A bit pricey, but solid place for blue crabs. Other menu items I have tried have been decent, but I wouldn't say great, especially considering the price. Nice new facility they moved to though. read more

I used to love this place. I went in on a Wednesday night to get some crab legs. I'd been thinking about them all day. The clusters I received were not only terribly oversteamed, but the meat inside looked like it was dehydrated. I have never ever seen a crab leg with no meat! It was as if these crab were suffering from muscular atrophy before they were caught! On top of the anorexic legs, the crab legs were so amazingly bland, no amount of butter or Old Bay could make up for it. I would never return here again. I've had better crab legs on a Chinese buffet. Only giving 2 stars instead of one because the fries and hush puppies are still really good. read more

Backfins Crab House - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Let me preface this with the fact that I LOVE crab legs and most shellfish. I've been in lots of places like this one and lived in the DC/MD area for about 8 years so I definitely went with expectations. My friend and I went for lunch and there was a constant flow of patrons which is always a good sign. It's your typical "paper on the table with metal buckets for shells" dining experience (although I was hoping for a plastic bib). I ordered what I went for...crab legs. They came with sides so I got the salad and fries. The crab legs, overall, were good. There were a few that were really over cooked and really challenging to crack (trust me, you'd think I cracked crab legs for a living). I was also a little disappointed that the only vegetables on the menu were green beans from a can. I was hoping to, at least, see broccoli. My friend, however, loved her crab cake meal and her appetizer. She looked like she was in heaven. For a place that's centrally located in a state and not near water, it works. I'd try it again for sure. Maybe I'll try what my friend tried. read more

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I wasn't sure what the experience was going to be having had several disappointing recent seafood experiences. Well no worries, we enjoyed our lunches. We each tried a soup. I had the tomato based Maryland Crab soup. It was delicious. Plenty of crab, not too many vegetables and the broth is delicious; not a drop left. My wife had the cream of crab soup. I had a spoonful of that and it too was delicious. We mixed it up a little to try a variety. Between us we had scallops, oysters, hush puppies, potato salad and onion rings. Nothing was greasy nor did the seasoning or breading crowd out the seafood flavors. I absolutely loved the scallops without Old Bay seasoning. I like my hush puppies a little sweeter but that's not a knock on theirs, just a personal preference. We'll be back to try more of the menu offering. read more

We went there on Saturday for crabs and steamed shrimp. The crabs were excellent ,however, the steamed shrimp was mushy and overcooked. When we told the waitress about this issue she promptly told the manager and they stated that they would adjust the cost of the shrimp by how much we ate. We had to try them as a table and had all agreed that they were less than stellar. I have never heard of any restaurant charging for a partial order of anything! I personally would expect the entire entrée to be taken off the total bill. That would have been the classy thing to do. read more

I've been here three times and every time they've been super consistent and good! For seafood, it's decently priced! It's definitely not too expensive. It's a bit of a dive so it's not very roomy or fancy! But quite frankly, I'm not sure why anyone would rate this anything less than 4 stars. It's one of the best seafood places in the triangle! The steam buckets are great! You get a selection of clams, oysters, shrimp, blue crabs, snow crabs and two sides. It's a lot of food which is reasonably split between two people. When split, you feel full without feeling stuffed! I love the crab cakes too. They're really good. Not a ton of filler, it's basically just crab meat which is fabulous. I'm from Maryland so a GOOD crab cake is very hard to come by. Trust me. They're amazing. But get the pan seared instead of fried. I recommend this to PLENTY of people especially those who are from Maryland. The only thing that I wouldn't order from here is the French fries. They're not that good. Stick with red potatoes or slaw or corn. read more

Best crab cake I've had in NC. My Nana has been talking about this place since she tried it over a month ago. She's from MD, so she's tough to please when it comes to crab cakes! read more

Backfins Crab House - Crab cake, hush puppies, green beans - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

We first came here when we decided to build a new home in Jan 2023. We came today after going though an initial inspection of our new home. The food is so fresh and delicious. My husband and I both had the fried flounder and hush puppies. Both were amazing and not greasy. Barbara our server was great. read more

I was by there yesterday for a quick lunch of fried shrimp and a glass of wine. It was good, lite breading, hot and crisp. Good service and value. Would return. read more

Great food but quite pricey. We love the new location as it has a great outdoor space.

Top Notch Seafood! Best around hands down! I ordered the crab legs, oysters, fish, hush puppies, onion rings, red potatoes, etc. Everything was perfect and fresh. read more

First time here. Will definitely not be the last! I ordered the today's special ( 1crabcake, 1snow crab cluster, and steamed shrimp, side of coleslaw & red potatoes) rounded out the meal. One word: Perfection The crab cake was decadent and just full of crab. The shrimp were seasoned perfectly. Everything was just perfect. The food tastes as if they are catching the seafood out the back. So fresh! I'm really impressed (if you can't tell)! We will be back over and over again! read more

Backfins Crab House - Back of restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

My wife and I stopped for some linner. Very nice customer service and the menu excellent. My wife ordered the crabby melt and I had the Crab cake sandwich. This another WOW me moment. We will come back for sure. read more

Backfins Crab House - Johnny and Mary - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Great service and very good food. We had Sarah as our server and she did a good job. We had the calamari to start, which was pricey but pretty good. I had the snow crab platter and my wife had the fried shrimp. The shrimp had a lot of breading on it but the snow crab was excellent read more

This place takes me back to when Shuckers was still on Capital and really good. Native to the upper Chesapeake these people know crabs and oysters read more

They're not great. Service is terrible and they are always rude. I'll drive the extra 15 minutes to Rolesville to their seafood restaurant or even 20 minutes to Raleigh or Louisburg for Mayflower read more

It's all about the crab cakes. Sourced locally and as fresh as they come. They are worth every penny. The hush puppies were surprisingly delicious, too, and the coleslaw was fresh and crunchy. They have some local draft option which is always nice. The fries are fresh hand cut every day and come out crispy. We'll definitely be back. read more

Overpriced and not the best seafood we ever had. We like to support local but for us, it's just not worth the trip.

I visited again for lunch after not dining here for a few years. They've moved to a "market" pricing strategy for nearly every menu item except chicken. For good quality fish I understand but a flounder basket! The portions have been reduced as well. This used to be a decent place to eat but it's a no go now. There are much better options for seafood all over the triangle. read more

I had the crab cake basket with hush puppies and coleslaw. The crab cake was delicious, very little filler, tons of crab. I also liked that you had the option of getting it pan seared. It came perfectly cooked and again it was delicious. The rest of the basket was a mountain of hush puppies and a small portion of slaw. For the $15 price tag I would have preferred two smaller crab cakes and 1/4 of the puppies. Also more slaw would have been much appreciated. I think this places prices are not in line with the quality of the food and the lack of atmosphere of the restaurant. I won't be returning. read more

Backfins Crab House - Half order pan seared crab cakes - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

We had been hearing that we needed to try this place. So when family came in from out of town we met up and had a good time and a good meal. I loved the simplicity of the restaurant. It seemed to be family owned and I loved that they had their own hot sauce and seasonings - called durn good and my hubby said it lived up to the name. Our food was delicious. I had t had crab legs in a while but these were good and hey tasted so fresh. I also loved the hush puppies but was not excited with the green beans. The didn't have much flavor and came with a packet of butter and no seasoning. My husband had the combo basket with the fried shrimp and flounder and everything was delicious and the onion rings were huge! We were glad it was recommended and we would recommend and definitely return! read more

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Blue crabs are to Maryland what lobsters are to Maine. Growing up in Maryland, there are lots of memories that include sitting alongside a bushel of steamed crabs from the Chesapeake Bay. As far as food goes, there is nothing I miss more now that I'm on the West Coast where crabs only come in the Alaskan, Snow and Dungeness varieties. Bleh. In North Carolina, all the crab buzz was on BACKFINS CRABHOUSE in Wakeforest. No surprise the owners are Marylanders! Full disclosure: the crabs we had were not from the Chesapeake but from the Carolina Coast. And, they were delicious. After the two of us started with the fried shrimp, we ordered a dozen medium-sized crabs. Feeling greedy, we also each had a bowl of soup-- Maryland Crab for H. (red broth) and the Cream of Crab for me. The fried shrimp were perfect-- super fresh with just a light coating of batter. The soup was divine; I nearly burned my tongue slurping it down, too impatient to wait for it to cool. And the crab...oh, the crab. Delicious. Big props to our server who couldn't have been nicer. Backfins is now permanently on my list of North Carolina stops. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Very casual seafood in downtown wake forest. Great hush puppies and I really enjoyed the steamed seafood platter. This is a huge portion, easily shared between 2 or 3. I split it with my friend and we had plenty! As they were out of blue crab, I asked what they sub it for and server told me it would be light blue crab, had no idea what that meant. Best explanation she could give was that it was diff size. The snow crabs and shrimp were my fav and also comes with oysters, all seasoned with old bay. Messy eats but worth it. Very old building with one person bathroom. We came for early dinner and within minutes there was a crowd waiting for seats. Service was good and food worthy of another trip. read more

Backfins Crab House - Steamed seafood platter, plenty to share! - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

The blue crab are the real deal, steam combo plate was awesome, hus puppies were the bomb, and our waitress Kayle is phenomenal!! Definitely will return! read more

Backfins Crab House - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Once again, Backfin did not disappoint! Good, quality seafood at a reasonable price. I had the crab cake and scallops combo. I also had calamari, along with the cream of crab soup as an appetizer. Let me just say, 90% of my entree went home with me because I was STUFFED after my starters. I did eat my fries as I knew they wouldn't taste as good reheated. The fries are fresh cut and delicious. One thing to keep in mind: hushpuppies are a side item and don't automatically come with your meal. That's a little unusual for this type of restaurant, but they give you plenty, so if you are dining with someone, one of you get hushpuppies and split them. Also, don't come to Backfin expecting anything fancy. Table coverings are paper, plates and utensils are plastic. Don't worry though, you'll enjoy the food so much that you won't mind the frugal flatware. :-) read more

When we arrived, it seemed pretty busy. The hostess told us there would be about a 30 minute wait; so, we decided to stick it out to give this place a try. Our 30 minute wait turned into a 50 minute wait and we were debating on whether or not it was worth it to stay. The hostess let us know that they were basing their times on the wait staff (which also made us question how long it may take to get service/food). Nonetheless, we decided to stay since we had already devoted 50 minutes. While inside, we were surprised at how small the eating area was. From the outside, it looks like a bigger establishment (especially when comparing it to Showmar's on the other end). There aren't very many tables inside and all are spaced pretty close together. We were watching the customers and staff while waiting and it seemed difficult for everyone to maneuver the tables/chairs. When we were finally seated, they put us in a two person table almost on top of the couple next to us. You could tell the couple, like us, were not thrilled about being so close. We could honestly hear their conversation and chewing while they were eating. We waited a bit to be served and once we were, we decided to order the fish sandwiches with hushpuppies and fries. The fish sandwich was to come with lettuce and tomato (and we had requested tartar sauce on the side). The server we had was very friendly and brought our drinks/food as soon as she was able. When they brought out our food, I was so surprised. The fish did not look appetizing, there was one tiny piece of lettuce, and three small, tiny slices of tomatoes. After biting into it, there was no taste to the fish outside of the breading and it was SO dry. I was definitely expecting more due to the hype of this restaurant and the prices of their meals. As for the hushpuppies, they were just okay. For now, I can't say I was impressed with our experience. We may go back to try the crab; but, we will definitely wait for a day where there isn't so long of a wait. read more

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Come for the food and you will be happy. I don't know why I don't see more 5 stars on here.

When the butter sauce and potato salad and coleslaw OUTSHINE the snow crab legs "Houston we got a problem!!" They were cold by the time I got to my hotel about 2.5 miles away and I used a grub hub hot bag. They were unseasoned. #TwoThumbsDown read more

I think I found my favorite seafood place around the triangle. This little place in a busy shopping center has all the seafood you can want. Crab legs, blue crab, shrimp, oysters, clams. We had the raw oysters, your typical raw oysters. Not huge but fresh. Combo platter 1: fried oysters and fried flounder. Great portion size with hush puppies and corn cobbette. Combo platter 2: pan fried crab cake and a cluster of crab legs. The crab cake was a decent size with huge amounts of crab meat in it. Along with potato salad and coleslaw. The potato salad was sweetened with relish which I loved the most. Overall experience, I am def coming back and letting everyone know, this is the seafood place to go. read more

I really wanted to give this place a 4 star rating, but unfortunately I can not. Let me start by saying the food is really good. And i grew up eating Maryland crabs. So I am hoping this place gets better. The service was terrible. They do not have enough servers and kitchen staff. We barely saw our waitresss. The hostess waited on us more than our waitress. Seating is terrible. the space is way too small. it feels like you are sitting on top of each other and having dinnet with strangers. Tables are miniscule. Not ideal for large dinners with lots of crabs. There is no bar space, like maybe 4 chairs. Can't even order a drink while doing the ridiculous long wait for the really bad service. read more

Anticipated a great meal when we arrived for lunch today based on reviews from other diners. Greeted at the door by a friendly hostess, seated outside at our request to enhance social distancing-then it hit us. None of the employees were wearing masks! This was made worse by our friendly waitress coming to stand 2 feet away from us!! When we asked why servers were not wearing masks we were very politely told that the wearing of masks by servers in Wake County was RECOMMENDED but not required. Well y'all, while my doctor does not require that I forgo eating ice cream for every meal he certainly RECOMMENDS it as a way to help keep me healthy. Remember, a waitress wearing a mask helps keeps me safe from her germs. My wearing a mask helps keep my server safe. We left. Greatest irony-on the door of the restuarant as we were walking out is a sign listing the 3 W's the NC Health Department is asking people follow - one of which is to WEAR a cloth mask when social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained. Last time I looked none of the servers would have been able to bring me my food and maintain even a four foot distance. Right now the biggest group spreading COVID 19 in North Carolina is people between the ages of 18-30, the age of all the employees we saw in the restuarant. Raleigh REQUIRES face coverings in restaurants and is less than 8 miles away. Not sure why a restaurant in Wake Forest should feel they are immune to the spread of this virus. BIG FAIL ON THE PART OF MANAGEMENT. The message is that they don't care about their customers' health. EVEN WITH SUCH GOOD REVIEWS WE ARE NOT SURE WE'll RETURN AFTER COVID-19 IS GONE. Lots of other great restaurants around. read more

If you're looking for well cooked seafood in a laid back atmosphere in Wake Forest, this is definitely the place for you. We ate fried oysters that were 0% chewy when eaten hot and flounder that had a thin crust and a moist, flaky inside. The salad was simple but fresh and iceberg-free. The romaine was dark green, the tomatoes a natural red and crisp cucumbers made it a fine garden salad. Though the hush puppies ranged from nothing to right home about to bad, and the waitress made us wait a long time for water, overall it was still a good experience. If you don't mind your husband drinking all your water, this is the perfect place to go!! read more

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This is an amazing restaurant. We had to wait about 45 min to be seated, but well worth the wait. They definitely need a larger space. I got the fried shrimp and oysters with hushpuppies and onion rings. Everything was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The food arrived hot. Our server was fantastic and very patient. read more

Backfins Crab House - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Delicious crab cakes filled with lump crab and not bread. I had pan seared which had the right amount of crunch. The hot hand cut fries were so delicious. I would definitely recommend! read more

Visiting Raleigh NC and a family member suggested this place. I have got to say I was pleasantly surprised! These guys are from Waldorf MD. and if you know MD you know they know crab. Wife had the crab cake and I had the combo platter with fried shrimp and flounder with side of onion rings and slaw.. Food was delicious! We had Hannah as our waitress and she made us feel as home. If you are in the Raleigh area make sure you put this place on your list to stop and eat at.. read more

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I think this could've been good but there was no flavor to the seafood(shrimp and snow crab) it was seemed to be only boiled , maybe that's how some people like it but me personally I like a lot of flavor read more

We tried the new location a few weeks ago and it was OK but not great. Not a lot of choices and what we go did not have the best flavor. We left not feeling that great and wishing we had eaten something else. We are typically Seafood people but this spot turned out. Not to be for us. read more

This place is AMAZING. What an experience. I was visiting my family from out of town and we decided on seafood. Backfins Crab House is one of my Aunt's favorite places to eat, so we easily decided on this spot for dinner. We waited in a line which seemed to take forever -- but it was definitely worth the wait. We had a FEAST. None of us had eaten a "blue crab" before so our waitress sat down with us to teach us how. John Jenkins, who is one of the owners, came by to say hello and he even gave us one of his favorite crab dipping sauces to eat our crab with! It was amazing. Like I've said, this place is quite the spot. I wish I didn't live so far away so that I could come back more often. It is definitely on my list of places to eat at again when I'm in town. Thanks for the great experience Backfins Crab House! read more

Backfins Crab House - Seafood Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Excellent fresh seafood. Friendly and attentive waitstaff. Crab legs were so good ! Oysters were great!

Oh my seafood galore! The option to sit outdoors is great too! The cream of crab was packed with crab meat. I have never had a crab soup with so much meat in it, delicious! We stopped in just for a light snack and appetizers and left filled to the brim. You could purchase snow crab legs by the cluster. Of course I could not pass that up! My husband had the fish sandwich and it was good as well. We were fortunate to be seated quickly but be prepared to have a wait as this is a quaint restaurant and the indoor dining area isn't very big. Highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area! read more

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