We are going here for a work do-am I right to think this is a chain?

Yes.

The chain is owned by the same company that has Landry's, the Rainforest Cafe, Chart House Restaurants and several other small chains.

Keith

Yes it is a chain (link below to website) and not a very good one in my honest opinion. Although, I do like their frozen green drink (not sure of the name) and their crab dip. Of course, I am just partial on frozen beverages and dips so........

http://www.joescrabshack.com/index.asp

Going to that chain for their pre-frozen and shipped in seafood in San Francisco makes about as much sense as the one here in Naples, Florida. Horrible food, un-professional service, and the annoying "Chuckey Cheese" atmosphere where the groups of high school aged waiters sing Happy Birthday ever three minutes.

It is a great place if you like lousy service and a bunch of unidentifiable fried stuff that they say is seafood. If you put lots of tartare sauce on the stuff it isn't so bad.

I would guess that in SFO there are thousands of other choices for seafood.

A very strong 3rd (or is it 4th) to AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! Blech!

One of the most culinary diverse cities in the WORLD...and you're contemplating eating at a Joe's Crab Shack???????????????

I went to a Joe's Crab Shack in Orlando--group vote, not my choice--and thought it was OK, but then, fresh seafood is strangely hard to find in Orlando. In SF, that's not the case. Is the "do" so large that you need a big restaurant?

If the boss likes Joe's Crab Shack, then I'm sure escholtzia will too, right? Gotta keep the boss happy, but try to sample some other San Francisco treats while there on business.

That's right. We do not work in the City so it will be a treat for some of my coworkers. I think I will just look forward to the frozen green goo. (personally I would prefer to go to John's Grill...)

Thanks for your input!

escholtzia, I kinda feel sorry for you, working with people that would be thrilled by Joe's Crab Shack. I mean, it's not the absolute worst seafood in the world, but it's just not particularly good. In your place, I'd have a little crab dip and some green frozen booze, then head somewhere good for REAL dinner. Easy to do in The City....

I always order "bar appetizers" if I'm stuck at Joe's. My coworkers in New Orleans, another great seafood city, like it because of its lakeside location. Get the jalapeno poppers, cheese sticks, etc. Yes, it's "ballgame" food but it's at least better than frozen seafood.

Unless you live on the coast and the restaurant is serving whatever fish that is running off your immediate coast, chances are the seafood you eat in a restaurant will have been frozen at some time.

Seafood restaurants cannot serve all fresh seafood.

The exception would be very diverse fishing locales.

Last time I checked, Orlando is inland so the fish would have to be at least flash frozen.

Is it Joan that has the seafood market on the Gulf Coast? She could clear this up.

Maybe in the middle of drinking that green goo you could double over, complain of stomach pains, make a mad dash for the door, and go around to Scoma's or Sabella's for REAL seafood????

Joe's Crab Shack for a business meeting? Get real. Hooters would make as much sense. Joe's is a college restaurant gone bad.

Joe's Crab Shack sounds like the title of a porn movie gone bad.

Of all places you are meeting at Joes Crab Shack in San Francisco? I don't even eat there in Colorado and I definitly wouldn't waste a night for seafood in SF at Joes.

GoTravel, you're right about the "local" aspect, yet you'd be amazed at how much, and what incredible variety, is shipped fresh - very fresh! For example, Chilean Sea Bass is a trendy item right now - and it's a fresh, not frozen product, shipped virtually anywhere from Chile (that's why it's so expensive), using a special kind of ice, a cross between dry ice and regular ice. Our own Florida grouper is shipped all over the world. My supplier told us he gets more $$ per pound from the NYC purveyors, and is careful to ship his freshest product to these "better" customers (saving a few pounds for li'l ole us of course).

Frozen fish can be awesome quality as well...Once I was in the Outer Banks and came upon a dock, where a huge tuna had just been landed. A group of American fishermen were haggling with a group of Asian men over the price....you know this fish was very valuable, and will be used in Japan as a super expensive meal. They cut off the head and tail, gut the fish, and guess what? they freeze it! And it's still worth thousands of dollars!

I should write a book like Kitchen Confidential...I could name it Freezer Confidential!

That's why I'm so surprised at the disdain here for Joe's Crab Shack. They certainly have the buying power of a huge chain...and it sounds like prices would accommodate a high quality product. Something's not right!

Joan, everything you say is true. I was fascinated by my pre-dawn trip to the Tokyo wholesale fish market, where unbelievable fish was being auctioned and frozen then flown all over the world.
But when you say, "something isn't right" you are very correct. And the "something" that isn't right at Joes' Crab Shack is the food, not to mention the atmosphere and the service. Well, I guess some love that atmosphere, so maybe we should ignore that comment.