May’s Restaurant

The reputation proceeds you here, but I don’t think it’s worth all the hype! Been coming here for years. .. Only special occasions. Rethinking that.
Made reservations two weeks ago for a special event. Got here and was basically told that they were busy, take it or leave what they have. I won’t be back. If they don’t want my business I’ll take it on down the road .
Had the feast for one. It was ok, nothing to write home about.
Ehhh.. .

What an amazing find!!! It was super busy, but the hostesses were friendly and swift to seat us at the perfect table on the patio. Server was nice, and crabs came out fast. Great crabs, good prices! Cant wait to visit again. They had many all you can eat options… choose wisely!

I don’t know who gave this place less than 3 stars. They actually would get more stars from me if I could give it. We had the crabs and weren’t disappointed. The crabs were huge and priced just right. The outdoor seating area is the best place to sit because you can spread out and dig in! Parking is a pain and it gets pretty busy. Try to come during off hours because you’ll wait forever to get a table. Food came out really fast. Skip the hushpuppies.

I love this place. My family and I meet here when we are feigning for delicious blue claw Maryland crabs. Having grown up with a grandpa and father who were commercial crabbermen in the summers, back in the day, we have many years of crabs being in our family history, catching, eating, picking, etc… we know what we like!
So their all you can eat specials are what we get every single time. So worth it.
Not only do u get steamed crabs, you also get french fries, hush puppies, crab soup and coleslaw if you’d like. I prefer and encourage the hush puppies, they’re delicious.
Warmed butter, vinegar and old bay are available also, just ask. They provide a paper cover for the table, a strong plastic knife, a knocker, a plastic bucket for the shells, and a roll of paper towels… all u need to get it in with these crabs!
The crabs are steamed fresh, come out piping hot. Don’t expect to get the large or jumbo sized crabs with the all you can eat option; you’ll get the smaller of the bushel, some watered down, some packed with meat, nonetheless yummy. And they keep trays of them coming as long as you’re wanting them… you can also say you can only eat 4 more and they’ll bring you out 4, kinda convenient and helps with not wasting them.
The bathrooms are in the back and unisex even though they’re labeled men and women, at least that’s what the kitchen staff told me yesterday when I used the «mens». There’s also a sink outside of the bathrooms to wash your hands at any time, super smart idea. Over the years they added this awesome covered patio section which can accommodate bigger groups. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Parking is limited in the front, but large lot in the back and some more parking on the far side.
I will definitely be back this summer, so delicious. Hope to see u there

Great service and a great staff. They are always pleasant and the food is excellent. The crab dip is absolutely delicious.

Just had the most disappointing crab cake ever. Small portion and just fell apart as it was served. Vegetables were equally disappointing, broccoli was bland and soggy. Decent baked potato, but was looking forward to a good meal.

We ordered a dozen x-​large, but frankly several were more large than XL and they appeared to have been re-​heated versus coming out of the pot hot (you can tell when the insides are all dried up). I hope this is just a fluke, two less than satisfactory reviews in a row. I used to LOVE this place. The hushpuppies were awesome as always.

Best restaurant is the area. Always serve the crabs steaming hot and wait staff are awesome. My favorite place to eat crabs!!!

Great service and really good food.
Crabs were so good! Will come back for more crabs.
The creamy crab was all so good.
Very nice atmosphere and very pleasant employees!

Really good price for a dozen oysters. This restaurant has been here for a long time and for what the do they do well. Excellent crab soup. I had the cream and it was tasty though it could have used more lump meat. The hush puppies were grand. The prices are good too. My companion the seafood platter for only 11.99. The crab balls were tasty.

I was just sitting here, wishing May’s would reopen from their remodel, and I realized I hadn’t left a review.
I just want to say, that crab stuffed fish is what dreams are made of. I have been craving it since the first time I had it which has made this feel like the longest remodel ever.
I would like to note, I am taking a star away since one of the employees decided to have a seat at the table behind us and loudly share the entire plot of the new Star Wars movie the day before we were going to see it. Really, dude? I seriously, almost came over there but lucky for him I had my child and older family members with us so I breathed deep and moved on… to eating that delicious fish.
So, boo that guy but yay everything else.

Great crab cakes and zesty cole slaw. I liked the hush puppies, but they would have made great projectiles in my high school cafeteria. Skip the alleged fresh vegetables. My husband liked the green beans, but they were definitely from a can.
Friendly staff. Definitely an old –time Frederick sort of place.

What an authentic Maryland Crab house! Didn’t want to mess with the crabs and pounding, so we had crabcakes. Best I’ve ever had! With hometown hospitality too!!!

You guys, this place was so good! We’ve been looking for a no frills place for decent crabs for a while now and May’s hit the spot. First, the service was great. Very attentive and friendly. Lots of good stuff on the menu but we decided to go with the Feast to share just to try a little bit of everything. Crabs, shrimp, oysters, mussels, craw fish, potatoes, sausage… it was quite a feast, and definitely more than enough for 2 people. All very fresh and delicious. The vibe is super laid back. Will definitely be back for more.

The only place we go for crabs when not at the beach! All you can eat crabs and hush puppies. Oh their hush puppies are amazing and I wish I could have them all the time. Try eating them with tartar sauce and they are even better. Their crabs are always meaty and delicious. Sitting there having crabs and sharing a pitcher of beer is always my favorite times with my mom

Edited to add: this evening, 8÷13÷15, the service was severely lacking. I knocked off a star because I am very disappointed. I can’t get the waitress’s attention for anything!
The crab cakes at May’s are 100% crab meat and are FAT. I take all of my out of town guests here for a good meal. The AYCE crabs can’t be beat, price wise, in the area. The service at May’s is always top notch and I’ve never been left waiting long once I’m seated. This is a place you have to eat if you’re ever in the area!

Seafood and more seafood. I had the all you can eat crabs and crab legs. That came with all you can eat shrimps fried and steamed, clams and more… I’ve been here trice this summer and both times the servers were friendly and kept the good coming. I’ve been to other all you can eat places and would have to beg for more food I had to beg the servers to stop bringing me good. The atmosphere was fun and the food great. Thumbs up for all seafood lovers.

I love hard shell crabs but live in Gaithersburg so my choices are limited for crabs. May’s crabs are great. The place is nothing fancy and right off a main road but the crabs are consistently good and the prices are better than than my other crab places I like in Bethesda and Annapolis. The service is good but is not great. Usually I need to exert some effort tracking down my waiter or waitress for a drink refill for the check but the place is usually busy so I understand. I have only had the hard shell crabs which are cooked perfectly and true to order size as well the crab cakes which are full of lump crab meat.

Best crabs ever. Just get some of the largest they have and pick less and enjoy. This is my ALL time favorite crab place. We travel from VA to come here and use it as the goal standard for all others crabs.

Wonderful!
Steamed crab check!
Steamed clams check!
Looks like an old time roadhouse and that’s what it probably is.
You’ll need to wash up afterwards, and that’s okay!