There's a shark in the water!

A few nights ago, the bf and I were hanging out in Sacramento. We dropped in on our favorite coffee shop and brainstormed about what to do for the rest of the evening. We've spent a lot of time in this city, so it can get pretty uneventful. We talked about having dinner at a few restaurants we frequent, but none of them sounded interesting. Then, I suggested Joe's Crab Shack. We'd never been, and it's right by the river (which I love!). It's also located in Oldtown, which is a fun place to visit.
Especially if you like free candy samples from Candy Heaven. Yum!
So, we headed over to Oldtown. We tried to call in a reservation, but Joe's doesn't take reservations. Now I understand why. It was packed! All of Oldtown was packed. Parking took a while, but it was several dollars cheaper to find a space on the street than to park in the lot.
We headed into Joe's to put our names on the list and we were immediately welcomed and smiled at. I love that. You know how some hostesses ooze hatred for their job? These hostesses didn't. They were having as much fun as everyone else in the place!
There was a man creating balloon animals and hats near the front door (probably to entertain guests while they waited and waited and waited for a table). The interior of the restaurant was decorated with bright, colored lights, signs with funny little diddies (like: "Life's to short to dance with ugly women" and "If we're not smiling, tell Joe's mama") and mismatched chairs and tables. There was energetic music playing throughout the place, and every thirty minutes or so the staff would all get up and dance. This place is so fun!
Our wait was supposed to be 25-30 minutes, so we walked around Oldtown to pass the time. When we came back 25 minutes later...we waited for another 40 minutes. But it was so worth it! And there was plenty to entertain us. Even the bathroom has fun decor in it!
When we were seated (we requested a table outside on the "Big Deck" because of the beautiful view of the river), our waitress introduced herself and set our places. The table we sat at was a picnic bench with a stainless steel bucket set in the middle. The salt and pepper shakers were repurposed, capped Corona bottles. The menu was extensive and just about everything sounded delicious.
Detour: I always say that food sounds good. Does anyone else do this?
Anyway. We ordered the crab nachos and pot with three different types of crab, corn on the cob and "New Potatoes" (steamed and seasoned).
Ok, listen to me folks: don't order the King crab! Don't do it! It was dry and tasted incredibly off. I almost thought it was bad, but the bf placed the flavor as dirty. As if it hadn't been cooked or cleaned properly. Stick to the snow crab. It's a little sweeter, but so yummy. The potatoes are not great, it would be better if they were roasted in the oven.
But the nachos. Oh man. I'll go back just for those guys. They were so great and the plate was HUGE! Yum...
There was one thing that had us confused...People kept shouting "There's a shark in the water!" or "Shark bite!" or something else related to a shark. We finally asked our waitress and she explained that the waitstaff would shout after serving the signature drink called the "Shark Bite." The waiter adds a short of grenadine at the table and that's when they start shouting about sharks. Since grenadine is red...you get it?
Ya, it took me a while, too. But it was fun.

Oh, the best park: the crab-cracking utensils they give you are yellow, plastic crab claws with "Stolen from Joe's" printed on them. Haha :) and they give you a bib.

It was a great night. The food was a little sketch, but I wasn't expecting exquisite seafood. It's all about those nachos, though. Love those. My stomach is growling...
Another thing to love about Joe's: they're working to battle hunger. Check it out on their twitter: @joes_crab_shack

Did I mention the view? So beautiful!