Joe's Crab Shack

"Eat at Joe's."

The slogan is easily identifiable all over the country.  So what exactly am I doing here?  Am I really spending my money at a chain restaurant...willingly?

To be quite honest, there are just two national chain restaurants that I wouldn't mind having a hearty meal at.  Joe's Crab Shack is one of them.  For those that want to know...::sigh::...The Olive Garden is the other.  Yes..  I said it.  Salad, breadsticks, and never-ending pasta bowls?  Come on people!

This meal was very unexpected.  It was my first lunch while in San Francisco.  Waking up early at my hotel, which was just a few steps from Fisherman's Wharf, I took a long walk through the marina and eventually the Wharf.  Past the few food trucks with awesome names (Kung Fu Tacos.  Yes!), the In-N-Out Burger (eventually will return), crab shacks (mouth watering), pasta houses (why not?), chocolate stores (sweet cavity central!), I came to a sudden stop.  There it was. The large "Eat Crab" wall sign.

Yup, this definitely got my appetite going

Being on the bay and not really knowing my way around yet, I longed for seafood.  In fact, I was dying for it.  This seemed like a good enough place as any to start.  And even better, coupon for free appetizer at the door.  Rachel Ray, eat your $40-a-day heart out.



The menu is typical for any chain restaurant.  This time seafood themed, with a large drink menu (colorful cocktails!), pun names (Seafood Fun-Do), and large pictures (sorry Gordan Ramsey).  Oh gawd, what am I saying?  This place has singing waitresses dancing on cue, a souvenir shop, and a gawdy ship-themed decor. Whatever, I was full and content at the end, and it didn't break my wallet.  And my waitress?  Well...he was a guy but the one serving the single diner next to me was really cute!  She and the gorgeous view of the bay were making this lunch quite enjoyable so far.

Too many nachos, but not a bad appetizer

For my free appetizer I went big, or at least as big as I could go considering the price constraint on the coupon, and went for the sampler.  Crispy, fried calamari, "Great Balls of Fire" (jalapeno-specked, fried crab and shrimp balls), and "Crazy-Good Crab Dip".  The seafood was actually fresh, and the crazy-good crab dip was actually...crazy-good.  I finished the whole thing and washed it all down with a Sam Adams.

Fish & Chips.  So good.

Then the entree.  A classic Fish & Chips.  Now listen, up to this point I have been poking fun at the fact that I am reviewing a chain restaurant, but the moment you actually try the Fish & Chips at Joe's will have you thinking you may want to return.  This dish was the cheapest on the menu, only $13, but the portion is HUGE.  The white fish, which I believe was cod that day, was incredibly fresh and flavorful.  It was coated with a Sam Adams beer-batter and served with tartar sauce and coleslaw.  A bite of the fish mixed with the coleslaw, tartar, and malt vinegar which was sitting on the table, made this an incredibly tasting meal.  Chain or not, this entree definitely satisfied my craving for fresh fish on the bay.

Not being able to finish it all in one sitting I slowly made my way through it.  Bite after slow bite, while enjoying my beer, the great view, and then the singing performance put on by the waitstaff, made this a good start to my vacation.  Onto the next.

Smiley face.  Classic ending.

Joe's Crab Shack

245 Jefferson Street

San Francisco, CA 94133