Red Claws Crab Shack Seafood & Hot Chicken — Restaurant in Houston

Honestly, it was a bad experience.

When we got there it was 6:20pm. We got the all you could eat and the food was honestly subpar. I think the most thing I had an issue was we didn’t really know who our server was and kept having to track people down to get help.

(We refilled our own drinks the entire time).

The food would take 30-40 minutes to come out (keep in mind there was maybe 3-4 other tables there and atleast 5-6 working not including cooks).

We only ended up eating “three rounds” and we ended up leaving at around 9:10pm. That’s how long it took us to track down a “waiter”, to order for, to get our food and to eat it. Almost three hours there not of our own will. A lot of them passed by our table but didn’t even look at us /stop to ask us if we’d like to order more. (We’re in the middle so hard not to see us trying to wave people down). In the entire 3 hours we were there our original “waitress” had only talked to us twice. Once when giving us taking our drink order/giving us drink and then taking our first food order. After that we got our own drinks and had to chase people down for food.

It took them 20ish minutes just to bring a small cup of gumbo (no rice) and about 5 minutes to eat it.

I could understand if they were “slammed” but they really weren’t especially not for how much staff was there compared to little customers. I did notice a lot of the other tables looking around waiting for their waiters, waiting to order, etc and they got there before us.

When we did finally get our food it’s such small portions that we would have to wait another 20-30 minutes.

I ordered lemon pepper wings and Canjun fries so.. not even that much food. They only give you three wings and maybe 20-30 fry’s (they’re the insanely small fries btw)

So either they’re incredibly understaffed or they really are just trying to waste your time so you’ll leave which doesn’t work when I’m hungry and the portions they give are so small. I spent $103 dollars and left hungry.

I honestly wouldn’t go back at this point. There are many other “all you can eat __” around where you have a waiter constantly coming by offering you refills, more food, etc. and when they bring it to you it’s an actual portion of food that will fill you up. If you’re not careful you’ll make yourself full in one-...

I simply did not enjoy my experience here. Pretty disappointing.

As for some context, my friends and I decided to try this spot on a whim due to the "All you can eat" aspect. Keep in mind, we are regulars at Crawfish Cafe, Reel, and Yummy. Pretty well known staple, delicious crawfish spots in Houston, so that's our baseline of standard.

Let's get into the reasons as to why:

You tip before getting service. Basically you pay before you get the food at the front kiosk. Problem with that is, you have to include tip before you even get your service. Here's the BIG issue I had with it, we were a party of 3, and they automatically applied a ~12% tip to our check.

Buffet ordering system is complete bogus. On the menu, they say 4 max and give you some options: crawfish, clams, crab, mussels, etc. They all come in 1/2LB serving sizes. Here's where they get you. You CANNOT order more of the same thing twice in one order. So, if you wanted to eat only a couple of those items, you're at a loss. You would think that if I only want crawfish, I should be able to order 4 1/2LB orders making it 2LB per order. Somewhat saving grace was that the first two orders, they allowed us to order two servings of crawfish per order, meaning we get a 1LB. But after that, they told us only 1/2LB again.

Here's the worst one.

Their service is inattentive and they show reluctancy when taking orders. They did not once notice our bucket of shells were full and exchange it for an empty one. Service overall was relatively slow. We had to be on them. When taking order, their attitude seemed hesitant that we were mostly ordering crawfish, huge turn off.

As for my final thoughts, if you're going to be a buffet, be a buffet. The only thing that saved this place really was that the flavor wasn't terrible, a 6.5-7/10 (clams were a little dirty though) and the fact that they offer a WIDE variety of other food. It's perfect for someone who would want a huge assortment of foods.

Not coming back until they change...

Red Claws seafood and Hot Chicken in Houston is a seafood haven that surpasses expectations. From the crab legs to the hot chicken, every dish is a symphony of flavors. The ambiance is inviting, the service great, making it a must-visit for foodies. The menu is a fusion of freshness and has plenty of options even for those who don’t love seafood. We came in with a party of 10, was surprised how big the restaurant is. Our big table ordered seafood and plenty of appetizers and my favorite app was definitely the calamari, fried pickles and the oysters were so fresh. The crab and shrimp were cooked to perfection. Dont even get me started on the chicken… it was definitely one of the best fried chicken we’ve ever had. Extremely juicy, well seasoned and was not dry at all, we tried the spicy for the wings and it was perfect! The drink menu surprised me as well, they offer a variety of fruity and yummy drinks. Their staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the menu, answered all of our questions. Overall, the vibrant atmosphere and attentive staff really enhanced the dining experience, making this restaurant a top-tier choice. Nestled in the heart of Houston, Red Claws seafood and Hot Chicken stands out as a culinary gem, seamlessly combining the best of seafood and the fiery allure of hot chicken. I’ve recommended the Dallas location to multiple people and am extremely excited about this location. We will definitely...