Reserved and picked up 1-1/2 bushels of large steamed crabs. The owner, Nevis, was super helpful taking my order and, on pickup, everything went as smooth as silk. All of my party/crab feast attendees were very happy with the crabs. I would highly recommend Hard Shell to any of my friends! read more

Delish!! The crabs were full. Ran down to get some last minute. Peeps were great. Again, so full and delish!!‍

I have been a loyal customer of Hard Shell in Elkridge for quite some time, and this is the first time I've had such a disappointing experience. Yesterday, I specifically ordered female crabs, but when I got home, I discovered that I had been given male crabs instead. To make matters worse, the crabs were mushy and tasted spoiled. They were not edible, so I threw them away because I wasn't going to let bad seafood sit in my trash and stink up my home. When I called this morning to explain what happened, instead of listening and trying to resolve the issue, the employee I spoke with became argumentative and dismissive. This isn't the first time I've experienced his attitude. He is consistently rude, unprofessional, and seems more interested in arguing with customers than providing good customer service. I've purchased crabs from Hard Shell many times over the years and have never had a bad batch until now. This experience was extremely disappointing, not only because I wasted my money but also because of the way I was treated when I called to report the problem. I hope you will address both the quality of the seafood and the customer service being provided. Loyal customers deserve to be treated with respect, and I believe your business would benefit from having employees who are friendly, professional, and focused on resolving customer concerns instead of creating conflict. I would appreciate hearing from you regarding how you plan to address this situation. read more

We purchased Two dozen females for 100 bucks and they were not fresh, claws and legs were dried out . You should inform customers that when crabs are not fresh . I tried to give this place another chance after a previous bad experience but to no avail. I won't be buying from them. read more

Crab deviled eggs are delish! Service is good and fast. I will return for crabs soon.

The Truckers (largest size crabs) were surprisingly really good. I came across this restaurant on my way home and was pleasantly surprised. Great service and the owner was extremely nice. I will definitely be back!!! read more

Crabs here are mushy, and have a bad smell. The crabs used to be good at this location when the owners were there for quality control. Service is fast and friendly but I do not think they are knowledgeable about crabs. Which makes it hard to understand what is good. read more

I bought 1 dozens jumbo crabs for 130 but was charged 135 on credit account got 4 jumbo crabs out the dozens the rest was mixed and wasn't good don't go there can't be trusted. read more

I called to order crabs. Greeted by a guy with a Spanish accent. He assisted me with pricing and my order was ready when I arrived. I ordered 1 dz med and added on 2 ears of corn and 2 orders of deviled eggs. The guy in the store was hilarious and very friendly. The crabs were all a decent size, delicious and well seasoned. read more

The customer service is horrible and the owner is rude. Owner stung me along that he would have crabs and never did. I called when he told me to and he told me to call back later. I stopped by and he put me on a call list and told me he would call when the crabs were in. I ITP my phone on my hip waiting for his call. After three hours I called and he said they were out. I told him he never called and he said he did and I never picked up. I checked my "all" calls and missed calls and there were none . I will NEVER go to this place again. It used to be a hidden gem now it's just a rude shady establishment. read more

I have been here twice now. The second time was not as good because we had to order the smaller size blue crab. Good prices and they were quick with making the food. read more

Owner was responsive and very caring. Carbs were heavy and full of meat. From reviews go on your own and judge your expence

The crab deviled eggs were really tasty and would make a good side dish. The shrimp we ordered was covered in WAY too much spice and not evenly distributed, some had big globs and others looked like they were afraid of it. The store is a market not designed for sitting and eating. It is brightly lite to see all of their products, it's a seafood store. So that is all to say about ambience.. Service was friendly, not chatty or anything. We never had the impression that we were moving to slow deciding or from the questions we asked that anyone was getting impatient with us. Overall, it was okay. Not spectacular but not worried about dirt. Just okay. read more

I really wasn't expecting much from this place but was surprised by the quality of the crab cakes. I had to cook it myself, but it was well worth the drive to get a few of these and I wasnt disappointed. read more

At first, the crab looked big before we bought it, but when we came home to eat it, it was small. When we ate it, the taste was like an old crab and it wasn't sweet at all. And there was too much seasoning, WAY too much. The crab was so light and bad! The customer service was TERRIBLE, never coming back. read more

We wanted a special treat for a BBQ we were throwing, so we decided to try this place, based on a friend's recommendation. They have only been open for around seven months, but hopefully they'll be here forever! The price for the large size male blue crabs were a little more than we wanted to spend, so we decided to go with the medium males. Fortunately, they were having a special on those, so they were even cheaper than we expected to pay. Make sure you ask about any specials when you call. The crabs were FANTASTIC! Perfectly seasoned with Old Bay, perfectly cooked, no mushy spots, and even though they were mediums, they were bursting with meat. The crabs were ready and bagged when we arrived for pickup, tasted incredible, and I think ordering crabs from here will be a new family tradition. read more

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Delicious hard shell crabs and steamed shrimp and more! I ordered a dozen crab for a birthday celebration. We also got steamed shrimp Everything was delicious and I will definitely order from here again. Conveniently located near Costco read more

Hard Shell - two crabs on a newspaper - Seafood Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Bought a dozen jumbos and they were perfect! Heavy and delicious. I also got a pound of steamed shrimp; Those too were amazing. I'll definitely be back! read more

Had some of the best crabs from Hard Shell. Steamed and seasoned well. Great customer service. Ordered them for my husband's birthday and he was thrilled with the taste and heaviness of the crabs with so much meat. We'll be coming back here again. read more

Service was good. Staff was friendly. Shrimp was not deveined. I spent a lot of time cleaning out cooked shrimp. Finally gave up and threw some out. read more

Picked up a dozen crabs here on my way home from the airport. They were great and lots of seasoning.

Extra large crab is great! The jumbo shrimps are really big and juicy. The service is great as well.

Hey ..hey Hard Shell , I already finish your steam sauces delicious box of jumpo shrimps $14.95 You press my point. I'm in town for visiting and while awaiting in Trader Joe's line and found you. This place is unique my 1st try ordered over the phone 1 lbs jumbo shrimps ( generous portion, meaty, huge , and good amount of sauces). Their shrimps are big, juicy, meaty, piping hot . Their price is a reasonable to compare some seafood restaurants in CA and service is prompt and ready when I came in pick up. Since I travel here not too long , wish you have franchise in CA and I will come alot. One thing negative because this place run out of napkins , better for prepare. read more

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Love the crab cakes here! They don't come cook but just 8-10 minutes in the oven or airfryer and you're good to go. Super delicious and the price is perfect. If in the area, a great place to stop by. read more

First time coming here and was very happy. Placed my order Friday morning (11am)and didn't have to call back multiple times like alot of places make you do. Ordered 2 1/2 dozen large males, order was ready at 5pm which is when I said I'd be there. The crabs were well seasoned and we're if good size. The price was inline with other places in the area. I really liked the service. Next time I'll try other items on the menu read more

Hard Shell - Seafood Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

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delicious crab. call ahead and order to ensure they don't run out before you arrive. they can also get lobster but need at minimum 3 days notice. we enjoyed the usual 2 dozen crabs and peel yoself shrimp. it was all amazingly finger licking good with the old bay seasoning read more

"The atmosphere here is fantastic, and the seafood is simply amazing! This has become my favorite spot!"

this place use to be the best fresh crabs and all...... but now it's like they are resteaming the crabs and sometimes when I go he tell me one price on the phone and another in person...... on top of using my card I still had to pay a extra $5 which is cool cause the crabs I thought I was getting would have been worth it ...... but I didn't get what use to be givin this place has fell off tremendously read more

Visit it every time of the season to get crab. Best service and crabs. It's fast and they got variety of sizes. They always give you some extra one in the bag. read more

Had a large party and we ordered 2 bushels. Hard Shell has great customer service. And the large crabs were excellent! Seasoned very well.

The service was outstanding. The wait was 20 minutes. The crabs were medium and tasted fresh. I would recommend that you try them at least once. However, this is Carryout and they requested a tip. They accept credit/debit payment and there is a fee. With the tip and debit card fee I paid $13 extra. I probably will not return because I found better pricing for crabs. This place was recommended by a friend. read more

My eyes were bigger than my stomach because the crab cakes were bigger than expected! I mean, 4oz doesn't sound like much, does it? But when that's 3.9 oz of crab meat and a wee speck of filler, wow, do you get (wait for it) FILLED up fast! Not that I didn't try to eat my delicious cream of crab soup...and not that I didn't polish off two delish crab devilled eggs... And, hey, don't judge me for also having some of the shrimp salad (which is not usually a favorite, but certainly is now!). This non-descript, family-run little spot is a fantastic place and is my new go-to for all things crab. I'll definitely be working with them to get some fresh fish, too! read more

Found this spot by accident traveling from Jersey! The crabs are big, meaty, and well seasoned for a decent price. The same goes for the shrimp. The customer service was amazing! I will be making this a stop every time I'm traveling through the area! I can't stop thinking about it!!! read more

Awesome crabs. XL were heavy and seasoned well. Competitive price. Perfect way to start a Maryland summer! read more

Hard Shell - XL males from Louisiana. - Seafood Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

The crabs are always very very fresh and tasty and the service delivery guy is very friendly and funny. Love this place wish it was 5 mins away from my house versus 15. Also, the place is always very very clean. read more

If buying raw seafood (CRABS) be sure to count the amount presented before leaving premises....This firm shorts your bagged inventory.

Why am I just now finding out about this place?! I've lived in MD (Columbia, to be exact) for a year now. I've been driving to Laurel (to a place not worth mentioning ) to get crabs. Yesterday, I found this place on accident and I'm glad I did. I ordered a dozen male crabs and a pound of large steamed shrimp. EVERYTHING was cooked and seasoned perfectly! The customer service was great and my food was ready on time. I highly recommend this place for your seafood needs. read more

Great service and fresh crabs! Bought half a dozen alive crabs and the man gave me a few more crabs for free!

This place was recommended to me. It was nice out so I decided what the heck ill give them a try! So so glad I did. Excellent customer service, excellent prices. I ordered medium dozen and let me tell you. Those were the BEST crab I've had all year! This is my go to crab spot for now on. Crabs were so heavy. I got a side of there butter/seasoning sauce and let me tell you im so sad it was the last one I got. So so good. I also ordered a dozen of shrimp so good. Im so overall happy with my purchase and they have a customer forever. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Welcome to the neighborhood. read more

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This was my first time and it will not be my last. These crabs were heavy, flavorful, and very meaty. They had a deal two dozens (females) of $28.00 crabs for 45 bucks. I am excited that I don't have to drive to Baltimore for crabs anymore. This place is worth your buck. The customer service was awesome too! read more

Hard Shell - Yummy crabs! - Seafood Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland