The Shellfish Company

This is a review for the Shell Fish Company’s outdoor fish market. It’s small, but fulfills all my needs. Whenever, I’m in Virginia Beach my family likes to purchase fresh fish and crabs here — unless we go fishing or crabbing ourselves. I’ve been coming here for the past few years and like how kitschy the shoppe is. Every time we come here we also have a great experience.
Typically, when I buy crabs I definitely like to clean them myself. We steam them at home too with a mix of water and a good IPA. We usually purchase the «busted» female crabs at $ 11 a dozen or $ 65 a bushel. You should ask the fishermen at the Shell Fish Company how they like to cook their crabs — you’ll get some great suggestions for the best way to have them (ahem… Steamed in water first and then add the old bay).
You can get much of what you need to cook with here, but I would suggest going to a nearby grocery store. You’ll have more options at a reasonable price (The shoppe is more touristy in its prices and items).
If you’re wondering, I’ll definitely come back here again.

It’s a shame this place has zero customer service.
I totally understand the busy scenario but to be ignored by the server and waiting for 10 minutes is not a joke at all.
What a waste of time… the view is absolutely stunning though!!!

Sorry to say I have to addend my review. I have since been back to shellfish company twice in order to buy bushels of crab. The first time, the bushel of #2 crabs were very anemic– basically no meat in many of the crab. I understand they can only sell what the catch is from the day, which they don’t necessarily have control over. No #1 or female crabs were available at that time. Today, I picked up a bushel of #1’s (a whopping 50 dollar premium over the #2’s) hoping to ensure some meaty sizable crabs. Unfortunately I was dissapointed by ¼ to ½ of the crabs being inedible with a funny smell and gray/​dark color to the meat, making me suspicious that they were not fresh or dead before steaming. Now again I understand they can only sell what they get from their source but I feel at least some quality control is in order– especially when you are selling them as #1’s at such a premium. Really disappointed.

Come in the morning and watch them sort the fish from the boat. Buy fish at wholesale prices. Today I got croacker, spot, butterfish and red snapper.

Great local and fresh seafood in the market place.

I love the Shellfish Company! I stop in here a few times a week. I work a few doors down and enjoy walking around the waterfront and talking to the fishermen and taking in the views and getting some great seafood to eat at night on my 12 hr watch. I love the Deviled Crabs they have and I often get some fresh tuna salad or crabs to eat at work. I also love the clams casino and the fresh shrimp — from USA instead of what you get at most places — from Asia. They have a great wine selection and some great Kraft beers. I always love the fresh fish in the show case and have tried a lot here and it is always fresh. I have gotten the biggest Blue Claw crabs here I’ve ever seen and they were awesome! I like the people that work here — they always are helpful and always go out of their way to help me and also suggest the best and freshest seafood. I would move in here if they would rent me a room upstairs! Also — the old fishing boats here are a work of art and history and the back deck serves drinks and great seafood. I love this place. I can’t wait to get there tomorrow and see what is for dinner. (I’ve posted some images of the place and the seafood on here)

Well I’m from washington D.C. I’m a crab lover and when I’m that close to the bay and the atlantic they should have A selection of crabs I brought a bushel and they was small and the staff act like they didn’t want to help you I never been no where they have large crabs but sell them at 3.99 each long story short don’t go there

I bought some whole fish there, and I was assured that they would clean it for me. After I paid for it, the kid that was supposed to do it told me he was «no pro» and had never cleaned fish before. The whole experience was disappointment and a rip off.

We preordered a bushel of crabs from this place. We requested they cook them and we scheduled to pick them up at 7pm. We picked them up and I was expecting freshly steamed hot crabs, but we got 100 dollars worth of cold crabs that had been steamed hours ago. I complained but was told all sales are final. The crabs were supposed to be a mixture of 1 and 2 size but I would say they were all 2 size (smaller). Also, the crabs were all busted so most of the claws had been snapped off and were at the bottom of the box. Try somewhere else. It’s not worth it.

The building that houses The Shellfish Co (a seafood market) also contains The Back Deck (a restaurant /​bar out on the back deck of the market). FYI: Bubba’s Seafood Restaurant & Crabhouse is NEXT DOOR to The Shellfish Co /​The Back Deck. They all have the same owner, but Bubba’s has a different menu than The Back Deck and The Shellfish Co is a seafood market. Just to clarify!
This review is about The Shellfish Co. The market has an array of fresh seafood available for purchase in large or small quantities. Recently we’ve started buying a lot of their wild salmon. We used to buy our salmon from a market in Hilltop, but we’ve found that the salmon from The Shellfish Co is noticeably tastier & ridiculously fresh. Salmon has a tendency to be a bit fishy (in my opinion), but NOT this salmon!
The Shellfish Co seafood market also sells wine & other gifty items. You can buy wine from the market & take it out on the deck to drink/​dine at The Back Deck restaurant for a $ 10 corking fee.