My family and I have eaten at Real Seafood many, many times over the last 10 years. We used to eagerly anticipate a good meal, but our recent visit wasn't so great. To make the point plainly: most of the food really isn't very good anymore. The best things we ate were the fried calamari appetizer and the bread - long time favorites and they didn't disappoint. Everything else was fair to poor. One of the pasta dishes was completely dried out and utterly flavorless. (To be fair, when we commented on this, the item was removed from our bill.) The seafood was rubbery and all the main courses had clearly spent a LONG time under the heat lamps before reaching our table. The chocolate mousse for dessert was good but the key lime pie was AWFUL - rather slimy, overly sweet and lacking that wonderful tart flavor that we were expecting. The service was friendly but the wait time for our food was unbelievably long, considering that the restaurant wasn't very full. I'm afraid my family won't be eating again at this place any time soon. read more

Thanks to a generous percentage off that one receives on their birthday here, I've attended several birthday celebrations taking advantage of this. The most memorable was when I had my first taste of escargot. The snail was not bad, but definitely not something that's made my Top 10 list of fave foods. It's a good spot to pick up a 50 cent loaf of bread if you're broke and in a bind, or a salmon Caesar salad for lunch with a friend. Other than that, it's your normal seafood restaurant -- but minus the hush puppies. Important note, however, this discount does not include alcohol! read more

Wow, what a steal! I came here for a birthday lunch with my boyfriend and was blown away by the experience. I have been here before and was a little turned off by the prices, but I discovered that the Main Street Venues (Chop House, Gratzi, Real Seafood and more that I'm forgetting...) have this fabulous birthday deal where the birthday guest gets their food for free! The way it works is a 2 person party has their food bill reduced by 50%, if there are 3 people, it's reduced by 33% and so on. Today we got the works... a calamari appetizer, the crab cake sandwich and fish tacos for entrees, and chocolate mousse for dessert. And for $25 too! The food here is good (not five-star ZOMG fantastic like Pacific Rim, but the quality is for sure there). The bread was fantastic, so was the calamari (not to mention it came out at lightening speed), and the chocolate mousse was some of the best I've had! The fish tacos are presented beautifully, and the crab cake sandwich is more like a crab burger-- but still was delicious. My boyfriend and I were so stuffed by the end we practically rolled our way home.... I was definitely ready for a nap too! I'll be back for another birthday meal at the Main Street Venues-- it's such a great deal! read more

Superly good.... Even though they forgot to read my reservation notes for my boyfriends birthday.... Did you know here for your birthday with proof of Id that they give you 50% off of the meal only when it's two guest though.... But it was still good salmon sliders are to die for! And calamari is scrumptious read more

The food here is delicious, albeit a bit expensive. However, it is seafood and for the price you're paying, there's a quality guarantee. The crab cakes are apparently delicious, as this is my dad's FAVORITE restaurant in Ann Arbor because of them. Also, the bread they have is BOMB. The fish tacos are also pretty good, but I wasn't a big fan of their tortilla choice (corn); it had a very distinct taste I wasn't a huge fan of - I ended up eating the filling of my taco with the wild rice and it was really yummy, but it would've been nice to be able to eat it with a tasty tortilla too. The creme brulee was delicious, and was a complimentary dessert as part of the Main Street Birthday Deal (50% bill for two). The steak & lobster were both great, as you would expect, but nothing spectacular. I do want to warn against subbing the seafood alfredo with another sauce. I tried it with pesto because I love pesto sauce, and it was a huge mistake. Seafood + pesto do not go together well - stick with the original pairings!! read more

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I've had a number of good experiences here and a few average ones. My most recent was my graduation weekend in 2009, and I decided to celebrate by ordering lobster. The quality wasn't what one would expect from the restaurant, even one that I'd had a few good-but-not-great meals at before. However, the service is always great, and the bread that they bring out fresh baked and piping hot is always a great way to start. While the lobster wasn't too great, I definitely recommend the Cioppino and Jambalaya. They're also good at accommodating larger groups. To summarize: I'd recommend coming here, don't get the lobster. read more

I'm not sure what all the hype is about. I haven't been to a Red Lobster in probably 10 years or so so all I know is home cooked seafood from my family and myself (which I tend to be somewhat of an aspiring chef in my kitchen) so to me this place is just fine. Just like a previous reviewer stated and I had to steal her words because "just fine" lists this perfectly. I've only had something that I thought actually tasted good one and it was a tuna wrap for lunch that I have not seen on the menu since that day :( The other few times everything was mediocre. The only horrible time was when my bf and I went to dinner there with another couple. They never went and they wanted to try it during Ann Arbors restaurant week. Well, what two of us ordered was absolutely disgusting. You could tell it had been just chillin' and got heated up by how the sauce had settled on the plate. None of us have actually been back there since. It was a major, major fail. read more

Came for lunch during Restaurant Week. I started with a salad that was nicely saturated with a tangy dressing and included with pine nuts and goat cheese. For my entree, I chose the drunken shrimp, which consisted of five large shrimp drowned in a strong sweet and sour sauce with brown rice and some veggies. I liked the dish, but would expect to find such Americanized Asian food items at places like Panda Express, rather than a $$$ restaurant that Real Seafood Company supposedly is. Dessert was a raspberry sorbet that was a nice creamy consistency rather than just fruit ice, always a risk with sorbet. Our waiter was nice, and patiently waited as our trio dining party assembled slowly at the restaurant. I probably would not come regularly on my student budget, but I actually enjoyed my Real Seafood Company Restaurant Week experience more than other out-of-range restaurants on Main St. read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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I have had both good and bad experiences at The Real Seafood Co. From the outside it looks really nice and you think it'd be a relatively affordable restaurant from the looks of it, but it's quite pricey for it's looks. Then again... it IS seafood. I have had the blue plate special (good, but all fried food and pricey), the salmon cake (like crab cake, but salmon -- not so good, and came with a small salad as a side, but... nothing else) and my friend had the seafood pasta which looked good. The service is good, but if you want quality seafood, I suggest going for another of the Mainstreet Venture (the company that owns the Real Seafood Co) restaurants. The best seafood I've had was at Chop House. Or go to the Gandy Dancer (non Mainstreet Venture). read more

I probably should have stuck to meat, but I really felt like calamari! There were good, bad, and great things about this place. They are as follows: Great: The Bread. OMG, so good. Good: Bloody Mary (with shrimp and lump crab meat) Calamari Outside seating The wait wasn't as long as they quoted Bad: Server was very frazzled (I understand being stressed, but at least pretend like you're having a good night) My stuffed flounder was dry and salty Who makes you pay extra to upgrade cole slaw? Who serves cole slaw with fish?? I'll probably use my money to get steak next time! But I'd definitely come here for appetizers and drinks. read more

I really enjoy eating here, the salmon is absolutely delicious. The service is great, and I have nothing to complain about the atmosphere either. All in all, I believe it's definitely worth the price to eat here. read more

Well. I wasn't really expecting to pay 60 dollars for 2 person. I must say that the Swordfish with mango salsa was a delicacy. The food was definitely a winner for me. I am not too sure about the other reviewers, but my swordfish with mango salsa that costed me $26 dollars were awesome. I would give this place 3.5 Stars. I'd understand people who gave it a 3 stars though. The service was a hit or a miss I say. My waiter was really attentive about our food . I was pleased. My only problem was the price of all their wine selection. The selection was very minimal with overpriced per wine glass. The coleslaw that is given to each customer was OKAY. This was kind of a turn off for me. It was very bland and creamy. The added black pepper was what it needed. They have a $19.99 1 1/4 lb lobster special, but I didn;t try that nor my friend. I would get that next time I come back. For now, I would reserve my pocket for other restaurants in Main St that I haven't tried (i.e Vinology, Amadeus, Cafe Felix) read more

Their service is as impersonal as their tablet menus. They serve Atlantic Salmon, which is endangered. read more

Came in on Sunday to enjoy some fresh seafood. The service was great and our waitress Autumn was very informative with any question we had about the menu. My wife started out with the Ahi tuna tower. It was awesome! It was yellowfin tune stacked over fresh avocado with a nice sweet soy sauce. Reminded us of our favorite sushi. I had the raw oysters. The presentation was cool with a bowl of dry ice creating a rolling fog over the dish. The oyster were very good and my wife even tried one. She described as" the ocean exploding in your mouth". The entrees were just as good. I had the seared Yellowfin tuna. It was good, but I have had better cuts and fresher. Still it was enjoyable. My wife had the blue plate. She is a very good cook and has prepared crab cakes several times before, and these were outstanding. Filled with real chucks of crab! I would definitely come here again. read more

It's sad when the best part of your meal was the bread. We had the crab cakes to start and those were OK but not the best I have had. It was one large crab cake and a little side salad. The salad was decent. The interior was dated and the vinyl table clothes were ripped and needed to be replaced. I had the Lake Superior White Fish with dried cherries. It was very very bland! I told my husband I felt like I was eating in a nursing home. eek. My husband got a blue plate special for his birthday. He said the flounder was the best part. The shrimp was definitely overcooked. Then we finished off with the Baked Alaskan which was very stale. Yes, I know it was frozen but it shouldn't taste like it had been sitting in a freezer for an extended period of time. We didn't finish dessert which is unusual for us! We won't be back anytime soon. The prices were very expensive for the quality of food. I'm glad we at least got the birthday discount. I hope they can improve. This is a really great location. read more

Sunday afternoon and we couldn't have came across a better gem for our first time in the area. From the greeting, to the service by Danny, to the tastiness of our food ( Jambalaya, Seafood Alfredo, Lobster Bites ) we are very pleased. This place has a very relaxed vibe that puts you at ease once you are seated, it was also very friendly for our 1 & 11 year old boys. We definitely plan on returning to this sweet spot when we revisit, as well, we'll ask for Danny again, but it appeared all the servers were attentive so I don't think you'll go wrong. Must visit! :-) read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Jambalaya ( tons of flavor with the heat in the sausage ) - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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This restaurant was a real disappointment. Their were six of us and not one person could say anything good about the food. One had the pan fried perch and it had absolutely no favor at all. I had the scallops and the were cook perfectly but they were also very bland. My husband whose birthday it was had a seafood pot which he said was alright and my daughters crab legs were very dry and tough. The only good thing I can say about the night is that our waiter was fantastic. The prices did not reflect the quality of food Very expensive! I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

Have been visiting this restaurant for 30+ years. First delivery of stuffed flounder was returned as inedible (over cooked ). Replacement offering was edible, but barely. Had to ask twice for delivery of rolls and again for the cold slaw originally ordered. Our server Emileah had left her attention at home with her brain. Will not return to Ann Arbor even for the free birthday dinner. Sad to see a wonderful restaurant "die" after this much time in business. RIP! read more

Excellent appetizers and offers a good deal for birthday celebration (discount on the meal depending on the size of your party and free dessert). Entrees are forgetable, often too salty. Update: the sea bass shanghai style (poached) entree was hearty and satisfying. read more

Great dinner and experience! Our servers Ben and Malcolm (who btw has SEVEN DAUGHTERS! good luck my friend) were great, friendly and accessible. The food was served quickly and was delicious. The atmosphere is a mix between dressy and casual-- no need to get dressed up, but I wouldn't wear sweats. Th bread to start is served warm and was really good. Fresh baked. The New England clam chowder was creamy and flavorful. The gazpacho was really really good, chunky and with very fresh vegetables. We also had some oysters from the raw bar, which were delicious as well. Salty and fresh. I had the Pacific Rim tuna for my main dish, meh. Didn't stun me. My dad had the bronzino which was the fish of the day, grilled whole. That was the best dish of the night, crispy skin and melt in your mouth good. They also have a pretty good selection of beers and wine. I would recommend it to anyone. read more

Very fresh and tender seafoods, servers are very friendly! The dessert really topped off this place, chocolate brandy mouse, very well made. Its not a deadly sweet dessert but instead a mixture of the chocolate and brandy, including the whip cream was great. I believe the whip cream was self made thus not extremely sweet. read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Fresh, very tender, delicious scallop. Comes in three. - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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We went there for a friend's Birthday. Appetizer: Crab cake was delicious. Coconut shrimp tasted a little bit sweet for me, but still Ok. Main Course: Lobster bolognese was great. Serving was just too much for me though. Dessert: The cheesecake served at the end was excellent. And the lit candle just made it a special evening for all of us. Anyway I'll definitely go back if it's for someone's birthday, caz yeah they offer discount on that special day. read more

We found out about this place because we read they offer birthday discounts which is a FACT (and an awesome one!). We had dinner (three of us) and we received 33% off our food items in honor of the birthday boy. Not only was that super cool, but the food, appetizers and drinks were super yummy! To top it off, our server was really nice too. Definitely a great establishment! We will be going back soon! read more

It was our first time dined here. Overall experience was good. The server was pleasant. We ordered two fish dishes from Fresh Catch - white fish and whole fish. They were both great. Their menu in tablet was very helpful to pick dishes because it showed pictures when tapping. One negative was that the table we seated was located on busy, heavily trafficked area. Constantly servers were walking by, bumping to my chair without noticing me. Next time, I will request a booth. read more

We came in last week for lunch, celebrating my wife's birthday. I hadn't been at this location in a few years, so it was nice to be back. The first change I noticed was the butter with the bread was now served somewhat whipped and in a little dish. I missed the old way of a small plate with a this sliced triangular slab that softened up naturally and concentrated the butter flavor. I ordered the perch, pan fried, with red skinned potatoes. I was hesitant with the potatoes because they used to be whole potatoes and they ended up a bit dry with only a buttery outside and no sauce. They now come quartered to distribute the sauce, but still seemed a bit lacking and needed more. It's almost like a gravy of some sort would be welcome. I wasn't in the mood for fries, I've done the rices, and the vegetables are good but leave me hungry with seafood and limited starch. Anyway, the perch was really good. I've noticed perch fillets are really small everywhere I go lately, and these were no exception. The service was really good, pushing this to 4 stars. read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Perch lunch with redskin potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Seafood is fresh and cooked really well. Small space and too many tables for server to serve well on the Monday night we visited, service was slap dash- electonic tablets left on table with no explanation of how to use them, had to flag down another server for water refill. Server just recommended the most expensive item on menu and wine list, no real feeling for what the plates were. But the oysters- so good, and the scallops were cooked wonderfully. Wish they had great service to go with the $ 80 meal we bought. Definitely try to book a time when it's not busy, maybe early afternoon might work, avoid dinner hour. A plus happy hour - I'd go just for this. If they could just refine the dinner experience that would really be great. read more

The oysters were super dirty. You can see black mud in raw oysters. The mussels in garlic sauce was more like mussels with water. No effort in the dish. Service was great, but food was horrible. read more

Had lunch here on a gorgeous spring Saturday afternoon. We were seated quickly, and right next to the sidewalk. They opened the garage doors to let in a breeze. The restaurant is fairly nice looking, and fully filled with delicious seafood smells. We ordered some Oysters Rockefeller, which arrived on the half shell, and covered with a generous amount of spinach, cheese, bacon... and just pure deliciousness. We had a crab cake, and broiled scallops... each of which were incredibly succulent and perfectly cooked. A side salad was served with a deliciously sweet Balsamic vinaigrette. Our waiter was an extremely pleasant young young man, who apologized multiple times for a burnt crab cake (which delayed our order) and offered us free desert and drinks as a result. We were having too much fun for this to be an issue. Was the size of the entree an issue? Perhaps. There were not a lot of scallops on the plate. It's not a cheap place. But it is SO good. We will return! read more

One of the best restaurants in Ann Arbor I had the sword fish and creme brûlée and both tasted amazing... I love this place read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - The swordfish :) yummmm - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Service was perfect. Coconut shrimp were amazing. Shrimp Alfredo was good. Paella was really good. Parking structure was right behind the building which made parking super easy. We will return. :) read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Coconut shrimp appetizer. It started it 5, starting eating before I remembered to get a pic :) - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

We were visiting the area and decided to take a walk down main street. Stopped in for lunch and found this neat place. Food was tasty. Ordered the salmon avocado slider, salad, thai coconut shrimp wrap, and the grilled cheese. The best part was sitting on the patio while it was raining on and off. Good service too! read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Thai coconut shrimp wrap - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Found this restaurant on Yelp while, searching for a seafood restaurant. Booked reservation a week in advance for Bday dinner. Arrived 10 minutes before reservation time. Was seated promptly; and drink orders taken. The atmosphere was very subtle and we had a picturesque view of Main Street as the snow drifted down heavily. Ordered fried asparagus and Lobster bites as appetizer and the taste was excellent but, a bit greasy. For entrees; ordered King Crab legs, Fried Jumbo Gulf Shrimp with fries; Fried Catfish with fries; Salmon salad; and kid fish and chips. Crab was excellent, Jumbo shrimp was a bit greasy; catfish was bland( lacking seasoning); Salmon was tasty; and fish and chips had no complaints. For dessert; raspberry cheesecake (excellent) and coconut cake( also excellent). The server made us aware of the discount giving for birthday celebrations which, was a plus (25% off for party of 5). read more

Real Seafood Company Ann Arbor - Menun - Seafood Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I used to love it, but definatly need improvement. The staff is a little care free and the menu has been the same for years. Love to see the Happy Hour menu change from time to time. We like to go out after work and used to be our top pick. I will continue to go here for the mussels and great salads, but would like to see a few chanfes on the menu to keep it interesting. read more

The service was great but the food... I love spaghetti with clams and tried it around the world like 1000 of time. Worst spaghetti was in Real Seafood. All the things I tried was so average. So sad:((( read more

Had dinner reservations at 6:30 on a Monday for bf's birthday.. Real Seafood Company is a part of the Main Street restaurant group which offers 50% off for a table of 2 of one of the individuals is celebrating their birthday. We were greeted & seated quickly, which was nice. The decor is simple and kind of an upscale casual, though I did notice the old "grandma" tablecloths on some tables as many Yelpers have noted. Our table did not have one of those, for which I was glad. Vinyl tablecloths = eww. Our waitress was Shay, and she was an absolute sweetheart. She made sure not to rush us, and offered a lot of friendly menu advice in an upbeat, cheerful manner. She was an absolute pleasure, and I was very happy to have had her as our server. Our drinks never went empty, and dinner progressed at a perfect pace, which was the best part of the experience in my opinion. We ordered a couple specialty martinis (French martini for me, lemon blueberry for the birthday boy) and those were tasty though slow coming from the bar. For food, we ordered the fried calamari, lobster bisque, crab legs, and the sautéed whitefish. The calamari was ok, but a bit on the greasy side. If you enjoy tentacles, you'll be disappointed - I prefer tentacles to rings and discovered the whole plate was indeed rings. The aioli was ok but heavy on mayo. BF didn't make any comments about the bisque - he didn't finish it but I'm not sure if that meant he was unimpressed or was just saving room for his crab. I do know he enjoyed his crab legs, he said it was fresh and there was a lot of good meat. He got the Mexican street corn as a side and wasn't too thrilled with it as it was mostly creamed corn - I tried a bite and found it to be tasty. I had the sautéed whitefish and polenta for the side. The fish itself was good & cooked nicely, but the sauce (described as a sherry butter sauce with Michigan cherries) was very thin and honestly not that flavorful. I did not like the polenta - too many whole corn kernels for my taste. For dessert we had creme brûlée which was delicious, but the crust was very thin. Sounds silly, but when you get creme brûlée you except a nice thick crust to crack, and this didn't have it. Total before 50% off was around $150... which, to be honest, felt like a rip off for what I got. Everything was good... but I left feeling a bit underwhelmed. I've eaten at other "nice casual" fish restaurants with comparable quality and paid half the price for 2 people. I was glad we had the birthday discount, and unfortunately I don't know that I would be compelled to return unless it was for the discount. read more

Love the smell and am a frequent week day happy hour goer! The happy hour fish taco's are delicious and alcoholic happy hour drinks are more than reasonable as well! read more

The variety here is Awesome and the food Most Tasty! To choose between eating indoors or out adds to the appeal. The service is very good with Friendly, knowledgeable staff. read more

Went here with a good friend for lunch. Made reservations, so we were seated immediately. They weren't necessary, but I'm still glad I did because we got a very nice table at the window so we could people watch. Our server Nicole was very nice and patient with our many questions. She brought some excellent warm bread to the table while we perused the tablet menus. We started with the crab and artichoke dip, which came to the table bubbling hot with red salted tortilla chips. It was GREAT and I highly recommend it. Thick chunks of crab and artichoke in a creamy but not too heavy sauce with bread crumbs and cheese on top, the chips were a crisp and great balance against the dip. We also ordered the seasonal Michigan Cherry Cosmopolitans, which were not too sweet and mixed right at our table. Next time I think I might try one of the local wines they offer. Both of us ordered the Broiled Maine Scallops. I opted for the rice pilaf and cole slaw, while my co-diner got the sticky rice and a Caesar salad. The scallops were delicious, hot, and cooked perfectly; the rice pilaf was only so-so and my co-diner said her sticky rice was only okay as well. The cole slaw was creamy and crisp; her caesar salad was well dressed with cornbread croutons and fresh, crisp lettuce and anchovies. We ended our meal with chocolate mousse for me (creamy and rich with blueberries and strawberries for garnish) and key lime pie for her (lush and tangy). Nicole was very attentive without being overbearing and we had a lovely time. Next time I will try a different side from the rice pilaf, which was underwhelming. All in all, a lovely time. I will definitely come back again. read more

Lets start out with the good things. The wine list was extensive, which I can appreciate. And my boyfriend and I thought it was pretty cool that the menus were on ipads. But past that, everything else was crappy. I ordered the seafood shrimp alfredo. It was smothered in grease and at over $20, it was quite small. The drinks were also garbage. I ordered a mojito and it was simply disgusting. even after I asked for it to be very sweet. The restaurant looks nice but I don't think I have ever been to a place this noisy. Clumsy servers dropped trays loudly, bread baskets, servers talking loudly and a sign fell. I was trying to sit and enjoy a glass of wine and talk to my boyfriend about something but we had to leave. I can't believe the people of Ann Arbor pay money for such a place. I for one refuse to return to that place ever again. read more

I took my girlfriend here for her birthday. Birthday person eats free. Technically they just divide the bill by the number of people and make one portion free. GREAT deal for birthdays. The food was good. Although it took a while for it to be sent to our table. They use tablets for menus which is pretty awesome. read more