More like the crap shack. The waiter literally flirted with my seven-year-old niece. I tried to tell the manager about all this and he just said well valid read more

Having eaten at the Crab Shack in Wellington, we knew this would be a good option for lunch on a cold and rainy day. We just couldn't get warm that day and wanted to explore the waterfront. Right after they opened we stepped inside and were much more comfortable. The restaurant has a proper indoor area, but also an outdoor/indoor area that allows for fresh air while keeping you covered with a glass roof and large heaters. We sat here so we could watch the busy boats and rain outside. We were seated by a nice host and got a funny waiter. We split some warming food, including a delicious hot seafood chowder. It ended up getting busy around lunch; they advertised various lunch specials guaranteed in a short time to cater to office workers in this area of the city. It's also nearby lots of pleasant walking areas. I recommend eating here while visiting Auckland. read more

Decent food, slightly overpriced. I enjoyed their menu options but their fried foods are a bit burnt and their amazing chowder was only warm, not hot. Service is nonexistent. They don't have enough waiters and unfortunately I saw the busboys work harder to service tables than the receptionist/manager herself. read more

The Crab Shack - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Was looking for seafood near the water and decided to stop here. Menu looked good and decor was appropriately fun. Things that ended up being good: the mussels, clams and crab were all delicious. We had the mussels and clams with white wine sauce and literally drank the remaining sauce, it was that good. The crab was incredibly creamy and went well with the chilli garlic sauce. 5 star rating on the food. Service, however, while friendly, is so slow. I saw other tables consistently having to flag the server, and we ended up being there 2 hours just for lunch. Also, our check included all the drinks for the table next to us; another table needed their bill corrected too. If they can work on their service, this would be a much better place. read more

The Crab Shack - One scoop mussels and clams - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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Very family friendly. Chilled servers who are very attentive. Great atmosphere even if it is raining outside! Food was delicious! We ordered the Scottish mud crab cooked in a black pepper sauce . Also make sure you order and try the mussels and clams! The garlic chilli butter sauce was exceptional! Don't forget to order the bread to dip into the sauce! I love the clam and crab fritters- very different and special. Even the fries were amazing! It was a great choice for dinner as this was unplanned and we wanted some good seafood. This place had diners eating and enjoying their food, creating a great vibe! read more

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We were in search of a seafood restaurant for my sons birthday dinner since he and I share a passion for crab legs. The criteria was it had to be on or near the water and kid friendly. Surprisingly the choices for seafood establishments In Auckland Harbor is limited to both ends of the spectrum, they were either very expensive and not kid friendly or fish and chips type establishments. We eventually chose the Crab Shack. The reviews were concerning. Yes this place is touristy and has a bit of a kitchy fishing decor but it works. We had a large group and called in to reserve a private table or room if available. The manager was extremely accommodating and reserved a large table in a semi private area for us right next to the waterfront with direct view of the ferries coming and going. They also stored the custom cake we had ordered for my son and the entire staff came over and sang happy birthday as he blew out the candles. We ordered a number of dishes but these are the ones we remembered : Seafood chowder - extremely good Tempura soft shell crab - very good Calamari rings - very good Mussels and clam fritters - very good A few pots of Scottish mud crabs - very good Seafood marinara - good Creole half a roast chook - not so good A number of kids items. - good Don't be like one member of the party that tried to be different against our advise and order chicken from a seafood joint, it never turns out well. So skip the roast chook because she was not happy with it and had to send it back. We ordered a number of catchy named cocktails (the names escape me for some reason) but they were all pretty good. The server was attentive but we went on a busy night and sometimes we had to wait for him a little longer than usual but overall he was great and got out our food and drinks in a timely manner. We had a great experience. Sitting at the waterfront watching the boats go by and having dinner as we watched the sunset made for a memorable occasion. My son had such a good time he requested I take him there for dinner again. read more

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I'd give a 2.5 if I could. Touristy, that's about it. Overpriced food...good, but small, and overpriced. I got the mussel fritters; they were fresh ingredients, unique seasoning, and delicious...but 2/3 were super tiny compared to the one, so I couldn't tell if I got lucky on one or screwed on two haha. The price was high, and it left me hungry (we had to get snacks at a brewery nearby). My husband got the seafood pasta, the sauce was too creamy and dense which was overwhelming for not having a lot of noodles and minimal seafood pieces. It was good for seafood, it hit a spot, but was not filling for the higher bill. In terms of service, we really had to hunt down the waiter to get anything. Took forever. read more

For my limited experience it was quite nice just stopping in for a 500 kL of mixed clams. I had the white wine, garlic chili preparation. While there were only two of the larger variety I had no complaints about the smaller ones. Delicious! read more

The Crab Shack - Yummy - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Terrible service. We were sat by the host with menus and water glasses, our server came over a minute later and asked if we were ready to order. We ordered beers but needed more time with the menu considering we'd never been there before. The drinks were brought by a runner, then the waitress returned to take our order. Again a runner brought out our food, calamari rings and 1kg of crab. The calamari was excellent, crab was disappointing for the price. Anyway, we shelled and ate the entire kilo of crab without seeing our waitress once. Obviously this wasn't a quick meal, so to not have a server check on us once was surprising. We needed napkins, our drinks were empty, and though we were sat with water glasses we were never given a bottle of water! Finally our waitress returned about 10 minutes after we had finished, and we asked her for napkins and the check. She brought back napkins quickly and disappeared for another 10 minutes, only to return with a bottle of water to offer to us. 20 minutes after we had finished our meal. We said no we want our check, and when she brought it we threw cash in and walked out. read more

The Crab Shack - A lot of crab but very little meat. - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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The crab shack is not open. It's under construction. We went to one in a different city and it was great.

Not quite sure how it took so long but we finally have a full time crab shack in AKL and by no other than, Simon Gault. Add it to the empire... I came here last night for a group dinner at 6:30 (I may or may not have been 15mins late) and already there was an hour wait. Clearly, I am not the only one who is excited about this new addition! Thankfully, after about 30mins we were shown to our table. The menu features four different types of crab as well as a couple of burgers, main dishes (fish of the day, steak) and bar snacks/starters. It read like a more modern, seafood orientated Lone Star menu. We got way too excited by the entrees and ordered double portions of the calamari, crab cakes, manuka smoked rewena (Maori bread). Unfortunately I couldn't try the bread but the calamari was delicious, lightly battered, crispy and served with three sauces. The only problem was the sauces were served in had high sided vessels, which made it challenging to dip. The crab cakes were nice but the coconut sauce they were served with was overpowering. Onto the mains.... I shared the paddle crab, which was served with a deliciously garlic butter sauce. It was messy and hard work but I kind of think that is half the fun! As for the side of chips they were thick and crunchy but lacked sauce and salt. I thought the waitstaff were energetic and enthusiastic, which matched the whole atmosphere of the place. A fun, themed spot for a group dinner, I only wish they'd get rid of the TV's! read more

The Crab Shack - Got a tad too excited ordering entrees - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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The Crab Shack and Matterhorn - the best of Welly has come to Auckland in the first half of 2015! I had been to the Crab Shack in Orleans when they open exclusively on Sunday and Mondays. But I have to say, nothing compares to this Simon Gault eatery. The vibe is spot on and there's an excited energy about the place. The decor feels like something out of the States with a relaxed Hawaiian feel - heck even the cocktails come with cute umbrellas. Recommendations: - The soft shelled crab is a must order! We ordered another portion of it because it was so juicy and unlike other ones which are just crispy tempura batter, you can truly taste the meat. - The bread. Yes, order the Manuka smoked bread. I don't even like bread and I was the one who suggested to order seconds. - It is probably wise to wear the bib that comes with the crab. I realiesd this only after I saw the flecks of crab sauce on my friend's shirt. Avoid: - Going on a Saturday night in a group. They only take bookings for groups of 10 or more so we ended up waiting for an hour before we got seats. - The cocktails were yummy but priced at $20, there wasn't enough alcohol in it to justify the steep price. I was surprised the whole bill came to around $35 per person - I was expecting a lot more for crab! Mind you, we didn't order the Red King crab which was $112 for 700g. Instead we got 1kg of the Nelson crab pot with chili-garlic butter. Admittedly it was hard work and messy digging the meat from the crab but also part of the fun! We also ordered the spicy wings and 1/2 pound of Shark Bay tiger prawns in a lemongrass and chili tomato sauce and I can recommend both. I didn't order any mains or burgers so if I were to go back, that's what I would try from the menu. But I can confidently say you'll be satisfied from the crab pot and shack boards alone. Plus I think you'll agree that they're more fun to share and eat! read more

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It was closed. Not sure why. Closest nearby seafood restaurant was Fish, but it was fully booked.

I have a friend back home that is always on the hunt for a Crab Shack in each city he visits, so I was super excited to try this one out and rub it in his face. We ordered the corn and crab dip and chips which came with a sweet potatoe dip and a guacamole. I thought the corn and crab would be my favorite but it turns out the sweet potatoe was the best. We ordered the drink of the day (something with rum and lime) because the server said it'd be $10 but we got charged $15 a piece, because it wasnt quite happy hour time. That was a little let down. However, our server was very nice and the establishment was very cool...front the lobster and crab cages hanging for the ceiling to the location right on the dock. This is definitely a place every tourist should try. read more

Fabulous. Visited late afternoon in one of those 'hungry but not sure what we really want to eat' moods. So we dived in for a drink and to get a feel for the place. The staff were welcoming and very quickly we saw the dishes which were coming out of the kitchen for other diners looked amazing. Our minds were now certainly made up. 'Fush 'n Chups' for me and a bowl of green tipped mussels (in garlic, onion and white wine sauce), bread and a side of fries for the Mrs. Large portions all reasonably priced. Would certainly recommend this place. Thank you. read more

Fun, upbeat place. NZ mussels are offered with 3 different preparations Be sure to try the curry! Set in a fun location next to the cruise terminal with good sights and people watching read more

The Crab Shack - what can I say. If you love crab & are wanting somewhere to relax with awesome sea views this is the place to go. My family visited this place on an early Friday afternoon after picking up my son from school. We were able to grab a great high table facing the sea views. It was lovely to sit in a lit restaurant with great décor that represented the name of the restaurant well. We were immediately relaxed from a long week. Just what we needed! We love crab so we were excited to check out the menu. We ordered the following: Spicy Chicken wings: Good enough portion for an entrée & real nice spicy chicken a lot of flavour! Chips: Entrée Medium size serve but the chips were yummy - great crunch & fluffy inside with yummy seasoning (definitely order those again) Bread: Was poor serving size: 2 little buns (but soft to sop up the crab sauces) Spaghetti Bolognaise: Kiddies meal - small serving (had to order 2 for my 5 year old son) Mud Crab: If you like spicy this is the dish to order. Good portion & that sauce is delicious definitely ordering that again! Jonah Crab: Nice dish but disappointed on the flavours weren't prominent e.g lemongrass, coriander I didn't have wine this time but the list had variety. Can't remember the desserts we had so that probably says something. I've given this place a 4 rating. Because I'll definitely be going back, loved the flavours out of the Mud Crab, the restaurant had awesome décor & views (you relax once you're in there- we don't just want to eat we wanted to go out & relax somewhere) & the waiters gave great service. Although the dishes we ordered weren't all fantastic the restaurant vibe & location made up for it! Before we left my husband was planning the next weekend to come back. read more

The Crab Shack - Mud crab! Delicious sauce! - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

I had Assorted clams in garlic. I should have ordered the large instead of small. It was so good I ordered bread to dunk in the sauce. These are amazing. I feel for the people on the plane with me later today, I'm going to reek of garlic, but it's totally worth it. ORDER THESE read more

The Crab Shack - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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Oh dear. I'm not sure where to start, there's so much to say. We ate here last night with potential business partners who had flown up from Christchurch. When we arrived, they had already been sat at the bar for 5 minutes (unsuccessfully) waiting to be served a drink. They suggested that we order drinks at the table instead as they weren't having much luck at the bar. First mistake (if you exclude going there in the first place). After being shown to our table we were completely ignored. I had to go and ask the waiter for some water to be brought to the table, and again 5 minutes later to remind him that we would like to order some drinks. Another 10 minute wait and I had to go and get the waitress to take our food order. Still no drinks at this stage. She asked us if we would like some drinks with our food. We told her we had already placed a drink order ten minutes prior... So the food turns up 25 minutes later. Well, some of it did.... Instead of bringing it all out at once it came out in fits and starts. My wife and I both had the pork belly which was nice, but was accompanied by small clams which tasted terrible and were served on a completely indescribable mush. Oh, actually, I can describe it.... it had the texture and colour of very pale diarrhoea, with almost no discernible flavour. I still have no idea what it was. The fries we ordered didn't arrive until after we had finished our main courses, despite me asking three times during the course where they were. Much worse, the $115 (yep you read that right) crab dish ordered by my colleague had clearly been cooked hours before and reheated just prior to serving. It was dry, shrunken and flavourless. FOR $115!!! After we had finished mains... you guessed it... we had to go and get the wait staff yet again to ask if we could have some dessert. My Affogato was nice enough, although again it took a while to arrive. My wife and my colleagues wife both ordered the ice cream sundae, however my colleagues wife is allergic to bananas so asked for hers without... Comically, when the waitress arrived with the two sundaes, she asked who had ordered the one without banana, then placed two identical sundaes, both with banana on the table! When they were told about the blunder, they left it there on the table, didn't even offer to replace it! Oh, and my colleagues lemon meringue tart was soggy and completely undercooked At this point my colleague had some kind of meltdown and went wave his arms at the manager. He was clearly an unhappy man. Not surprisingly considering he had invited us to this comedy of a restaurant in order to impress us. The manager offered us a 50% reduction on the bill ($57.50 for that awful crab???) Sure enough though, the bill arrived within 30 seconds (as experienced by other reviewers here). And on it? The two fries that didn't turn up in time and the allergy laden sundae. I gave this joke of a restaurant one star. Mainly because there was no opportunity for me to give it zero. DON'T EAT HERE. read more

This place is right on Princes Wharf. We walked in on our way back to our hotel and loved it! They have awesome happy hour from 6-8pm. $5 drinks and depending on the day of the week, a food special. We shared the Edamame, mussels, fish and chips, and the calamari. Lots of food, I know. But it was all very yummy! The fish was excellent, the mussels were fresh and huge! There was a bar tender who was also our server and he was amazing! Super friendly, gave us recommendations about the city and was chatting with us for a while. read more

In search of some seafood on the wharf, we stopped at the crab shack. It reminded me of Joe's crab shack in the US, with the fishing and nautical themed decoration, but with better food. The seafood chowder actually contained pieces of mussel and clam, even though they were minced in it was still big enough to be satisfactory. We also tried the crab cakes, it was a little darker than I expected, sort of like a hockey puck color, but they tasted very good. Lastly, we had the fish and chips, which were just like normal fish and chips, good but nothing stands out. I'd say it's not a bad place to grab a bite but there's nothing to write home about. read more

The Crab Shack - Seafood Chowder, Crab Cakes, and fish and Chips - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

Slightly over priced. I made the mistake of ordering a steak from a crab place. Nice atmosphere and music. Helpful staff, wide array of local beer. read more

Tourist spot. Chain restaurant. Not recommended. Lunch special, Rip off. Lobster roll had no lobster. It may have been a very small mayo mix of crab. Disappointed to say the least. If you walk further into via duct, plenty of options with amazing views. read more

Arrgh..What can I say? I laughed when I saw this place, and asked a local friend about it. I asked something like "Is that the nastiest tourist trap in town?" She said it was GREAT!!! Reaaaly? Well, that had me curious. Look, no, it was not "Great" not close, but it wasn't one star either. Mal's "Salt and Pepper Calamari" had bugger all salt, nor pepper. Was probably frozen, he thought. My 500gsm of Green Lipped Mussels came in a nice enough sauce, though they had not cooked all of the alcohol out of the wine, so it was a tad sharpish. Half of the mussels had not been de bearded, and I gave up on the whole dish about half way through. What you CAN do there, for a far more enjoyable time, is order a glass of wine, sit facing the view, and catch Pokemon! The wine was lovely! read more

Got seats overlooking the harbor, directly in front of our ship. Waiter was fun, service quick and food terrific! If we lived nearby, this would be a go-to restaurant for us. Fish sandwiches are delicious and fresh! read more

I love the Crab Shack in Wellington. I've got crunching crab claws down to a fine art. I used to take all my Auckland friends there when they visited. In some ways the food at the Auckland incarnation is even better, if scant on options. The Nelson paddle crab was perfect. The diamond shell and moon shell clams were huge. But the service is awful. There were so many of them, mostly talking to each other. There seems to be a blue shirt/grey shirt waiter split in duties, and its the blue shirts tasked with doing the talking who were really rude. Our blue shirt took issue with someone not having an ID (we are all 25 - 30), then she took issue with us asking to sit outside (the outside bit is bar only, that's cool, but it was a huge drama), then she took issue with one person coming late. We watched her gesture angrily at us to another blue shirt a couple of times, then we got another waitress. Blue shirts will also freak out if you walk up to the counter to pay instead of waiting for the bill (guys, your restaurant has sports on TVs by the bar). Not going back until they've had some time to sort their service system out. read more

Simon Gault's newest addition, The Crab Shack, don't get too excited, I was very disappointed. This place is heaving with tourists and locals mostly young thinking this is the hippest place to hang. In my opinion they have to raise their game a huge amount to keep business and not become just another bar. The views of the Cloud are lovely at night and I love the imaginative cray pot light shades hanging all over the ceiling. I was quite impressed with the woman on the pass, making sure that food was in fact sent back when all that tables were not ready at once. Pity the kitchen didn't look to be very well oiled. I had to get the Atlantic golden crab with my friend. But before I could tuck in and make a gorgeous mess I had to done the big white bib they provided. Yes the soupy liquid at the bottom of the pot with coconut and pineapple was great and sopped up with my sweet interesting Manuka smoked bread, but a bit of a novelty at $52 for the two. My Cesar salad jar was the pits - all Cos lettuce and nothing much else but some sparse dressing. Never mind the prosciutto and croutons. A $15 rip off so I got a refund for this. Then comes dessert and another refund. The woman on the pass had clearly gone home and a very runny newly made mousse was delivered to our table by the unsympathetic cocky 'talk to much' Matre-D. Instead of admitting they had run out and offering us another dessert they made a dessert that was no way going to set in 5 minutes. I loved the 80's music flash backs playing on the TV's and the cocktails are great. I'm not keen on the toilets that look like you've walked into a London train station. This place hopefully will get better otherwise unless you have a craving for crab then I wouldn't bother. read more

I have been at the Crab Shak a couple of times. First time I loved it, great food and service. Now, the second time was around two weeks ago. The place was not busy and there was a good atmosphere, however, the quality of the service was below average, food took 45 min to come to the table, once arrived the crab lacked of sauce, and small. One of my friends asked for gloves as he does not like to get dirty when eating and the waiter made fun of him instead of being helpful. At the end of the night we asked for the bill and it took 30 seconds to arrive. Unfortunately there is not going to be a 3rd time for me and my wife. The Crab Shak needs to train their staff better as they are the first point of contact. I hope you guys take this on board for future customers. read more

When I read about Simon Gault's new restaurant I was super keen to try especially after quite a few good reviews. Upon entering, you can tell that they really got the 'crab shack' decor spot on especially as it is well situated on Princes Wharf. There is ample seating and a real casual indoor/outdoor flow. We ordered a round of drinks and in the midst of making my pina colada, the bartender stopped to serve other patrons (not too impressive). Just before we were finished with round of drinks and fresh popped popcorn, our table was ready. Our server was generally attentive and answered our questions but it was confusing as she highly recommended the fish burger to one person and then talked it down to me when I debated about the two other items. The full range of appetizers are worthy of four Yelp stars. However, my cobb salad was overflowing with immature yellow/white iceberg lettuce. Tomatoes were cut too big, shrimp/crayfish underseasoned, and the mozzarella anonymous in flavor. Overall, it was a pretty disappointing and pedestrian salad for $22 in a Simon Gault restaurant. Would have preferred a classic cobb salad from a local cafe. The pot of paddle crab ordered were undercooked, the fish burger was underwhelming, and a beer I had ordered was completely forgotten. We expressed our discontent and was visited by the manager to smooth the waters. So I tip my hat to that level of customer service. All in all, I would recommend the Crab Shack for a bucket of beers, pot of crabs, and a game of cricket or rugby, but don't waste your money on the mains. And remember, at the end of the day it is a touristy Viaduct restaurant and will draw a certain type of crowd accordingly. read more

Very bad service. Basically told us to get lost in as many words. Went at 7 on a Saturday. Told em wanted a quick bite. The restaurant was 60% empty, but told us there was a 40 minute wait. For who? Sat us at a window sill and when said we wanted quick food and coffee, told us they will limit our order to entrees only. Then told us we will not get food before 30 minutes. Should have just told us to sod off when we entered. Obviously they only want customers who stay in drinking all night and run big bills. Much better restaurants five minutes further at north wharf. Keep walking on by this one! read more

for some reason i havent had good crab in new zealand for a loooooong time (actually not even sure if that was nz... maybe was asia...). The crabs here were cooked in a delicious garlic butter sauce but the let down were the crabs itself... there were too soft for fresh crab... it should have some stringy chewy-ish meat... i dont know whether its over-cooked or not that fresh? It was fun to eat tho if you're into that thing haha bring your date here if they're willing to get messy for some crabs they maybe a keeper hahahhaha first things first... the food we ordered at the bar when we had to wait 1.5hours for a table..... Spicy fried chicken with 5 cheese sauce (or something similar) was fried but not spicy (not enough to be labeled spicy fried chicken) and they forgot the cheese sauce... so just bland fried chicken lol. Calamari was pretty normal compared to the other places you can get it.. tasty and fresh. After waiting a very long time (with lots of tables that were empty for those that put their names down earlier...) we finally got a table and ordered very quickly. The honey bread was strangely interesting.. it was sweet and savoury .. nearly like a dessert... my taste buds were a tad confused. half pound prawns were too sweet... clam pots were ok but it was the mussels that tasted good in the pot. already talked about the crabs.. so the best dish for the night would be the crab cakes... i actually REALLY REALLY liked them... wish we ordered them by the bucket lol.. Would i come here again? only for the experience.. not so much for the food. i really need to lower my hyped expectations when trying new places!! ruins everything... read more

We chose to dine at The Crab Shack on a busy Saturday and despite an hour in the bar waiting for a table, we had a great time. We had the spicy chicken as an entree and it was mildly spicy and delicious - we fought over every last piece. We also shared the Crab & Crayfish cakes which were moist and fragrant - we'd definitely get these again. For mains we had the Big Auckland Fish Burger and the Pork Belly which was very moreish. The burger was perfect - a bun that was slightly crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy in the centre, crisp, fresh veggies and a thick battered piece of fish. On the side were a very generous portion of thick cut chips and some creamed corn, all washed down with nice cold Kiwi beer. The atmosphere is lighthearted and fun - staff were dancing between tables towards the ends of the evening - and the view over the harbour can't be beat. It might be new and exciting, but I think the allure of the Crab Shack will continue through the summer! read more

Ok so here's the thing. I really am not a huge fan of crab. I mean I love the actual meat, but the process of getting to it puts me off. I'm lazy and greedy and want it "in ma belly" as soon as possible! So even when I go to places like this I usually go for something else. And that was the case here too. Sticking to my stupid guns I went for the Big Jed burger - and initially I was very happy that I did because it was delicious! But then I got to try a bite of my friend's Kilo of Crab. Converted. It was absolutely gorgeous and well worth the effort. Next time I go I am going to try as many types of crab as my belly and wallet will allow! It was simply fantastic! The presentation of the food throughout was really good. I know what really matters is how it tastes, but admit it, you get an extra thrill when you see an amazing looking plate coming towards you hahaha And this place seems to have that side pretty well nailed down too. Service was attentive without being overbearing, bar staff while we waited were very congenial too. Oh and Salted Caramel - if you have room at the end, get it. Will be back. Nuff said! read more

Really fun Place with upbeat and charming servers. We had a very nice time at this place. We loved the Red Slipper Lobster with chili garlic butter. The blackened fish burger was good too. The local beer in tap is varied and there are many options. read more

The atmosphere was nice on the wharf. We had the fush n chups which was very fresh and good. The wait was crazy long. Our waitress just disappeared and after asking we finally found out she had to leave for the day?. Would not return as there are other choices around! read more

Decided to spend my last night in New Zealand dining at this restaurant. The experience was, unfortunately, nothing but horrible. We came here at around 7:30 but was advised to wait for 30 minutes before there is seats available. The waitress told us she would give us a call once the table is ready but we waited until 8:20, still no call. So we decided to go back and try our luck and realize there were lots of seats. However, that was not the end of the wait. We waited for our food until 9:30, an hour later after we ordered food, still nothing came. We had to ask the server about the order and rush them twice before we see any food on our table. By the time we finish eating, it was already 10:30. On top of that, the food was so so, nothing special. Definitely not worth a whole night of wasted time. read more

Make sure you come hungry and ready for the physically intensive exercise of cracking crab legs and scraping out the meat inside the hard crustacean shells. It's a full-on, time-consuming real crab experience and you need both hands to get right in it- rings came off, and the delicious soup from our 1kg crab pot all over my hands and the mix of herbs and other things in the stew. Loved the white bibs immediately and it makes it even more of a good time- to realistically protect the clothes and provide another means to wipe the hands. Two girls shared the 1kg crab- and it was a lot in addition to our spicy chicken which was half a kg of BBQ chicken wings with a yum five cheese sauce and the steak fries- highly recommend those sides. Love the coastal Cape Cod USA theme with the hanging fish trawlers and nets and maps on the walls in the entire space. Very seafood orientated with more than just crab, with a full bar and lots of interesting meals- definitely worth checking out but be mentally and physically prepared for the hard work of eating read more

I went here on my own for dinner one evening while visiting Auckland on business. The open air bar area is definitely the place to be with nice views and fresh breezes. The staff were friendly, attentive, and my waitress made really good recommendations from the wine to the food. I had the crab and crayfish cakes and the bucket of clams both which were lovely, but the clams were especially outstanding! I would definitely recommend the anyone. read more

The Crab Shack - The local clams, relish! - Seafood Near Me - Auckland, AUK

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We went here for a Saturday lunch. It was quiet enough. Ordered the mudcrab, blue swimmer and fish and chips. It is very very messy so come prepared to be eating with your fingers and getting crab shell everywhere. We ordered the chicken tenders for my son. The chips were a bit salty even for adults so probably not too good for the kiddies! read more

Headed to the Crab Shack with a bunch of girls from work to celebrate a birthday and was not disappointed. Started with a bread n dips plate that surprised me by both the size and they crispy fried bread/taco totally yummy and the fried squid. I ordered a main of a fish burger which was very large, there is no way you could pick this beast up and bite into it. This was washed down with the cocktail special, not sure what it was called, but the flavors of Ginger Beer was welcome on such a hot day. The bar area outside is where you want to be, sitting inside gets noisy and warm on a hot summers day. read more