*****3.5 stars***** I had Ford's Fish Shack bookmarked for some time now and finally got the chance to check it out. I haven't been missing out on too much though because I thought the food was just okay. Rounded up to four stars since our service was pretty good. Got a half dozen oysters and a pint of the Ipswich clam appetizer to start. The oysters were good and fresh. Not sure where they were from though as the waiter didn't mention what the daily selections were when we initially ordered. The clam appetizer was terrible. The clams lookd nicely fried, but when you bit into them they were disgusting. Mooshy, gritty, and lacked seasoning. The waiter kindly took the dish back without asking any questions. Replaced them with the Rhode Island calamari which was delicious. Crunchy and flavorful. Enjoyed the sweet cherry peppers and lobster ginger sauce that accompanied it. C went to town on the calamari! For dinner I was going to get the Grand Mainer lobstah roll. However, after the Ipswich clam appetizer, I decided against it as it had crispy whole belly clams. The Connecticut Style lobstah roll was a solid choice. It contained a good amount of lobstah sauteed nicely and was topped with just the right amount of warm butter. This lobstah roll was good, but there was nothing that really set it apart from other Connecticut rolls I've had. Ford's Fish Shack has other items on their menu that I'd try, but don't think it's worth the drive from Rockville. read more

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We love Ford's. The food is always AMAZING and the service is great. Reminds me of Sweetwater Tavern in terms of the food and service. The lobster roll is the best in the area. My kids always like their food too which is a win for picky eaters. The restaurant is clean and spacious. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Mac and cheese and French fries. - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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Best fish place in town. I like the fish tacos. The shoestring fries are amazing! If they don't come out hot ask them to bring you another order. I haven't had a bad meal here. Interested to try the clam chowda. Also the cornbread muffins are great recommend those too. read more

We were able to sit in my requested booth. Then wait staff was friendly, professional and attentive. We ordered the special of the day and were delighted with the choice. Management came by our table to ask if all was alright and it was. The 45 minute drive from our home was worth the trip. We look forward to our next visit. read more

Great food and service is great the food test great and prices just right I had no issue with this place been there few times already and food consistency spot on read more

Spot on! This is a GREAT venue and rarely disappoints. My business colleague who has visited the area for two years named Ford's Fish Shack his favorite restaurant. I was eager to try it out after that proclamation, and it delivered on all points. We stopped by on a Monday (fresh oysters for $1 each) and had a half dozen (two of each type). I was happy to hear they had mignonette sauce upon request! We then ordered the Maine Chips based off other reviewers. They were delicious, although neither of us really noticed much in the line of lobster meat. For our main meal, we split a lobster dinner with an extra order of chowder (see picture). Solid choice. This Boston-themed restaurant hits the nail on the head and we both left with culinary satisfaction! read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Maine chips are as good as people say. - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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We were in the mood for some fried goodness and that's exactly what we got! The atmosphere is pretty chill and the staff was super friendly and answered all our questions. Their calamari was great and their crab cakes were so clean (haven't had a crab cake that didn't have a tiny piece of plastic in it in a while). The fries were, of course, spot on! The fried lobster wasn't the greatest but the sides were pretty good. The tiny muffins you get in the beginning were pretty tasty and the right size to not fill you up before you eat. Lastly, the key lime pie was pretty great! The crust was a bit hard but taste-wise read more

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I've eaten here a bazillion times and my favorites are the Chilean sea bass with broccolini and the cauliflower mash.

Food was excellent, service on point. Raw oysters were fresh. Pick 4 seafood basket was spot on. Sea bass over cauli mash with a lemon caper sauce.. oh my! read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Sea bass - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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In town for just the night, and was pleasantly surprised at how amazing the food was, from the appetizers to the desert. I love seafood, and I have to say the only thing that would have made the Sea Bass any better was if I had caught the fish myself. The wait staff are awesome, overall great experience, and great food. read more

After doing a weeklong trip in CT, I was really starting to miss the small fish shacks by the highway.... figured this might do teh trick! It really did! The seafood platters brought me right back to those amazing roadside fish shacks. My wife isn't a huge fan of seafood but really enjoys the tacos they have! I have been back to Ford's Fish Shack many times since..and will continue going as often as possible! Highly recommend for in person dining/ pick up or delivery!!! read more

It's been a minute since I've had seafood and especially seafood this well done! Started off with a great server with a beautiful name, who pronounced it Ocean- huge shout out if you see this! Fried calamari was where I jumped off and I was so glad I did! This was so good. The breading used was light and well spiced and the calamari it's self was cooked to perfection, then it's served on top of a delightful sauce. I had the crab cakes with a side of fries and chorizo Mac &cheese. As a southern girl there had to be oysters to round out the meal and I'm so glad they joined the party! There was not one bite of food that didn't get better than the one before and I'm still not sure how that's possible. I left in a seafood coma and I appreciate the fact that it's fair to market prices on the seafood. Bonus: you can pay table side with Apple Pay by scanning the QR. Whole experience was excellent! read more

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If ever in need of a great place to eat me and my Family visited fords for the first time and it did not disappoint. Great service by our server Donna, very friendly and attentive. Donna gave us suggestions and we tried the main chips and fried lobster tails. The food and service was so good we will be making more trips here in the future Thank you Donna! read more

Great lunch. Really great taste. Convenient stop after we picked up our rental car from IAD airport

This place was highly recommended by a couple of friend in the area. Came here craving seafood but saw that they had some interesting items on the menu. I got the fried oyster roll, kinda like the lobster roll but with oysters. It was ok. It was very bland, there was more bread than oysters and pricy. My husband got fish and chips and it wasn't bad, can't see how you can mess it up so that was nice! Overall nothing that wowed us. Servers were friendly and quick, checked up on us when needed. It's spacious inside and decor was very beach like which was cute. Went during lunch time and it was busy or loud. Would I try this place again? If a friend wanted to go, maybe. I like seafood a lot so I'd give it another shot but maybe I'm just used to more seasoned seafood. read more

One of the most popular restaurants in Loudoun since it opened years ago, Ford's has these Maine Chips with lobster that are to die for. But I wanted to try something new during my visit so I opted for something you don't find on many menus anywhere - Chesapeake Puffer Fish. Highly skeptical at first - do they have a licensed puffer fish chef on staff? - I did a quick search and found out that the Chesapeake Bay puffer fish is non-poisonous. Thus fortified, I ordered the appetizer, thinking I was gonna get cute little bubble fish. Instead, it came out looking like puffy little shrimp - just as cute! They were really tender and spicy with the buffalo wing sauce; I'm guessing they're pretty bland without the sauce. I wasn't too hungry so I just had a bowl of clam chowder to round out my lunch - their version is spicy, creamy and filling ... perfect no matter what season it is. Gotta come back for the Maine chips! read more

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I am glad I finally tried this place! Chill vibes and pretty good food. The deviled eggs were HUGE and so flavorful, and a little sweet too. Great flavors and perfect texture! Tried a bite of the cod which was really good with the butter sauce. The mashed potatoes with it were delicious as well - not super creamy but whipped well and flavorful. I had the blackened fish tacos which were decent but not my favorite. The fish was very simple and very fresh. Good spot! read more

I've moved out of the area and I still crave their Angry Mussels so whenever I visit I make sure I come by to have these. I have looked and tried mussels in other restaurants around the country and with disappointment have not found anything like it. 2 years after moving, they are just as good! read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Angry Mussels, lobster grilled cheese - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Food was pretty decent but a bit pricey. Lobster roll wasn't that great unfortunately.

Service was excellent. They got a happy where selective drinks are $3 and oysters are a $1 Tables are served with these mini jalapeño corn muffins with butter. They are so good. Our table went through 3 baskets. Pecan Deviled eggs topped with bacon so goooood. Angry mussels in this delicious sauce that's accompanied with garlicky bread perfect for dipping. Crispy chips which can come plain or topped with bits of lobster, tomato, garlic and some kind of dressing. Atmosphere is relaxed, great place to come and unwind from the day. read more

This is a great place for seafood. They have fish burgers, fish taco, fish wings you name it. The most interesting dish on their menu was fish wings. We wanted to order it but they were out of it. Our server was nice and friendly. He recommended us to try Ford's tacos. It was sure a hit! Fish was fresh and moist. Tomato salsa was yummy and tangy. Fish of day was halibut with cilantro rice and my husband loved it. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Ford's tacos - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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I saw this restaurant by my work and looked up the reviews... This place is definitely a top favorite. They have fresh, delicious seafood and the environment was busy fun. I got the clam chowder and oyster roll with sweet corn bread!!! Every bite tasted like amazing ocean experience... Next time I am going to try the lobster roll that they are famous for!! read more

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My go-to spot for fish tacos. You can get them blackened or plain. I recommend blackened with avocado! Their fries are thin cut, like shoestring potatoes. Always excellent! We also love the lobster bisque, white fish, and swordfish. I have never had a bad meal here. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Amazing fish tacos! Their fries are also delicious: thin cut and crispy! - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

I'm still going to give them a 3. See what had happened was... I made reservations for 7 at 11am for my post-half marathon run. I didn't feel like going to shower before food (judge me) so we went straight to the restaurant. We waited outside until they opened at 10am. Someone called me to confirm the reservation and I was able to increase to 9 people at 10am with no prob. We were immediately seated and our waiter brought us water very quickly. The comp corn/blueberry muffins came with a honey butter. I took some honey butter with my knife and wiped it on my personal plate, then found a hair in it. I held up the long strand and the waiter could see it from across the room. He was PISSED. I was calm, ish happens. Charge it to the game. My dad's coffee cup was dirty and he was over it by this point because when he wanted to swap types of ish w/ his entree he was told he couldn't, so he didn't even order food. Our entrees come out and I scarfed down 1 of my shrimp tacos, was finishing up my fries (included), looked at the metal rack holding my tacos and lo' and behold there was another hair. Now listen! Ish happens, but twice...same person's food. Come on now! My dad pulled the manager aside, he comped the entire table. My tacos were delicious so I was saddened to part ways with them. The manager offered me another plate of something to-go, but j was turned off by this point and that says a lot (I'm greedy). I would give them another try, I'm a forgiving person + I want to try their dinner food. I've had this restaurant bookmarked for a while. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Shrimp tacos. - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Never disappoints! I have been to Ford's Fish Shack a few times. Once about three years ago, and two more times in June 2019. Every one of my visits has been amazing. In my first visit, I had the lobster roll and it was phenomenal. Fast forward to June 2019, I visited once for dinner, then once for breakfast. My dinner experience was amazing, we ordered ala carte off of the appetizer menu to try out their small bites/seafood. Everything was to die for. The Chesapeake Blowfish were amazing, they are served like hot-wing drumettes. The breakfast later was also great. I had a crab cake Benedict that was cooked perfectly along with a Bacon Bloody Mary. I'll certainly be coming back again! And I hope sooner than later! Yummy. read more

First time here, definitely not the last. Was wise to make a reservation as everytime I drive by its always packed. Met my date and got seated immediately. Our server, Laurel, came by and got drink orders and explained the menu to me. We also ordered a 1/2 lb of the steamed shrimp and then put our entree order in when the drinks arrived. The shrimp arrived just after our drinks and with the yummy blueberry and corn muffins, which was also super delicious. The shrimp were hot, flavorful and of a decent size. We shared the shrimp but did not finish before our meals arrived. Though the shrimp were good, they were very, very messy and hard to open after you had oodles of sauce on your hands. Ordered the seafood basket with sauteed shrimp and fried Ipswich clams with fries. I added a soft shell crab to the feast. My date ordered the sea scallops with penne pasta in a light sauce and said it was delicious. My clams were wonderful, very little breading, and what was there enriched the flavor and sweetness of the clams. The shrimp was sauteed lightly and very tasty. The thin fries were a nice touch, crispy and plentiful. The soft shell crab was fried and in a different breading than the clams, however it was very good and extremely meaty. A lot of restaurants that serve soft shell crabs don't serve you the meaty ones. Not Ford's Fish Shack! They serve a nice, big, plump one and season it well with a light breading. We finished our meals and saved enough room for some Boston creme pie. The dessert came and it was extremely unique. It was almost like a giant soft cookie with Boston creme in the middle covered by a rich, delicious dark chocolate sauce. Total Yum!! Our server, and other team members were outstanding. Laurel catered to any of our needs and gave great recommendations for appetizers, entrees and desserts, as well as alcoholic beverages (but I rarely drink!). Everything we needed she took care of and had a great personality. I look forward to coming back and maybe having Laurel as our server. Highly recommend a visit for Ford's Fish Shack and highly recommend making a reservation when you are coming in at a prime evening hour so you don't have to wait very long to be seated. I can't wait to go back and try something else wonderful and delicious. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Delicious Boston creme pie - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Wicked Awesome!! When you want your favorite seafood, this is The Place to go!! The drinks never disappoint and the food is absolutely decadent!! The service was fast, despite a full house! We sat in the bar and were swiftly greeted! The service was fabulous! We tried the Angry Mussels, and they were a perfect balance of spicy and savory! We ordered an extra order of break to enjoy the sauce. This is a must try appetizer with enough to share! Ford's Fish Shack also has a fantastic kids menu, so the littles are sure to be pleased! Tonight was date night, but we'll definitely be back to experience the full menu again! The Lobster Cobb Salad has plenty of lobster, and the Clams and Shrimp Tacos are not to be overlooked! We thoroughly enjoyed the experience! read more

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Hey guys you ready to eat? This is the place to go. Friendly, clean and bend over backwards service. Wide range of choices .... I had the Cod fish sandwich this time with the crab and spinach dip for appetizer. Boy I hit the jackpot with both! Very tasty. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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Not really sure where to begin, ordered the deviled eggs without nuts... indicating it was an allergy.. so they didn't put them ON the eggs... they put them all over the plate and bacon garnish instead. Ordered 2 wedge salads at the table. Had to send them back 3 times... I'm not sure if it was our waitress or the kitchen or both. It took forever to get our food and more than half we had to send back multiple times... and I never send anything back. The place is nice but we won't be back. Totally lack of effort from the waitress to the food runners to the kitchen and at no time did the manager come over to ask how we were or apologize for all the issues with the food. read more

Update - [THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE LANSDOWNE FORD's -- MY MISTAKE] The food at Fords is great, the service is polite and attentive. I am looking forward to returning post Covid ... almost. The last time I dined at Fords in Lansdowne, the noise from the bar area was so loud that it prevented us from enjoying our meal. The acoustics of the place need serious attention, and I am hoping the owners will take the down time as an opportunity to install some sound absorbing materials in the bar area and between the bar lounge and the rest of the establishment. I will not return to that cacophony.  I may order to go, but why? There's plenty of good eateries around town where you don't get a headache just trying to eat a meal .... read more

Stop in for lunch with my wife. The food and service was excellent!! I had the Mussels (not pictured) and the Foot-Long Lobsta Roll...it was absolutely delicious read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Foot-long Lobsta Roll was delicious - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Being from Maine, I can attest their menu is very close to what you would enjoy in my former home state for 50 years. Job well done.

Went to Ford's Fish Shack for dinner tonight. This place was fantastic. Started the meal off with 6 jumbo shrimp cocktail. There is also an option for a dozen. These shrimp were huge and delicious. Next, I had the seafood basket. I ordered shrimp, scallops, oysters, and clams in my seafood basket. That's a total of 14 oz. of protein per the waitress. The portion was plentiful. I enjoyed everything except the oysters. They were a little mushy and one had a piece of shell in it. Lastly, I finished with the pumpkin cheesecake. It was great and had a nice homemade crust. The sweet tea was great and the staff were friendly and attentive. read more

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My family's favorite place to get delicious, affordable seafood! It gets VERY crowded since it's a popular place. Recommend getting reservations or calling an hour or so ahead to be put on the waitlist. Service is great. Our servers are always very friendly and attentive. One time we had to sit in the patio area (during winter), but it was covered and heated. It does get really hot (80 degrees!) so you can tell the server to turn off just your heater. The complimentary corn bread is delicious along with the soft, creamy butter. My favorite things are the fish and chips, angry mussels, raw oysters, and the lobster rolls. They make their fried items very crispy. Cooked perfectly and very flavorful. The sauce in the mussels is so good. Comes with garlic bread and we even dip our fries in the sauce. The fish and shrimp tacos were ok. Needed more sauce, but a very good deal for the amount they give. My dad loves the fried oysters, but I don't think they're as good as raw oysters. read more

The food is delicious. My father has known the owner for many years now. Always great service. The lobstah roll is amazing. They offer 2 options: cold with mayo/ hot with butter. I ordered mine cold. It was so good I didn't even offer a bite to anyone else. The fries are thin but match perfect with the sandwich. Not too filling to compliment the flavor. Waiter was great and attentive. Asking often if we need anything without being naggy. Note to management: although we love the establishment and everything was great, the hosting staff were less than welcoming. Didn't catch their names but a black haired young lady and a curly headed blonde were there (Tuesday 2pm) no smiles or friendly greeting. Had us wait for 10 min despite a half empty restaurant for 4 and a high chair. It wouldn't have been so much of a problem but they constantly stared directly at us and whisper to each other while holding eye contact with us. Made us feel very uncomfortable. A party of 3 entered after us and were immediately seated by the young lady after she glare right at us and told them they will be seated immediately. Wasn't until a manager came over to greet my father that suddenly a table became available. read more

My first visit to this restaurant we passed it several times on the way to go work out. There's plenty of parking there on the end of a strip mall very attractive outside and small greeting place once you enter. There was a beautiful nautical theme with mini wall hangings to let you know this is a seafood restaurant very tasteful and colorful decor. We ordered clam chowder soup which was very tasty and above average. The fried calamari is the best I have had in Virginia it is Rhode Island's version and is very lightly fried. Very tasty with red and yellow peppers in a light sauce. I ordered blackened swai tacos. They were amazing the radishes really gave it a great taste I highly recommend. Prices are above average overall quality the food is very good service is above average we had two servers. The restrooms are very clean, smell nice and nice decor. They do not take Apple Pay read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Dining area - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

How disappointing, unfortunately it appears COVID has destroyed the Ford's Fish Shack of old. Gone are the great prices, exceptional service, and the friendly, neighborhood feel of this once bustling restaurant. I understand the need to make up lost revenue with a bump in prices, but these guys have priced themselves into a whole other strata. Making it worse, they've done so without an appreciable increase in quality, or service. I made reservations on line and included a note my wife and I were celebrating her birthday. We got bupkis, nada, nothing. No one even wished her a happy birthday. When I expressed my disappointment to the manager, in a disingenuous tone she said, "We've never offered any kind of free dessert." Not true, in the past my colleagues routinely celebrated with candles, and all we did was ask. I was hoping our server would offer something with a candle discreetly. Used to LOVE this joint . . . won't be back. read more

Check out this seafood joint if you pass through Ashburn. I highly recommend the Rocket Shrimp as an appetizer. The garlic sauce that comes on it is delicious. The atmosphere and staff were great and it's not overpriced. The fish tacos were also great. read more

Ford's Fish Shack - Ashburn - Fish Tacos - Seafood Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Wow. Fords never disappoints. $1 oysters for happy hour can't be beat. I had a fried gulf shrimp and scallop dinner that was awesome. Gigantic shrimp. Gigantic scallops. Cooked perfectly. Hit the spot for a really tasty meal. read more

This place was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad I took up their recommendation to come here for lunch. The environment is nautical and very laid back, which definitely my kind of place. My wife and I were starving so we ordered right away. We got their half dozen Blue Point Oysters, Foot Long Lobster Roll and Salmon Salad. Everything was extremely good! I've never been so full in my entire life. That foot long Lobster Roll is no joke. I could only finish half of it. Our waiter was friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. He got all our orders correct and our to us quickly. The restaurant itself was clean and well maintained. My wife and I had a great lunch and we look forward to coming back soon. read more

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