Ocean Shack Arlington — Restaurant in Arlington

Diabetes and heart disease in a fun atmosphere. I was really excited for this place to open since it is incredibly close to where I live. Sadly, I doubt it will make it a full year. I don’t think they understand who lives around here.

PROS: They did a good job with the beach theme. Not quite as good as Clare and Donns, but a good attempt. Cool sign on the building.

CONS: There are a lot! First, there is no kids menu. The $14 chicken strips are pretty good, but pricey for a picky kid. Not a bad deal if you split it between two kids, but that’s not always an option and there are soooo many families in this area who would like an inexpensive kid friendly restaurant (this isn’t it). Second, unless you want to pay almost $30 for your food, you are eating very unhealthy fried food. There is no fish or chicken option that is not fried for under $30 on this menu. Great place to go every now and then for some super unhealthy food, but it is diabetes and heart disease waiting to happen unless you spend $30 per person. I did appreciate the broccoli. The menu does show a picture of shrimp salad with steamed/boiled shrimp, but it came out with fried shrimp and they don’t offer a healthy shrimp option (very misleading menu picture). Can you try to offer a shrimp steamed or boiled shrimp for less than $15? Maybe add grilled chicken to the Caesar salad? Something that will not give me a chronic illness if I eat there regularly? Which brings me to my third con - no manager came to ask how things were and the waiter was nonexistent. They didn’t seem to care that we were even there. And it wasn’t even busy. I get that it is a soft opening and starting a new restaurant is tough, and I would have preferred to share the above information with them personally instead of posting on here, but no one was available to talk to us.

I really do want this place to succeed, but they need to take a strong look at how to have some more healthy options for under $20 on the menu. And actually care about the people dining there - customer service is kinda important. I will go back one day when I want to splurge on a $30 steamed crab meal. But it is sadly not a place I will go very often unless they revamp the menu to include some non-fried food at a reasonable price (e.g. Clare and Dons has 1/2lb steamed shrimp for $12 or $20.50 grilled mahi; or anything at Quarterdeck). Now that I am writing this, I realize that I will bypass ocean shack and just go straight to Clare and dons next time unless I hear Ocean Shack has some new and healthier...

Welcome to Ocean Shack, where the seafood is as abundant as the ocean itself and the all-you-can-eat special is sure to have you swimming back for more. For only $58 per person, this new spot dishes out an oceanic feast that's a catch in both variety and flavor.

Starting off with the starters, the Sweet Potato Fries were a crispy sweet beginning to our culinary voyage. The Crab Bites, succulent and flavorful, were little nuggets of joy, while the Popcorn Basil Chicken added a herby pop that kept our taste buds dancing. The Fried Catfish, Fried Oyster, and Fried Calamari rounded out the appetizer lineup, each piece perfectly breaded and fried to golden perfection, proving that sometimes, the best treasures are found fried.

The main event is the seafood boil, and it's a delightful voyage to fresh waters. We dove into the Black Mussels, Snow Crab Legs, and Shrimp, all swimming in a sea of Spicy Garlic Butter that was both fiery and flavorful. The addition of Potatoes, Boiled Eggs, and Sausage turned each forkful into a hearty bite of ocean bliss. This is the kind of meal where you roll up your sleeves, don a bib, and dive in.

For those looking to steer their ship towards something a bit more plated, the Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is a must-try. Jumbo shrimp are sautéed in a rich garlic butter sauce, with a squeeze of lemon and Hawaiian spices, and served over a bed of rice. It's a dish that whispers aloha with every bite.

Overall, the food leans a bit on the salty side, and the casual vibe and great service make it the great spot for seafood lovers looking for a laid-back dining experience that doesn't skimp on flavor. With generous portions and a wide array of options, this spot is sure to hook anyone's appetite. Whether you're here for the all-you-can-eat extravaganza or just dropping by for a quick bite, Ocean Shack is a fantastic addition to the local dining scene, promising...

Saw this restaurant featured on Instagram raving about the drink specials and seafood. So tonight we gave it a shot. First, it was a rainy day so parking was at a premium. The restaurant is perfect for a local watering hole or neighborhood bar. There were a few issues we had with our dining experience. First, we placed an appetizer order of nachos with beef/cheese to get us started. The appetizer came out after our meals were served. Our waitress apologized and didn’t charge us for it, which was great. I got the crab cakes meal, which comes with coleslaw, and broccoli. The menu doesn’t tell you that broccoli comes with it, so I ordered a side of broccoli. Which I loved! My boys had chicken tenders which they both devoured on sight. My wife order the Dungeness Special Combo, which came with a bucket for scraps and a TON of yummy food. The only thing my wife asked they could do better is to have clarified butter instead of “melted butter.” The melted butter she said tasted weird. She loved that you could choose your spicy heat setting for your seafood “mild, medium, hot and fire.” The downside of this place from our visit was that the staff was stretched “very”thin. We had to wait for a few minutes to get anything. While the staff was professional, friendly and courteous having to wait for service of any kind makes the meal not worth the wait. We watched several folks come in and out due to the wait for a table, and they do offer to go options if you need to grab and go. The mens restroom needed some attention as well, but with staffing issues not sure if it was/is a priority. Would give them a second chance but for now I would rate three out...