The Kickin' Crab — Restaurant in Olivette

This is definitely one of those reasons. I wish we could give fractions of stars. Because this did not even deserve one star.

We visited Kicking Crab last night with my family while in town for the weekend, based on my sister’s recommendation. Unfortunately, our experience was deeply disappointing from start to finish.

Upon entering, we noticed pictures plastered all over the glass entrance of people who allegedly left without paying. This gave the place an unwelcoming vibe right from the start. Additionally, we were forced to sign a waiver outlining restrictions about splitting checks, mandatory 18% gratuity, and other unnecessary conditions—something I’ve never encountered at other restaurants.

The staff seemed disorganized, and while the service was passable, it was clear they weren’t properly trained. The food itself was mediocre at best. It was overly buttered, watered down, and lacked the flavor you’d expect from a seafood establishment. To make matters worse, the next day, 3 of three 4 of us, who ate the seafood bags, experienced severe stomach cramps and diarrhea—a clear sign that the food quality was questionable at best.

The forced 18% gratuity, especially given the quality of service and food, felt unjustified. For every $100 spent, we were required to leave a $18 tip, which far exceeded what I felt the experience warranted. We spent about $350 for 6 adults and 1 child. ÷ about $40 tip.

My advice: Avoid Kicking Crab at all costs. The food isn’t worth the price or the health risk, and the atmosphere is more off-putting than inviting. Save your money and find a better...

Ok, this was my 1st time visiting this establishment & I must say that I was not disappointed at all. The interior is small but cozy, plenty of T.V.'s throughout the establishment. The pics of items that they prepare on the window for U to view before U go in is a very nice touch👍. Our server was excellent & very attentive. I ordered 1lb. Shrimp w/ heads off & the Kickin' Sauce & a side of Cajun French Fries & a Sprite to drink. The Fries were great!! nice & hot & crispy. I think I may have found a new place for French Fries👍!!. The Shrimp were good, Shrimp Cocktail size shrimp, very meaty. The Kickin' Sauce was delicious!! my only complaint would be that the sauce was only on the shell & didn't actually soak into the Shrimp & although U are supposed to leave ur mess allover the paper on the table, I prefer having a basket or bucket to put all my shells & trash into.... It was not crowded as we went right when they opened at 12pm. I did notice though that they seem to do a pretty good call-in & takeout service. I will definitely be returning to try something different off of the menu. The prices were reasonable for Market Prices(Shrimp w/ Head Off $13 per lb. & Snow Crab Legs $23 per lb) enjoying the food & filling myself up "Priceless"😁. It was so good, I forgot to take my...

Hadn’t eaten here in a few years, so figured I’d take my guest from out of town here, but unfortunately we decided to leave shortly after placing our order. I have never placed an order and left before I could even get the food, that’s how bad it was. We came in with a group of 5, plus an 11 month old. For starters, they wanted to tack on an 18% gratuity, which we thought was odd to count an 11 month old as a 6th guest when they won’t even be eating. But ok, we accepted it as we tend to tip pretty well anyway (higher than 18%), but figured they just capped their tip by being ridiculous. The server was very short with us, almost as if he didn’t want to be there. I had to take over and explain the menu and how to order to my guest. When he brought the drinks out, he sat them all down in one spot for us to distribute to the table and said they were out of a couple of the drinks. I was annoyed by then and just figured we’d go down the street to Mad Crab. Much better service from the moment we walked through the door and cleaner as well. It’s also worth noting that the market prices at Mad Crab are about $5 lower. Just save yourself the headache and go to Mad Crab about 5 mins...