Art's Crab Shak

I love crab. I spent many years not eating it (I even told people I was allergic) and now I am making up for it.

The crab was great. The atmosphere, like a dive bar with food. Really dark and not much to see. It cracked me up that they have a policy to pay BEFORE your food arrives. I guess it's Oakland, right.

I am craving crab and want to go back soon.

NASTY looking place. Torn up plastic booths, old tables, filth everywhere, questionable clientele staring us down as we entered, and the place smelled like the side of Pier 39 where the seals gather. We sat ourselves and decided what to do 'cause my fiancee had be asking me for a while if we could try this place, but I could see the regret on her face.

Did I mention the place stank? It was really overwhelming. I scanned the hugely overpriced menu looking for something that might overcome my revulsion at the ambiance as my fiancee looked around at the food on other people's tables, which didn't look all that great. We sat for about ten minutes debating what to do, all the while completely ignored by the wait staff (it wasn't busy... maybe 1/5th full). Eventually, we got up and went to a better restaurant without eating here.

This place is the epitome of Oakland. Go and you'll see what I mean. Went here at around 3:30PM on a Sunday and the bar was already crowded with guys drinking cognac outta sniffers.

Fried zuchini: Good peppery crispy crust and pretty much mush zuchini inside but really good nonetheless! Dip it in the ranch for a greasy overload. I don't know if they make it themselves or if it's from a giant Costco bag, but either way, me likes!

Crab: I got the bucket for 1. I think it was around $25.95 and man, worth every penny for that garlicy, lemony, peppery goodness. The crab was moist, salty, fresh and meaty! I'm Asian, I buy fresh live crab from Ranch 99 all the time so trust me, I know my crab and theirs was damn good! The butter was realllly peppery (which I love) and had a good lemony zest to it. The mushrooms were soaked in the butter and just as delicious as the crab itself! I definitely can't come here regularly unless I want to die cause I think I ended up drinking atleast a cup of butter while eating the crab. =P

Chicken wings: Eh. They were good. Tasted like China town fried chicken but nothing spectacular like the other reviews have raved about.

WARNING: Do NOT order their iced tea or lemonade. I dunno what they think lemonade or iced tea is supposed to taste like but what I ordered, was NASSSSSSSSSTY! The lemonade tasted like a squeeze of lemon juice (the kind you buy at the store in the fake plastic lemon, not even real lemon juice), added to a cup of water, and a ton of sugar. It was sugar water, with a hint of lemon. I actually asked for lemon slices and made my own lemonade at the table. Hahaa

The iced tea had a weird gingery aftertaste. GROSS.

Sidenote: I was the ONLY non-black person there (the bf's half Nigerian half Japanese so I guess there were 1.5 Asian people there? hahaa). Um... SCURRRY. Hahaa kidddddddddding. Oh and they were out of garlic fries. BOO!

When life gives you crabs...make crabcakes. But don't eat the ones here. Get a bucket of crab, a huge pile of napkins and order a bunch of drinks at the bar before you start digging into the garlicky buttery tub of crab in front of you.

Yes, you have to pay before you get your food. Yes, there are no windows. Yes, you are not at a vegetarian friendly place. Just sit in your booth and stuff your face with crab just like everybody else.

And don't worry, they don't serve you fish from the mucky, algae covered fish tanks behind the bar.

I'm guessing this is my fault for not getting crab at a place called Art's Crab Shack, but still, you'd think a crab-CAKE would still be, um, edible?

The crabcakes were perfectly round obviously pre-made, frozen, & bought in bulk -- not unlike the calamari strips which were also totally uniform -- then deep-fried in some sort of nastiness that had me nauseated and burping for a day and a half.

If they were $5 crabcakes on a boardwalk, fine. But don't pretend like you're making us home-made stuff and charge us $20/plate for 2 prefab doughballs you throw into a deep fryer.

Next time someone else wants to pay, I'd still give the crab a try, just to see what the hype is about. But stay away from everything else.

I am sososo sad, so many memories at this place. Its been like 10 years, I am back in town, have been bragging for years about this place to my boyfriend and heart broken to know Art's is no more. RIP. Loved the crab and the atmosphere ...

Arts crab shack has went down hill!!!
#1 service is terrible
#2 portions are smaller
#3 food don't taste the same
#4 no crab crackers (fo real)
#5 won't be coming back no more

I heart Art's big time and have been going when I could afford it for the past ten years. But yelpers - things to note.

This is an old school dive. Do not expect chichi yuppie patronizing hoohaw. First time we went the waitress tied a plastic bib on my date and said "honey you're gonna need it."

You pay for your food first. This isn't because you might not like your food. It's because over the years too many people dined and then left without paying. Get over it. You would pay for the meal anyway, now you just pay early.

If things haven't changed... your tip is included in the bill. At least a reasonable 15% is. Why? See above note. Too many years of people not tipping the waitstaff. Took me a few visits to realize this one. They loved my naive double tipping self.

ORDER THE CRAB. You are going here for crab. and maybe hush puppies. these things are good. some of the other appetizers are good too. the other entrees... not so much. go to a crab place for crab. get your fried shrimp or pastas or whatever at other places that will do it better, here STICK TO THE CRAB and then you will be happy.

For the foodies. Yes I am one of you as well. Sometimes your stomach might not be used to quite this much breading, oil, fat and fried goodness. Really. Be careful. There is a lot of real old fashioned thick fattening butter involved in this enterprise. Expect some heartburn. The crab is worth it.

Lastly - be nice. This is an old neighborhood joint and pretty friendly but unless it's your particular old school neighborhood please remember to be on your manners like a nice visiting tourist and not be a schmuck to the regulars like some of the snarky pretentious yuppies that sat behind us giving the waitress a hard time last time we went.

3.5 rounded up for full bar.

yesterday, a buddy was in the mood for some crab, after few calls, we found arts crab shak. i parked. we walk to the front. he peaks in the front door, hey it looks like a bar.

score.

dont expect much in decor. its a bar that serves crab.

the waitress didnt know what hush puppies were (they are on the menu).

we got the hush puppies, fried okra, garlic noodles and two medium buckets of crab.

no wonder the hush puppies and fried okra was 6 bucks each, they give you enough to be a meal by itself. both were just fine.

the garlic noodle left MUCH to be desired. would not recommend at all.

now to the important part, the crab. the crab was pretty damn good. at first, i thought that the meat inside was a bit underseasoned. i thought maybe the cooking technique was a bit off... meh.... after a few more pieces, it was just fine. i really liked how they simmered a lemon with the sauce, it adds a nice tang to it. its different than your usual asiany garlic crab. i would call it roasted salt and pepper with mushrooms and lemon.

price wise, this is not a bad deal at all.

would i drive all the way out to oakland to get crabs here? probably not.

Art's is such a fun place. If you don't have a smile on your face the moment you walk in you are a stone cold loser. It reminds me a lot of ye olden days at Eli's Mile High Club. Blues music blasting, crazy Xmas lights twinkling, a bartender blowing a whistle and dancing around, a large back room for private parties, festive and friendly crowd. Might be mellower mid-week but on a Friday night the crowd was ready to rock.

It turned out to be perfect for a group outing after attending a photo show opening at 1234go Records a couple of blocks away. So glad we bypassed the very crowded Homestead Mac 'n Cheese and ended up at Art's for garlic noodles and crab. It was DELICIOUS. Don't listen to the naysayers.