Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Georgia

Located at the end of a shopping center with plenty of parking and just a quick hop off the interstate, this spot makes for an easy and convenient stop—whether you’re coming off the road or looking for a laid-back place to relax. It has a great outdoor patio, indoor dining, and a full bar with libations to satisfy every palette. Everything is super clean, from the tables and booths to the floors, and they also offer some fun retail items if you want to take something home.

I ordered the Greggah lobster roll warm with their mustard sauce. It came on a top-loaded, buttery toasted bun filled with warm, fresh lobster. Absolute perfection. I also had the crab balls, calamari, and a house salad. The crab balls had a nice spice without going overboard and were served with a flavorful house-made sauce. The calamari was cooked well done, just how I like it—crispy, tender, and not rubbery at all. The sweet and hot sauce they serve it with is divine. The Louie sauce is my personal favorite. They make almost everything from scratch in-house, including the sauces and their slaw. The slaw is cool, creamy, tangy, and sweet—exactly like the kind I grew up eating.

The house salad was generously portioned and full of crisp, fresh ingredients, all clearly prepped in-house. I came back the next day for lunch and caught the house-made clam strips special. I got the clam strip basket with sautéed vegetables—same side I had the night before because they were that good. The vegetables are crisp and vibrant, not mushy or overcooked like you sometimes get elsewhere.

I also had a cup of clam chowder that was thick, creamy, and packed with flavor. You can taste the coast in every bite. The chain was founded in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, and it still carries that same coastal character. The staff here—bartenders and servers alike—are extremely friendly and helpful, which just adds to the...

We were so excited to stumble across this place, and found several items on the menu which really caught our eye. As we were deciding on our dinner, we were already planning what we'd have on our next visit. The place was clean and the staff was friendly, but sadly there will be no second visit.

Things fell apart when our menus were taken but our orders were not. We started with the cold crab "dip", which came highly recommended. Really??? Why? It was served on a piece of lettuce, and so completely saturated with mayonnaise that it barely held it's shape. Ummm... if it's served on a plate, it's not a "dip". The only hint of crab was the fishy smell. It was served with toast which had also seen it's better day. Ours was cold, chewy and dripping with olive oil.

I ordered the lobster grilled cheese... heck yeah! Lobster and cheese on grilled Texas toast. How could you possibly mess that up? Well, it'd help if the lobster was fresh. Also, Texas toast? I thought everything was supposed to be bigger in Texas? I guess there is a place in the Philippines called Texas. Hmmm.

My wife ordered a streamed combo. Again, fishy. In nicer restaurants, if you season your food after it comes out of the kitchen, it's kind of an insult to the chef. Here, they actually bring condiments to your table before the food. There's also a shared bottle of Old Bay already available on the table... just sayin'.

As we were finishing up our meal, we were deciding on where to go for dinner. Yup! ...small portions. The only thing large was the bill. When market price is $20 higher than the menu price, what happened to the simple courtesy of bringing it to the patrons attention? In hind sight, maybe that's asking a bit much... perhaps just start simple by at least asking for...

Wanted to like this place. The good: Great atmosphere and decor. Had the calamari as an app and was good. Hushpuppies very good. Now the bad: Had the fish and chips, was ok nothing exciting. Hubbie had the crab sandwich, lots of filler and a bit too spicy. Sandwiches say they come with two sides. Beware the coleslaw is a 2 oz ramekin, that's a garnish not a side.

What really put the kabosh on our experience was the staff. Server eating at a 4 top table before starting his shift. Taking up valuable space. We had to sit at hightop group table as no regular tables available. Wouldn't have minded if staff wasn't using a premium spot for himself.

Server was bleh. Had to ask for multiple basic things that should automatically be brought or asked if we would like. Never asked us if we wanted dessert (I would have) just plopped the check down. Nice enough person just not very personable or seemingly interested in her job. Hostesses yacking at the door leaving tables dirty for 10-15 minutes with about 20 people waiting to eat.

In full disclosure I work in the service industry so notice how and what the staff does and does not do. They definitely need more training and someone overseeing them.

Would like to give them another try just not sure its worth the...