by Claudia McCants
When my husband asked, "What do you want for dinner?" Saturday night, my mind whirled with possibilities. We rarely feel like cooking on weekends, except for Sunday dinner, so Friday and Saturday nights usually feature hot dogs, burgers, or on payday a trip to our favorite Chinese carry-out.
I didn't feel like eating junk food or fast food. What I really craved was Maryland-style steamed crabs...something you don't find easily in Florida. I went to my computer and searched for local seafood restaurants. A few offered online menus. One actually served soft shell crab sandwiches, but that wasn't what I wanted. Several menus said they served crabs "when available", so I called around and ended up being disappointed. Apparently blue crab wasn't available last week at any of the restaurants I frequent. In a previous article, I mentioned "The Blue Crab", one of our family's favorite restaurants. I knew they would serve trays of spicy crabs to crack and eat, but it was after 8 o'clock and I thought it was too late to drive across town and lazily enjoy a crab feast. And to be honest, my son wasn't in the mood for picking crab meat, nor was I looking foward to sitting in their white plastic lawn chairs. (I'm still recuperating from three separate hospital stays this past summer, which has left me a little off balance and with leg and back pain most days).
That's why finding fresh crab became an obsession that night. I lost 40 pounds this summer, and while that's a good thing, part of the reason I lost that much weight was because I'd lost my sense of taste and appetite for more than two months. There were times when I thought I'd never enjoy food again, and I was sad because I imagined I'd never again eat crab, shrimp, clams, oysters or any of the specialities the ocean offers. When I realized I was craving crab, I was excited and anxious. "How about Joe's Crab Shack?" I asked. Renz smiled and said, "Let's go!"
I usually don't write articles about franchised restaurants or national chains. I prefer to feature local family restaurants. The only time I make an exception is when I am especially pleased with the food and all-around experience a restaurant presents. We went to Joe's Crab Shack because we had never been there, we had talked about going there for a long time, and because friends had recommended it to us. I didn't imagine I would write an article about the restaurant. I just wanted crab, and even though I knew they didn't serve blue crab, I was intrigued by the menu I'd studied on the Internet.
I called ahead to see if we needed a reservation. The hostess said they weren't taking reservations, but that the restaurant was open until 11 o'clock and the waiting period was only 30 minutes. We had plenty of time to get there and still enjoy a leisurely dinner. I told her I was handicapped and walking with a walker or wheelchair. She said they had a ramp and they could accommodate me with a walker or wheelchair. Within minutes, we were on our way to Jacksonville Beach.
When we arrived, we found handicapped parking near the restaurant. Across the street there was still easy parking to be found in the restaurant's lot. Renz helped me into the wheelchair and pushed me up the ramp where, as expected, we found a small crowd of people waiting to get inside. The hostess pointed out the bar, and while my husband purchased beverages for our wait, Chris and I enjoyed the balmy ocean breeze. Joe's reminded me of an Ocean City restaurant I'd visited in my teens. Even before I went inside, I was happy to be there.
We were seated at our table and wearing paper bibs around our necks within 15 minutes. There was plenty of room for my wheelchair and the hostess and waiter were very helpful and gracious. I already knew what I would order because I'd made my choice from the online menu. Renz and Chris perused the choices--a wide assortment of appetizers, sandwiches and sumptuous platters. In the end, we all selected from six Steampots. That wasn't a surprise, since we love what people in the south call Low Country Boil, or what northerners might refer to as a New England Clam Bake. Sticking to my traditional Maryland tastes, I asked for the Old Bay Steampot, with two clusters of Alaskan Snow Crab and a pound of steamed clams. Chris picked the Long Islander and was obviously happy as he put away a pound each of mussels and clams. Renz's Sunset Fire-Grilled Steampot served both Dungeness and Alaskan Snow Crab with spicy shrimp. All of the Steampots also came with corn, sausage and red potatoes. My meal took me very close to Heaven and I was thankful to be alive and with my taste buds once again working the way they should.
For me, part of the exceptional experience that is Joe's Crab Shack was the bustling atmosphere. A warning to those of you who want a quiet dining experience, this would be the wrong place for you because Joe's not only serves up delicious food but their serving staff and customers display an abundance of energy and enthusiam that was still turned up to HIGH as they danced around the room and the clock hands ticked toward 11 o'clock. Our waiter, Jeff, gave a thumbs-up to the Key Lime Pie, and he was right...it provided the perfect ending to a memorable meal.
Including a nice tip, drinks and three desserts, our meal came to approximately $130. Not inexpensive by any means, but certainly on the level with many restaurants at the beach. For us, Joe's won't be a weekly or even monthly experience. Instead, it will be reserved for special times...I've already asked to go there for my birthday in November.
Joe's Crab Shack may not be a family operated low-key local business, but the locals love it. Why else would they, like us, vow to return again as they walked out the door? There's only one answer to that: The employees at Joe's Crab Shack know how to make their customers happy.
There are 120 Joe's Crab Shack locations in the U.S., in 28 states. In Florida, you'll find Joe's in Celebration, Destin, Clearwater, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Lauderhill, Naples, Orlando and Sanford.
RELATED LINKS:
JOE'S CRAB SHACK OFFICIAL SITE
* Photos taken from the Joe's Crab Shack menu.
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