the food is excellent and the front counter is courteous. The food values are exceptional. Place is very clean.

Dear reader, Crafty Crab in Alexandria remains our go-to spot whenever a proper seafood boil is required, and it rarely fails to deliver. The prices are genuinely great for the area, especially considering how much food arrives at the table. They offer several preselected boil options with excellent variety, which makes ordering very easy when one would rather focus on the feast than conduct a seafood negotiation. We especially love the mussel boil, which comes with snow crab, shrimp, mussels, sausage, potatoes, and corn for a very fair price. It is honestly enough to split with another person, though whether one wishes to share is a private moral question. The seafood is always well cooked, nicely seasoned, and satisfyingly messy. The garlic cheese curds are also amazing. Pro tip: dip them in ranch and prepare to become briefly unavailable for conversation. They have a full bar with fun cocktails and even buckets, plus plenty of TVs for watching games. The music is always excellent, the staff is consistently nice and chill, and the whole place is always a vibe. Reliable, delicious, and very easy to recommend read more

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I called this location regarding a concern involving someone I know and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. I spoke with someone regarding the matter; however, the conversation became contentious, and when I asked to speak with a manager, I was not given an opportunity to do so. The person put the phone down, and I could still hear the matter being discussed loudly with others in the background, with no apparent attempt to escalate my concerns to a manager. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the original dispute, I expected a professional conversation and an opportunity to speak with management. I was disappointed by how my call was handled and, particularly, the lack of managerial support or escalation. read more

Seafood boil is not that great it doesn't taste fresh. They barley add sauce to boil so you gotta buy and extra side of sauce on the side if you want a saucy boil. Service was fair, server was no where to be found when we needed something at the table. And it's so dark in the restaurant I wonder why.... Overall I rather go to Hot n Juicy Crawfish! Boil taste way better. read more

Crafty crab is always delicious. It's been my new go to for a seafood boil once the place I always went to closed. Seasoning is always on point and their portion sizes are big! read more

I ordered this via deliver, and I have to say- this is GOOD. Ordered the spicy Cajun sea boil and it's made to perfection. I immediately refrigerated the leftovers and put them over some angel hair pasta the next day (omg- restaurant quality- keep the original bag they come in with the sauce). Delicious fresh cork and potatoes that soak up that delicious seafood aroma and sauce. read more

Crafty Crab - Sea boil with Snow Crab Legs, potatoes, sausage and shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

10/10 My service from Tiffany was everything and the food sealed the deal Tiffany took the time to get to know me and they way my food came out showed IT WAS PERFECT the best I've ever had from Crafty! read more

This was my first time sitting down and eating at this location. We normally just order our food to go. The parking is not good and you will get towed so please read parking signs. As soon as we walked in we were greeted and seated shortly after. Our waitress was really nice and prompt. We had a party of four and we all got boil bags. I got the one with Dungeness crabs it was $47.99 really good deal. I also ordered a strawberry Hennessy it was ok it tastes pretty tart. Overall service good the staff was knowledgeable , greeted us and said goodbye have a safe night. Overall food was really good and we had a good time we will be back again. read more

Crafty Crab - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Fish Breading too Salty Fish was fresh. Yes I would come back. Hard to get in and out. Should have selected better location. read more

Food was great, service was great. the drinks are very strong and taste like straight liquor as an fyi read more

I went to Crafty Crab for lunch on a Friday, no need for a reservation and I was seated pretty much instantly- but then asked to move to a different table after 2-3 mins. That didn't bother me so much, as I hadn't ordered yet - but I was never given a reason for the move & I guess it just felt a little strange. Fast forward to the food -- almost all of my mussels were not covered in the sauce. And for a seafood boil spot - one would hope that it would arrive on your table ready to be eaten and not to have to be shaken up a good bit before eating. The drink that I got, 'The Crafty Bucket' was good. Not watered down but as you would want it. The bibs came with gloves but not with wet wipes; which is weird to me! The service was also really slow and my server was very preoccupied with other tables and things the Manager was asking her to do. I wanted to love it here, as it's close to where I live - but it was just okay. read more

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I used to be a Hot n Juicy girl but I'm converted!!! For the price point- you definitely get more bang for your buck here!! I'm a crab legs girlie and the price per/lb was cheaper than the place I normally go to. The flavor was PHENOMENAL! The service was prompt and courteous. I went on a Saturday and the fact that there was a security officer in the entryway was....concerning, but if you get a table in the little side area it's quieter and honestly I was chowing down on the tasty food and didn't even care after a while. I'll be back!!!! read more

Crafty Crab - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This WAS my favorite location. My friend and I went here on a Friday night. We arrived around 9:30ish. There was a bit of confusion regarding a waitlist, but that's ok. My friend and I were seated w/in about 5ish minutes. We waited on the waitress, JAYLEEN, for a good 10-15 minutes. We ordered. I said no corn, as I always do. The food came AT 10:47p. They close at 11p. The lady is yelling across the restaurant, "CRAFTY CRAB CLOSES IN TEN MINUTES." Essentially , wrap it up. I asked for extra sauce bc they were skimpy with the sauce. I told Jayleen it came with corn though I asked for no corn, thankfully I'm not allergic. She said she would go double check. I then realized there was no sausage with my boil. It comes with sausage. She came back and reassured me that she told the kitchen no corn and I couldn't get any sauce because the kitchen is closed. I told her about the sausage and we waited over an hour for food so it's not our fault that we are just now receiving our VERY FAULTY order. The manager comes over. He explains that the kitchen is closed. He also tells us that the waitress told him that we requested NO SAUSAGE. After I initially told her no corn, she came back and reassured me that she entered no corn into the system, and that our boils should have come with sausage. SHE LIED TO US AND TO HER MANAGER. They gave us 10% off. That absolutely did nothing for the poor, poor service and good we received. Additionally, 10% made no substantial difference. Establishment isn't ran well, JAYLEEN is a liar, and there was no accommodation. As much as I prefer that crafty crab, I'd rather drive to the crafty crab in Clinton for the food and better service. Do not mess up your night coming to this location. read more

We where waiting for 20 minutes and 3 severs passed by and we didn't even get to order drinks I do not recommend this if you want good service but if you love to wait this is the best place for you read more

Have visited this location twice. Both times was seated immediately! The wait staff are PHENOMENAL- attentive and responsive without being annoying. Provided some excellent recommendations. The food is amazing! Seasoned to your liking and preference. Good sized portions and cooked just right. Make sure to ask that all food is served at the same time is my only recommendation. The drinks are lethal! Pack a punch and have you asking for seconds and thirds. Reasonably priced. You will not be disappointed. read more

I was looking for somewhere to get a drink and chill on a Friday afternoon. Ummm not sure where to start... I guess the door.... Way too many signs with rules! Looks very unprofessional. We were seated immediately , that was good. Seats were dirty. My partner didn't want anything to drink and the waiter gave him the "stinky face". Wow! Then dropped off the food with no acknowledgement. Followed up later... Yep I will order carry out from now on. read more

Food was good, as expected from a boil spot. Service was great, bartender served us and was very friendly and attentive. Surprisingly not wait on Father's Day. read more

Olga was an amazing and sweet server. Great service, great food and was very attentive. The daily A special was amazing. Will definitely be returning. read more

I got the shrimp basket and found the shrimp to be plentyful and hot, but lacking in taste with no seasoning on them; the coleslaw slaw was extremely bland with the cabbage pieces being much too long. They really need to put some seasoning in the shrimp batter. Our waitress-Tiffany- was very patience and professional with our large group during lunch time. read more

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Terrible experience. It took 25 minutes before we got up and left because we had no interaction with our waiter or anyone for that matter. We went at 12:20pm, 20 minutes after they opened. We were the second party in the restaurant, so not busy at all. No one came by to even introduce themselves after the host left us at our table. I would not come back and recommend you do the same because being ignored when the restaurant was completely empty was unacceptable. I'm sitting at the Ocean Shack about 20 minutes away writing this review (we were seated immediately and drink orders taken within 2 minutes of being seated). There are other places to spend your time and money. read more

I met up with some friends on an early Sunday afternoon to check out Crafty Crab - Alexandria. We were initially headed to the Woodbridge location and decided to stay a little closer to the DC line since one of our party had to get to Union Station. We normally go to the Ocean Shack in Arlington, Virginia. However, one of the group members wanted to give Crafty Crab, a try. Overall, Crafty Crabcrab got the job done. Luckily, we arrived when they first opened. So, we did not have to wait for seating. Our waitress was very nice and friendly. She provided good customer service and was very attentive to our needs. Now, onto the food. Most of our group did their own crab, boil bag. As for me, I had the headless, shrimp, snow, crab legs, lobster tail, sausage, corn, and potatoes. On a scale of one to 10, I would say it was about a seven. This is not a bad rating. It's very solid and that's what my crab boil bag was...solid. The flavoring was pretty good. The crab legs were of decent size. My only gripe, is that I ordered half a pound of shrimp. The last time I checked, that should have totaled more than six shrimp. So, I found myself ordering extra shrimp because, they were the highlight of my crab boil bag except for the corn. In my opinion. I also ordered a drink from the bar. It was pretty good. I would definitely come back to crafty crab either by myself, with a smaller group or the same group. It is a great place to meet up with friends for a Saturday or Sunday brunch. It also seems like a nice place to hang out on a Friday night or Saturday night. They have the TouchTunes system that allows you to play the kind of music you would like to hear while enjoying your meal. I found this to be a great feature. If you are in the Alexandria area and looking for some pretty good seafood, I wouldn't hesitate to encourage you to stop by Crafty Crab. However, if Yaoundé are in Arlington, please stop by the Ocean Shack Happy eating! read more

Service is always decent. Food quality and serving size is consistent. They do have LOTS of signs posted everywhere, that I find weird. But that's my personal experience. Otherwise, it's a great place to get seafood boil. Make sure you grab a crafty bucket when you're here! read more

Crafty Crab - Drink menu - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

5 stars! The server at Crafty Crab was amazing! Super friendly, attentive, and made our dining experience top-notch. And the food? Wow! The seafood was fresh and flavorful, loved it! Great job! read more

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Food is good here but they swiped by card twice and said the first would be a void and refunded me back. So, I paid $120 instead of $60.

Probably not for me again. Prices were fair. Food was fast but literally got sick in restaurant when finished. Service was ok. People at front were friendly. Drinks were strong and well priced. Parking was easy. read more

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. I took my mom here for a birthday lunch at 2 PM on a Wednesday, expecting a decent meal, but instead, we had a dining experience that was beyond subpar. From the moment we walked in, the blaring, expletive-filled music made it impossible to have a conversation at our table. The catfish I ordered had a rancid, muddy taste, making it clear that food safety is not a priority here. I flagged our server, who then informed the manager, but it was not addressed. Not even an apology. The fish legitimately tasted like a dirty fish tank smells. I'd have been better off throwing the $20 spent in my plate straight into the garbage, because at least then I wouldn't have had to taste actual garbage. To top it all off, the bathrooms were absolutely vile--filthy, unkempt, and quite possibly the most disgusting I've ever encountered in a restaurant. If that's any indication of how they handle cleanliness, I shudder to think about what's happening in the kitchen. Avoid this place at all costs. I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. read more

Came here with friends during a quick visit from Vegas when I had a seafood craving. I immediately loved the vibe when I walked in. They were playing great music and they had sports on the tvs. I ordered a daily special seafood boil that included snow crab legs, shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage. We also ordered some onion rings and sweet chili wings for the table. For the seafood boil, I got "the boom" seasoning, which is all of their seasonings combined. Soooooo good!! I was worried all of those flavors would be too salty, but it was a great combination. I almost didn't finish it because it was so much, which is a good thing! A good bargain! The wings were really good, but could've been crispier. The onion rings were really good and extra crispy. They give you a bib, gloves, and hand wipes. I washed it down with a bottle of Michelob Ultra. Will definitely be back next time I'm in town! read more

Crafty Crab - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The Cray Crab in District Heights, MD, is the worst. The service is horrible. They are so Getto and so unprofessional. I will never go in there again. My waitress kept going outside because she had her child at work, and the manager was watching him, so she kept checking on him. I don't recommend anyone to ever go here. They need a whole new staff. read more

Love this place. The Cajun seafood boil is fantastic. The lobster was cooked to perfection, not dry at all. Parking was a little tricky but I finally learned about the parking garage. This is my go-to for good drinks and a good seafood boil. read more

Always excellent. I normally get the steamed Cajun lobster tail with shrimp, crab, legs, sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes. It's to die for! read more

Crafty Crab - Cajun steamed lobster boil! - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Food was so good. I got cajun seasoning and medium spice level. Very sauced up and juicy. Service was fast too. read more

Crafty Crab - A. Snow Crab & Headless Shrimp Combo - Seafood Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Food and service 2/10 "security" sat us and checked on us. Don't even get me started with what I sat across from...

Service was slow, boil was nasty.. the drinks were not appealing either..I will continue to go to hook n reel

Food 10/10. Server 0/10. I want to start off by saying that the food was very hot and absolutely delicious. However, we had a server "Olga" & she was probably one of the worst I've ever had to experience, ONLY because of her attitude. She wouldn't check on us, made us wait forever on a drink, couldn't fix our food, and took forever to check us out with no communication. but the MANAGER? SO HELPFUL! If we return it will only be because of the Manager, and the delicious food. Not sure we will, she ruined our experience... read more

The parking instructions were confusing but once we got settled in this food was a hit! I kept it simple and got the shrimp basket but baby it was delicious. It was seasoned to perfection, fried in fresh grease and didn't have me sluggish. The staff was so nice and even took pics of me and my family. It's a clean restaurant, low lighting and tvs all around. When I visit again I'll definitely go back. read more

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I wish I could give this place 5 stars since the food is good. But every time we come the service just gets worse. Went on Friday night for a sea food boil.. the front desk ladies were nice & seated us right away. Our waitress didn't come to our table till after maybe 10-15mins. She saw us sitting, made direct eye contact with me & still did not come to our table. Our drinks came AFTER our food. We had to remind her for our drinks. She didn't bring us any crackers for the crab legs or the stick to get the meat out. We had to remind her multiple times, until I got up & went to the front to ask for one. Didn't come to check if anything else was needed. We didn't have paper towels.. had to grab some from another table. I want to love this place but this last experience was just awful. On top of all.. our order was wrong read more

I love the food, service, and Ambiance. I ordered a side order of fries and a Crab boil in a bag with shrimp and mussels and I believe it was the Lobster Special. It was also the boom medium and we had a large party so it was really spatious and a lot of great service read more

Let talk about it! First of all: Nina (she wasn't on the clock and made it very known although she was behind the bar for over ten mins conversing with her Asian coworker when I asked a simple question about my check) make it make sense. Service was horrible on a SLOW Sunday! I had hair in my drink twice. They got my order wrong and then it took over 30 mi ties to get my check, when I finally asked NINA (bc she was the ONLY person available) she Stella me she ain't in the clocks and proceeds to walk away instead of communicating with one of her co workers. #FunTimes read more

Let me just start by saying I'm no stranger to this establishment. I frequent this location often, whether it's to dine in or takeout; either way, I'm never disappointed. I was feeling a bit down today and figured I'd go get some seafood to help put me in a better mood considering seafood always makes me happy. My friend and I decided to go with the fries and hush puppies for our appetizers. Both came out pipping hot & cooked to perfection. Now on to the entrees, my friend went with the Dungeness special, boom sauce, and Medium. She enjoyed every bit of her boil. She also had a Mai Tai, which was tasty as well. I went with my usual, the lobster special, made everything a whole 1lb, added four eggs, a half lb of Dungeness crab with buttery garlic sauce, and fire for my source level. My boil is always on point, and I always have plenty to eat there and take home. I know it's a lot, but what can I say? I love seafood! I had my favorite drink, a Shirley temple. The music is always on point too. The highlight of our night wasn't the tasty food or drinks; it was the service we received from our bomb server, TONI (13). Toni is the epitome of excellent customer service. She was very attentive, took our orders without writing things down, got everything right, and checked on us constantly to ensure every need was met, all while doing the same for the other tables/patrons she handled near us as well. Not only did we compliment her superb service, but so did another table she served. Thank you again, Toni (13), for all your hard work and dedication to serving your clients and treating us how you would like to be treated (big respect to you). If It's not clear by now, Toni deserves a raise. She helped turn my shitty weekend around. You never know what a person is going through and how your kind gesture can change people. Customer service is hard to come by, so when it does, it should be recognized. I will definitely be back for more good food/drinks, and hopefully, Toni is our server again.i read more

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Family enjoyed a snow crab and crawfish boil, medium spice, BOOM! style. We enjoyed it a lot. We ordered extra eggs and potatoes which were good but honestly ordering extra rice to go with the boil is what hit the spot. Perfect for soaking up the sauce. Louder than some places but we could still have a good conversation. Wife doesn't love seafood but really enjoyed her fried catfish. Super busy for a Sunday night but our waitress did her best. Will be back again. read more