Crab's Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Atlantic Beach

After spending what we did here for what we got, I feel the need to warn others not to eat at Crab's Claw. I had to shrink most of my review due to character limiting 🙄

We had a reservation and had to wait almost 30 min. We were told the big table (we had 6) still had someone sitting at it and they blamed that table for sitting around instead of paying and leaving. When we got upstairs to our table, we saw 4 tables combined on the other side that looked like it would fit 12+ and 15 minutes later they split that into two sets of two, which is exactly what we had. We didnt see a group that large leaving, so they just didn't rearrange it to get us in on time when no one was even eating there.

They ended up out of soup for their clam chowder and their lobster bisque, so my wife didn't do soup and I did the cheesy chicken enchilada soup (at the beach, we wanted something seafood). Barely any chicken in it at all, but it was tiny cubed pieces so didnt seem like fresh chicken - you can only get that shape if you cut it while still frozen or it's canned or something. Super delicious still, at least. At the end of the meal our server brought us a complimentary bowl of lobster bisque that she said was the bottom of the pot but wanted us to try since she felt bad. I appreciate that from her 100%, but my wife and I couldnt even eat it - had barely any lobster at all and weirdly tasted like nacho cheese mixed with traditional bisque - it was pretty terrible.

We did the conch fritters and crab dip as apps. The conch fritters were for sure overdone - the terrible part was the actual conch. It was so overdone that it was hard like rubber. My kids spit it out every time and I chewed through it, regrettably. The crab dip was good but barely had any crab in it at all (a theme with things) and the bowl was half full. We had to pay for more pitas to finish it, even with a half full bowl.

Worst was the kids meals - our kids usually just want pasta or something. Got them buttered noodles and it comes with a side salad. We asked to substitute for any other side and it was FIVE DOLLARS to substitute a side salad (more expensive ingredients) for any side. We did french fries, and they were just frozen crinkle cut fries. Four kids, so $20 to get them some fries instead of side salads. I dont know if I've ever seen side salads as a side to a kids meal that you also have to pay to substitute on top. Taking four kids for buttered noodles and french fries basically came out to $80 with their drinks (apple juice, mnt dew, that are also not free refills).

Positive note: I did the blackened red snapper over beans and rice and it was fantastic. Actual crispy blackened crust and snapper was juicy and not overdone still. Whatever the sauce is (forget the name) they put over it and the beans/rice was delicious too.

Back to the bad: My wife got a steam pot. To add snow crab was 1 cluster in the pot, and a 3 item pot was already $75. We did 4 items ($85) to get some crab for our kids that eat it. To pick the same protein twice is another $22 upcharge, so to get a second cluster of crab only.... a $107 pot that had 2 clusters of crab, supposed to be 12 shrimp, and 12 mussels but it was definitely less of both (we didnt do an exact count but not 12), boiled celery, carrots, and potatoes (2 potatoes, ton of celery and carrot), and sausage. I have never seen sausage cut into 1/4" slices like this LOL - and there were maybe 5 of them, which is less than a half of a small piece of sausage. The crab clusters had two damn small legs missing entirely too. The shrimp tasted frozen and they were so overdone too (or straight up bad shrimp) that they went beyond chewy and into mushy. The meal also came with 3 small jalapeño corn muffins but they forgot them and they came at the end. They were one of the driest things I ever ate. I cursed my wife because she already knew and had me try it without telling me because my water was gone 🤣.

We only had two adult bevs and it came to $304 before tip. About $100 was 4 kids meals and drinks...

Go To RedFish Grill & Bar instead!

After originally being told that we could be seated outside on the lower deck, the manager came rushing out to let us know we couldn't sit there, it was one of those "Uh, can I help you" with a sense of "you're not supposed to seating yourselves" and then changed her tune when she realized the hostess was the one leading us out there. She then led us upstairs on the upper deck, which was fine, but the vibe was already off after that. We were seated, it took us about 15 minutes before the young man came to take our drink order by which time we had basically decided what we wanted but went ahead and asked him what his recommendations were, he described a crab and lobster Bisque which sounded really good, so I told him I'd like that along side my meal, he brought it out quite a while later, and to say I was disappointed was an understatement, I asked him if the crab and lobster bisque should have anything in it? Like maybe crab or lobster, and his response was, well you would think, and I informed him that it did not. I asked him to check, and he did not. He brought the rest of the food some time later, and then I once again asked him if he had a chance to ask about the crab and lobster bisque, and he did not. The food I ordered was the redfish and it was decent, not worth the price I paid, but it was... Eh... Okay. I made it all the way until he brought the check until I finally had to ask him for a refill on my drink, basically to wash my food down before I left, because he was too scatter brained for me to ask him while he was at the table the previous time when he brought my redfish to the table, at which time he didn't bother to ask the other person in my party if he would also like a refill due to his glass being empty as well. I asked him several times but he just... Didn't hear me, I suppose. Also, out of the 2 times since he brought the bisque to the table, I informed him how unhappy I was with it and asked him if he had checked on whether it was supposed to be like that, to which he didn't, until I asked him to check again after I finally was tired of the waiting game and handed my card to him to pay the bill, he did not ask about the bisque before running my card, and I had to pay full price for crab and lobster bisque with not a piece of crab or lobster to be seen, the bisque without the crab or lobster wasn't good as is, so I doubt the crab or lobster would have made much difference in taste, but I was very displeased with the Atmosphere, very displeased with the service, and very displeased and disappointed with the food... I wanted to like it so much, it smelled good from the beach, and it drew me in, so I took these pictures with plans to leave a great review, but unfortunately I cannot leave a great review and would not recommend anyone to spend money here. And I especially can NOT recommend spending 8 dollars on a bowl of crab and lobster bisque with no crab or lobster in the bisque, it's basically false advertising, and I wanted them to take it off of my bill, but they did not. They ran my card so I left no tip and wrote Bisque on the tip line. Don't waste money here, go...

Yesterday (Sunday, 10/22/23) my favorite Crystal Coast restaurant, Crab's Claw was removed from my list of dining places to recommend or support. The owner is very unprofessional, yelling etc. I tried to write this review last night giving details, however, I ran out of words to comment. The business motto, the customer is always right, is non-existent at the Crab's Claw. The owner/Toni's behavior was so unacceptable that her wait staff was apologizing for her. The wait staff was not the problem. There are no excuses to justify the way I was treated at this restaurant by the owner. I feel sorry for her employees and especially her customers. The couple at the table next to me was appalled by the owner's attitude, tone of voice and unprofessionalism. Neither I, nor those customers will be supporting Crab's Claw in the future. I have been a patron of this establishment for at least 25 years, but that support was destroyed yesterday in a less than 1 minute exchange with the owner. When I calmed down, I requested to speak to Toni about the situation. The waitress returned to let me know the owner was too busy to speak to me. How does this woman keep this restaurant open with her treatment of her customers???? Wish I could give details but as I said, I tried to post last night but this comment section didn't allow enough words for me to explain. When I left the restaurant, after the owner told the wait staff to not serve me, I was upset enough to leave my favorite purple jacket hanging on the back of my chair. The entire experience was an unforgivable situation. The owner is rude, unprofessional, and out of control. This loyal customer will take her patronage and $$$$ to a Crystal Coast restaurant that treats their customers with respect. And that restaurant is no longer the Crab's Claw!!!!!! I wanted to rate the review with negative stars, but this reviewing site makes you give one star to comment. I am a professional that has supervised 100's of people successfully, at the same time on a project, so I know Toni's leadership style is unacceptable. 😊😡You did yell at me. The couple seated next to me hear you. You did not offer me a better table. Your attitude demanded that I move. I called 20 minutes before I arrived to let the person that answered the phone know I would have my dog so I would need to sit on the back deck. I can not climb the steep steps at Crab's Claw. I told the first employee I saw know I had called earlier. I cannot climb in the tall table top chairs. You yelled to your staff to not serve me, multiple customers and your wait staff heard you. I own property Downeast. I have been visiting the Atlantic Beach area since I was 5 years old, I am now a senior citizen. Your attitude was very unprofessional. I have read every review posted and I am obviously not the only customer that has received your "hospitality". Due to prior obligations, I will not be back to the Crystal Coast until after the first of the year to retrieve my purple jacket. You need to assess your business model and make some much needed...