Cool place. But here's the major problem. Every time we get Maryland hard shell crabs to go from The Crab Shack, they are way over cooked. To the point where the meat inside the body is like a paste. Way over cooked. If they took a couple minutes off of their cook time, it would be perfect. I can't be the only person to have noticed this. Not going back there if they continue to cook their crabs to the point of ruining them. Now. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and consider that possibly the crabs continue to cook inside the shell when you're driving them home, so, knowing that, The Crab Shack should reduce cook time for their to-go orders. Because they definitely continue to cook inside the shell inside the to-go bag. It's not rocket science. The few times that I have eaten inside the restaurant, all the has been pretty good. the service is good. Until they get it together with the over cooking issue with the crabs, I will not be spending hundreds of dollars per order on crabs to go. Just not happening. read more

While visiting MD over the weekend I stopped in to this restaurant only because Fat Boys Crabhouse was closed. Plus I enjoy trying a new restaurant but I am sorry to say I really do not have very positive feedback. The best thing about this restaurant is the staff. They are extremely friendly and pleasant. So one of my * goes to them. The food needs lots of help. We ordered the scallops, 1lb of crab cluster, oysters and 8oz crabcake. 5 tasteless, bland scallops for $14 were not good at all. The oysters were horribly shucked. Oyster shell chips were everywhere. The crablegs tasted like they had been sitting for a while. Old and overcooked. The seasoning applied to crablegs were too salty and just not good. The butter to dip the crab tasted like movie theater butter for popcorn. The crabcake was decent. Full of meaty lump crab. So my other * goes to the crab cake. They do not have their liquor license yet so that was disappointing but not a deal breaker. I hope with time, the food gets better. But I would not return until I see consistent 4 and 5 star reviews. read more

Confusion on what size crabs they have! Continuously changes, one minute they have jumbo then they were out, they had x-large then they were out but oh the truck came in so we have large nope we out! And the manager did zero to compensate. Lastly, you have to ask for everything, bucket, crackers and when I asked for wet wipes they came out in the servers hand. Do you have any in the package?--oh they all dried out! Don't waste your time please! read more

As a patron expecting a traditional dining experience, I was sorely disappointed by the self-service model at The Crab Shack . It makes absolutely no sense for customers to have to get up to order their own food and drinks in what is supposed to be a sit-down restaurant. When I go out to eat, I expect to be served, not to halfway serve myself. The essence of dining out lies in the convenience and comfort of having your needs attended to by courteous staff. However at T he Crab Shack , this crucial aspect was glaringly absent. Furthermore, this self-service approach undermines the very foundation of the hospitality industry. How can workers expect to earn tips when they aren't even fulfilling their basic duty of serving customers? The disconnect between the service provided and the expected gratuity is baffling. In conclusion, the food here is overpriced along with the drinks , the overall dining experience is marred by the inconvenience and disappointment of having to serve oneself in what should be a full-service establishment. Until this issue is addressed, I cannot recommend this restaurant to fellow diners seeking a true dining experience. read more

Did someone say Crabs ALL YEAR ROUND?! I love this place super lowkey, divey almost but definitely for a seafood lover! Everything here is delicious from the hushpuppies to crab broils to the cocktails. Only suggestion if you have a special sauce bring it! They have weird butter (why its not 5 stars) so we order a side of lemon butter to compensate for what is given. This place definitely isnt for service as you place your order at the counter and you are left alone after delivery. But you dont need much here, everything is at your table! read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - crab dip - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

After 15 minutes after eating there I threw up all the seafood I have paid for. I highly wouldn't recommend going there. The service was alright not too impressed but whoever is making the food needs better practice. First time ever getting sick by eating seafood. I will not return and I think people should not eat there either. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Hardworking staff and they have a huge dining room. They have great food throughout the week. The one thing people should realize about this place they offer great breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Great priced. Try them. read more

Haven't had a lot of boil bags but this really put me on. My family loves this place so I tried it for the first time. Hush puppies were delicious and sweet plus it comes with a honey/mayo sauce? Tried it out together and it was so tasty. The boil bags you choose 2-3+ things to go inside (I chose shrimp and scallops), a flavor (Cajun butter), and spice (medium). It comes with potatoes and corn and this is so good I finished the whole thing. Great place to treat yourself with really good seafood. read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - Hush Puppies - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

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If you want a mediocre seafood boil and poor customer service this is the place to go. The flavor of their sauce was very basic and tasted like something I could've cooked at home myself. On top of that, I cut my hand when I went to sit in a broken bar stool. The bartender was very helpful and but I can't say the same for the manager on duty. She was very dismissive about the entire incident. There wasn't an apology or acknowledgment of the fact that I hurt myself while in their establishment. I will never return or recommend the restaurant to anyone. read more

if you could give this place a -5 stars this is what they would get. nothing but the fountain soda was good. Crabs are over cooked and tasteless and sauces on the boils are flavorless and nasty. stand clear and choice a different place!!! This is not it at all save your money and time. read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

Not sure why they have negative reviews. My family and I went during happy hour and ordered a variety of food. Everything was fresh and the server was friendly. We had the crab pretzel, grilled wings, oysters, garlic mussels and calamari. The drinks are amazing and they are NOT shy about making them strong. Overall we will be back! read more

I really love the location, the environment. They could do better on customer service when greeting and letting customers know how to order. Food was great, so much better than Jerry's seafood. read more

Nice seafood spot. The inside has options of sitting at a bar, table with chairs or a picnic table. There are no servers. You go to the bar to order any alcoholic drinks and bring them back to your table and then you go up to the main counter to place your food order. They give you a number to put on your table and food is brought out to you. I got one of their seafood boils - clams, shrimp and crab with the Cajun flavoring. The food itself was good but I thought there could have been a little more seasoning used. Overall it was great. You can easily spend a lot of money in here if you like seafood. read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - Outside - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

Went in with mediocre expectations with my whole family, but ended up pleasantly surprised. Crab Shack hit all my buttons. Great service, cleanliness, fat crabs and amazing sides. We were greeted and seated right away, treated like family as soon as we walked in. The staff made us feel comfortable right away and explained the menu. We got delicious drinks right away, even with the crowd. Our group got a dozen heavy crabs with all the fixens, corn, soup, and salads. All amazing. The crab cake was one of the best we've had, all jumbo lump. Sides were all hot and fresh, salad was cold and fresh as well. Can't wait to come back. Value 9/10. Service 10/10. Atmosphere 9/10. Taste 9.5/10. read more

When you walk in there's no sign stating to seat yourself. This being our first time, we stood there for several minutes looking crazy. Finally we were to seat yourself, when ready to order then go to the register and place your order. We initially sat inside but the smell of old mop water turned us off so we opted to sit outside. We both ordered the boils. Mine was crab legs, shrimp, potato, corn and sausage in a mild Cajun butter. The sauce lacked flavor. The sausage was an add on and i didn't even like the taste. I was disappointed they didn't cut my sausage and corn. Because there are no assigned servers, EVERY TIME we needed something I had to get up, go inside and locate someone. Oh...we were going to get 6 whole crab but they were $65 and they were small! Two stars is generous seeing how there wasn't anything that stood out at this place. read more

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We stopped here on our way from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Service was fast and great. Everyone working there had a smile and was helpful. I has the crab soup which I liked, and my friend had the coconut shrimp which turned out to be a huge order at a reasonable price. No complaints about the Key Lime Pie. We are going to make this place our mid point stop on future Pa to VA trips. read more

I was unsure what to expect. It's a nice atmosphere for casual dining. The black and blue salad is delish. My Cajun broil was good. The garlic butter sauce was delish. I didn't get it with much spice and I am totally happy with my choice. I will come back. read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - Cajun broil - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

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I really wanted to love this spot and be a return customer. Unfortunately, this will not be the case. The seafood boil was cooked well but the garlic butter wasn't anything to write home about. 1/2 lb. of shrimp equaled 5 shrimp and there was only one corn in the bag. Overall, I was disappointed by the lack of shrimp and there didn't seem to be much sausage either. I have tried every restaurant in the area that serves seafood boils and Rock n Toss continues to be my favorite! read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

I am a huge seafood eater! I'm pretty sure I can eat blue crabs every single day. No need to even ask me what I want for dinner. Biggest issue--expense. I visited this restaurant twice last month. Both times were an enjoyable experience. Pros: The menu is extensive. Everyone in a big party can find something they want including non-seafood eaters. Everything from crabs to lobster to chicken wings --from the grill. You know, a real grilled flavor wing as if from the backyard grill. Yum! Strange phenomenon that happened twice. Not once but twice: The crowd will change from majority Blk to majority wht, then back to majority Blk throughout the same visit. I'm so serious. I watched this odd occurrence happen twice. No biggie now that I know I'm still safe. You know when little kids just stare at you, even when you smile at them, their folks don't deal with "my kind." However, this is a pro because it seems all like it there and no one bothered us at all. Perhaps it's the area? Anyway, it didn't affect the overall experience. You can walk in and pick your seating, then go up to one register to place and pay for your food order. You get a number to put on your table. Once done, go to the second register by the bar to place your drink order. The steamed shrimp are large and delicious. They have a happy hour food menu with 7 large shrimp for $7. A little high but some other items are priced more decently. They are good with their food seasonings. Cons: There isn't a happy hour drink menu. There is a weekday drink special menu but not on weekends. The crabs are inaccurately sized as most places now try to do. Like I can't see. But ok. Large is definitely medium. And these two times during April, the crabs were light and a few empty. For the high price, that's unacceptable. You're going to pay over $100 for just 12. When did this become acceptable anywhere?! I asked one girl at the register, who by the way wanted me to pick my size BEFORE she would tell me the prices (huh?) were they heavy. Doe doe bird said they couldn't do that because they are measured tip to tip. I'm still trying to figure out why she couldn't guess from holding them. This last visit my crabs were small and mushy. I'm not sure if that's from over or under cooking. I got a little disgusted by about the fourth one. Again, for the price...Either way, if they were prepared better the seasoning would render them very tasty. Paying for your food and drinks from two areas only a couple of feet apart is a pain. I guess it depends on how much you want it though. Overall, the servers are friendly and it's a come as you are vibe. I meant to tell you to try the lobster tail and scallops!! Buttery and tasty. I like the place really but they must do something about lowering their prices when their crabs are smaller. Just because you slap a large or extra large label on them doesn't make it so -- or worthy! And for $145 per dozen, that's ri-damn-diculous! read more

Food was okay. I ordered the Jambalaya and also the fried oysters. The food was pretty good but my Jambalaya was served in one of those little paper food boats lined with aluminum foil. When I cut up the chicken I got little pieces of aluminum foil in my food. The cocktail sauce came in prepackaged containers. Really?! Any seafood restaurant who cares about their customers would never serve prepackaged cocktail sauce! Be a real chef and make your own cocktail sauce!!!!!! read more

The Crab Shack Crofton - Seafood Near Me - Crofton, Maryland

New restaurant in Crofton! We had a party of four. The crab legs and crab boils are very good. We also ordered the raw oysters and oyster rockefeller. The oysters were super fresh. However, the spinach was frozen which took away from the oyster rockefeller. Not to mention the price is very good. Customer service was excellent as well. Overall, I will be back and will be a regular. read more

I've been going here a lot since I moved to the area. Crab soup definitely, shacktea with the right bartender a definite try. Happy hour is the way to go here. read more

I tried the seafood platter for dinner this evening at the Crab Shack in Crofton at 450/Rt3. The cod was lightly breaded and cooked to perfection. The butterfly shrimp were huge, crunchy and scrumptious. The fried oysters were totally awesome. I was also provided with a large helping of outstanding coleslaw. Going back again soon! The atmosphere was very pleasant and I was able to pick up my favorite beer at their attached liquor store on my way out. read more

i only got the hush puppies, but they were great. Nice & moist with lots of flavor! Thanks!

Pretty good low key spot. It was my first time there. I had the fried shrimp which was good I would definitely recommend and go back

Great time last night 2/9/24 they took care of us with no problems 17 people ages 1 to the reason for the gathering my 60th and wife's 59th birthdays, service was fantastic, all the food was plenty, expensive but what isn't these days? Crushes were good beer was cold! Crab cakes I had were delicious, wife loved lobster roll, we had a little of everything, plenty of large televisions all around for sport's etc Keno is available etc we will be back to try crabs when they are in season and hopefully a little cheaper, see you soon Crab Shack read more

Great food, fun presentation, excellent cocktails! The portion size was big! Great place.

This will be the last time. I rarely leave scathing reviews but I've been here several times and all have been bad service, bad atmosphere. Electronics not working either in the kitchen or at the register. Twice curbside both times waited 10 minutes before I went inside and waited another 10 minutes to be helped. All while my food was ready getting cold on a rack right behind them. This time received an "I'm sorry, I didn't have anyone to bring your food out to you." Ok. I understand. You are busy so, when I called to say I was here, tell me that instead of letting me wait 20 minutes while my food got cold. read more

Had the delicious, packed-with-crab Maryland Crab Soup. Best part was our order of large, heavily seasoned steamed crabs. We needed to take a dozen on the road with us to eat later and Dominic hooked us up with plenty of ice and tips to keep the cooked crabs fresh until we could heat them up tonight. Will definitely be back! read more

Nastiest food ever. Wanted to give it a try since it's a new restaurant in the area. First of all, they don't have a liquor license. Ok...so I got over that. Waitress suggested the crab dip because "it's the best". Hated it. No flavor, no seasoning, no nothing. Husband got cat fish sandwich. Took one bite and not another one. Said it was mushy and tasted raw. My fish basket looked surprisingly like the mozzarella sticks we ordered. Yeah Tasted the same too. The only thing we half way ate and enjoyed was the fries. What a waste of almost $70. Never ever again. Don't go! Just say no! read more

I'm a crab lover and wanted to have crabs while watching football. My normal spot is Fat Boys, but they had no crabs. Called this place after being placed on hold several times and having to RE-CALL several times to find out if they had crabs. (That was the first red flag of many) To summarize my experience, the customer service was horrible. All the staff seemed miserable. I sat at the bar and had to flag the bar staff down for everything, they never followed up to see if anything else was needed. The crabs were lacking seasoning and very light. Very disappointing experience and won't consider coming to this place again. I'll continue to support Fat Boys because the Crab Shack was disappointing. A true WASTE of money! read more

The crab balls were very over cooked and the crab dip had so little crab & even seasoning in it. If we didn't generally like this place so much we would have rated this experience even lower. read more

The prices are good, the food is better and the service is even sweeter. If you like seafood you'll love this place. Plus our waitress/bartender Heather was quick fun and a delight. I would highly suggest getting a bite to eat here! 5 stars!!!! read more

Great Value! You order yourself and staff brings to your table. Full bar service too. Fun place for the kids.

Two time customer first time crabs were fresh and outstanding. Order another dozen disappointed, the crabs were re-heated not steamed fresh. The seasoning was caked dry on the crabs and not moist like fresh steamed crabs. The insides of all these crabs were mushy every single one of them. Tried to call back to the store and the phone just rang, the staff are normally good but this time they missed the mark big time. The size of the extra large are really close to the size of the large crabs I ordered the last time. read more

This spot is def. Mediocre. The inside is plain no experience and of course the staff is rude and ignore the customers. Right after you order your food you sit there and they put the food in the table and walk away not even providing you with crab crackers no matter how many times you try to get their attention to remind them. 2 stars because the crab cakes were really good. The coleslaw was old though, nasty potato salad. Crab legs were good wish I had a crab cracker inside of breaking a nail and a plastic fork to fight with. read more

I ate here on Saturday night and as a Maryland girl I've NEVER had a BETTER crab cake. It was enormous and absolutely delicious! All lump crabmeat! Also tried the fried shrimp and scallops and each were perfect. 100% highly recommend this restaurant! read more

We tried curbside pickup this evening from The Crab Shack Crofton. This was one of the best curbside experiences we've had. Online ordering was easy, they texted me when ready, and delivered quickly when we pulled up. The food was well packaged, fresh and delicious. We had the crab cake sandwich, crab and tuna melt, both crab soups and potato salad. Not a single complaint. We're looking forward to going back. read more

We stopped in for lunch. No table service here. You have to review the menu and order at the counter. I was disappointed in the overall menu. Too many fried options. Most of the tables are picnic tables. There are a few regular tables. The place is socially distant and staff wore masks. read more

I called the day before the 4th of July to order crabs to pick up on the 4th. I was informed that I was not allowed to do so. Come to find out I could have placed an order for pick for the day when I went to another Crab Shack location. read more