Crab’s Claw Oceanfront Caribbean Restaurant

3 stars for a very average crab cake in a very basic environment and I’m being generous Minus a star for the cacophony of misbehaved kids and their oblivious parents. Not the restaurants fault but this is the environment we enjoyed.

Enjoyed a very nice late lunch (2pm) on Saturday. Food was delicious, I had the crab cake sandwich and a side salad. Our waitress was informative, attentive, and service was good even though it was still crowded.

I don’t know that I would call the menu «Caribbean»… But it is delicious seafood. The seating is on the second floor and opens to a great view of the ocean. I had the crab Cobb salad with the house Dill dressing — it was very large (I couldn’t finish it all) and delicious. The staff and customer service were excellent. …some of the food items did seem on the pricy side (crab steam baskets and such) — but you could easily get soup, salad, or a sandwich for a reasonable fair. ;)

Had the grouper, could not have been cook any better! Best place in town! Fantastic service, too. Priced right, excellent view. Definitely recommend it!

Subpar atmosphere but surprisingly phenomenal food. Get past the entryway and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the service and even more surprised by the caliber of your meal. And the sweet potato fries? Likewise a phenomenal surprise. Eat here!

Had a great lunch (Saturday noon) and a just ok dinner (Wednesday eve) at the Crab’s Claw last week:
–Ocean view with outdoor deck option. It was raining so we sat at the bar.
–Loved the clam chowder. It is not thick creamy soup, but a flavorful broth that had clams and veggies galore. Delicious.
–An huge entrée salad with shrimp, fresh crispy greens and other raw veggies with sweet basil vinaigrette. The jumbo shrimp were grilled perfectly.
–The entrée salad with grouper was same greens and the grouper was the best I’ve tasted. It was cooked to perfection.
–Great choice of craft brews.
–The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable. We watched him make a homemade Bloody Mary mix from scratch that made this beer lover want to trade in my beer for a Bloody Mary.
Returned a few nights later with a group of 9. We were seated quickly and our server was friendly and efficient. We ordered a variety of entrees. No one was very happy with their meals, with two exceptions; one who ordered the entrée salad with grouper and another that ordered the clam chowder and corn bread. But I must say I did not think the salad was as fresh as the one I had for lunch. The Seafood Paella was not close to traditional Paella, it was yellow rice with clams and mussels sitting on top with a couple of shrimp. The clams and mussels were not fresh, they were dried out and appeared to have been sitting out for some time. The dish was flavorless. One person ordered a Cuban Pork sandwich and it was terrible. I don’t remember what the other orders were but I do know no one was pleased. I was embarrassed as I had insisted on going there as I was so pleased with the Saturday lunch.
I probably will not return because of the inconsistency.

To begin with, my waitress was very informative and helpful when it came to ordering my meal. In the front it states, «Caribbean restaurant» which is false advertisement. Not one item on the menu is of Caribbean origin. If having, shrimp or fish considers you a Caribbean restaurant then you haven’t actually been down south. It should be a seafood restaurant. The food was mediocre. The tuna was filled with mayo and little to no flavor. I wanted to try this place out because it has an amazing waterfront view of the Atlantic Ocean but as far as my experience. It was less than appeasing. I’m only giving it two stars because my waitress was nice.

We had the bacon wrapped scallops for an appetizer, and they were probably the best scallops I’ve had in a long time. The peach bourbon bbq sauce really kicks them up a notch. We also had their weekly special, c which was a wreck fish dish over Alfredo with lump crab in the sauce. I’m still thinking about the dish, it was that good. Awesome, but spicy, bloody marys as well. We will definitely be back!

I had an amazing meal at the Crab’s Claw last week!
Pros:
–Very tasty clam chowder. It had a thin broth which I didn’t mind at all, and it was chock full of plump clams, potatoes and more.
–Delicious Cajun shrimp! I got the basket, which came with wonderfully seasoned fries (Old Bay, yum) and coleslaw. It was $ 14, but it was worth it.
–Margaritas here are well-​made and the options for other mixed drinks were varied.
–Our waitress was very friendly and agreed to split checks for us, which I was not expecting. She did a great job with our large party, including 2 young kids.
Con:
–Extremely slow service. We were a party of 5 as we waited for another 4 to join us, and while we waited we ordered apps and drinks. The apps were mostly soups, but it still took about 30 – 40 minutes for them to come out. When our joiners arrived and we placed the order for our meal, it took about another 30 – 40 minutes. There was only one other table in the dining room, so the delay was a bit confusing. We were here from about 1:30 — 3:45 pm. That’s a long lunch!
Con/​Pro:
–Our meal cost $ 90 with tip, so it was not a cheap lunch by any stretch. I will admit, though, that I enjoyed all the food and drink, so maybe this is the trade off!
If I were in town again, I’d definitely come back here!

This is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to and for the price you can’t beat their world class crab dip samplers, filet mignon, bbq burgers, and general seafood. I would eat here more often if I had time. It is a true jewel in the 252.

We had made a reservation earlier in the day, they confirmed it, took our name and phone number. When we got there, they didn’t have our reservation.
The Restaurant was crowded, however the staff were very apologetic. Told us that they would accommodate us. Not only did they accommodate us, but they comped our drinks, free dessert and the best Service you could ask for! In addition, they gave us a $ 10 coupon for dinner the next night!
The food was nothing less than spectacular! Most of our party of six, had the special encrusted grouper over Linguini Alfredo, with lump crab meat. Amazing!
The waiter, Mike, was phenomenal! He made our meal and time special.
A big Kudo to the Manager — who knows how to right a wrong and has the personality to make you want to come back!

Good menu and staff. Right on the beach. Salmon seemed to be done perfectly, as was the grouper. Delicious. Presentation was excellent. Unexpectedly, we were able to sit upstairs overlooking the beach!
It was a bit expensive compared to other nearby venues… about $ 25 a head (no alcohol, before tip). Not overpriced for what you get, though. Just be aware.
Also, we learned this is one of the few places on the beach that accepts reservations.

I have been coming to Atlantic Beach for years. This is by far the best meal and venue ever! Service was excellent. Local seafood served in unique ways. Salad dressings so good and different than standard options. I had the crab cake stuffed in a portabella. My son and husband enjoyed salmon and mahi mahi. Had planned to sit outside but a passing storm forced us in. Still a great evening. Crabs Claw gets a super ++ from me.

Great location, friendly staff, good food.
Some things are a little pricey but the view is FANTASTIC!

We were looking for a place in the Atlantic Beach/​Morehead City area that could accommodate my gluten free needs. Crab Claws showed up in a search. The seafood appealed to me and the Caribbean food really appealed to my husband.
The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but the service and food made up for it! The waitstaff were all really friendly and fast. The food was great. We ordered the bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer they came with a peach bourbon barbecue sauce that was AMAZING. It was one of the culinary highlights of my summer.
My husband enjoyed his Cuban. My son enjoyed the leftover half that hubby couldn’t finish. The shrimp were great, too. Seasoned, but not so much that you couldn’t taste the shrimp.
I definitely recommend visiting and trying the bacon wrapped scallops.

Our issue lies mostly with this restaurant not honoring a our reservation. It’s a small place and we were a large party, so we went the day before and placed our reservation for 7. When we arrived at 6:45 for our reservation we were told it would be 15 minutes to wait. We weren’t seated until 8:15. No one ever apologized for our wait or offered any condolences. Only «there’s a birthday party that has been here since 5, and it’s our policy not to ask tables to leave.»
The food was decent. The bartender and our server were also both nice. Just disappointed over having such a long wait.

This place was amazing! Pricey… but worth it! Incredible customer service, great local atmosphere, and the food was scrumptious!

Right near da beach… boyyyyy!!! This place is right on the beach, so it has a great view. It also has cold beer and a pretty good blackened mahi sandwich. I’ll be back next time I’m in town.

I saw quite a few negative reviews but I decided to give it a try anyway. It’s Fall and there aren’t too many nice places open for lunch on the beach during the week. Well… I was surprised and extremely pleased!
This is a relatively small establishment but I’m ok with that. The only issue that dropped my rating was that the building and furniture could use some renovation and upkeep. That’s it… the only downside to me.
When we walked in, we were asked if we wanted to sit inside or out. It was a beautiful, sunny day around 70 degrees so we opted to sit outside. There are two outside areas, and we were encouraged to sit on the upstairs deck. The view of the beach was excellent!
I ordered a beer and the lunch special, Blackened Mahi sandwich. I decided on the sweet potato fries for my side. The Mahi was huge and cooked perfectly. The blackening spices added a great little kick. The waiter brought a custom dip for the sweet potato fries… dill honey mustard. They paired perfectly!
Overall, I was very pleased with the experience and the food and I look forward to returning.

I don’t understand the majority of the other reviews. In terms of quality, have you ever eaten at a restaurant at the beach? For some reason, whether or not it’s true, pretty much everything tastes boxed, frozen, stale, and/​or pre-​made last week. Even at the hoity-​toity places like Kathryn’s Martini Bar in Emerald Isle (their seared tuna app comes out cold, for Pete’s sake).
We chose this place because of its location, its view, and its Google reviews (actually glad I didn’t check Unilocal first because we tend to trust it). We shared a peel ‘n’ eat shrimp plate, which was alright. My SO got a tuna sandwich that was enormous, delicious, and perfectly cooked. I got the most expensive salad I’ve ever had: the crab cobb minus bacon, plus seared tuna. Our drinks were priced normally and strong enough to make us happy. I got a flourless chocolate thing for dessert to go, and it was very yummy as a late-​night snack.
The BEST thing about this place was our waiter, Charlie. He was hilarious, he knew the menu, he made good recommendations, and he was attentive. He made the afternoon fun.
I’m giving this four stars because of the cost. Quality of the food was spectacular for the location. If this place were in Raleigh, I’d give it a three.