I came with my friend as we were looking for seafood one afternoon. And we didn't want a chain restaurant. This place was highly rated by fellow Yelpers, so off we went to Ragin' Reef. The restaurant has a parking spaces out front, as it's not directly in the "downtown" district. I was pleased by the cleanliness and tastefully simple decor. A bottle of hand sanitizer is on every table. Our waitress was very sweet and explained all meal options. Only problem was she would get busy and it was hard getting her to come over after the orders were taken. Hush puppies were very fresh. I got the Crab "No Cake" salad which was very good. My friend's cod and chicken tenders (Pick 2) were to her liking as well. We will return and hopefully get to try outdoor seating. read more

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Okay wow! The food here is sooooo delicious. I love seafood but sometimes, some places just don't do very great oysters, and these oysters are so delicious!!! I wish we had more than a dozen. The crab cake was also very delicious, they also provide old bay seasoning so i dumped a lot seasoning (after the picture was taken). The lobster and spinach dip was also very good, they added some lobster chunks. And the hushpuppies were delicious and super fresh and crispy too. Service here is exceptional, they always checked up on us, was very kind, and made sure we were doing well. The place is kind of small but that is alright, (we came in at 4-5 pm on a Saturday) and it was not crowded at all. Will definitely come back here and try their key lime pie next. read more

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Miss Nantucket in Rockville but now I can take a ride and eat here. Always good and fresh grub read more

It's been awhile since we were here. I think we just had a few beers while we were there. The service was great. And it was right on the boardwalk over looking the beach. I'll definitely try the food the next time I'm there. read more

called to ask about gift cards. went to purchase them they got a manger to tell me they do not sell them no very welcoming read more

Terrific gem in downtown Frederick! Family had a wonderful seafood lunch on our way back to DC. The service was friendly and she gave us great recommendations. We had the cream of crab soup, double crab cake platter, grilled shrimp tacos and the beer battered cod. All selections were yummy. read more

Ragin Reef Frederick - Grilled shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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I am upset that I did not find this place sooner! My favorite dish is the wicked mussels. The sauce that it is covered in is AMAZING!! Always greeted with a smile. Very cozy establishment. Would 100% visit again many times!! Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the mussels before eating them!! But as you can see it was amazing read more

Ragin Reef Frederick - Raging jambalaya - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Great food cute atmosphere and decently priced. I would definitely eat here again. The scallops were fantastic

Stop by today and was impressed. Great service and awesome CT. lobster rolll Was served in less than 5 min and wish I got 2. Sandra welcomed me with a smile and cook checked on me to see if all was good. Great spot if you're a lobster lover or not. Thank you- read more

My family was looking for an easy fresh seafood meal so we went to Yelp/Google and found this place. We were surprised at how close it was but we had never seen or heard anything about it. I grew up in Miami, FL, so I'd like to believe I know what good seafood tastes like, as weekends during my childhood were spent in restaurants that would catch fish right in front of you and cook them hibachi style. When we arrived, we were initially confused. The building looks almost like commercial offices, with no real distinguishable entrance. I checked my GPS and sure enough, we were in the right place. Once we found the entrance and walked inside, we were pleasantly surprised. The small converted kitchen/dining area felt warm and welcoming, and we were greeted as soon as we walked in. Our server was an older blonde lady who I unfortunately cannot remember the name of, but she was soo lovely. We started with hush puppies which were delicious. I ordered shrimp and my spouse ordered fish and chips. We also got a kids chicken meal. I will say everything tasted very fresh, the only thing I did not care for was the rice and beans. If you look at my photos, everything looks great, and it tasted just as good. Even the kids meal was divine. No complaints. We will be back! read more

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Very expensive lunch but food was delish. Arrive early because we watched it get very crowded quickly.

Great service. Neighborhood restaurant. Plenty of parking. Had a good crab cake at a reasonable price. Played that good old rock and roll.

The staff are always friendly! Food is always excellent! The pecan/coconut crusted flounder is so delicious and of course the hush puppies. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

I really want to give them 4+ stars. First off, the food is amazing ! We were meeting friends in Frederick on our way to BWI. I found Ragin Reef on Yelp and was very happy when our friends selected it from a short list of possibilities. Since there were 4 of us, I got to try a number of things. The spinach dip appetizer was great and the mussels appetizer was even better. The mussels come with thick slices of either grilled or toasted bread (not sure which) that is an absolute necessity for sopping up the amazing juices that are part of the serving. The fried shrimp and grilled scallops were outstanding too. The shrimp were fairly large and cooked perfectly. I had the stuffed cod with crab AND a side order of a crab cake (no cake). I was a little surprised that the "stuffed" cod had the crab on top but no matter, it tasted amazing ! Needless to say, the crab cakes (no cake) were outstanding. Just a big pile of fresh crab with some spices and just a tiny bit of other stuff to hold it together. The French fries were very good too. Lastly, I almost forgot to mention the unbelievable pumpkin cheesecake. I'm absolutely NOT a cheesecake fan but this was beyond amazing. It's probably a seasonal option but if it's available . . . GET it. I do wish that their craft beer list was more extensive. The styling / atmosphere is a little too casual. Could use a minor refurb. I have a few other minor nits to pick but nothing that significantly affects the positive experience. Everyone was thrilled with their meals. All in all, a fantastic experience. The service was incredibly friendly and came with great advice while ordering. I will unquestionably come back on my next trip to Fredrick MD. read more

It's just great...went for brunch with six friends...I ordered Crab Benedict..over their always delicious spinach (sauteed with red onions), instead of an English muffin. It was delicious...the eggs were cooked well, with runny yolks, but with firm whites. The Mimosas we're large, the wait staff attentive. I always liked Raging Reef... maybe even more for brunch! read more

Ragin Reef Frederick - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Food was decent but it wasn't anything extra special and it was a bit pricey. Really cute atmosphere and wanted to like it, but it just wasn't our cup of tea I guess. read more

Excellent food. Everything on the menu is AMAZING!!! Service is always great. Everyone is friendly. And the facility decor fits the name. We eat there often. My family goes there, we have birthdays and special events there and I go there with business associates. read more

Despite some decent yet overpriced dishes, Ragin' Reef has a lot to improve on, and that starts at the very top with the owner/manager, Jonathan. Who is very unwelcoming for someone who is not only a manger, but owner in the hospitality business. Oh, and God forbid you didn't make a reservation to this outdated, run down restaurant! His surly attitude is apparent in his response. Whatever I guess! I frequently visited their sister restaurant Nantucket in Rockville before it was shutdown during COVID, which is unfortunate because the level of service and food blew Ragin Reef out of the water. I will give a shout-out to their waitress, Robin; who does an awesome job but it's not enough for me to come back to eat a tiny, dry, and overly priced crab cake. There's just too many options in Frederick to waste time coming back here. read more

Excellent Crab Cakes!!! Very friendly! Clean, fresh, fast! If you're in Franklin, MD, on business, this is a great stop for excellent food and friendly atmosphere. read more

As a someone with severe Celiac Disease, finding reliable and safe places to eat outside your own home can be frustrating, dangerous, and depending on where you live-impossible. I am lucky to live in Frederick and have a few options for Celiac Safe dining- one of my favorites being Ragin' Reef. I couldn't even remember the last time I had eaten a crab cake post-CD dx prior to visiting RR! It was like heaven- going to dine in and being greated warmly by a hostess who sat us immediately, even though it was prime dinner hours with no reservation and it was obviously bustling. The service was prompt and kind, and all the staff- from the bartender to the bussers to the hostess to my server- all understood my CD needs and requirements. RR has an open kitchen and our table had a view directly into the lively, brightly lit cook space. It was so clean it read sterile, white walls lacking a stain or grease, stainless steel shining as if freshly buffed. It wasn't hard to believe they took care when cooking CD customer's plates. When my crab cakes, shoestring french fries and house made coleslaw arrived I could just TELL it would be delightful. Super jumbo lump meat with just the perfect amount of filler (barely any-just the glue holding the meat in a perpetually perfect lump), fries literally steaming with freshness and the slaw sporting purples and greens and oranges mixed within the creamy white mayo. First bite, heaven. And second bite. And third, fourth, twentieth, and last. I ate the entire plate right there. My partner ordered the Jambalaya (also GF) and that meal was a trove of flavors and perfect textures. Our drinks were expertly made as well (I can't recal the name but mine was a signature cocktail off their menu served in a martini glass and featuring local Gin. My partner, a more simple crush. Still, balanced & lovely). The second time, I ordered the cedar wood salmon plated with house beans & rice. Damn, but pardon me, that combo still makes my mouth water just imagining it. And as someone who prides themself to be a decent home cook who is satisfied with their own hand, it's not always easy to impress. And this IMPRESSED. In that simple, classic, not over-doing it kind of way. In that small-town-big-flavors kind of way. In that "wow, what is IN that house sauce?!" kind of way. The third, fourth, and subsequent MANY times that followed I think I've now sampled all that can be made GF and celiac safe on their menu and safe to say I have not once been even close to disappointed. Not even close to neutral. I've always left there feeling pampered in a way only CD folks can truly describe- that feeling of knowing you're safe. You're not going to get violently ill and need to go to the hospital in 4-6 hours from a severe allergic reaction. You'll be able to go to sleep tonight and wake up and go to work tomorrow and not have your life absolutely disrupted by a CD response. You feel almost...loved, by the food. By the establishment, their thoughtfulness in preparing a space that can serve allergen-friendly food. That is something special that I think maybe 1% of Frederick restaurants can genuinely boast. I think Ragin' Reef is one of them ,for certain. If you're Celiac, great! You just found a spot to enjoy local flavors and seafood to your heart's content. If not, great! You still just discovered the same amazingly attentive service, clean facility and love-laden food as us all. Cheers! read more

Ragin Reef Frederick - Cedar plank salmon, house beans and rice - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Stopped by Ragin' Reef for a late lunch one afternoon. Since we were eating later than usual, I was starving and eye hungry. Ordered the lobster & spinach queso and hush puppies to share, as well as a reef basket (with fried gulf shrimp and beer battered cod) for my meal. The appetizers weren't bad. The queso was a little on the small side, but had an okay amount of lobster. I liked how the tortilla chips that accompanied the queso were fresh. The hush puppies were pretty good, especially dipped in the honey butter. Overall I thought my main meal was just okay. The shrimp and cod were fried nicely and not greasy. The shrimp were nice and plump as well. The cod on the other hand had way too much batter. If I knew that was going to be the case, I would have ordered the crispy stuffed shrimp or seafood jambalaya. The fries and slaw that came with the dish were standard. I also tried some of the crab 'no' cakes, which was definitely meaty. Definitely the better option of the two meals, especially for the price. Service was pretty good. Our waiter and the staff in general all wore masks and maintained a reasonable distance when coming to our table. They have a good amount of outdoor seating (both covered and uncovered), as well as indoor seating of course. There's a parking lot too in front of the restaurant, which is a plus. Given such glowing reviews, I guess I had high expectations of Ragin' Reef. For the most part, I thought the food was just okay, and don't see myself coming back anytime soon (especially when I'm craving seafood). read more

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I don't know what I can say except that the food was good. I had cod fish and I enjoyed it and I kept my feet off the furniture and they did not throw me out all in a good time. read more

Amazing food. The portions of the chicken tender basket was great. Their crab no cake is amazing too! Definitely try it! read more

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COVID REVIEW!! Very nice service!!! Good crab cakes. Otherwise eh. I had a Groupon I had bought prior to COVID and it was about to expire. The Groupon said dine in only, however due to the pandemic, Ragin' Reef were very understanding and let me use it for take out! All the staff I talked to were very kind and helpful. For food, we ordered the mussels appetizer, cold lobster roll, crab cake x2, and chicken tenders basket. It was eh tbh. Except the crab cake. Crab cake has filled with meat! And it was still in clumps!! I highly recommend. Lobster roll was okay; kinda bland? There was a good amount of meat and I ended up picking out the lobster. Muscles were ok/good but also kind of salty. The chicken tenders looked sad (I ordered bc my brother doesn't like seafood so don't judge me for ordering this at a seafood restaurant LOL) The food came in sturdy plastic take out containers and a good paper bag. Picking up was super easy and fast. From what I saw, some people were dining in, but part of the restaurant was closed up to limit occupancy. Overall it was worth for the crab cake and kinda the lobster roll! But also we had a Groupon. Service was very nice so I'm sure I would have had a good time dining in if there wasn't Covid. read more

The atmosphere and staff were warm and friendly. I had the grilled shrimp basket and my husband had the gumbo. Both had generous portions and were delicious. We will definitely be back when we have our next seafood cravings. read more

One of the best places for sea food. You might be confused looking at the location and the building. One of the best place for seafood. Mussels - 5/5 Shrimp - 4.8/5 Jambalaya - 5/5 read more

Ragin Reef Frederick - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Ragin' Reef did not disappoint! My sister gave this place so much hype and I finally had a chance to check out today, the hype was very real! Have you ever experienced where the breading of a crab cake is so much more than the meat itself? You won't have that issue here because the crab meat is ALL meat. I finally found a seafood restaurant that plays fair to their customers. Limited seating inside and the restaurant has its own parking in the front and extra parking around back. Friendly staff with attentive servers. Now to the most important part, the food was freaking amazing. We ordered two baskets of their hushpuppies and the honey butter spread was dangerously delicious! I could spread it on everything....ridiculously addicting. I ordered the fried reef basket east coast oysters served with thin-cut fries and coleslaw. The batter had great flavor and the oysters were fresh. I had a bite of the crab cake sandwich and again pure crab meat! Everything tasted so fresh and made to order. I might have found my new favorite seafood restaurant in the area and this is no bluff. This place is special and truly a gem. I can't wait to share my experience to others and come back to try other items on the menu. If you're looking for an excellent seafood restaurant in the Frederick area visit Ragin' Reef! read more

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We were sad when Nantucket's Reef was closed in Rockville. Happy to visit Ragin Reef for some of our favorites. Food and service were both excellent! Thanks Robin for taking good care of us! Highly recommend the calamari and reef baskets! Yummy! read more

OMG hands down the best Cream of Crab soup I have ever had!! the other night I was in a fish mood so I ordered the Cod w/crabcake on top with beans and rice it was so good my wife damn near ate half of it! Can't wait to go back! Robin was our server and was excellent! Love the atmosphere! read more

This restaurant was a great find. Food was absolutely delicious, drinks were great. Service was excellent. It has a casual, comfortable atmosphere and was perfect after wandering around downtown Frederick all afternoon. Just 2 minutes away from Patrick, free parking spaces right outside the door. Drfinitely going again. read more

Great seafood in a casual environment. Oyster on the half shell were big and flavorful. Good service. Easy parking in their own lot.

Great crab cakes ! Good prices and wait staff was very friendly and professional. Lots of parking!

Three words describe the food here: A...ma...zing! Crab no cake and Grilled Scallops were perfectly seasoned and prepared. Service was fast even though they were really busy. Definitely a keeper. read more

If you're looking for a casual place that has that eastern shore feel you found it. The seafood is excellent ! Services is great. The muscles are wonderful. The jambalaya is very good and the stuffed shrimp with crab meat was nice. The best way to describe the seafood at this location is fresh. read more

Was in Fredrick during a work visit. Looked this place up on Yelp and the reviews didn't disappoint! Was there on time for happy hour and the drinks were great! They also had this lobster dip....yuuuuuuuuummmmmm! I def recommend you get that as an appetizer. I honestly could of ordered 2 of those and at it as a meal... I also had their crab cakes. They too were delish. I even have to rave about their cole slaw. I don't like cole slaw but theirs was soooo good! Def try this place!!! read more

Ragin Reef Frederick - Crab platter. Yummy cole slaw! - Seafood Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Food is great. It is especially great if you are watching what you eat. Many of the entrees come with red beans and rice and a vegetable on the side. I particularly like the cedar plank salmon. Deliciously spiced. Service is quick and attentive, although our usual server is a little quirky. Prices are reasonable,and they have parking! read more

My husband and I were in the area for the Valley Craft Tour. We decided to dine in the area and checked out Ragin' Reef's ratings. Our server, Alex, was very enthusiastic about the crab selections. He made suggestions which we ordered. The stuffed shrimp was perfect, with delicious crab cake like stuffing and NO filler! The stuffed cod was also exceptional! I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

I loved it! I'm from SC and you thought what I ordered was fantastic. We were there 8/21 for a regular lunch with my husbands siblings. I had the fried cod platter and it was excellent. read more

Ashamed we waited so long to eat here. Everything we had was excellent. Appetizers: Wicked Mussels = Excellent Crispy Calamari = Excellent Hushpuppies = Excellent Main Courses: Ragin' Jambalaya = Excellent Coconut and Pecan Crusted Tilapia = Excellent Jumbo Stuffed Shrimp = Excellent read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review of Ragin' Reef. My husband and I have been coming here for over a year now and it's one of our favorite restaurants in Frederick. We typically sit at the bar; or sometimes outside in good weather. Not too long ago, there was a fire in the building, which closed the restaurant for about 3 months. I was so glad then they re-opened. This is my go-to restaurant when I want crab cakes. THE.BEST.EVER! There is no filler (or at least a tiny bit that doesn't get in the way of the lump crab meat) and the cakes are big! It's served with fries and coleslaw, but I typically ask for the red beans/rice and sautéed spinach. Some of my other favorites: Wicked Mussels and Lobster/Spinach Queso for appetizers; Garlic Cedar Salmon, and Stuffed Cod. My husband typically goes for the Jambalayaor the Fried Reef Baskets selecting the Beer Battered Cod. Service is always very good. Reservations are a must, unless you arrive very early for dinner. read more