Joe's Crab Shack Set to Open in Late May

A messy sport is coming soon to Greenbelt, if the purveyors of dancing, tie-dye shirts and all things crab have their say. 

After about a year of planning, designing, securing permits and building, Joe’s Crab Shack will open its second Maryland location on Greenbelt Road in late May, according to Ed McGraw, vice president of development for the restaurant chain.

“Greenbelt’s a great restaurant market — has been the story for years.” McGraw said.

He noted the volumes of national brands in the area, and , and said that Greenbelt’s demographics indicate good employment and an educated population with an interest in eating out. He added that the good traffic counts on Greenbelt Road, good signage, visibility and access, as well as the first-run movie theater, all make for a choice location.

“Crab is our middle name,” said Kristen Temple, director of marketing for Joe’s. “Our specialty is our steam pots as well as our buckets of crabs — king, snow, Dungeness.”

The steam pots — coastal catches with regional flavors — sport names like The Orleans, which includes crawfish, shrimp and andouille sausage; Samuel Adams, a pot of sweet snow crab, clams and lobster claws steamed in lager; and The Ragin Cajun, a spicy feast of Dungeness, crab, shrimp, corn and potatoes. The buckets are a two-step process where diners select the crab and then choose from six seasonings including Joe’s Famous BBQ and Old Bay.

Temple said that Joe’s is a fun, light-hearted concept — a very relaxed place. The servers, who wear tie-dye T-shirts, have a reputation for creating an energetic atmosphere while patrons embrace the messy sport — one where you are likely to get dirty, Temple added.

“We create an environment that’s perfect for the family. The servers know how to get up and dance,” she said.

The company, based in Houston, Texas, focused its search on the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast before settling on Greenbelt. The 20-year-old brand has 115 locations in 30 states.

“We can’t wait to open. Given [the] history of Greenbelt restaurant volumes, we feel that we’re going to have a very good unit here.” McGraw said.

To spice things up a bit and fuel the anticipation for Joe’s opening, Temple said that the first 100 guests on opening day will receive a coupon towards complimentary buckets of snow crab. Stay tuned. We’ll let you know the date for the big opening.

Joe's Crab Shack is located at 6002 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Md. It's open Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.