Beach party!!!!

No, not really, but if you're eating at Joe's Crab Shack, you can be forgiven for thinking you're at a beach party. 

We'd been to the location in Oceanside a few times, and were delighted to find the Westbury location, closer to home.  It's a smaller, less cavernous space than the Oceanside location, but just as much fun to visit.

Very casual atmosphere, the wait staff is all dressed in tie dye.  Your table is set with a big bucket (for the shells), a smaller bucket for eating utensils, and a roll of paper towels instead of napkins. 

The menu has many offerings -- shrimp dishes, fried seafood platters, salads, crab cakes, burgers, even steak and chicken. 

But the stars of the menu, as I've said before, are the steam pots. The steam pots/buckets of crab can be a bit pricey, but many of the other entrees are less expensive.

I ordered my favorite -- the Artic.  It includes Queen crab, shrimp, a whole lobster and smoked sausage all boiled in a garlic bath and topped with Old Bay Seasoning, as well as an ear of corn and two small potatoes.    I'd forgotten that I don't care for the sausage -- last time I had this steam pot I asked for extra shrimp instead -- so I wound up giving the sausage to Drew.  

Very little conversation while we were eating, we were too busy cracking shells. 

There were no leftovers.  I actually considered ordering dessert...

Adding to the fun atmosphere, periodically the wait staff will drop what they're doing and line dance.  Customers are encouraged to join them.

And right now they're doing a raffle.  You can win prizes from their merchandise shop.  The money they raise helps pay the cost of the staff uniforms, so that the waiters don't have to buy their own tie dye.  Drew decided to buy a few raffle tickets, and wound up winning a t shirt.


A fun evening and a good meal.  What more could you ask for?

Sleeves up, let's get cracking.