CJ's Crab Shack — Restaurant in Miami Beach

More Like CJ’s Crab Shlack

I visited CJ’s Crab Shack on a recent trip to Miami, expecting a tidal wave of flavor but instead got hit with a splash of lukewarm mediocrity. The food? Oh, it was pleasing to the eyes—if Instagram likes could fill your stomach, I’d have been stuffed. But alas, my tongue was left utterly abandoned, wandering a desert of blandness.

The crab lacked seasoning like it was in the witness protection program, and the shrimp tasted like it was on an extended vacation from flavor. Even Old Bay would have thrown its hands up and walked out. I swear, the kitchen must have an exclusive contract with the local salt-free diet coalition.

And then there was the tap water. Miami tap water should come with a warning label, but CJ’s somehow managed to make it worse. It tasted like the ice machine moonlights as a rust collector. I ended up ordering a Coke just to cleanse the palate, and even that felt like a gourmet choice by comparison.

To top it all off, the portions were as stingy as the seasoning. The plate looked great—perfect for a postcard—but my stomach was left wondering if this was just the appetizer for another restaurant.

In summary, CJ’s Crab Shack is the culinary equivalent of a catfish: looks good in the pictures, but disappoints when it’s in front of you. Would I go back? Only if my taste buds were in dire...

We thought this would be an awesome restaurant to dine at as it is located right on the strip in South Beach with fantastic views with the outdoor dining.

We couldn't be more wrong.

The steak my wife ordered was 70% fat and couldn't be consumed. Upon mentioning it to our waitress she had offered to have another one made, however we also had lobster tails and garlic shrimp to eat as well and would have enjoyed eating it together as the meal. We respectfully declined and asked that the steak be removed from the bill, the waitress said she would have it removed and then returned to our table and said they could only make her another one.

My wife then requested that a manager be sent to our table and upon his arrival my wife explained the situation and the manager merely blew it off by saying "this type of thing sometimes happens" this was said in a very rude way.

We ordered lobster tails as well that were like chewing on pieces of rubber. The worst lobster I've ever had.

The crab legs we were served were extremely over cooked and the meat was waterlogged.

The garlic shrimp was about the only thing half way decent, but for what they charge you should be getting prime service and meals.

I DO NOT recommend eating here while in South Beach!!!

And they might want to step their game up on their...

I used to live in South Beach and have been going to CJ's Crab Shack since Chris & Jory first opened further up Ocean Drive. On a visit to Miami Beach last week, I told my wife we had to go there for dinner because I knew they wouldn't disappoint. (And they didn't.)

I knew what I wanted - their famous "Grouper in a Bag," grouper with cheese, onions, and jalapenos wrapped and baked in parchment paper. My wife went for the Fisherman's platter, blackened grouper, scallops and shrimp with a crab cake. For the included side dish, trust me and order the pasta alfredo - it's the best and pairs well with the seafood! The food was as amazing as I remember it, a decade later since my last visit.

Carlos, who has worked there since nearly day 1, served us and was as friendly, helpful and gracious as always.

CJ's is a family-owned and operated restaurant. The vast majority of restaurants on Ocean Drive are rip-off joins that serve mediocre food at high prices. That's not CJ's. Seafood isn't cheap but you get high quality food here for a fair price from a local family.

A side note on Grand Daddy Gus' "crab cake:" When it's served, you'll think it's a deviled crab, because it's served in the blue crab shell instead of being a stand-alone "cake". But it's not deviled - it's lump blue crab meat inside and...