Outstanding customer service The. Crabs. Were so. Delicious . Thumbs up!! Scrum. Rum!!!!

After a long paddleboarding session in Mallows Bay, there's no better way to refuel than cracking open some crabs at Grinder's Seafood. From the outside, it doesn't scream much - just another unassuming roadside spot - but like any true Southern Maryland crab shack, the magic is all on the inside. This place is gloriously unfussy. No frills, no pretense. Just good food and a communal love of Old Bay. When you walk in, you'll head straight to the order window, where you'll also claim your table. It's usually hopping with locals and regulars, but even when it's packed, the wait for a table isn't bad. The dining setup is pure crab-feast efficiency: cardboard paper tablecloths, buckets for the shells, a roll of paper towels, and of course, the sacred tools of the trade--wooden mallets, crab knives, and an "I dare you not to get messy" vibe. They'll bring you a pitcher of water, and then the feast begins. Crabs come in half-dozens, full dozens, or more if you're rolling deep (and hungry). The sides hit just right: crispy hush puppies, creamy mac 'n cheese, buttery corn on the cob, greens, slaw - you name it. And if crabs aren't your thing (first of all, why not?!), there's fried shrimp, clams, oysters, po' boys, sandwiches, and all the seafood comfort classics. Wash it down with a cold beer or cocktail, and you're golden. The service? Friendly, fast, and no-nonsense in the best way. These folks have the whole crab shack dance down to a science. You're in, you're fed, you're full, and you leave smelling vaguely of the Chesapeake (just as it should be). Bottom line: Grinder's is the real deal. Perfect post-paddle, perfect anytime. Affordable, authentic, and absolutely delicious. If you're in the neighborhood, don't miss it, just bring your appetite and maybe a wet wipe or two. read more

See all

Sooo ... at first glance I admit, I was skeptical. It really doesn't look like much. Wooden booths and you walk up to a window to order your food? Not looking at all like anything I would like or something that I would rave about. Boy was I wrong. Don't be fooled by looks. The food in this little establishment is delicious and fresh and pippin hot. Service is great! We were constantly asked if everything was okay and if we needed anything. What did we order? My family had the AYCE blue crabs that came with hush puppies and fries. The size; large. The weight; Heavy. Hot, not overly seasoned with spice ( a plus) 6 at a time. Hush puppies slightly sweet... delicious. Crabs were served with vinegar; extra spice and cocktail sauce. The also ordered a side of shrimp and fried oysters. So good. I had the combo platter; huge crab cake; fish; clams; oysters; scallops AND shrimp. My sides were onion rings and coleslaw. Nothing was overly salty; everything was FRESH AND Hot! No one finished their food. It was a generous portion. AYCE crabs can be taken home at a cost of $3 per crab, if you don't finish. Of course it's no sharing. They have a crab sauce. I didn't try it... You can bring your own. I saw a few patrons with their own sauce and their own Stanley cups. Drinks... the only alcohol that I saw offered was beer and Jack Daniel's beverages. We all had the iced tea. It tasted like someone's grandma made it, perfection. I cannot stress enough how much I loved this experience. I can tell you that I'm definitely going back. Don't cheat yourself. Put this in your rotation. You won't regret it. Grinders does seafood right. read more

See all

Whoever recommended Grinder Seafood located in Indian Head, MD, to me.... THANK YOU . Except for it being EXTREMELY cold in here because of the AC being on, I'm . The crabs were a nice size, I ordered the large males because they were out of jumbo males. I also had the fried seafood box of scallop, shrimp, and clam strips that was really good. And the Sarah's Sweet Tea was everything I needed it to be. ​ read more

See all

When I want my crab fix this is the only place I go to. They have all you can eat if you dine in where the servers are attentive. They also have really nice size crabs for the price. The crabs are always heavy. They don't have any hard liquor there. This is a good crab house. read more

Crabs are always fresh and meaty. Ordered bushels both times I visited and the crabs were perfect. My family are natives of MD/DC and have not been down to Grinders; they raved both times about how good the crabs were. Will be back soon to see them! read more

My buddy asked me to take him down the road to get some crabs. I obliged, and we went there when they first opened. But the door was locked and they didn't have the key. So one of them came outside and took our order. I ordered a dozen females and a pound of large shrimp. It took about a half an hour to finish the order. Customer service was very good. When I got home the taste of the crabs were very good. And the shrimp were cooked perfectly. The females were a little small though. It's still a little early in the season, so I get it . But once the season gets started I may try them again. My order ended up costing $52. $32 for the dozen of females and $17 for the pound of shrimp. The picture of the half bushel was from another customer and she said they were $160, which I thought was a little pricy considering that they haven't gotten up to size yet! read more

See all

The crabs are good... The whole crabs are good and fresh. The best I've had in a very long time in the DMV surrounding area. One of my family members ordered the fried whiting dinner - the whiting was also extremely fresh. The seafood does not rank of that horrible seafood smell like most places so that was pleasing. Do not come with expectations of anything else other than fresh whole crabs. The establishment itself is a shack with wobbly tables and cookout style chairs. It lacks cleanliness in ordering, eating and bathroom areas. Service is meh. Parking is tragic. But the crabs are good! I did not take pictures because I just couldn't get a good one. read more

My first visit to Grinders in Maryland was horrific, and I left very disappointed with both the food and the service. - Food quality: The crabs were watery, gray inside, and lacked flavor beyond a salty top. - Value/charges: I was charged for the hush puppies, fries, and tea even though the overall experience did not meet basic expectations, and in my view, the quality did not justify the charges. - Service: The manager was irate, rude, disrespectful, and hostile, which is not acceptable in a professional dining establishment. read more

OK. I'm really happy that spring/summer has arrived! They close for fall/winter (insert crying emoji here). Their food is wonderfully seasoned. Not salty, not bland; as I'm not a "condiment"-girl. No tartar sauce, cocktail sauce or anything of the sort. It's a family business and the folks there are 'real hospitable'. It's not Michelin-status, but the food is surely worthy. I usually hone in on the catfish (no lemon-flavored seasonings boys and girls, thank the sweet, little baby Jesus ). I hate citrus, can you tell? Oh, and those hush puppies and corn nuggets...OMG. "Yes, I want both, please." read more

The fried seafood basket was just okay. The breading didn't adhere to the scallops well as if the oil had not been hot enough. I won't return for their fried seafood basket. read more

I've been to Grinder's many times and my go to favorite is the Jumbo Fried Shrimp! Talk about fried to perfection. I absolutely loved them. However, this particular day I wanted crabs. Myself and friend went for the all you can eat crabs that included fries and hushpuppies for $60. I think that's a pretty good deal! I would definitely check them out. The staff is super friendly and attentive and it's always a chill vibe. read more

The crabs and hush puppies were good. I did not like the fried shrimp. The service was great! It is a good place to enjoy eating crabs with family and friends. The restrooms were not clean. I will not visit again. read more

Grinders is good value for your hard earned money. Quality seafood and decent prices for crabs, it's my go to place when the seafood cravings hit. read more

Stopped in right on Mother's Day to try for our first time. We called and asked a few questions, and when we called back, the line was busy. So, know what you are getting while you are on the phone and actually place your order. Otherwise, you have to wait for your pick up when you place your order. We tried the rockfish combo/platter and the rockfish sandwich. Both were decent but slightly overcooked when fried. It needs a little seasoning, too. Both came with a small side of fries. We ordered the potato salad, which was mustardy and delicious! The mac and cheese, again, needs seasoning and depth in flavor. You just taste butter (even more than the cheese). Steamed shrimp with JO seasoning, but we were told they had old bay and would put it in the bag. Unfortunately, I don't think they have it even after telling us on our first phone convo. Maybe it was just busy and that's why we had subpar food. Jake n kev read more

We've rode by this place a bunch of times and it's always a crowd. So figured Had a crabcake sandwich with the fries. Was definitely good. 10 out of 10 highly recommend. read more

I can tell that someone is reading the reviews , lol I went with my family and the service was really good, the young ladies in our section were very attentive. The food was good, definitely try the soft shell crab. They seem to be college students so give them grace , they were running back n forth and it wasn't that busy . I would def recommend this place and be back . My friend is a regular and even had some past experiences that weren't great but she also notice the service was better read more

Grinder's Seafood - Large crabs - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

We had a good time cracking crabs and laughing and talking. The owner was super nice and friendly. The crabs were the bomb. They are only open on the weekends. Best all you can eat spot in the area. You have to get there early to get crabs because they sell out fast!!! read more

Grinder's Seafood - The crabs - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

Service was great and the crabs were medium side. The all you can eat crabs keep coming. I will go back.

Sunday 5/28 I stopped by at 11am to try and get female crabs but there were none. I purchased a dozen regular males and a half pound of Jumbo shrimp. What a joke! Don't come here early to beat the crowd or you'll end up with leftovers from the night before. And baby shrimp passed off as jumbo. Crabs were ok but not hot at all. read more

Grinder's Seafood - Jumbo shrimp - fraud - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

See all

Owner and entire family for years don't care for black people but yet 80% of her customers are BLACK! I constantly give them the benefit of doubt and you would think she would be willing to accommodate her customers that support her business frequently. After today's service i would never step foot in that place again. my family and I have been supporting for over 15 years. I ordered a dozen of Jumbo crabs for $100 dollars. Four crabs had no claws at all and when I spoke with the owner about it she had the audacity to get rude and state if the crabs doesn't come with claws it's nothing she can do about it. I suggested she swap my crabs out for 4 crabs with and she refused to do that. I have never had any issues with her or them but my mom did many years ago. It took everything in me not to throw the crabs in her ugly big fat ass face but I didn't because I had my grandson with me. I have never been to any crab restaurant that would give you 4 crabs with no legs or clawspictures uploaded. read more

Grinder's Seafood - I paid $100 for JUMBO crabs and received two crabs medium size crabs. - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

See all

Excellent! Great service and perfectly prepared crabs! Very professional and friendly staff.

They are amazing I was so sad when they closed down for the season. I look forward to seeing yall next year

The best steamed crabs in this area. The waitresses are all very friendly and always do their best to satisfy the customer. It's a crab house so don't expect a 5 star restaurant. I wish they had cushions on those hard wooden seats. read more

There is a young lady, appears to be biracial who has a very nasty attitude, which leaves me with no desire to ever go back to Grinders Seafood again. She should definitely not be out front, instead somewhere in the back without any interactions with customers. I have been to Grinders Seafood for the past two days. I am done. The crabs were cooked without any seasoning at all. read more

Wooooow, found a new spot on the humble. Walked into Grinder's on a Saturday evening around 6:00pm. I was greeted by everyone working there that was remotely close to the order window. I checked out the menu, the cashier ran down the pricing for crabs and I settled on a bushel of "lights". Thinking lights meant I'd get some decent crabs with a little bit of meat. I was gratefully mistaken. I got some huge crabs that were meaty, seasoned well, and steamed to perfection. I also ordered some fried oysters that were seasoned and bettered just right. Impressive customer service and delicious food! read more

Grinder's Seafood - Fried oysters - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

See all

I I am baffled by the negatives reviews. All of my experiences over the past 6 years has been 5 stars. I always stick with the seafood menu. My typical order is a dozen jumbo male crabs or large males and the fried seafood platter with the soft shell crab. My family members enjoy the All you eat Special and dining in at the restaurant. The waiters are high school/college students and the need a small amount of grace as they grow into their first summer job. However, they tried hard and have a good attitude. I dropped by today 08/05/2023 to get my usual order. The place was slammed! The parking lot was full and customers were parking on Rt. 210. The young lady who rang up my order, noticed that I had mobility problem. She volunteered to bring my order to car! A nice customer service touch read more

Good food / service . Prices alittle high but for amount of food it's okay. Ambiance is good as well can sit inside or take it Togo

Hmmmmm, I stopped here because they have great reviews and the place is really close to where I work. I ordered the shrimp dinner that comes with two sides and a role ( I had mac n cheese and coleslaw). The mac n cheese was sort of edible. The coleslaw was too sweet for me and I don't know something else was off with it ( the color and the temperature) it wasn't cold enough. But it's my fault, coleslaw is a hit or miss kind of dish.... so is mac n cheese. On to the good parts... I can see why they have great reviews for the crabs because if they taste anything like these shrimp, they MUST be great! The shrimp were deep fried with the shell on the tail only. Cooked to perfection and seasoned to perfection. The young lady who prepared my shrimp was very polite and accommodating. She gave me a cup of ice (after my request to purchase one). I am not really a shelled crab eater (too much work for me) buuuut, I will probably recommend them to my friends who eat crabs. I may return just for the shrimp and cup of ice. Purchase price for dinner was just under $14.00. The sides were enough for two. read more

Grinder's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

I had the seafood platter. The biggest excitement for me was the clams. It's hard to find fried clam strips, and Grinder's has them!!! The platter was good with the exception of the fish. The fish was off color but and too fishy for me. read more

This was a great local spot near the river (about 20 minutes out). I'm not local so we were impressed that we could find anything in this area. They were super nice to us even though we came with a large group and food came out for the entire group within 10-15 mins. Impressive. They were one of the few shops around here we found that had enough seating for us. They messed up an order and gave us free hushpuppies. Great service! Scallops were good and so were the crab cakes. Corn fritters were not as sweet as I thought they would be, but still good. Everything was fried very well. Tip: If you're getting the steamed options, just know that they already season it. My friend got it because she's allergic to fried foods, but forgot to check to see if there were other seasonings. read more

Grinder's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

Whole menu is trash and nasty customer service is rude as ever I will never step foot into theirs at all

Fresh, heavy and meaty crabs! Sometimes it is hard to reach Grinder's by phone because of the high demand for their great service and food. Curbside service during the COVID pandemic worked well and staff promptly acknowledged customers upon arrival and speedy delivery of food to trunk or back seat of car as requested. Looking forward to 2021 crab season! read more

Grinder's Seafood - three crabs on a plate - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

My go to seafood spot in my area! Have been going here for years! The entire staff/team is amazing and sweet, but Shannon is my favorite person! Oh and the seafood is always fresh, crabs are always heavy! It's just a really great family run business!! read more

I love me some Grinders. The food is always great and the staff is always awesome. I always look forward to seeing them every crab season

Stopped by for curbside pickup and enjoyed absolutely delicious crab cake sandwiches at home. The food runners were very polite and attentive. We will be back soon! We really appreciated the excellent curbside service. read more

Grinder's Seafood - Crab cake sandwich and fries - Seafood Near Me - Indian Head, Maryland

Best seafood available in Indian Head. If you like crabs this spot is the place to be. Family owned establishment.

Seafood is their specialty! I thoroughly enjoy the fish and crabs and the prices are reasonable.

I live in Bryan's Road and it is a really a town where there is not much to do, see it shop. My neighbor recommended Grinder's 2 summers ago for crabs and it has been my go-to place for crabs. They are always honest about what your getting and the prices are always amazing! Any weekend I'm home, I have to get some crabs for myself lol and Grinder's is always there for me! read more

The staff was friendly. Crabs were awesome! I got a dozen large and they were really good!! Price point was average for the area (ranging from $30+ a dozen depending on the size). They had regular, medium and large size crabs. Seasoning was delicious (yummy mix of there own seasoning, not just old bay throw on it!) AYCE available for $38 per person which includes hush puppies and fries. Wide range of seafood to include oysters, snow crab legs, shrimp, scallops, etc. Check out the fried Alligator if that's your thing. I didn't try it but heard quite a few orders for it while I was waiting on my food. Enough booth and table seating for you to eat there comfortably if you choose too. I got carry out but definitely plan on going back soon to dine in. One of my new if not the go to spot for my crabs this season!! Speaking of season, they are so serious about there crabs that they are only open for crab season! That's always a good sign to me! ;-) I will be back soon! read more

See all