The place where I learned to love soft-shell crab. So thanks for that. Generally, eating crab en masse is a bit of an undertaking - all that pounding and plucking and slurping and hand wringing and wiping. The shrimp was good too but messy, as it similarly requires shelling. The crab bisque was straight up gross. Overall, an experience worth having, and a great view over the canal/marsh/water whatever it is. I probably won't be a regular, though - food always tastes better when someone else is footing the bill. read more

Very casual atmosphere and be prepared to share tables with people you don't know, but it doesn't matter because everyone is there for the same reason. The crab bisque was delicious and flavorful, so thick it was like crab pudding. Their house salad was fresh with what appeared to be local produce. Happy, happy me. I ordered the flounder sandwich ($9) only to see on the bill they had charged me for the platter ($24.95) so that sucks, but it was really good flounder. Fried perfectly and the flavor was just salty and perfect in my opinion. Everyone else at the table very happy with their meals. It was a great place to visit off the beaten path, if not a little unpolitically correct (at least where I live). read more

This establishment has been around for years , the way the business is run today is awful . It used to be a busselling business. The only way i see that happening is if outsider show up , yes there are some loyal followers but even they have dwindled. I see everyone commenting on prices , most of us do not mind paying for a good , well porportioned meal with great service. The service people there have always been good , it is the quality of the food and the portions that have been going downhill for quite a while. I refuse to return after paying premium prices for a Scallop dinner only to receive five pencil eraser sized over cooked scallops and menial sides , " THE BEER WAS GOOD" and the poor server was embarassed , i thought it was a joke at first , not so. I asked for the manager which ended up being the owner , (she was not very nice at all and needs training for a service person and how to talk to customers) never the less i paid my tariff and let her know i would never return , she had no comment! This is a small Family Busines that needs help , i love my comunity and try to patron all that i can , but Sambo's is in trouble , would like to see them hire someone to come in and return this place to her glory , it is in a great place for a small town eatery with immense history. I can only hope that someone from this establishment reads this and take it to heart , i am writing this to envoke change and hope thy read it as well intentioned crtitical information so they can evoke the interest of returning this place to what it used to be. LOCAL YOCAL WANTING THE OLD SAMBOS! read more

The lady that answers the phone here is very rude and seems very iritated. make me not want to spend my money here. customer service is everything. just saying.‍ read more

We always have a great time at Sambos! I am a local and we love the place. We come here regularly . The food and the hospitality is always good. Keep in mind Sambos is mainly a crab house and most people come here to eat hard crabs that are from around here. They have other items on their menu but the crabs are the main attraction. The views of the river are beautiful and just up the road is Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge. read more

I have eaten here several times and it has always been good. This time I ordered crab bisque. I saw dark pieces of something in the bisque and suddenly realized it was canned mushroom soup with crab meat in it. Really disappointing. read more

There is no where else on earth quite like Sambo's Tavern. Too bad, because the world would be much better if it had a few more crab shacks like Sambo's in it. But we have to make do with just the one. What you get here is great tasting local fresh seafood served up without fuss by competent friendly folks in a family owned and run business. But the reason that you can only get it here, in Leipsic (Dover looks better on envelopes), is that Elva and her family and crew are all focused upon presenting a unique, casual, and memorable dining experience for everyone who walks through the door. That ain't easy. But they have been doing it perfectly for decades. That's why folks boat over from New Jersey to eat here. Why it is a NASCAR must for all the drivers and fans of the Dover International Speedway races. And then there are the awesome, perfect crabcakes. If you can resist ordering a pile of perfectly seasoned and steamed blue crabs or one of the other sandwiches or platters, or if you eat big and can do both, GET THE CRABCAKES! I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, and every waterfront restaurant serves some kind of crabcake. NOBODY ever served a better one than Sambo's. This is where the concept has been perfected, and everybody else just tries and fails to emulate. If you love seafood, you will never forget the first time you bite into a Sambo's menu item. If you are lucky enough to live nearby and visit often, try everything on the menu. It's all good. If you are visiting here and may not return, by all means order the crabcakes in some form, and then whatever else you have room for. You will be sorry later about every menu item you didn't try. read more

So good. The crabs are top notch. The sides are delicious. The fish is tasty. The pitchers of beer are cold and inexpensive. They only take cash. read more

Well worth the shirt drive from Dover to get here! Had the fried scallop platter and it was delicious! Great service, friendly staff! Someone even took the time to show my friend the correct way to eat the crabs! read more

Sambo's Tavern - Bars Near Me - Dover, Delaware

No one under 21 permitted they made a huge mistake staying a tavern. Couldn't even bring my 19 year old cousin in for crabs at 7pm! What a bummer. read more

I have to admit, it's a fair portion and fresh seafood, but it does get a bit on the expensive side for such location. The staff however is friendly and prompt and the food served is fresh. They don't allow kids because it's actually a bar. read more

Good, but expensive. I do love the atmosphere very old school crab house. They only take cash.

Located right on the water. This establishment has been run by family for many years. Very clean, courteous service. Homemade sweet tea, alcohol if you like, etc. The food is fresh and made to order. Well worth the trip to eat here. read more

Come here for the crabs and atmosphere! There's something about their seasoning that leave you thinking about it over the winter when they are closed. It's not the typical old bay season; Sambo's season is more of a salt based. You can't ask for more in lower slower Delaware. The occasional live music, while cracking crabs and looking into the sunset on the horizon, through their 180 view of the bay (dock), in an air conditioned room, and chugging ice cold beer at the same time. This complete package is worth their expensive $28/ half-dozen and $48 dozen jimmies. read more

Top notch flounder, it tasted as if the fish had leap out of the ocean onto my plate. Excellent service, family style tables, clean place, clean ladies room, lots of character and lovely views over water and marsh as sun set. Also had tasty steamed clams w beer. Definitely drive down 9 on coast as alter native to 113 and 1. Lush vistas all around. read more

This is a dive bar that has some delish seafood and a nice view of the DE Bay.

EXCELLENT. I had the crab cakes and were some of the best I have ever put in my mouth. Make sure to write your name and pin your location on their wall map. read more

Little country tavern with big seafood dishes. Crab cakes are 90% crab with just enough filler to hold them together. Servers are very attentive and friendly. The only thing we were a tiny bit disappointed with was the crab bisque. Little too thick for us. We will be back to try their crabs. Looked great. read more

The ambiance is great (the waterfront view being an exceptional highlight) and the food is good, for the most part. The whole crabs were a letdown, though, because they were smothered in salt to the point where, once the meat was removed, all you could taste was the salt that had been packed on to the outside. Not sure they were worth their price, which is a real shame because that's why we picked the restaurant to begin with. read more

Specializes in fried seafood. Awesome if you dont like an environment with kids, age for entry is 21.

Delish!!! A Great place for crabs. Best LUMP crab cakes you can get! No fillers. Always accommodating. And that is why so many keep returning. Including the numerous out of state patrons. And if you know anything about crabs and crabbing. You don't know what to expect in the beginning of any season. I depends on the weather. If you don't know ask, they will explain exactly how they are at that time. Sambos crab prices are in range with all the other restaurants in the area and maryland. I don't know how anyone could give Sambo's a bad review. I'm just a local who has eaten her fair share of crabs, and who happens to think this is the best place to go eat them. read more

Best crabs I've ever had! I'm from New England so I never understood the blue crab craze until I went to Sambos! The crabs were huge and meaty! So much flavor! Really great view and location. Perfect sea shack hangout! read more

This place is a real deal crab house on the Leipsic River. I had a terrific crab cake made from fresh Delaware Bay lump crab. No filler, just crab, very lightly spiced. Delaware #1 crabs are now available. read more

Sambo's Tavern - Sambo's in Leipsic, DE. - Bars Near Me - Dover, Delaware

NOT GROUP FRIENDLY!!! 30 of us rode down after calling ahead. We were told, while there were 3 patrons in the whole restaurant, that they couldn't do individual checks because they were going to be busy later that evening. We had a great meal at Boondocks down the road. read more

Is an absolute rookie at crab eating. The staff could not have been any more helpful or friendly. We had crab 101 at my table of how to break down a crab. It was so much fun and when you travel alone it is very time consuming which is great. The big Secret though is the crabcakes. There is more crab in one crabcake and in six crabs that you spend an hour and a half breaking apart. I highly recommend this hidden gem to burn some time and drink some beer. read more

My family has been eating at Sambo's for several generations. I even celebrated by 21st birthday here. The food and service is always fantastic. read more

Very disappointed. Went there for lunch and I ordered a crab cake sandwich. All filler. And I could not find any piece of crab in the crab bisque I ordered. My husband's sandwich was below average. It was not busy, but the wait was so long, we almost left. Our server was awful. She took forever to refill my water. She brought the wrong items to us and would not bring us our check, we had to get up, go to the bar, and ask for our check. We will never go back. Too many good seafood restaurants around the area. read more

The service was so slow and they were not busy. We were 2 of 4 people already there. 2 more people came in after us and they ordered 10 minutes after us. We all had sandwiches, but it seemed they waited and cooked our food all together. Our food came out the same time as the table 10 minutes after us. They also mixed up our orders. The crab cakes were ALL filler. Horrible. The cream of crab soup had about 2 pieces of crab in it. The rockfish was slimey and breaded way too much. We had to get up and go to the register to get our bill even though we had asked for it earlier. For 2 people for lunch, the bill was approx. $50.00. AND, you must pay cash. Go to a real seafood restaurant. read more

If it's not fried, you can't get it! But food is beautifully fried. Homemade cole slaw. Crab cakes size of baseballs and no filler! Yum!

Start with the good, the food was fresh, well prepared and served hot out of the fryer. Had to sit at the bar because we did not have a reservation for the dinning room overlooking the water... Seriously you need a reservation at a place with tavern in its name? Service at the bar was only fair as I watched half of the draft beer they poured go down the drain as foam because the lines are probably filthy also watched the bar tender pick up clean pitchers by the rim not the handle, yuck... hint order bottled beer or wine. There was still open "reserved" tables in the main dinning room when we left, wtf? read more

The last time we were there was the end of last season. They don't take any cards there including credit. We won't be going back there. The food is okay but not great. read more

This place was such a great disappointment. If you are not eating a table full of steamed crabs, don't come here. The other stuff is mediocre at best and over priced at that. The crab bisque was too thick and almost lumpy texture, the soft shell crabs had so much batter on them that it took away all the flavor from the delicate softshell crab. Portions are measly. Even the French fries were under seasoned and the one spoon of coleslaw, that is their idea of how big a side should be, was just about ok. read more

We went for lunch. The food was good, but very expensive for a sandwich. Crab cake was good, on a potato roll, but that's all, literally. Lettuce and tomato, .50 extra, a tiny plastic cup of coleslaw $2, extra. Husband has 10 shrimp, mac salad, $2, fries 2.75 extra. $35, total. Just not worth. It wasn't to die for. read more

I would advise people to NEVER go to Sambos. They are WAY over priced and absolutely not worth it ! This was my third time eating there, and thats my fault ! I should have learned after eating there twice before that it is not like wine, and will not get better with age. First, I could not sit by the window because I did not have a reservation. So the second and third time, I made sure to have reservations. The second time, I actually got to sit at a decent table. This past time, I made a reservation and specified that I would like a window, but still was not given a window. The window seats were open THE WHOLE TIME I ate. I dont know when the reservations were, but they did not come for the 2 hours I was there. I got crabs, because that's what was recommended. $60 a dozen !! Outrageous !!! I was expecting them to be cream of the crop, they were not. They had a bad taste and were not full at all. The crab cakes are said to be "no filler," well I call absolute bull shit ! They had at least 50% filler in them, and were not that good at all. The potato salad was just plain bad ! The only good things that we ate were the coconut shrimp, and thats because they taste like they are pre-made and deep fried. I would not eat anything that was claimed to be "home made" there because who ever made them should definately quit their day job ! The service was not very good what so ever ! It took our waitress a LOOOONNNGGG time to bring our drinks, our appetizers, and our crabs. Then when we wanted melted butter or vinegar, that took even longer. Our drinks sat empty on the edge of the table waiting to be refilled, but sadly sat there, and sat there, and sat there, until she came back (45 MINUTES LATER) and said "would you like a refill?" Really?? Not to mention the bar tender, who looked too young to be there anyway (Katie or Kathy or something), did not know what she was doing. WAYY to much head on a beer and really, how hard is it to put a shot of Jack in some Coke? Obviously too hard. To top it off, the owner is nothing less than a bitch. Pardon my french, but sadly, its too true. She really needs to hone in on some customer service skills, and quick, or else risk losing a lot of business. There were a lot of unhappy customers that day, which was not surprising. I dont know of any other local spots to recommend, but I would recommend you not go here ! I dont know how they've stayed in business so long, but I think its time to say goodbye and for them to hang up their aprons ! read more

Very noisy. Expensive. Do not get the crab bisque, which could be eaten with a fork and had too much pepper, which overwhelmed the taste, as well as unasked for Old Bay on top. read more

Not very happy with the food. My husband and I did not realize until we sat down that it was cash only, we had to use the ATM and it charged us a fee. We ordered the crab cake sandwich, small crab cake on potato roll and nothing else came with it, sides were extra. Very overpriced and not worth the money. read more

This review is not based on food but bad management. Our party of four stopped by for dinner 1 Oct 2017 and there were two 10-12 seat tables up front that were empty and a few more small tables in the back by the water that were also empty. It was 6:00pm and the Hostess said "There are no seats available until 8:30pm". Ok, we ordered another Uber and in the meantime we'll have a drink. WRONG! you can't have a beverage if you don't have a seat. We sat outside waiting for the Uber and when it came at 6:30pm all the tables remained empty. I'm not in the restaurant business, so i'm not sure how you make money turning away customers when you have empty seats. Again not a food rating because we had no food. I would choose 0 stars if available. read more

great place for blue crabs. have fun and make a mess.

I had heard about this place and thought it might be good. Boy were we wrong. The crab bisque was like putting and tasteless. I got the fried oysters and was served six of them on a small salad plate with extra small helpings of potato salad and coleslaw and very small cups of cocktail sauce and tartar sauce. And for $20? This place is way overpriced! The oysters were loaded with breading and I think they came out of a frozen box from a factory somewhere. other than that they were fairly tasty. Someone else mentioned boondocks. So I think we will go there and try it. We will never return to Sambo's. Not worth it!!! read more

We found this place on the recommendation of nearby fish market and WOW were we surprised. The food was outstanding and service was courteous and excellent. This place is truly a hidden gem. Could not be happier. Go there, you don't be disappointed. read more