Captain John’s Crab House

Food was very good… ironically didn’t have crabs but hush puppies, scallops and crab cakes instead. Very good. Waited to take the food to go and it was a bit chaotic. But I’m chalking that up to being during peak time on a sunny Sunday. Outside seating by the water looks great.

Good basic seafood. Nothing fancy, but good. Nice location, by the water. Nice place for summer dining. Service a lil slow with bigger crowds, but okay…
3 Stars

Oh captain johns. I used to be so excited as a kid when my dad would say we’re going to captain Johns. We would only go on special occasions. I went for the first time since I was a kid. I begged the fiancé to go even though it’s like 10 miles off 301. We went, and it wasn’t how I remembered. To start it was freezing cold inside, we ordered our food. Everything on the menu was expensive. I settled for steamed shrimp. We asked to sit outside on the deck because of how cold it was inside. It was warmer outside. But there was a trash can overfilled with rotting crabs and seafood, swarmed with flies and smelled so bad even across the deck. We tried to go back inside after getting a whiff of the trash but it was too cold. So we suffered outside. Our waitress was great and tried to be as helpful as possible with the situation. She never offered to take out the trash but anyway the food really wasn’t worth the hassle. Probably won’t be back. Just memories from this place

Local seafood cooked in the Maryland tradition. Full bar. Premium crab cake sandwich had huge chunks of crab but we’re pretty tasteless, side of chips and a pickle. The steamed shrimp were great! The Scary salad bar that was leaking on the floor in the center of the room was a huge turn off — especially for someone who was hoping to eat some veggies.

So a guy walks in to a crab house, and doesn’t order the crab… Mistake? I dunno.
But I’m from New England, so I expect a lot from my seafood houses.
I expect local, fresh seafood at the least. Problem is Maryland Crabs aren’t usually from Maryland, and oh… right. I am not a crab lover.
Maryland seafood joints have, thus, been a letdown so far.
This place is mediocre, the fried food was ok, the clam chowder was a joke, it might have been out of a can. The crab soup was reported to taste more like glue than crab given the gloopy flour content.
The fried flounder was well cooked, not dried out, and the breading not overpowering.
They had no fresh oysters and no rockfish when we were there. The fried oysters were reported to be very tasty.
The steamed shrimp were plentiful and discribed as solid utility shrimp.
The walk to the men’s restroom was gross, smelled like a mixture of rotten fish and disinfectant. Not good.
The salad bar was a sad sad thing, but I was able to cobble together a simple salad that did the trick.

Ok, great crab house. Annette especially is a great waitress. Favorite non– seafood is the homemade bean soup… fabulous, and, being from Philadelphia, the steak and cheese sub is better than a Philadelphia Cheesesteak. BTW, the fried chicken is cooked to order and is wonderful. However, for seafood, I always have the all you can eat steamed shrimp. Perfectly cooked and succulent. But… in oyster season, they consider oysters on they half shell from the Chesapeake Bay… not local have them.

Above average prices for average food. Traditional crab house atmosphere is pure Southern MD… friendly staff. Go by water if you can.

Went for all you can eat crabs. Our waitress told us it would be a long time to get crabs because of the cook but we went ahead and ordered anyway. We waited almost an hour to get our first order of crabs — and then she split it with the folks seated nearby that had just arrived. Okay, no big deal, but she blamed it on the cook not making enough. Long wait between the few orders and we dumped our own shells in the trash barrel. Our waitress also told us «no» salad bar and/​or any other sides included. Facebook says sides and salad bar is in fact included. Oh and for the record, we were there mid-​week in the afternoon. Not a busy day.

Visited Capt John’s and was pleasantly. The crabs were delicious, the seafood buffet was yummy and the service was outstanding (thanks Melissa!). Will definitely go again when I’m back in the DC area.

Went here for the first time last night. Food was good. I ordered the all you can eat steamed crabs. For 39.99 I got a dozen steamed crabs. The crabs were decent in size and cooked well. For the price is comparable to the other crab house’s in the area. I ate a dz and a half crabs (it’s all you can eat for $ 39.99).
Location…Far! But worth the ride because it’s right on the Pier, so the view is nice (over looking the water).
It’s a very casual atmosphere. Service was good. Bar drinks were okay. Food was served hot and quick.
Will visit again…

My family and I went to Captain John’s on a Friday night in March. Couldn’t have been more pleased. My wife and I got the pick three I got oysters (fried), clams, and the premium crab cake. I had oysters that I needed to use a fork and knife, have not seen oysters that big in years. The crab cake was all crab meat (jumbo lump) very nice. Clams, well they were clams… I ate so much I wasn’t hungry until Saturday night. We got crab dip very good as good as any I’ve had. Very nice evening all around.

My best friend and I came to have the unlimited blue crabs and seafood buffet for $ 45. It’s fairly early in the crab season so we weren’t expecting stellar crabs but nothing could have prepared us for the crabs that were to follow.
These crabs were old as hell. They were old and cooked (baked?) to death. They were dry as the Mojave Desert, withered and hollow. They were burnt in places, I asked if they were steamed and our server said they were. More accurately I should have asked her *When* they had been steamed because these old ass crabs were buried in Salt and about 100 years old. There crabs were so old they came out waving AARP cards. These crabs were so old they thought the world was flat. These crabs were so old they had pacemakers. These old as crabs came out in Soul Train formation calling people Jive Turkeys. These crabs were so old they asked who won the war… The first one. These crabs were suspicious of Russian people and kept warning us about the U. S. S R. These crabs challenged us to a game of high stakes Canasta. These crabs so old they wouldn’t stop talking about the new episode of M.A.S.H.
We were dying at how old, dry and reheated these crabs were. I think the server knew they were some ancient crabs, and she encouraged us to visit the buffet. She was a good server, she can’t be blamed for the quality of the food. It’s not her fault she is a curator at the Crab Museum.
If we went back we would order the Snow Crablegs, they looked good. Maybe we just came on an off day, it’s hard to say.

We went to Captain John’s a few Wednesday’s ago for Buffett. It SUCKED. All the food was cold. I was very disappointed. The place use to be really good. Not no mo!!!

I love Capt John’s. When I come home, I go to Capt John’s — every single time. We love the blue crabs there. The hushpuppies are awesome and my dad almost always gets the soft-​shell crab sandwich or the rockfish sandwich. They love the coleslaw as well. I just eat the crabs of which they always have a great selection of sizes. They also have a store in the back with t-​shirts and other merch. There’s also Keno which keeps us around and entertained while we eat crabs. Love this place.

Yesterday, We had a large dinner party to celebrate my Aunt’s 70^th BDay. Our server, Karin, exhibited true customer service. Not only did she keep track of the multiple orders, but she anticipated our needs before we communicated them to her.

We visited Captain Johns for the 5^th time, but this time the service was horrible and the food was not as tasty. The food arrived delayed, 45 – 50 mins, and at time we had to get our own drinks from the machine. Several other patrons had to do the same. I think based on this experience we will forego additional patronage in the future, or at least for now until they get their service delivery in order.

If I’m going to dine in and eat crabs in Southern MD, this is where I come. They always have plenty of crabs, but the larger ones run out quickly on weekends and holidays. The prices are reasonable, and the crabs are usually heavy and tasty. My one con about their crabs is the seasoning. I prefer to have my crabs prepared with old bay so the seasoning can really stick to the crab; they serve their old bay on the side. But otherwise, I have no complaints. The steamed spiced shrimp are always tasty and they are a decent size. The crab dip is delicious, but be careful, it comes out piping hot! The crab cakes are good, no dip, sauce or extra seasoning necessary. I’d also recommend the fried shrimp and fried chicken; both very good. The only thing missing from this menu is corn on the cob to go with all of this delicious seafood. It’s located on the water. Very simple dining area, no bells and whistles, only the essentials (table, chairs, paper mats and plenty of brown paper for crab eating). There are great views of the water, with limited outside seating. The parking lot is small and things can get very tight on the weekends, but not much of a hassle on weekdays. This spot is great for groups or a casual family outing. It’s hit or miss with the staff. I’ve been to this location a lot, and sometimes the server is friendly and attentive, and other times, not so much. Either way, I’m sure you will enjoy the food.

We came late on a Saturday afternoon and had no problem getting our party of nine seated. The stuffed rock fish was broiled perfectly and was buttery. The stuffing had plenty of crab meat. Generally, they kept the all-​you-​can-​eat crab legs and shrimp coming.
The atmosphere was quite noisy. It’s a crab house, not a five star restaurant, but is definitely recommended, though bargain hunters might not appreciate the prices. Personally, I will be back.

Great crab stuffed rock fish!
This is one of the few places that’s open year round!
A great location right off the main road and on the water.
They have an extensive menu but they also have appetizer & lunch specials.
We took advantage of a mid-​50s MLK Monday to see Colonial & Fairview Beach.
There isn’t a lot to see although Ringo, her dog, liked walking along the small stretch of Colonial Beach.
We met a local who said that if we really wanted good seafood we would need to go to Cobb Island on the Maryland side of the Potomac… so we did and wow, we’re glad we did.

I’ll admit, I’m biased. My great-​grandparents lived on Cobb Island for 50 some years. I’ve been going to Capt. John’s since I was a little kid.
All you can eat steamed shrimp… delicious.
Lunch tray piled high with hot crab… succulent.
This is a place to go where you don’t have to care what you look like, and you’re encouraged to pound on your food with wooden hammers. Brown paper on the table and you’re off and running.
This place will always be in my heart!