Joe's Crab Shack - Jacksonville Beach

I had previously read some reviews about this place and had decided to skip it. Instead, we went to another restaurant that turned out to be terrible; it had an unpleasant smell and didn’t seem clean, so we left and decided to give Joe's a shot anyway, despite the reviews. What we discovered was that the reviewer must have been having a bad day. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by wonderful service and a cheerful atmosphere, along with very knowledgeable staff. We ordered the cold crab, which I was pleased to learn could be served hot if desired—definitely a treat for me! The portions were incredibly generous, the food was fresh, and it was cooked to perfection. We also tried a chicken sandwich, which in many places can be dry and lacking flavor, but that was certainly not the case at Joe's. This is now my new favorite restaurant! Great job, everyone—we will definitely be back!

We started our meal with an appetizer that was quite enjoyable. It included tortillas, and the dip had a flavor reminiscent of crab cakes. However, we faced an extensive wait time of over 1.5 hours for our table. I ordered my steak rare, but it arrived well done the first time. When it was re-served, it was cooked to medium. The steak itself was of such poor quality that I struggled to cut through it due to the tough veins, and it was accompanied by only about 10 French fries—hardly generous. My husband ordered the fish and chips, which also came with about 10 fries. Unfortunately, the fish had a rubbery texture as if it had been overcooked. The highlight of the evening was the wait staff dancing to the Macarena in the dining area. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone.

The restaurant has no ambience whatsoever—unless you enjoy a noisy atmosphere, as it desperately needs soundproofing. The excessive noise significantly diminishes the dining experience. Additionally, the place is always packed, which is surprising considering the mediocre quality of the food served. The dishes we tried were really just average, and some were downright disappointing—like the rubbery, overcooked fish and the greasy fried seafood. I recommend sticking to non-fried shrimp, but even then, there’s a risk of it being overcooked. Overall, we were not impressed, and our family has decided not to return. Trust me, there are much better options out there—so it's best to look elsewhere.