CJ's Crab Shack

I used to live in South Beach and have been going to CJ's Crab Shack since Chris & Jory first opened further up Ocean Drive. On a visit to Miami Beach last week, I told my wife we had to go there for dinner because I knew they wouldn't disappoint. (And they didn't.) I knew what I wanted - their famous "Grouper in a Bag," grouper with cheese, onions, and jalapenos wrapped and baked in parchment paper. My wife went for the Fisherman's platter, blackened grouper, scallops and shrimp with a crab cake. For the included side dish, trust me and order the pasta alfredo - it's the best and pairs well with the seafood! The food was as amazing as I remember it, a decade later since my last visit. Carlos, who has worked there since nearly day 1, served us and was as friendly, helpful and gracious as always. CJ's is a family-owned and operated restaurant. The vast majority of restaurants on Ocean Drive are rip-off joins that serve mediocre food at high prices. That's not CJ's. Seafood isn't cheap but you get high quality food here for a fair price from a local family. A side note on Grand Daddy Gus' "crab cake:" When it's served, you'll think it's a deviled crab, because it's served in the blue crab shell instead of being a stand-alone "cake". But it's not deviled - it's lump blue crab meat inside and it's to die for.

It's a low key vibe.. love it.. only wanted a bite and a drink.. crab cakes and frozen daiquiris are the best! Staff very friendly..

Old roots here. I just came by to try a quick bite before a night out. Crab dip and crab cake were good. I was expecting something a bit more but service was good. Food came out fast! Staff was great! I'll try a few other items next time. Located right in the heart of south beach!

We stopped by here because it was really close to the hotel we stayed. Their frozen drinks are offered in non-alcoholic and with alcohol you'd like, so it was nice to have the wide range of options, especially for the hot weather. It was super refreshing and tasty. We ordered the oysters Rockefeller as starters and it was my husband's first time having it like that. He liked it a lot. The oysters were pretty big too. The shrimp poboy was so good! The shrimp is fresh and nicely battered. The fries were like Cajun seasoned, but it's one of our favorite fries. I had the crab leg dinner with fettuccine Alfredo as my side. The crabs were sweet and delicious. The fettuccine was surprisingly pretty good too! We sat outside so we can the air and water show that was happening. The wait staff was attentive and super nice.

In town for vacation and we stumbled upon this spot. We sat outside, and everything was extremely cute. We didn't enter the building but I'm sure it was great as well. The hostess and waitress were really nice and accommodating. Our waiter was extremely attentive which we really appreciated. I order a CJ's Cajon Combo. It came with snow crabs, baked oysters, shrimp, crab cake, and a side, I got the parm corn on the cob. The food was about a 3 out of 5. My friend sent her crab cake back because it was cold, however they corrected the issue with no problem. I enjoyed my snow crabs, crab cake, and corn. I feel my shrimp was slightly over cooked as well as my baked oysters. The cajon butter was really good. Overall not a bad experience. Gratuity was included, however we did leave an additional tip because our waiter provided great service. I hope this helps someone.

Decent food, high prices, terrible serviceI took out-of-town guests here and we all totally regret it. The food was decent, what you'd expect reading the menu no more no less, there is no artistry here. But the service was so bad that we all walked away unhappy, never again. One of our four couldn't get water no matter how many times she asked. Beer requests had to be repeated. Some dishes arrived not hot. A long list of constant little things. The icing on the bad-service cake was when the bill arrived and a couple of people were surprised that you can't get separate checks here (it's in fine print on the menu but waiter could have mentioned) so we gave him 2 cards and totals for each but he ran the bill on 1 card anyway and then told us it was an accident and we should Zelle between us... even the table next to us said out loud "you know he's lying to you, right?"

I am soo surprised Miami doesn't have as much seafood as it should, it being a tropical oasis and all, it's rare you find a decent crab shark here. Everything is tacos and fake Asian fusion! But not C.J's this is a totally the place to get the sea food kick that lacks in the Miami area. The drunken shrimp should be a must! It was so flavorful and delicious. If you're craving sea food this restaurant is reasonably priced and delicious.

Best crab spot in miami. I loved sitting on Ocean Drive watching all the people pass as I devoured crabs with my best friend. Prices are fair and the view is unbeatable. Minute walk to the beach.

I had a good time stopping in on a busy Saturday for a quick snack. I had the crab legs and some oysters. Both were good quality and tasty. Service was attentive and quick. Loved sitting outside and casually people watching on Ocean drive.

Came here as a last minute decision. We had salads with shrimp and crabs. The service was kind but the salads could have been better.