We went to the Crab House last Sept, 2010. Like a lot of people on here we were looking for a really good seafood meal. It was AWFUL! I will NEVER go back. Like someone else said, when we walked in we didn’t see a soul around. It was around lunch time and we wondered if they were even open for business. No one to greet us or seat us. The salad bar was right at the entrance and everything looked old and withered up and just plain not appetizing at all. You would think coming to Florida you would be able to find really good seafood restaurants all over the place. We come to the area all the time and I have yet been able to find one. I just found another place way down in Winter Haven. We are returning again in a few weeks and plan to drive way down there and hope we have finally found a good place. I got either the coconut or stuffed shrimp, can’t even remember since it was almost a year ago, but it doesn’t matter, it just was not good at all. I could hardly finish eating it, if I did finish it. A friend that was with me didn’t say too much but I could tell they weren’t thrilled with what they got either. It was embarrassing to me to have taken someone there for such a let down meal. Then they have the nerve to charge what they charge. We didn’t say anything just paid the bill and got the hell out of there.
Bill D.
Place rating: 2 Alexandria, VA
We were there kind of early and it’s neither as good nor as bad as you’d think. The server was really funny and warm, so this is certainly a family kind of place. Like any seafood restaurant, don’t eat at the buffet. I ordered a salad and the vinaigrette was way too strong. I suspect whoever makes the salad dressing smokes because their palate lacks sensitivity. Order dressing on the side unless you have a real think for vinegar. My salmon was overcooked and dry, which is a risk with fish but I’ve had worse. It’s labeled as wild Alaskan but please. It’s Chinook and if you know your salmon you’ll know it on sight. The vegetables were pretty good though. The best part was still the server and even though the food was just eh, she was awesome I’d probably go back and have appetizers and wine and crack jokes with her.
Eric H.
Place rating: 1 Portland, OR
Stay away. We showed up at 2 on a Saturday and we got the buffet. It all looked good until we started taking food. It was old enough that I was questioning its safety. All the crab meat was grayish in color, and it took me three of them to find meat in the legs I was willing to eat. The service was really great. I cannot fault the hostess or the wait staff. And perhaps ordering from the menu might have made a difference, but we should have been guided that way. It has to be obvious to them that the buffet isn’t the best option between mealtime rushes. I can’t go back to The Crab House. For what it cost, it’s just not worth risking another experience like this.
Mike R.
Place rating: 2 Long Valley, NJ
Went with a very large group, which may have lead to the service delays. The food was hit and miss. I had the crab cakes which were good. Others with me had the fried shrimp(not so good) and chicken(average). Prices seemed a little high. I’m sure there are better alternatives
Sandra F.
Place rating: 1 Elmhurst, IL
This place is nasty and trashy. I do not recommend it at all!!! Stay away.
Omaira D.
Place rating: 1 Saint Petersburg, FL
This was lower than Red Lobster and at twice the price. My family and I went on a Saturday afternoon, the place had maybe 6 other people in it and we got the buffet. The soup has a burned taste to it, the crab legs were mircowaved and rubbery and the rest of the items werent even worth mentioning. We spent a nice amount of money and had nothing good to say about it. We only stayed because we were starving.
Dean L.
Place rating: 3 Moosic, PA
I loved my mahi mahi lunch and salad bar. Was a bit pricy
Randy T.
Place rating: 1 Biloxi, MS
Probably one of our most disappointing meals during our stay in Orlando. We opted for the lunch buffet that tasted old and was not replenished. Coming from the coast we expected better from the Crab House but have actually had better seafood at the Casino’s.
William W.
Place rating: 1 San Jose, CA
We went here last night for dinner an i will never go back! We walked in and stood there for over 5 minutes because there was no host there to greet us. Our server was a complete joke, he forgot our beer/messed up our order and once he dropped the food off(which took almost an hour) he never came back to check on us. We would have told him that the clam chowder was cold and that we wanted another drink, but he never came back except to drop off the bill. We asked to speak to a manager and apparently she was too busy to see us(even though we were only one of about 8 tables in the entire restaurant.) There was no host at the desk on the way out. *TERRIBLESERVICE * ONTHEPRICEYSIDE *CRABWASAWFULANDSOUPWASCOLD *MANAGEMENTWAS A JOKE if you have a brain in your head you will not come here. i would give negative stars if i could!!!
Edward B.
Place rating: 2 Northridge, CA
I was excited upon walking in to see that they had an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and it didn’t take long for us to decide that was what we wanted. Once we hit the actual buffet I was disappointed by the taste of the crab — hot and cold that seemed a little«old» to me. Looking back I wished I would’ve ordered from the menu, perhaps that is where they serve the fresh seafood?
Coren D.
Place rating: 2 Brookline, MA
I’m taking away two stars from my previous review. The only reason we go there is for the crab tower, and the last time we went, we were told they didn’t have it ready for lunch, even though it is on the lunch menu. The server even went into the kitchen to ask if they could make it fresh. I also ordered the large stone crab claws, which are pricey at $ 25 for 3. They tasted watery, like they were soaking in ice water and not resting on ice. On the plus side, the server was very apologetic, and even upset that we couldn’t have the food we wanted. Unfortunately, that won’t be enough to come back.
RONALD W.
Place rating: 3 Redmond, WA
Had the buffet today around 6:30P. Not a lot of folks in the restaurant so I think things were sitting pretty long in the buffet. I remember having just an awesome meal at the one on International Blvd in the 90’s. Service was bit slow and inattentive. Food was decent but not great. I mainly had the garlic blue crabs and the hot snow crab clusters. Everything was just OK. The she crab soup was pretty good.
Kent H.
Place rating: 3 Irvine, CA
Who can beat all you can eat. A selection of cold and hot seafood portions are available. They don’t provide plates at the buffet area, instead your server will refresh your plates as you use them. The food is mediocre as you can’t expect much from a buffet style preparation. Crab legs(cold/hot), fish, sushi, mussels, salads, etc.
Jess C.
Place rating: 3 San Francisco, CA
This place seems to have received pretty good reviews although I don’t know if I’m quite a fan like the others. We chose to dine here because I love seafood and it was near our hotel. We were here late on a Thursday night. There was no crowd at all and it was quite frankly really dead. We were considering the buffet because $ 30 for all you can eat oysters and crab is pretty tempting but the food didn’t look as fresh as it should have been… hopefully because we were there so late? Anyway, we decided on half a dozen oysters for our appetizer and the $ 65.00 seafood combo for two which consisted of a whole lobster, crab legs, dungeness crabs, a dozen shrimp, andouille sausage, and mussels for our entrée. Our waiter was great! I told him that I love garlic so he brought me this special house garlic pesto dipping sauce for our combo. The combo came out in a gigantic cooking pot and it looked so darn good! After digging in, I decided the flavor could have been a little bit better. Maybe I’m a bit biased because I like spicy flavor(cajun style… ie Coco’s Crawfish in SF) so Crab House didn’t quite do it for me. It was more so salty than anything. We spent the evening finishing up this massive pot. I think it’s the perfect amount of seafood for two. The service was kind… then again I don’t think I encountered poor service anywhere in Florida. We ended up spending about $ 95 for two our meal, which was a bit more than I was expecting but honestly it was a pretty good value. I would have rather spent a little more for fresh seafood in the back than going for the buffet for seafood that had been sitting out for a while. I probably wouldn’t return on my next trip to Orlando but it was worth the trip to once.
Cindy W.
Place rating: 2 Brookline, MA
Craving crab and raw bar all week, the people in our hotel recommended this place to us. It was fairly close by to where we were staying and we reviewed the menu online to see if they had the stuff we were looking for. So for our last meal before our flight we decided to fulfill our needs. A few of us got the buffet and the rest got the entrees. Being from Boston, I think we were expecting better quality of seafood and selection. Their raw bar looked okay but a little scary. Their appertizers were very good. I do recommend their coconut shrimp and calamari. Soups were okay but nothing to rave about. Overall, for the money… We would have liked it if we went somewhere else.
TootTootTootsie G.
Place rating: 5 New York, NY
We always come here for dinner when we’re in the area. The very casual atmosphere won’t prepare you for how gourmet the food is, although the prices will remind you it is. Among the dishes I recommend are the appetizer platter with calamari, crab dip, and coconut shrimp; cedar-planked salmon, topped with sweet peppers and artichoke hearts and served with crab orzo; the Baltimore platter, which includes stuffed crab, beer-battered fish, fried shrimp, and a Maryland-style crab cake served with fries and cole slaw; and any one of the fish of the day selections served a la Milano, a lemon cream sauce topped with jumbo shrimp, mushrooms, and fresh spinach.
Judy C.
Place rating: 5 Long Island City, NY
I got my money’s worth at the seafood/salad buffet. I ate so many raw oyseters, I’m surprised I didn’t get diarrhea. Everytime I ran out of raw oysters, the nice ppl of Crab House would refill my plate again.
Joyce A.
Place rating: 4 Hoffman Estates, IL
Janusz and I stuffed ourselves with the fresh shrimp and fresh crablegs– we skipped the broccoli and assorted fillers(we even let the really great bread alone after a bite or two). Heck we were there to eat fresh seafood– And we did! I can’t comment about the hot seafood– we decided to just do the cold. We ate until we were comfortabley full– not stuffed. But you could easily over do it becasue the seafood/salad bar is just overflowing with tempting goodies. Maybe I am being cheap with the stars– but I really need to be bowled over for the 5th star– I liked the restaurant, and would go back– Definitely a good place to go if you like seafood and are really hungry!
Gourmet G.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
Visitors to the Orlando area who have had their fill of the fast food served at the theme parks in the area should do themselves a favor and head to this popular seafood restaurant. No need to change out of the shorts and T-shirts you wore to Disney World or Universal Studios; this is upscale dining in a very casual setting. The main draw here is the all-you-can-eat fresh seafood and salad bar, overflowing with freshly shucked oysters, chilled shrimp, Snow Crab, Maryland Blue Crab, marinated mussels, smoked salmon, and a spicy seafood salad. Accompaniments include a deliciously tangy cole slaw, potato salad, green salad with all the trimmings, and a wide variety of fresh vegetables and dressings. This is a must for seafood lovers. Opting for the buffet helps you avoid the arduous task of wading through the lengthy menu and being faced with the difficult task of selecting one entrée from the dozens offered. Fresh-from-the market Atlantic salmon, mahi-mahi, yellow fin tuna, grouper, and flounder — grilled, broiled, or «bronzed» — are served with the vegetable of the day and rice pilaf. Your selection can be enhanced with one of five«signature toppings,» including Pontchartrain(fresh jumbo lump crabmeat and shrimp with mushrooms and onions in a light cream sauce) and Milano(a lemon cream sauce topped with jumbo shrimp, mushrooms, and fresh spinach). Crab offerings include Alaskan King, Pacific Coast Dungeness, and Snow. Lobster lovers select their own from the tank, or can have a combination of a half Maine lobster — loaded with crabmeat stuffing and broiled — and a half-pound of steaming Dungeness Crab. Those who prefer turf to surf can choose from filet mignon, ribeye, or top sirloin, served with smashed potatoes and vegetable, a seasoned char-grilled semi-boneless chicken breast with cheese risotto and roasted vegetables, or Chicken Florentine, topped with Rockefeller stuffing. Expensive, but worth it.