We stopped for lunch at Lowry's at Wayside Seafood Market and have good things to report. When Lowry's opened about 2 years ago, it was a bit of a surprise when fans of the old Planet Wayside first drove by to see what was now in its place. Long gone were the Planet's funky dining room, outdoor deck, and the ancient rest stop "facilities" that were held over from its old life as a traveler's rest area on old Rt. 7. In its place was a brand new building serving cooked to order seafood, with a full selection of fresh fish and shellfish in a great market setting. Lowry's now sports indoor and outdoor seating, live music on the weekends, and is the only place you'll likely find within 40 miles to get a bushel of steamed blue crabs to pick. The lunch crowd was impressive, with the indoor seating filled and overflowing into the outdoor area by noon. The daily specials included several "salad" sandwiches with sides, including crab, seafood, tuna, chicken, and egg salad for around $6. We decided to order from the regular menu, putting the kitchen's blue crab acumen to the test by ordering the Crab Ball Basket and the Softshell Sandwich. The Basket came with four big balls of seasoned backfin crab meat, a couple of hushpuppies, and a choice of side dish which was cinnamon applesauce in our case. The crab balls are just smaller versions of the crabcake elsewhere on the menu and were nicely spiced with large pieces of crab and a minimum amount of filler to hold it all together. As usual, the hushpuppies were nice and crispy, with a light texture that would have gone well with a little butter. While tasty, the applesauce could have done with a lot less cinnamon, which made it a bit bitter. The softshell sandwich was served with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce on a buttered and toasted bun, with a side of Lowry's signature waffle-cut fries. The crab was a nice size, bigger than the bun could hold, and was very lightly breaded and cooked just so. Having grown up in Hampton Roads, one can be a bit snobby about one's crabs. For a landlocked seafood shop at the foot of the Blue Ridge, Lowry's does softshells better than most places I've dined at within a stone's throw of the Chesapeake or Atlantic. Our lunch with drinks and two entrees was about $25. That seems the norm for most sit-down lunch places in our area now, but still seems a bit high to my out-of-date dining sensibilities. Regardless, Lowry's is a great place to head if you have a desire for some good seafood for lunch or dinner, or for some fresh fish to take home and cook. It should still be one of the more popular destinations for bikers on the W&OD with live music outside on the weekend, and it's a great place to bring the kids, too. And nothing beats being able to drive a few miles to dump a basket of crabs on the table and whack away with a hammer for a weekend afternoon meal with friends. read more

Blue crabs and steamed shrimp had no flavor. The food did not taste fresh. There was an odd odor to the food. I understand seafood stinks, but this had an ammonia smell . The shrimp were peeled and I could only taste salt. The shrimp was limp and not firm like it should be when properly cooked. Also, shrimp should be sweet, but this had no flavor. The butter was clarified, but they must mix in an oil because even the butter wasn't sweet and tasted odd. The beer was good and the service was too. We sat outside which was pleasant. I've sat inside before but it's small and not comfortable. read more

Stopped in to get two frozen lobster tails to cook at home. Easy, right? Well I get home to defrost them and they are soft shell crabs. We call and they say to bring in to swap and make right. Easy, right? We get there and they are all out, contradicting what they told us on phone. Two stars and not going back anytime soon as avoidable incompetence is one of my pet peeves... read more

I'm from the eastern shore of Maryland, so I was raised on good seafood. Just finished off another half a bushel of crabs and a couple pounds of steamed shrimp from Lowry's... YUM. They are the only place I have found in the DC area that makes steamed crabs the right way. Big thumbs up, they made our Labor Day weekend very special! ~H read more

Fathers day... We took to the car and played our favorite family game "Left-Right-Straight", at every intersection someone gets to determine the direction the car goes.. After a couple hours of this we drove past a restaurant that was chock full of people sitting on a patio... we turned around. Lowry's Crab Shack... (I should preface this review by saying i am not a blue crab fan. I come from Alaska. I like crab legs the size of childrens arms.) The menu has a wide variety... which is good, and a good kids menu. We ordered fried shrimp as an appetizer. It was just ok.. the batter seemed extremely salty to me. We then ordered beer battered fish and chips, sliders and chicken fingers for the kids and being a fried chicken addict i had to get the fried chicken after seeing on the menu that it was pan fried to order. The fish and chips was pretty good, not great, it seemed a little over done and the batter to fish ration was very much in the batters favor. Chicken fingers were good. nothing to write home (yelp) about. The sliders were also good, although it seemed like they just made a burger and cut it into 4 pieces which isn't sliders at all but a quartered hamburger....right? The fried chicken was quite good. Moist and juicy, crunchy not too salty, not too bland. Had i made this fried chicken at home i would have been quite proud of it! The service was good, they were busy and i never had need of anything during our meal. The price seemed very reasonable... under $60 (sans tip) for food with 3 beers and an iced tea and dessert....ohhhh dessert. The ice cream is REALLY good here. Soft serve..it kinda has what i liken to a marshmallowy flavor / texture. All in all we really enjoyed our meal here and will certainly return. read more

I am surprised this is a 4 star place. I live locally and when I think about where to eat, I generally don't think of this place. Seems like every time I do think of them, they're closed. Maybe they have more consistent hours now. The food is okay, nothing to Yelp about... lol. If there were more available options I would probably skip this place unless I wanted some pricey fried seafood. They do a good job with the fryer, but I personally am trying to get away from that. The burgers are okay, but it's not Melt. One time my son had a stale bread PBJ... lesson learned. It's great for a quick bite to eat for the locals, but I wouldn't travel to come here. The service is hit or miss.... kind of like the food. The outside seating area is nice in the summer, but if you're not drinking beer crackin' crabs I'd skip it. I'd give 2.5 stars if I could, but someone has to offset the impression that this place is anything more than average! read more

We eat here occasionally and really like the food and staff. It's close by for us and we prefer supporting local businesses rather than chains. I am a shrimp fan and am always pleased with my dinner. read more

The Fried Chicken slaps. Listen, I know it's a seafood joint. I hear you. I do. But I don't care. Get the chicken. Made to order and you're made to wait. But it's with it. Beers are cheap, excellent selection. This place sells happy, get some. read more

The most amazing scallops I've ever had. And the shrimp, hush puppies, and green beans with ham all spot on. This place truly is a hidden gem. Can't wait to come back here again. read more

Good food, although the portion are smal for what you pay. 1 lb. of King crab legs got be 2 sets of legs. At Cap'n Pells in Fairfax a 1.5 is getting me 5 legs and they're bigger and full of crab meat. These seemed empty inside the shell. It's okay if I don't want to drive to Fairfax but the drive is worth it to Fairfax when I really want some crab legs and room to spread out. It is a shack so I shouldn't expect a lot of room. read more

Lowry's Crab Shack - Seafood Near Me - Hamilton, Virginia

This place is awesome. We've been here many times, both takeout and dine-in and they have been consistent with the quality of their crabs, fried shrimp and sides! We've gotten dozens of large crabs during one seating and most if not all the crabs are fresh, meaty and seasoned well. If you don't like too much of the old bay, then make sure to let them know because they do put tons on their crabs. The Admiral's platter is the very jump fried shrimp(15 pieces, I think) with 2 or 3 sides. It's about $20 but well worth it. There is outdoor seating and limited indoor seating. You can call ahead for takeout and they'll have the order 'hot and ready' for pickup. This is probably the closest crab place to the P-ville area. read more

Who would have thought that a seafood restaurant would have some the best fried chicken I've ever had. Fried chicken, cole slaw and old fashioned green beans with ham. Can't beat it for dinner! read more

Wonderful food and reasonably priced. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Great experience each time we visit. Try it if you're in the area. read more

Great raw seafood. Most everything else is fried. And they don't offer wine. Offer at least white, which pairs with seafood.

Pros: Just off the W&OD trail--easily bike-accessible Lots of outdoor seating with shade and fans Delicious crabs, tasty hushpuppies, decent fried oysters Very clean for a crab shack, with hand sanitizer, a basket of wet wipes, and even an outdoor sink (nice touches) Cons: Seriously outrageous price! (It was $113 for 18 large crabs.) Everything else seemed reasonably priced, but the price on the crabs was really painful. I love crabs, and I enjoyed myself at Lowry's. I would be happy to go back again, but probably not for crabs, just because of the steep price. Next time, I want crabs, I'll probably stick with Tim's in Dumfries, Captain Pell's in Fairfax, or LP Steamers in Baltimore. read more

Amazing low key crab house that also makes the best fried chicken. It is a hidden gem! Found it while out exploring Northern Virginia about 2 months ago and have already been back 4 times. The food has been outstanding each and every time! The staff and owners are just the nicest people you could meet We will be returning again and again! read more

Love this place! Always friendly service and great food!! Some of our favorites are corn fritters, baked potatoes, every kind of crab they offer, shrimp, and lobster. We usually order one of their many combos, to include several of our favorites with each visit. And don't forget dessert - yummy sundaes to top it all off! read more

Spent a nice early Friday evening on the patio with beers and spicy crabs! Have been here many times and it is the best seafood game around. Service is good and the menu is nice and varied. Kids love the soft serve and sometimes we stop by just for that. My folks love this place too! Whenever they visit they want to go here. My only complaint is that the seating inside is cramped so we usually only go in the summer and sit outside. Love it! read more

This is a place you try when it's nice outside since the majority of the tables are outdoors, when it's really busy you may end up with other people sitting at your round McDonald's-like picnic table. They do have a few big fans set up for outside and you'll be eating over gravel (so its not too high heel friendly, very casual seafood style place) with the occasional super loud drunk laughing woman sitting nearby. They do have bug-spray on the table along with the usual condiments and hand sanitizer, also an outdoor sink which is a great thing to have for messy crab crackin' outdoors. As for the food the small amount of clam strips were tasty, the hush-puppies were fair as were the onion petals. I didn't care for the "crab balls" and the mac salad was a bit plain and watery. My dads shrimp were also very spicy (the way he likes!) and those were OK too. Overall I didn't find it to be anything overly great, not sure I'd recommend it or not. read more

best best seafood i have ever been in va. seafood is credibly fresh here. The king crab is like those I had in Seattle! Best of best. Also don't forget to try their home brew beer! I will definitely come back! read more

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The food was good, but the wait to pay for the order was too long. But still, if you want to feel like you are by the beach, I would say go To this place. It's great. Staff was extremely friendly. Good was delicious and filling. read more

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We had an excellent experience at Lowry's Crab Shack. Our waitress was incredibly nice and attentive. We sat outside and the atmosphere was great. As an appetizer, we had the onion petals. They were crispy and delicious. As an entree, we had the fried flounder and fried shrimp, both with fries and coleslaw(super healthy dinner haha). The shrimp and flounder were phenomenal. The fries and coleslaw were average....just fries and coleslaw. But that's okay bc seafood is the specialty here. We would recommend the place to any of our friends. read more

Our son is playing Summer collegiate ball in Purcellville. Found Lowry's from listening to the live stream of the games. So we trekked from CA to catch a few games. We had to try Lowry's! My son and daughter were craving some great seafood. They were not disappointed! They both ordered the Bayou! What a feast! I ordered the fried chicken! Moist, juicy and flavorful! Even better, was the southern hospitality! Recommend without hesitation! read more

My husband and I are big seafood people so when he got the job he was trying to get for months we came here with his family. It started out with us getting a seat inside. It was very warm inside with a lot of flies. My food was amazing. I ordered blue crabs, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes and my husband ordered the snow crab legs meal with shrimp. My husband's crabs started out good but then he realized that half his cluster of crab legs weren't cooked right. They were so over cooked they would bend when he tried to crack them. All he wanted was a replacement for the three legs that were overcooked. He told the waiter and then about 10 minutes later or more a manager came by and asked him about the crab legs and if he just wanted them taken off the bill. He said he didn't want them off the bill and that he just wanted a replacement for the 3 that were overcooked. She then proceeded to eat the overcooked crab legs off his plate in front of him and tell him that they tasted fine to her acting like he was an idiot for wanting them replaced. Anyways eventually he got the replacement crab legs but the whole experience left a very bad taste in my mouth. You shouldn't question your customers. My husbands not an idiot. He's ate tons of crab legs in his lifetime and he knows when they aren't cooked right. Needless to say we probably won't be coming back. read more

Lowry's Crab Shack - Blue crabs - Seafood Near Me - Hamilton, Virginia

The seafood was reasonably good. I had the Rudy, which was lobster, crab legs and shrimp. All had a good taste. The crab legs were a bit over done but edible. The sides, however, were a joke. The Rudy is a meal for 2 except for the sides. The sides tasted great but they don't give you enough sides for one person much less two. I got about one tablespoon of each side. read more

Yesterday was my fathers 80th birthday. We ordered fried chicken, potato salad, Mac and cheese, and green beans for 60. It was all wonderful! The chicken was cooked perfectly, not dry or over breaded. The Mac and cheese was creamy and delicious. The potato salad was home made for certain with egg and pickle. The green beans were seasoned with chunks of ham. We could not have done better if we had made it in our own kitchens. Thank you Lowrys! read more

Local place; it's been around for quite some time. Now the second generation of the owners is running it. The seafood is generally fresh, particularly in season as they bring it in from the Chesapeake Bay area. The spiced shrimp is OK, ditto for the fried shrimp. I'm not into soft shell blue crab; sorry. The crab legs are fine, and the fish has been good when I've ordered it. My favorite is the corn fritters. Yum. The hush puppies are pretty good, but oh, those corn fritters. I've never ordered the chicken, so can't help you there; but they do have chicken, if someone with you does not (shudder) like seafood. There is sometimes a backlog to order, especially for carryout...just FYI. It can get quite busy. Seating inside is quite limited. In season, you can sit on the patio. If you are looking for something more ... upscale...don't stop here. It's family, laid-back, basic dining. read more

Well, today I wanted to try this place for lunch. I ordered the meal that has snow crabs and shrimp. The stale taste to both items just was not good. For the appetizer we ordered fried pickles.. and they were so salty. So salty that I actually have water retention in my legs this afternoon. That has never happened to me! I wish their food was fresher. The best part of the meal was the dessert. They have yummy soft serve ice cream. Our total lunch bill was close to $100.. that is really pricey for lunch. read more

Have had seafood in many states and different places. I have to say, the meal that I and my family had here was delicious. The king crabs were huge & delicious, the snow crabs were outstanding, the fish, shrimp & hush puppies were fabulous. Kate our waitress was top notch. She kept drinks full and checked on us constantly. If you haven't tried this place "you should". read more

Lowry's Crab Shack - Popcorn shrimp good - Seafood Near Me - Hamilton, Virginia

We love this place, but only go in the summer as seating inside is tight. The crab balls are fantastic as are the corn fritters. They have the best ice cream and sometimes we go for desert only. You can even bring your dog if it is well-behaved. Fun spot! read more

Wonderful surprise: seafood, really good seafood in northern VA! Reminds me so much of Maine. We will be regulars.

My first trip will also be my last! I went for their specialty - blue crab. I asked if the crab were fresh and was assured that they were. I asked if they were reheated and was assured they were not. I placed an order for 2 dozen and since I was the only one ordering crab I assumed that the crab would be steamy hot. When the crab came, I knew I had been misled. Obviously they were briefly reheated by microwave. The crab were extremely small and had very little meat! They also had, as others mentioned, a smell similar to ammonia! Never, ever eat blue crab here! read more

Hospitality was nice enough. But there is NO air conditioning indoors with 100 degrees heat outside and it took 50 minutes to receive an order of sautéed scallops and 2 dozen oysters on the half shell which were clearly just canned and placed on oyster shells. The oysters were watery and flavorless. Would not return. read more

Excellent service, Excellent food. Crab cakes are wonderful. Try the fried chicken it really is the best around.

Love this place. Such a sweet local charm kinda deal. It is a lot of fried food so if you do not like fried food selections goes down a bit. The only thing I do not like on their menu is the Lobster roll which is sad because it was new to them this year and I LOVE lobster rolls, just not theirs. Everything else is great, service is always lovely and friendly and its a super chill place to grab a draft angry orchard. read more

The crabs I had over the weekend were great. We had crabs, fried chicken and hush puppies. The larges were true to form nice and heavy and had a good level of spice. The fried chicken was crispy and juicy and the hush puppies were tasty. My family and I have been going to Lowry's for a few years and this was definitely a good showing of what they can do. I'm hoping they keep it up as I will be returning this summer! read more

Love this place. The Tyler's twosome is awesome (crab cake and cheeseburger combined) Great outdoor seating and family owned so staff is very reliable. Planning a trip back next week. read more

Come for the crabs... stay for the fried chicken. This place has many great menu items, mostly seafood, but the fried chicken and chicken wings are awesome as well. The outside eating is really nice, and they have a special treat for first responders. Wonderful restaurant in a great quiet location. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed Lowry's before. We went there last night for an early Mother's Day celebration because I was craving crab legs. We called ahead and got a booth inside - too drizzly to eat outdoors. We were seated right away and ordered up a couple of beers, a half dozen oysters on the half and a shrimp cocktail. My husband, feeling like a landlubber, ordered fried chicken which takes a bit longer to cook, and I mulled over the menu. I'm not a blue crab or softshell crab lover (too much work for too little food - I'm a west-coaster), but I know lots of people love them - so I can't comment on the quality last night. I decided on two clusters of snow crab legs - good choice. Sides: green beans with ham and potato salad. Dinner was great - because some yelpers have complained loudly about the butter, I brought my own melted butter so I could compare. Mine was probably a little more flavorful but honestly the difference wasn't enough to bother with. The crab legs were meaty, fresh-tasting, and plenty. The green beans there are always good and my husband enjoyed the mustardy potato salad. His fried chicken was fantastic, with enough left over for another meal. For dessert (because I'm a mom!) they brought me a complimentary chocolate softserve - which was quite good, first time I've tried theirs. Love this local place - of course we will be going back, once the evenings warm up enough to enjoy the patio. Cheers! read more

Wonderful gem in the middle of nowhere! Excellent food and great friendly service. Nice casual neighborhood joint w/worldly taste. Never been disappointed; shrimp / scallops / crab always prepared and served consistently. Economical too! Give 'em a shot -- you won't be disappointed! read more