Hammered Crab — Restaurant in Gulf Shores

How in the world is this the #1 ranked seafood restaurant in Gulf Shores, AL?

Terrible food. Slow service. High price point for what's actually served.

$225 for 2 adults and 7 kids. We waited over an hour for fries, fried shrimp, and fried fish. The fries were ice cold and had to be sent back. The fish and shrimp were well seasoned and hot. The kids actually fought over the shrimp.

My wife and I shared the $90+ surf & terf meal. Pathetic excuse of a prime rib. They brought us a well-done piece of dark gray steak. Not prime rib. We asked for a medium rear prime rib. That's how it's supposed to be served. Pink but warm. They brought another piece that was light gray with hints of pink, I guess. Probably the worst prime rib I've ever had. Hands down. Next were the green beans. Absolute garbage. No flavor. No texture. Nothing. My kid said it tasted like water... I thought we were in the South!?

Next were the salads they forgot to deliver until we asked multiple times and arrived after everything else. The salad was okay, but what's the point if it arrives after the main course?

Lastly was the cold and completely average snow crab boil. No garlic butter. Just soft lump meat with no seasoning.

Pros: Kids enjoyed the hushpuppys and hot fries after an hour our order was placed.

The server was fine... underwhelming but did her job. She couldn't help the fact that our food was disgusting. She did notice we were disappointed by the cold fries and brought out fresh ones right away.

Cons: Pretty much everything else. All the people eating the $60 all you can eat crab legs were served 5-6 times while we waited. We were shocked!

I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. Find another...

We arrived at the restaurant at 8 PM and were seated on the patio. From the moment we sat down, it was clear we were more of a burden than customers. Our server didn’t introduce herself, never smiled, and her attitude made us feel like we were completely unwelcome for the entire evening.

Let’s start with the food — or lack thereof. The highly advertised All You Can Eat Crab Legs are a steep $85 per person, and sharing is not allowed. That’s a big price tag for a restaurant where nearly everything else was subpar.

Here’s what we tried: • Gumbo: watery, bland, and disappointing. • Peel and Eat Shrimp: forgettable and mediocre at best. • Garlic Crab Claws: $20 for what looked like a sample-size appetizer. • Snow Crab Boil: also mediocre. • Hush Puppies, Salad, Coleslaw, Potatoes, Chicken Tenders, Fries: standard, boring, or overcooked. • Beer: $6 per can. Seriously — sneak in your own. • Key Lime Pie: advertised to come with whipped cream. It didn’t. We had to send it back.

Now, back to the service. By 9:30, our server was cleaning tables and clearly wanted us gone. She literally stood nearby staring at us. Then, in case her passive-aggressive behavior wasn’t clear enough, one of her coworkers came outside and said, “Damn, are they not gone yet?”, to which our server replied — loudly — “Nope. Not yet.” Extremely unprofessional and beyond uncomfortable.

They close at 11 PM, by the way.

Bottom line: • Server was rude all night • Food was overpriced and honestly terrible • Atmosphere was uncomfortable and unwelcoming

Don’t fall for the flashy advertising or gimmicks. This place isn’t worth your time, money, or patience. Go...

"Disappointing Experience at The Hammered Crab"

Our recent dining experience at The Hammered Crab in Gulf Shores, Alabama, unfortunately, fell short of expectations. Despite its promising appeal for seafood lovers, the $60 all-you-can-eat crab left us less than satisfied. The first batch was devoid of any seasoning, tasting bland and uninteresting. Shockingly, the second lot piled on the salt in such abundance it was nigh on inedible.

Another disappointment was the shrimp boil. Priced at $38, the quality did not match. The shrimp seemed overcooked, resulting in an undesirable texture, making the meal less enjoyable than anticipated. Additionally, the salad provided was clearly not fresh, the vegetables felt dry and rubbery, likely as a result of being left out for too long; this indicated questionable quality control.

Although the service was commendable - the staff was attentive and congenial - it unfortunately isn’t enough to compensate for the sorely lacking food experience.

In conclusion, we won't be returning to The Hammered Crab and cannot recommend it to other potential patrons. While the service was a highlight, the quality of food from the crabs to the salad was underwhelming. A dining experience, particularly one charging these prices, hinge on the food's quality, which The Hammered Crab seems to...