Ernie's Crab House

The service is cool, though I had one older male get smart after he noticed me taking photos of the menu. He said something along the lines of, the prices changing daily which is why it's on a chalkboard. Mr. Sir could've simply stayed in the back and minded his business. I think the other guy noticed he did too much and continued being his nice self. I have come here many times now because my godfather put me on to their jumbo crabs. He swear by Ernie's. The crabs are almost always good. I really feel like they have thrown a few Large crabs in the mix of the Jumbos because the 3-4x I've been here it never fails, at least two of the crabs seems to be on the Large side. The jumbo crabs are very meaty and the flavor is always on point.

I used to go to the wharf for seafood, but once I found Ernie’s Crab House, that changed quick. I started off getting crab legs, then moved on to shrimp and crabs too. Everything’s sold by the pound, and you can get it raw to cook yourself or have them steam it for you. Either way, it’s always fresh, hot, and cooked just right—never overdone. The quality is top-notch every time, and the customer service is always solid. Great people, great value, and some of the best seafood around.

I highly recommend this establishment. For 12 males, the cost is $130, while for 1/2 dozen males, $65. The large crabs are absolutely worth the price. I will definitely be returning for more. Nice and meaty and not overcooked.

Crabs were meaty and flavored!!!! All kinds of seafood options!!! Best spot in DMV for serious seafood eaters!!! D.C. PABLO!!!! On all music streaming platforms!!!

I love their crabs! 🦀💕 If you want BIG crabs that are worth the price then this is worth the trip. Get there early on the weekends because there may be a line. Also, they update the recording with information daily (sometime more than once) so give a call first if you're coming a distance or looking for something specific. However, do make sure that you get there... You won't be disappointed, Trust me!! 💯

Friendly staff, super clean and great food. My Mom gets crabs here year round. Each time I've gotten crabs, they were delicious and perfectly seasoned.

The service is never an issue. The crabs are hit or miss. When they are good crabs they taste great. Other times not so much. And as we know crabs aren't cheap. I'll be cooking my crabs for the rest of the season. I have no issues with the atmosphere. It's just a regular carry-out crab house.

Really good crabs!!! They give you a choice to have then seasoned well or right out of the boil! They always have the biggest ones possible. Really good shrimp too! Hidden little gem.

I would highly recommend this spot if you're in DC/MD area. It was Super Bowl Sunday so naturally there was already a line as soon as it opened. It was my first time so I ordered a bushel of large crabs which were steamed right on the spot and delicious. The man who took my order was so nice and friendly. I'll have to go again to try the jumbo

The crabs were a decent size but they didn't taste good/fresh. It seemed they had been cooked either the prior day or in the am. I generally cook crabs myself, after getting them live from the wharf. I will not be going back. If you want good fresh cooked crabs, try Quarterdeck in Arlington. They cook them when you order them. Worth the 30 minute wait and they are large and tasty!

Second time here since Labor Day and I must say their crabs are on point. Heavy, sweet, and full of meat. Ordered jumbos and well worth the $. Consider me a lifetime customer from here on out. Friendly staff and efficient.

Delicious blue crab. BUT keep in mind it is not a restaurant! Its a small store in a small strip mall. But they have great blue crab to go. They offer a picnic kit (2 people) with mallet, plenty of napkins, paper table cloth and knife. The knife is strudy and the brown paper is thick. They offer old bay seasoning, butter and cocktail sauce. But that's pretty much it.

Looked like a family owned business. Ordered a dozen crabs, which were excellent. It seems like the place can get busy from time to time but luckily when went there there was no lines!

I absolutely LOVE this place! The crabs are always great! But what really makes them stand out is the customer service. Some crab places treat customers like a captive audience. They treat you any kind of way because they know you have no other options. That's not the case at Ernie's. The staff is always warm, welcoming, respectful, and appreciative. And that matters A LOT! It's why they are our go to crab place-- even if others are closer or slightly less expensive. I've never had a bad or overcooked crab and and I always leave with a smile! Thanks, Ernie's!

Outstanding place for crabs! It's my go to for steamed crabs. I love their size selection and the prices are on point!

Excellent customer service, great crabs, prices are higher but I pay for quality products and to be treated like a human. I am recognized when I arrive and that says it all. There is no other place that I prefer to go to.

If your looking for quality seafood this is the place to go!! You defiantly get a bang for your buck! Crabs were big and sweet. Not overly seasoned. Shrimp by the pound also a great price. They always bring there A++ game!!

Consistently good quality crabs and shrimp. They don't have much in terms of other things (no clams or mussels, but they do have lobster tails, crab cakes, Dungeness crab and king crab legs.) but what they do have is great consistency. The pricing is not bad, I generally pay about $55 for a dozen medium, but they're good sized (bigger than my iPhone) ones with good weight and fresh flavor. Sometimes I've had where the meat is a little on the dryer side, but freshness is never a problem. D loves their shrimp and house cocktail sauce which comes with horseradish mixed in. They always have a line outside, but people are good about social distancing and they only allow about 3 people in the store at a time. Fancy and sit down this is not, so please be aware this is grab and go only. 4.5 for great quality crabs in the DMV area.

Oh my gosh. These were some of the best crab I have ever had. 18 XLs for $95 per dozen. Heavy, super fresh, full of 'innards' and very sweet meat. As always with crabs, you get clunkers and really sweet ones and in 18 crabs,we had 2 that were clunkers, and the rest were superb. And all were heavy, not a single light crabs or a non meaty crab. A great average! Next time I will order them all no added spice. And get there earlier so we can get Jumbos! Very nice folks too!

Love! Love! Love! Got in and out quickly, and seriously some of the best crab I've ever had plus (they have their own seasoning) *chefs kiss*! Anytime I travel to Maryland, I have to stop by!

Ordered Two Dozen Larger Crabs with 1lb CrabLegs Really Nice and Meaty Customer service Really Friendly and quick. best to get them when they first open get the Fresh Batch

Man I am ticked, $45 for "extra large" 1/2 dz crabs, RIP OFF. The bag was light as ish, would've return them if they weren't closing in a few minutes, haven't tried them yet because I stopped by the Continental Chinese carry out since it's on my way home(see updated review) to get some crabs to supplement those light azz crabs I just got from Earnie's. Ok I tried them and threw them to the side, wasn't anything special and very very light crabs. Don't see how this place got so many positive reviews. I'm sticking to Crab Line, I won't be back here again.

Ernie's has the best in custom service and they have the best crabs in town l have been going there for years

You can count on Ernie's crabs to be on point. It's been the same staff since I can remember and they are really nice friendly guys. I have never had a problem with my purchase. Sometimes, if I'm in the mood, I also get steamed shrimp. Please note the cost per pound is $1.00 more if you have the shrimp steamed, but I guess the cost is built in with the crabs. If they have crabs left from the day before, they sell them at a discounted price the next day, cold only. You have to get there early for that, though. They sell broken snow crab legs at a lower cost if you're lucky enough to be there at the right time. Also, if you decide you want to take your crabs straight to an outside location to eat, for $5.00 they will give you a large piece of papers to cover the top of your bench or table, 2 malletts, the claw knife and a trash bag. I'm forgetting an item but you get my drift. Lastly, you can call in advance, especially in the evening, to place an order for pickup. They just had a price increase but what hasn't gone up?

I came here after seeing a line EVERY time I rode pass and figured they must have some good crabs so I decided to give it a try. Came here on Thursday, they open at 2pm on Thursdays. I got here about 2:03pm and there were already 5 people in line. Friendly staff and they moved really quick. I ordered a dozen of large crabs ($75/dz) and a pound of large shrimp ($15.99/lb). The shrimp could have been bigger for large, looked more like medium but the crabs were a good size. The crabs were delicious!! So fresh and meaty! The shrimp were just ok, nothing special-just steamed shrimp but the crabs were so good I'm going back this week for more! Do yourself a favor and get the cocktail sauce also. They don't really have anything else besides crabs, shrimp, crab legs and uncooked crab cakes. I could have used some hush puppies and corn on the cob, but that won't deter me from going again. Like I said, I'm going back this week!

I admit I was a bit skeptical about getting crabs as take out. I'm a huge fan of snow crabs at Red Lobster just for comparison. However, these crab legs were amazing! !

Much better than ruff and ready. Won't go anywhere else again. Plus the team was super friendly.

An absolute disappointment... would give no stars if I could. Crabs looked old as if they were cooked some days ago and reheated. Spent 100 on 2 dozen and 2 crab leg clusters. I should have stuck to what I know and went to the wharf. After all the good things I heard about this place, it most definitely will be my first and last time ever going to Ernies.

I wish you delivered you are missing out on making money not doing it. I know a lot of people would buy from you.

Excellent crabs. Superb service. Better price than almost every other place I have been to in the DMV.

Best quality crab legs in the DMV area I was a huge supporter of the wharf but since everything changed I tried to try this place and now I'm definitely a customer for life.

This is an update on my last terrible experience at this place. I understand how convenient a place can be if you want something, but is it REALLY worth it when your patronage isn't VALUED? HELL NO! I found a Great spot...CASEYS CRABS IN LAUREL. This place crabs are all heavy, and good. Their crabs are a lot better and they don't try to BEAT you. Ernies jumbo price is there large, Ernies medium size is their large, Ernies small is their medium size. They cook as you order, you WILL NOT be sold any cold ass crabs. Its a bit further but its worth the trip and to feel appreciated. I work hard for my money and I refuse to give it away to a place that don't VALUE ME! I eat crabs at least 4 days a week and I know my crabs. Trust me on this. Go to Casey's crab and tell me thank you for the tip.

They are not what the used to be. Was a total waste of $200. Stood in the line for a long time in the beaming sun. Just felt used because we asked about the crabs and in the pass they have been honest. We order large males and females and they were hallow and smelly.

This place has lost its touch I purchased a 1/2 dozen they were horrible they were nice in size but old and watery they are overpriced and I actually think they give black people bad batches sorry I cheated on Ruff and Ready but back to them I'm going I'm not sure why it's always a line the price does not match the quality they should be ashamed

I hate to have to downgrade my rating but I have no choice. After frequenting Ernie's for years I received my first bad batch of crabs. I've never been so disappointed. The crabs were watered down and meatless. The meatiest part of the crab were the legs. The rest of the crab was a mushy mess. I would have returned them if I didn't live over 40 minutes away. This was literally $40 down the drain. Needless to say, I will not be returning to Ernie's anytime soon. It wasn't worth my time or money.

First time and I'll be back. They were very meaty and flavorful. Establishment is clean and those working Had on masks I was pleased. Pricing was good too.

Ordered from here for the first time. All of the staff was super friendly and the crabs were good too. I got the XL crabs from $115 a dozen. The seasonings are good as well.

I absolutely love this place!! This is my go to spot for jumbo crabs. I'm here at least once a week. I usually call ahead and order 1-3 jumbos for pick up after work or church. Mike ALWAYS make sure that I'm taken care of. The staff are always friend and location is clean.

Went there this summer for my annual hard shell fix, and it was outstanding. Get there early, stuff sells out.

Their large male crabs are delicious, as well as their shrimp. They also sell soft shell crabs and crab legs.

Just moved to the area and listen i been here 3x and ernies never disappoint, so happy i found this gem when I'm in need of a crab fix. The place is nice and clean and well operated!

Service was great and the crabs were good but needed more seasoning. I don't think you get a great amount of crabs for the price but I haven't shopped around. When I do I I'll update my review. Cash machine was out the day I went, I'm not sure if it happens often.

Great service always have what I want check them out very nice people guve them a call

After a long day visiting a client, me and my wife were on the way home. We wanted blue crab so bad we finally found Ernie's it was 50 minutes out of our way, we almost did not go and we are so glad we did make the trip. We were so hungry and they didn't have a place to sit down and eat , only take away. We ordered some jumbo shrimp cocktails to eat in the car and OMG it was so fresh and amazing, did I mention the cocktail sauce was the best in the world, they make it home made. We ordered the live blue crabs to take home, it was the best blue crab we ever had in our life, we are a seafood lovers and we are in love with Ernie's.

This spot is highly recommended by my neighbors but I found it just Ok. As a boy from Baltimore, my bar is high and I know my stuff. This place fell short of my expectations. Bought 6 dozen large and most were pretty light and most were not local. Great service and faur prices, but also no better than any other crab house in the DC market.

Yummy Yummy! Not in the best neighborhood, so ladies don't go alone. Crabs are delicious though! Their house seasoning (old bay mixture) is great too! Try the crab cakes - take them home and fry them. LUMP Crabmeat, no filler. Also, Steamed shrimp are good!

I bought 4 pounds of snow crab legs and half pound of large shrimp for a little less than $60. I will definitely go to Crab Galley in Bowie because you get a lot more for the same price. And, Crab Galley gives you butter with your crab legs, this place doesn't. I think I need to get the Maryland crabs for the great deals everybody is raving about. The snow crabs legs were waaay overpriced!

While I was in Maryland I really wanted to try soft crab. It was delicious! It didn't seem too pricy. I think I paid $8 for the entire meal and it was filling. Definitely worth it and I would recommend it.

I can't speak to anything else on the menu but the crab legs are the best I've had in my entire life. My husband only bought three clusters and we were literally looking at each other when it came down to the last one. Way better than any crab legs I've had. They are on the expensive side but they are worth it.

So I had a good food experience here with purchasing crabs. The crabs were reasonable price, well seasoned and full. I do agree with another Yelper, the XL may be categorized smaller than other crab places. However, I'll purchase here again. Clean and fast service if you come early and non holidays.

Don't waste your money or time at this place. I spent over $100 on large crabs that were a mushy mess!! I will continue to cook my own crabs....this was such a waste!!

Great crabs for a good price would definitely go back again. It was easy enough to order and the guy helping us was very friendly. The crabs were medium sized but I still felt like it was a good meal. I ordered the dozen and the picnic set up. I had a great date with it!

first time at Ernies, everyone seemed friendly. I ordered the XL crabs and they were so heavy and filled with meat!! this is going to be my new go to spot for crabs! the only thing i noticed i had no seasoning on my crabs but he did give old bay on the side, either way great place to go!!

I used to travel to another spot until a friend turned me on to Ernie's. I love this place. This spot is ALWAYS CLEAN AND SMELLING FRESH!!! I'm not sure if cleanliness matters to you but when it comes to my food its at the top of the list for me. Every time that I've gone my crabs have been fresh and full of meat, not to mention flavorful. I encourage everyone to patronize this establishment if you want quality crabs. I've gone during the off season and the crabs were just as yummy as if it was crab season. I think I failed to mention that the staff there is wonderful. The are patient and professional and knowledge about their product that they are serving/selling. Super thankful for the friend who referred me :-)

Earnie's got me for bout $127.50 for 1 1/2 dozen XL crabs, but I'd do it all over again. Crabs were good, prepared when I arrived, and meaty. I took them home, made my special family crab sauce, rolled out my Washington Post newspaper (We eat on the Post in my house; only the finest), and went to work! I think they gave me an extra crab, which is like a $7 rebate when u think about it.

Amazing seafood. Some of the biggest shrimp I've ever seen. And the taste, omg. Then there were the crab cakes. If you like seafood, don't miss out on this place. I would happily give them 10 stars.

When I lived in Glenarden I would drive to this place to purchase steamed crabs occasionally. The seafood is always fresh and tasty. As well, this place is extremely clean. There are no odors or gunky floors that you usually expect in seafood places. The guys that run this business are very friendly, fair with prices, and offer great customer service.

Crabs are as amazing as the service. Always heavy and flavorful. Never had one bad crab in a batch. They are honest and reliable folks who consistently show their gratitude with exceptional care. I'm crab picky and my old place fell way off. So glad to have this spot available and on my route home from work!