Joe’s Crab Shack
“I ended up going back again this Tuesday and had another great experience.”
“A G8 place because Prudential center is near and a major Hotel is above the restaurant!!!!”
“We ordered: Sampler appetizer and the Joe's Steam pot for 2.”
Joe’s Crab Shack
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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An embodiment of the changing Newark. Trying hard but not there yet. Came here before a concert at the nearby Prudential Center. I was expecting more of a pre-show crowd but it seemed liked Edison Ale House and Dinosaur BBQ were bearing the brunt. It was busy but not slammed and I got a seat at the bar with no problem. Drinks are reasonably priced, especially if you come during happy hour or avoid the frozen-and-umbrella'd sugar bombs. I got the crab dip nachos – big portion of standard chain restaurant food.
Service was…not great. Two bartenders at a fairly small bar. Female bartender was slinging drinks fast for the table service orders and mostly kept her head down. Male bartender spent a lot of time chatting up regulars and other servers. Had to flag someone for a menu, had to flag someone to order, had to ask for check twice, then credit card languished on the bartop for what felt like forever.
Crowd was odd mix of people who think Joe's is special occasion outing, hotel guests (it's under a Courtyard Marriott), and office workers from nearby businesses. Adequate if you're in the area but I wouldn't seek it out.
I go to Joes because it is one neighborhood bars in my area. The food is overpriced, very subpar seafood. I'm not a fan of any of it except for the desserts. I only come here for drinks and dessert. My favorite one on the menu is the Smores cake! It's so tasty and moist. My favorite experiences with service is with the bartender Zack! He's absolutely amazing! He embodies what is means to be a great bartender; he's friendly, knowledgeable and has a sense of urgency. My experiences with the other bartenders is that I always have to fix my check because somehow I end up with more than I ordered/ received on the bill. Doesn't hurt to double check. The crowd varies depending on the day that you go. On any given day there's mainly locals or people that are going to get a drink or a quick bite before/after they see a concert or game at the prudential. If you go on a Tuesday expect it to be very busy because it is $2 Tuesday which includes selected bar apps and cocktails.
Only giving them 2 stars because once I arrived I felt rushed to order my meal. I felt so much pressure that I just said give me the crab legs. It would be nice to read the menu options before I ordered but my server just stood over me. Crab legs were very good though and the hurricane drink was oh so strong which is not a bad thing lol
This was my first time ever at one of these and needless to say, I left crabby.
My crab cake was burned on one side and unseared on the other. The bun was too hard, almost stale. Thankfully the sauce was good because the crab cake needed it. The onion strings weren't bad either but these were the kind of onion strings that should go on a burger as a topping, not as a side.
My coworker said his clam chowder was just okay, but my other coworker hated his salmon. The cedar plank must have done this poor salmon no justice whatsoever because he said it was flavorless. If true, the plank is just for show.
At least the service was good. We even got a little dance out of our waiter to "C'mon 'N Ride It."
I try to stay clear of restaurants that sell their own brand on a t-shirt. We we're in Newark for a hockey game and there is absolutely nothing around The Rock!!!! No restaurants within a reasonnable walking distance. So in we we're. The service was the only positive experience. The food is rather one dimensionnal. We had the sampler appetizer. The batter separated too easyly off the fried calamaris. The crab dip was rich, quite good really. But the common flaw left us crying for water… Way too much salt!
Overpriced seafood. There are plenty of authentic seafood spots in the area this definitely isn't one of them. Good for drinks, although there has been numerous times where certain kegs where kicked and I had to settle for something else. Probably a product of poor management. Food takes forever!!! I always sit at the bar so not sure how service is. Will say Zack is the only bartender who knows what their doing. I literally stake out the joint before entering to see whos manning the fort. No Zack.. No go!
We dined here before a show and got there very early – that is the key – get there BEFORE 5:30 if you can or else the place will be packed and you'll most likely wait a while for your food. Even though the reviews were mixed, it was raining very hard so we dined here. I was pleasantly surprised by the courteous and efficient service we received. We got one of the large mixed seafood entrees that you share and added crab to it. Was enjoyable and not chewy at all. I wish bread or more potatoes were served. When we left at 5:35, the place was rocking! Enjoy!
Found myself hear at 10PM on a Tuesday night after a Devils Game at the Prudential Center. There's nothing … I mean NOTHING… in this area that still has a kitchen open except for Joe's Crab Shack. The place was absolutely packed with people (Tuesday at 10:30? Really?) and there were security guards everywhere. I'm not a usual Newark restaurant goer so I wasn't too sure if the Security guards were a normal thing or something that should cause a little concern.
The food was decent. Not that different from the other Joe's I've been to but it did seem that some of the food sat out for a bit while waiting for the rest. It's pricey for the quality like all these basic American chain restaurants, oh well. The service was super slow, I understand it was crowded but we waited for a check after the meal for a long time before having to ask the waitress to bring it.