Holy moly WHAT A GEM!!! I was driving from MD to NJ and stumbled across this place on their first week open for the season. The staff was extremely nice and welcomed me like family. I had the Oyster Rockefeller (best I've ever had) and a crab cake sandwich that was both MASSIVE and delicious! I also had a couple pieces of fried chicken which puts KFC to absolute shame. Fun atmosphere, amazing people working behind the bar, 10/10 times will drive out of my way to visit this establishment. read more

This place is hit or miss with service. Sometimes they are in a kitchen wait?? But when you're able to get a seat the food is decent. I prefer the outdoor seating which is in sand under a tent. It's a more laid back place compared to the Wellwood. They even have a to go section, but that sometimes is shut down when the kitchen gets too busy?? read more

The River Shack - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Loved Loved Loved. Such a cute atmosphere, great live music, amazing food (I had ALL the mussels). The place has a sand floor and sand toys. Wonderful for kids but plan ahead and dress them accordingly. I can't wait to come back. read more

The River Shack - Oysters Rockefeller - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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We randomly came here on a search for crabs and near-water vibes. While you can't see the water from the restaurant, you're right next to it and able to order and walk if you want. We originally came for AYCE crabs, which the sister restaurant Wellwood says they have BUT as soon as we walked up, we saw a "No AYCE" sign. Very frustrating (y'all have to fix that Wellwood site) but we had driven 2 hours (me from PG County, my bestie from Philly) so we took a chance. Glad we did. Breakdown below: Tuna nachos: YO! These nachos had no business being that damn good. They were fire. Tuna was madd fresh, wonton chips were fried perfectly in clean oil and the seaweed salad was a niceeeeee touch. We didn't even see/use the soy glaze that came with it. Fire! Been thinking of these since. Crabs: While we were given mostly females and had to deal with organs, we paid like $55-60 for six large crabs, I think. Sort of evens out with AYCE since those crabs tend to be small but still. Crabs were good AF, though! Wings: The wings were bombbb AF. They were more battered than we expected but good. The garlic Parmesan fries: Son, these fries are no joke. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Waffle fries with flair. They were so good that I threw them in the air fryer the next day. Ranch Dressing: DAWG! This might be the best ranch I've ever had and if not, close second. I would come back just for the homemade ranch. Caesar salad: you can skip this. There was nothing special about it. Tasted like a grocery store bagged mix but it wasn't bad, just basic. Drinks: Watermelon crusher had like half a watermelon in it. If that's your thing, cool. I was hoping for more artificial flavoring. lol Service: Our server was young and a bit forgetful but he got the job done and really showed out at the end. Everyone we interacted with here, staff-wise, was super sweet. We'll be back soon. read more

The River Shack - Crabs - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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There food is normally good and the atmosphere is great even though last Father's Day they gave me food poisoning. Thanks a lot River Shack

The oyster rockerfeller was huge and disgusting in taste - waste of money. My kids ordered Mac & cheese, one crab and the walking taco which they all were disappointed. The walking taco wasn't anything but nachos. I had the steamed medium male crabs which were good. read more

The River Shack - Medium male crabs - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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Went to the River Shack on Mother's Day, expecting to celebrate my amazing wife and family with all you can eat crabs. Unfortunately, due to delivery issues, AYCE wasn't available. So we decided to replicate it, by ordering a few dozen crabs, a fried chicken basket, hush puppies, corn bread & our waitress threw in AYCE corn on the cob! Awesome meal! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, drinks were ice cold and well prepared! We'll be regulars all spring/summer! read more

The River Shack - a plate of steamed crabs - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

First visit the the River Shack this past weekend for crabs and crab cakes. Started with the waffle crab fries which were excellent. So different from the typical crab fries with a nicely topper cheese melt. Crabs (larges) were all heavy, dirty (a good thing) and loaded with meat. Not a single papershell in the bunch. Crab cakes were equally impressive with minimal filler and loads of jumbo lump. Our server was most pleasant and took good care of us on a hot day. The Shack beats the other places in Cecil County and we've tried them all. Looking forward to another visit next month. read more

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Who goes to Charlestown MD for Key West tuna nachos and key lime pie? Us! They were spot on! Chicken tenders were juicy and delicious, and drinks were good. Ashley the Shack Mama tended bar, tended to server boo-boos, and tended to our crush on crushes. read more

We got the oysters Rockefeller & steamed shrimp. They were so delicious. We will definitely be back to get the oyster rockefeller. Service was great & sitting outside was really nice. read more

Headed to Great wolf today so we stopped here for some crabs. This is such a beach vibe, on the water but you don't have water views. However the charming beach decor and sand under your feet makes this a fun place to eat and chill. Crabs were hot and meaty but they def don't use typical DMV seasoning and we do prefer rock salt old bay mix. Drinks were decent on the sweeter side and service was good. Enjoyed the burgers fries and hush puppies as well. Reasonably priced . read more

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When I first picked up the crab cake sandwich I was a bit underwhelmed. How wrong was I?! It looked kind of small but it was packed solid with crab (no breadcrumb padding it out), well seasoned and truly delicious. Definitely recommended. Nice to be so close to the Chesapeake too. read more

The River Shack - Crab cake sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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Amazing service staff is very friendly and attentive to their customers food taste great and drinks are through the roof read more

The River Shack - Pepperoni bacon pizza - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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The food was amazing but more importantly they were SOOOOO helpful when I lost my car keys after eating there. They went through the trash and all the staff was helping, they did find it for me. I could not be more appreciative. read more

Unreal crabcakes. Large cakes with no cheap fillers, just fresh crab. Best ive ever had!

Excellent food and service!! Fresh food, perfectly cooked. Waitress was a doll, Ty Jazz.

Amazing!!! its a 5 star and above! Food is delicious, portion sizes are large for the price, our waiter Mark was the best steered us in the right direction for size of blue crab! The crab waffle fries and bang bang shrimp over the top! Atmosphere is perfect!! We definitely will be back and will bring others w/us we live about an hour away in Pennsylvania...definitely worth the drive! God Bless!! read more

everything about the river shack is amazing. The atmosphere, the food and especially our server, Aubri. she kept our drinks full our table clean and all of it with a smile on her face and a just a great person. we will be back read more

We ate at the River Shack restaurant last evening and it was an extremely disappointing experience. I was hoping to have a nice seafood meal, so I ordered the crab bisque soup, fried whitefish, and waffle fries. Each of my entrée items was thoroughly and heavily seasoned with crab seasoning, which is a red colored spicy seasoning, infused with aromatic and savory Cajun and Old Bay type spices. My husband even asked prior to ordering whether the food was spicy, to which he was told no by the server. We were looking to get a traditionally prepared fried fish dinner, and what we were served was nothing like that at all. There was no clue on the menu that the food would come flavored and spiced with these overwhelming seasonings. From the moment I tasted the soup, it was clear that something was unpleasantly unexpected about their version of crab bisque, and the waffle fries had so much seasoning that they appeared to be overcooked or burnt, which they were not, it was the amount of colored seasoning coating the fries. The white fish was similarly ruined and not edible. I told the server that I absolutely did not care for any of this food and wanted to know what the flavoring was so that in the future when I dine in this part of Maryland and asked for seafood, I would know to ask ahead of time if the food was going to be like this. Fine if you like this kind of food, but posting this to others so they don't waste their money and time like I did. read more

First time trying River Shack yesterday Me and my family had a great time, Good size and fresh crabs. Unfortunately, I think in left my credit card wallet on the table. Can someone try to help locate my wallet? I left yesterday at 8.45 pm read more

Great service delicious food. If I could eat here every day, I would especially when you sit outside the ambience is so good. The sand on your feet, especially in the summer is great. read more

Service was amazing. Food was so delicious. Great atmosphere. Happy and upbeat servers and bartenders. read more

Easy, relaxing, and great food. Wait time is quicker than you think . A must go if you're in the area. read more

The River Shack - a plate of crabs on a table - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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A really outstanding lunch experience here today. One of the few inside dining experiences over the last two months now that I am fully vaccinated. Came with a good friend that is a fully vaccinated COVID survivor that I had not seen in person for over a year and a half. The folks here with open arms and provided us with a joyful, comfortable, relaxing experience. The service was welcoming and attentive. We were checked on often and our requests were quickly accommodated. Our food was delicious and quickly delivered. The Alligator bites were flavorful with a crisp coating covering the moist meat. They came with a spicy sauce. The Corn Fritters were sweet and full of corn. They came with a maple dipping sauce. My crab cake platter came with some excellent slaw and sweet cornbread. The corn on the cob was tender. The crab cake was perfectly cooked and full of jumbo crab. Everything was washed down with some National Bohemian. My friend enjoyed his fried crab cake sandwich. The key lime pie was perfect and a nice finish to an excellent meal. Thanks to our servers who made the experience extra enjoyable. read more

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Crabs were delicious. Great setup. Stopped here on the way back from picking the kids up from camp and will stop by anytime I'm around.

Skylar was my server and she was AMAZING She was very attentive and made me smile with her jokes read more

The River Shack - This is my friend and he got fanum taxed like he was from Ohio. The food was like baby gronks rizz. - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

I had dinner at the Wellwood which is part of the River shack I was surprised at see that the sushi bar was closed I haven't been there in a few years so I'm guessing it's been gone for sometime My guest ordered fried shrimp platter but was served a seafood combo which she only eats shrimp. I wanted sushi so I was disappointed however I decided to get salmon over Cesar salad the salmon was over cooked unfortunately We decided to order the Smith island cake. When it came it was not smith island it was a want to be copy. And a bad copy. There were 4 missing layers and it was not moist Anyway the waitress was great and the hostess sat us quickly Not sure what's going on there ? read more

We came, we ate, we came back for more. We loved the vibe in the outdoor area with our feet in the sand. More fans, please! Day 1 we had half a dozen crabs. Loved the excess old bay to the point of crusty spiciness. Real butter, please, not margarine. So happy we got the dipping vinegar - that was better than butter anyway. Two ordered the tuna nachos to rave reviews of my teenagers. I ordered the crab cake and added street corn. Both very good. Day 2 we had shrimp po-boy (yum!), shrimp tacos (yum!) and fried chicken - also delicious. read more

The River Shack - Tuna nachos - teenagers raved. I thought the sauces were cloyingly sweet. - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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One of my favorite places I've been in a while. The ambiance makes you feel like you have been transported to somewhere else! The perfect summer dinner spot. Loved the sand outside, even though it was super hot (95 that day), we still felt like sitting outside was essential. Ordered the orange crush, and it was just so good that I had to get two. We ordered the hushpuppies, 2 piece friend chicken (there's a reason why they say it's legendary), and a dozen crabs. The service was great and our waitress even gave us a quick demo on how to crack open the crabs! Absolutely delicious and I can't wait until I get to come back! read more

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Stopped here on a whim on our loooong drive home from Florida. Found it on yelp while sitting in traffic. We had a bit of a hard time finding it but so glad we did because the food was delicious. Pricing was very fair. We ate at the picnic tables on the sand. The atmosphere was great, very kid friendly which was great for our two restless kids who have been cooped up in the car all day. Our server Regan was so friendly and helpful. If we are ever in the area again we'd definitely make it a point to stop here again. read more

I came to the River Shack on an early Sunday afternoon. It was probably about 11:30 and there weren't too many people there yet. The river shack/Wellwood are right next to the water, but there aren't actually water views from the River Shack (at least from where we were sitting) There's a sandy outdoor area and a smaller indoor area. We were there during a special for their 20 year anniversary. They were doing $2 drafts and free hot dogs. Their hot dogs were so good! I was expecting little skimpy hotdogs bc they were free but let me tell you, these were the gourmet hotdogs! We also ordered some apps to share as a group. We got hush puppies, cheesesteak egg rolls, and corn bread. All the food was delicious. They gave us a huge portion of cheesesteak egg rolls bc it came to the table a little bit later than the other food. We were doubting our ability to finish them based on the amount, but once we tasted them all bets were off. The only reason I took off a star is because service was sllllooooowwwww for it not being very busy. Luckily the weather was nice and we had good company to pass the time. read more

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Food is good one of the better seafood places to eat in Cecil County, MD. Service always seems great, but it does get crowded fast. read more

Had a great all you can eat crab feast sitting outside at the picnic table! Ed didn't look up or speak for over an hour LOL. Our server Brooke was wonderful and we highly recommend this spot for a casual, outdoor lunch if you're in the area. It's around the corner from The Wellwood so don't get confused like we did. Enjoy!! Kim & Ed Downingtown PA read more

The River Shack - Ed didn't look up for an hour. Really cute and casual outside with the sand and picnic tables. - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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You can only get 6 LG crabs per person sitting at different different tables. False advertisement. Horrible place

If you like Seacrets in Ocean City you'll love the River Shack. My friend and I dined here for lunch during a girl's day out in the area. She did all the planning and a friend of hers suggested it. Neither of us had been here but we both love the beach and being by the water. Located in a residential neighborhood near the water it had a very Key West vibe complete with sand underfoot and palm trees. Once on the property it's easy to forget that you're in Northeast Maryland. Both of us were impressed with the atmosphere and choose to dine outside. While it was busy it wasn't packed and we didn't need to wait for a table. It was very family friendly with children playing in the sand and had a very casual feel. There's dining both under the canopy and in the sun. At times they feature live entertainment. While we came during the day I bet it looks stunning at night. The menu was a little pricy for some items. A burger with crabmeat and chips was $20 which I felt was a little much. They're famous for their all you can eat crabs and fried chicken. Everyone around us were ordering heaping trays of crabs. The scent of Old Bay drifted thru the air. Since neither of us like picking apart crabs we decided against it. Instead she ordered a crab cake dinner, and I ordered a chicken tender meal, something I wouldn't normally order but felt it was the most bang for my buck considering it came with a side + cornbread and coleslaw for $11.99 My chicken was cooked darker than I like but was made with high quality white meat. The portion size was generous. The coleslaw was too sweet and I didn't care for it all. The cornbread was delicious and the although sweet corn is in season they served shoe peg corn on the cobb while I was craving sweet. Overall my meal was meh, ok but nothing to rave about. Next time I'll order something different.....and desert. I regret not getting any Key Lime pie. My friend liked her crab cake although it was on the small size. Her fries looked dry and she kept adding vinegar only to mention that it was watered down. Overall I think she was happy with her meal. She also ordered a mixed drink for $8.50 which was a decent size and not overly iced. Our server was young and friendly but extremely slow. She forgot my request for more dipping sauce and I had to flag her down to remind her. She was slow getting to us to take our orders and very, very slow with the check. We could have been out of there in about half the time if she was more prompt. As we were leaving we stepped inside to use the ladies room and found the indoor dining dark and dreary, definitely night and day difference in décor and ambiance from the outside dining area. Their sister restaurant The Wellwood is located in front of the River Shack, it's an upscale version with a dress code. While we didn't eat there we were told their equally as famous for their crabs. WORTH MENTIONING: There's a water taxi that will pick you up (at any dock on the Northeast River) and bring you back to either restaurant for $10, round trip, one way, or just for a scenic cruise. We planned on doing the cruise but were disappointed to learn you need to give them 48 hours' notice. So while the food wasn't something I would go out of my way for you go for the atmosphere and happy vibe. Maybe I just need to cave and order what they're famous for - their all you can eat crabs next time 'round and update my review. Atmosphere: 5 stars Service: 2.5 Food: 3 Prices: 2.5 - 3 read more

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If your not from around the area don't go! If you want to experience racism at its finest this a just one of those places. Me, my wife, mother in law , my two daughters got up on a beautiful Saturday morning as we planned for all you can eat crab day.!!! We arrived at the restaurant at $11:05 am. They don't open until 11:30 so we went to the mini beach by the docks to put our feet in the water and take a few pics. We walk in the restaurant after opening as the first guest to arrive. We were not greeted no good morning , where are you guys visiting from? None of that. As we sat at our picnics table the hostess and server began the whisper chatter ( blacks know what this is) no one came to ask even ask for drinks. We let it go. We then put our appetizers in , as the server noticed we are friendly blacks she loosened up some and started telling us the process of the all you can eat situation. We put in appetizers and told them we wanted 3 all you can eats. We waited 10 mins for drinks ( no one is there yet) as the locals (Caucasian people) began to show up they sat and put their orders in. Surprisingly we just sat and drank as we watched everyone around us begin to get their trays of crabs and chicken corn and hush puppies , as we were left with nothing. Our server came again about 20 minutes later and said. Our food was on the way. A big no go for my wife. They brought us our first basket of chicken, hush puppies , and corn as everyone else is already hammering away at crabs. Don't forget we were their before the staff was there. 40 minutes in here they come with our crab trays as about 6 other tables already were eating good. Crabs arrive cold the male server dropped one in the sand put it back on the tray and says "don't worry about it you guys will get more" ummm no thank you sir we are not peasants and my kids don't eat off the ground nor does my family! My kids have been places retired adults haven't. The ladies were upset we immediately asked for manager as we ate some chicken , some shrimp, oysters, and our drinks and told them we were shutting the operation down. Why did we get cold crabs, why was OUR food dropped and put back on OUR trays? Why were we served last? Completely unacceptable not a place for people of color clearly!!! And on top of that not your regular Maryland crabs. Small cold, just drenched in a bunch of JO seasoning. No I do not recommend at all. We drove down to BMore because I went to college there and know where the hot spots are! So jimmys it was. Wasn't gonna let "the race card " ruin our family crab day!!! read more

The River Shack - Dining area !!! - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

Great easy detour off 95 for some delicious crab cakes- had the crab cake sandwich & single crab cake platter- on the platter I'd get 2 corn breads next time. read more

We called the number listed online to make sure that they were open. They said they were. We drove all the way there only to find that they were closed. Apparently they share the same phone number with the Wellwood, which is where we ended up eating although it was a lot more expensive and a completely different vibe. They are not open year round, so make sure you verify. read more

I really hate to leave this awful review of the customer service at the River Shack. But, more than that, I hate having my hard earned money go to waste on food that was prepared incorrectly, at a business that is so unwilling to FAIRLY right THEIR wrong. I ordered nacho fries that were supposed to come with, well if you can imagine, Nacho toppings. I also asked for ground beef, which was an additional charge. After picking up my food and making the 20 minute drive back home, I open my fries to see that they only had lettuce and olives as a topping. I immediately called the restaurant to get a refund on my nacho fries, because now I've paid about $18 for french fries with lettuce and olives (even though they didn't charge extra for the ground beef, thankfully), which is still a bit of a stretch. Especially for my dollar. The shift manager was nice enough about the situation, offering me a restaurant credit if I would come back to get it. I was unable to make the drive for a second time, so I asked if I could please just have my refund. She told me that a woman named Becky would be contacting me on Monday to help me resolve the issue. Becky never called me. I ended up having to call the restaurant and had to go through about three people before I could finally reach Becky. Unfortunately, Becky had a very poor attitude and, as I was explaining the situation to her, she rudely interrupted to ask me if I was done yet?! She proceeded to offer me a five dollar refund because, according to Becky, I was only missing two of my toppings on my nacho fries. And according to Becky, I probably ate them anyway. At this point, I'm not even worried about getting a refund or any kind of compensation for my order. But I think people should know what they're getting themselves into when they spend their hard earned money at a place like this. Being a small family business cannot be an excuse you use for why you perform so poorly. It should be even more reason for you to treat your clientele with respect and politeness. I cannot believe that someone on the management staff is allowed to speak to a customer in such a manner. And I say "allowed" because let's be so for real, we can see that the owner is going to completely back his rude staff because he himself is equally as rude, as shown in all the replies to the negative reviews below. What kind of self respecting man gets in the comment section and tries to confront customers who are rating their experience at your restaurant? Get outta here, man! Do better! It's so sad that it had to come to this. But if you can't do right by your customer, and on top of that, you're going to be disrespectful and rude, please expect them to come for your character. Yours is trash, Becky. Have the day you deserve, girl! And to the owner, before you feel the need to jump in a comment and defend Becky's substandard customer service skills, or to ask me why I've never left a positive review, but I'm so willing to leave a negative one... You're right. I am very willing to leave this negative review because when I visit in person, I'm polite, I verbally express my gratitude to the staff, and my gratitude and satisfaction is reflected in their gratuity, as well. But when I need assistance, when my order is incorrect, when I reach out for help but, no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get in contact with anyone on the management staff who is able to KINDLY assist me, when this is my only outlet to express how completely frustrated and upset I am with this terrible service....well, sir, you have only yourself to blame. I can't help but laugh because I see advertisements that the river shack is hiring for the season. I hope y'all don't send your kids there with this being one of their first jobs and expect them to learn any kind of respect or customer service skills. If this is how the management acts, imagine what they let the staff get away with. No thank you! And after reading the comment below mine, and the one about the bench breaking... Good luck y'all. I truly hope you survive. Not really, though.... read more

Great place to eat steamed crabs on a hot summer's day under the tent. We ordered a dozen small crabs which were all pretty meaty for smalls and reasonably priced. We also had fried fish bites, steamed shrimp, hush puppies and fried chicken...all were excellent! Love the atmosphere here, great cocktails, good service and they a live band playing after 5. read more

The River Shack - Beautiful flowers surrounding the tables - Seafood Near Me - Charlestown, Maryland

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