Virginia is a coastal state, and as such, we residents often have a hankering for the meat inside shells, claws, and tails. Here’s where to get your fix of sweet and salty mollusks and crustaceans.
Quarterdeck
This vintage spot serves piping hot Chesapeake Bay and Louisiana blue crabs year-round. Served with drawn butter and vinegar, the honeyed meat needs little adornment, as the shells are encrusted with layers of J.O. crab seasoning. Quarterdeck also serves crab balls, Chesapeake crab soup, and crabcakes if you’d rather not work for your crabmeat. 1200 Fort Myer Dr., Arlington
King Street Oyster Bar
On any given day, this raw bar features a dozen varieties of oysters distinguished as “East Coast” or “West Coast.” Happy hour is seven days a week, when oysters are just $1.50 each (in sets of three) or served as shooters with yuzu and pilsner sauce and a blend of Tito’s Handmade Vodka and bloody mary mix. Prefer them cooked? Order charbroiled with garlic butter or oysters Rockefeller. 12 S. King St., Leesburg; 1 E. Washington St., Middleburg
Captain Pells
This family-owned eatery started by a waterman carries steamed crabs year-round. Try the all-you-can-eat or by the dozen. Order a half-bushel ahead of time for a group. The restaurant also has lobster dinners, snow crab leg combos, and platters where you can mix and match fried and broiled scallops, crabcakes, fish, oysters, and clams. 10195 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax
The Fish Market Restaurant
While the menu includes shrimp pasta, fried shrimp, crab-stuffed shrimp, shrimp seafood stew, jumbo shrimp cocktail, Buffalo shrimp, and shrimp Cobb salad, the most popular order is spiced shrimp. These peel-and-eat crustaceans are wild-caught from the Gulf of Mexico and bathed in brown butter, pickling spice, and Old Bay seasoning (rather than a dry rub). They’re finger-licking good. 105 King St., Alexandria
Chasin’ Tails
Out from the kitchen sails a black stockpot containing citrusy, buttery crustaceans and mollusks layered over boiled potatoes and corn on the cob. Next comes the bib, gloves, and a bucket to throw your shells in. Enhance your pot with andouille sausage and rice to absorb the punchy “Oh Dang!” signature sauce if you don’t like it super spicy. Choose from king crab, snow crab, crawfish, shrimp, mussels, lobster, or any combination of your favorites. 944 W. Broad St., Falls Church
C.J. Finz Raw Bar & Grille
When it comes to lobster rolls, this family-owned and -operated raw bar serves an authentic taste of this coastal tradition. Hefty chunks of tail and perfectly intact claw meat are suffused in light tarragon mayonnaise, allowing the prized delicacy to shine through. The lobster barely fits in the buttery New England–style bun, but you can try. Green onions add an aromatic crunch. It tastes as though this succulent crustacean was just hauled out of the sea. 9413 West St., Manassas
Feature image by Rey Lopez for LeadingDC
This story originally ran in our July issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
