

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great service and food. The manager Tracey was super sweet and our waitress was excellent even though it was only her 4th day on the job.
   

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4. D

   Diamond

   Memphis/West TN1 review

   1.0

   Dined on 12 March 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   The food was good but the server got my daughter’s orders wrong. She also took 30 mins to give us our drinks.
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 11 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had Ellie as a waitress in Destin, Florida, and she was fantastic! We love JCS and go whenever we find one.
   

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6. J

   Janet VIP

   Tallahassee34 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on 17 February 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   Hiked prices and poor service. We have visted this spot several times in the past, however desperation has hit this chain and prices have spiked, while food quality and service is at its all time worse. The restaurant was being run by 2 people, a host and bartender, both doing the job of waiters. “Crab lovers “are no longer in buckets but in plates, my guess is serve less, charge more. It was a complete disappointment. The quality of crab meat was poor and tasted old . Plates were served with no bibs or tools to use, just an overall mess, with a final bill that was ridiculous. Don’t bother going, it was surely my last visit.
   

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7. F

   Fabienne

   Tallahassee1 review

   3.0

   Dined on 26 December 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   25th december, crowded. We waited 50 minutes to have our plate and our first choice was no longer available. The food was good and the waitress so sorry for our long wait.
   

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8. M

   Meg

   Greater Boston1 review

   1.0

   Dined on 25 December 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 1

   It was Christmas Day…. BUT….. we made reservations for 5pm. Sat down right at 5. Ordered around 5:12. Waited until 6:03 for our food and when it came it was room temperature at best. They offered to re-make and put it on ‘priority’ but we all know what sending food back to the kitchen will do……! So we ended up leaving with the food and brought it home to warm up and eat. The Captains platter is obviously not good warmed up so that was a toss and the rest was ok. We laughed about it, but will never return there. We will say the waitress was amazing and she still received a large tip
   

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9. A

   Anthony

   Tallahassee1 review

   2.0

   Dined on 16 October 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   I was three years old the first time I ate at this Joe’s Crab Shack in 1997. Have probably eaten here more than a dozen times on our many Destin vacations over the years. It used to be a staple — long wait to get in because it was packed with people, fun atmosphere, good food, good times…the whole deal you expect at a good restaurant. I remember when the servers and wait staff would all dance throughout the restaurant to songs like the ‘Macarena’ or ‘YMCA’ at least a couple times each visit. Anyway, I’m 30 now and brought my little family here. It’s the first time I’ve eaten here in several years and expected what I so fondly remembered. Boy was I disappointed. To make a long story short, we had an awesome but severely overworked server who was on her own with probably a dozen tables. The bald-headed manager was a jerk who tried to argue with me over chicken tenders (and did very little help his staff the hour and a half we were there). It took too long to get our food. No party atmosphere at all…might as well had been eating at a Captain D’s. It was just an overall poor experience and one that has ended a nearly 30-year vacation tradition for my family. I could write quite a bit more, but I only have so much space here.
   

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10. Q

    Queen

    San Francisco1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 13 September 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    I used to love going to Joe’s crab shack. The last time I went to Joe’s crab shack was in 2021 due to me being a Travel Nurse and logistics. I always had a great time the ambience, the food, the environment everything which is great not so much yesterday and Destin our waitress Madison was awesome. The drinks were on point. The crab dip was delicious. The issue was the actual crab tray when we received our food. The recipes have changed since I last been there, they used to give you a dry obey rub on the crab not this new sauce that they put on the crabs it is disgusting. The crabs were cooked perfectly. The sauce messed up the crab the potato, the corn everything the sauce was just disgusting. I didn’t taste any obey the sauce. It was clumpy Sausage and sausage cut competitors if I would’ve wanted to go to one of those places with the sauce on the crabs and cut up sausage out, went to a Juicy Crab or something of that nature I don’t like them I like Joe’s because they steam their crabs used the seasoning on the crabs. As long as this is how the crabs are going to be with this new sauce on them, I will not go back. Like I said, I haven’t eaten from Joe’s crab shack since about 2021. Madison our waitress/a bartender did offer to get the manager over so I can speak with the manager in regards to my tray. I declined there’s nothing the manager could do because he’s not the one or she’s not the one dictating how the food is sauced like I said, the crabs were cooked to perfection Was the sauce that was disgusting and it made the whole meal nasty I literally wasted $133 .
    

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