Captain John's Crab House

My first time visiting this spot. Definitely a good long drive to the country but worth it. The restaurant sits right on the water. The service was great from start to finish very friendly and welcoming staff. Good music playing throughout restaurant. Indoor/outdoor seating. Food and drinks came pretty quickly. The drinks we got were tasty and strong! Plenty of different food options on the menu. We'll definitely be back. I definitely recommend you check this place out especially if you want to get away from the craziness of the usual city vibe.

Was here for an event. Service was very good. Food was good, but portions for the price were well, not much food for what you spend. The atmosphere is no frills. Yes you are close to the water, but unless the weather is great and you can sit by the water, it is a long drive for what you get.

OMG! The absolute worst experience ever. My first and last time. I ordered the add 3 platter. Crabcake, clams and shrimp, side onion rings, hushpuppies, and baked potatoe. The crabcake was not what I expected at all. Onion rings were soggy greasy and undercooked. Baked potatoe was half baked, my friend ordered mashed potatoes, presentation was great, potatoes were cold, clams.. don't get me started with the darn clams. Now, to be fair, the hushpuppies were great, as well as my server. It was soo bad, I asked to see the manager. Her reply was " we only have one cook today". My reply: I only have one income coming in to my home, and I choose to spend my $ here. I would like to get my money worth. 20% off, well.. I was still hungry and pissed to say the less.

We stopped by here for some fresh local seafood. This place never disappoints me. We got hush puppies, crabs ,shrimp, and king crab legs. The ultimate feast is expensive but will fill you up. The crabs were well seasoned and tasted fantastic. The king crab legs were well seasoned and very easy to shell. The shrimp were the same and tasted good. The waitress was very attentive and keep the drinks and butter containers filled. We all left here fat and happy. 9 out of 10 starts

The Blue Crab here is absolutely delicious however, they put way too much salt on the crabs. Oh my goodness. I had to scrape it off with a butter knife and even then it made me think twice about the salt on the edge of my margarita glass, and next time I’ll get unsalted butter too. The crab was wonderful but do yourself a favor and tell them to hold the salt. Especially if you have high blood pressure. My wife had the crab cakes and they were also delicious. Overall a nice seafood restaurant experience but way, way too salty. Look closely at the photo and you’ll see all the salt. I also felt the blue crab was a bit over priced.

The all you can eat crabs were great. The all you can eat price was really good. My fries were cold, so not really happy about that. The appetizer came out after we received our food. It would have been nice to receive it sooner. The waiter was very nice. There weren't many people there, so I was surprised when I had to ask for more to drink. The hush puppies were really good. Also, when I asked for garlic with my butter the waiter helped me out. Overall it was a good birthday experience. The sunset was fabulous.

Food was incredible. The establishment could use some work but the service was friendly and we didn’t have much negative to say! I would definitely go back for the food! I got the steamed shrimp, hush puppies and the broiled seafood platter. This had imperial crab, a crab cake, shrimp, scallops and I upgraded my fish to rockfish. Everything was cooked perfectly and I cleaned my plate! I’m going to have to suffer and go home to take a nap now because I’m stuffed, but it was worth It!

We had steamed crabs and hushpuppies. Food was great. The wait staff was pleasant and helpful, especially Jake.

Get the all you can eat crab feast. You won't be disappointed. The crabs are meaty. The downside is if you stay too long they will bring out small crabs to let you know it's time for you to leave.. You just let them know to bring out more bigger crabs and they will unless they want a bad review and I don't think they will like it if I did.

Terrible Quality!! We drive an hour and a half to have lunch here every few months and noticed our last visit that the food was terrible. Because we had great food a couple of times in the beginning we continued to come back hoping it was just a bad day for the kitchen. Yesterday's visit was the last straw, the food was without a doubt terrible. Nothing tasted good at all. We spent $216 plus the $33 tip leaving feeling like we just threw money away. We ordered the fried oysters for an appetizer- the batter was gooey, oysters clumped together and tasted as if it was super salty as if it was fried in old grease. Next we had Captain John's seafood platter which everything was fried and had the same salty/ old oil taste, not to mention the clams were still cold inside, scallops were soggy as ig it had been in a warmer. definitely not freshly fried. Crab cake was a waste, after one bite I refused to eat any more. The fish was also soggy. Needless to say not much was touched on my plate. My husband and grandson each had the shrimp and crab leg platter. The crab legs were mushy and COLD. The shrimp was mediocore with no flavor. Unacceptable for $50 a plate. I rarely ever leave reviews but this is horrible to serve food that seems as if you just ran to Sam's and threw it on a plate. Heck, I've made better seafood than that when purchased from Sam's. Don't waste your time or money. We tried to give them a coiple of chances but apparently, it is what it is now. Terrible food.

If you're out this way and want some seafood by the water, this is your place. No fuss or frills, but tasty food. I went with the crab legs (I expected them to be a bit bigger, but filling) and onion rings. My sister had the crabs (mediums looked small). We checked in on Yelp and scored the free crab dip with bread. It was pretty good! We enjoyed our carefree afternoon, nice service and catching up. Private parking lot is clutch.

Its good. I like the area it is in. This is a local's place, although I saw a lot of DC cars in the parking lot. Ambiance - Pretty casual in a old school restaurant setting with booths. Has the paper mats with local business advertised. Old school decor as well. I didn't see outdoor seating. Service - very friendly. When I checked in, there is an offer of 1/2 of crab dip. I asked the server if we could use it and it caused a bit of confusion as no one seemed to realize they were running a check in offer on Yelp. Good news - they accepted it. Food - not bad. it is seafood in SOMD, so lots of high expectations. There are just a few restaurants down in this peninsula off the Potomac. Price seems right. Not fancy, but good food.

Have come here on average 1 or twice per year for the last 35 years...Was wanting a crab cake but don't think I will be back for awhile knowing my 5 year old son just woke up in the middle of the night, throwing up all his food in bed. We paid $75 for two simple dinners and a kids meal. The kids meal options are horrible, overly processed chicken nuggets definitely made him sick. Should have the option for a small grilled chicken and real food. My husband ordered the side salad and he said the salad bar looked picked over and empty! It was only 5 pm so it should be stocked... Booth was dirty, had to wipe crumbs off the seat... Also, the owner's reply below is ridiculous, acting as if I gave a good review! I'm posting this at 2 am after my son just threw up his meal!

Broiled seafood platter: Crabcakes: I spent 5 bucks extra for crab "imperial" Their imperial means lump crab meat.. when I received my crab "imperial" I was like "wtf" is this?.... Anyway, it tastes good, but still smh. Scallops:... plain.. but ok 3 "Jumbo Shrimp: There was NOTHING "Jumbo" about these 3 pewny a$$ shrimp.. they are getting over on people... and it was dry Fish: I paid 2 extra bucks to change the fish from tilapia to .... I forgot wtf I exchanged it for, but it still look like tilapia to me, and it was dry Baked potato: I didn't eat it Potato Salad: plain but ok 1/2 lb Steamed Shrimp: some were sticking to the shell but taste ok I ate half my food. Most of it I had to soak it in butter, cocktail sauce, and tarter sauce to give it moisture and taste Coming back? No thanks

Food was fair at best Service was slow Ambulance nice Had large group of people they had over month notice.. gave 100 deposit to hold room

The food is great but the thing is the money is over the top. The service can be bad at times. It's rarely packed there and I can see why. One time being that I got food poisoning it wasn't the best wasn't hospitalized or anything won't sue. It was because of the food being way too undercooked, don't try it. Skip the manager can be a piece of crap sometimes. Overall, it's OK. The food can be nice. Sometimes the service can be OK to overall general two star out of 5

The food was awful, crab dip had so much mayo in it that you could smell it and that all you can taste. The food has no seasonings. The scallops were extremely fishy. The best thing for me was the fries. Crab cake had no seasonings as well. Not worth the money. The service was extremely good.

So fun fact, my mom is a seafood lover and @llcoolj #1 fan so I planned a mini girls trip to Baltimore to take her to see him! On our way we made a pit stop to one of our favorite seafood restaurants and they did not disappoint! From our super sweet waitress to our usual order! We typically get a crab cake platter and a shrimp platter and split it. Man those hush puppies with corn and a cup of honey butter (5/5) piping hot and flavorful and the crab cakes were fried to perfection (5/5)! Meaty with minimal filler (just enough to combine the meat), super good! Butterflied shrimp were hot but just ok this time (3.5/5). Not bad but not as good as our last trip! Mimi (normally gets whole crabs) opted to try their fried chicken (4/5), white meat was even juicy (I tried a piece) her only vice was they could have been fried a bit harder! The slaw (5/5) sweet like KFC. The fries and my baked potato were just ok (3/5). If ever in the area give @captainjohnsseafood a try! And yes my mom had a blast at the concert! #seafood #seafoodlover #crabcakes #friedshrimp #coleslaw #hushpuppies #maryland #marylandseafood

We had dinner here one afternoon and the food was cooked perfectly. We ordered a broiled seafood platter and a crab cake. Everything was tasty and the service was great. Cute location from Swan Point, MD.

Last Saturday we had a great time at this place. My man, my sister and her man. Everything taste great, our server was good and the atmosphere was chill. Steamed shrimp were cooked perfectly. Would definitely go back.

Just came here for crabs and was quoted a price for $109 for Large crabs. I got half a dozen and when I received the bill I noticed I was charged $70. When I asked the waitress she said I got the jumbo crabs which were $140 per dozen. The waitress didn't even mention jumbo crabs were available when I asked her and the size I got was definitely not jumbo. Not only that, the crabs were watery, I then asked her why I was charged the jumbo size and she said that's what I asked for which blows my mind because she didn't even mention jumbo crabs when I originally asked what size they had available. She mentioned small, medium and large which I was also told when I called the restaurant earlier that day since we live 2 hours away and came here just for crabs. They also charge a credit card fee. I've been here quite a few times before and we noticed the restaurant wasn't nearly as busy as it used to be and now I know why.

Worst service we have ever experienced. After an hours drive we arrived and were seated at 3pm. People either side of us who were seated at the same time and after us had their meals delivered within 10-12 mins. Our waitress finally took our drinks order, it was by no means busy and the food was constantly coming out. By this stage we were pretty hungry. At 3.30ish we spoke to some of the staff trying to find out what was happening, no one offered to take our order or find out where our waitress was - the neighbors in the booth next to us were surprised no one had taken our order. Finally our waiter turned up (forgot our drinks), took our food order and left. After waiting for over 50mins our food still hadn't arrived, we decided to cut our losses and leave. "Disappointed" doesn't describe how we felt after driving that far for crabs and seafood.

Our visit was not amazing by any stretch of the imagination. We ordered a dozen oysters on the half shell to share. Husband ordered a cup of MD crab soup and I ordered a cup of cream of crab soup. The oysters while tasty, were terribly gritty. The soups arrived and given the high price, the cups were tiny! My husband's MD crab soup was watery and under seasoned. My cup of cream of crab was thin, flavorless and sad with a very small amount of crab meat in it. I took it up to the counter after 1 bite & returned it.

Oysters on the half shell were very flavorful. Server was cordial and informative. Mozzarella sticks were the standard issue frozen kind. Cooked correctly with all the cheese in them.

Stopped for dinner. We used the check-in to get 50% off crab dip. Not a bad deal, but the dip was an 8 out of 10 for me. Little too bland but there were chunks of crab in it. Served with crispy bread which was a first for me. I had the steamed mussels which were very good, and my wife had a half pound of steamed shrimp also very delicious. Our waitress was very nice. Be aware that if you pay with a credit card there is an additional fee. You'll bypass that fee if you pay in cash. They did have AYCE blue crabs for 40.00 which looked good. Nice view of the marina.

Usually love Captain Johns but this time the food wasn't up to par. The fried oyster basket wasn't crisp and there were several clumped together.

Jumbo crabs were wonderful and server was great! Captain John's is a great crabhouse!

Really really good crab cake sandwich Nice view & great service. Arranged to pick up crabs in way back to va.

Our booth was dirty. Crumbs everywhere ... on the table, on the chairs. Beautiful location though. Right on the waters edge.

I have a mixed feeling about their food today-Mother's Day buffet. Some food is good when but many promised in their advertisements are not available. Paying $39.95 for salad, fried oysters , fried shrimps, meatballs, hams, collard greens and mussels? I paid less than $20 for Chinese buffet, which offered salmon, crab legs, soups and more. However I looked at other tables which ordered crabs (not buffets) and they were good looking and meaty. So, no buffets at this place. Maybe we will give them a second chance.

Just brought food to go. Three dinners . Shrimp Imperial, Premium Crab Cake Sandwich and Grilled Salmon. Trashed it all....no flavor on anything. Just bland food. Only ate the sides...Hush puppies, baked potato and Coleslaw. Came from FT. Washington to get this mess.... must stay closer to home next time.

We had an awful experience here. This was our second visit, we came back because the first visit was very good. We drove an hour and a half to get their all you can eat small crabs. When the crabs arrived we each drove in and opened our first crab. Immediately we both smelled a strong order of ammonia. we opened 3 crabs and each one had the strong smell of ammonia so we didn't eat any. An ammonia smell means the crabs were dead when they were cooked. We called our server over and told him about the smell. We said we would just pay for our drinks and hush puppies, and wanted to leave. He checked with his manager who we never saw. So we paid for our hush puppies and drinks and gave him a tip. We will never return, it has gone downhill.

Oysters were phenomenal! Not impressed with seafood buffet, no vegetables & seafood was mediocre. Will return but not for the buffet.

The best spot for crabs hands down....plus they make their own old bay seasoning which is perfect

The food was very good...real crab cakes...hush puppies were awesome...Cole slaw was delicious...I definitely recommend this seafood house on the water...service was alright they could use more help though...

We tried the buffet, which is on Wednesdays for $34.99. There's a buffet area for seafood, fish, hush puppies, etc., and a separate salad bar near by. Food in the seafood bar was warm, not hot, and of mediocre quality. The selection at the salad bar was ok, but pretty-much everything seemed straight out of a can. Patrons are instructed to wear a provided nitrile glove when taking food from the buffet. Most people -- but not all -- are compliant. Our waitress was friendly and appropriately attentive. They add a roughly 3.5% service charge for using a credit card. I'd go back to try an entree off the menu, but I can't recommend the buffet.

I was trying to reply to a message ....we came to captain John's on Sunday, July 9,2023..

I went there for my birthday yesterday and my experience was underwhelming. We arrived pretty late in the evening so I'm wondering if that had anything to do with their service. They were pleasant, but not really attentive. For the price, the quality of food wasn't worth it. My crab cake came out burnt and I couldn't help but wonder how did the cook and waiter think it was acceptable to serve?!? The scallops were soggy but the corn was pretty good. They replaced my crab cake with a broiled one but at that point, I was over it. The place looks outdated but the location is beautiful. I don't plan to go back after last night.

Excellent crab cakes - efficient and friendly service - decent prices . I rely on them for last minute guests.

Good food wouldn't use the vinegar. Had stuff floating in it just slightly in appetizing.

Me and my fiancé came and got a dozen of crabs and though they weren't MD crabs (just yet) they were delicious. Our waitress Michelle was awesome, and so funny. We will be coming back and asking for her to be our waitress. She even put a bandaid on my finger for me . 10/10 will recommend to everyone!

Crab leg was nice size and full of meat! Cooked to perfection! My hush puppies were fresh and moist! The server was nice and friendly. The restaurant wasnt busy so my only complaint was we had to wait for a table to be cleaned as there were multiple tables just left uncleared. People may have just left so that I understand but there were so many tables left a mess and with social distancing in place that left little option to choose from. And who wants to sit next to or across from a dirty table while they enjoy their meal!?

First off, I am not from Maryland nor the east coast, so I never know what these people are ordering in these crab houses, but it always seems like it is something, not on the menu. Needless to say, I live in Maryland now, so I have tried a few of these 'crab houses'. My first impression walking in was not too good. It smelled, and the waitstaff was sitting around. The salad bar was not too good, plus it has a surcharge if you have it as a side. The table was not clean, and I noticed dried-up rotten crab in the sugar packets. Gross! The food that we order was pricey, but it was not all bad. The crabcake was good but the shrimp had an off-chemical taste to it. The baked potato was not good, could not even eat it. The only reason I am giving it three stars and not 1 is that there were a few good items we ate. But for the price, I would pass.

The last time we went there the service was slow. I wanted cream of crab soup. They did not have cream of crab soup offered Manhatten crab soup also they did not have scallops. The salad they served me was skimpy. Consisted of lettuce a few grape tomatoes, onion and a few slices of green peppers. It will be a long time before I go there again.

I'm very sorry to say that my last visit was in fact " MY LAST VISIT". I've been to the restaurant several times in the last ten years, and after last weeks lunch, I believe I got to stop coming here. The food, steamed shrimp and a order of fish and chips were just lackluster at best, shrimp was overcooked and rather dry and the fish and chips were bland and were slightly warmer than room temperature when served. The worst part was the service. The wait is bad enough, but I got the feeling our waitress really didn't want to be there and it was a bother doing things like refilling the drinks and seeing if anything else is needed.

We've been going here on and off over the past 5 years, part of an enjoyable ride out to that area. We had lunch there today after not having been there for well over a year. The place looks like it always has, which is fine so far as crab places out in this part of the country look in general. What got us was were the prices. My wife had a 5 (little in reality) large shrimp appetizer for $15. I had the muscles appetizer (1 lb) - the flavor was not that great and it was $16. Diet cokes $3.99. They now charge a credit card surcharge of roughly 2.8%. Fried pickles were tasty ($8). Sorry to see them go crazy like this. Probably not returning.

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.

120 dollars for jumbos to go.. all papershells no meat. also 9% added to bill if you use debit card after 50 years going there will never go back

The thing that sets Captain Johns apart is its location it's out near Cobb island Maryland and right on the water it's a beautiful scene when sun set time rolls around. The food is pretty average bar/seafood nothing to really write home about but if you're a sucker for seafood and a view like me well then you're in luck. The service is very nice as well everyone is very attentive and friendly.

Rating is for their freshly steamed crabs and seafood buffet. Crabs here are ALWAYS served piping hot & fresh. If we are going to get crabs with out of town guests this is where we come. View is gorgeous also. They have a Wednesday seafood buffet that is absolutely delicious as well.

I trally like this spot. It has a good variety menu fir all. Seafood and land lovers.

A group of us went to Captain John's today, there was 12 of us. We seat at a table outside, it was our choice. Took for ever to yet menu's, drinks etc. I ordered a cup of cream of crab soup, crab dip to share and oyster basket with fries for the main meal. Took forever and it wasn't because they where busy. The crab soup came at the same time as the dip, the soup looked like a cup of starch had no flavor, no crab meat, no old bay, no salt, the worst tasting cream of crab soup I've ever had in Maryland. The oysters where fried and there was so much batter you couldn't taste any oyster at all. The fries where good and the crab dip was good. Others at the table also did not have many good things to say about the food. I did try one of the crab balls and it was the best of everything. I'm so disappointed the first time I had been out to eat since the virus started. I should have through that 73.00 $ out the window, Captain John use to have great seafood. It's will be along time before I go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay so I will try to keep this short because Lord knows the ride was far from that. Drove an hour and a half to Captain John's for a family members birthday dinner. First things first if you do not live in Waldorf or LaPlata do not bother taking this hike as you are better off going to Fat Boys Crab Shack, Ivy City Smokehouse or even Harris Crab House across the bridge (yes even that is closer if you live in PG or the city). If you want to partake in crabs in the Newburg area for some unforeseen reason go to Gilligans, it's cleaner, they specialize in their famous cocktails, and the fun tiki bar, beach party atmosphere alone will make it worth your time. Ok so on to the review. Went in the bathroom to wash my hands and their were used paper towels all over the floor where the waste basket was filled to capacity and had not been emptied. The floors were disgusting, get ready to tip toe and not on marble floors either lol. I ordered the snow crab leg feast which comes with 4 clusters of snow crab legs and no sides for $49. First off you can get 2-3 clusters in a single order at Fat Boys for $22 (enough said). They were good, took about an hour to come out and once so inquired about them the waiter immediately retrieved them so I am not sure why the delay. I also ordered the hush puppies which were not great the sweet butter made them god at least. As for the crabs some of my family ordered the crab feast and for $35 or $40 that isn't bad but it includes nothing but crabs no fries, hush puppies, shrimp, nothing. They do have an option for a few dollars more to add shrimp which from what I could see had no seasoning on them at all like straight water. I did it try the crabs so I can not say how good they were however I heard they were good and ranged in size between smalls and mediums. The fried seafood platter that a few of my family members ordered came out looking delicious I tried the scallops and they were seasoned well and fried to perfection. I also had a side of string beans that although had ham pieces in them were cooked in just water, no ham broth, chicken broth or beef broth just straight water. Bring your seasoning! I was about to order the salad bar until I saw that it is unkempt in the middle of the restaurant and fully exposed (ummm no thank you). This is a seafood restaurant and seafood restaurants attract what...flies that's right. The view seems nice outside but if you are with a party of more than 6 they cannot accommodate you sitting outside. Come if you must as the crabs are cheap $45 for a dozen larges which is half the price of what you pay for a dozen at Fat Boys and the other seafood places closer to civilization.

My wife and I went Saturday and our server was Brittany and she was fantastic. The food was on point. I hade the Captain John's platter which was very good. Best steamed shrimp I have had in a long time, seasoned perfectly. We arrived at 12 noon, so the place was not crowded however, after we left the parking lot was full. We will be returning soon and I hope Brittany is working.

Really disappointed that at 130pm you are out of potato salad. Waiter didn't know that until after submitting the order. You have garden salad on your Covid menu and aren't serving that. Ordered Corn nuggets with powdered sugar and appetizers came out without the powdered sugar. Only to be told you don't have that and I get told that I can complain to a manager. Shouldn't your staff be aware of what you are out of?

Came door my birthday, I love the water and food was good. Server was super friendly and made the experience great!

This place is Heaven on Earth, We have traveled to the Cobb Island area multiple times to quench My need for properly done Blue Crabs. Having eaten them at almost every crab house in the Chesapeake area and Captain Johns has got it down. Service has always been attentive and super nice. What makes this place different than the others....Aside from the overwhelming feeling of just being welcome, their house crab seasoning is perfect mixed with the apple cider vinegar they use that has a lower acidity and sweeter flavor. But what topped it all off was after my first visit and getting home I was just craving their seasoning so I called and the host actually boxed some up and shipped it to me. I mean what place does that. I didn't forget this time, in fact the manager after being told that story brought me some to take home. We will be back and back many times.