Another bang up find! This place is the real deal. Get there early and HUNGRY! All the staff were cool and friendly. The decor was simple and not over the top "oceany" as some tourist traps. I saw they were inland which I like. I try to avoid the neon wharf spots and I was so happy. I sat at the bar, which was full of welcoming locals and a tired traveling clown (me). The gravelly-voiced owner of I thing third generation paused a few times between sending out trays of steaming crab. He was a perfect blend of warm-hearted welcoming and hard-bitten tyrant. I went for the all you can eat feast at $69 (prices always subject to change) which comes with fries, hush puppies and coleslaw. I was assured the sizes were running large and it wasn't just a line. I was happy with the mediums. All I can say is they do crab RIGHT here. Fresh steamed ONCE so the meat is incredibly moist and succulent. And they just kept coming in trays of four. I ended up having a dozen which made it a deal at $69 compared at the price of a dozen à la carte. But who cares?!? They are blue crabs steaming and fresh and it was a feast. Side dish commentary: the fries are excellent. None of this cardboard tasting shoestrings. They were thick cut with skin on! The hush puppies classically tasty and the Cole slaw was not over dressed. Bonus!!! I can't wait to go back and try the she-crab soup and the bread pudding (highly recommend by my neighbor at the bar who is a local restaurateur). read more

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Loved this place! We didn't order the crabs but it was fun watching others enjoy them. May try it the next time. Never had them before. I had the jumbo shrimp. They were the biggest shrimp I've ever had and absolutely delicious. Husband loved his broiled crab cake. So much lump crab. Fun place. Super sweet waitress. Quick seating and service. We will be back! read more

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We were in for a family dinner and overall had a great experience! Jeff, our server, was friendly and efficient. He made some good recommendations and was accommodating to a picky eater. The Perl and eat shrimp were large and flavorful. Although we didn't order any, the crabs looked amazing - definitely a mistake on my part to not order any. My wife had the tuna stack and it was great!! Will definitely be back next time we're on the east coast. read more

The Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

Went for the steamed blue crab. They did not disappoint. Was able to order 1/2 dozen (all I needed as a single eater), added a side of corn on the cob. Crab was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Would repeat and bring my crowd. read more

Crabs are hot, plump and delicious garlic wine mussels were absolutely awesome. Service was great. We'll go back.

Love that you can preorder large size crabs and they will have them for you when you arrive. The crabs were so full, heavy and big! This was a birthday gift so I thoroughly enjoyed their meal very much. The staff was so friendly and accommodating which made my celebration even more special. The atmosphere was relaxing and worth any wait you may have. Would highly recommend this restaurant and come early! read more

Best spot for crabs in town! Have been coming here for years. Prices are fair and the staff is always friendly and attentive.

We tried this restaurant tonight after being at the Sea Witch Festival all day. This was the second time we came here to eat, although the lot was so full the first time that we left and went somewhere else. This time we stayed and were we ever glad. First of all, the food was phenomenal! I ordered their shrimp Po Boy with a side of potato salad. The shrimp on the Po Boy were huge! I've never had shrimp that large on a Po Boy before. Absolutely amazing! The potato salad was also incredible, and home made. A perfect meal for a share over $20. My wife got the blackened Mahi Mahi with the potato salad and loved it. For dessert, she got a piece of their Lemon Crème Cake and it was delicious. We couldn't be happier with our meals, and the service was also on point. I'm only sorry that we left without eating the first time we came here. I highly recommend it. read more

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Best crabs at the beach, no contest! Everything is good here but the crabs are the main attraction.

arrived Friday at 4:30 ... parking lot was full ... people all over the place ... everyone was walking out and said they ran out of crabs at 4:25 ! really ? it's a crab place and ran out of crabs at 4:25 !!!!! they said the place is full and turning everyone away ! terrible experience won't ever be back again ! read more

Read the reviews and thought I would stop in. Was very happy I did. It is a no frills looking place with outstanding food and service. Our starters of Steamed shrimp and deviled eggs could no have been better, the eggs were perfectly cooked with a sprinkle of bay seasoning and the shrimp were large and firm. My crab cake entree came with two large cakes filled with jumbo lump crab and almost no filler. The hush puppies were crunchy on the outside and tender inside. Excellent The grilled scallops were huge and perfectly cooked. They were accompanied by string beans with roasted peppers and slaw made with fresh ingredients. Dessert was one of the best Key Lime Pies I have had outside of Florida. Will definitely stop in again read more

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The best crab experience I've ever had period. The crabs are an outstanding quality and the service and staff are perfect. So friendly, welcoming, fun, and attentive. My crab bar is so high after going to the Surfing Crab. read more

Arrived at 4:30 got sat at around 4:45. Definitely surprised because of the busy weekend. Our server was Danielle she was great. We ordered the Deviled eggs, corn on the cob, spiced shrimp, and of course a half dozen of their finest crabs. The appetizers came fast. The deviled eggs were so creamy and devilish. Topped with some old bay, mmmh, went down so smooth and sooo fast. The shrimp was so juicy, squirting everywhere. I couldn't eat the big fat shrimp fast enough and struggled to get it down, but after lathering it up in some COCKtail sauce, it slid down with no problems and NO questions asked. The corn on the cob was sooo hot, after rolling it around and letting it cool down, I jumped right on it and couldn't resist the urge to slug the whole thing down. The perfect 6 inch corn was no match and i made sure to leave nothing but the raw cob. After taking some time to freshen up and recharge, the crabs came piping hot. The good old crabs white meat was melting in my mouth. I slurped the meat out of every crevice on each crab. After spending delicate time prying open the each crab we finished our meal. Everything was fantastic! We will definitely be back! read more

Wow delaware keep this up I have yet to be disappointed! Surfing Crab, boy does it live up the crab name everything crab was delicious, (and the not crab was wonderful too haha) lets kick off with food since I'm already on the topic. The cream of crab soup was delightful, warm, spicy, and light surprisingly enough! Its a delightful treat, I got the shrimp and grits for my main and its easily the best shrimp and grits I've had outside Louisiana. For those who follow me, you know I've been there and loved every minute haha. Now lets move into service, which was also really a delight. The service was nice and quick, the server was a wonderful and very nice. I gotta say nothing service-wise really stood out which is a good thing it means it went well! How about the ambiance? Ever been to a crab house because its just like that, nothing super crazy. Its a no-frills crab house with great food and that's what you want when youre looking for a crab house. My one complaint is it was a little hard to hear the rest of my party but thats a very minor detail. All in all, spectacular performance, thank you for the delightful food! read more

Shrimp and grits was to die for. Generous portion, delicious sauce with chunks of vegetables and sausage Louisiana style. Just spicy enough to have some kick. Friendly staff. Definitely going back for steamed blue crabs! read more

Crabs have been consistently great year after year! Recommend calling in early as they do run out, but even small sizes are meat heavy and fantastic. This year we were only able to get mediums, so we ordered a few more. Worth the drive if you're staying in Rehoboth or beyond. My father picked up the crabs for the family, and someone helped carry them out for him- without him even asking! Which was so so so nice. read more

We were in this diner a year ago and had to walk out because of the poor service we went back this year and we had to walk out cause we got our iced tea and then never came back and went on two other tables and never came to us to take our order we will never go back there again read more

The crabs were meaty and delicious. Service was great as well. I will definitely return. I got the all you can eat Crabs special.

One of the best meals I have had in a long time!!! I freaking loved this place!! My friend and I were driving by here during the day and she was telling me how great it is. I have had many crab legs in my life but never had the experience of eating blue crabs. I had no idea what I was in for. We called ahead and told them we were coming at 7 and to have 6 large blue crabs ready. The restaurant itself has 5 different dining areas. The bar, and 4 dining rooms. We sat in one that was kinda chill. They lay out the paper to lay your crabs on when you sit down. Our server was great. They al seemed like a family. I had no Idea how expensive blue crabs were but I know crab meat is a high market price. Their crab dip is $32.00 and this not a fancy restaurant which means it is legit. We stated the PEI mussels. They serve it with a whole loaf of bread They were Delicious!!! Then we had Cole slaw and French fries with the crabs. I was taught how to do the crabs and I had a blast making a mess and eating them. They were so yummy and I laughed so hard. I had a chance to meet the owner, Donnie, too. I highly recommend this place whether you have or haven't ever had blue crabs Absolutely loved it!! read more

The Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

Two of us arrived earlier than our third person in the party. But the Surfing Crab had no problems seating us in the enclosed air conditioned patio where we had a few drinks at the end of a long picnic table. We watched as servers busily brought out trays of crabs, corn on the cob, and many other delicious dishes. One look around showed families and groups of all ages enjoying what the beach offers best - a low key environment to enjoy affordable and delicious seafood, chicken, burgers and salads. Don't let the unassuming look fool you! Well worth the visit! read more

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All around excellent. Crabs were perfect! Service friendly, professional and quick. Great place for family and friends.

Great food, especially the crabs. Very informal environment, but that's what we were looking for.

~30 years after being told I could no longer eat shellfish; I recently discovered the initial diagnosis was wrong. Went to Lewes for steamed crabs. We settled on The Surfing Crab. They were packed on a Thursday night! I knew we made the right choice. The Surfing Crab is an Eastern Shore style crab house. You've got your choice of sitting at picnic tables or a table for four. A wonderful "Dive" Restaurant with 5 star food. A perfect atmosphere for picking crabs. Sonia our waitress was excellent. She had a great attitude and knowledge of the menu. The menu is extensive. So many choices for steamed, fried and broiled seafood as well as house specialties like cream for crab soup, crab mac and cheese, the choices are endless. Sonia was very helpful and had answers to all our many questions. She enjoyed giving us the answers. I had the steamed little necks with old bay as an appetizer. They were sweet and meaty. Perfect. We decided on the All you can eat steamed blue crab special. Within 5 minutes of placing our order Sonia brought the first tray crabs out. They were hot, a nice size, heavy and perfectly seasoned. All you can eat comes with Hush Puppies, French fries and cole slaw. All three were a slam dunk. I'd eaten all the cole slaw and most of the hush puppies and fries before I thought to take a picture. The entire of the staff at The Surfing Crab is a well oiled machine. They kept our table clear, the crabs kept coming and drinks stayed filled. They are easy to get too, right along Coastal Highway, plenty of parking. A new favorite for steamed crabs at the shore. read more

The Surfing Crab - Crispy perfect hush puppies and fries. - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

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My family (8 of us) and I were in town for the weekend and were recommended to try this place. When I tell you it was by far the best seafood experience ever!! I'm not jazzin' it at all. The service was amazing, from the front door greeting from our hostess and Jeff, our wait staff ( Richie and Payton) were so on point and attentive! No complaints at all... I'm an Eastern Shore MD girl through and through.... Not at all disappointed... Get the steamed crabs!!! It's worth it!! read more

One of my favorite places to eat at the beach - Delaware has the best beaches and the Bay has the best crabs. Outside or inside seating - I love the service and specials provided. I can't wait to come again when the season opens. read more

I have been eating crabs for over 50 years.I've eaten them from crab capitals such as Baltimore Maryland where crabs are delicious, that's until I ate them at The Surfing Crab in Lewes Delaware Not only are they seasoned perfectly and streamed to perfection the flavor is amazing The staff is second to none. I have a Boston terrier that's disabled and they welcomed him in as if he was a customer and without asking they sent him a chopped up burger. My friends had mussels and there famous crab bisque soup which was full of crab meat I look forward to making more trips to them in the future PS. The owner rocks read more

Best place hands down for steamed crabs. The food here was amazing we had the fried shrimp, fried oysters, french fries, hush puppies and coleslaw everything was exceptional. read more

The Surfing Crab - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

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Good and service. They handled a family of 11. All the food came out at the same time and was hot.

We stopped by for dinner during our trip to Rehoboth Beach. We were in the mood for crabs so this was the closest to our hotel. The parking lot is shared with another business and its on gravel for the most part in the back. It was busy and we waited for a table that was about a 30 minute wait. The place seems to be just like a a old house on the side of the road. We were seated sorta of outside but it was covered. The AC wasn't blowing cool air so it was kind of warm while we were eating. You are not definitely not here for the ambiance rather for the food. We ordered the all you can eat blue crabs that came with hush puppies, fries, and Cole slaw. The crabs were a decent size don't expect the larger ones because you do have to work for the meat. There is a 2 hour limit posted so you can't be there all day. Overall, if you want crabs that you want all you can eat then this is the place. Other than that place is not that special that makes you go wow I have to come here. read more

We were visiting the area for the weekend and stumbled on this place via Yelp. We arrived around 5/6 pm on a Saturday, and based on the packed parking lot, I was expecting a wait. However, we asked for seating for 2 and were promptly taken to a table. No frills - picnic tables, trays of crabs, a bucket for shells. Though they were pretty busy, the service was fast and attentive. We typically can just eat two dozen between the two of us, so we decided to still get the AYCE deal because it was a better deal than just getting by the dozen as it came with free unlimited sides as well. Crabs were just how other reviews described - good size, hot from the steamer and great seasoning! We left full and very happy to have stopped by. 100% would recommend if you like crabs and can get your grub on! read more

The Surfing Crab - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

Food and service were great. Cream of crab soup was very tasty. Crab cakes were loaded with crab and were delicious. Will definitely return to try more choices. read more

Parking: it is a private lot next to the restaurant. There is a good number of spots, but when it is crowded, it can be difficult to find a parking spot! It's on gravel. Seating: they have a good number of tables inside. They have some seats at the bar too. We sat in the covered patio area. Food: it was very good. We liked what we ordered. They have an all you can eat option, but we didn't get that. Bathroom: there is a men's and women's single bathroom. They do have a sink outside so you can just wash your hands after eating Price: like any other crab restaurant. It was a little pricey, but crab in general had gone up. Service: service was the best! Everyone is so friendly and wanting to help you get the best experience at the restaurant. read more

The Surfing Crab - Clams~ - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

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Daughter wanted to try steamed crabs for the first time. Yes, there are more popular places down in OC, but it was already lunchtime and we decided to stay local. This place was exactly what I had in mind: casual, unpretentious, non-touristy, local-oriented. Fellow diners at the next table highly recommended the $60(?) All You Can Eat special, but since I had a couple of first time teens, we decided to go with a dozen of what they call "Mediums" which were really Larges for $119 (see photos). Plus, I believe that AYCE has the smaller "Selects," and there's a time limit (we're slow novice pickers). They actually gave us 13 and the three of us finished all but two. So we ordered right. Kinda built our own AYCE by adding fries and excellent Hush Puppies but skipping the slaw. Great service from Sonia. Yuengling pitchers priced right at $16 each. Highly recommend. Will be back. read more

I've been here a couple times now, and I'm a big fan of the way they season their crabs. I typically get Larges and they've always come out hot, heavy, and the correct size. The hushpuppies are great too. My only gripe with this place is the lack of ventilation. It can feel pretty stuffy inside and I'd love for them to consider improving the airflow to create a safer and more pleasant dining experience. read more

The Surfing Crab - Large crabs - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

Do NOT get the all-you-can-eat crabs. I don't mind having to pick smaller crabs. I had all the time in the world, and could have eaten a few dozen...had they actually been good. However, these were putrid. They smelled bad, tasted like they had been dead long before being steamed, and I lost my appetite after about 8 of them. I stopped for fear of getting food poisoning. What I should have ordered was a half-dozen of the good, big ones for about the same price - but half dozens are not on the menu, and it was not offered to me. Yes, I should have asked prior to ordering, rather than asking if that was an option after eating the nasty ones, but that's still no excuse to serve nasty, sick crabs to customers. read more

Best steamed crabs in town. Love they use lots of seasoning. Crabs always full and tasty. Great service too. Has that old crab house feel I had growing up in Baltimore area read more

The Surfing Crab - Friends out for crabs - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

I visited here after spending the day at the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival. I had heard a lot about it and the reviews were decent. The food was OK, a little pricey for what I had, two crabcakes and cheesy grits. $50 with tip. Very casual place. Server was pleasant. read more

The Surfing Crab - Cheesy grits - Seafood Near Me - Lewes, Delaware

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A couple of helpful hints: 1st: you can not do reservations but you can pre-order crabs which we did. 2nd- if a weekend, consider getting there around 3/4 Pm--it's a long dinner if getting crabs and it gets REALLY BUSY! Now the food: Crabs, Shrimp, Clams were unreal! The kids chicken tenders--which I assumed would be frozen ones--I really think were made in-house. Fries--really good and cut the sweetness of the crab. I also think the potato salad was OUTSTANDING! The only 2 things that I wouldn't "need" to have are the hush puppies (I love me some hush puppies and these were just okay) and the Fish of the Day of Mahi Mahi- I got it blackened and it was really over-cooked. Kyle was our server and he was amazing and gave my husband perfect beer recommendations. Overall, we will be back and GET THE CRABS! read more

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Got the $60/pp AYCE blue crab and was not disappointed. Crabs were supposed to be medium, but we definitely got a lot of larger size crabs. Crabs were perfectly cooked, and our waitress was fast at bringing us more trays of crab. The AYCE option comes with hush puppies, coleslaw and fries, but they were so busy and their kitchen was backed up so we just ate crab platter after crab platter before they finally gave us our sides. We didn't complain since we got to eat more crabs . Tables were picnic style, no frills and fairly close together. The place doesn't look like much from the outside and inside, but our crabs were great. My only reservation was there was the price, it seems like market price for the large crabs, but man is it getting expensive to eat blue crabs now! Getting small crabs and making them myself is only $4-5/lb from Chinese grocery stores, but they don't have the large size crabs like the restaurants. read more

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There will not be a second trip here for us! I have never heard a more shocking response from a restaurant owner in all of my life. Since they changed their policy of accommodating separate checks for groups, we were all caught off guard when we showed up to celebrate a special birthday and now our group of senior friends were burdened with figuring out our own bills...the confusion was quite frustrating and we appealed to the owner for help and were met with a dismissive, "If you don't like the policy then don't come back... I have plenty of customers!" Wow. Even one of the waitresses who was not even involved got nasty to us! Thanks for the sour ending note to our afternoon. Not an ounce of help for her patrons! Very sad. read more