Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. North San Diego
  5. Oceanside
Joe's Crab Shack - Oceanside, Oceanside, CA

Joe's Crab Shack - Oceanside

3.9
3.9
31 Reviews
$30 and under
Seafood

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 6 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Great for scenic views
  • Child-friendly
Joe’s Crab Shack offers a variety of favorites from all parts of the sea and shore. From its extensive menu, guests can choose from buckets of seasonal seafood, fried shrimp platters and fish dishes, as well as options from the “mainland” that include steak, sandwiches, and chicken. Guests can indulge in over-sized and creative cocktails, such as the Shark Bite which is playfully garnished with a shark toy. Since its inception, Joe’s popularity has stemmed not only from its menu, but also its retail store. With various pieces of merchandise for purchase, including the ever-popular tie-dye T-shirt with the phrase “Peace, Love and Crabs,” Joe’s has become synonymous with the word “fun.”

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (760) 722-1345
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Sergio Ortiz
  • Catering
    Joe’s Crab Shack now offers online ordering for all of your event catering needs! Placing an order is just a few clicks away. Build your order, checkout and let us take care of the rest - your favorite dining options will be delivered straight to your door, or anywhere you choose.
  • Private party facilities
    Joe’s Crab Shack prides itself on creating special experiences designed to make lasting memories for you and your guests. From the time you book with us to when the final toast is made and your last guest leaves, our dedicated team will be there to provide a safe and unforgettable experience.
  • Area
    Oceanside
  • Cross Street
    Located in Oceanside Harbor Village
  • Parking details
    Public Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 31 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.9
3.9 based on recent ratings
  • 3.7Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Diego

    Child-friendly

  • North San Diego

    Child-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Joe's Crab Shack - Oceanside offers a lively atmosphere with "amazing" views of the harbor. Guests rave about the "great food" and "fantastic service." The restaurant is family-friendly, perfect for gatherings, and offers a diverse menu with highlights like the Captain's Plate. While some report slower service, the attentive staff and vibrant ambiance make it a memorable dining experience.

31 Reviews
  1. Danielle

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    I really wanted to love this place. The staff were very pleasant but not readily available. The food wasn’t great either to be honest. We ordered the calamari, and it wasn’t seasoned well and fairly bland. The garlic bread also left little to be desired as well, with not much flavor either. I ordered the Mahi, Mahi and it came out pretty dry and chewy and the rice served with it was extremely sticky. The server was very sweet about it and did have it replaced for me, but by then my entire family had already eaten. For the price of food these days I’m willing to pay for good food, but I’m not willing to pay full price for mediocre food. Sorry Joe. This one was a 1.5 star for me this time around.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Mary

    South Dakota

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was terrible. Seriously we had to drink in order to get it down. Service was okay, but half the food was brought out 20 minutes after the first entrees were brought out. The atmosphere was great so I think they rely on that and the fact they’re on the harbor to get business. Go to Temecula. Or pretty much anywhere not along the water and you actually get yummy food.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Lauren

    VIP

    San Francisco

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was great, service was extremely slow. French fries ordered for children were the last to be served.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Ken

    Orange County

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service and food was great but the stuffed flounder was a bit fishy. However, the manager came out and went way above the call of duty to make it right. The peach bourbon glazed salmon was awesome. I would rate them at a 5 over all

    1 person found this helpful

  5. Katherine

    Denver

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 14 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server Ruben, was amazing and made out wonderful meal even more enjoyable. It was a lot of fun. We celebrated my husband's birthday too. What a great meal. Thank you.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Edwina

    VIP

    San Diego

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I brought my large family over to Joe's Crab Shack because we wanted to have a fun time with good food, they did not disappoint! The Joe's in Oceanside is right in the Harbor. Parking was easy in the late afternoon, and it was great to see all the boats that are docked. Sea air and the sun setting is a plus! You have to order the Sampler Appetizer, crab and shrimp dip with chips, calamari and more - so yummy! Mom enjoyed the Captain's Plate, they give you the tools to dig into the crab legs. Hubby had the NY Strip with Shrimp, he was impressed with the steak and how tender and tasty it was. I had the Peach Salmon & Shrimp so delicious! Christina our server is friendly and attentive. She made sure that we had all that we needed and that we were enjoying our meals. Eddy the manager who greeted and sat us went over the menu and even helped me with picking out which Sangria to order. Yes, they have more than a few Sangrias to choose from! Danielle the manager checked on us a couple times to make sure all was well. Overall it was a very pleasant time with my family and the Joe's team made us feel welcome with their hospitality and delicious dishes!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Apearre

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Overall a moderate experience. Husband and I arrived for an early dinner at 5:30pm on Saturday, 11/2/24. Hostess attitude and demeanor was apathetic and disinterested at best, and dismissive when directing us to our table after a fairly brief 20-minute wait at the bar. Bartender's attitude while we were waiting for our table at the bar was apathetic at best initially, with long wait times for drinks (after 20 minutes we were seated at a nearby table and still had not received both our drinks yet) however bartender was generous and claimed to have given a small, additional portion to our drinks due to the wait. We were not greeted by a server after being sat down for over 15 minutes. However Caity (spelling) was our server and immediately brightened our evening by being polite and even just a step above being completely disinterested. She was kind, checked up on us, let us know when wait times were a bit long, and was attentive to numerous tables. If it wasn't for her, service overall would have been mediocre at best. We ordered the East Coast Platter and another platter with lobster and similar seafood accompaniments. The lobster was done very well, however the rest of the seafood was mainly typical fried foods. Average. Prices weren't too expensive for the quality of food, which was good. Overall, would not recommend to go back.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Susan

    Orange County

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love meeting friends here. It’s halfway between OC and San Diego. There’s not a bad seat in the place!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Claudia

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great casual dining experience with a nice range of prices to fit your budget. The food was good and the service was great. There is also a nice view of the harbor with a choice of either inside or outside tables.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Steve

    Palm Springs

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 October 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    I had a $50 gift card to use, otherwise I wouldn’t have eaten here based on many bad reviews. Was hoping I would get lucky and get a good server and get the food quality I’m expecting for a $56 crab combo entree. We were celebrating girlfriend’s birthday and no acknowledgment with birthday desert for first strike. Walk in at 3:30 on Sunday and place should be packed with harbor view and empty main dining room. The small outdoor patio is screened off like a bird cage, never seen this on a water front restaurant. Feel like I’m in the twilight zone at this point. Ask for a booth and they make me wait 5 minutes before saying we have special table for you next to bright sunlight table. I say prefer a booth away from the sun on indoor dining room table. Hostess seems put off by my preference. Manager comes by to explain menu, strange to say the least that server didn’t start the usual intro. Waiter tried to turn table immediately and we said come back in 5 minutes while we look over menu. Never comes back after 15 minutes and I ask another waiter to have him come by and he gives me a stink eye look like I’m asking too much to get him. Waiter comes by eventually and takes our order for king crab, Dungeness and snow crab combo with cup of claim chowder. Discuss putting sauce on side instead of on crab, no issue figured which they charged me twice on receipt, same amount of sauce. Waiter quotes 18 ounces of crab with corn and potatoes. The second stink eye waiter Devon delivers food with a weird look on his face. The food arrives after half hour wait and it’s probable half the amount quoted. They don’t give us cluster of snow crabs, two little pinky finger scraps of tiny legs in metal pot. 4 tiny potatoes with two potatoe skins with no potatoes and two mini corn. Request manager and she acknowledges snow crab shorted and blames it on busy kitchen in empty dining room. Waiter twice wouldn’t fix issue without manager approval on sauce overcharge and snow crab shorted. beware!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Joe's Crab Shack - Oceanside offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (760) 722-1345.

Joe's Crab Shack - Oceanside is rated 3.9 stars by 31 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 6 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Joe's Crab Shack - Oceanside

314 Harbor Dr, Oceanside, CA 92054-1036

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Located in Oceanside Harbor Village
  • Area
    Oceanside
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Sergio Ortiz
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (760) 722-1345
  • Catering
    Joe’s Crab Shack now offers online ordering for all of your event catering needs! Placing an order is just a few clicks away. Build your order, checkout and let us take care of the rest - your favorite dining options will be delivered straight to your door, or anywhere you choose.
  • Private party facilities
    Joe’s Crab Shack prides itself on creating special experiences designed to make lasting memories for you and your guests. From the time you book with us to when the final toast is made and your last guest leaves, our dedicated team will be there to provide a safe and unforgettable experience.
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable Australia Level 22, 357 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo