Awful Arthur’s Seafood Company

Went here on a Friday evening. Tried a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I tend to start with the bad or «meh» or «just OK» and work up from there. So…
Décor: Meh. Nothing fancy, but then again nothing tacky.
Clam Chowder: Just OK. I prefer my chowder to be a bit more cream-​ish, this was definately more solid. Good flavor. I would suggest you skip the chowder and go to the oyster stew. More on that later.
Crawfish: Steamed well. I think they used Old Bay seasoning, which is perfectly respectable, but I was hoping more for Lousiana spice. I mean, it’s crawfish, right?
Fried Pickle Chips: Good and hot and tasty. Not too greasy, either.
Ahi Tuna appetizer: Seared perfectly. The wife and I thought their dipping sauce was a bit on the strong side. I enjoyed it more than she die.
Oysters on the half-​shell. Good and fresh. Tasted great.
Oyster stew: Oh-​my-​god-​give-​me-​more delicious. The wife just barely kept herself from licking the bowl clean.
Staff: Our waitress was awesome. The bar didn’t know how to make a Vesper martini (the wife’s fav) but we gave them them recipie and they made it perfectly. Good beer.
All in all, we thought it was well worth the money. It might not be the perfect seafood place, but we’ll be coming back.

We thought the name was catchy and ‘tongue in cheek’. Yeah — not so much. Food was ok but some major flaws in preparation and flavor. Lobster Bisque was the biggest disappointment — it was watery and piece of lobster in the middle was chewy and not eatable. Ordered a Stella Artois but pretty certain it was a Bud. Servers were very attentive and created an inviting environment. However, will not return.

Didn’t feel like the place was clean. We sat at the bar and the bar was sticky. Our oysters had a warm swimming in the water. It’s dark and it doesn’t give you the feeling that you want to come back.

This is hidden back in Sycamore Square so you have to go in looking for it.
Worth going in for if you looking for a casual restaurant/​local bar.
I had the steamed shrimp recently and they were very good. Can be a little quiet on the dining side — the bar tends to get a good crowd but tables fill up on that side.
Would like better if the quiet side wasn’t — so quiet.
So great little place with normally no long waits and decent food/​drinks. There used to be several Awful Arthur’s around the state but this is one of the last few so good to support as it gives some variety to the neighborhood.

Friendly service with delicious food. Very clean and reasonably priced. Will defiantly go again.

went on a Saturday afternoon around 5ish, place was empty except for one couple in the bar who were so intoxicated one of them could barely speak. being empty is fine with me as it makes for a better overall judging experience. outside of that couple, everything else was decent. Richie the bartender was very personable and mindful of when we needed another round of drinks. the apps though, kinda bland, i had the bacon-​wrapped shrimp which were only ok. the prices on the liquor were very decent ($ 6 for jameson) and the pours were above average. once the place started filling up you could tell it was a very «locals» hang-​out as almost each patron knew one another and some just kind of stared at us since we were new, like we were interrupting something. little weird. outside of that, decent service, ok apps, good prices on drinks. we might come back for a sit down dinner but not sure about just for drinks.

when we came in we were greeted and felt very welcomed! our waitress keonia was awesome! the bartender even let me get a sample on a drink i was unsure of. food was awesome! service was awesome from the entire staff! we most definitely will be visiting again!

My son lost the school spelling bee on Mahi Mahi. For the longest time I wanted to let him have revenge so I’ve been looking for the right place for some payback. On the way back from a sporting event, we stopped at Awful Arthur’s for dinner. Unfortunately, no Mahi Mahi on the menu.
When we arrived, I knew it was a seafood joint. The hostess had enough metal in her face to give me the impression of a hooked fish. Nose, lip, cheek — she could have been pulled in on the morning catch.
We were seated pretty quick and the waitress was SUPER nice. She should go somewhere else and try to score more money. The menu was weak. I was starting to realize that this wasn’t the Awful Arthur’s of my youth. Decades ago, we would enjoy it in Nags Head. Years ago, it sank to OK on Broad Street. Now it has fallen to it’s gutter lows in Midlothian. I should have known once I saw the pretty uninspired menu. Most of what was there was crab boils. I think you could do better at a local edition of a Joe’s Crab Shack.
The good thing was that I was able to sample the fare because my three sons never finish their meals.
We started off with crab ball appetizers and hush puppies. The crab balls were a weird mix of stuff over fried. Tasted Ok once you punched thru. Definitely would never order again. The sauce on the side was a watery thing I couldn’t identify. The hush puppies were really good. The four of us slayed thru them almost immediately.
Son #1 had the club sandwich without bacon. The rest of us were astounded that anyone would have something without bacon! We wanted him to ask for it on the side so we could have it, but he didn’t. The club was nothing special. Less so without bacon. It was ok, but any deli or home could match it. Go to any sandwich spot if you want something good.
Son #2 had the fish & chips. This was actually the best of the bunch. I thought it would be a Cap’n Dees type of meal. The fish was tilapia and the crunchy batter was very flavorful. It was what I expected all of the meal should have been. The chips were nice and crunchy (chips being potato chips, not fries as expected) but were heavily salted. Actually too salted to really enjoy.
I had the crabcake sandwich. The fries were nothing special. The crabcake was institutional and I didn’t really finish it. I ordered the slaw with it. It was chopped into nice squares but it was totally plain. Maybe watery mayo in there but not much more to distinguish the cabbage.
Son #3 had the worst meal I’ve had this year. Wait, it’s February. It was probably the worse in 2014 too. He did the mistake of ordering a steak in an alleged seafood restaurant. The waitress came back to say that the Arthur Steak was out did he want a ribeye. I said go for it. Parental mistake there. He ordered it medium.
What came back was the gristliest piece of meat I’ve ever seen. He cut about two pieces off of it. #1 was on the end and ok cooked. The next piece showed that it was not cooked medium, but maybe warmed up. The inside was a reddish gelatinous mess. Not like a rare cooked piece of meat, but like a frozen piece of meat not fully thawed. It had that weird red color of meat that has started to have the cells break down. You probably know what I mean. I should probably post the crappy iPhone pic I have. The glaze was good, the cook was terrible, the meat was worst.
As I mentioned earlier, this restaurant was definitely the worst of the three locations I’ve ever been. Don’t know if the other two are still around, but I’m done with the brand at this point. Again, waitress — super good. The rest of the place won’t see me again.
Fish hook face. Weak menu. Great waitress. Club standard. Fish chips fish great chips super salty nice crunch. Crab sandwich ok slaw weak crab balls terrible hush puppies good. Steak foul.

The reviews are all over the place… my service and food has been no exception. It seems to have gotten better and the ownership has changed, so I’m told. I believe it. It’s not that far away and relatively moderately priced. I can’t say I have a favorite dish hut perhaps the fish sandwich would win. If you live in the area its a good place to drop in and have a good time… that’s worth something… eh? If you’re food isn’t hot send it back. It has that beach feel which is worth a point or so. Note to hot ask for management… you can do better! So, Just do it!

What a fun place! Perfect combo of classy and trashy. I love this place. The oyster stew is unmatched in anything I have ever tasted. Fried oysters are great. Strong drinks, good company. If you have any seafood allergies don’t go here though, as I don’t trust this place enough if they say they can make it allergen free. Also the cook is a little creepy and stares a women through the kitchen window. Worth several trips just for the stew.

The name says it all… Awful! From the service to the beer to the food. We did not enjoy one thing about the place. My husband’s steak was well done when it was supposed to be med rare. My fish dish was the most bland and dry thing I have ever had. The caesar salad was drenched in dressing. The service was not attentive at all. We will not be going back.

Credit card info got out (allegedly) after eating here. Was a mess. Be careful. If you eat here, pay in cash. Haven’t been back since.

Being new to the area, a few months ago we tried this «hole in the wall «spot out. Turns out it was fantastic. The food was delicious. The seared ahi was perfect for my expectation in VA. Our server was very knowledgeable and helped us by recommending dishes on the menu. I’m looking forward to going there again.

Great Seafood, Cold Beer, Excellent Service, great place to hang out. I usually order the Black and Blue Tuna… the Chef knows how to cook Tuna just right, DW usually orders Seafood Platter, never heard a complaint. Hush Puppy’s great also.

Went in for a quick bite to eat and a drink. Crab appetizer was delicious. Awesome TV set up in bar area. Atmosphere was casual. Definitely a great locals bar.

Decided to give this place another chance. It just reopened under new management after being closed for several months. The service was great and my dinner arrived quickly. I had the fried platter with shrimp and oysters. Everything was cooked perfectly. Tab for dinner, tea, tax, and tip was $ 30. Glad I came back and will return again.