Shell Shack Uptown

One of my favorite places to eat! I’ve tried other places in DFW and none can compare other than the boiling crab. The rest aren’t this good.

Kitchen Sink Mix is a win! We got shrimp and crab legs the shell shack way which is without the shells so we didn’t have to hassle with crackin the shells. Added corn, red potatoes and sausage!!! LOVE LOVE!!! Service was great too! Line was out the door but they moved quickly and was nice about it. Our go to spot in Uptown!

This place is horrible do not go here, my girlfriend and I both got food poisoning, and the customer service was awful. Never go here.

So I like She’ll Shack I just don’t love it. The crab is fresh and the boiled shrimp is good. The main issue is the saltiness of the items. It does not matter if I get the whole kitchen sink or just garlic. I always walk out feeling like I need to drink 3 gallons of water. However, on the positive note they deal with big groups well, service is always good and they stay open late so you can get a late night snack. I will come back here but I know the seasoning is always a salt attack. The price you must pay… I guess.

Went back again today and this time I was not playing. I got two pounds of snow in hot kitchen sink with sausage and corn. Still as good as ever!!! Because of this crab, I have taught myself how to crack it without the need for utensils. Pulling out every morsel of crab, even breaking down the piece where the legs connect. Never done that before. And this time I broke the meat up and rolled it around the seasoning to get every bit of flavor there was, my tray was actually pretty clean. Never disappointed in this place.

First time here and it makes me wish I lived in Dallas. I’ve had crab bags/​boils before but what I live about this place is that you can tell them the flavored you want (garlic, lemon pepper, Cajun, the kitchen sink (all 3 seasonings) or naked and then you tell them the temperature –mild, medium, hot or Diablo. I had the snow crabs ($ 16.95/lb) and the Dungeness ($ 24.95) and corn on the cob and my husband had snow crab and gumbo. He said he’d rate his meal 4.5-just because he only got 2 claws-​as did I. We’re used to a little bit more for the money, but from what I understand that’s rather average around here.
We had Alix as our server and I think she was bartending too. I heard someone behind me say they were shortstaffed but you never would have known. Alix was great. The food was delicious, I mean really delicious. Very fresh and just the right amount of seasonings and sauce. The music was okay, not too loud. And I love the handwashing station! I want one in my home. The bathroom was also clean. It was only one commode which is odd for a restaurant of this size but clean nevertheless. And they have fomograph which is fun. I would definitely recommend this place.

If you love crab, there is no better place to come (can also pick shrimp and crawfish). Pick from three different types of crab, a few different sauces and your level of spicy. They can even crack it all for you (additional charge applies). You can add sides like corn and potatoes that they will throw into the mix. It all comes out in a bag that is then poured into a bowl. Solid service and a choice of non-​seafood items will allow your entire group to be pleased.

We asked our server for our food to go. He said ok and took our food to the back and brought it back out to us … We trusted all of our left overs were there … When we got home, we found our side and some of the crab had been left out ! I understand it was busy but no one likes paying for food you don’t get! At least tell me you didn’t bag all my food or ask me what I want ! I shouldn’t have tipped this server !
Just got my CC bill server took the cash as a tip and charged my card the full amount so upset right now this place is a joke

Since this place has opened, it has proven that their boil in a bag is by far the tastiest I have experienced. Large crawfish, uptown style shrimp-(deveined and peeled), added sides for customizing your dinner to perfection by simply choosing your flavor and heat to your liking. Wow! I’m full, I’m happy, I am returning to do it all over again. Atmosphere is great and I love bringing my friends. But, I also enjoy dining alone because of their friendly staff and management. They make me feel at home. Until next time, Thank you Shell Shack!

Went here a couple weeks ago with some family & it was everything I thought it would be, GREAT! Everything we got from the crawfish, shrimp, crab, & fried fish was so fresh & full of flavor. I got the kitchen sink seasoning & it was so good. The potatoes that they have are dynamite. A little pricy but for good seafood I’m more than happy to pay the extra dollar!
The only thing that kept me from giving this place 5 stars was the wait. We got there about 9:30pm & there was maybe 7 parties ahead of us. We were a group of 6 people. We didn’t sit down till 11:30pm! 2 hours?! Some groups even got sat before we did & we arrived before them. So we were a bit annoyed but stuck out the wait. Once we were seated we were served in a timely manner & our waitress who’s name I can’t remember was very nice pleasant & welcoming.
Overall we had a good experience. I would just say prepare yourself for the wait if you plan on going but it will be worth it. We will be back again!

I’m from New Orleans so I enjoy good crawfish. I’m surprised that this place is twice the cost for crawfish as other restaurants in the area. The waiter told me it’s because they have the best but I believe Nate’s has the best. But it is good here too. Not great. It’s just not traditional to soak crawfish in a bag of sauces. I know that’s how places in N. TX do it (especially the Asian spots) but you will NEVER find a spot in NOLA that does crawfish this way. I do like to come in here and bring in friends because I live in the neighborhood and we just walk over from my place in Uptown.
The men’s room was wet dirty and nasty on this Thursday night. My companion says the women’s was pretty clean.

There’s a wait BUT worth it. Here’s the before and the after… Kitchen sink seasoned craw dads, shrimp and HUGE KIng Crab legs was a big platter of messy happiness (accept the bib.) Only thing was that we got medium heat but in hindsightshould have gotten the hot making (maybe) it the perfect Cajun style boil experience

Fun place for a fun messy meal. Crawfish decent price.
Shrimp and chips are good.
Con it was 2 bucks for literally three tiny slices of sausage. They must make a killing off the sides. Unimpressed and almost ruined the meal.
Servers were awesome they should get 4 stars.

I give this place a 4 stars for serving crawfish after 11pm. I would say the crawfish is not Louisiana style because all the flavors are rubbed on seasonings and it is heavy in oil/​butter. I ordered the kitchen sink — diablo level spice and it was good for dipping the crawfish into because the meat alone is bland. At $ 8.99 a pound, it is pricier than what I am used to paying but I do understand this is uptown so I don’t mind. I will come back here again for late night crawfish cravings.

Went for lunch here around 12:30 pm on a Thursday afternoon. There wasn’t a crowd (which I appreciated) and the service was pretty good. We ordered 1 lb of shrimp, 1 lb of crawfish, and a side of sausage all in the «Kitchen Sink» seasoning. My God was that seasoning spot on! We got it in «medium» heat, which was perfect for us; not too spicy, just the right level of heat. We agreed that the crawfish barely had any meat, they were very small. If we do go back here, we will definitely be getting the shrimp again (you get more bang for your buck since the shrimp are pretty sizable).
My coworker had a «Shell Shack Cooler» to drink. It consisted of rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, passion fruit purée, simple syrup, and a splash of lemon/​lime soda. I tasted it as well. We both agreed it was sub par. It could have had more liquor, especially considering that it costed $ 12; however, it was tasty.
We also tried the «Ultimate Chocolate Cake» for dessert. It contained layers of chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, chocolate sauce, and chocolate hazel-​nut gelato. Our favorite part of the dessert was the gelato. It tasted like ferrero rocher chocolates. The cake was good but tasted a little generic.
All in all, I would try this place again.

Shell shack is amazing, hands down! They are super busy to begin with, but now that it’s crawfish season, the wait can be pretty serious (I’m talking a couple hours, so it might not be a bad idea to be open to a cocktail down the street).
My favorite order:
Shrimp and crawfish boil, kitchen sink, mild or medium, with corn, potatoes, sausage and broccoli mixed in. Their fries are pretty good too! The crab is great, but I don’t think it’s better than the crawfish or shrimp, and it can drive your bill way up.
For two people, 1l b of crawfish and 1 lb shrimp is plenty, especially with the sides mixed in. Just add a cold beer and you’re good to go!

I’ve been trying to check out Shell Shack for a while now, but they are seemed super packed with lines out the door. This year, my parents and I went during an off-​peak time and were able to get a table right away. They have an enclosed patio with heaters during winter months as well if you want to feel like you’re «outside». Between the three of us, we ordered gumbo, clam chowder, 2 lbs of snow crab, 1 lb of shrimp, and 3 corns. The shrimps were big and juicy and the crab legs were meaty. We asked to combine lemon pepper and garlic and it was delicious! It was so much food we ended up taking some of it home. I thought the prices were really fair for what you get, about $ 70 bucks for all of that.
My advice to you is go during off-​peak hours to avoid waiting. There is parking behind the building… it a bit difficult to find and get to, and spaces are tight. Wear clothes you don’t care about (they do put bibs on you), and be ready to get your hands dirty!

Shell Shack at the Shell Shack BAAAABBYYY (Singing in my Love Shack voice)
What on earth did we stumble across? This place was our BEST discovery on our visit to Dallas. The place is so relaxed not all uppity or stiff. It’s imperative that you don’t dress up if you plan to come and eat up some GOODNESS.
We used valet out back which is complimentary (be sure to tip). We arrived at a good time on a good day per my research as we entered and was seated immediately. Per my research there is usually a wait for a table. We are glad that this was NOT the case because it was raining and we had our little one with us. We sat near the HANDWASH STATION which was pretty interesting as we were excited to try it out.
The blackboards next to our table and around the place had specials and pricing for some of the key items listed. We started with the calamari which was cooked crispy as we like it and was pretty acceptable in taste. We are calamari fanatics and are pretty critical on judging it because we’ve had some of the BEST so to say it was acceptable is saying something :-)
Our teenager had the wings with fries she had them tossed in spicy sauce which is LOVED. The hubby and I shared crab legs tossed in Garlic and spicy sauce. We were bibbed by our waitress and ready to rumble. The waitress brought out our bag and shook it up and poured it into the tray and the smell was amazing.
We enjoyed our food soo much and the highlight was the handwashing station where you just enter your hands and wait and the water comes on spraying like a fast faucet and it cleans your hands completely which is soo cool.
The only reason this review is missing a star is because of the lack of high ENOUGH chairs for the highball tables nor changing tables in the restroom. We take our baby everywhere with us so we would like to be able to enjoy everywhere we go with him and have the ability to change his diaper when needed in a comfortable setting (changing table). It’s not fun changing a baby on your lap while you sit on a toilet.

Wow, the Shell Shack is absolutely delicious and a perfect spot to crave your late night hunger. Think of this place as a similar concept to the popular Crab Hut or Boiling Crab in California. Very similar concept, order crab/​shrimp by the pound, pick your seasoning and enjoy! The king crab here is absolutely delicious and the «kitchen sink» seasoning is the way to go. The crab was meaty, well seasoned and prepared nearly to perfection. The shrimp is also a good look especially paired with an ice cold beer. Best of all, this joint is open late and serving deliciousness the whole time. Highly recommend this place for all the seafood lovers out there.
Pros–
Delicious taste
Portions
Pricing
Seasoning
Service
Location
Beer selection
Washing station
Indoor/​outdoor option
Cons–
Messy
Crowded

I went to the shell shack on a rainy Saturday evening. I really enjoyed this restaurant was so open and casual. Parking in this area can be sightly difficult. You can either valet your car or hope you come across some available street parking. I ordered the boiled shrimp with sides of corn on the cob and I chose it to be seasoned with the Medium Garlic.
Their was another group that was seated and that group was EXTREMELY LOUD! I really hoped the manager would have come by and asked the group politely to lower their voice but that didn’t happen. The cost for a half a pound of shrimp cost me ruffly $ 15. I do believe that the shrimp was on the higher side. But other than that minor issues I definitely didn’t have any issues with shell shack. I would recommend this location.