I tried to be open-minded and adventurous today, walking into an establishment without first skimming through its online reputation. Big mistake, folks. Stay away for your own health. tl;dr Pros: –The waitress was super sweet and accomodating. But no waitress is sweet enough to make me suffer through this again. Cons: –To add insult to the injury of truly mediocre-tasting seafood, I started to fall extremely sick *during* the meal. I paid and sped out, leaving my leftovers behind out of pure instinct. Within 20 minutes, I had to leave my car in the nearest lot and Über it to the nearest urgent care center. –I first thought I’d chalk it up to the warm weather and bad luck. I had thus headed to the CVS to grab some tummy ache meds from CVS, but the pharmacists all took one look at my face and pointed me straight to urgent care. When I told the receptionist where I got sick from, she stared at me with disbelief and said, «Girl, you should have KNOWN not to go there. That place is infamous for this.» –I’m recovering now, and easily 200 dollars poorer if you tally up the cost of food, medical treatment, and medicine. I’m also sad that it’s not a good seafood place. I thought it could be my spot to reminisce about Maine in. Oh well. –Waves of of garbage stench will waft across the seating out on the patio in nice weather.
AJ D.
Tu valoración: 3 Washington D.C., DC
The service was a bit off, far too uncomfortable in nature but the food was decent. If you are looking for a really casual setting and service this place will fit the bill.
Stacey B.
Tu valoración: 1 Chevy Chase, Washington, DC
While the crabs were good, the wait staff was attentive, and the weather was beautiful outside, sitting on the semi-outdoor patio(white with red awning) was a terrible idea. The aroma of garbage and other unsavory scents seem to make their way across this patio, ruining ones’ appetite. The staff were kind and they tried to explain, but the intermittent odor was enough to make me rethink my choice the next time I’m looking for an outside spot to dine on a beautiful, Sunday afternoon.
Douglas M.
Tu valoración: 1 Virginia Beach, VA
Pei mussels had a strong odor and were of a strange consistency, crabby pretzel is pretty gross, and the crab cakes were bland and mushy and it’s pretty expensive to boot stay away!
Ellen W.
Tu valoración: 5 Washington, DC
We loved the all you can eat crabs. Service was a little slow for the place not being busy but the food was great! This place had the best fries and corn and the crabs were pretty big for auce. Will definitely come back. Parking was a lot better than Bethesda Crabhouse.
Bryant R.
Tu valoración: 2 Manhattan, NY
Went for a school event. Crabs were«unlimited,» but they came out more and more slowly as the afternoon went on. I have been told by a local that these were relatively small crabs and low in meat so after all the effort of eating them, we went for a burger afterward, anyway.
Evan J.
Tu valoración: 2 Gaithersburg, MD
Better places to find food and service. Place was not to busy, but you would think it was packed for how long the appetizers took. Frankly they took so long they just brought it with our food, which was not impressive. Burgers were undercooked though outside looked well done(I ordered it medium). Rings were overcooked and some of the family found the crabs to be a bit watery. $ 75 for 12 medium crabs is also way to much in my option.
Christopher M.
Tu valoración: 5 Bethesda, MD
We were a table of 9 people that sat on the deck for the first warm day of the year and everyone complimented the food. A lot of us worked in the restaurant business and many of us have been there before and we were commenting on the staff and the service.. Especially our server Stephanie and Adrienne. Crabs were good sized, all of our food came out promptly and hot… and drinks came on time. We call it a great start to the spring season… good luck the rest of the year
Amanda I.
Tu valoración: 4 Cabin John, MD
Went here with a groupon for lunch today for the second time. There was only one other table when we went, so we did not have a problem with service. He was ready to take our order before we were, and when we were ready came back right away. We got the Maryland crab soup, there was a good amount of crab the broth had a kick to it, not much spiciness though and there were a lot of vegetables which I liked. I also ordered a crabby pretzel, which was my favorite last time and this time! A big soft pretzel topped with crab dip and cheese, how could I not like it! This time there were parts that were difficult to cut through, but I ended up liking the extra crunch. That one is an absolute have to get. I split the broiled fish tacos with my boyfriend, it came with 2 tacos(larger than normal taco size) with a good amount of fish and cabbage/tomato filling as well as sauce. However I wish I ordered the sauce on the side, I’m not the biggest fan of mayo– like sauces and there was a lot on them. I ended up eating the last half of the fish without the tortilla(because I was super stuffed and the extra sauciness). I would definitely order them again sauce on the side. Best part– it came with 2 sides. We got hush puppies, let me tell you these come as a huge portion, they are smaller than some other hush puppies I’ve had, but there were like 20 of them. AND they were served with honey on the side, never had them like that before and it was a cool spin. Other side we got corn on the cob, so it was good nothing special with that. I had a good experience both times I have come, leaving super stuffed(both were lunch time) and would go back again, especially for that crabby pretzel!
Steve C.
Tu valoración: 1 Bethesda, MD
I think it is unfair that I cannot give this establishment a zero. What a steaming pile. I used to come here for one bartender in particular, but after the manager(his dad lets him run the place) got so hammered he called me a «f****** f*****,» groped my fiancé, and then got kicked out by his own staff for trying to pick a fight with another patron — why come back? I would rather support good people that are trying to add to the community. Also, if you have children and you let them eat here, the State should take them from you.
Jill P.
Tu valoración: 1 Cabin John, MD
Perhaps the owner(s) and manager(s) should sit down one day and try everything on the menu.(Did not have crabs so I won’t comment on crabs.) A group of childhood friends gathered here recently on a Friday night. Many were in from out of town for a high school reunion. My vodka tonic was ok. I ordered the fish tacos. They were horrible. The taco shells(flour tortilla) appeared to be 8″ and entirely too large for a portion and what they were filled with. There were large chopped pieces of cabbage and onion. I didn’t recognize anything else. If there was fish in there, I couldn’t see it. No sauce no flavor.(Hint– try the fish tacos at Wild Tomato and try to replicate it. A winner every time.) The friend on my left ordered a crab cake sandwich. It was an overlooked patty of undeterminable mush. He sent it back and said he wouldn’t pay for it. The friend to my right ordered a cheeseburger cooked medium. What he got was an overlooked grey burger with bacon and cheese on it. He sent it back and 45 minutes later was presented with a burger he actually enjoyed that was cooked properly.45 minutes?! The friend across the table from me ordered a salad with no onions. She got a salad full of chopped onions that she could not eat. Another friend got a seafood pizza. That could have been an ok dish but it was completely soggy. There appears to be no supervision in the kitchen and zero quality control. A comment about the indoor heaters– the room needed to be better ventilated. Those heaters give off a noxious odor and we had to ask that the front door be propped open. That would have been satisfactory if the cigarette smokers had been directed to stand elsewhere and not in front of the door. The cigarette smoke filled the room. Back to my first comment about the owners/managers– get pro-active if you care about your business. Time for an overhaul.
Liza P.
Tu valoración: 5 Kensington, MD
Feeling Crabby — Then this is the place to come! My norm for Crabs is «Bethesda Crab House», but thought I would go out of my comfort zone and try something new, and boy am I glad I did! While the service was a bit touch and go,(she seemed a bit young and un-sure) the Crabs(From Texas) were every bit the Xtra Large we ordered and only paid $ 100 for a DZ!!! Between us TWO we could only eat FIVE! That is how meaty and heavy they were, not to mention the legs were like MALLETS in their own right! We also got a ½ LB of Steamed Shrimp, and let me tell you cooked PEEEEEEEEERFECTLY! Our buckets of beer we’re CHILLED and delicious. And did I mention if you sit out doors on their covered yet fan controlled deck, you can also bring your DOG?! ***The only thing I mention to you«FOODIE UnilocalERS» if you like OLDFASHIONED old bay, bring your own, they only have a mix which to me was a bit salty? But even that being said it was good. After finishing our dinner we decided to head to the BAR for a night cap, the Bartenders Don and Miguel were exceptional! Not only was the bar staff friendly but prompt in their drink deliveries! An over all of those two completely being in sync and really knowing how to treat their customers! Because of that they seemed to collect an attractive crowd of couples, who were also engaging and very friendly. We will definitely be back, as a matter of fact I CANNOTWAIT!
Maria L.
Tu valoración: 1 North Bethesda, MD
This place is a dump. Dingy, dark, and damp on the inside, it reeks of pesticide(there is a reason for this, as I’ll explain in a moment.) I opted to sit outside. I would have turned around and left, but I had a Groupon that had to be used. So first, the waitress didn’t even greet me– I had told the hostess that I had a Groupon, so I officially became«the Groupon person.» She came to the table and said, «You have a Groupon, right? Please give it to me.» Okay, hello to you, too, missy! She also told me they had no drink specials even though I saw specials on the blackboard inside. Two of them tried to get me to order the all you can eat blue crabs, but I decided to get 3 crabs, ½ lb of steamed shrimp, and a bowl of cream of crab soup with a couple of Corona lights. The soup was an abhorrent cream of salt, and the crabs were a joke. They only had mediums, and although they did give me six instead of the three because they were so small, it did not make up for the fact that they were light as a feather, mushy, and empty. Two of them were«bad». If I had ordered a dozen of them(at $ 70 a dozen, mind you) I would have refused to pay. The shrimp saved the day, fortunately, but did not affect my rating. To top off the lousy service, the waitress did not give me a pen to sign my credit card slip, nor did she give me the normally requisite hand-wipes after my meal. This disappointing experience also came at a hefty price tag of $ 55. So I told a friend about my experience and he indicated that the restaurant was recently shut-down due to multiple health violations, including fly and roach infestations– hence the lovely aroma in the main dining room! I just looked it up online and here’s what I found: In short: don’t think about it!
Rawhide W.
Tu valoración: 4 Austin, TX
I was introduced to this location by family while traveling had the all u can eat crab feast. It was a Monday night so the place was empty. Judging from some of the reviews it might have been a good thing. Crabs were good and they did keep the tray full. Fries, Cole slaw and a little corn accompanied our feast. Everything went well although the table did smell like a spoiled rag was used to clean up. Other than that we had no issues, service was great and attentive. Perhaps they are getting the hint, or this was a case of not being a busy night. Either way I’d return for another feast.
Elise A.
Tu valoración: 1 Washington, DC
Crab feast — You will be tempting fate if you eat crabs at this restaurant. In the last month I stupidly tried eating their crab feast 2x. The first time the crabs reeked of ammonia indicating they were decayed. We left the restaurant. Thinking that may have been a fluke, I went back again. The crabs were even worse, ammonia smell, over cooked to the point the shells were black and the meat grey. In addition the few that looked edible tasted funny. Thankfully I wasn’t sick. Do not eat here! I’d give it a minus 1 if I could
Mandana Y.
Tu valoración: 1 Washington, DC
Rude. Trust Unilocal.Always trust Unilocal. I purchased the crab-fest groupon, two of them, for 4 people each. I called a couple days ahead, made a reservation for Friday at 6:30 and said we were coming in with our groupons. The woman on the phone was extremely nice and thanked me for making the reservation so they can be sure to be able to accommodate us. Fast forward to Friday at 6:30. Walk in. Hostess: Are you here for crabs? Me: Yes! Hostess: We don’t have any. Me: Oh, um I have a reservation, for 8? We called ahead and made a reservation… Hostess: Well we ran out. We won’t have any for at least 2 hours, if they come, and then they wouldn’t be ready for another 30 minutes. Me: Well I had called ahead, why didn’t anyone call me and let me know? Hostess: It JUST happened an hour ago. Me: So why didn’t someone call me an hour ago? Hostess: What do you want me to do there aren’t any crabs. Me: Well I don’t feel very comfortable with this, can I speak to a manager. Hostess: He’s not here, he’s on his way in. Me: That’s alright, I’ll wait. Another Hostess: [walks up to the hostess stand] Can I help you? Me: Well I had a reservation for 8 people, we all drove here from different parts of the DMV for crabs. I understand that you don’t have crabs but I don’t appreciate how rude and dismissive you guys are being about this. It’s a Friday night at 6:30… Another Hostess: Well I don’t know what to tell you. There are no crabs. Go to Bethesda Crab House. Me: So you’re basically kicking us out? You’re showing no desire to retain us as paying customers. Another Hostess: I don’t know what you want from us. Me: I want nothing, I’d just like to speak to the manager. I’ll wait till he gets here. Another Hostess: Oh I’m a manager. Me: [to myself — Bitch you’re a liar, your coworker just said the manager, a guy, is on his way in] Okay in that case, best of luck to your crab house that doesn’t have crabs. There is a reason why old businesses need to do groupons. There is a reason businesses have 2 star ratings on Unilocal. There is a reason why old businesses need to do groupons. There is a reason businesses have 2 star ratings on Unilocal. There is a reason why old businesses need to do groupons. There is a reason businesses have 2 star ratings on Unilocal. There is a reason why old businesses need to do groupons. There is a reason businesses have 2 star ratings on Unilocal. There is a reason why old businesses need to do groupons. There is a reason businesses have 2 star ratings on Unilocal. Mandana has finally learned her lesson.
Yoda E.
Tu valoración: 1 Santa Monica, CA
Purchased a Groupon for all-you-can-eat crabs. Made a reservation the day before. Confirmed we would be eating crabs. I’m in town visiting from California so I was super excited about this. We drove 45 minutes to the restaurant and emptied our pockets to feed the meter. I am not kidding you when I tell you that the manager came out to tell us that THEYWEREOUTOFCRABS!!! The manager told us they ran out of crabs yesterday, ordered an emergency supply, and ran out again. She insisted several times that it was not her fault! Who’s fault is it? The crab’s fault?! Did the crabs not order enough crabs to serve over a holiday weekend? Did the crabs post a groupon and then not order enough crabs to be able to serve customers? I don’t think so. Shame on you Steamers.