Charley’s Crab

We had a reservation for early Saturday evening. Tried Charlie’s Crab last fall and were truly disappointed, but we are a glass half full family and decided to try again. Big mistake. Service was slower than molasses in January. The table of 12 next to us who were seated after us, were served apps, salads and soup before us. Our water glasses were only refilled once. We ordered the shrimp cocktail and lobster bites for appetizers. The menu states, «five jumbo shrimp…» We received five limp 31 – 40 count for $ 15. ??? Our waitress had a runner deliver them and we were not able to send them back. The lobster bites were over fried. Five of us had the crab stuffed shrimp special, one had the salmon. The salmon was decent, the stuffed shrimp were small, limp and full of filler, not crab. The best part of the meal was the crème Brule’. On the way out, the three girls at the front desk said they didn’t know where the manager was… A woman was vomiting in the ladies’ room… Saturday was worse than last Fall. Never again. Leo’s is the best!!!

Got a reservation here for new year’s eve and had an amazing dinner. The location is great, right on the water. We were lucky enough to get a table close to the windows to enjoy the view. We got the mussels starter, and i ordered the surf and turf, my husband ordered the dynamic mahi mahi. Each dish came with sides to make for a very filling meal. Everything was delicious from start to finish. Prices were decent as well, not over priced at all as you may find in some other places.
We ordered a couple of cocktails as well with dinner. The mango iced tea might be my new favorite drink; who knew sweet tea vodka was a thing?

Went in Christmas Day-only“non brunch” option. Rather expensive so expected better. Our server Travis was really good! Our appetizer came out wrong to start-​asked for sauce on side to make everyone happy. (Too hot)
However sauce was on-​had to send back
Ordered my salad with dressing on the side– nope-​came out smothered in horrible dressing. Oh but had extra on the side
My dinner was amazing! But my sons salmon was way over cooked. $ 50 dinner and he couldn’t eat it. Nothing was offered in exchange or to make him happy.
Although the service was awesome-​the manager on duty never once came by to address our concerns.
Spent over $ 300 and less than pleased.
Not planning on going back!

Disappoint. Went for dinner and was seated at the bar, which was filthy. We had to ask for it to be cleaned. It took forever to just order drinks and even that was like pulling teeth. By the time we flagged someone down to take our order two couples were also seated at the bar with no fuss, and served. When we try to order oysters we were told they sold out, and guess who got served ousters the people who were seated after us. Truly a frustrating experience. I will not go back the place is dingy and had below sub par service. We asked for our bill and left to a better restaurant. One thing that bothered me is they only had one crab thing on the menu and that was a crab cake. I never even got to try it due to lack of service.

Our experience at this restaurant was perfect– we were greeted with friendly banter, asked for seating preference, and had great service at the bar. Once seated at the table, our waitress paced our food according to our concert schedule… Never feeling neglected or rushed! Everyone had great food. Loved the oysters Rockefeller! Definitely order the King Sole.

Don’t get gift cards here. I went in with one and the manager didn’t know how to process it first. Then the waitress went back again and it was processed but only for the food order not the alcohol. So we didn’t get full credit of the gift card because «they can’t discount alcohol». Admittedly we received the card for poor service from our last visit. I’m sure there will not be another. The inside is nice but the outside needs a lot of work I only added this because Unilocal ask me about the ambience.

Me and my bestie met after work for happy hour. We had the most delicious pomegranate martinis. Our bartender Brian was great. I could tell they were short staffed but he he did a great job meeting our needs. We had the crab sliders, fish tacos, portobello mushrooms fries and the cod. I could have passed on the crab sliders. However the fish tacos were phenomenal. The portobello mushrooms are definitely something I would love to try again. Our was initially served cold, but Brian took care of and made sure we received a new order immediately.

I was really excited to check out Charlie’s Crab since my husband & I are new to the city. We’re huge seafood fans and have heard good things, so we stopped in for Sunday Brunch… but we were very underwhelmed.
The restaurant has great views and seats many, the buffet was priced really well at $ 25/​person, and the service was adequate though it took quite some time for a waitress to greet our table. They have an array of cocktails available, so I tried the mango sweet tea, and it was decent.
They offer your standard breakfast foods of eggs, waffles/​French toast, sausage/​bacon, & bagels/​muffins. They had only 3 seafood options that I could tell. a whitefish with rice option lacking flavor, semi-​tolerable sushi, and cocktail shrimp. I didn’t find a single thing I liked, nothing at all impressive for the classy vibe they go for. For dessert they had run out of pudding and served cookies and crème brûlée which hadn’t set properly.
I definitely would not return for the buffet, but would be willing to give them another shot with their regular menu.

Charming place located along the Grand river. It is dated in décor, but it is comfortable and clean. The staff was absolutely amazing. They were attentive, professional, and pleasant. Obviously the star attraction was the food. In our party of 15 nobody was disappointed. I started with the tuna tartare and seared tuna appetizer which was so good. For my entrée I had the tarragon glazed, cedar plank grilled salmon and it was AMAZING. Well cooked, well seasoned, and just perfect. Though I myself did not indulge, the desserts were enormous and seemed to be quite yummy based on the reactions from our group. I initially thought the place would be expensive, but for the five individuals I paid for, we each had two glasses of wine and averaged priced meals and our total bill with tip was $ 254.00. I highly recommend this restaurant. It provided really good food and a lovely evening of entertainment.

Just took my mom here for Mother’s Day brunch. We made reservations and still end up waiting for our table. It was definitely not worth the price we paid… the sushi that was served was soaked from the ice that was nearby and for one hour the sushi was not replaced. they did have great prime rib tho. Service was not that great either… usually fine dining should could with professional service.

I have always enjoyed going here, the river view is pretty cool at night and the atmosphere is a bit classy. This place isn’t as big of a deal as it once was not was one of the first nice places to come downtown during the early years of cleaning up downtown GR and I don’t think most people here really realize how important that was at the time
The food is really good and the service has always been good for me here. My family used to come here for special occasions when I was younger and my wife and I sti do from time to time
It’s not my first choice anymore because there is so much to choose from in GR today and sometimes the atmosphere here seems a bit old school white collar, cheap suit/​Miami vice, cocaine 1980’s, wanna be upper class to me, but I have always enjoyed it when I have come by

Upscale fish restaurant on the Grand river with decent food, staff, décor and atmosphere. It was definitely upscale; tidy up before bringing a date here.
I came with a large group of co-​workers and we were sat next to a big window which looked out on the river and downtown Grand Rapids and the snow had just started coming down as the sun set and not gonna lie: it was a pretty breath-​taking view. If I lived in Grand Rapids, this would be a go-​to place for a nice night out. Impressive.
The food was decent high-​end fish and other assorted cuts of beast and fowl. It was cooked correctly and served fashionably. I don’t have a lot to add to that; to be honest, I wasn’t blown away by it, but it did what it was supposed to and I liked it more than not.
The staff were very friendly and that added to the experience. Very knowledgeable and kept things moving. Really added a lot to the night.
All in all, this isn’t a casual fishery. Don’t come here for fish-​n-​chips or a quick mackerel. This is a high-​end place with a subdued vibe where you take a date for fish and wine and look at a really impressive view of the river.

Great place! We love going there for dinner, and they serve a fantastic Sunday brunch. Never had a disappointing meal there. Wait staff is friendly and helpful.

Recomnended by hotel. They never heard of Leos which was recommended to me. This is owned by Landrys. I should have left. Fit their chain perfectly. Blah shrimp cocktail decent lobster bisque and seabass special with rice and 2 whole asparagus. Couldnt find the crab. Go elsewhere. It is not worth the price. The 5 shrimp were skinny for 14 dollars.
Big party nearby took the wait staffs attention. Service was ok.

*Update* if you leave a scathing review as I have, their corporate side tries to pressure you into removal. But the good people of Grand Rapids must hear: stay away from the poop deck that is Charley’s Crab.
Please see the most recent reviews to see why this is the LEAST likely place to find good seafood in all of west Michigan. For a king’s ransom, you can get a horrifyingly unclean and unprofessional experience.
Anyone throwing five stars at this ghastly place must not have been there recently. The only thing keeping it afloat is the location.
The food was frankly embarrassing for seafood establishment. The staff, while doing the best they could, were clearly undertrained rookies. After voicing and even writing down my issue with the dinner, the hooligan manager merely shrugged his shoulders and said «ugh is there anything we can do?» I suppose not sir.
If you want applebee’s quality food at triple the price by all means go to Charleys Crab, but Grand Rapids has too many other fine dining options to make that mistake.

One of the most disappointing meals I ever had. Thanksgiving five in the afternoon. $ 30 a person. Lettuce and a few toppings. Three salads like the kind you take to a potluck, brocali, Waldorf and Redskin, nothing special. Scrimp, cold overlooked salmon, then hash brown, link sausage, and bacon french toast (brunch?) potatoes and gravy, pieces of overlooked turkey mixed in with stuffing and canned cranberry sauce flowed by boughten desserts. Only one pie out pumpkin and followed by a store bought Apple pie. The carved beef couldn’t be cut. I won’t go again and if you want to eat food like this go to old country buffet where it’s made much better and one third the cost.

This place was a joke.
Uncle Ben’s rice and mushy vegetables, with low-​end fish.
Do not go here!

Rude waiter served me burnt food and tried to tell me it wasn’t burnt so after proving it was she said well I’ll take this back. bunch of over priced food not worth it people.

Charlie’s Crab– more like over priced chum.
I would rather go to Red Lobster over Charlie’s Crab any day, and I don’t even think their food is that good!
Charlie’s Crab is one of those” elegant” chain restaurants. Might as well go eat the salmon at Applebee’s or Chili’s, it probably taste better, it’s obviously more affordable, and they probably aren’t trying to say it’s flown in fresh daily.
I feel like they try to mask the quality of their seafood with high prices.
«If it cost more– it must be better quality, right?»
Wrong.
Ya might as well go to New York Fried Chicken at Franklin and Division, you at least know what you’re getting yourself into there.

One of our favorite places in West Michigan to enjoy a wonderful meal with an amazing view. The food is consistently excellent, and managers Jose and Robert have done an outstanding job making sure the staff is well trained to provide the best possible service.
Our favorite severs are Robin and Liz, who are efficient, professional and hospitable. We always request Robin, who is the reason we joined the Landry’s Select Club (which is a great deal, giving a $ 25 gift cert on your birthday!). Ask for Robin or Liz to be certain your experience is top notch.
The lobster bisque is a consistent favorite, but go for the butternut squash bisque if in season. Our favorite entrée is the Seared Diver Scallops, served with Roman gnocchi and vermouth cream with wild mushrooms. Epic!
Kudos to Robert, Jose and their entire staff for providing one of the best dining experiences in all of Grand Rapids!