This review is for "The Market." We were vacationing in Crystal River and wanted some fresh fish for dinner. We arrived at 6:36 and then saw the hours as we walked toward the door (missed it by six minutes!). Our fault - we saw the restaurant hours on the web site. We turn around and start heading back to the car. We hear - "Can I help you?" After trading friendly comments about reading the restaurant hours, etc. the staff member said come on in and let's see what we have. We ended up getting fresh snapper filets and had a great dinner. Thanks for going above and beyond to make our pre-4th of July dinner fantastic! read more

I'd like to keep this place a secret because it was so good! Staff is amazing and food is spectacular. Situated on the water in Crystal River, it is amazing. I have nothing to criticize, it was all amazing! read more

We have been going there regularly for at least 15 years. Literally 2-3 times a month. I always buy Snapper or Hogfish and 2 dozen clams. Last week I bought 2.5 pounds of snapper and 2 doz clams as they were closing. I rarely walk out spending less than $80. I immediately came home and put the shellfish into a bowl and the snapper in the coldest part of the fridge. The next day when I took them out to cook .80% of the clams were open. They were shot after 14 hours in a cold fridge. I threw them in the freezer and went to return them a few days later. There was a kid working there that basically told me it was my problem and didn't care. Over $10 worth of clams you lost 2 local, loyal customers for the rest of our lifetime. The clams were a bad batch. I'm a chef by trade. No shellfish should last less than a day under the condition I had them in. Ce la Vie. read more

Everything about this restaurant was great our waitress was amazing the stuffed crab appetizer was awesome the seafood boil was to die for would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone ONLY DOWN SIDE IS CASH ONLY but knowing that going in shouldn't be a problem they do have a cash machine on hand to get cash read more

The Crab Plant - Seafood boil - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Food was great, soup was amazing. The service was prompt even though was a little crowded on the weekend. I had grouper and it was really good. read more

Referred to this restaurant by the staff at Explorida, we went for some fresh seafood and that's what we got! We started with the shrimp dip which was amazing and comes in a handy to-go container with a cover and extra crackers. I love that they think ahead! I got a bronzed grouper sandwich. The fish was delicious, but it was a lot of bread. The potato salad was ok,but also not why I was there. C got the scallops and shrimp Alfredo and loved it - large serving so we brought home leftovers that sadly, we did not get to eat but that's another story involving baby spiders in a door that you don't want to hear. Service was fantastic and quick, the view is great, right on the river, and there is outdoor seating to eat takeout if it's not August. Restaurant is cash only, so be prepared. read more

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Able to visit after they reopened following the hurricane. Awesome job cleaning up!!! Incredible work getting reopened so quickly after the flooding. Our waitress, Mary, was excellent, warm and friendly. We enjoyed everything we ordered -- steamed shrimp, shrimp and grits, clam chowder (particularly good), hush puppies (a little dense but okay), and the Pepsi products :). Highly recommend The Crab Plant all these years later! read more

Always great food!! I picked up steamed shrimp last night since I knew it would be a busy night. A couple ahead of me was not sure if it would be worth it...I said put your name on the list and wait, you won't be disappointed!! read more

Great spot! We had the low country boil and a blackened grouper sandwich. Both were outstanding. The restaurant has a great, old Florida vibe, and nice staff. We will definitely be back! read more

The Crab Plant does not serve Raw Oysters. You can buy and take with you from The Crab Plant seafood market next door. read more

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I've been here twice and both times was pretty good. Due to COVID we did take out and ordered steamed shrimp with a side salad for $12 plus $1.50 up charge for the side salad and a soup and ate in the car overlooking the water in their lot. 4 stars the steamed shrimp. Good portion, nicely steamed and a good kick to the cocktail sauce. 1 star or less for the soup. Overpriced and not good. read more

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Food was fresh, but bland. Batter on calamari was way too thick and not seasoned. I was really thinking it would be delish, being right next to the water and all. Everything was just okay. Nice water views. read more

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Crab yeah! I'm joking. I don't eat anything living, I'm like a manatee, I eat plants. My husband does, this was his heaven. The Crab Plant was our first official restaurant in Crystal River. The Crab Plant is just up our alley, we aren't fancy people and love a simple place that serves good food. This place is that. Set in what I would consider a warehouse? Located along the water next to a fish market. Paper towels are on every table, for those buttery fish meals. You might be wondering, what did I eat? Let me tell you. First things first, I ordered a sweet tea, but asked if it could be mixed with half regular tea. Don't want my teeth falling out y'all. It's hard to find sweet tea in California, this drink was the best. I ended up ordering sides: corn on the cob, cheesy grits and garlic bread. Just enough so we could split their chocolate peanut butter pie, which was to die for....*drool*. My husband ordered the a grouper sandwich. It was his first grouper and he was hooked. In secret, he said this was his favorite seafood meal during our trip. But still enjoyed every place we ate at. read more

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Not too great. I'm not sure why the many great reviews. It was just below average. Prices are high and the food is just not that fresh tasting. Nothing ordered stood out and nothing anyone ordered we would order again. There are other local places that serve tastier fish and seafood. Decide for yourself, but at least you were warned. Just meh read more

We dined at the adjacent The Crab Plant restaurant. After lunch we checked out the market. It's rather small, but it has a decent selection. A lot of fresh fish, and some frozen options too. Also a selection of sauces and other supplies for cooking. Since both the restaurant and the market have the same name, I was a bit confused over the two yelp listings. There's a listing for the market, and a listing for the restaurants, and it seems a few reviews (and pictures) are in the wrong place, well mine was, until I fixed it. After lunch, and checking out the market, we wandered the area a bit. As mentioned in other reviews, this is a working crab processing plant. There are piles and piles and piles of pot, as well as what looks like an industrial steamer. All quite interesting, and some good photo ops. Bottom line: You can accomplish a lot at this one location. read more

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Amazing. Simply amazing. The boats roll in and the fresh fish and crabs are at the market and restaurant. No frills. Scrumptious!!! Brought my husband here for his birthday as he loves eating blue crabs. Even though we lived close to Chesapeake Bay, these were hands down the freshest and best steamed crabs that were very meaty. Definitely a win for us now that we are residents of North Central Florida to have a go to market! read more

The Crab Plant - Dan with his half dozen! - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

This is a 'down home' experience for locals and those lucky enough to find The Crab Plant. The restaurant and market are tucked in an established neighborhood along the bay. This restaurant has obviously been around a very long time. Don't go for the ambiance, but do be prepared for excellent service and superb food. A variety of options for every course. Prices are very reasonable (cash only). Good selection of nonalcoholic beverages, beer on tap or bottle, red and white wines. read more

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I had a fabulous lunch & thanks to Yelp I found this gem right on the water. Service was fast and a very friendly waitress. The food was delicious & very fresh seafood prepared very well! read more

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I can't speak to the restaurant as the post says "Market" and thet is where WE went. Fish looks fresh. We got a red grouper fillet and a dozen Argentine Reds and went home to cook. MAN did they turn out awesome! Just a little time on the Blackstone and BOOM, dinner is served. Fish was moist and flakey and the Red's - super tasty, moist, and as the lady behind the counter said "poor man's lobster". Dipped in butter made 'em extra sexy. Go check this place out. read more

Located on Crystal River, we just pulled the boat over and bought ice on a hot day. They brought the ice to us and filled our entire cooler up for $5! This place is fish market but also serves fresh steamed crabs and shrimp! Would love to try them. read more

The Crab Plant - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

This place is wonderful. The service is great, and the specialty blue crabs are some of the best crab you'll ever eat (at least they were for me)--juicy, soft, luscious, with perfectly clear crab flavor. The buckets have 10-12 crabs, which we got Maryland style--smothered with Old Bay seasoning. If you're a west-coaster like me it'll take you and one other person forever to get through the crabs and you'll feel silly, so it's probably a good thing to get with 3-4 people...but if you're used to smashing crabs you could get away with it. If you're planning on a bucket, also keep in mind that you're not gonna want to wear cute clothes that you don't want crab juice all over, because you'll be tearing those babies apart to get to the prize. Make sure to get those undersides ripped off, because the flesh at the back and near the legs is the best. They also serve stone crab hot, which was delicious and very different: more hearty meaty flavor than the subtly sweet cold version. Both are great. You can also get a low country boil, or just about anything fried. I'm confident it would all be amazing. I only have great affection for this place, and will definitely be back some day for more. read more

The Crab Plant - Dozen blue crabs Maryland style, and hot stone crab legs! - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

The food here is really bad. I had the $40 Fishermans platter everything was fried however, the quality of the seafood was really poor and none of the seafood had any batter on it. The scallops were smaller than the size of a dime. It came with maybe five shrimp. Had a really small crab cake two tiny pieces of fish. The french fries were undercooked and soggy. My wife had blackened halibut. The piece of fish was tiny and super thin and you would think if it was black and it would have flavor it was tasteless. My wife also got a side of calamari, yuck. The batter all fell off of the seafood. Our friends ordered stone crabs, large. It comes with four pieces and a side. I'm not kidding. We stopped off and got a whopper on the way home because they were still hungry. The meal for a party of four with tip was $260. Ouch. Definitely go somewhere else. What's funny is I don't think this restaurant even knows that its food is bad. read more

We went on a Wed. Our waitress was Olivia & she was awesome! Three of us at the table ordered Mahi, Red Snapper & Red Royal shrimp. All grilled or blackened. Sides were plain grits, grilled veggies, seared potatoes, beans & a salad. We shared plates & everything was delicious. We have tried 3 other seafood restaurants in the area & Crab Plant was the best by far. Planning to eat there again the next time we're in Crystal River. read more

Best seafood!! Perfectly prepared. Down home atmosphere. Homemade pies!! The key lime pie was the best we've had. If you're in the area you need to go!! read more

The Crab Plant - Seafood Boil - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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The Low Country Boil is literally a little slice of HEAVEN and it was only $19!!! It's enough food for two people, not even kidding. However, we didn't know that when we ordered. We just assumed at that price it would be a smaller order. We were wrong. It came with a whole blue crab, crawfish, clams, mussels, shrimp, smoked sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob. It's truly a meal for two. I've been here three times and we order this every time. As far as soups go the clam chowders very good, but the blue crab chowder is even better. Appetizers - if you're a mullet dip fan you will ant to get some while you're here. Be aware it's cash only!! There is an ATM on sight if you need it. read more

The Crab Plant - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Take the time to find Crab Plant on Kings Bay. Fresh Fish, 4 types of Crab, Shrimp 3 kinds and many other great choices. The deviled Crab app is astounding! You can sit on picnic bench ob the bay but inside is a great view too! The servers are polite, knowledgeable and informative and a good team keeping up with the many people waiting. Our waitress, Kayla, was excellent!! Remember it us Cash Only , ATM is on premises. Love it here and you will too! The posted Yelp hours are not correct so call and check or look at their website. read more

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Very friendly service over looking the bay. Building is no frills but the food is good. Prices are good for the quality of of what is served. Bring cash they do not take credit cards. read more

The Crab Plant - Fried grouper sandwich - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

After an amazing lunch next door at the restaurant we just had to come over to the market to get some seafood. We were greeted by a friendly face upon entry and saw all of the seafood they had on display. I was intent on getting some grouper cheeks as they were rare to find in large quantities. We saw a bunch sitting in the display refrigerator. Asked 8f we can have 2 lbs and after she took 2 lbs, there were on)y several pieces left so I asked her to pack the rest as well. We also got some stone crabs which were very very good and delicious. Not the most inexpensive buy but definitely amazing and delicious. Well worth it to get seafood and spend Time with friends over a beer. They did a fantastic job packing my box with ice so that it was kept fresh and cold. Very nice! read more

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This place is a legitimate old-school crab shack! Wife & I shared gator bites, had two side salads and got what turned out to be a huge bucket of blue crabs. Location is right on the water which is nice. Service was very good, down to the crab-destructing instructions. The gator bites were essentially fried nuggets of meat, tasted like a firm but not chewy chicken nugget, only better. Salads were super fresh, mostly romaine, with cucumber, tomato and red onion. As for up the crab, we ordered ONE dinner & there must have been 15 crabs in the bucket, so much we couldn't finish so we brought a good half pint container home. Highly recommend that you give this place a try if in the crystal river area. read more

DO NOT GO HERE!! I took my 80 year-old mother here for dinner tonight. The food and service were terrible and the waitress agreed to take the garlic crabs I ordered off the bill. My mother left the table early to go to the car because none of the staff had masks on and we were both concerned for her safety. The waitress brought me the bill and my mom had left me her credit card when she went to the car early. The waitress told me they only accept cash, so I told her my mother had gone to car over Covid concerns and that I would have to go to the car to get cash from her. I did, and when I turned around to go back in with the cash there were 4-5 employees approaching me (I think they thought I was going to leave without paying). I started to explain that my mother had gone to the car because we were both concerned about no staff being masked and they started telling me that I had thousands of holes in my mask and that it did no good anyway and asked how many of the CDC lies I believed. They continued to tell me that it was unlawful for me to take photos in the restaurant (obviously concerned about an unhappy customer posting photos of staff with no masks on and no other Covid precautions). They were bullying me, ganging up on me and called the police (meanwhile I had the cash and bill in my hand to go in and pay and they knew that). I was scared and amazed that these staff and owners (one said she owned the restaurant) would treat anyone this way. They did in fact call the police (911 actually) who came and came up to my car (I had gone back to my car at this point out of fear for my and my elderly mom's safety) - and the officer offered to take my cash and bill into the restaurant for me and pay it). DO NOT GO HERE - it's not worth the food, the Covid risk, or the safety risk of bullying unprofessional staff. read more

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Plain n simple it is. Grouper sandwich done right while my friend had Greek salad with grouper. Both were excellent. Service is prompt with a view of the Crystal River Harbor for all. The negatives: Bath rooms were dirty n bad; unpretentious w/o decor, cash only, n can be noisy. Not a place for prom night, but lunch yeppa. read more

We walked in , were seated immediately and the service was great! Our food was great all around. Perfect spot to come to the River for some good seafood grub! read more

Definite laid back vibe. Right on the waterfront where the seafood rolls in so that is a plus. Lots of entertainment! It was pretty hot but we sat outside at one of the concrete tables. It ended up being fine as a nice breeze was blowing. There is indoor seating but it's pretty sparse. The server we had was very friendly and helpful. Liquor first - the wine choices were mostly low quality. Think Copper Ridge and Barefoot types. Beer selection was ordinary with a couple of local brews that were just ok. Our server suggested the clam chowder and blue crab chowder. Both ended up being the highlights of the lunch along with the hush puppies. I ordered a small Jambalaya which was plenty. It was piping hot and nicely spiced. The sausage was also good but the craw fish were forgettable. It came with some good sized shrimp but they had this spongy texture almost like they had been brined. Everyone else who had shrimp thought the same. The stingin' honey garlic shrimp was tasty but needed more sauce. All in all it was a good enough experience. As others have mentioned, it is cash only. read more

Tricky place to get to, but the seafood is pretty good, though the ambiance leaves a lot to be desired. At least it's on the water! If you're going with a large party...don't. Separate yourselves into smaller groups and go that route. Our server was confused and, when we asked that our bill be split, we were told it was no longer possible, it had to be done at the beginning of the order. We may try it again in a few months read more

Gross and do the world a favor and take the lobster roll of the menu what a disgrace can't even believe you would serve that. It was almost like mushy tuna fish. read more

The Crab Plant is on the water in Crystal River and is still an operating commercial seafood operation. The restaurant is laid-back and comfortable. The seafood is excellent and most of the fish you eat were swimming in the Gulf just a few hours ago. Best grouper on the west coast of Florida. Stone Crab are incredible. Clams and muscles are terrific. Lots of ways to eat shrimp, all of it good. The price is right and the town is one of the last real Florida locations. Best new restaurant in years. read more

4 meals, 3 amazing, 1 good. The grouper is the way to go. Missed the stone crab, but will definitely be back read more

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Tried the Crab Plant for the first time this evening. The food was fairly good. The seafood was fresh. The grilled salmon was excellent. But the atmosphere was horrible. The decibel level was unbearable. The decor was awfully rustic when compared to the prices of the meals. Dinner for a family of three was $60. Generally when I spend that kind of money I'd like a more comfortable setting. read more

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If you want super fresh seafood, you must try this place. Not only does it have delicious fresh crab, shrimp, and other things, they have tasty foods for everyone. They have chicken and steak for people not into seafood. Overall, I highly recommend the Crab Plant for all. read more

Dont expect the place to be nicely decored or fone dining ambiance. Not at this place especially if you are a crab plant or where seafoods fresh from the waters are poured into this place. Food is faaaaanntasssstic! Tried the clam chowder, buffalo shrimp and steamed crabs. Yahoooooo!!' Happy eater here. Must visit place and make sure to bring cash as they are cash only. A bit bummer on that side though. read more

The Crab Plant - Grilled shrimps - Seafood Markets Near Me - Crystal River, Florida