Captain Billy’s Crab House

This place has been here for as long as I can remember, and it’s easy to see why; great food, great location… and CRABS. Always decent sized and perfectly seasoned, Captain Billy’s does crabs right. Actually, I have yet to try anything on the menu that isn’t awesome. It can get really busy during the summer, but the staff knows how to hustle and service is usually great. Time to start planning my next visit!

There’s a few times in life when you have an awesome meal and tonight was one of them. My baby took me to Captain Billy’s on the Potomac River where we had the ultimate feast it contain Alaskan crab legs that was truly meaty, lb of shrimp season perfectly and of course a side of your choice.
The staff was hospitable in the atmosphere was very welcoming. I would definitely recommend to friends and family and come again.

We enjoyed a wonderful Sunday afternoon on the water with delicious crabs! The view was amazing, service was great, and crabs were perfect AND very affordable! This was my first time here. We walked in and got a seat right away. We ordered 2 dozen crabs, hush puppies, cream of crab soup and Maryland crb soup. The soups were delicious as well. I ordered a frozen drink that came with whip cream on top. I asked the waiter for another w/​o whip cream because I’m dairy sensitive. He said sure no problem. He came back with the same drink had only scooped out the whip cream but it now had particles floating in it! When I asked if they had just scooped the cream out he said no, which meant I now had to point it out to him. He quickly apologized and returned with a new drink shortly thereafter. The frozen drink left a lot to be desired.
The restrooms are also outdated and smelly. But this an older restaurant.
Other than that– everything was really nice. I would return again!

They changed the cream of crab soup recipe. It doesnt taste as good as the soup before. I am very dissapointed since I have been getting this soup for at least 25 years, so it is sad to learn that the recipe that kept bringing me back is gone. :-(

‘Not a fan of working for my meats, but the sunset, food and company of friends made it worth it. You can dock your boat and walk-​up to the restaurant. Service was decent and friendly, even though we were seated for about seven minutes before being greeted. I’d return again. Our batch of seafood was tasty.

I go for the local steamed crabs, Yuengling draft and the view. In the past, crabs have been mixed sized, fairly priced and generally good. However, since the spring management change, the crabs have been the barely legal, smallest they can get away with selling. They have been tasty and meaty, but when this small they are a chore to pick. Beer’s still cold and the view is still great.

According to my Dad who had a bowl of cream of crab soup, it was «damn delicious». My snow crab legs were cooked expertly and slide smoothly out of the shell. Their taste was sweet and meat firm. Dad gobbled down the soft shell crabs claiming that they were superb. Whenever we are in the mood for some Maryland seafood we go to Captain Billy’s. It’s always worth the drive.

Staff is super courteous. I got the half dozen crabs and a beer. Sat out on the deck and listened to the seagulls. Looks like the place livens up after dark. This is our second visit in less than two years.

Came for a birthday lunch with my big sis and a family friend. They traveled from DC and I came from Richmond. The drive up 301N is always relaxing and this is how we heard about the place. The signs always made me want to stop and today I did… First a warning. I will not let the nightfall hit because I did think the restaurant was closer to 301. Had to wind down some back roads. Thank you Lord for navigation. Once there the visit was pleasant. I was seated immediately although I waited for the other 2 to arrive. We all enjoyed our meals. I started off with the corn fritters while waiting for them to arrive. They were hot and not dry. Sweet but not too sweet and I could not resist the honey dip. I felt bad because I did not save not one for the others to taste. (Oh well :-)). We shared 6 steamed crab. Cooked and seasoned perfectly. We sampled off of each other and we had the fried seafood platter, the broiled seafood platter and the fried shrimp platter. Our sides included green beans, salads and French fries. The green beans were surprisingly seasoned well for a restaurant. My broiled items were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The oysters tasted fresh. The shrimp were fresh and nice sized without too much breaking. The service and our waitstaff were knowledgeable, engaging and pleasant… They even gave me ice cream for my birthday as dessert. We will return.(daylight hours only) Hehe. Great job!

This place was a pleasant surprise. The view of the river sets a great relaxing atmosphere and the waitress was absolutely awesome. She took the time to show us the proper and easy way to crack crabs! We also got fries which came out piping hot. All in all, it’s not the fanciest place but a nice chill place with good food and atmosphere.

This place has really gone down a lot. I use to bring my mom and stepdad here for my mom’s birthday because she really loved good seafood and I knew this place had that, because I was bought here on a date once and loved it. After they died in 2010, my siblings and I would always come down on her birthday to celebrate her birthday. This is the last year that will happened. The only two things about Captain Billy’s that hadn’t changed was the service and the views. The food is horrible. On my fried seafood platter, I didn’t get butterflied shrimp like the days of old, I got Seapak breaded shrimp. There were no oysters or clams, just a breaded, filler filled crab cake, breaded shrimp, and scallops. Even the sides were nasty.
I should have known something was wrong when we were able to be seated immediately on a Saturday evening and the establishment was not even half way full. I thought we had beaten the crowd but it stayed that way. When we left, there weren’t anyone waiting to be seated at all. Before, we would have to wait on the benches outside (if space was available) for 30 to 45 minutes to be seated.
We’ve already decided that since it was the seafood our mom loved, next year we’ll go to G and M to celebrate her birthday. Although there are no views, I don’t care, because I don’t pay for the view, I can see a view for free, the service is good and the food is well worth the price you pay.

Do you like fried seafood? THIS IS YOUR SPOT. New management, good food, decent prices. My husband and I split a seafood platter and it was more than enough. I would definitely go back but expect a wait and be ready to get knee deep in crabs :)

Of the beaten path, on the Potomac, beautiful views of the water, friendly wait staff… if thats what you are looking for then you found it.
If you are looking for good food, look elsewhere. Corn fritters weren’t bad bud a too sweet for my taste. Fried oyster basket was soggy with mushy oysters and dead french fries. Crab cakes wete all filler and bland. What wasn’t filler was shell.
If you are still anxious to try it, visit the web site first and at least print the coupons so you can save a couple of bucks!

I said I would never go back to the worst seafood place in southern md.
New management. So I went back.
Food still sucks.
Imperial shrimp had so much mayonnaise I got sick. My wife and I will never go back. Crab cakes are terrible. There isn’t anything at Captain Billy’s that is worth getting.
For the best Seafood go to Jerrys in Prince Frederick.
For a great crab cake near la plata go to prime street grill

This place has seriously gone down hill since we last visited in 2013. 5 adults in our party and everyone left dissatisfied with their meal. Lobster tails were fishy tasting and the butter served with them had an «odd» taste. The only thing good about the fried seafood platter was the oysters, fish was horrible! Potato salad horrible too! Service, however, was great.

Had a great experience here yesterday. I ordered a side Caesar salad ($ 3.99) and The Perfect Combo ($ 50) which came with 4 clusters and ½lb of shrimp. I’m a big crab lover and the crabs here were not the best or seasoned well but my company and I both had a great experience. The establishment was nice, clean and presented well. Great host upon walking in and our waiter was awesome. Unfortunately, alcoholic drinks aren’t listed anywhere on the menu!!! No clue why not. The only reason why I wouldn’t return is because I like my food seasoned (like The Wharf in DC) especially if we are spending over $ 125 for two people on dinner. Overall a good first and last visit.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
They are now under new management starting 3÷12÷15. They’ve improved some of their recipes and added some stuff to the menu including crab cake sliders and wings that I heard were tasty. I can’t wait to go again now that they’ve opened up for the 2015 season.
I’ve been going here for several years so I’ve tried quite a lot:
–Crabs, crab legs, steamed shrimp — always cooked and seasoned perfectly
–Crab cakes & seafood platters are good if you don’t feel like picking crabs
–Shrimp Salad or Crab Salad Cold Plate — sooo good! Especially if you want something light and refreshing. Comes with their yummy potato salad and coleslaw (my fave) along with some fruit and a pickle over lettuce
–Fried oysters — I hate oysters, but my mom loves these
–Tilapia — I hate fish, but I really like their fried tilapia. You get 2 and 2 sides!
–Seafood dip — so yum! We usually have to get another baguette just so we can finish it all
–Hamburgers/​hotdogs — big/​filling/​yummy
–Chicken tender basket — lots of food and good!
–Fried shrimp (comes in a basket too) — soooo good!
–I always get an order of corn fritters b/​c I can’t get them anywhere else and they are amazing
–Soups: I personally don’t like MD crab soup, but theirs is really good. I prefer their cream of crab soup!!! SOO GOOD!
–Hush puppies — yum!!!
–Onion rings — standard yummy onion rings
–They also have a variety of alcoholic drinks, but their house drink, Backfin, is really good!
–Their frozen drinks are really good too! The strawberry and creamsicle are my favorite with or without alcohol (I used to get w/​o when I was younger, but now I add in the good stuff!)
Pretty much everything is made fresh and at the restaurant — potato salad, coleslaw, cocktail sauce, crab cakes, soups, etc
Honestly, every time I go I have a hard time not ordering almost everything on the menu. It’s all just so good! And if something doesn’t come out right, just ask the server and they will be happy to fix it.
And while the food is great, the experience is even better. The restaurant is huge with indoor bar seating, plenty of indoor tables and booths, lots of seats near the big windows overlooking the Potomac (beautiful at sunset), there’s a huge room for overflow seating during the busy rushes or private parties, and there’s even outdoor tables. They can even accommodate large parties b/​c they have HUGE tables! The décor is really cute and very fun. Each table is covered with brown paper and everybody gets a placemat that gives instructions on how to pick a crab. Each table has their own container of napkins and condiments (old bay, vinegar, ketchup, etc). They even have a salad bar! You can buy really cute shirts near the hostess stand. They have sinks in the restaurant (outside of the bathrooms) so you can easily wash your crabby hands. You can always go outside and talk a walk on their pier.
Long story short, this place is awesome and one of my favorites. It’s a drive worth making!

Great seafood place in somd. Always have had great experiences here. They are seasonal so make sure they are open before you go. Great food, good prices and mainly GREAT CRABS! Make sure to stop by the bar and order one of their drinks!

…Who goes to a crab house for salad? No. Stop. Get out. Go somewhere else. Who complains about having to pick their own crabs? Okay, no seriously, be quiet, please go somewhere else. Your complaining is distracting me from my mountain of delicious food.
Things I can speak to: Whole, local crabs, steamed shrimp, fried anything – including hush puppies, crab cakes, cream of crab soup, clam chowder, and the occasional drink: All delicious. I have no idea what their burgers or chicken dishes are like because well, there’s crab to be had. Their seafood is very clean and fresh tasting – no muddy flavors here! Fried food is crispy and not oily. Soup? To die for.
Staff is friendly, sinks are available for crabby-​shrimpy hand washing, food is good, place is clean, waits can be… well, long. And why wouldn’t they be?! There’s good food to be had here!
Capt Billy’s is a great place to visit, whether with a big group or small. If you’ve got a boat, they’ve got a dock you can park at so you can stop by for some of their sweet, salty, buttery steamed crabs. Come for beautiful views of the Potomac, the bridge, and breath taking sunsets. Oh, and come for the crab.
Pro-​tip/​history nerd-​tip: Enjoy the historical markers all around the area that tell the story of John Wilkes-​Booth as he fled Washington, having assassinated President Lincoln.

So, I was quite hesitant to check this place out. I’m a lifelong Marylander and know halfway decent seafood. This place was deplorable. Before I even talk about the food, I want to mention how incredibly overstaffed the place is. We went on a Sunday afternoon during peak hours, and the place wasn’t that packed at all. However, there was two hostesses by the door, 5 people behind the bar serving one man, and I kid you not, 15 waiters and waitresses crowding up the place. It was ridiculous. Groups of them crowded by tables playing on their cell phones, and eating some of the deep fried crap that they serve.
Which is my next major gripe. I can let ALL of that go if the food is of decent quality. We ordered crabs, which you think would be simple. However, they were small and had little meat packed into them (keep in mind small crabs can be just as delicious if they’re at least adult and full). This wouldn’t be that big of a deal due to overfishing, however, our waiter told us they had large crabs in that day and at the front they displayed good size crabs for order. As for flavor of the crabs, they had the usual Old Bay poured into the pot draining them of the crab flavor. Decent, but a little heavy on the good stuff.
My major complaint is the deep fried food. The food was either severely undercooked to the point of being inedible, or overcooked like it was sitting in the Sahara desert for 3 days. We ordered fish, clams, oysters and hush puppies… out of those 4 dishes NONE were prepared correctly. Deep frying doesn’t require that many techniques to mess up 4 dishes as horribly as they did. Hush puppies, fish and clams were cooked beyond standard frying temperatures. However, the oysters were the worst culprit, as they were under done, and we couldn’t even finish them.
This is a harsh critique, but for $ 70 all of us left disappointed. I could ignore the waiters awkwardly sitting around watching you eat. I could ignore the small crabs. But I can’t ignore the quality of the food that they serve. This place needs to be on Kitchen Nightmares or something. Maybe if they give Gordon Ramsay or Robert Irvine a call I’d return.