To start this off, I attempted to go to the Stone Oak location on 08/24/2024, but their plumbing had issues so it was take out only. This should have been my first red flag of the day, but I chose this location as a back up. I have been an avid Smashin Crab fan since 2017, but with changes to their menus over the years, it might be time to find a new seafood restaurant or just do at-home boils.

Upon arriving, there weren't too many tables to choose from but based on where we sat, it was tight. We had one waiter come by to acknowledge us but ended up with a different server. Although the table knew what we all wanted, we still allowed the waitress to give us the run down of how the establishment works and listened about their Culinaria menu. While two people from our party did choose to order from the Culinaria menu (that came with 3 courses: Appetizer, Entree and a Dessert option), the waitress explained that it also included a alcoholic drink and all for $55.

During service, there were times in which we had to repeat our request to the wait staff. The wrong drink order was put in (I decided not to make a fuss about it). The wrong dessert was brought to the table for one of my guests, but then corrected. Plastic utensils were requested twice before being brought to the table. My seafood boil bag was busted(and very messy). And I was never given my desert although I asked for it 3 times.

Again, throughout the experience we continued to show grace to our waitress as she seemed to not be as experienced, but when it came to pay our checks, we were unfortunately told incorrect information and the management staff did nothing to correct their errors. When ordering one of the included drinks with the Culinaria menu, the waitress asked what type of tequila was wanted and asked if the double shot was okay. Note: the way in which she asked was assumed that the normal order was a double shot, not a single.

Instead of taking responsibility in giving us the wrong information. They chose to put the blame on their waitress being new (4 days in) as well as mentioning that a portion of the ticket for the Culinaria ticket goes to a culinary school. Since it's something not mentioned on their menu or by waitstaff, I find it odd that it's not being brought up during "checkout" because at the end of the day, that has nothing to do with what they messed up on. I do want it to be known that we were not looking to have anything "comped" outside of what pricing was told to us...we just wanted to pay for what was advertised and be on our way.

So if you are someone who likes to frequent an establishment that doesn't take accountability, take the time to properly train their staff, or have a good management team to properly explain something (and messes up your order throughout the night)...I would highly recommend this location for you.