Amazing experience, great ambiance as well as the service, phenomenal, food was mesmerizing and on point!! Definitely recommend this place and definitely will come back!! read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Sirloin and shrimp combo - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

Came in for the first time for happy hour. Was helped by Sarah and Maximus. Easily two of the best servers/bartenders I've ever had. Knowledgeable, helpful and made my first time visit the best. The happy hour crab and shrimp dip, and the dynamite shrimp were small but really delicious. Will definitely be back. read more

Amazing service. The manager took great care of us! Michelle was our server and went above and beyond. Amazing accommodations we will def be back! read more

Madison, best server ever. She made our experience so pleasant and relaxing. Very patient and thorough, professional yet personable. This girl needs a raise or promotion. Seriously. read more

This place could have been a great...the ambience was colorful and fun with a lot of happy patrons enjoying their food. However, my experience there was not so positive; for one thing my friend and I each ordered a fish plate...and it took forever to get it. Fish is usually fast to cook but it took almost an hour to get our dinner. My dish was extremely salty which killed the taste of the fish. Plus the dish my friend ordered arrived at the table with an item she specifically asked not to include. It took another 15 minutes for her food to come out. She was not happy at all. We went into the restaurant at around 8PM and left near closing at 10PM. That was ridiculous...never again. read more

We had such an amazing experience tonight at Joe's Crab Shack in Oceanside! From the moment we sat down, Cheryl made the entire evening feel special. She was upbeat, fun, and incredibly attentive without ever making us feel rushed. We were celebrating my granddaughter's 13th birthday, and Cheryl truly went above and beyond to make it memorable. She kept us laughing, made sure everything was perfect, and created such a fun, positive atmosphere the whole time. You can tell she genuinely loves what she does and cares about her guests. The food was great, the energy in the restaurant was fantastic, but Cheryl is what really made the night stand out. Thank you for helping make such an important birthday feel extra special. We will definitely be back! read more

Stopped in today 03/15/2026 . for Dinner my sister treated me to dinner for my Birthday. Witch in the 03/19. Have the losbster boil later had lobster tail shrimp and bacon rapped shrimp. And crab cakes . Food was delicious. Staff was professional and polite they did a. Good job. This is the second time I been to a Joe's Crab shack. I recommend trying the. And I be back again . read more

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First time at Joe crabs shack and it definitely lived up to the hype. We ordered two queen boiled crabs, one cajun and one captains secret sauce and both were so good. Rich, buttery, perfectly balanced flavors that didn't even need extra seasoning. My mom had the Creole glazed salmon and loved it. The vibe is warm and very family friendly, with cute shark decor throughout. Service was also great, everyone was kind and welcoming. Will definitely be back. read more

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I really wanted to love this visit because it's been years, and we always stroll past it at the harbor but the experience ended up feeling pretty middle-of-the-road. Our server, Michelle, was kind, but we rarely saw her, and even simple things like water refills took a while. The calamari came out dry, and the kids' pizza was... rough. It looked like spaghetti marinara poured on top of a crust and left under a heat lamp a little too long and oddly, it was brought out last, after our crab boil and my Captain's dish. With a $120 tab and no alcohol, it just didn't match the quality or service we hoped for. I hate saying it, because I genuinely wanted this to be a nostalgic return, but I don't think we'll be back. read more

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We love Joe's crab shack, Oceanside Harbor we come here all the time. The service is amazing. The food is awesome. The views of the Harbor is breathtaking and we come back again and again. read more

Why is the service so bad here. It's embarrassing. We had guest fly in and we waited to give them a harbor view with a yummy meal and great service. 2/3 ain't too bad. But the service was so incredibly slow that we were completely forgotten for 30 mins at a time. Drinks were not refilled, we were given the wrong thing multiple times. He was nice when he did come around, but was MiA most the night. My Crab was perfect. Seriously. Corn too. Mashed potatoes with cheese n bacon, best I've had. Seriously. Asparagus was very flavorful. My raspberry tea was just ok. I never got a refill though. Was tired and past ready to leave and took 15 mins to get my raspberry to go. My daughter's crab was dirty looking and so gross. She didn't eat it. I shared mine with her. So she got a cheeseburger, which took 45 mins to get. He forgot her oranges twice and she had specifically asked what type of Mac n cheese they have and he said Kraft. He brought some spicy gross breaded Mac n cheese that was NOT Kraft but replaced it with the Kraft. But it took 30 mins. My son got the cheeseburger meal. He asked for a plain cheeseburger, just bun meat cheese and got a hamburger. We waited 45 mins for cheese. No exaggeration. Poor guy was patient for a while but we were all eating and he had to just wait. Guy kept forgetting so he brought a fresh cheeseburger, but 6 of us had already finished eating when he finally got his food and yup, his oranges were forgotten. They got a cool shark drink. That was fun. Server was super patient explaining it to the kids how it works. Like I said when he was there, he was nice. Drink is beyond sugary but it's a kids shark drink, kinda expected that. Husband dish was fine. His soup was fine. The two Couples we brought got fried dishes and their dishes came out 35 mins before ours. So if you are in a hurry I suppose fried is the way to go. We asked for kids dessert to go 3 times. He came with it plated and we were shocked, we asked is that the TO GO dessert we asked for? He said yes and served the kids. We were so tired and had our left overs boxed up and paid. We really wanted the dessert to go. But we knew waiting for to go containers would take 30 minutes so then eating it would be faster. We'd love to bring ppl here but a year ago it was horrible service so we stopped coming. We hoped it would be better. Why can't this place get workers who serve well? Our guest won't be returning and I don't blame them. The other families we brought got last year won't ever return either. We even took a year break. The crab is so yummy, but kids meal crab was trashy looking and tasted ruined. We were still charged for it. Such a mess. So avoidable. A-One Chinese restaurant in Vista has absolutely delicious crab bake. And impeccable service. Go there. Oh and link the owner posts doesn't work. No one ever responded read more

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Great dinner at Joe's. Service was awesome. Our server Rayley was on top of it and attentive. Food was great. Crab cakes were tasty. Sirloin/shrimp money. Sides were all great and seasoned nicely. Son got lobster tails and loved them. Great food and great service on a Saturday night! What more can you ask for? How about a Manager who checked in to ensure things were going well multiple times and Chef who came out and addressed allergy questions we had. read more

Anaya, Katie, Diego and Sara always make our happy hours so...well, HAPPY!! Celebrating my birthday and had a wonderful meal at the bar. keep up the good work! Love our Oceanside Joe's! p.s. please bring back the happy hour shrimp boil! we loved it! read more

What's good at Joe's... The sampler appetizer is good, the sauce of the joe's seafood is also good. The service is ok. What can be improved... The shrimp and sausage are hard. The margarita lack the tequila.... taste like mocktails. For this experience I will give it 3.8 read more

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They Turned My Teenager Into a Crab-ager and I've Never Been Happier! Where do I even begin? We took our newly minted 13-year-old to Joe's Crab Shack for her birthday dinner, hoping for a decent meal and maybe a half-hearted "Happy Birthday" song. What we got was an experience of legendary proportions that will be talked about in our family for years to come. Let's start with the food. I ordered the salmon, and it was cooked to absolute perfection--flaky, moist, and covered in a glaze that I would happily eat on a flip-flop. The rest of the table was in heaven with their chicken fettuccine and, of course, the glorious crab legs that Joe's is famous for. Even the kids' meals were a hit, served on the cutest crab-shaped trays! But the food, as fantastic as it was, was just the opening act. The main event was orchestrated by our server, the phenomenal Cheryl. She wasn't just a server; she was a master of ceremonies, a dance captain, and a joy-spreader. She was attentive, hilarious, and had more personality in her little finger than most people have in their whole body. When it came time for the birthday festivities, the Joe's Crab Shack team didn't just sing a song. Oh no. They lovingly dressed my daughter in a full-blown crab costume, complete with claws and googly eyes. Then, the entire restaurant staff, led by the dancing queen Cheryl, sang "Happy Birthday" before breaking into the "Cupid Shuffle." Yes, you read that right. My daughter, dressed as a crab, did the Cupid Shuffle with servers, hosts, and fellow patrons. It was the most wonderfully absurd and joy-filled moment I've ever witnessed in a restaurant. Thank you, Joe's Crab Shack, and a massive thank you to Cheryl for making my daughter's 13th birthday unforgettable. You guys don't just serve food; you serve up pure, unadulterated fun. 5 stars isn't enough!! read more

Diego was a great server! Food and drinks were out in timely manner. On a Friday night the atmosphere was calm and quiet.

Joes Crab Shack will always have a place in my heart! My drinks were good, food was good and we bought some shirts!! read more

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Went to Joe's for a much needed happy hour with good friends... stayed 4 hours because the team was so awesome - James, Diego & Maximus poured fantastic drinks and Sarah was so much fun to chat with. I had no idea she was a front of the house manager because she was so much fun! We'll definitely be back, especially with sunset season off to a great start - Joe's has phenomenal views! read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Happy Hour Booze Menu - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

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The choices are great, the food was great, the prices are good and the waitress and Danielle the manager made sure my Mother's Day was perfect! I really needed a special day after a hard month and this was perfect! Thanks so much! read more

Had a great experience here! Beautiful view by the port, delicious crab, and excellent service. The staff was friendly and attentive, which made the visit even better. Definitely a great spot to enjoy good seafood and a relaxing view. read more

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Happy hour has some good deals and in the winter you can watch the sunset. Crab and Shrimp nachos was very good. Was going to try more but decided to come back the next day. Good selection of beers and spirits. read more

Food was delicious. Atmosphere was great. The service was outstanding. I want to especially thank Sara, Aniyah and James for their exceptional service and awesome personalities that made every night a great one. Keep up the great work and keep smiling. We will be back. read more

Allison deserves a raise. For the personalized napkins to even the bib. I was greeted with respect, a fist bump, and a smile. Ordered what I wanted, and I was having a great day already, and made it better. Allison was able to suggest too notch options, and sides that I adored. Very delicious, a very humble and quiet atmosphere, but I did show up around the opening hours. Bought some shirts, really good puns, and worth it. Food- 9/10. The king crab meat slid out of the shell. About 2-3 lbs. Not including the boil potatoes and corn on the cobs. Truly a King's feast. Location- 10/10. Absolutely breathtaking. Can't wait to just sit in the parking lot again. Will say, tends to be a bit crowded around noon, but it's easily manageable. However, my time frame was around an hour after opening. I was able to park right out front. Experience- 20/10. Allison, was able to take a day that I had originally thought was an ok day, to be an absolutely amazing day. Such a bubbly and nice personality. A wonderful smile, and she looks at you while taking the order, not at the pad n paper. Absolutely not name dropping, but the only person's name I got was Allison, the bartender kicked but too on the new seasonal Espresso Martini. So good. read more

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This was where the family chose to go after our Oceanside adventure boat ride. Just a shout out to the staff who were very accommodating for our large group. The ambiance was very casual as the restaurant is right off of the boardwalk, so you have nice views of the ocean. Our server was really sweet and attentive. My hubby and I both enjoyed our food. He had the fish and chips and I had the salmon. I also go to try some of the poppers which had just the perfect kick to them. Oh yeah, I forgot they also have the cutest gift shop that can keep you occupied until you are seated. read more

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Had the best time celebrating mothers day and a birthday at Joes Crab Shack. Sara and Brody are amazing and the sweetest staff ever! Amazing service and we had the best experience. Thank you for making our day special read more

Michelle was great! Thanks! Fit our whole group and service was smooth with no issues! Food was great and served promptly for our group of 15 read more

Sarah really made our night! We had a great experience and her cheerful attitude was really uplifting

If you've ever been to Joe's Crab Shack back in the day, you would know that the atmosphere is friendly and fun. The food was "ok" in my opinion. My family enjoyed their food. We all had the same shrimp plate which had very limited seasoning on the shrimp the Cole slaw and fries were good. The margarita was tasty, sorry no pic. I would go again simply to enjoy the beautiful city of Oceanside. The view is amazing! read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Shrimp plate - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

Nikki was super helpful and everything was delicious and perfect ! Ryan was very helpful too and we had a great time !!

We came in to get seafood boils, which were pretty good (note if you're Southern -- def ask for extra Old Bay), and we were served by Jordan. He was great and super attentive, and when we had asked for extra seasoning he went ahead and got our food re-seasoned and brought it straight back out. It was definitely busy, but it was a Saturday night so we definitely expected that. Another server, Brody, who was training another server, was serving the tables next to us, and was also phenomenal. Note to anybody who comes during a busy time: these servers and hostesses handle the pressure EXTREMELY well, but they are human beings! Even when being treated abhorrently, servers around us were very friendly and patient. Definitely recommend!! read more

Madison is excellent! Great customer service and friendly smile! If you are looking for a great spot to view the sunset and harbor, this is the spot. Loved the music too! read more

We ate here for the first time, my lunch was really yummy, we all enjoyed ourselves meals we ordered. The view was awesome, and surprisingly for a Saturday afternoon, even though I'd made a reservation it really wasn't too loud or busy. Our server was on top of checking in on her tables. We'll definitely be back. read more

The wait was horrendous, but if it's great food I get it. The food was ok. I was expecting better. Maybe I need to try more of the menu? Drinks were great, food was meh. read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Waiting for our food - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

Food was good, with everyone in my party loving everything they got. But it was all about the atmosphere, our server, Sarah, had such a good energy and treated everyone with such kindness and had such a bright personality. If there was one reason to go, it would be her. The best server I've ever had!! 10/10! read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Birthday celebration. - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

Fantastic food and service. Madison was our server. Absolutely amazing. Prompt, polite and on point. Best server ever!!! read more

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Went here on 5-14 to celebrate my upcoming one year wedding anniversary. I genuinely booked a whole vacation as an excuse to come here since I remember it being so good. My husband has never gone and I figure he's gotta go. I was a little nervous seeing the reviews so low, but after my visit I wanted to leave a positive review because we had a marvelous time and I also genuinely think the low reviews are kind of nitpicky. Our receipt says our server was named Cheryl and I wish I could remember if that was the senior server or her trainee who she was having learn the ropes. Either way, they both did great and were super fun throughout the service to make it special. The calamari was my favorite part admittedly, the crab legs were tender, and the s'mores dessert was decadent. No complaints with the food and my husband said his cocktail was delicious and not too strong. I do agree that there was some miscommunication with the kitchen and service was a tiny bit rough to start and became very smooth once we got our appetizer but I think that was just since we had two servers that were trying to help and not much of a systemic issue (but if it is they handled it incredibly). Just an overall great time and well worth the trip! read more

Went there last night. Food was great but service was lacking. They brought out our crab but we didn't have plates or utensils. After a few min we got our plates. Then we realized we never got butter. Couldn't get anyone's attention so I got up and went to the bar. The guy said no problem but never brought us any. Finally the manager stopped by and asked us if we needed anything. She quickly brought us butter. We bought specialty drinks that came with the glasses. Needless to say we ended up leaving without them. So disappointing. read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Great view. - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

Very good Food our first time here from Irvine Managers are very welcoming our server Allison good in greeting but whole interaction is ok we asked for lemon she never brought it her tone of encouraging us to order entree is super odd we just order appetizer she should let us somehow have a bite on it seems she's rushing and didn't want to answer inquiries for a nice location i would suggest you hire a more bubbly engage attentive server. Other than that food is very good and so as dessert read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

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Every year for my birthday I don't care about any of the other fancy restaurants around here, I want my dungeness and corniness from Joe's. It's a guilty pleasure and I fully understand what I'm getting into. We go in with a positive attitude and it's always great. Tonight, for my 40th birthday, nothing was different. We had our 3 year old with us and we wanted to have fun. Matthew W ("matt with the brown hair") was our server and he was excellent. There were some of the usual slowness but he was so sweet, so positive, so funny - we didn't care. This has to be a tough place to work and the staff SHOWED UP. Any request we had was instantly answered. The managers and supervisors were very much involved and visible and attentive. 5 stars, kudos, cheers and a round of applause. We laughed, we dressed like crabs and we didn't take ourselves too seriously. Thank you Matthew - you crushed it! read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California

Amazing service. It is by far the best service I have ever experienced. It really gets busy but they will take care of you. read more

Joe's Crab Shack - Just amazing. I loved everything and service was exceptional. - Seafood Near Me - Oceanside, California