Loved it! All you can eat crab and other sea food. Very laid back restaurant. We had the BEST waiter who constantly checked on us to refill drinks and bring more food. read more

We were there yesterday to celebrate our 20th. Wanted to try somewhere different. What a disappointment. The food was horrible. We ordered the stuffed flounder and stuffed shrimp. Both were soggy and no flavor. We should have sent it back. It was like it was frozen and put into a microwave. Just horrible. read more

Our waitress was super nice and food was super good. However... the "crab fluff" was amazing! What isn't good about fluffy lump crab in a to die for batter and deep fried? I could've eaten my body weight in fluff! read more

A solid place to get some seafood. My husband and I ordered the same today which had shrimp three ways. Steamed, butterflied and coconut shrimp. We like two of the three- the coconut shrimp was the one we could have done without. I had the cream of crab cup of soup and it was tasty and did not disappoint. When you get inside, it looks like a small mom and pop place - not a place to impress anyone but a place to grab a table and get your hands dirty cracking some crabs or ripping open some shrimp. Bottom line, I would return for another chance to try other items on the menu. It's not my go to seafood place just yet... read more

The service was good, but the snow crab clusters were frozen and flavorless. Definitely not worth it even at half price.

The last two times mays has let us down- either the crab selection was sad, derive was horrible or it was so bloody hot outside the bugs were just everywhere. I wish I had better things to say but our family will choose other spots read more

Crab cakes are awful! Filler filled with filler. . Service was good. But it's a seafood place in Maryland, crab cakes should be good atleast decent. read more

Great crabs. $39.99 for unlimited is really unbeatable. The fries are passable though but the crabs themselves are fresh and tender. I still am a Fifers girl (Tuesday half off all crabs) but this is a good spot too with tons of ample seating and outdoor seating as well, which I love. I'd recommend! read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Our first trip for Crabs. We got one of the All you can eat combos and everything was great. Service was top notch too. read more

See all

I had heard many things about Mays and most of them fell somewhere in the middle. I would agree that it falls somewhere in the middle with some highs and lows. The restaurant itself is a little rundown, and overall not too clean. I realize this is a seafood--cracking crab legs restaurant but you still don't want a sticky table and floor. Waitress was okay but did not review any specials or ask us if we had been there before. Just asked do you need a bucket for shells, before we even looked at the menu. The best part of the experience was these shrimps called Royal Reds which taste a lot like lobster. The Mac and cheese 'was a little better than boxed' was the opinion of one family member. The crab cakes were okay but not seasoned well--they leave old bay out for you to do it yourself. Overall it was not great, not terrible. Would go back and try again. read more

Went to get some AYCE crabs with my friends... well expected more than just soup, hush puppies, fries and coleslaw if we were gonna pay $53 bucks! You can get a lot more for less $ at another restaurant not too far from Mays! So..2 of us decided to get AYCE steamed and fried shrimp. Well, the hush puppies were just bad and the STEAMED shrimp was NOT STEAMED! Urggg!! They were boiled! BIG difference!! False advertising is not a way to run a restaurant. I will never return! read more

We have been patrons of May's for over 14 years. On the recommendation of a friend, we drove, on the regular, from Montgomery Co, and have always been delighted with their food & service. Both of my children chose May's as the place they wanted to go for their graduation dinners. Up until last night, we were loyal, committed patrons. We recommended your establishment to everyone we knew. Our friends from VA were making the drive here as well. You guys were that great. Our experience last night was so unpleasant, disappointing & sad, we will not be returning. As former waitstaff in my youth, I understand all the stressful idiosyncrasies that occur in the restaurant business. We arrived at about 7:20 pm, so understood we'd probably get the last of the crabs. My partner did the #2, all you can eat crabs. I don't eat as much, and only wanted two colossal's, and they were sold out. Tried for two Jumbo's, they were out. Waitress offered the only choice of large, so I ordered 3. My partner's food arrived first. Mine came about 10 minutes later. My crabs were light in weight, not large(same size as his), the meat inside was dry, and also mealy. It took me FOREVER to even get some bits out of it. I never struggled to get meat out of crabs as I did last night. My partner's crabs were heavy with meat, and hot. Mine were warm-ish, and one had black stuff all underneath it. I DO UNDERSTAND the rules of not sharing with an "All you can eat". Funnily enough, the table across from us were sharing quite a bit, for quite a while, but they were sneaky, and no one noticed. My partner did not share his food with me. I sat there with 3, empty, mealy crabs, trying to dig meat out. Im a great claw cracker, and always get the whole thing out. Out 4 total claws, all I could manage was getting tiny bits of dry, mealy crab. So I asked my partner to trade me one heavy crab for my (basically) empty one. His tasted delicious, and the consistency & flavor were remarkably superior to the ones I had. We TRADED one crab. Here's the kicker, and the reason we won't be returning. The waitress we had (older lady, hair in a pony tail, with glasses & pink shirt), I kid you not, hovered, and came to our table, over 20+ times!! Always on the pretense of, "Just checking!" And justifying her behavior by making inane comments, like, " Here I am again!" She'd circle the restaurant & kept coming back. She NEVER left us alone, and was so intrusive, we could barely enjoy our meal! We could see she was counting my partner's crabs, and kept eyeing the last one I had, that I TRADED him for- the one that actually had MEAT in it. As I was picking the last bit of meat out of it, She had the AUDACITY, and passive aggressiveness to come back, and state, "What are you doing, picking his crabs for him?" Excuse me??? You can see he has a plate full (all 5 that you JUST gave him!), and he's picking and eating his own crabs. I quietly said, as he also did, "This is the last one of my of 3 crabs, and we don't cheat." She then says, "You'd be amazed at how many do". Wow. Real professional. And you know what? The people up front were personable and polite. They always are. Every experience I've had with your waitstaff has been superior! My crabs were empty & barely edible, but did I complain? No. We just attributed it to getting there later, & eating the bottom of the barrel. A fluke. Not normal at all, not for May's. And even with the unbelievable rudeness, pettiness, and policing of this waitress, we still ended up giving her a 20% tip (former waiters always tip decent - even with poor service), but when we go to May's (or any good restaurant) we usually tip 30-35% We really loved your establishment. It's a shame, and just so disappointing that we can't come back, because one person annihilated our history with you. read more

First time there. We did a feast platter. Added the crab for two. And an appetizer. We asked the server if a feast for 1 was too small and she said yes, which it honestly is not. Our appetizer came out after our feast, which left us no room for the appetizer. We had the crab dip and Fries , which we had a bite of and it was delicious. We took half of the feast home because it was definitely too much for only two people, and we could barely eat the appetizer so we took that home too. We spend 150 for two people no drinks. Crab dip and fries 10/10 Feast 7/10 read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

We came here for lunch today. Just the wife and I. Sat on the patio because, well, COVID. Lunch was so good, we brought the daughter for dinner. We got the steamed platter and it was fantastic. I love the atmosphere. Made me yearn for Ocean City and I deplore Ocean City. Our waitress, Debbie C. was a sweet heart. Even showed my daughter how to crack a crab. Great service and the dessert, volcano cake, was decadent and banging. This is now a go to place. read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - Great atmosphere. - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

My wife and I took her family to May's tonight. It was their first visit in 3 years and we wanted to treat them. We were seated promptly but it went down hill from there. My in-laws are Vietnamese and speak limited English. I told the waitress that they might not understand and I as told by my son she rolled her eyes. My son and I got AYCE and the others got jumbo crab. The AYCE came out quickly but the jumbo crab didn't. There was a delay and we were told large was all they had. It was further delayed and only one order was delivered for our table. I talked to the waitress and she said she thought we wanted only one order for the table instead of one order each. Forty minutes later and we still did not have the other orders. Other people around us were served. I finally had enough and asked for the manager. I told her I was upset and we hadn't be served. I said the only difference between our table and others was that my family were Asian. I thought that it was very possible that this was because of racist behavior. From the eye rolling to the tone she spoke to us to the way she ignored my wife's requests and questions, it became obvious to me that was a factor. Th manager profusely apologized and brought me the bill for the food that was delivered and acted as if she was doing me a favor for not charging me for the food that was never delivered. I would avoid this place if you are Asian or mixed family read more

Every time it has been great. You have to sit outside to get the fresh air and get all you can eat crabs. They have the three crab options to pick from. The soup is full of crab and flavor. The coleslaw is a little watery, I would skip it, but it is with the all you can eat. We always have the same 2-3 servers every time we go. You can tell it is a family owned restaurant and the staff stick around. read more

I walked in at 8:30pm to get a quick bite (restaurant closes at 9:00pm). What I received instead was a smug look from the wait staff and line cooks hanging around the checkout counter. When going to the bathroom I overheard them talking "well we almost made it". Though feeling uncomfortable I still placed my order for a crab cake and snow crab cluster with a side of Cole Slaw. The waitress loosened up and the food was fairly good. What was a surprise was the cost!!! $18.50 for 1 Snow Crab Cluster $23.99 for 1 Crab Cake And they even charged me $2.99 for Cole Slaw Yes ... $48.21 for the meal I guess that's one way to make sure you don't get any last minute customers. Screwing them over on the cost of their meal is disrespectful. There was a lot of humor and laughter in the back of the kitchen. Never, ever again will I return and I advise others to stay away likewise. read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - This is the penalty you pay at May's for ordering near closing time. Overpriced food - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Food is still pretty good though it was better in visits a few years ago. The restaurant has not done anything to update interior/exterior. Servers are good though in our last two visits the hostess was not terribly friendly but we got a table in a reasonably amount of time. All-in-all they are good but not as good as they once were. read more

Fantastic crabs, incredible service. Thier staff never fail to be friendly and attentive. Deborah F. was our waitress and took great care of us. AUCE crabs were sweet and I adore thier coleslaw and hush puppies. Been eating here since moving to Frederick in 2003 and won't go anywhere else for crabs and seafood. read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Well to start off I had never been to a place like this. The ambiance was friendly and causal. I had the scallops which are fresh, you just have to ask before hand, and delicious. They have good special and will let you know if things change on the menu. read more

See all

Food is salty and expensive. The $12 clams are baby clams and it does not say this on the menu. The waitress was hovering over us and we felt rushed. Would not go back. read more

I was in town for a short period of time and I tried May's. Great food and great service. I would recommend this place and hopefully I'll get the chance to return. read more

We stopped by May's for a late lunch on Saturday. It wasn't very busy, but not empty. We sat in the outdoor, covered patio area, right next to the trash area, which was not pleasant. Many of the tables are picnic tables, yuck, so uncomfortable. We were given regular chairs, but it was a small picnic style table, so the chairs didn't really fit and it was awkward. Our server was fantastic, she was attentive, kind and generally just fun. The food was a disappointment. We had steamed shrimp, snow crab legs and hush puppies. The hush puppies were obviously frozen and then overcooked. The shrimp and the crab legs were both terribly overcooked. I really can't imagine why we would go back. read more

Amazing Best crab deal with High quality Super good deals even when they could make more Very reasonable place read more

Loving May's is automatic soon as you walk in, the food is amazing the staff is 110% every time. For a place that does crabs you'll never leave crabby. ​ read more

Fantastic all you can eat steamed crabs! The soup and fries were okay but we enjoyed the hushpuppies and cole slaw. The star by far is the crabs with old bay. The server was good, especially for how busy they were. We'll be back when we need a seafood fix! read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Always great service - always great food. We did the AYCE crabs etc with crab legs. Well worth the money. Mays is one of our favorite places. I was surprised on Labor Day weekend that we were able to walk right in and get a spot on the patio. It was quiet and pleasant. Just what we needed since we didn't have our kids with us. read more

Take out 2 dozen med crabs and 2 lbs crab legs. Crab legs had no seasoning and were on small side, just 4 clusters. The hard shell crabs were seasoned, hot, and packed with meat!! read more

OK well let me start off by saying that the reviews online definitely do not reflect this restaurant properly. After reading many reviews in the area I decided on this restaurant for a lobster roll. I called to find out how much it was because it was stated it was market price they charged me $20 and it was supposed to be a 6 ounce Maine lobster on the role. First off it's on a soggy piece of bread held together with toothpicks, which is completely mushy when you bite into it and not a roll As advertised. Then it is literally just a tail without the claw meat , if you're going to charge somebody $20 for a 6 ounce lobster it should be the entire lobster on the roll. I feel Completely cheated & definitely like they robbed me. The bread soaked bread fell apart on me and I'm just so disappointed. read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - This is the soggy bread that my "lobster roll " came on and the bit of lobster meat it had on it minus a bite - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Have heard from owner at May's Resturante... in Frederick Md...left a review... awaiting a message back to return my $$..! found shes helped too satisfy another customer... not to long ago with a low star rating they gave them... I'm have the container / proof of the crabs mustard put in my crabcake! Bring it on...... read more

We accidentally pulled into May's seafood instead of the bar. WOW most amazing experience! The staff the food the atmosphere were all amazing! Brings back all of the memories of growing up in southern Florida! read more

The service was great. Crabby bloody Mary's were good. Fish was thin and dry with the fish and chips and the Tacos. Was hoping for better from a seafood place. Maybe they are more known for their crabs. A lot of people seemed to be getting them... read more

This was my first experience eating fresh seafood in the northeast, and after coming here, I'm ready to say sionara to my family back home in Tennessee. My experience had much to do with Kara. I immediately told her that this was my first time in MD and she didn't hesitate before telling me what I should get, and answering all of my questions. I had a dozen raw oysters, 4 (yes, FOUR) whole crabs, and the crab dip. The crab dip alone was enough to make me want to go back for more. Daniel also made my night memorable. He's a native and the way he interacted with me and Kara honestly made me feel like I was among friends. I don't know if I'll ever be back to Frederick, but if I do come back, I know my first stop. I loved this place so much that I bought a hoodie! read more

See all

Baltimore style crab house in Frederick. Roll up your sleeves and get crackin! Fresh steamed seafood is very good. And try the seafood bloody mary for a spicy treat. read more

Carrie was our server, she was great. So we're the two ladies at the front desk. I was our first times we had frog legs, they were good. We had oysters on the half shell, they were excellent. Dad had fried shrimp and onion rings. He enjoyed them. I had 7 steamed crabs. The first 4 were a little light on the meat, the second 4 were better. Very spicy and I liked that. We also had their cream of crab. I was good as well. Highly recommend this location if your like local fresh seafood. read more

This place is great and I can't believe it took me this long to get here! The prices are really good and the food even better. It's really easy to mess up seafood by over cooking or over seasoning. Mays does it just right. Our server, Kelly, was the BOMB! She's friendly, really knows the menu, can read her customers, and has impeccable timing! She knew exactly when I needed more butter, more food, more anything. I might have asked Kelly to marry me . Completely worth the drive from DC. read more

I have to start with the good. The service was nice, I can't remember my servers name but she was very nice. I'm honestly disappointed with the quality of the crab legs. The meat was tough and they smelled bad. Ambiance could be a lot better for the prices they're charging. Room looks like i stepped into a 1980s shack. Definitely didn't feel clean. I would recommend Avery's they're crabs are always delicious. I usually go there but they're closed on mondays. read more

Now that I am traveling up the east coast, I spotted this near my hotel and they actually recommended it ( from Hampton Inn) as a place for crab. Being a GA boy, first time in a family style seafood place and loved it!! I had recently had surgery on my shoulder, so my ability to pound these crabs was a bit hampered, but drenched in Old Bay, Salt, and hot butter, we'll worth the work to get the meat out. The all you can eat for $28 or so was I thought a good deal, knowing getting meat out of these is like crawfish- and yes, I dug out the body and leg joints as well and ate at least 20 of these I would guess based on the pain in my arm!! Cold beer kept coming and albeit they had oysters and other great looking plates, I could not leave MD without some crab so tried it out. A bit different and maybe a bit over salted for me, I adjusted, collected the meat and piled it up. This is not a 4 star location- just tables and buckets to put shells in so if you are up for MD crab, willing to work for it, kick back a few beers and take your time, I recommend it. If you are looking for a classy, jackets required crab house with MD crab and everything from stuffed flounder to Maine lobster, I may not recommend it .For me, it was different, I was happy, so I'm giving 5 stars. Just know what this is and where it is before judging. The staff was quite nice and loved non locals stopping by so it was just fine for me. A lot of locals, all had wooden mallets pounding the crab so with the crowd, it has to have something to keep people coming back. I had to park in the back in the last spot- so again, another sign people come here and have fun and kick back..!!! read more

May's Seafood Restaurant - All you can eat crab for $28!! These were so good and a lot of work. Fantastic - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

On the whole really good! Our server Doug was really helpful explaining the menu to a first timer and relative rookie in terms of the famous Maryland steamed crabs. I ended up with the seafood feast for one, & added one whole crab. The clams, shrimp and snow crab legs were great, as was the sausage. Corn & potato were good. On the downside the mussels were bad...about half did not open & most of those that did were mushy - not edible. The whole crab was a lot of messy work for this novice but the meat I did harvest was outstanding. My wife loved her burger - very fresh and juicy patty. The sweet potato fries were also a hit! A repeat for sure!! read more

We took our family to May's a few weeks ago. I have lived in Frederick my whole life and May's has been an icon. I hate to say it but the seafood was awful. The crabs were light and watery. All other seafood was fried to the point of flavorless. The service was horrible. We were there for 2 hours and still did not receive most of our food. I do not recommend at all. read more