I was looking for somewhere good to eat when in the Leesburg, VA area, and Ricardo J from Dallas came through for me with his 5-Star review of this place from a few years ago. He was right! I wasn't super starving, so the buttery warm lobster roll sounded like it would hit the spot, and it did. It was delicious and loaded with lobster. What I didn't expect was that beautifully charred corn on the cob... wow was that delicious too. And thin, crispy fries! Oh yeah! I almost forgot I started off with an amazing shrimp cocktail with plump, dense, cold shrimp served on ice. The cocktail sauce had a nice kick to it too. The menu was extensive and there's surely something on it for any seafood lover. I'd come back if I was in the area as it was probably the best meal I had in Leesburg. read more

See all

Fantastic experience from start to finish! The food was fresh, flavorful, and arrived quickly, and the atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable. Our server, Briana was especially outstanding she was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. Her great attitude and excellent service really made the visit memorable. I'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great dining experience! Try both the fried and boiled lobster, they are so good, it's hard to pick which is the best one. read more

Amazing staff ! I drove over an hour to pick my wife's new car and needed to drive back home. My wife and daughter wanted fords and the waitress and manager personally talked to to the kitchen to let them know. First time at this location and I will be back! I felt so at home here I can't help but come back read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Nice bar to meet a friend and hang out at - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

I've heard so many positive things about Ford's over the years and recently got a chance to give them a try for a business lunch. They weren't busy just after noon when we got there, so we were quickly seated. The menu is large, with so many options it was hard to choose. I asked the server what he recommended and pretty much went with that. He said the clam chowder and the fish & chips were popular - so that's what I ordered. The clam chowder was pretty good! Not the best I've had - that would be Abe & Louie's or Bank's, both in Boston. But it was very nice and it most definitely scratched the it for traditional Boston clam chowder! Next up was the fish & chips... this was a huge entrée! There were many pieces of fish and each was perfectly battered on the outside and tasty, fresh, delicate cod on the inside... really nice! The tartar sauce was also something slightly elevated from the typical and worked well with the fish. The "chips" were slightly thinner than regular, traditional French fries - too small for my liking, but decently flavored. And I really liked the cole slaw too. Overall - Very nice visit... I look forward to returning! read more

See all

We have been long time diners at Fords Fish Shack since they opened in Lansdowne 10-15 years ago. Good food except for the French Fries. They are awful, skinny, and leathery. We did takeout today and forgot to substitute something for the fries. By the time we arrived at our home that is only 5 minutes away, the fries were not edible! The owner tries to mimic a seafood restaurant in New England but they fail miserably with their fries. I in the future we will skip the fries from Fords and use our air fryer! read more

This place just continues to improve and has become part of the foundation of the Loudoun restaurant scene. Tonight I had the swordfish special which was outstanding. Aidan was our excellent waiter, very friendly and knowledgable. He kept our drinks full and answered our questions about the menu, excellent. Will be back soon, big thanks read more

We usually go to the Ashburn location but tried the Lansdowne location tonight. We were very impressed! The server was very friendly and attentive. We started off with the Angry Mussels that includes a first rate broth and yummy garlic toast. The mussels were perfectly cooked. I had the Salmon medium rare served on a bed of mashed potatoes and a side of el dente green beans with pearl onions. To finish we had the hot blueberry pie with cinnamon ice cream. Everything was perfect. read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Salmon dinner - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I want to make this our place but... 9PM on a FRIDAY and the waitstaff is running a shrill sounding vacuum on the entry carpets. We're all looking at each other with a "is this actually happening" face! Enough! It's a weekend night and you are completely ruining the vibe / it's as if you want us to leave / it's closing time! Management needs to fix this ASAP - this is awful! read more

After no good times for dinner at Ashburn, we visited the Leesburg location, smaller but always available. Greeted warmly and got to choose a nice booth after being seated somewhere else. Our server made sure o tell her it was her first day (Hannah) and except for slightly messing up our salad, she got the most complicated meal all OK. We ordered guacamole, Maine ships and for main course 2 chopped salads, lobster tail with scallops and crab cake (kids Filet also). Glass of wine. Nice visit and polite management (who fixed our dry salads by getting us more dressing) read more

See all

When the first Ford's Fish Shack opened up in Ashburn, we went for a meal. As it was still new at the time, the hype had yet to wind down. We ate at a counter in the bar. It was cramped and not comfortable but we did enjoy all the food we had ordered. Over the years. we would talk about going yet again but...so many restaurants, so little time. Recently, we were in Lansdowne and noticed that there was a Ford's there. We made a reservation for 5 p.m. on a Saturday. When we got there, we immediately noticed that a reservation during that time of day wasn't necessary. The decor theme is New England "fish shack" with the theme carrying into the names of the menu items. Service seems to be whomever notices you first either takes your order or says they will be right back. A young man said he would take it in a few minutes but a woman server showed up before he came back and took the order. Still...the young man showed up after she did. To drink, I had a seasonal non-alcoholic drink (although they did offer to add alcohol to it---at what extra cost, who knows?). It's called "Frozen Blueberry lemonade" which consists of: "Home-made frozen lemonade, wild Maine blueberries". This was surprisingly good. The blueberries were lightly macerated and were, indeed, sweet. Good thing it's served with a wide straw! This is one of those drinks that can give you brain freeze if you drink it too fast. My husband ordered a beer (can't remember what kind). We chose to start with an appetizer called "devilish Good eggs" which consists of: "Praline bacon, spiced pecans'. This comes with 5 eggs halves, which is an odd number when 2 are dining. In addition, if you want that 6th half, it costs an extra $3, which we thought was extravagant even considering inflation. The eggs were okay. There were 2 pieces of bacon which was nicely sugared. Still...we much prefer Jackson's version. My husband had the "Faroe Island Salmon" which consists of: "marinated short-smoked , Dijon cream sauce, basil mashed potatoes" He said his salmon was overcooked and on the dry side. I ordered a Connecticut style lobster roll. This dish comes with grilled corn and thin fries. When I've had a lobster roll served CT style, it comes with the butter on it. Here, at Ford's, it comes with a small cup of melted butter that you add to the roll. The roll was decent. The lobster was moist. I liked that it was served on a New England style roll. The grilled corn was mostly bitter as some parts were over blackened. The parts that weren't blackened were actually sweet. We didn't have room for dessert. So...in conclusion, we weren't impressed like we were when we previously tried the Ashburn location. We were left wondering if they are resting on their laurels. read more

See all

I've been to the original location at Ashburn couple of times before pandemic. Decided to go to their Lansdowne location to see if any difference in ambiance. This location feel more energetic almost like a pub. The decoration feels like a seaside pub. The reason we decided on Ford's was for their angry mussels appetizer. My son is into mussels lately and it did not disappoint. They are big juicy piece in really nice sauce/broth sprinkle with bacon bits. 4 pieces for toast to soak up all the delicious broth. For the main course, we got fish and chips, lobster cobb salad, and fried shrimp along with side of piece of fried cod. The fish and chip came with a good amount of fish, nicely batter and crispy. The only down side would be the fries, I am not a shoe string fries person. My wife's lobster cobb salad was excellent. Salad had the right amount of dressing complimenting the lobster. My son's fried shrimp basket had a good amount of large gulf shrimps fried perfectly. The service was excellent. One of my biggest issues at restaurants is I have to ask for refills. Not an issue at this restaurant, our waiter constantly ask if we needed refill. Great food, great service, reasonable prices. Will be back for sure. read more

See all

Lovely dinner at Ford's Fish Shack! I sat in the bar due to the great people watching and I could watch the US Open! At first I didn't have a waitress for like 5 min, but once she came she was great!! My drink and salad were amazing. The lemonade didn't really taste like there was any alcohol in it, but it was still tasty. The crab cake was ok. 5/10. Not true lump crab cakes like one would expect in the DC area. While there was a lot of crab it was held together by a mayonnaise type sauce. Overall was favorable, just not what I was expecting. read more

See all

Wonderful evening dinner outside, Giada took wonderful care of us! The oysters... (swoon!) were so good. (Blue Point/Connecticut) Thank you Fords for a great evening out! read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Champagne and perfect oysters. What else does one need in life?? - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I came by with my family on a Saturday evening and we were able to be seated immediately. We ordered a variety of items - fish and chips, fish sandwich, salmon, and a kids meal cheeseburger. I personally had gotten the salmon, medium rare. It was a huuuge portion of salmon which was fabulous but unfortunately I found it a bit salty. My dad really enjoyed his fish and chips which was definitely a steal. I've done here before and had gotten the cod which I think I had enjoyed more than the salmon so think it depends on what you get. Fish and chips is def the star of the show here. read more

See all

Highly underwhelmed and completely disappointed with this restaurant. We made reservations and arrived before our scheduled time. Our hostess seemed less than thrilled to be there and expressed it with her annoyed and irritated greetings as she was seating us. Our server came over. Spoiler Alert: I loathe when servers choose not to take orders using paper/pen or some type of recordable machine. It's a HUGE red flag that something from my order will be incorrect. Nevertheless, he took our order from memory and repeated it before he left. Our meals came and wouldn't you know it, the order was incorrect. My husband's entire order was incorrect. We flagged down another server and she checked the order. I heard her tell our server that he put the wrong meal in the system. The server came over to apologize and let us know the correct meal would be served in 5 min. That was the last we saw of this server assisting us. Well, technically we saw him several times after, but he chose not to come to our table. He came over a few times and checked on the two tables around us, brought water to them, checked on them but didn't even look our way. My food, the fish and chips, was nice and crunchy but lacked ANY seasoning or flavor. The fries were average, but the coleslaw was pretty good. After seeing that our server had no intention on coming back to check on us, I flagged down the manager. The saving grace of our visit was the General Manager, Ben. After I described our less than pleasant experience, he apologized profusely and said he was taking over our table. He also comped our meals and insisted we take home a dessert. He went above and beyond to assist us and we truly appreciated it. I still can't give a higher rating because it was just too many mistakes. If we were dealing with Ben and Ben only, this review would be five stars. We don't live near here, but if we did, pretty certain we wouldn't be return customers. Thanks Ben for your professionalism and providing us with excellent customer service. read more

Stopped by with some friends around 9pm tonight. Very quiet evening and the server was super friendly and wasn't rushing us. We actually stayed past 10pm and he went over and beyond with making fresh coffee. Food was great as usual. I'm terrible with remembering names but I believe it was Adam. He really made the night great with his personality and hospitality. The food- we got the Cod and Steak and it was perfect. read more

The food was good, but the customer service was exceptionally bad. One of the wait staff spilled ketchup all over my husband's white shirt, pants, shoes, and phone. She quickly left and did not return with napkins or make any attempt to help clean up. When we requested to talk to a manager, she stopped by briefly but didn't seem overly concerned about making our experience better or compensating. This is the difference between prioritizing process over people. Very dissapointing. We will not be returning. read more

This is our go-to fried seafood eatery. Food and service has been consistently good. Today I was a bit surprised. Our server was nice but seemed to be busy with outside tables and a larger party. I never got my empty glass of water refilled. It's odd because she did come to refill my wife's ice tea. Food was delicious except for my "corn on the cob". I always order this combo meal and I was surprised how good the shrimp roll and fries were but the corn was too cold, Parking is always convenient. The place was NOT crowded at 12:30p so not sure why service was sketchy. read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Fried shrimp - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Final night in the area and I was seeking seafood. I saw Ford's in passing when I arrived in the area and went to a nearby fast food joint. The Lobstah sign in the window intrigued me so I went back for dinner, layer in my trip. I was seated promptly. My waitress was nice but also seemed a bit nervous like she was new to the job. I asked about the Halibut special listed on a standing placard at the hostess station. While I love halibut I had a feeling it wasn't going to come in a way I wanted, so I deferred to my original idea of doing the Lobster Roll dinner. (For the record, the halibut came on a spinach quesadilla, with a lime sauce on top and some black beans iirc - yeah, that's why I skipped it). The Lobstah roll comes in a few varieties: normal, Connecticut style and Grand Marnier. I chose the Connecticut because it comes warm with the normal clarified butter. This meal also came with grilled corn on the cob and thin French fries. The meal came fairly quickly. All of it was quite good. The corn had a smokey flavor from the grill which was nice. The fries were definitely thin, and a bit hard to eat as a result. But they tasted good. The lobster roll was also very good but was just shy of completely filling. A footlong would have been far too much, and far too expensive. I left having enjoyed the flavors but still a little hungry. I gave myself some time to settle, and still felt hungry. But that was the only shortcoming in a good meal. There's lots of other fun stuff on the menu I'd love to try, but I don't expect to be back anytime soon. read more

See all

This one is located in a nice little town center. Ordered the New England Cod with Basil Mashed Potatoes and beans. The fish seemed to be either undercooked or not fresh. It was NOT soft and delicate. Instead it was stiff. The sauce and overall dish was good. For desert I had the crème Brûlée. It had a hint of Grand Marnier and few sliced strawberry on top. It wasn't too sweet which I liked. Overall a decent place if you are in a mood for some seafood. read more

See all

Always great service especially the bartenders. Love 1$ oyster night. Angry mussels delicious!! Shrimp basket a hit with my boys and husband. read more

Don't order the crab cake sandwich. It is nothing but filler, not even lump, much less jumbo. Very disappointing.

We normally go to the Ashburn location since that is closer to us but they didn't have a reservation available. We arrived on time but had to wait for the hostess to sit us and figure out where they wanted us to sit. We asked for a booth but the hostess only gave us a half-booth. It's ok- We were famished so we all quickly looked at the menu for food. Our waiter came and he asked what we wanted to drink- we all ordered water and told him we were ready to order. He took our order, came back with our waters and just threw a few straws in the middle of our table. Not a big deal. Our orders came- first the clam chowder, calamari and bone-in wings. We had to ask our waiter for some plates so we can start eating. The Clam chowder was lukewarm and tasted like someone threw some vinegar in the soup. Not sure if that's how it was supposed to taste. The calamari and bone-in wings were actually pretty good taste-wise and was freshly cooked. Next the Angry mussels came in- every other mussel we ate had some grain of sand/stone in it. Then I had the fish tacos- my first bite had some type of grain/sand in the taco which was very weird. I ended up only eating one taco. My husband had the tile fish on angel hair pasta- he said the pasta was better than the fish and I agree. His fish definitely did not taste right. We decided they were good enough to take home to our dogs though. The next weird part was when we paid the bill- Our bill came to about $123. I had two gift cards which I thought had $50 each (or so I was told by the person whom gifted it to me) so I gave him $30 of cash with the cards. He came back and said the cards only had $25 each. Not a big deal since I never verified the GC amount - I gave him another $50 cash. So total cash I have given him so far was $80 plus the two $25 gift cards which totaled $130 which should've been enough to cover the bill. He comes back again and asked if I gave him enough and if I wanted change. I said yes and I thought this was weird because normally, the servers would just give you back your change and then you figure out the tip later. In this case, he just stood there. Our waiter seemed like he wanted me to give him his tip already- so my husband told me to just give him another $20 which ensued arguments later in the car. Yes, I didn't have to give the server any more money but we just wanted to get home. I think fishing for tips like that is just unprofessional or maybe he didn't know any better. Either way, it didn't sit well with all of us because he definitely didn't deserve a $27 tip. We will definitely not be coming back to this location. read more

See all

Ordered the lobster roll! Hearty plate full when I left!!! Chilly inside restaurant so bring thin sweater.

During my two weeks in the area, I have been to Ford's four times - and I still have time for one or two more visits. Each time coming here, I have been very impressed with the quality of food and service. Aaron both at the bar and as a server has been extremely professional and quick to tend to patrons' needs. As far as food - yes, my scope has been limited to the Ipswich clams, fried oysters, and raw oysters. That's all I have had here, and all I will have. The clams have come out hot and breaded just right, full of flavor and a good size. I have had fried clams that are all batter, but these are delicately battered so you can get plenty of that clam texture and flavor. The Wicked Pissah oysters are advertised as being raised exclusively for Ford's - this well could be as I have never heard of these large, briny mollusks anywhere else. They are simply delicious. My colleagues have also eaten here and have commented on the shrimp tacos and fried fish, sayin g they were also pleased with their food. All in all - I have had a great experience every time and will sorely miss coming here. read more

See all

This was a take out order for a couple fish n chips and it was actually pretty decent. The fish was hot, lightly seasoned and flaky. If you are a fan of shoe string fries these were perfect ! read more

We had an amazing dinner with Tom. The muscles were THE BOMB! Great wine and service.

The mussels were fantastic. Also enjoyed the deviled eggs appetizer. Would definitely recommend.

The food is ok. Nothing amazing, but not bad either. We ordered: - Rocket shrimp appetizer. The shrimp itself had no seasoning and neither did the batter, although the sauce was delicious. The slaw was a nice refreshing touch. - For dinner, the branzino with cilantro rice and poblano sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly and the sauce was tasty. -dozen oysters -basket of corn muffins, 6 per basket The bartender, Brenda, was very attentive, she gave a few food recommendations and was great to chat with. read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Branzino with cilantro rice & poblano sauce - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

A really nice seafood restaurant with great service and outside seating. We had the rocket shrimp appetizer which came with a tasty slaw and some string beans. I had the fish & chips which were perfectly breaded and not coated in batter. (I prefer a lighter coating) A friend had, and enjoyed, the lobster roll which was served with a grilled corn on the Cobb. read more

See all

My wife and I visited on May 19th. I had the fish and chips. I had their spicy shrimp as an appetizer, delicious. The shrimp were crispy and the sauce very tasty. The fish was cooked perfectly, batter was light and crispy. Fish is absolutely delicious. Best fried fish in Leesburg. The coleslaw is Not very good. It's mostly just cabbage and hardly any sauce. It desperately needs more sauce and some acid. I know I shouldn't order ribs at a seafood restaurant but I did. Although they were tasty, they were dry. Sauce was good. I wouldn't order them again. My wife had crab legs and corn on the cob. She loves their crab legs. It was very busy, so we sat outside. Our server was very attentive, hustled between tables. read more

I love authentic New England style seafood and Fords does it a good as anybody up there. Ask anyone in New England and they'd tell you they're is no comparison between fresh and frozen... and Fords agrees...fresh is it.. but it comes at a price. A menu that has no prices on it because everything is based on market price that day. Today I ordered their Maine seafood basket which came with fried whole belly clams and scallops, slaw and fries. I added a 4oz piece of fish to that. The fish was incredibly delicious! It may be the best in the DC metro area. The clams were good, not great and the scallops were likewise delicious, though maybe not up to New England's "best of" standards but still very good. In total,my lunch of fried seafood and a fountain beverage ran about $36 not including tip. It's a place I'll visit when I have a hankering for fresh seafood but not the motivation to cook my own. But I won't be making it more than an infrequent visit...just a bit rich for this retirees pocketbook. read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Seating area - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

Loved the oyster shooters and steamed long neck clams. It made us feel like we were in Maine. The restaurant was very nicely decorated.

Nice place to meet up w friends. We shared the angry mussels, a combination of fish and shrimp tacos and the foot long lobster roll. Good and attentive service. read more

See all

So I stop in for happy hour when I first move here ... decent drink prices... decent appetizers. Bartender was great she was very attentive. Today we stop in and had the fish and chips (good tartar sauce) and the Black Sea Bass (the Special), both were outstanding. I was actually a little surprised. Our waitress was really good making the experience more inviting. Will definitely be back again.... For nothing else for the fish and chips. read more

See all

Everything was great! Delicious. I forgot they have fried lobster that is amazing but I forgot to order it and too full to do it! read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Lobster bisque, Angry mussels and BLT wedge salad. - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

I am not sure if it was just because it was Mother's day but this was by far the worst dinner I have had out. Service slow but I realized it was very busy. We waited and waited for our main entrees. Table next to us got their's way before us even though they were seated later. When we were served one was incorrect and the waitress acted annoyed and then brought the right entre. It was missing Cole slaw not that big of a deal. However all our food was stone cold not even luke warm. I never complain about food but this was bad. Asked to speak to a manager after letting them know and the manager was like so what do you want me to do? Hmm. I would think they would have a plan . They did comp 1 meal and gave another discount but just overall seemed very unprofessional. Will not be going back or recommending read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Fish tacos, 2 baskets - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Staff too busy. After sitting for an amount of time not a waiter or waitress acknowledged us. Only one other party of about 8 people in the place. Heard staff talking and I'm sure the hostess informed someone we were there Ended up walking out read more

This place has the freshest seafood I have had since being on the east coast for the last six years. Not only that, but their bar thunder Geison, a long time friend of mine, only through restaurant dining, has created some of the most delicious cocktails you could ever ask for.. I am so happy to see this place pushing the envelope, especially with their Oyster menue.... & Geison... still crushing it.... I am a total fanatic for Ford's... read more

See all

Baby you betta come down and get these fried lobster tails! We where shopping at Leesburg outlets and the cashier at coach recommended this place. It DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Mailey our server was great and whenever we are back we will be Back! read more

Ford's Fish Shack Lansdowne - Fried lobster tails! - American Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia