Great place to eat steamed crabs on a hot summer's day under the tent. We ordered a dozen small crabs which were all pretty meaty for smalls and reasonably priced. We also had fried fish bites, steamed shrimp, hush puppies and fried chicken...all were excellent! Love the atmosphere here, great cocktails, good service and they a live band playing after 5. read more

The River Shack - Beautiful flowers surrounding the tables - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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I really hate to leave this awful review of the customer service at the River Shack. But, more than that, I hate having my hard earned money go to waste on food that was prepared incorrectly, at a business that is so unwilling to FAIRLY right THEIR wrong. I ordered nacho fries that were supposed to come with, well if you can imagine, Nacho toppings. I also asked for ground beef, which was an additional charge. After picking up my food and making the 20 minute drive back home, I open my fries to see that they only had lettuce and olives as a topping. I immediately called the restaurant to get a refund on my nacho fries, because now I've paid about $18 for french fries with lettuce and olives (even though they didn't charge extra for the ground beef, thankfully), which is still a bit of a stretch. Especially for my dollar. The shift manager was nice enough about the situation, offering me a restaurant credit if I would come back to get it. I was unable to make the drive for a second time, so I asked if I could please just have my refund. She told me that a woman named Becky would be contacting me on Monday to help me resolve the issue. Becky never called me. I ended up having to call the restaurant and had to go through about three people before I could finally reach Becky. Unfortunately, Becky had a very poor attitude and, as I was explaining the situation to her, she rudely interrupted to ask me if I was done yet?! She proceeded to offer me a five dollar refund because, according to Becky, I was only missing two of my toppings on my nacho fries. And according to Becky, I probably ate them anyway. At this point, I'm not even worried about getting a refund or any kind of compensation for my order. But I think people should know what they're getting themselves into when they spend their hard earned money at a place like this. Being a small family business cannot be an excuse you use for why you perform so poorly. It should be even more reason for you to treat your clientele with respect and politeness. I cannot believe that someone on the management staff is allowed to speak to a customer in such a manner. And I say "allowed" because let's be so for real, we can see that the owner is going to completely back his rude staff because he himself is equally as rude, as shown in all the replies to the negative reviews below. What kind of self respecting man gets in the comment section and tries to confront customers who are rating their experience at your restaurant? Get outta here, man! Do better! It's so sad that it had to come to this. But if you can't do right by your customer, and on top of that, you're going to be disrespectful and rude, please expect them to come for your character. Yours is trash, Becky. Have the day you deserve, girl! And to the owner, before you feel the need to jump in a comment and defend Becky's substandard customer service skills, or to ask me why I've never left a positive review, but I'm so willing to leave a negative one... You're right. I am very willing to leave this negative review because when I visit in person, I'm polite, I verbally express my gratitude to the staff, and my gratitude and satisfaction is reflected in their gratuity, as well. But when I need assistance, when my order is incorrect, when I reach out for help but, no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get in contact with anyone on the management staff who is able to KINDLY assist me, when this is my only outlet to express how completely frustrated and upset I am with this terrible service....well, sir, you have only yourself to blame. I can't help but laugh because I see advertisements that the river shack is hiring for the season. I hope y'all don't send your kids there with this being one of their first jobs and expect them to learn any kind of respect or customer service skills. If this is how the management acts, imagine what they let the staff get away with. No thank you! And after reading the comment below mine, and the one about the bench breaking... Good luck y'all. I truly hope you survive. Not really, though.... read more

It's a blustery, cold, winter jacket type day in late April. We arrive at The River Shack early, 11:30, on a Sunday, the time when most urban types --where we live--are just maybe finishing up brunch. And, as might be expected, we were the first people there. Since it felt like early March, we decided in eat inside and not out in the faux beach set up, compete with sand under your feet, pastel colors on the picnic tables, and palm trees that swayed in the breeze. The inside continued with that nautical meets Parrothead theme. The music was loudish rock of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. All of this actually turns me off. I don't need to hear such loud music. This restaurant is in Northeast Maryland, and not Key West, so no need for palms and brightly painted parrots. However, we decide to stay and order. And, I'm happy we did. We started with half a dozen raw oysters. Our server didn't know where they were from, but they were delicious. We then had MD crab soup. I've spent most of my life in Baltimore, and am no stranger to this soup, and The River Shack's version was exceptional, great crab flavor with a supporting cast of the usual suspect veggies. It didn't have the usual overly pepped flavor in many crab soups. I could have eaten a gallon. We then had the four piece friend chicken platter. The fried chicken lived up to the raves. It was well fried, crispy with juicy meat. The rest of the platter was, unfortunately, just ok. Cornbread was nothing special. The thimble size cole slaw was also meh. (Reminds me of the joke: yeah, the food's bad & such small portions!) The broccoli was freshly and overly steamed. But the star, the chicken, was actually finger lickin' good. (Too bad that slogan's taken.) I can overlook atmosphere for good food. What I can't overlook, however, is plastic utensils, especially when eating oysters off of a real (and fancy) platter and crab soup out of an actual washable bowl. I don't like having my drink in a styrofoam cup. It's unpleasant, and given the place is about a block from the water, actually inexcusable from a save the planet perspective. That said, we're looking forward to coming back for local crab season. read more

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I been coming here for years and never had a bad experience. I just wish they were open 7 days a week. Customer service, drinks, food and atmosphere is always 5 stars. read more

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Awesome fried chicken & crab cakes. My husband says the fried chickenis the best he's ever eaten. I go for the crab cakes. Alot of crab & no filler. I'd go for the all you can eat blue crsb but I I think i'd get tired of picking before i'd get full read more

The chicken and corn bread was delicious! Our server, Maryanne, was very pleasant. The service was awesome.

The food has been overcooked and someone's order has been wrong the last three times I have eaten here and the food is always overpriced for what you get. I've ordered takeout three times in the last year and has been missing something when I get home. Seems they are living on their past reputation instead of delivering good food and services. We're not going back. read more

Awesome fried chicken. Great service. I love the new outdoor play and waiting area. It doesn't get better.

Great crabs and a great time. We sat out back where they have tables and fans. It was very hot but not bad as there was shade in the back. There's also a small inside area to sit as well. You will not leave this place hungry. You get an unbelievable amount of food between the crabs, chicken, and corn. read more

The River Shack - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Crabs were SO good, and we got a bunch of other food (fried chicken, waffle fries, firecracker shrimp) and beverages and it was all delicious! The service staff as friendly and prompt-- and they were even doing it all in the rain! (There is a canopy-type situation and we stayed dry.) Overall a very pleasant experience and atmosphere. read more

Searching for a place to eat on a Monday around here wasn't easy. Decided to give this place a go. Exceeded my expectations. Crab fries are bomb. read more

The River Shack - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Good crabs. Excellent service. Nice ambiance. Easy drive from Delaware or Baltimore

Delicious soup, get the 1/2 & 1/2 (half MD crab, half Cream of crab)!!! Good drinks, awesome staff and quick service. Ordered a chicken cheesesteak made with their popular fried chicken, a lot of bread but tasty. Will definitely be back. A resort of restaurants if you will, out back of the Wellwood. Looks like a great place for a party!! read more

The River Shack - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Fun place to hang out. Food is good. Has done good live music. Also good with kids. Cools vibes

The River Shack is an interesting little crabshack found way off the beaten road and occupying what can only be described as literally a consortium of impromptu shacks and portable restrooms. Don't come here expecting a fine dining experience, the place caters well to its niche clientelle - people who are looking for a casual homely meal that starts off uplifting for the soul until eventually and inevitably the discomfort begins as your stomach plummets from the quantity of food. Welcome to The River Shack! Now, the food is obviously focused on seafood but I'll just comment on a few dishes. First of all the "Crab and Cheese Waffle Fries," ($13.99) is easily shareable by 4 people and is worth every dollar. They sprinkle it with enough crab meat to make up at minimum 1 large crab, melt cheese all over that, and then sprinkle old bay on top. It's the bomb, and if you don't want to eat crab as your main entree this is a must get. The Crab Bisque ($6.50 for a bowl) is a good size to split as an appetizer with 2 people. They describe it as having "a touch of sherry," but it tasted like it was at least 25% sherry. Not bad, but just be warned that the taste of alcohol can be a tad bit strong. Now the all you can eat crab, chicken, and corn for $42.99 (as of Oct 2, 2016) is literally what it sounds like - an endless supply of crab, chicken, and corn. I didn't get it myself but from what I could tell from my friends eating it they seemed to like the crab a lot. Their corn is delicious and well cooked but is worthless in the face of $42.99. Their chicken was nothing special and especially at the a la carte price of 8 pieces for $12.99 I would venture to comment that it is not significantly better than KFC or El Pollo Loco. Honestly I would prefer to order 3 of their Crab and Cheese Waffle Fries instead and sit there to watch football for the rest of the day. Overall: great Crab and Cheese Waffle Fries that I really want to have again, casual vibe next to a super grimy dock, and an absolutely fun and enthusiastic staff. I probably can't be bothered to venture that far out for their food, but if I were ever in the area again... they better have Crab and Cheese Waffle Fries. read more

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Finally got to try out The River Shack last month. What a treat! The all you can eat crabs w/chicken, corn and hush puppies was amazing. The crabs were incredibly tasty. No complaints whatsoever. I usually don't eat the other items that come along with all you can eat. I did however dig in this time. The hush puppies are the best I've ever had. The corn was exactly what you would expect this time of year. Sweet, juicy and delicious. I only had one piece of the fried chicken but it was VERY good. I mean perfect actually. I probably could've eaten more, but I'm a craboholic and that's all I wanted! The staff was very nice and attentive. We will definitely be back to try other things on the menu! Great spot. Free parking & a nice country jaunt to get there. read more

The River Shack - Hello fellas! - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Got crabs? *Now let's keep our minds out of the gutter folks. All you can eat crabs and fried chicken for $30. Weird combo? Yeah I guess, but their chicken is amazing and the crabs are pretty good too! In my 25 yrs of breath on this planet I have never had to crack open my own crab before. I had a dad that spoiled me and did all the hard work while placing chunks of crab meat on my plate (I now appreciate him so much more for that!). It is hard work and a little nasty. I did have to choke back some dry heaves while pulling out the... how do you say... inner parts of the crab, that I for sure was NOT going to eat. But after all the prep, the satisfaction of eating the fruits of your labor is pretty nice. The service is superb. Our waitress, Jennifer, was always keeping an eye out for old bay seasoning covered hands asking for more soda or a fresh batch of crabs or another plate of fried chicken. The entire staff was very friendly and helpful. Take "shack" in the title for that... it is literally a shack with an outdoor sand filled seating area with tables. Don't expect fancy decor, cause that's not what people come for.. they come to EAT. It is definitely worth a trip. read more

The River Shack - all you can eat crabs and fried chicken - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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What a great find! Located behind the Wellwood Restaurant is an unassuming outdoor seafood hut. All you can eat crabs and corn, picnic tables in the sand, and cold beer...what more could you ask for? I could have sat here all day! The kids could have too...they quickly found the large bucket full of sand toys and had a blast. Rivershack is about 10 minutes from the famous Woody's Crabhouse. While I love Woody's, Rivershack is exactly the kind of low key place I want in the summer. read more

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We had a great tasting meal at River Shack last weekend. We came here to pick some crabs, but they were sold out. I wish they would put a sign outside, or tell us ahead of time, so we could go somewhere else that has crabs available. But, we got tricked into staying, and ordered some other menu items. The oysters were amazing. Not sure what kind they were, but apparently they are local. I wish I knew the name. $1.50 per oyster was also a pretty good price, so that made me happy! The Maryland crab soup was really tasty. Not huge chunks of crab inside, but lots of old bay flavor and veggies. The flavor of the soup was spot-on, exactly what Maryland crab should taste like. The cream of crab bisque we didn't order, so maybe I'll try that next time and compare them. The soft shell crab sandwich was really good. Decent sized soft shell, ask for extra old bay. The bread was huge, so I picked some off. The corn on the cob was amazing. Huge stalk of corn, sweet, and cooked perfectly. Add some butter and old bay for the perfect flavor. Waffle fries were a tad too over-fried. Outside was super cool, beach atmosphere with sand, picnic tables, and a live band playing on stage. This will be a good day-time spot on the water to party and have good seafood. Overall very good. I wish we had crabs, as that's the whole reason we came here. But, we'll know to ask first next time! We'll be back! read more

We came here from NJ and it was worth the drive. We loved the beach atmosphere of sand, tent and lights. My kids loved playing in the sand as they waited for those food. They even had buckets and shovels. They had good specials on the Thursday night we went. Kids eat free! $5 wings and drinks. Very nice. We ordered some wings and the crab fries ( so so good). My husband and I shared the dozen crabs and fried chicken even though the all you can eat is a better deal. Crabs were great and chicken was amazing too. One suggestion is better light under the tent. It got dark and it was hard to see what I was doing with my food. Service was pretty good too. Will def make a trip back. read more

The River Shack - Dozen crabs - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Went down to watch the Preakness and visit with the owner. Started with the Gator Taco's, new to the menu since I was there last, and they were awesome! Then had 1/2 pound of steamed shrimp followed by the Fish Bites. Everything was great and the staff was very busy but attentive to everyone! Larry Metz Jr. Is running a good place with great food! I usually sit outside and enjoy a band or the weather! read more

The River Shack - Fish Bites and the Derby winner in the pool! - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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I live close enough to walk - but they have tons of parking for those not as lucky as me. Excellent seasonal place for crabs, drinks and good times. I also recommend their seafood pizza - plenty of other options if you're not looking for crabs. Outdoor, super dog friendly seating, music and good times all around. read more

Love the River Shack!!!! All you can eat is the way to go! Their fried chicken that comes with the crab is to die for!!! We drive down from PA and it's worth it every time. read more

A friend brought me here to feel the sand in my toes as we ate unlimited crabs, chicken, corn and hushpuppies with lots of drinks, it was perfect for the day. When you come here get ready to spend a few hours enjoying the company and a tasty meal. Its a fun place for all ages, the staff is friendly, restrooms are clean. read more

Excellent all u can eat crabs, corn on the cob, fried chicken and hush puppies!!! Best hush puppies I've had in a long time!!! Recommend the watermelon crush and sitting outside in the sand!!! Great service!!! read more

The River Shack - All U Can Eat Fresh Crabs!!! - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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Had a fabulous casual dinner with my daughter during our MD lacrosse trip. Hope we make it back. Great crab cake sandwich. read more

The River Shack - Waiting for crab cake sandwich and waffle fries. Great meal, live music, and excellent service. Can't wait to return. - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

We decided to spend one big last crab hurrah in Maryland before driving out of state to our new home in New England. And this restaurant, although not on the water, is situated in an awesome town full of quaint shops. Customer service was fabulous, they were a bit slow with the drink refills but very patient with us. The crabs were steamed just right, and the signs all over the place were entertaining to read, even if a bit on the risqué side. read more

Crabs were ok, but prices normal to other places during a holiday weekend. Crab waffle fries were amazing! Perfect blend of cheese, crisp, and crabmeat. Must try the watermelon mojito read more

The River Shack - Crab waffle fries - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Chicken was great, crabs were great. Crab fries were excellent. All good. Service was meh. We had to wait for drinks to be replenished even though our waitress said she was bored and we were her only table. Also, they swapped out small crabs for medium after we ordered because that was all they had left. Bad planning on their part to be running out of crabs on early Sunday... plan ahead and try early Saturday to get larger or jumbos read more

The river shack is my favorite place and a must for my birthday. I went today with a large group. My host Chenna didn't even bat an eye. Everyone that took care of us today was wonderful, from our server Skylar to Nathan and Dylan our runner/bussers. The best staff I've seen. Food is amazing and the drinks cannot be beat. Especially when Mack is behind tbe bar! Go check them out, you wont regret it. ​ read more

At the recommendation of a friend - I packed 10 of us in a van from Berlin, NJ and took a 1 hour and 20 minute ride to The River Shack. It was so worth it. We got there at right time. The crabs, soup, corn, chicken and his puppies were AWESOME!!! Our waitress Sydney was so attentive and pleasant!! She was great! Definitely going back with more people! read more

the key lime crush drink is good! the fish bites were good and the cheese steak came out piping hot! mandi was a great server, down to earth and attentive! read more

My wife and I had dinner Sunday evening, it was our first time there. We had Dorothy as our server. Excellent meal, service, and atmosphere. We thought that the price was fair. We look forward to returning. read more

Disappointed this time. The River Shack has been our go to place for crabs when we're not at the beach. Last time we were here was a Monday and they only had medium crabs so we thought we would go down on a Friday, right when they open and we should be able to get at least large crabs, WRONG. We were seated at 4:10 and told they only have medium crabs, which they use for AYCE, however we like to focus on the crabs and order a dozen XL between the two of us. Hearing only mediums were available it immediately put us in down mood. But we ordered them and they came out quick. What does that tell you? They were either left over or steamed ahead of time as they weren't hot. They came out quicker than the fries!. The fresh cut fries were fantastic. Five of the crabs were light in weight. Service was not as good as we experienced in the past either. Our server took our order and disappeared as other staff brought out our drinks, our crabs, butter ( after asking and it's not just butter, it's a blend ) and then on the way with our fries until our server showed up and intercepted and delivered. We had to flag her down to get anything else including drinks, which she also forgot. I kept thinking how long does it take to get a draft beer, it was like it was being brewed! I watched her lean on the bar talking to the bartender and then walked away without my beer. When my wife flagged her down to order another drink a few minutes later, I then heard her tell the bartender about my wife's drink AND MY BEER. I can always overlook mediocre service if the food is worth it, but this wasn't that time, the food wasn't worth it. The fries were the highlight and shouldn't have been. Of all the times we've had crabs over the years, these were the worst, especially for $70 a dozen medium light weights. They were like crabs you'd expect at a bar in PA. Will definitely be going to somewhere else for now on. read more

This review is written by a born and raised Marylander who is picky about his seafood. The River Shack is a MD Crab House at its finest. I ordered all you can eat crabs, and they were heavy and full size medium to large crabs. Not the barely legal hard shells you regularly get served for all you can eat around the state. I enjoyed their own house seasoning they steam the crabs with, as well as the "crabby vinegar" they offer. I also ordered their fried chicken, which I found to be out of this world like the other reviewers have. I really enjoyed the potato wedges which are fried in the same batter as the chicken, and served with a house made honey mustard. The beer is also cheap here. My lone complaint would be the corn bread was dry and unappetizing. My server for the night was Kelsey, and was awesome. Super attentive, and kept suggesting different things on the menu to try. I would recommend asking for her! read more

Quintessential MD crab shack. BUT their fried chicken is even better than the crabs! So, your best bet is the $30 all-you-can-eat crabs and fried chicken. Problem solved. The crab bisque is also not to be missed. Seriously the best I've had. Love the fact that dogs are welcome at their outdoor tables in the sand. And no shoes, no problem... for the folks coming from the nearby boat dock. One warning-- if you are coming later in the day, order your crabs ahead of time. They do sell out of hard shells on busy weekends. read more

Good food horrible service waited forever for food no one checked on us for drinks other tables were ignored completely not sure what was wrong read more

I think this will be the hardshell experience by which I will measure all my Crabby experiences. This it a cute shop, a block off the river, tucked behind the Wellington. The staff were super friendly, and incredibly informative about the crabs and how best to attack our pile of hardshells. We got a dozen medium crabs for $35, and had more then enough to split between the two of us, but damn if we didn't eat them post haste regardless. read more

The River Shack - Dozen medium crabs for $35 - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

The absolute best all you can eat crab spot ever!! The chicken was great the corn was great EVERYTHING WAS GREAT !! Can't wait till my return read more

Looking back at our experience I can't find one criticism about the River Shack. The crabs were really good - sweet and tender. I guess the all you can eat size was a bit small but for the price - $36 (or was it $38...) a good deal. The corn bread is excellent and the corn was perfectly done and very sweet. The wait staff is the treasure at this place, even better than the food - very friendly, they all seemed happy to be there, attentive without being intrusive. I live about 45 minutes and $8 in tolls away - I'll be back this summer. read more