We've been here a few times over the years, not my first choice but it was a group choice and It's walking distance to the hotel we were staying at. Anyway, I've never cracked crabs here but plenty of people do. Lots of hammering going on around us all while hearing a lot of folks talking about regretting their AYCE choices . Cherrystone Steamers were very flavorful as were the large shrimp which were nicely seasoned. Scallops were nicely seared and also seasoned well. Baked potato was small and overcooked, coleslaw was very tasty though. It's a crab-shack that wants to be fancier but paper on tables and the mess of crabs just makes that a challenge. Prices are tourist driven. Service is always friendly and fast. read more

Great service. We were served quickly and the food was excellent. We got a quick lunch and tried the soft shell crab sandwich, fish n chips and maryland crab soup. Casual beachy restaurant with a full bar. We went on the off season but im sure this place is hopping in the summer! V read more

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Higgins is always a stop for us when in OC! We love that have several versions of AYCE crabs. Corn on the Cobb was unfortunately not great, but other than that everything else was amazing. Service was a little lacking but they were also busy on a Friday evening. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating! read more

Higgins Crab House - Steamed Crabs - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

I'd been wanting to try Higgins for a while, and last night I finally got the chance to dine there. We were seated right away and knew exactly what we came for--crabs and fresh raw oysters. While most people go for the AYCE option, our server mentioned that the crabs offered with AYCE were mostly medium-sized, so we opted to order à la carte instead. We got half a dozen jumbo Maryland crabs, half a dozen raw oysters, and a serving of calamari. The crabs were outstanding--meaty, perfectly steamed, and full of juicy, sweet flavor, which is always a great sign of freshness. The Old Bay seasoning was well-balanced and not overly salty, which I appreciated. The oysters were also excellent--plump, briny, and incredibly fresh. The calamari, on the other hand, was just average. A nice surprise was the complimentary hush puppies, which were a great touch. Price-wise, it's not cheap--a dozen jumbo crabs came to $156-but given the quality, we'll definitely be coming back -!and you can always mix match or order in half. read more

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Higgins is one of my staples for local seafood. Both dine-in and take-out. I love their Maryland crab soup on a chilly day at the beach and their hush puppies are delicious. In this most recent trip, my husband and I sat at the inside bar and both got a lb of snow crab legs with baked potato and salad for $43.99. The food all came at once... next time I will request the salads are brought out first...so we can dig into the seafood while it's still steaming hot. The crab legs and potato were great. Nice touch with the clarified butter. See you next year!!! read more

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Service was great. Food was good. I got the all you can eat crabs it came with corn, fries and fried chicken. It I was just a little disappointed when my second round of crabs were so tiny. Atmosphere is good. read more

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I had thee absolute BEST TIME! Today is my 42nd birthday and I came to Ocean City to relax and all I wanted was crabs!! I did a quick google search and found Higgins and I'm so glad I decided to come. There were various sizes of crabs to choose from. You could also buy single crabs and mix & match sizes of which I loved. I got two jumbo crabs and 4 large and they were Delicious! The establishment was clean and well- kept. The service was amazing! I'll definitely be back! read more

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The outside roof time dinning area is nice. It lets you enjoy the fresh air a breeze. Lots of options on the menu and they are ready for larder groups. The food was fairly priced and our server was very nice and sweet. He was young and not native to the area but even though we experienced a slight language barrier he was really on it! The powdered sugar on the hush puppies was a nice surprise as well. The food wasn't as fresh or as flavorful as I would have hoped for but our service was great, our bellies were full, and our drinks were delicious! read more

Higgins Crab House - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

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Oh, the food! I've been thinking about this amazing place since we returned to Kentucky. I ordered the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Platter (boiled), my son had the fried platter, and my mom went with the crab cake and fried redfish (I tried it too -- so good!). Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The restaurant is very huge and has a chill vibe. We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. A big shoutout to Alex, who was so personable and made our dining experience even better! read more

Higgins Crab House - Fried Redfish sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

If you're from MD and know real MD seafood/crabs, I do not recommend this place. It is very popular and they do a lot marketing on the beach via the little planes that go by with signage. My entire family ordered seafood-- cream of crab soup, crab cake sandwich, and crab stuffed shrimp. The main dishes were under seasoned and the crab soup has not a single piece of crab in it. Maybe this place is better for picking crabs? I would not recommend for a regular meal. read more

Alex, the server was so courteous and refilled drinks & food before we asked! These are generous portions! VERY HIGHLY recommend! read more

Higgins Crab House - All-you-can-eat Alaskan Snow Crab Legs* - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

Went there two times. First time services was good. The young lady took the orders and everything was good. The second time we went there. The service SUCKED!!!! Maybe it was to crowded for the servers. I watched them walk past us never asking if we wanted water or anything. We walked out. read more

We discovered this spot last year and it was a hit!! Excellent service!! Excellent food!! We went last night and we absolutely loved our waiter! He was so friendly and fast and he deserved that big tip!! Very nice and clean! read more

Higgins Crab House - AYCE crabs!! - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

The staff here were very friendly, but the food was disappointing. Was not impressed with the crab legs, steamed shrimp, or crabcakes. The only thing we really enjoyed were the hush puppies. The crabcakes had shell in them and the steamed shrimp they seasoned on top of shell and did not clean which they also took off the bill. And our bill was still over $100. Do not recommend this place for crab legs or seafood. Quality does not match the price. read more

PROs - location , ambience , food (I guess) , bar CONs - service could be quicker Fantastic location. Right next to our hotel . We went in about 11.30 and it was already packedddd. ... I'm not a crab eater , but I saw mostly all eating and enjoying it . I think it is very good looking at their expressions :) we had some fries and chicken wings and it was good . Bar was good . They had some really fresh and cold beers .. I liked it .. since it was packed , the service was super slow ! We had to wait 10 mins to get our drinks and the guy was helpless and running around ! Wish there were more employees , especially in the bar ! We still liked our time and would surely go back .... Nice ambience overall.. read more

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All the seafood was excellent and it wa squirt in the offseason . the soft shell crabs were great. Jess was our server for two nights and we had a wonderful time. i'm sure this place is packed in the summer . read more

I got the all you can eat crabs #1 special. Food was great. Service was wonderful. Great location and atmosphere! Been here many times and will keep returning. read more

Higgins Crab House - Crabs and corn - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

Stumbled upon this gem on my well needed beach day. I appreciate it that this restaurant served anything from hamburgers to fry chicken to pasta to Crab. Also, I give higghins two thumbs up for catering to pets as long as you are eating outside on the patio. The environment was clean, and even though it gets extremely busy in there, it never feels crowded. I have a seafood pasta with marinara sauce, but it wasn't tasty It just tasted like tomato sauce on bland noodles and seafood. The drinks are very good I would return. read more

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Two years later and my original review still stands. Wonderful waitress. She was great and kept the crabs coming! She had a wonderful Eastern European accent. We'll be back again soon. Note to Higgins Management: Don't change a thing! read more

Everything was excellent. Especially the oysters. The young man that was serving us was so kind even though it was his last day.

Good AYCE option for crabs and crab legs. Reasonably priced and good ambience up on the roof deck. Service was a little slow but would def go again. read more

Higgins Crab House - AYCE Crab and shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

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We stop here every year when we visit Ocean City. Higgins has been here forever and the consistent quality and delicious food. Fresh, hot steamed crabs are always full. Good service! read more

We had a reservation on a Wednesday evening (late August) at the north location. It wasn't crowded so we were seated quickly. I was so looking forward to a nice seafood dinner. One non seafood eater in the group had a burger which he said was good. One order AYCE snow crabs, which were also good. My husband and I ordered fried shrimp and fried scallops to share (there were no combinations with both) The scallops were served in a baking dish with a layer of oil on the bottom, a bit chewy and as soon as you touched them the fried batter/breading (not sure what it actually was) all fell off. Not sure what the sauce served with them was, but not the classic tartar sauce. The shrimp were breaded and decent. We both had underwhelming salads, small, wet, iceberg lettuce with barely ripe tomatoes and red onion. We both also had baked potatoes wrapped in foil, which were barely warm, served with a butter substitute "spread" which couldn't melt into to lukewarm potato, and a small cup of sour cream. Our server became very busy and the table behind us kept her busy asking her about her home country and future plans. It took a long time to get refills on the AYCE crab legs. Dinner for 4 was $200 before tip with no alcohol. A highlight was the basket of hush puppies (also served with the "spread" instead of real butter). Definitely a tourist trap and I would not recommend or return. read more

This place has been on our bucket list for a while so glad we made it in for lunch today. Both hubby and I ordered the crab cake sandwiches. I ordered cole slaw for my side. Hubby asked if he could get hush puppies for his side and our server made it happen. The crab cakes were great, as well as the hush puppies. Generally, I love cole slaw but it was just too mayonnaise-y for my taste. The cabbage was swimming in it. The iced tea was also awful and came from the soda machine. One other reason why it's loosing a star is for ambiance. It's more of a hole in the wall. However, overall, it was a good experience. read more

A lot of the recent negative reviews speak to the ambiance of the place being a bad experience, uncleanly, unfriendly, and overall disappointing- I cannot attest to any experience, as my in-laws were the ones to dine in & merely brought us platters to-go, as we awaited dinner at home with two sick kids- we ordered the broiled seafood feast, featuring salmon, clams, soft shell crab, crab cake, shrimp, fries, and side salad- we also had some of their leftover hush puppies everything was absolutely delicious- juicy, well-seasoned, thick cut slab of salmon, well cooked softshell crab, huge shrimps, juicy clams, hearty crabcake-little stuffing, crispy fries- we enjoyed everything. Felt it was well worth the price, as we split the platter between us both & our 3yr old daughter & were all well fed read more

Had a reservation for three people and my table was ready when we arrived. I knew it was a crab house and casual, so I didn't expect knock my socks off cuisine, but I also didn't expect flies. Lots of flies. And my waiter smelled of cigarettes. We began with some beer on tap and then ordered entrees: Crab Cake Sandwich with coleslaw for $24, Rockfish with a house salad for $36, and a dozen steamed crabs for $38.00. The food was okay, not good, definitely not great. The service was fine, other than the odor. I don't really have anything against smokers, but I am extremely allergic to cig smoke. Not fun when I'm trying to enjoy dinner but reaching for my inhaler and tissues. Our server, Bind K, was very nice though so I'll give him a four-star service nod. As for the food, it was very expensive for what we got in return for lack of ambiance and comfortability. read more

Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant. The hush puppies were complementary and they were fluffy and tasty. The oysters were shucked well and fresh. The crabs were likewise a good size and very tasty and reasonably priced ($75 per dozen for large). The server was super friendly and VERY prompt with our needs. I had a margarita and my wife had daiquiri both were reasonably priced ($9 each) although they were on the weaker side. We went early in the evening (arriving at 5:00 pm) and found it to be clean and not too busy. My only significant complaint was the pricing of the kids food. My son had the kids pasta and my daughter had the chicken tenders, which together came to almost $30 before tax and tip with I felt was WAY too much for kids food. I would likely return, but the expense of the kids food just left a bad taste in my mouth after a rather tasty meal. read more

Food was great . Service excellent. Just picked them because in the area. Was nice. I got peel and eat jumbo shrimp. They were a tiny bit over cooked and little mushy. They were still good. read more

Food was awesome. Our waiter Roberto S was beyond fabulous. He kept my snow crab legs coming nice and hot. Very sweet young man. Hubby loved his shrimp and Mac n cheese. Def coming back next year when we come down again. read more

This was a great pick for us. First of the day on a weekday, place was exactly as advertised. Got the all you can eat crabs that were perfect. Great trays and plenty of refills truly all you can eat. Also got grilled chicken sandwich which was better than several other OC area ones. read more

The Only Review You Need To Read Crabs, crabs and more crabs. Very delicious, though it seemed unnecessary to have piles of seasoning powdered on top of the crabs; being as people typically aren't eating the shell. On my recent visit to this restaurant (which was also my first visit), I stuck with the seafood theme and ordered fish & chips. I was later told when you go to Higgins, you get the crab. And he was right, as I didn't care for the fish & chips. The fish (not the batter) just didn't have any sort of taste or flavor. And the vinegar I had on stand-by didn't help. I will say this though. The Hushpuppies? Outstanding! I'd go back just for the hushpuppies. I'm not going to ding this place because I didn't order what they're known for. The crabs and hushpuppies (and why not - mozzarella sticks were ordered for the table, and those were also really delicious) are why I gave this place five stars. If you love crabs and don't mind the work involved in working your way through the shell., this is where you need to be. read more

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Usually hit up crab bag on our trips to OC. Staying on 33rd and wanted to try a different establishment. The Yelp reviews are hit and miss compared to our experience. Family of four, the wifey and I love AYCE and my two daughters eat about half a kids meal. They allowed us to order separate options and we ordered the two crabs and chicken leg for the kids.... They eat crabs but no more than two. My wife and I ordered the ribs, shrimp, snow crabs, and blue crabs. The ribs were not bad, Just scrape off all the sauce. The shrimp were great and deveined. The blue crabs were a little small. Like medium / #2 males. The snow crab was great. 19.00 for extra clusters. What they give you is enough! We feasted inside and the service was great until the Memorial Weekend rush started and of course help is spread thin. The wait staff is on top of everything and didn't have a problem with refills on drinks or food. There were a lot of flys inside but that's what you get with crabs. Outdoor seating is probably preferred. 4/5 - Great time, Missing some charm.... Tables are strategically packed, you feel bad moving about the restaurant or getting out of your seat. read more

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use to work at this location, horrible manager john didn't expect to have altercation with i messed up on two orders still was new at serving again there. Place is fast pace kitchen is alright but not the super cleanest. use to come here with my family to eat crabs not all the time they use to be fuller not what locals know healthy crab to not. Anyways i didn't want to always work at all you can eats because so much gets wasted even if I'm for the environment i know ppl still like to eat or need to or have to but crab waste is still a thing even with tanks or orders coming in daily. The north one is better. sometimes but for better healthier crabs there's one location that's better on the bay unless they even gotten bad on md fresh crab shipments. read more

It was expensive for mediocre food. The waitress was great, but my husband got a steak that looks like it would be served for breakfast and it was $48. Very thin very small. I wanted to order crabs, but she said they were almost sold out and it was only 7 PM and not busy. I would recommend going somewhere else. read more

First night in Ocean City we decided to try Higgins crab House for a good meal or very disappointed when the clam chowder came out and tasted the light clam juice. I ordered the four piece fried chicken with french fries and corn on the cob. My wife ordered the Alaskan snow crab legs. We figure we had time between our soup and getting the main course and had just asked him to take back the clam chowder when our main meal came out, definitely not fresh made, but already prepared and was not hot. read more

Great place for crabs and seafood. Fried or baked....hushpuppies are great! Basic sides. Good food...ambience is meh. You don't come here for that! We shared the fires seafood platter w/ Rockfish. Baked potato and mixed veggies. The clams and fish were extremely salty!!! I enjoyed the crab cake (although not all lumb meat) and the shrimp the most. They give plenty of fries clams!! Baked potato was small. Wish they'd offer real butter instead of margarine spread Def would come back for crabs and ask for no salt on my food. read more

Our group of 10 was seated immediately at one of the picnic tables outside. Our server was great and very attentive, and the food was served very quickly and fresh! I highly recommend the Old Bay Martini (with extra olives) and the Cream of Crab soup! They also had some delicious hush puppies. read more

Higgins Crab House - Cream of Crab Soup - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

Don't honor reservation times. Food is extremely overpriced and disgusting. Wait staff is slow and not rude but no personality at all. After we were done eating, waited 35 mins for check. Will never go back. read more

Worst crab soup I've ever had. Weird taste, watered down and very little crab meat. Soft crab sandwich must have had a two inch crab. Came without lettuce or tomato and when I asked the non- English speaking waiter if it came with it he said it usually does I didn't ask for it. Won't be returning!!!! read more

Food was good quality, well seasoned, and the only downside was the cream of crab soup was not hot. Besides that food came out quickly and good service. read more

Higgins Crab House - Soft Crab sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Ocean City, Maryland

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