We have been going to Captain Pell's for more than 15 years. It is family owned and has been in business since 1977. If you want the BEST crabs in NVA, you have to go to Captain Pell's. They have been voted Best Crabs inNVA several times. They get the biggest and meatiest crabs delivered fresh everyday. Along with the BEST crabs, we enjoy their large steamed shrimp, fresh oysters, corn on the cob, hush puppies and crab leg clusters and more. Billy, who owns and has run the crab house for many many years is a GEM. He will always welcome you and make sure you are happy with what you order. He and his crew are very friendly, loyal and always willing to help you with a smile. If you have not tried Captain Pell's, I highly suggest you do. Mother's Day is around the corner, great place to treat Mom. ***** 5 star rating Barbara read more

This place is so incredibly expensive for the quality of food and atmosphere you get. The excerpt of the original "Captain Pell" made me feel sentimental for a quick minute, but then I was transported back to reality when I looked around. A dozen crabs was pretty good for the most part, but you would think the presentation for $20 calamari and crab dip would be better than that of a high school lunch. Anything more than a dozen crabs is likely not going to be good. Going here is like going to an alternative universe where you are no longer in Fairfax. For a dozen crabs, crab dip, calamari served in a tin plate, 2 crab cakes, chicken tenders, a cold & sad lobster roll, hush puppies, and two corn on the cobs, we left paying $400. Do with that what you will. read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

The family and I had the opportunity to visit Captain Pell's for the first time ever just a few days ago. After arriving, we were all looking forward to a great dining experience. Unfortunately, Captain Pell's missed the mark in providing us with that experience. For starters, the place just through observation, seemed very understaffed. This is what we believe led to our abandonment by our server. Our drinks weren't properly refilled after sitting for some time without our server checking in on us and our food turned cold waiting a lengthy time on condiments. An order for oysters had to be cancelled as they never made it out to our table the entire evening. We requested to speak with the restaurant manager but was only spoken to by a lead server who although kind, did not have the authority to rectify our situation. This spoke volumes as to how the restaurant leadership feels about their patrons. If you are in the northern Virginia area and looking for a great seafood dining experience, definitely seek some of the higher rated seafood establishments in the area. read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Entrance - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

If you like fresh seafood at a reasonable price, this is the place to be. I came here both in person and for carry out and both times the food was excellent. You can spend some money here, but it is worth it. You get a variety of classic seafood and in large portions. The service is quick too. I highly recommend the catfish and hush puppies. Obviously, the lobster tails are great too. Highly recommended if you like seafood. read more

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First time at Captain Pell's and it was a easy and delightful experience. I've eaten at many seafood restaurants in search of a seafood boil. This was a fresh take where there was more focus on fresh seafood vs sauce. The customer service was excellent and the establishment was clean, much appreciated and will visit again! read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Snow Legs, Clams, and Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Decided to try this place out as I was craving steamed crab and it was so good! For $54 you can get 12 medium crabs which are actually still pretty big. I got the fried oysters as an appetizer and it was juicy and crispy with cocktail sauce. Everything came out very quick and seasoned. They also offered butter to dip in and I asked for some more lemons which made it taste great! It was nice to have the mallet and knife supplied as well. My only critique is it would be nice if gloves were provided and a hand wipe for afterwards. Our waiter was really nice and this is definitely more of a casual dine in place where you just wave down servers when needed. The inside is very spacious and there is music and TVs around for entertainment. I'll have to come back to try the jumbo size! read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

I ordered 12 jumbo crabs for my birthday and traveled from DC to purchase them. I only received 4 jumbo crabs and the remaining 8 were a mix of medium, large and 1 extra large crab. I paid good money for those crabs and instead of giving me a proper resolution, they told me I would have to bring them back to the restaurant. they would not accept screen shots or a live FaceTime and ruined my birthday dinner. I even gave them a tip which I regret. I will never support them ever again. check your crabs before you leave if you are ordering take out, even if the bag is stapled shut like mines were. I hate that restaurant and will make sure everyone I know avoids them. I bet they don't pull that bs on white customers. read more

You can always count on Fairfax Crab House to have great crabs! They are the best crab house around! They always have great service too!

Cream of crab soup ? Watery hardly any crab not my favorite it was also watery and not thick like a traditional cream of crab soup. The crabs and crab specials ? 110% worth it the price is great and the crabs are delicious. They have a variety of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks to choose from. They have indoor and outdoor seating the place is great for families , dates and a solo trip. The service was quick everyone was willing to help and check in on you. The shrimp was good perfect in every way and the hushpuppies were also pretty good ! read more

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A couple of years have passed since my last very positive review and those years have not been good for this crab house. You would expect that in August; all sizes of crabs would be available but we were told that mediums were all that they had. Besides the "crab size shortage" the facility is noticeably rundown both inside and the parking area is in desperate need of repairs. I've been a customer for decades and I don't see a good future for this business if things don't change. read more

We had a dozen of fresh oysters, a half steamed oysters, and one calamari all turned out great!!! The server is kind and nice. We will come back read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Fresh Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Captain Pell's is a great place to get crabs in Northern Virginia. They have a nice atmosphere with an open dining room. I liked seeing all the other folks around me eating seafood and chatting with friends on July 4th. My friend and I went around 1 PM and were seated promptly. We expected it to be busier than it was, but were surprised by the slightly sparse crowd. It was nice to be able to talk to each other and not be overwhelmed by a bunch of people around us. We both got three large crabs to start off with. They were brought to us very quickly with the perfect amount of seafood seasoning on top. The servers were very attentive and made sure we had refills on our drinks and napkins to keep clean. I would have liked them to provide gloves, but we brought our own. read more

Highly recommend for steamed crabs takeout. Someone actually answers their phone! Staff courteous & professional. Crabs Perfectly seasoned, packed & ready when promised. Reasonably priced too. Worth the visit! read more

I came here for a pre-birthday dinner on June 7th as my fiancé was about to have surgery and wouldn't be able to walk for weeks. I have heard about this place number of times over the decade but finally bit the bulled to try it as I have been on a huge seafood kick lately. Once we arrived we were greeted immediately when walking through the door by the takeout specialist. The host quickly grabbed menus and walked us to an available table. Our waiter came by shortly after to get drink selections and offer suggestions. While I was slightly disappointed ( the reason for 4 out of 5 stars) they did not offer a full bar as I am not a huge beer or wine drinker. Now for the food, quickly order the crab dip, fried oysters, and fried shrimp for starters. And WOW, the fried oysters were amazing and breaded beautifully without being to much and the crab dip was so meaty (see picture) it was a shocker as I have never had it like that before. We both decided on the pick 3 and got the softshell crab. crab cake, and fried catfish. An baby! When i tell you they tasted amazing it is not an understatement. The crab cake even though on the smaller side was pure lump meat! The softshell crab was flavorful again without being over breaded. Where out table was we could see in the kitchen and just watching the ladies and gentleman move around the big containers they use to boil the crab legs was fun. However, I think the funniest thing was watching them pour the butter on the food and for the dipping as they put butter inside of a coffee pot to melt it and use for easy pour. I have never though about that! That was so forward thinking dont know why others dont do it instead of using a crockpot or other device. Overall, we will definitely be back it seems a lot of people do the all you can eat blue crab as that is what everyone in the dinning room was eating. But their menu is definitely large for the rest of us that dont want to go through all that :-) read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Crab dip - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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Food was mid. Seafood not tasty. There were parts of our crab legs that wete icecold. Crabs not sweet, although the hush puppies were the best I've ever had. Service was good. Two things needed to be corrected and they were corrected with speed and kindness. Ambiance good. I really enjoyed this the most. Cleanliness poor. The odor of dead seafood hits you immediately upon entering. This smell disappeared once you entered the dining room. The woman's bathroom is atrocious. If they wanted you to have a true sailors experience, with an outhouse on the boat, they have succeeded. The walls are dirty and stained. The bathroom smelled like an alley with sewer and feces. The entire restaurant needs a deep clean, even the servers should clean themselves up. The aprons were dirty. I get the shorts and tee shirts, but there should be a level of professionalism that is maintained. Casual can still be professional. Our bill was $350.00. It can get costly. Everything is a la carte. read more

In the last month I've dined in here once and gotten carryout twice. I'm in Arlington so there are more local options but Captain Pells is my favorite. Our order has been mostly the same - extra large crabs, hush puppies, crab dip, shrimp. Crabs have been meaty and cooked perfectly, 2-3 crabs (with sides) fills me up. The hush puppies here are the best I've had and the CRAB DIP do not sleep on it. Big chunks of lump crab in it. I've also had a very pleasant service experience. Last time I did carryout I got notified that my order was ready a good bit before pickup time and i called and they fixed it no problem. We didn't drink when we dined in but I also noticed very reasonable drink prices, which you just never see. read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Extra large crabs - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Always a nice experience here! We ordered our crabs steamed but no salt and they always compliant with it. The place deff always smells like crab but thats a given! They have two levels so plenty of room for a small or a big party. Crabs are always fresh. We always expect to spends more than $200 here. Service is fairly quick and staff is always so friendly. They have their own parking in front so parking are fairly easy. Would always recommend this place for a family dinner night out. read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

Tonight's night out for Excellent Crabs. The Large crabs were very meaty. Capt Pell's is always my choice for my birthday dinner. I have never been disappointed - highly recommend if you want delicious Blue crabs. Our waitress was very efficient, responsive, and with a big smile. The owners are always engaging and make you feel welcomed. Thank you Captain Pell's. (Even left buying a Pell's T-shirt for my husband). read more

The good is the food everything I've had here has been really good the hush puppies, the crab legs, the crabs even if the extra large don't really look extra large. Still great food! Now the bad news is the service you have to ask for everything the drawn butter, which becomes cold after a while and then you're trying to eat crab legs with cold butter. I had to stand up and go to a coffee pot they keep the drawn butter in and pour it myself and take it back to my table. Service was pretty lackadaisical when ordering don't order everything at once because they have not trained the staff to ask would you like the dozen extra large crabs and the 2 pounds of crab legs at once or one at a time. Here comes all this food together and there is no crab cracker no silverware no napkins in the holders on the table. Also beware of picking up the crab spice shaker on the table it is gross and dirty and old and needs replaced. Had to stand up again and get napkins from another table. Also no salt and pepper for the corn or fries. I never understood why not just put salt and pepper on every table instead of bringing it in packets made of paper. Here you are hands messy and trying to open a paper packet of salt and pepper it's silly. Again love the food just have your game plan on when it comes to service because the family definitely needs to train the staff on some service issues. Try not to sit in the front of the restaurant, I've noticed it's better service when you're seated in the back far away from the front entrance. read more

I went to Captain Pell's in Fairfax with a small group a few weeks ago for early dinner. I would give o score for my food but best score for waitress and staff. I ordered the lobster roll and if i had first seen it before ordering, i would have passed. I was so excited seeing the waitress coming over but then saw what was on my plate. I expected the lobster on the traditional new england roll and chunks of lobster filling the whole roll like i have gotten everywhere. Instead, i got a small hamburger bun with minsed meat (couldn't taste whether it was actually lobster because so tiny) and mayo and other additives mixed up like chicken salad. A small scoop put on bun and after flattening out, left some bun with no filling. Sorry to be so negative but I was hugely disappointed and spending so much on it. I didn't finish it - no flavor. The fries were too highly seasoned for my preference. read more

So I tried this place out due to me loving crabs. We ordered the scallops dinner and extra large crabs. The scallops are very tasty and seasoned. The fries nice and hot and tasty. However, the crabs were not to my liking. They were nice sizes but light on the inside and they tasted like sea water. They were not tasty at all. I had to use the vinegar and butter to ignore the sea taste they were giving. Aide, our waiter was very attentive. I probably wouldn't go back for crabs but willing to eat the scallops again. read more

Captain Pell's Fairfax Crabhouse - Extra large crabs - Seafood Near Me - Fairfax, Virginia

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I always want to go here, because the crabs here are the best and the hush puppies are good with the honey butter.

Owners great people and so is their food crabs yummy along with oysters Neither a bad meal let's eat read more

I'm so torn to provide this review. They have the best blue crabs and hush puppies. And feel like we can speak from experience as we've been there approx 10x in the past 2 years. The service is always atrocious. For spending $275 each visit (for 2) after 20% tip.....you would expect more. Have to ask for another beer, a water refill, ask for everything, and hail down the waiter every 15 min since they don't stop by. No more! From now on, we plan to tip 10% when this happens and encourage all patrons to do this until they get the message! read more

Walking in a foul smell from the trash bins it was bad. Once inside it smelled like you would expect a crab house to smell. All the employees were welcoming and we ordered dinner plate soft shell crabs, one dozen XL crabs , coke and ice tea. The hard shells were just ok the meat was mealy in most of them some had a mercury metal taste. Our drinks were refilled and we were asked often if we were good. With crabs it is hit or miss we know that going in. I got butter and asked half way for new butter no problem got that right away. I had fun and blame them for mealy crabs. read more

We were back again on the Saturday after Black Friday which seems to be when we visit. Surprisingly, we make the same food and drink order. The drinks are now $3.95 each. The portions are still huge and too much food for two older people to eat. Hummm, I wonder if they have a "kids menu"? read more

Order ahead and You wont be disappointed! BEST Crabs in the entire Va/MD/DC area!! Try the broiled Sea Scallops and crab soup!! Tgeir steamed Shrimp are the best, as well!! read more

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CAPTAIN PELLS STILL RULES! Yes,Captain Pells is a Northern VA classic. Going back for years to the old location "crab shack" on Lee Highway near where Fairfax Towers is. The same nice family still runs the business at the newer near Fairfax toyota location with 3rd generations involved now. Great folks and great seafood! I ate there yesterday with my wife and we had a great time and left fat and happy! Saw a lot of large parties enjoying themselves having piles of hot crabs and beer and corn. One couple had what they call the Seafood tower and it looked tremendous. I will be looking into that next time for sure! I had Fried oysters and corn and that is why I am writing this review. The corn was absolutely delicious...I ate 2 ears... and the fried oysters were so sweet, succulent and cooked perfectly. Temperature, texture, taste. OMG! I woke up this morning after dreaming about those fried oysters! Delicious!! I highly recommend starting your Captain Pells adventure out with an appetizer of fried oysters if you have never trued the or if you love oysters the main course and if you don't go back for seconds or thirds on the corn I would be shocked! They have oysters on the half shell too. Bon appetite! Enjoy! read more

Very good food, huge amounts. Fish, fries and clam. Hush puppies were yummy. Everyone loved everything. No complaints. Place was packed even early. read more

Great service, great food, great all you can eat prices and setting. Been going here for over 10 years and it never/ seldom misses.

First visit. Ordered the snow crab dinner and Famous Fried Oysters. The crab legs were correctly cooked and seasoned. The person running the fryers was off his game. The fries and oysters were greasy. The oysters were literally glistening. I will probably go back, but order accordingly. read more

DMC crew strikes DC again, so 7 adults and 5 kids, so we always running a 1k bill. But crabs legs platters were all on point; Ladies got bushel of crabs, a lot popping there. Fried catfish actually looked good, steak fries, and get the hush puppy basket, they warm and butter. Only negative is, leave the salt out of the butter for the chicken crab. read more

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Food was mostly fried and not really all that tasty. Not much for my kids to eat that wasn't seafood--a few other options would be good so no one goes away hungry. Ambience is quite rundown; needs fresh paint and new furnishing. Service was at least friendly read more

I went yesterday to eat crabs and on the menu they have a list of type of crab sizes. Meanwhile the waiter cleared it up and said they only have mediums. I ordered two dozen of crabs. The crabs came out faster than our drinks. The false advertising for fresh crabs just isn't fair to the customers. I don't have a problem waiting but the crabs were cold and awful some of them were "mushy??" and Had bad smell to them. The hush puppies are clearly the height of the experience. The shrimp was decent doesn't need peppercorn. The fish sandwich was great. My waiter was terrible and I'm being nice, she spent the entire time at the bar on her phone and I had to signal for other waiters to either get her attention or pray she notice us. But I notice once she saw we were starting to rap up she became very attentive and we know what that means. I hate to be long winded and really didn't want to leave this review. But I'll be returning to see if they improve. BUT DONT ORDER THE CRABS!!! read more

Crab dip was decent but needs a little work! How your steamed corn tastes horrible i have no idea! However everything else, crab legs and shrimp and clams and scallops were delicious. It would be nice to see a kids menu. There is a burger and chicken tender basket but they are adult size and adult price! A lot of teenager wait staff and many sitting around on their phones including our female waitress who I had to keep asking someone else for stuff. The kitchen staff who was running food was hustling! The bathroom is in the basement down some very steep steps! read more

We were group of 9 on a Saturday afternoon, celebrating a birthday. We had reservations, but after looking around , reservations were not needed. I ordered the auce (smaller and lighter), they came out 6 at a time. The first batch was warm, not hot. And they surprised me by being females. They were good! My husband ordered the 2 lobster tails, broiled, and were also very good, they came with fries (crispy and hot), and Cole slaw. Another family member ordered the shrimp-steamed and huge. Another got the Snow Crab-also huge, just beautiful, some of the biggest I've ever seen. Hushpuppies were a generous portion. Prices are competitive. read more

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Absolutely HORRIBLE!!!! Horrible food, horrible service. Save yourself the agony and go elsewhere!!! We came here and got a dozen crabs, the quality was so low. The crabs was overcooked and dry, lack of flavor. On top of that, they served us crabs that was so discolored and black, there's absolutely no way I wouldn't be sick if I ate it. I informed the server and showed our server the crab, he had the nerve to tell me they're creature, that's how it's suppose to be. Extremely shock on how anyone can respond like that when seeing the discolored black crab first hand. I finally called him back a second time and told him, there is absolutely no way we are eating this, so he takes it to the kitchen, come back with a freshly cooked crab and angrily threw it on the table. Extremely unprofessional and rude!!! I cannot believe this is acceptable. Their name of crabhouse should be taken off. For them to be known as a crabhouse and serving crabs like these, a complete disgrace. read more

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Totally love this crab house. I've been a loyal customer for 30+ years. The food is great and the staff are friendly and attentive. HIGH RECOMMEND (or you can drive 4 hours to Ocean City, if you want...lol) read more

We had excellent service to go along with the excellent seafood! Our crab cakes were excellent and the scallops were superb! We watched a couple of others picking crabs and can't wait to go back and do that too. Highly recommend it! read more

Ordered a crabcake and shrimp combo and a pound of crab legs. The combo dinner came out, but I had to wait 15 minutes for my crab legs and trying to get the waitresses attention was impossible. The portions were small and tasteless but we were still hungry so we placed another order of a pound of shrimp and waited another 15 minutes. Shrimp was a good size but again tasteless. Not worth $115 of going home hungry with the slowest service I've ever experienced. Usually a great tipper but she didn't even deserve the 10% I left. read more