We have purchased crabs from Crab Depot on Ritchie Highway so many times but they were always live. I called the Crab Depot to place an order for a half bushel of crabs and yes, I wanted them live. The employee proceeded to quote me the prices to which my bill would have been around 130.00 dollars. She explained they had several sizes and was also currently running a special. Never once was I informed they had no more live crabs..... I set off to pick up my crabs and received a phone call from the store before my arrival. The clerk told me that they could steam my crabs for me which I refused. She responded and said that all the live crabs they had were being sold to another store. I asked her if she could steam my crabs that I asked for to be alive, than why can't I just steam my own crabs and what different it would make if I steamed them myself. It dawned on me at this moment that she wanted to sell me already steamed crabs. I do not like crabs that have been steamed by someone else as I have developed my own seasoning recipe that my family and friends love. I should have listened to my inner voice and rejected the crabs. If you are a true crab eater then you will know it is hard to walk away from the opportunity of getting crabs to satisfy that urge. Well, I finally got the clerk to admit that these crabs were steamed earlier that day. Again the urge was to great. After 3 phone calls to the Crab depot and finally deciding to take the chance, I wish I could start that process over again and stick to my original feeling to reject the purchase. The Crab Depot sold me crabs that they cooked and they were the worst crabs I we had ever attempted to eat. Most of them had a smell coming from them that smelled like ammonia. I checked and found that this is an indicator that some or many of the crabs were already dead or very close to death when they cooked them. It is also a sign that decay have started and it is transferred through the water and what crabs that are alive will filter the decay through there gills which will also cause there meat to also have this repugnant smell and texture. The meat was like a minced texture and just really bad to the taste. I was shocked. I am not sure if the store is under new management or what, and I have never dealt with any of the people that were in there that day. I believe they made up the story about selling all the other live crabs and just wanted to sell the left over garbage crabs so as to not take a lost on those horrible crabs. Yes, I could have taken them back and demanded a refund but why waste more money and gas for this mess. I felt very strongly about this situation so this review should be seen by other customers to serve notice to ask "how long ago was the crabs steamed." Re-steamed crabs have a very distinctive non- fresh steam smell and the meat is usually a little tuff to eat. I suggest you avoid any crab that is not put in the pot live and taken directly out the pot for your purchase. Crab Depot, shame on you for selling crabs that you know should have never found it's way to any of your customers table but I also accept my blame for not bringing them back to you for a refund. I have not written the crab depot off for this experience. However, I will never ever by crabs from them that they have steamed. I like to see my crabs alive and well prior to cooking. H. Geen Unsatisfied long time customer... read more

If you are not afraid to enter a simple shack-lookalike joint, Crab Depot will grab you by the legs. You will walk there in peace that your meal is simple and reasonably priced. Why go all the trouble in sitting down in a restaurant when you can carry out? If you like crabs in balls and cake form, CD is the side store that will give you a kick for good that you'll never going to hunt for another crabs somewhere else. The Crab Depot will surely surprised you by the pinch of a bite but cole slaw beware. read more

The absolutely worst crabs ever. They were light mushy & smell like ammonia. Then when brought the back i was told i could only get the unopened ones replaced. Never again they were the worst crabs I've ever had. read more

The crabs were disgusting couldn't even eat some of them.they had black or brown meat terrible.

If I could curse I would...damn crooks. I paid close to 200.00 for Jumbo males and literally, with the exception of maybe about 6 of em, all were HOLLOW and LIGHT. The kicker is that the meat was mushy and had an off taste, which tells me they steamed some pretty nasty dead ones. read more

Got 3 dozen XL crabs and 2 lbs of shrimp for my husband's birthday. Delicious, less expensive then others in the area, and were ready for pick up as requested. read more

So disappointed, there were no meat in the crabs we bought. It's so frustrating when you bought female expecting for eggs part. We got 2 dozen for $60, not worth your money at all, go somewhere else guys! read more

This place is amazing! Great employees that are very helpful. Got 3 dozen crabs yesterday for my daughter who was moving to NC today. They were awesome! The best crabs and service in Maryland read more

On July 6th ordered a dozen and a half extra large. What kind of skeptical because of one friend's recommendation. Decided to go ahead and order them anyway. Will be my first crabs to order unless they're sold out from now on. Crabs are full and heavy,, then I would recommend them to anyone from now on. Also very courteous service even the day before when I wasn't able to place an order because they had sold out. read more

A family member recommended Crab Depot the last time I was in Baltimore. We found the location easily and the prices were very reasonable. I did not post any pictures because we devoured everything and enjoyed the food so much. We ordered 2 dozen of blue crabs, 2lbs of medium sized steamed shrimp and 5lbs of snow crab legs. Everything was seasoned to perfection and the customer service was awesome. My family and I will definitely return. read more

Can't go to MD and NOT pick up some crabs to take back home to NYC! Nothing beats a female maryland blue crab! Get them cooked or raw and cook them at home! Its a lot of work for a little bit of meat but sooooo friggin worth it! I absolutely love md crabs! Pick up a few dozen for a nice dinner or party! read more

Ok, literally found this totally by accident while driving to an offsite business location. Not at all from the area, and normally I wouldn't think to stop without any research...but oh WOW am I glad I did!! Friendly staff, good selection--at least from my perspective--of seafood. The Creamy Crab Chowder was absolutely fantastic. When it comes to fries (that were included with my Crabcake) I usually judge them on if they taste like fries, or like everything else that was cooked before them...crisp, delicious, spot on!! You HAVE to give this place a try!!! read more

A true diamond in the rough; a hidden gem. Great food. Courteous and professional staff. The shrimp salad is the best in the state. The manager, Emy, made our visit a pleasurable experience. She went out of her way to take care of us. Overall a good value and the staff made an otherwise 4 star a perfect 5. We will be coming back to crab depot! read more

I've been here several times in 2014, its a Hit or Miss type of place. I buy a bushel of the largest female crabs, steamed and have only been disappointed 2 out of the 6 times I've been here. Like anything else in life check it out before you leave and to ensure its quality. read more

Went there for the first time today! The crabs and shrimps were delicious and great size. I will be back! I'm new to the area and I think I found my seafood spot! Great customer service! read more

Was ripped off at The Crab Depot. Expensive crabs and a 1/3 of the order was bad. Literally brown. I had to fight to get my money back for the bad ones and felt as though the situation was not handled in a fair manner. I WILL NOT be returning to The Crab Depot and very highly DISrecommend it. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. read more

Love this place! Quiet and always pleasant. Crabs are spot on and they always let you know what they have at any given time of the year. A+

I purchased the crab special from here and those crabs were by far the worst crabs I have ever bought. They were very overdone, way too much old bay and no meat. It was a complete waste of $40. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. read more

First time going to this place. Prices were good. Timely service. I got 2 doz crabs and saved a little money. The only negative was that there were too many claws missing. read more

The Crab Depot - Seafood Markets Near Me - Brooklyn, Maryland

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This place isn't much to look at , just a counter and some workers behind the counter making amazing seafood creations.. the girl who helped us with our order was courteous and friendly... the older gentleman not so much.. sort of rude actually.... we were just traveling through and asked a few questions and he acted like we were a nuisance... we ordered anyhow and were rewarded by the amazing crab cake sandwich we had.... the crab balls we had as an appetizers were delicious also... the coleslaw was bland and boring... it could of had a bit of acidity to kick it up a bit... the fries that came with the sandwich were tasty too.. we also had a cup of cream of crab soup and Maryland crab soup... both were ok but I wouldn't write home about them.... I give ten 4 stars because their seafood was delicious... I understand servers and lack there of .... don't let the outside of this place fool you just open the door and order , wait for your food and enjoy! The food won't disappoint... read more

The girl in the counter charged me the blue crab spices 10$ when it was marked 4.50$ in shelve, then we said 'the prices just went up'. I was in a rush so I bought it, now I see online that it really is 4.50$. I do not recommend this place for anyone. read more

OMG!!!! WORST CRABS EVER!!!!! I made the mistake of going to a different crab place...CRAB DEPOT...BIG MISTAKE!! After calling around to several places in the area, Crab Depot had the best prices on bushels of crabs. When i picked them up, the bushel was really heavy (which is normally a good thing). when we got them home and started to eat them the very first crab i opened was PINK inside!!! I nor anyone else at the family gathering had ever seen a crab that was pink on the inside!! i put that one to the side and proceded to open another one...this one was not pink but was complete mush! just as i was about to say somthing about this one my niece asks if female carbs have a different texture than male crabs. I told her not really...why? She tells me that the crab she was eating seemed like it was mushy! My dad had eaten 2 by this point and said both of his were fine...that only lasted one more crab! The very nexct one he opened was BAD! it smelled like amonia!! as we went through the bushel of crabs, id say 3 to 3 1/2 dozen were either so mushy you couldn't eat them or smell bad!!!! i tried to call Crab Depot that evening several time and was told that the manager was not there to call back in the morning. i did not want to put the smelly, mushy crabs in my fridge (because i did not want them stinking up the whole fridge!!) so we threw them away! when i finally did get ahold of a manager the next day he said he wanted to see the "bad crabs". I told him that i threw them away and he said "what did you do that for???" i told him they smelled and i didnt want them in my house! he then basically said oh well...too bad!! I mentioned this experience to a friend and she said "yeah...thats par for the course there!!" I agree with the other reviews of this place... WORST CRABS EVER...HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! Go ANYWHERE else to get crabs!!! VERY EXPENSIVE LESSON!!!!!!! read more

This place had the WORST crabs ever. I asked for medium males and what I got were small females but I was still charges for male medium prices. When I arrived to pick up the crabs I noticed on their crab display that all the crabs (Sm, med, lg, and XL) were all the same size. I asked them to go light on the old bay but of course they used an entire can for 2 dozen. The crabs that were not empty (very little meat) were overcooked and mushy. All us crab eaters know there is nothing worse than a mushy crab. I was so disgusted I didn't even eat them. Furthermore, my hubby ordered a fish platter... it was mediocre at best. I never write reviews but definitely don't want anyone to spend money on this place especially if your mouth is set for crabs. I will NEVER patronize this business again. read more

The Crab Pot catered our daughter's rehearsal dinner and we could not have been more pleased. We were located in a park in VA, and they came out a day ahead to check out the facility to be sure they had everything they needed...and they did! The servers, cooks, and crabs (big and heavy with meat!) were all tops. We loved showing off the best of the Chesapeake to our out of town friends. Recommend highly! read more

Got SICK from the crabs. We brought 3 dozens of large crabs last weekend. They were the worse Maryland crabs we ever have. Those crabs were all shells and little meat. Having ate so many crabs before this bad experience, we can tell that they were definitely not fresh. To make matter worse, we got sick from eating the Crab Depot's crabs. We DO NOT RECOMMEND Crab Depot. read more

This is my second try with this venue. Crab was full of meat and very fresh. I am very satisfy with service and with the food. Will definitely go back for more fresh crabs and seafood. Thanks for great food! read more

Great little spot that really cures the cravings for some quality seafood, especially the crabs. Easy carry out service, well priced, and everything was so fresh! I would recommend to anyone looking to get some great quality crabs in the area! read more

Stopped by the Crab Depot on my way home, glad I did,they have a Soft Crab sandwich specisl for 7.95 and it was pretty damn good.i will be back. read more

I bought 2 containers of crab meat on Christmas Eve for my son. I put them in the freezer and took one out yesterday to thaw to make crab cakes today. It was bad and so was the one in the freezer. I tried to return them and was told the manager would call me when he returned and he never did. I wasted $53 and didn't even get a call back. This was my first and last time at this establishment. I will also tell all of my friends about my experience and recommend they NEVER EVER go there. One lousy phone call is all I wanted. read more

I loved Crab Depot and have gotten crabs there the last few years always good. But today I wanted crab cakes and I bought lump crab meat for $28.95. When I went to make the crab cakes 1/4 cup of liquid poured out and the crab was mush with some ice crystals. I phoned and they told me to return it for one that wasn't frozen. Went back and they seemed to only have frozen or previously frozen. Since I wanted to eat asap I asked for 3 lump crab cakes instead (purchased their crab cakes before and always good). Walked them from my car to the house and 2 of them had fallen apart. I tried to put them back in cake form but were mushy and lots of liquid, so they as well must have been frozen. For $11.00 a crab cake I would have expected better. I wasn't returning again so I fried them up and they were very chewy. In the middle of crab season I wouldn't have thought everything would be frozen and $30.00 later was really disappointed. read more

Worst place to get crabs in AA county/Baltimore area! Went there once and got ripped off but decided that maybe I should give them another chance. SHAME ON ME!! I paid 149.00 for half a bushel of their so called "signature crabs". I got home and not a one had more than 2 nibbles of meat. I called and took them back and they gave me another box MINUS THE crabs that were eaten at my cookout before I stopped everyone. 149 for half a bushel is top dollar and all i was getting was junk. Very bad customer service. Anyways, I felt some in the second box in the parking lot and noticed that they were heavier but very small. Far from "signature". Whatever, I didnt want to waste anymore of my day off so away i went. Well, the weight I had felt was water!!! Its like they just dumped them all in a pot filled with water and took them back out and put Old bay on them. I am so pissed off! They proudly take INDEPENDENCE CARDS which is probably why they serve total SHIT because everyone in there was using one and would never return FREE CRABS. I however work for my money and I would appreciate 149 dollars worth of good crabs. I hate the system and I hate this place! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. read more

We do not recommend buying from the Crab Depot (also advertised as the Mid-Atlantic Crab Company online). They presumably will pack your seafood order (online or phone in) and ship to you overnight anywhere in the US. We recently bought soft-shell crabs and shrimps from the place (as gifts for out-of-state relatives) and called the day before for pick-up the next morning just before a 10-hr drive to another state. The woman who answered the phone has no idea about the specials they prominently advertised on their website when we asked about them; instead, she tried to quote us a much higher price (should have been a red flag to us I guess). We took her through the specials (Jumbo Soft-Shell Crabs and Premium Extra-Large Gulf Shrimps) and the prices, and she agreed those were advertised as the specials and we can have them. We confirmed multiple times our order of Jumbo soft-shell and Extra-large shrimps in details (price, quantity, size of the crabs and shrimps) during our call. They packed everything in a Styrofoam box with gel packs when we picked up our order the next morning. When we arrived at our destination, we found out that the soft-shell crabs were NOT jumbo size but medium at best (less than the 5-6 inches that were advertised), and the shrimps were definitely NOT extra-large (advertised as 16-20 shrimps per pound) but the cheaper medium size (actually said so on the inside box of frozen shrimps: 31-35 smaller shrimps per pound). This is extremely disappointing, embarrassing, and infuriating because we paid a lot of money for the premium size but received items that were clearly less than that and cheaper. We therefore cannot recommend the place because the business is either dishonest or incompetent. Either way, it's amazing that they are still in business and we will definitely not return to buy from them again. It's better to buy your seafood from other crab places in Maryland which has many and will ship too. Don't waste your money at this place. Oh by the way, Crab Depot will charge you an additional $11 for each Styrofoam box to pack the stuff (even though we spent over $100 on our order). This place will rip you off. read more

i do not think i will ever go back out there again, before i went out there i call 2 different time's to see if they had any crab's there answer was yes ,the first time the price was 3 dozen for $40.00 which was cheap i went out to go to get them they were sold out on a saturday night at 6;00 p.m,the second time i went out was at 1;00 p;m and the price was 3 dozen for $50.00 which is also cheap and they were sold out also,so can they be in business when they have no crab's to sell.it is so sad,i will never go back out there again. read more