Old Joe's Crab Shack in Warr Acres

[SoonerDave]

Was reading that some (all?) Joe's Crab Shack locations across the country were shuttered suddenly and without notice yesterday (apparently) - some even mid-shift?? The parent company filed for bankruptcy back in June and apparently Landry's failed in their attempt to acquire the chain in some action related to the bankruptcy. (Side note: Landry's previously owned Joe's Crab Shack before spinning them off to a private venture capital firm a few years back).

Have any OKC locations closed? Saw one third-hand social media note that perhaps the NW OKC location had closed, but wasn't sure.

Not my favorite seafood place by any means - heck, my wife is a much bigger seafood fan in general and crab in particular, but even *she* swore off the place years ago, so it's not necessarily much of a loss from a food perspective...sorry for the folks who may be losing or already have lost jobs there...

[bchris02]

Their website still has the I-240 location but no longer has the NW Expressway location.

[stile99]

My brother and I were just chatting the other day about how that place used to be good. The key here being 'used to'. I'm not sure precisely when, but at one point they seemed to start a slow decline, made a couple attempts to correct it, and then entered an ever-increasing death spiral.

Interesting side note, this was part of a discussion we were having about a bunch of Ihop and Applebees locations closing (as far as I know, no list has been released so far of which ones), and how people have yet to figure out a way to blame Amazon. Radio Shack closed, Amazon's fault. Rue 21 closed, Amazon's fault. Gordman's closed, Amazon's fault. Ihop/Applebees/Joe's Crab Shack/Spaghetti Warehouse/Quiznos/Teavana/(need I continue or has the point been made yet?) close, and it's suddenly a mystery.

[Anonymous.]

I drove by the NW Expressway location a few days ago and it was either closed or zero people were there, including employees.

[Jersey Boss]

Their website still has the I-240 location but no longer has the NW Expressway location.

This one is closed as well.

[SomeGuy]

It's not just Joe's Crab shack, a bunch of chain restaurants like Applebee's and Ihop have been closing restaurants left and right lately.

[SoonerDave]

It's not just Joe's Crab shack, a bunch of chain restaurants like Applebee's and Ihop have been closing restaurants left and right lately.

Applebee's just announced plans to close some 150 locations; IHOP 33 or so. Applebee's has been struggling for a while now, never quite finding its footing and fighting very inconsistent per-restaurant performance. I'm just not sure how many folks are binging on pancakes these days, either. As for the former, it's a little disappointing, because I'm no food snob/expert/chef, but Applebees is a pleasant enough family place we visit once in a while. They try too hard to be a hipster bar, I guess, and that vibe never has worked.

No surprise to me on Joe's Crab Shack - the fact it took so long is what shocks me. Last time we went there was *years* ago and it was just nasty, seemingly everything bathed in this nauseating peudo-buttery slime and just kinda disgusting. When my *wife* swears off a *crab place*, forget it. Like Amish shunning, only more permanent.

[chuck5815]

It's not just Joe's Crab shack, a bunch of chain restaurants like Applebee's and Ihop have been closing restaurants left and right lately.

Go ahead and add Olive Garden to the list. I hear it's struggling in almost every market.

[DickTracy]

I've never eaten at Joes, and I drive by it twice a day...

[bchris02]

Interesting side note, this was part of a discussion we were having about a bunch of Ihop and Applebees locations closing (as far as I know, no list has been released so far of which ones), and how people have yet to figure out a way to blame Amazon. Radio Shack closed, Amazon's fault. Rue 21 closed, Amazon's fault. Gordman's closed, Amazon's fault. Ihop/Applebees/Joe's Crab Shack/Spaghetti Warehouse/Quiznos/Teavana/(need I continue or has the point been made yet?) close, and it's suddenly a mystery.

I think Amazon is a factor, but a change in consumer tastes is a big part of it. In terms of mall stores, we are closing in on 2020 and the fads and brands that were popular in 2000 have about run their life cycle. Keep in mind we are just about as far from 2000 and 2000 was from 1980. In terms of chain restaurants, I think as local cuisine and local bars have exploded with Millennials, chains that were experiencing their heyday in 2000 such as Applebee's, TGI Friday's, etc are struggling to make it.

[OKCRT]

I've never eaten at Joes, and I drive by it twice a day...

Same here. I used to do Catfish Cabin once in a while back when they were pretty good.

[Plutonic Panda]

Go ahead and add Olive Garden to the list. I hear it's struggling in almost every market.

Don't talk sh!t about Olive Garden. That's the place you go to propose to someone. Most high end eatery out there.

[rte66man]

Go ahead and add Olive Garden to the list. I hear it's struggling in almost every market.

Small wonder if the Penn Square location is anything to go by. The food is getting worse and worse. Last Sunday I ordered the Chicken Alfredo. There was so little sauce on it that I had to ask for extra alfredo sauce. The waiter brought about a 1/3 cup of sauce. Why would you serve any alfredo dish without enough sauce to make it edible? Way too expensive for the decreasing quality of the food.

[jbkrems]

I haven't been to Olive Garden since they eliminated their Caesar salad off the menu.

[Stew]

Olive Garden is doing exceptionally well.

[BBatesokc]

Olive Garden is doing exceptionally well.

I agree. Haven't been to one in years. But they are doing fine overall and will be around awhile.

[traxx]

Olive Garden is doing exceptionally well.

Really?

I read something a few years ago about how they were struggling and I wasn't a bit surprised to read that.

[oklip955]

Its been years since I've gone to Joes. I had company in town and we went there. We ordered a Seafood something that they served on paper. We asked for no sausage. What we got was like one small boiled potato and 3 small shrimp each for something like $25 for 2 people. You got to be kidding me. I called the waiter back and asked if that was it. Yep. After that I decided not to go back.

[TheirTheir]

Of all the national chain restaurants I drive past on the daily, Chilis seems to be doing the best. This is based on a simple observation of the parking lot.

[bchris02]

Don't talk sh!t about Olive Garden. That's the place you go to propose to someone. Most high end eatery out there.

You got that right! Olive Garden is fine dining at its absolute finest. A truly fancy restaurant. El classé.

It deserves a place on a list like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A32sSJRQoc

[rezman]

When someone in our family has a birthday, they usually pick where to go have dinner. For her 17th birthday, my daughter chose Olive Garden. I had not been there inn years. We went to the Memorial road location, and the place seemed very dated, and the food prefabricated. The bread sticks were good though. Don't plan on ever going back.

Now, I like Moni's up on north May. It's one my new favorites.

[SoonerDave]

Money Magazine ran a piece recently on Darden Restaurants, their new owner, and the success of Olive Garden. They recently bought Cheddars, which just really depresses me, because I can see crappy service, lousy food, and jacked-up prices heading their way almost immediately. And they were one of the last really decent, unspectacular-but-consistently-good family restaurants that offered good service and value.

I think I'd rather have a can of Franco-American Spaghettio's than Olive Garden.

[Stew]

Money Magazine ran a piece recently on Darden Restaurants, their new owner, and the success of Olive Garden. They recently bought Cheddars, which just really depresses me, because I can see crappy service, lousy food, and jacked-up prices heading their way almost immediately. And they were one of the last really decent, unspectacular-but-consistently-good family restaurants that offered good service and value.

I think I'd rather have a can of Franco-American Spaghettio's than Olive Garden.

Franco-American??? Is that what they were called back in the olden days?

[rte66man]

I think I'd rather have a can of Franco-American Spaghettio's than Olive Garden.

+1

[BLJR]

Chili's, Outback, and TX Roadhouse are the 3 top national chains at our house. I know there are a ton of local options here in OKC, and we have several of those on our rotation, but do you all think that the Blue Apron and similar companies are having an impact?