Crab Shack

We love everything about the Crab Shack. The wait staff are great, the array of choices is impressive and it’s ALL delicious.

The best part of the entire meal was the free hush puppies, the potato salad and the view. Our food was ok at best. The seafood platter had over cooked shrimp and everything had very little flavor. My children did not eat anything but hush puppies, the chowder was disgusting! We have had many great meals on the island but today sadly was very disappointing. After we left we walked next door and purchased 80.00 of seafood to take home and cook properly. The key lime pie next door was the best I have in a long time and the service was amazing!

A staple on the island. Cannot go wrong with a shrimp burger or scallops. Very laid back, and super casual. Seasonal dining, all local.

Be prepared to eat a lot of food! I recommend the combination platter since you can choose 2 or 3 different seafood items. I love that the kitchen will let you grill some of the items and fry others. The soft shell crab is delicious with a light batter. Try not to fill up on the hushpuppies so that you will have room for the entrée.
The staff was attentive and very helpful.
The atmosphere was laid back and relaxing — one can see why locals love this place.
Make sure to come a little early if you would like a seat by the water to see the boats and the sun set on the intercostal waterway.

Not bad. Not fab. Fairly typical beach fare. Salads are iceberg lettuce. Crab soup is milk, butter and crab meat heated in the microwave.
Plenty of room for large groups.

The Crab Shack was good but not great, and if I were in the area again I would not likely return.
Pros:
–Excellent hush puppies, which are brought in large quantities to your table.
–Our server was friendly and very efficient. She did a great job with our party of 9, including 2 young kids.
–Price for the lunch specials was $ 9 (choice of main item plus 2 sides), not too bad for a touristy seafood restaurant.
Cons:
–The popcorn shrimp could hardly be called popcorn at all. The breading was thin and without any seasoning. The shrimp were also super small. Not impressed.
–The coleslaw was SO sweet, as if someone put packets of sugar in it. I could not finish my tiny cup.
–The fries had no seasoning, either.
All I can say is thank God I filled up on hush puppies before my meal came. The waitress also brought me a bag to-​go. That was very cool of her.
Check out the Crab’s Claw instead!

Super friendly staff, great views of the water and the steamer bowl was spot on AMAZING!!! This is a must revisit spot!

I’ve been eating here for over 30 years. The food now is just as good as ever. Last evening I had a perfectly fried plate of shrimp, oysters and soft shell crab. Tonight it will be steamed snow crab legs. Seafood just doesn’t get any better than this.

Food was okay, nothing amazing or wondrous. Seemed a tad bit overpriced if you weren’t getting something from the lunch specials. They were able to accommodate our rather large extended family so that was a plus.

Hmm. The Crab Shack lives up to its name for having crab and seafood on the menu. But… I was going lite, so had clam chowder and crab balls, following the suggestion of our server Cam. The clam chowder was certainly lite, and brothy. Not rich and tasty as I hoped.
The crab balls were full of crab and okay.
My sister’s crab and shrimp salad was more satisfying; the crab and shrimp portions were plentiful and flavorful on a straight forward iceberg, green pepper and tomato base.
The crowd waiting to be seated indicated that something on the menu warrants a big draw. I found it to be flatline sustenance.

Popped in for lunch. I was among the first few to arrive upon opening. The staff was still getting things ready well past 11. They looked and acted stressed. I was seated toward the back on the waterfront. Yes this is a nice view. The dining area is small and the décor is typical of places like this. No, it won’t be high end or anything. Don’t expect a fine dining establishment.
After I was seated, someone finally came over to take my drink order. The waitresses were too busy getting ready to actually wait on me. The place wasn’t ready to open at 11 and the five groups of folks, including myself, suffered because of this initially.
The menu once again is typical. Fried seafood in combination plates is what you can expect here. Yes, it is a «crab shack» and they had this too. The prices are also comparable for places that serve combination plates. For those who have never been to this area, seafood joints usually have a combo plate that comes with 2 – 3 choices of seafood (scallops, whatever fish such as flounder, oysters, crab legs, deviled crabs, shrimp, etc.) and can be prepared either fried, steamed, or broiled. These plates usually come with a side such as fries, baked potato, slaw, salad, apple sauce, etc. Again very typical. I was happy however that they had fried okra as I don’t remember the last time I saw this anywhere.
You are started out with a basket of puppies and this was by far the best thing about my meal. These aren’t my favorite of all time, but they were damn good. Sweet cornmeal and fried nicely. I used some butter but they didn’t need much. BAM!
The joint was running lunch specials that were $ 8.99. These are not on the normal menu and much cheaper than what is normally prepared. Most plates run from $ 16-​$ 25 or so. I chose the deviled crab lunch special which comes with two sides. I chose okra and fries. The crabs were small and the plate was mostly okra and fries. Deviled crabs are not my thing in that they are mostly breading and not crabs. They were over fried and didn’t have much flavor. Not a reorder. Also, there wasn’t enough of them. I think they could have lessened the amount of sides and given me more of these. But perhaps this is why the plate was so cheap. The fries were undercooked as was the okra. I love fried okra and was somewhat excited that they offered this. But this was blah and nothing more.
My waitress was lackadaisical and was busy doing other things. I don’t know if a person dining by themselves is a turnoff or something, but she could have cared less it seemed. Several tables around me with other servers got in and out quicker than myself. They had more complex food than I did. Beats me. Unfortunately, tourist season is a blessing or a curse as far as service is concerned at places like this. You truly don’t know what you are going to run into in this department. I was underwhelmed.
While I didn’t try a combo plate that is typical of places like this, my whole experience was blah and I felt like I could have went somewhere else. There are many seafood joints around that do lunch and something similar. There is a glut of these and based on my food and service, I probably will not come back here.
The view and puppies are about the only things that stick out to me. Scratch that, I did notice that they had $ 5 pitchers on some beers. I didn’t get that, but this is a pretty good deal.
Not coming back here. I have been spoiled at other places with better service, better food, at similar prices. The puppies are the only reason this place gets any love from me. The three stars is a gift however.

Our family ate here on a pretty busy Friday night. You can tell this is a popular place for big groups and parties, most tables were filled with big groups. There was outdoor seating (benches and chairs) for us to hang out on while we waited. As for the atmosphere, there’s nothing really special, the place is small but has a nice view of the water and dock.
What really made it for me was the food itself. Each member of our group got combinations of different seafood plates. Something really nice about the dishes are the portion sizes. I ordered a combination of fried shrimp and crab cakes. The plate overflowed with fried shrimp, fries, coleslaw, and two giant crab cakes. I brought a pretty hefty appetite and couldn’t finish everything. The delicious hushpuppies brought to the table didn’t help. The food was fresh, cooked very well and was exactly what was advertised — this is what I expect when I order from a crab shack. We will be back when we are in Salter Path!

Food: served promptly, tuna was great, and a nice size portion. Great location and a very pretty view.
The only negative I can say about this place is the staffs attitude. From the minute I walked in the man at front desk came across as extremely rude. Everyone seemed irritable and agitated with each other. It could be due to the busy lunch rush but it should be something that’s fixed.

Seafood is fresh and cooked to order. Single and double combos provide huge portions. Baked and sweet potatoes are only available after 2:00pm

The sweet tea was ice, and the hush puppies are almost as sweet as the tea!
I had the 2-​item plate, and enjoyed grilled shrimp and soft-​shell crab. The shrimp was juicy and flavorful. It was my first time to have soft-​shell crab, and as fried foods go, it was okay. I much prefer a nicely prepared crab cake with lump crab meat, but now my curiosity is satisfied. The waitress was friendly and funny, and the service was prompt.

Just went here for lunch. Ordered the $ 8.99 baby flounder lunch special. Very fresh fish, lightly breaded and fried fresh to order. Tarter and cocktail sauce at the table were excellent and the basket of hush puppies you get when you sit down were delicious. Service was fast and helpful with questions. Our first seafood meal while in Emerald Isle and couldn’t be happier. Still full 3 hours later.

We went out for dinner and was a little worried as we entered the doors as it looked old and small from the outside. Don’t let that keep you from trying! We came to find out the seafood all come from right here! Another plus was the awesome view we had from our seats at the water and watching the sun go down was breathtaking! We also got to see a few dolphins jumping out of the water!
Well now to the food! It was the best fried seafood I had ever eaten! I loved the fried oysters and flounder! We did not leave here hungry, we left with to-​go boxes.
Our waitress was so nice and was never rude or anything. She was very patient with our large crowd and most of us where women who couldn’t make our minds up! Lol
This will be from now on our favorite spot to eat when we come Atlantic Beach!

If you live in Carteret County, you know what the Crab Shack is… and you know you love it.
It’s been here forever and its a delicious place to get local seafood. Daily specials printed out on a sheet with fresh sides are particularly my favorite. You will find homemade tarter and cocktail sauce… no plastic packaging here. The prices are very reasonable and you will not leave hungry. They serve wine by the glass, ½ carafe, or full carafe.
If you want a ‘seat on the water’ believe me when I say you are walking on the water since half the restaurant is built over the water. With that being said, there are limited seats to sit right next to the water so plan to come early (if you desire).

Just want to start this review off by saying there are kitties living around this place and they are so cute! I give them 3 ½ stars but rounded up just because of the kitties. Meow.
Now onto my review…
They place a hush puppies basket down at your table instead of a bread basket as soon as you sit down. They are extremely good! Probably the best I’ve ever had but I haven’t had that many hush puppies in my life.
Shockingly, The Crab Shack is the best place for, can you guess? CRABS! The blue crabs in the old bay seasoning was phenomenal. I could eat that for the rest of my life and be happy. The steamed snow crab legs were pretty average/​good. Not much to steaming crabs I don’t think. The shrimp and clams were pretty good. Their chowder soup was very different. Instead of a heavy cream base like most chowders, it was chicken stock/​broth based. I didn’t particularly like it but it wasn’t terrible. I wouldn’t order it again and I don’t recommend it either if you’re thinking about it.
One of the people I was with doesn’t eat seafood. He ordered the chicken fingers for $ 15.99. Way too pricey for extremely sub par looking chicken fingers. At least he got two sides with it.
All in all, this place is worthy of their 3 ½ star rating (currently). It’s a pretty divey, casual seafood shack right on the water. Surprisingly spacious though. Service was was good and pretty fast but it wasn’t even remotely crowded when we got there at 4:00 on a Friday. I’d come back.

The Crab Shack has the advantage of being right on the water along the Bogue Sound banks of North Carolina in Carteret County. If you are looking for a dive style beach hangout to enjoy some seafood, then this is the place. The seafood is fresh, although the atmosphere of the Crab Shack isn’t what I would call «fresh» or inviting. It’s just simply a good place to sit at park bench style tables, pull up a chair, stare out at the water through the windows, and plan your day at the beach or aquarium nearby. It is pricey, but seafood tends to be in this somewhat touristy area near Camp Lejeune.
The options for the seafood seem to be varied, but basically it is all fried or broiled/​grilled in butter. When you first sit down, you are presented with a basket of hush puppies, which is typical of most seafood restaurants that I grew up dining at in the southeast along the coast. The wait staff are friendly, but seemed somewhat tired and distracted. All in all though, everyone was nice, and you really can’t beat the great view of the water. It would have been nice to have some seating right out on the back deck where you could eat, but that was not an option. You are welcome to go out on the deck, where they have chairs available if you would like to sit out by the boats after your meal and relax though.
In the area, there are a lot of dive style seafood shack restaurants to choose from, and even with other available options, I think we would dine here again. The views were really beautiful, and the seafood was good, albeit a bit pricey. If you carefully look over the menu, you can make your meal somewhat healthier by avoiding the butter that is additionally available at the table in a basket, and also by skipping the free hush puppies and other fried food options.
It’s a crab shack, so as long as you go in with the typical crab shack expectations, you will have a better than average good time.