City Crab Shack

The food was amazinggggg. A little on the pricy side but definitely worth it. The drinks were good (but not strong), granted it was happy hour. Overall it was a great meal and good vibes — shoutout to our waiter Grady!

I used to come to this location often when it was «Chat & Chew», so I was pleasantly surprised when I notice that City Crab moved over here.
When I popped in at lunch though, I was surprised that the interior was largely the same, with minimal upgrades. The fly buzzing around my table near the entrance was another annoyance. Crab cake sandwich was more of a slider portion than a hearty meal at $ 17.50 and while the service was nice, it was spotty. The meal was salvaged a bit by the free dessert with my Unilocal check in, and the refrigerated Crème Brulee cheesecake was filling. Overall, I was sad to see an «old friend» be downgraded from what I previously remembered, but nothing stays the same in the city.

Started my birthday celebration here and it was great. Hand down the best service ever. Food was delicious as well. Left full, drunk, and very pleased.

I have been longing to come here! They certainly get 5 stars for service and probably at least a 4 if I came in for the dollar oysters and $ 5 drafts mentioned in the other reviews. But, I came in on a Saturday at noon ready to be blown away. Now I admit that the lobster mac and cheese was great (barely had room for it because we ordered a lot), the fries were golden to perfection and hot just the way I like them, the buffalo shrimp was tasty and the calamari was okay too… however what my taste buds were really in tune for was the lobster roll. This lobster roll in my opinion was just alright. It wasn’t the absolute worst but it also wasn’t anything to make me want to come back and try again or even recommend. When it came out I was actually more surprised than anything to see two little rolls but even so, I thought that they must taste delicious still.
Also, being under satisfied with what I really came there for may have had something to do with it, and I don’t mind spending money on food (what most of my money goes toward)… but I don’t think their prices really add up in the sense that the money spent is worth it in the end. At least not this time around.

I’m being generous with two stars because the staff was nice, HOWEVER the food was equivalent to RED LOBSTER the lobster Mac&cheese was dry !! lobster claw on the top looked dehydrated not even close to the cheesy video shown on their website. The lobster rolls were skimpy mini rolls. Just a waste of a trip and money would never go back !!!

Food was soooo good! Wait staff was friendly and in top of it! Has a great atmosphere! The crab and lobster were perfect! Must try the crab Mac n cheese!

I had been seeing a lot of hype about City Crab Shack on Instagram (@foodandwine, @zagat, etc.) so I decided to check it out with my boyfriend. The food was great — the service and management, even better!
We had no trouble getting a table for two at around 8:30PM this past Saturday night, which was a pleasant surprise.
I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and he had the Shipwreck Summer Ale while we looked over the menu. We ordered the Nola «French Quarter» Blue Crab Beignets with Creole Mustard Aioli and the Baked Top-​Neck Clams Oreganata to start. The beignets were incredible, they were packed with crab and the flavorful aioli complemented them perfectly. The clams were supposed to be six to an order and although our order contained only five clams when it arrived, we didn’t want to complain about such a minor oversight (we were both servers, we know how it is).
For entrees, we decided to split the Lobster & Crab Mac N Cheese, Down East Lobster Rolls, and the Lobster & Crab Whipped Potatoes — all delicious. We couldn’t finish all of our food and had asked the busser to wrap it up so we could take it home. We had no room left for dessert, but maybe next time!
We hadn’t even realized that our doggie bag had never arrived at the table until we were halfway down the block on the way to the car! We turned back and spoke with Jacob, who was very kind and even offered us a complimentary drink at the bar while he got the issue sorted out, but we refused the drinks so that we wouldn’t look like mooches. Jacob came back to let us know that our leftovers had been mistakenly thrown away and they were whipping up two new orders of the Lobster & Crab Mac N Cheese and Lobster & Crab Whipped Potatoes. We waited until he walked away to order our drinks from the bar so that we could actually pay for them: the bartender poured, then refused to accept our money since he had overheard the reason we are waiting! Soon enough, we had our to-​go bag and we were on our way. When we got home and unpacked the bag, we found two COLOSSAL portions of Lobster & Crab Mac N Cheese and Lobster & Crab Whipped Potatoes — at least twice the size of the ones originally served to us at the table!
City Crab Shack gets five stars in my book — four for the food, then one more for Jacob and the staff! Keep it up!

So my coworkers and I came here to celebrate a birthday. If my review was solely on the service then I would rate this place a 5, our waitress was amazing. The food on the other hand… It was horrible, it’s as if the chef was cooking everything for the first time but blindfolded and with no salt or pepper. Everything was blandddd and I was with a group of about 8 and we all agreed. For such a coveted part of the city near Union square, I cannot understand how this place is still in business.

My friends decided to bring me here to celebrate my birthday !! I was very excited … I love seafood.
I must say the service was 5 stars …
The food well, I had the crab cakes. The food lacked flavor. My friends had the lobster macaroni, the king crab legs and the mussels with lobster dish and it all seemed very lacking of taste where needed and creaminess where need. A run on sentence I know, I just don’t have anything else to say about it. I was with a group of fellow Unilocalers and we all felt the same way.
My friend was not offered a small fork to get into her lobster. Nor was she given a bib. The owner had to point that out to the waitress. I mean if the owner checks you and notices what’s lacking you just feel shorted some how.
Thank you to my great friends for taking me out for my birthday… Love you guys to pieces !!!

If this was my first time here, I probably would have given City Crab four stars. But having been to the former City Crab on Park Ave, the new restaurant is but a shadow of its former self. As I reviewed the much-​truncated happy hour menu, I asked, ‘is there another menu, or is it?’ Where there were over ten dishes on the 330−7p happy hour menu before, now there are only four or five. We got the 99c oysters, the crab beignets (which are really just crab cakes) and peel and eat shrimp. The oysters were plump and fresh — nothing special to shout about. The peel and eat shrimp was coated in a Bay seasoning so gloppy that unfortunately did not make it past the shrimp shells. The crab cakes were nice and crisp and dense with crabmeat, I’ll give you that.
Overall, I had a fairly pleasant and enjoyable meal there, but City Crab is surely not what it used to be. Don’t shun from it if you’re a newcomer though — the food is good.

I was pleasantly surprised by how low-​key it was on a Tuesday night. The atmosphere really puts the «shack» in City Crab Shack.
We arrived right when their happy hour started at 9 pm and there were a number of open tables, so we got seated right away.
Their happy hour consists of $ 5 draught beers and 99-​cent oysters from Virginia. The oysters were pretty large and tasted fresh enough.
For food, we ordered the calamari, lobster rolls (come in two) and lobster & crab mac-​and-​cheese. They came out pretty fast; we weren’t done our dozen oysters yet and they were ready.
I was a big fan of the lobster rolls — I still think the ones you eat in Maine are the best, but this was quite tasty. I really liked their fries that came with it, along with coleslaw.
The mac-​and-​cheese was great, too, but cooled down quickly for some reason. They top it with two big pieces of lobster meat.
The calamari was my least favorite. It was chewy and I’m not generally a big fan of jalapeños that were added to it.
Tip: check-​in on Unilocal for a free dessert. I was actually really full after the four dishes shared with another person, so I didn’t get dessert. I’ll go back and try it for sure!

You could have my heart or we could share it like the last slice.
I never had plans for visiting City Crab Shack (I’m not a seafood gal).
But when they’re handing out free drink passes in Union Square, I can’t deny a free drink!
Stopped by after work hours, all the seats in the bar area were taken but they did have outdoor seats. Ordered the Shipwreck and a plate of fried calamari.
The fried calamari was spicy. For those who can’t eat hot food, make sure to let the waiter know.
Shipwreck wasn’t bad, a lot milder than i expected.
Just when I thought free drinks was the best I could get, I checked in on the Unilocal app and got a free slice of cheesecake!
I chose the crème brûlée cheesecake, so smooth and delicious.
Again not a fan of seafood, but I would come to city crab shack to try out some other dishes, that’s how good it is. Also staff members were super friendly!

Food and drinks like mac and cheese, Brooklyn Bouillabaisse and martini are above my expectation, they also have the best sea food delis in town. delicious and seasoned well, right amount of spices.
Aside from food what makes it a great place is the staff/​servers. every single one of them are enthusiast and smiling all the time, helpful and very knowledgeable. I will definitely recommend this place.

I came here on a Saturday night and was surprised to find it practically empty.
I’ve been itching to try this place because of my love for seafood and I wasn’t disappointed
Appetizer: crab beignets
Crunchy and had tons of crab on the inside. The dip it came with was delicious (it was a mustard aioli if I remember correctly) probably not necessary to order if each person gets an entrée, along with the complementary bread, you will be stuffed
Entrees: lobster rolls
These were my favorite dish of the night. I actually liked that they were smaller rolls and came with two, instead of one large roll only because it made it easier to eat and share.
Bouillabaisse
Probably my least favorite thing we ordered. I found that the squid wasn’t cooked properly and was a bit chewy
The drinks were also well made and overall I would recommend this restaurant. Hopefully next time I will have room for desert!

We originally made a 5:30 reservation on Tuesday, but definitely didn’t need it because the place was practically empty! Our waitress was so friendly and caring, from assisting us with choosing items from the menu to constantly checking back every so often to see how we were doing.
We got a dozen oysters at $ 1 each, but they gave us 14 hehe. The oysters were so fresh, nicely shucked so they were easy to slurp, and sand-​free!
In addition, we got the lobster mac and cheese and the mussels and fries. The mac and cheese was cheesy and creamy, with a decent amount of lobster in it! The mussels itself were very small, though the portion size was big. It’s a much lighter dish compared to some of the other menu options. The fries served as a good side dish, they were thin and crunchy, but soft on the inside!
Though Unilocal and the menu online says that happy hour is from 5 – 7, the happy hour menu that was given to us stated that happy hour was from 3:30 — 6:30? Luckily, we made it there before it ended.
Overall, the ambience and the waiters made the experience worthwhile, in addition to the amazing food and oysters!

Honestly, I was pretty disappointed. I had bookmarked this place because of the reviews. I took my sister and was excited to try it out and told her it should be good.
We ordered two things because we weren’t that hungry, and wanted to split them. They had lobster rolls that came in twos. I thought great that’s perfect since we each want one… When they arrived, I understood why although it said two on the menu, they were half the size of normal ones. So… That was a let down. It wasn’t bad but it definitely wasn’t great either.
The other thing we ordered was the lobster mac and cheese. For some reason it had a fishy taste. I know that lobsters are seafood, but I know it wasn’t supposed to taste a little like fish. It wasn’t a large portion and since we each had half, there really wasn’t much to eat…
And for this small amount of food, as well as one glass of wine, it was $ 65 not including tip. I don’t have a problem spending that of it’s worth it but it wasn’t. Also, the place was like a diner. Not that great food only comes from fancy places, but when the little bread plates came out, mine had something on it (leftover food). I really wanted to like this place too. Better luck next time.

Found this place while walking around Union Square today.
Decided to have a quick bite before dinner.
Their crab cakes (two huge pieces) were excellent. The imperial sauce & corn side that came with them were great.
Had few bites of their famous «Lobster rolls»; Pretty good. Loved their cole slaw. Fries were good, just needed a little more salt, imo.
Saw many great items on their menu. Will be back soon and eat in a more relaxed setting (Sorry for the rush).
Great/​friendly service.
: A–

Since their glory days on Park Ave, City Crab has reinvented itself in this much smaller and intimate space a few steps down on E 16^th St as City Crab Shack. The wife (then GF) had taken me to the old location for my birthday (ages ago) and I thought this would be a great idea to revisit for our anniversary. Even though I had made reservations, it was a quiet Wednesday night and we were seated in the rear dining room, which was mostly empty. The kitschy nautical décor was strictly SpBSqP and is a far cry from their glitzy Park Ave digs.
We came for the seafood and was not disappointed. We started with a ½ dozen mixed raw oyster selection with a pair each of the Blue Points (LI), Sweet Necks (MA) and our server, Daniel recommended the Hood Canals from WA. Out of the three, the Blue Points were still the sweetest and the Sweet Necks were the briniest and the Hoods were a good balance. All three were amazingly fresh though. We followed up with the New England Clam Chowder, which had a hint of Manhattan in it and Aunt Rae’s Crab Soup. For main courses, we went with the breaded soft shell crabs special, which were a couple of large ones in an Old Bay seasoned breading, both comfortably sitting on a nicely dressed arugula salad. Our other main was the Brooklyn Bouillabaisse, a hearty seafood stew which tasted just like the crab soup, probably from the same stock. Along with half a lobster tail and a snow crab cluster, there was a good amount of mussels, shrimp & squid, all cooked perfectly and not overdone. There could have been more fish though since bouillabaisse is basically a fish stew.
Dessert selection was limited to pecan pie and key lime pie, so we opted not to have since neither were my favorites. There is however a Unilocal check-​in deal for a free Narragansett beer and a text-​in deal for a free oyster shooter, so take advantage of it. Next time around? Gotta go with the Red, White & Blue Special similar to the one at Fish, but you get a selection of drinks to go with the ½ dozen oysters.

Same as the City Crab on Park avenue but a more casual vibe and gear towards a different audience.

Supposedly the same chef but I beg different. The lobster Mac and cheese was lacking the taste that they use to have. It is very less cheesy now and not as amazing as it was before.
Crab cakes — it was very yummy!
Crème Brûlée cheesecake — ehh, had an freezer after taste.
Overall, it was an okay visit. Will not come back.

Service was a little on the slow side but very nice staff. We shared a pound of spicy shrimp which was amazing. The chowder and Cesar salad excellent. Surprised how quiet lunch time was.

Was expecting the old over priced City crab and was considering another restaurant but decided to give it a try because me and my daughter are oyster lovers and saw the $ 1 oyster deal. The place is definitely a shack!!! We ordered the oysters and they were delicious!!! Had to stop myself from ordering another 2 dozen! Next came the old bay shrimp that were so good I regretted ordering the ½ lb! So on to the calamari. Another hit!!! Scrumptious!!! We ordered lobster rolls that were small but great tasting. And the steam pot had the most amazing sauce and was also a hit! Going back soon. Would of gave 5 stars but the drinks were WEAK!!!

The food tastes like it was just fished right out the ocean. The lobster rolls are can’t miss along with a delicious crab cake. Even the pre-​meal bread hit its mark. The pecan pie to close out the dinner was the perfect end to a great meal. And don’t forget to try the «Red Sea» cocktail. Moses himself wouldn’t part with this one.

While on a walk with a friend, we decided to celebrate the spring weather with a lobster roll. We thoroughly enjoyed the one served to us here. The bun was warm and toasted with delicious lobster bits pouring from the insides. Paired with French fries our craving was 100% satiated. Can’t wait to try other things on the menu soon.

The NOLA crab beignets are a must order and the lobster rolls are equally standout, both overstuffed with delicious meat minus any filler. If you have any room after apps and dinner don’t forget to order a slice of Key Lime Pie or Cheesecake

Really impressed by this spot in Union Square. Had the lobster mac and cheese and the crab cakes with my girlfriend. Great food, great price.

Pretty sure they are related the city crab and lobster place (their truck was outside unloading stuff). Not a bad place but a they seem like they were still newbies to the restaursnt business.
— never given our own plates when the appetizer came out
— wetnaps or even paper napkins not given for eating crab
— tables absurdly close to eachother.
— no lobster in the fresh lobster tank, if youre going to have two madsive tanks, maybe they shouldnt be empty?
just small hiccups here and there that make it seem like theyre still new. food was good but as everyone had said, small portions for the price.

The poorest excuse for a restaurant in the city. The phony website photos on Google are from the old joint on Park Ave. South.
This place is a smelly claustrophobic rec room of a dump. Untrained staff, items no being available yet on the menu and in general the least professional operstion in all five boroughs. Avoid avoid avoid.

The atmosphere was amazing! The server Luis was great! I love this place! For sure coming back!!! Great food great staff!!! Love it here!

Great restaurant that just opened up near Union Square. Their Nola «French Quarter» Blue Crab Beignets are close to the best thing I’ve ever tasted. They PACKED with fresh crab meat.

Union Square is changing quite rapidly. With the extinction of places like Union Square Café’s original post, Chat ‘n Chew (where City Crab moved into), and many others, the decisions by landlords engaging in a cash grab could leave the neighborhood with nothing but banks and Starbucks coffee shops. But lucky for us, there’s still room for a great local business like City Crab Shack.
They do a respectable job of providing fan favorites in the seafood game. Crab cakes, lobster rolls, oysters, seafood chowders, etc… But they compound the menu with less obvious creations like their North Atlantic «Angry» Lobster (essentially a crab boil, but with lobster), a Bouillabaisse that has the genetic makeup of a cioppino, and perhaps the star of the appetizer menu, the Nola «French Quarter» Blue Crab Beignets. If you only order one thing, make sure it’s this small bite.
Overall, a solid addition to Union Square that makes you feel at ease with the changing face of the community.

Such a great time at happy hour. The oysters were amazing– so fresh and delicious. The ambiance is cool, you don’t feel like your in NYC anymore! We can’t wait to come back every week and try more of the menu. The manager Keith was a doll! Such a nice team there– just don’t get so silly during happy hour that you call Keith. Kevin…cause well your better then that! Will be back very very soon! Thanks again for a great night with the ladies.

So glad they are back… Crab cake sandwich is awesome… But ask for mustard on the side, yummy yummy to my tummy

I love it ! People working there are so nice! And the food! I’ve got lobster rolls. So ooo amazing. My husband ordered crab legs also delicious. I highly recommend that place ! Definitely go back there soon

Amazing food. best crab cakes I’ve ever had. Wonderful atmosphere. Feel like I’m sitting on a river eating and drinking.

Food was great and the service was spectacular! Nice, casual setting. Oysters, crab beignets and lobster rolls were all amazing. The clam chowder was unique and very tasty. My only one negative comment is that the portion for the lobster rolls was a little on the small side but it did come with a hefty portion of fries.
I’ve already made a reservation to come back!

Came here for Valentine’s Day dinner and was pretty pleased.
The service is what had me sold. Our waiter had such a kind southern hospitality to him that I just couldn’t resist. It wasn’t busy and I appreciated that especially during a Holiday like this. The drinks were good and the food was even better. I do feel that my salmon could’ve had some more seasoning but nothing a little salt a pepper shaker can’t fix. The oysters were nice and fresh.
Nothing really stood out to me about this place but my appetite was satisfied and sometimes that’s all that matters.

It’s so great to find a seafood restaurant with a casual vibe yet above average food. I can’t wait for the summer so I can feel like I’m at the beach in NYC. The oysters were so fresh and delicious.

Went here last night with bf and a friend — I think it’s important for me to state that we had realistic expectations for going to a moderately priced ‘fresh’ seafood place in Union Sq. We were extremely dissapointed, even still. Here are the ‘strikes’ against this place:
–cash only — and no ATM inside, so we had to go make an ATM run beforehand.
–no drink menu was offered, and when we asked about cocktails, the waitress just told us ‘we have a full bar’. I then ordered a French Martini, and after checking with the bartender, the waitress came back to tell me they ‘just ran out of Chambord’. So, — not a full bar.
–While waiting for our food the waitress put down a plate of butter and said ‘bread’s coming soon’…the bread never came.
–Went to use the bathroom before the food came — bathroom was a DISASTER. Wet paper towels and toilet paper all over the floor, No soap in the dispenser, and a sweaty cook’s rag thrown over the sink.
–After food came, our waitress dissapeared for an eternity, and we had to hail down a random waiter to try to get the check.
–the food was serviceable, but nothing I’d go back for, especially given all the strikes against it. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

During the first snow we were all heading to a sub par Mexican restaurant (it has tvs so it won), however it was jam packed and felt like a club. We had just come from the Turkish bath house and we’re looking for something a little more low key. My boyfriend spotted City Crab Shack so we walked in to check it out. Immediately I fell in love with the décor – cross between cape cod and a traditional diner. The music was also dreamy, mostly old school Italian/​love songs. I had the Cabernet and it was one of the best glasses of wine I’ve ever had! The dinner rolls were amazing, we shared the crab beignets and the lobster rolls, both amazing, but the lobster mash stole the show… it was SOOOOO GOOD. I got the key lime pie to go and it was delicious. The service was good too. I’m upset it took me three years to find this place, but so happy I finally did. Somehow with the snow outside it just all seemed like a dream. We can’t wait to come back and try several more dishes that sounded wonderful.
Didn’t realize this place is brand new, so it didn’t take me three years to find, which is even more exciting that it’s brand new and I just stumbled on it !