Friday Question of the Day – Favorite Seafood Restaurant?

by Prince Of Petworth February 14, 2013 at 10:22 pm 91 Comments

Photo by PoPville flickr user JosephLeonardo

With Lent starting I thought I throw this out there – where is your favorite seafood restaurant? I really love Luke’s Lobster but I’m thinking more of a sit down restaurant and I’m drawing a blank. I guess it doesn’t have to be exclusively a seafood restaurant – know of a restaurant that has a delicious fish/seafood option?

Tuilaepa

Blue Nile on Georgia Avenue (almost Silver Spring) has great fried croaker, their house special. Also, Looking Glass fish tacos are yummy. Prefer eating seafood out on the Eastern Shore though, where the crabs are fresh and meaty. Maine Avenue crabs used to be like that.
monkeyrotica

Temari Cafe for grilled black cod and takoyaki.

Crisfield for old timey crabcakes.

Acadiana for crawfish, snapper and pompano en papillote.

Mid Atlantic Seafood in Takoma for piles of cheap fried whiting and zero atmosphere.
- anon
  
  +a lot for Crisfield. It’s in Silver Spring but definitely worth the trip.
- BitterElitist
  
  Crisfield’s shrimp!!!
Anonymous

Black salt in the Palisades
- Anonymous
  
  Second this
  - bgluckman
    
    Thirded. Best seafood restaurant in DC.
- dactyl
  
  Ah yes!
- That Man A
  
  I FOurth that !!!!!
  
  GREAT seaffod there
- BitterElitist
  
  Looks fantastic. I’m putting that on my list.
Anonymous

Kushi
- TG
  
  If Sushi counts, which is my preferred way of eating seafood, I am going with Sushi Ko for consistency, although my best sushi meal ever (in D.C.) was Sushi Taro.
biglobstah

Recently discovered Fishnet on Berwyn Road in College Park. Worth the trip up there for the hake fish tacos alone!
- Anonymous
  
  You should get to name it if you discover it.
- Anonymous
  
  They make delicious fish sticks as well.
  - South Park
    
    Do you like fish sticks? You like putting fish sticks in your mouth?
    - Anonymous
      
      +1
    - K. West
      
      yes
- Anonymous
  
  It’s a good place for fresh fish (and I’m glad that the hippie hangout Berwyn Cafe is gone!) but it would be nice if thay had some sauces that weren’t mayo based. Because mayo is evil!
Anonymous

Is there one in DC?
- squish
  
  There’s one in Silver Spring!
Anonymous

Perry’s in Adam’s Morgan surprisingly has the best sushi that I’ve found in DC. Can’t beat the SW fish market for picking up steamed crabs and shrimp.
Anonymous

Fish in the [Neighbor]Hood
Anonymous

Pesce in Dupont is the best seafood retaurant in town by a long shot. Then there is Johnny’s Half Shell on the hill and Sea Catch in Georgetown.
- Anonymous
  
  There is no “best”. There are only personal favorites.
- Anonymous
  
  Agreed w Pesce. The skate (when available) is the best meal I’ve ever had.
Anonymous

nothing beats the DC Wharf. As long as you don’t mind the horrible bathrooms, messy hands, and you can avoid the stuff that’s pre-packaged, there is no better place in DC to get fresh seafood at a good market price.
- monkeyrotica
  
  Jimmy’s Grill does the best fried fish, but their sides are just okay. They do an awesome seafood chowder. The sides at Pruitt Seafood are good, but anything besides raw bar is pretty mediocre. Captain White does the best fried oysters.
  
  http://azrihaeatsworld.xanga.com/698363681/crab-cakes–jimmys-grill-in-dc/
  - Anonymous
    
    Jimmy himself is pretty awesome and makes it worth the visit, though. And he gives you so much free food too.
PG

Cantler’s in Annapolis.
- Anonymous
  
  Shhh. Don’t tell anybody.
  - o2bncdg
    
    Agree. Don’t want too many people know about this one. Not enough parking anyway; but that will keep the rifraf out.
    - Petworth Queen Forever
      
      Yes the parking is terrible and the one way in and one way out was a little bit much.
      - monkeyrotica
        
        That’s why you get there half an hour before they open. Because half an hour later, the lot is full.
    - Anonymous
      
      Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded!
      - Anonymous
        
        thanks yogi.
  - Anonymous
    
    hahaha. as if that place isn’t already famous.
    - hma
      
      No kidding. There are so many better places than cantler’s, without the wait (and frat boys) and within the same driving distance of DC.
      - Anonymous
        
        My brother and sister in law like to dock their boat at Mike’s and eat there. It can be a long wait, but if you go by boat you can drink beer in the boat until your table is ready.
- anon
  
  Cantler’s is hardly a secret. I think of it as the most well known crab place in the Annapolis area.
  
  Last time I was there I found out the crabs we were eating were actually from Texas. If it isn’t high crab season they usually fly them in. But still pretty good.
squish

I went to Grilfish for Valentine’s Day dinner last night, and it was absolutely lovely. Has the potential to become a favorite!
- Anonymous
  
  I also went to Grillfish for Valentines Day; the food was wonderful! Definitely a new favorite.
  - Anon4
    
    Wow! I’ve always found Grillfish to be awful, but haven’t been there for about 10 years. Maybe time to give it another chance?
o2bncdg

Drago’s in Metairie, LA or Deannie’s, also in Metairie. You didn’t say the restaurant had to be in DC.
- Anonymous
  
  You’re being helpful.
HillRat

For crabs, I trek up to Baltimore & go to a place called LP Steamers. Fried fish, it’s Horace & Dickie’s or GTFO.
- MAR
  
  +1000…I used to live right down the street from LPs…summer nights on their roof deck with pitchers and crabs. Can’t get much better than that.
thunder

Market lunch at Eastern Market for fried shrimp, and soft shell crabs
Hanks for the daily specials
Anonymous

Yesterday I overheard some ladies at work raving about a hole-in-the-wall in Lanham called Jerry’s Seafood. Anyone ever been there?
- Anonymous
  
  Yes, there Crab Bomb is very good. Nothing but real jumbo lump crab meat.
  - monkeyrotica
    
    It’s $34 for 10oz of crab and Old Bay. The interior is pretty shabby, and I like shabby, but the joint is poorly insulated, so it was like eating inside a refrigerator. The Bowie Jerry’s is a lot nicer but, yeah, it’s in Bowie.
- TG
  
  This is quite a famous place actually. A PG county institution.
Caleb

I second an earlier mention of Sea Catch in Georgetown.
Anonymous

also, the Dungeness special at Quarterdeck is worth the 27 bucks
Petworth Queen Forever

To be honest, DC’s seafood restaurants are trash compared to those in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County. The portions are more than double what you get in DC and the prices are the same if not less. I prefer Blue Dolphin in (Gambrills/Crofton) and Timbuktu (nearArundel Mills) is pretty good as well.

It’s quite sad that one has to go outside of the city to get the best seafood just like one have to go outside of Chinatown/DC to get the best Chinese cuisine.
- Anonymous
  
  I’ve never even heard of those cities you mentioned. Sounds far
  - monkeyrotica
    
    Crofton is in the armpit of Prince George’s County. Arundel Mills is like Potomac Mills minus the charm.
    - Anonymous
      
      Potomac Mills has charm? I only know of Crofton because a coworker lives there. I guess it can’t be too far from DC if people are commuting from it every day.
    - TG
      
      Credibility fail considering it is in Anne Arundel county. Also, if you are picking the least desirable place in this area you would really pick Crofton. I wouldn’t by a long shot.
      - Petworth Queen Forever
        
        Actually out of all of the seafood restaurants that I’ve been to in Anne Arundel County, Blue Dolphin has the best ambiance and the best servers. It has the sophistication of a downtown restaurant with the prices/quality/quantity of the comparable establishments in that area. The owner is all about customer service so he does not automatically charge gratuity on large parties. Before shooting it down, check it out (avoid weekend nights due to crowding).
        
        http://www.bluedolphingrill.com/
    - Anonymous
      
      Arundel Mills has a casino!
  - Petworth Queen Forever
    
    It’s within 30 minutes. Crofton is on the other side of Bowie. It’s really worth the drive and I hate driving.
- Anonymous
  
  in 10 years all the cool stuff will be outside the city. sucks, but it’s just too expensive here.
  - jaybird
    
    I don’t buy that. New York and San Francisco have some pretty “cool” places and it is more expensive than here. Although we are closing the gap.
    - Anonymous
      
      i hope you’re right. but i’m concerned.
Anonymous

Pearl Dive
- hma
  
  Food is delicious, staff is obnoxious.
jcindc

Had some amazing halibut at J&G – probably the best fish I’ve had in DC. 10x better than the steak I had there during another visit. Like the fish and chips at Queen Vic. Clyde’s does a surprising job on their fish. I also don’t mind Grillfish, though sometimes I find their fish to be dry (even if it isn’t cooked well done).
thomsenite

Been a while, but I’ve always good experiences at Hank’s
Anonymous

River Falls Market in Potomac is my favorite place to get fresh fish and seafood. They also have a restaurant next door that opened last year that has some of the best fish tacos I’ve had on this coast.
Kam

Hook was very good when it was open. Last November for my bday, my wife took me to Black Salt and I was super impressed, I believe I raved about it before. I can’t see there being a better seafood restaurant in DC.
- dc_chica
  
  I miss Hook, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve lived down the street from Blacksalt for over a year and I have never dined there. Your comment is confirmation that I need to go!
loganhc

Not a seafood restaurant, but the fish dishes I had at Rasika last week were incredible.
- cornholiodc
  
  The black cod there is one of the best seafood dishes I’ve ever had…
  - Anonymous
    
    +1 I, too, had the black cod at Rasika West End last week. Amazing. However, I didn’t like the peanut cous cous or rice or whatever it was.
    - wreckfish
      
      Black cod is the bomb. I used to work on commercial fishing issues and always asked fishermen what was their favorite seafood. Black cod came up quite often. Halibut cheeks is also another poorly known slice of awesome.
danii

Hank’s Oyster Bar. Hands down.

ALSO
The raw bar happy hour at the Old Ebbitt, M-Thurs; half price raw bar 3-6pm, and then from 11pm -1am. Get the Orca platter, best deal.
- hma
  
  HANK’S +1
- Anonymous
  
  I love the Old Ebbitt’s raw bar happy hour. I usually go to Clyde’s in Chinatown (same owner, same deal) since it’s a short walk from work.
  - TG
    
    +1 They usually have some yummy oysters.
- Charlie T
  
  +1 Hanks Dupont, Especially Oysters (Oyster Happy Hour is a dream, especially on Summer Nights) Lobster Roll is also great.
D

Rappahanock at Union Market. Great oysters and the best crab cake I’ve had maybe anywhere. Obviously it doesn’t have the charm of the older places and it ain’t cheap but I’m going on taste alone.
- Anonymous
  
  You should check out their shack and outdoor grill on the Rappahanock River. Three hour drive, but charm a-plenty.
Anonymous

Faidley’s raw bar. People rave about Faidley’s crab cakes, but I’m not really a crab cake kind of guy. I love oysters and clams, so whenever I go to Lexington Market (a few times a year) I go to their raw bar. It’s a great Baltimore experience. Nothing fancy – just raw clams and oysters served on a paper plate, and you eat standing at the bar.
- monkeyrotica
  
  Second Faidley’s. Next time you’re in Baltimore, check out Thames Street Oyster House in Fells Point. More upscale than Faidley’s but excellent quality seafood and a chill vibe. Comparable to Hanks.
  
  http://www.thamesstreetoysterhouse.com/menu.htm
Gladys Cravitz

Hank’s in Dupont – great oysters and lobster rolls, wonderful atmosphere. Jamie Leeds is an asset to the neighborhood, and she had to put up with an incredible amount of bulls&%t from a handful of jerk neighbors

Pearl Dive, brought to you by owner of Black Salt (Jeff Black)
Anonymous

One of the best seafood meals I had last year was at St. Michael’s Crab & Steak House. Stopped by on the way home from Ocean City, and got seated for dinner (outside, on the water) on a Friday night with no wait. Great food and nice atmosphere. Not cheap, but worth the price.
- monkeyrotica
  
  Try The Narrows on Kent Island. They’ve been around forever and do great crab, particularly the Maryland Chowder.
  
  http://www.thenarrowsrestaurant.com/
  - chasscott
    
    Second (third, fourth and fifth!) that. Our favorite place to stop for a splurge going to or from the beach. On the water with great views, especially at sunset. Crab cakes are superb, as is the soup mentioned!
Anonymous

Not a seafood restaurant per se, but the bouillabaisse at Bistro Cacao is possibly my favorite DC restaurant dish. Amazing.
Adrien

Fish in the hood! on georgia and ottis, great sides to :)

Subscribe to our mailing list