Crab Shell in Stamford - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Good seafood and very nice staff! Lobsters are live.

Pretty decent spot by the water, on a nice crisp evening there is no better seating than anywhere outside. Menu is decent.

Fabulous waitstaff!!!! My grouper franchise was fantastic!!! Very fresh and delicious. Please try the calamari. It is awesome!!! It's cooked just right!!! The crab balls are amazing, too. I also really enjoyed the fresh brewed iced tea, which our very nice server happily refilled for us. Great experience. We are repeat customers and have been coming here for many years now.

The service was amazing food not so. The oil tasted old I woke up this morning actually sick writing this review.

We had a great experience. Food was great, service was perfect. Oscar was so nice!

My husband and I went there one night. It's a restaurant like to go for a informal occasion one day with friends. It is not food to give to children, almost all the menu is fried food. The rice was hard, old and cold. The presentation of the food is heap cafeteria style, so ugly, and the dishes very old. The service was ok, the view is very nice for sunny days.

All of the food at the table lacked flavor and seasoning. We tried the clam chowder, fried shrimp and the cajun catfish. Service was pretty good for how busy the place was on a Friday evening but not our environment for sure. It's so loud out on the deck and there were numerous people who could barely stay on their feet they were so hammered.

I've been going to the Crab Shell for years, and recently my buddy, who works in Greenwich, called and wanted to do lunch and this place was midway between us. The setting near the water is absolutely beautiful, and we're there on a spectacular day. We got some clam bellies to start. My friend got a lobster roll and I opted for the fish and chips. (Sorry... forgot to take pics of the food) I have to say, I don't think a place can last for over 30 years as they have without doing something right! The food was really, really tasty. And the prices are fair. Without question, with their location and good food, I will certainly go back.

Great atmosphere on the harbor. Just had some beers and fried calamah with some friends. It was nice.

This is a great restaurant right on the water. You can arrive by boat, they have their own dock. Indoor/outdoor.

Okay if you want greasy fried food. Anything else wasn’t great.

Ingredients are not fresh: 1 1/2 pounds of steamed lobster is super smelly and earthy. It’s hard to eat without adding lemon juice and sauce. Mussels just stink. Because it is located at the mouth of the sea, the scenery is beautiful. But the business operation of the operator is really bad. Due to improper food management or other problems, customers are treated like fat sheep that can be slaughtered. Definitely won't come again. Ingredients are not fresh: 1 1/2 pounds of steamed lobster is super smelly. It’s hard to eat without adding lemon juice and sauce. Mussels were stink. The scenery is beautiful because it is located by water. Business operator is really bad, due to improper food management or other problems. Definitely won't come again.

I would rather have Kamala Harris as POTUS for 8 years than to come here again. They ran off my wife, her sister, their grandma, and aunt with 6 month old baby because they profiled them. We had a table for 20 that they were waiting for since we were on a boat. Everyone had drinks and this server had the nerve to aggressively come over and say "i aint tryna lose money, ya'll better order more than just drinks". In what world would this convince customers to come back? Mind you, everyone around else in other tables only had drinks either. They just missed out of $1000 bill because they were so money hungry. Again, give me 8 years of Kamala Harris before I ever come back here.

My first time at Crab Shell - I arrived around 230 to meet my college girlfriends for a mini 20 year reunion. I asked for a table outside and informed the hostess that.the.rest of my.party would arrive at 3 -.and they trickled in b4 3. At 2:50 our server informed us that the kitchen would be closing at 3 and would not reopen til 430 and the menu would change. We were baffled.and wished we had been told sooner and/or the website was more clear. We ate our appetizers which were ok (a bit overpriced) We ended up leaving and going to another nearby restaurant - disappointing.

They rushed and kicked us out because someone was waiting for a table (we did spend over $150 for two people, mind you). Never in my life I was treated with such rudeness. Not going back.

Crab shell is a good place to go and have some drinks and And be very careful with what you eat. Food is mediocre, at best. Clams oreganata ---- overdose on the oregano. Stuffed clams are more breadcrumbs than anything. I ordered the spinach salad-- decent, my son ordered the swordfish- food poisoning. Right away he said it tasted bad, my husband tasted and said it was bad with a fishy smell. My husband ordered twin lobster tails and rice- that was fine but nothing to rave about. My girls had pasta and Mac and cheese and a side of fries~ can't go wrong with that. The ambiance is wonderful. Good crowd and kid friendly. The service was good. Waiter checked in with us periodically. Our table was a bit unbalanced and drinks kept spilling. Great place to hand out, not a place I would sit and have dinner again/

The experience was very disappointing they would not seat us with a 20+ party. The waitress told us that we could not order apps and drinks to have a table, we were told that we had to order full meals just to get a table which was very upsetting to some of our guest who did not want to order full meals. 😡😡😡

Large party Kim was extremely rude and nasty will never return

Kim was rude! Ran us away from our table! Will never return or recommend

Kim the owner manager was extremely rude the entire experience was disappointing, we arrived with a party of twenty and prearranged for them to expect a large party. upon 3 of us sitting after ordering drinks, she circles the table and says rudely “you all need to order more than drinks I can’t lose money on this table” I have NEVER in my life and experienced such disrespect after spending over $200 on drinks we were ran away from our table…. We also had a baby. She did not offer us a smaller table until they arrived she was simply nasty. We explained our situation but she would not listen, she was extremely prejudice. I would not recommend this establishment to my worst enemy.

Very rude terrible attitude of the host my sister and grandmother where treated rudely we where discriminated against even after ordering drinks we where told we could not wait for our party it was so humiliating God bless everyone and don’t discriminate against people God made all equal Crab Shell you are not right for this

Love going here with the family 💓

It was late Sunday, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, as we were a lil rushed and the food seemed rushed too. But overall fun place, and we will try them again during normal hours and see how it goes.

Outstanding location ambiance service and food. Wait staff accommodating and looking over the harbor was peaceful.

Good selection of seafood, pasta, burgers, .and draft beer

Great place to grab lunch during the week. Parking was easy to find, food was fresh and yummy.

Food wasn’t that great. Sauce on the lobster roll made it taste very mushy. Staff seemed like they were rushing us out, waiter snatched my plate from me with my food in hand.

Don't understand what the reason is for a small hut with 3 associates sitting in it? Don't get a welcoming greeting from them. They all have their heads down ďeep into their cellphones. After an initial ŕude table assignment that they give away to another party of 2,...we are given a 4 top far across the outdoor seating right in front of the very busy service kitchen entrance that afforded us 100 in/outs of dirty dish clearings / new food plates coming out. At that point we had no better option. The server was friendly and helpful with menu descriptions. The mixed spinach salad tasted very good, but the presentation was too simple / lacking any culinary flare. The dinner rolls weren't enjoyed- looked and tasted like plain packaged rolls. We ate 1/2 of 1 of 3. The swordfish entree was good. Thick cut, moiste and tasty. Don't understand why èntrees only get a starch side choice and not a fresh cooked vegetable? Only get a plastic ramekin of Cole slaw with fish entrees. The swordfish plate looked unfinished with only French fries, Cole slaw and a lemon wedge. The two baked stuffed lobster tails $64 special was a disappointment. Both small, so they were a little over cooked, dry, Not big enough tails to have but a small portion of stuffing. Ñot any noticeable crab or other ingredients for taste or texture. The carrot cake was Very Good. The cheesecake was too. Not the establishment's fault but besides the service entrance Mood killer they sat us next to a party of 10 who yelled their conversations the entire time while we read the menu, ate our salad, and then our entrees then dessert. When it was time to leave, their meals were delivered and the noise levels decreased as we departed....lol

Delicious food, I recommend the crab cake it's great. Guys are very courteous.

The service was slow the waiter didn't get the order right I don't eat fries so I wouldn't have order fries the waiter instead i did ,I wish I would have used the mens room before ordering the pungent oder of urine and filth at 1pm speak to how sanitary the restaurant is.

Fun atmosphere. Super friendly staff. The food was a mix of "expected" and "disappointing." Lobster bisque was okay. Wings were good. Gorganzola salad was drenched in dressing. It was unappetizing. Lobster roll (warm) was decent. The fries of the fish & chips were great. The batter fried fish had no flavor at all. No amount of tarter sauce or malt vinegar changed that. It was unfortunate.

The food 'n' drinks, the location-view.... just wonderful to enjoy.

The service was great. Myself and a friend had a table outside. The atmosphere was lively. Lots of people at the bar for happy hour. The Cajun popcorn shrimp, mozzarella fingers and crab balls all delicious! The half order of onion strings was huge….don’t order the full portion unless you have at least 4 people eating them. We ordered spicy margaritas and they were not good at all. They should have been fresh jalapeños but was jalapeño juice from a jar with jar jalapeños. Switched to wine and all was good. All that said I would go back…was good comfort food with a view.

Love this place. We always come by boat and it’s the perfect place to have lunch and have their delicious clams oysters and steamers. The shrimp and lobster rolls are delicious, warm or cold. The service is wonderful especially if you have Oscar, he helps make the experience fantastic.

I love the seafood and the outdoor seating next to the water. The dishes are very good and seem very fresh and clean. The local band once playing added such summer vibes and made the experience more enjoyable. The service is very friendly, and despite the large crowds, the food came out very fast. Highly recommend!

Great lobster rolls & live music. Will be back

Great accommodation for a family on Father’s Day -staff was quick to bring food for 4 year old and to accommodate a twin stroller for babies and noted the gluten free options for one family member.we all had a lovely and delicious lunch outside!

Came in on Fathers Day and left very disappointed considering the area and the cost we expected better. The service was very slow, waitress was not helpful, the food was watery and cold. Ordered a catfish dish, town lobster tails with a baked potato that was watery and a baked seafood dish that looks like soup. The only dish good was the lobster bisque. The menu was written on a white board and the waitress couldn’t explain the menu to us. Would have been better off going to Capital Grill for the cost. We will not return and do not recommend.

Love the Harborside dining atmosphere. We go mostly to eat outside enjoy the view and always good seafood. Lobster and popcorn shrimp are excellent. Burgers are good too. Island type drinks and a decent selection of beer make this a crowded summer spot. If uou have a boat, pull up can call on channel 9.

Amazing atmosphere, great food, busy crowd

Most of our food was great! A few entrees lacked taste but overall was awesome! Great drinks that were nicely made. Our waiter was awesome! We ordered a lot of food with 10 of us and our food came out fast and hot. We will return. Nice breeze off of the water while eating and the crowd wasn't too much either. Thank you from Ohio and Florida!

Live band was awesome, lobster bisque was incredible! Stuffed shrimp were mid at best though.

The female outdoor bartender on 6/1/2024 at 5:30pm was extremely rude. To keep this review short (can’t list everything or this review will be too long), bartender rolled her eyes at us when we ordered and yelled at my friend when she wasn’t 100% sure what she wanted to order (Bar wasn’t busy enough to be yelling at customers). Bartender’s choice of words and her actions were very unprofessional. The bartender also added another drink on my tab that was not mine and refused to provide her name when I asked for it (she has tattoos, wore gold earrings, neon band on a smart watch and her hair was in a bun). I refuse to give Crabshell anymore business after this rude bartender’s action. Go next door to Prime restaurant instead.

Great fun, nice prices, wonderful atmosphere!

The views are absolutely beautiful, the service was excellent, and the food was sooooo good that I kept coming back for more!!!! You MUST experience this for yourself!

We had a nice time, came via boat... too bad I got food poisoning from a salad. Eek

Food would have been better if the were more option in entrees without onions and peppers. I love lobster bisque but there's was full of onions and I asked server before ordering. Staff need to be a little more familiar with dishes.

On the water. Good food. Lively crowd.

Only bad thing, the prices. Too rich.

Terrific selections of cuisines! I absolutely enjoyed the fish and chips. The cod was absolutely perfect. I do have to say that I am not a fan of coleslaw, but it was the best I’ve ever tasted as well. Highly recommended.

Good food and very good service!

Disappointed! Too expensive and the quality was very poor. I had the scallops which were overcooked and very dry and the broccoli was cold and it wouldn't melt butter. They need to clean up their act.

Excellent Staff across the board,👏As far as Seafood Joints go this Place is on my top Five, if y'all go out to a Seafood Joint, Order Seafood, not Meat, Etc, just saying

Best seafood restaurant in town. Pako is the Man ! So courteous and helpful. He and other staff is the reason we eat at Crabshell 5-6 times a year ! Roger Junnarkar family

Food was ok. Not a really good selection. Ribs had way too much bbq sauce and no options for the baked potato, only butter and sour cream. Not to mention you only get one side. Paper covering table is bothersome. Leave it off and just wipe the table down.

Food was very good!! I had the grouper franchise.

I finally got to the crab shell after so many years for the last day of the season. It was a perfect day with all my friends. Stu was great at the bar. Lobster roll was delicious. So mad I didn't go all summer.

The food was well below par for the area. No flavor, tasteless seafood on the water?? Such a waste of a great location. Stop serving frozen seafood when fresh is a block away.

Nice by the water but they really need better food/chef. It’s such a shame because the location is great. The only good food is the lobster roll.

Good food, all 3 of us agreed. Not too many people there when we came in for an early dinner. Location is real good, if around in summer make your way there for sure.

Food, Service, and Atmosphere were a 10/10 !

My sister and I had gone to the Sound on Sound music festival a couple weekends ago and decided to stop by on our way to the airport. It did not disappoint one bit. I had a lobster roll (which was divine) and sweet potato fries (perfectly crisp on the outside and deliciously fluffy on the inside). We shared a sautéed crab cake and some cocktail shrimp - they both absolutely slapped. So good. Highly recommend!

Staff are super friendly and lovely, service is great, good selection of drinks and easy parking for drivers - food is great too

Lovely place with a nice atmosphere and great food, nicely located with awesome service, reccomended

An exceptional dinner with a beautiful view and excellent service! What else could you ask for? I've been to the Crab Shell several times now, and every single time, the food and service have been excellent! Highly recommend if you're in the Stamford/Greenwich CT area you stop by!

The food is excellent and the service is outstanding. Our favorite restaurant when we're in Stamford.

My sister and I came from Queens today for lunch. It was PHENOMENAL. Lunch by the water fantastic 😍.We had a awesome gentleman name Javier take care of us. He gave the background of the restaurant. It was sooooo enjoyable. The food was delicious. The calamari was flaky and tasty. Tip my hat to the chef. The view was perfect. It was a fantastic day ☺️. We WILL be back!!!!

We come all the way to the crab shell restaurant from Long Island because of your AMAZING waiter Pako. He is the absolute BEST!!! We never had a waiter like him before. He’s beyond attentive, he remembers our order, and he always greets us with a smile. He is the absolute BEST!! Thank you Pako for always making our experience five stars!

I have been going to the crab shell since the 1990s when I lived closer to the restaurant. For Labor day weekend I met friends for lunch. We had a nice meal inside the restaurant and decided to later sit outside for a bit. The bartender was lovely. My friends wanted to order another drink. We were rudely told by the Manager Terry that we could not take a table unless we were going to order more food. We told him we had just eaten and wanted to order beverages. He was very nasty to us and my friend ordered additional food so we all could spend more time together. I was shocked at the lack of customer service and kindness. We had spent upwards of $150.00 in the restaurant and yet people coming in with their dogs were welcomed at tables. I will say the Server Ben was very gracious and kind and provided great service. We appreciated him. Very nice young man. Later we spoke with the owner who was also very nice. The wait staff should not have to apologize for the behavior of a Manager. I have always loved the Crab Shell and will not let a crabby manager ruin it. Still a good place, but they may want to reevaluate who represents them to the public.

Didn't like at 4pm they stop cooking until 4:30pm. Than it was like the prices went up after that know one said anything

The main draw here is having drinks right on the water side. Despite the buildup in this area, it's still one of the few. That being said, I'd never come here for the food. Drinks are on here though expect nothing fancy. And by "fancy" I include sangria. No, they're best for a cold beer and a T&T. Think Jupiter beach but with Manhattan prices. The crowd is eclectic and if the wind catches it just right, can be interesting. Overall, yeah, I'd come back. Though, not every weekend...

Had lunch there in Sunday with my boyfriend! Our dinners were great!

Absolute worst restaurant I've ever been to. Food is overpriced, not very good and the portions are small. I had the seafood au gratin and the dish contained 2 shrimp, 1 scallop a little bit of crab meat....for $33! Another person in our party had a hamburger that had an odd taste, but didn't want to return it. It was not finished. Service was good and attentive. I'd say the extra cost is for the view, but the rowdy drunks in the outdoor bar defeats that benefit, as does the drunken lady walking down the dock to puke over the edge of the rail. We received the bill and the tip calculations include tax, which it not correct. Should be based on the bill. Needless to say, I would not recommend this place.

Hands down worst scallops I’ve ever been served. The owner and chef should be ashamed.

The Food here is over priced and not worth the cost.

Red lobster is better and cleaner. Smelled of cleaning fluid n garbage odor. Two shrimp one scallop in my pasta shells. Waitress lazy. Twenty min for drinks. Well overpriced. Use to have music manager said three years they eliminated.

The bartender can’t give you a drink unless you ask your waiter first. He needs to give u permission. Not even kidding.

outside bartender was eating food off our plate before he gave it to us. He even put some of our calamari onto a small plate and gave it to his friends.This was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen and it not the first time he has done this to us.

Bartender with all the tattoos is entirely unfriendly, dunno why she wants to be a bartender.

The food was comming out of the batter ! Honestly it was a disappointment

We arrived with my wife 30 minutes early, and they let us sit at the table and they brought us water with ice, that was without asking. The service is excellent, the food was brought right away, and it was delicious, the best pasta I ever try and my wife was also pleased with her pasta. The scenery is amaizing by the water. I highly recommend this fine restaurant

Absolutely love the seafood here. The price is on the higher side for the food.

Crab Shell Pasta was really good!

Great place for casual afternoon outdoor dining.

Good selection good portions great service

The crab salad plater was disappointing. Still, the place has a great location

My comment goes to the food 🍱. I sat at the Bar. Fresh, delicious 😋, and the drinks 🍹 was great . The female Bar Tender seemed very distracted on her phone 📞 and didn’t seem like I was a bother. Everything else, was good

I loved the place and ambience I didn't have any good veg options to explore however their onion rings were unique. I wish they spin up a few veg options

Sauteed crab cakes were good + outside seating was very nice. My fried shrimp & scallops were ok ; the Grouper Florentine was terrific! Good, welcome greeting & great service. Waitstaffis excellent. . Their cream crab soup is fantastic. We eat here weekly during the summer.

Lovely location by the river with outside seating.A dock for lunch boats . Aside from that the seafood is excellent . The fish and chips were the best I’ve had ,almost like tempura . Seafood salads were excellent also and generous portions . Great place to meet friends between New Haven and New York

Wow, the atmosphere was awesome! The food was excellent.. definitely will be returning. 😊😊

I go by boat to the Crab Shell they have about 10 slips very convenient. Food is always good and large portions.

Meh. It is what it is. Maybe my two experiences were abnormal. Okay food, really light pours on the drinks, ambiance inside is okay, outside is a cluster on the evenings / nights they have that going. I'll probably go back and give it another shot, and hopefully increase my rating.

For a place named Crab Shell, there wasn’t a single crab in shell on the menu. The food was acceptable. Mostly bland and unappealing. Service was lacking. The main planner of my group specifically called ahead to ask if there were gluten free options, she was assured there was. We arrived and asked which items were. The server looked confused and said she’d check. She came back and said, “unfortunately we don’t have a lot. It’s basically the raw items. Shrimp and oysters. Oh, we’re out out of the clams.” We asked about the grilled fish items. She said oh, yeah, those too. We asked about the steak. She said, well, yeah, that too. None of it instilled confidence even though common sense said those should be safe. She then said, “by the way, most of our food is fried (despite us specifically asking about grilled items) and everything is fried in the same stuff, so that might no be gluten friendly if it’s a true allergy.” Anyway. We all ordered. I had the “sautéed” grouper. Came out and was obviously battered and pan fried. We waited forever for water refilled. Also to be asked for second round of drinks. Never checked to make sure entrees were acceptable. They were mediocre. At that point we just accepted it and ate. It was all whatever. View was beautiful. I think that was the only saving grace. Would never bring a group here again.

I'm addicted to their fried oysters! So delicious-- crispy, fresh, plump, succulent...it tasted like the sea. Service was ok, a little slow in bringing the drinks.

A nice small place to enjoy drinks and Sea food located on the Marina in Stamford CT.

The crab shell pasta was very creamy and gooey. Delicious

Great fresh seafood next to the water, lovely atmosphere, and Oscar was great

Nice raw clams. The waiter needs trai14ning some. Ok but not like previous years

The atmosphere and food are amazing